Knee bolster assembly

A knee bolster assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle driver, the vehicle including a steering column and a steering column bracket the knee bolster assembly comprising:

• a central bracket for partially surrounding the steering column;
• a foam element mounted on the central bracket;
• left and right knee brackets mounted on opposite sides of the central bracket, the knee brackets having a generally D-shaped cross-section including a convex rear wall positionable adjacent a vehicle driver such that upon loading by the vehicle driver, the knee brackets deform about multiple, nonspecific bend lines for absorption of energy;
• and
• wherein the D-shaped bracket has overlapping portions cooperatively forming forward walls and cooperatively closing the D-shaped cross section.

A knee bolster assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle driver, the vehicle including a steering column and a steering column bracket, the knee bolster assembly comprising:

• a central bracket for partially surrounding the steering column;
• a foam element mounted on the central bracket;
• left and right knee brackets mounted on opposite sides of the central bracket, the knee brackets having a generally D-shaped cross-section including a convex rear wall positionable adjacent a vehicle driver such that upon loading by the vehicle driver, the knee brackets deform about multiple, nonspecific bend lines for absorption of energy;
• and
• wherein the central bracket includes a central foam-receiving wall and left and right side walls and wherein the foam element is connected to the foam-receiving wall and wherein the knee brackets are each attached to a respective one of the side walls, wherein the central bracket is significantly stiffer than the knee brackets and wherein the foam-receiving wall of the central bracket has a generally convex shape for directing forward loading from the driver in laterally outboard directions towards the knee brackets.

A knee bolster assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle driver, the vehicle including a steering column and a steering column bracket, the knee bolster assembly comprising:

• a central bracket for partially surrounding the steering column;
• a foam element mounted on the central bracket;
• left and right knee brackets mounted on opposite sides of the central bracket, the knee brackets having a generally D-shaped cross-section including a convex rear wall positionable adjacent a vehicle driver such that upon loading by the vehicle driver, the knee brackets deform about multiple, nonspecific bend lines for absorption of energy;
• and
• wherein the knee brackets are formed separate and independent from the central bracket and wherein the knee brackets include a generally straight inner wall, a generally straight outer wall, and wherein the inner and outer walls are integrally connected by the respective rear walls, and wherein the knee brackets each include a generally straight forward wall, and wherein the inner walls and forward walls are securely connected to the central bracket for minimizing deformation during loading and wherein the rear walls and the outer walls steadily deform about multiple bend lines during loading for energy absorption and wherein the forward walls of the knee brackets are cooperatively formed by overlapping portions closing the cross-section.

A knee bolster assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle driver, the vehicle including a steering column and a steering column bracket, the knee bolster assembly comprising:

• a central bracket for partially surrounding the steering column;
• a foam element mounted on the central bracket;
• left and right knee brackets mounted on opposite sides of the central bracket, the knee brackets having a generally D-shaped cross-section including a convex rear wall positionable adjacent a vehicle driver such that upon loading by the vehicle driver, the knee brackets deform about multiple, nonspecific bend lines for absorption of energy;
• and
• wherein the central bracket is significantly stiffer than the knee brackets.

A knee bolster assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle driver, the vehicle including a steering column and a steering column bracket, the knee bolster assembly comprising:

• a central bracket for partially surrounding the steering column, the central bracket for attachment to the steering column bracket, the central bracket including a rear foam-receiving wall and left and right side walls extending forward from the foam-receiving wall, the central bracket including outward laterally bent ends extending from forward ends of the respective side walls;
• a foam element mounted on the foam-receiving wall of the central bracket;
• and
• left and right knee brackets mounted to the central bracket, the knee brackets each having a generally D-shaped cross-section and including a convex rear wall positionable adjacent the vehicle driver, the knee brackets each including an inner wall attached to the respective side walls of the central bracket and each including a forward wall attached to the respective bent ends of the central bracket, the central bracket being significantly stiffer than the knee brackets such that upon loading by the vehicle driver, the knee brackets deform about multiple, nonspecific bend lines for absorption of energy and such that the outer walls and the rear walls of the knee brackets deform significantly more than the inner walls and the forward walls.