Patent ID: 7290787

Claim:
An occupant knee protection apparatus for a vehicle which includes a knee airbag disposed in front of a knee portion of an occupant and configured to expand and deploy toward the knee portion of the occupant upon collision of the vehicle to thereby protect the knee portion of the occupant, wherein the knee airbag is attached to a panel capable of undergoing plastic deformation when absorbing energy, the panel being connected to a support member of the vehicle via a bracket capable of absorbing energy when undergoing plastic deformation, the panel being disposed in front of the knee portion of the occupant at a vertical position whereby the knee portion of the occupant may transfer energy to the panel when the occupant's knee is disposed below the bracket and above the bottom edge of the panel, and the bracket being disposed in front of the knee portion of the occupant at a vertical position where the knee portion of the occupant may transfer energy to the bracket when the occupant's knee is disposed at or above the bracket, and the bracket absorbs energy at an energy absorption load greater than an energy absorption load at which the panel absorbs energy.