The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 1989
Filed:
Sep. 24, 1987
Akio Oikawa, Hatano, JP;
Masanori Narita, Yamato, JP;
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama, JP;
Abstract
A knee protective panel of a vehicle, extending laterally of the vehicle in front of a driver's seat under an instrument panel and having a U-shaped cut receiving a steering column is provided with a reinforcing member fixed to the protective panel so that there is formed between the protective panel and reinforcing member an enclosed space extending laterally immediately under the U-shaped cut. In one embodiment of the invention, an opening is formed in an outboard half of the reinforcing member lying on the outboard side of the steering column so that the rigidity of the outboard half is made lower than that of the inboard half. In another embodiment, the protective panel is joined with the instrument panel through at least one intermediate bracket which is fastened with the upper end of the protective panel by bolts extending substantially vertically and which is connected with a laterally extending steering member through at least one support bracket extending forwardly and transmitting impact due to collision from the protective panel to the steering member.