Patent ID: 7431338

Claim:
An impact absorbing knee bolster comprising: an impact absorbing structure configured and arranged to be attached to a vehicle structural member, the impact absorbing structure including a pair of upper impact absorbing brackets having a first impact deformation load threshold and a pair of lower impact absorbing brackets having a second impact deformation load threshold that is lower than the first impact deformation load threshold; and a knee bolster main body plate including a pair of bracket attachment parts contacting rear end parts of the upper and lower impact absorbing brackets with a prescribed gap formed between the rear end parts of the upper and lower impact absorbing brackets, the knee bolster main body plate including a deformation load reducing structure disposed at a location adjacent at least one of the bracket attachment parts on an inner side of the at least one of the bracket attachment parts to reduce an impact deformation load threshold of the knee bolster main body plate so that a resulting receiving reaction force of the impact absorbing knee bolster is reduced when the lower impact absorbing brackets are deformed.