Instrument panel with a yieldable meter casing
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakayuki Fujii, Hitoshi Suda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An instrument panel for vehicles including a base and a trough-shaped meter casing fastened to the base by stays disposed in the meter casing. Each of the stays includes a pair of leg portions which are angularly inclined relative to a principal direction in which severe impacts are likely to occur against the meter casing. When the meter casing is subjected to impacts, the leg portions of the stays give way and buckle such that the meter casing is displaced or yields without being broken or damaged. The impacting force is thus absorbed, and a person in the vehicle who collides with the meter casing is protected from serious injury.
Claims8
An instrument panel for vehicles, comprising:
- an instrument panel base mounted on a vehicle body;
- a substantially trough-shaped meter casing mounted on said instrument panel base;
- at least one stay disposed in said trough-shaped meter casing;
- said meter casing being provided with bosses extending inwardly within said trough-shaped meter casing toward said instrument panel base;
- said stay including a pair of leg portions substantially angularly inclined relative to a principal direction of impacts against said meter casing;
- said meter casing being fastened to said instrument panel base by said at least one stay at fastening portions of said meter casing defined by said bosses;
- and
- said angularly inclined leg portions of said stay being adapted to buckle when said meter casing is subjected to impacting forces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.