Energy absorbing foot rest arrangement

摘要

A foot-supporting body in a motor vehicle is provided which is capable of supporting both feet of a passenger while reducing the intrusion depth, reducing the change in intrusion speed and performing deformation work. The foot-supporting body is made as a pure hard-foam moulded body which-arranged on the passenger/driver side of the end wall-extends beyond the left-hand foot-placement area at least as far as the area covered by the brake pedal. The inherent rigidity of the foot-supporting body, as viewed in the loading direction, which can be permanently deformed, is below that of the allocated area of the end wall. Polystyrene-or polyurethane-foamed plastic, with a lower volumetric-weight limit of about 20 g/dm3 is preferably used as the moulded body material in certain exemplary embodiments.