JP2000038101A - Vehicular knee protector structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular knee protector structure that prevents abnormal noise reliably at vehicle-body vibration and suppresses the impulsive force that acts on occupant knees well at vehicle collision. SOLUTION: This vehicular knee protector structure comprises an under cover 3 fixed to an instrument panel 1 in the front of the vehicle interior to define a surface opposed to an occupant's knees, a load receiving plate 5 supported on a vehicle-body base frame part 2 and a cowl top member D both in the front of the vehicle interior so as to face an undersurface 302 of the under cover 3 at a predetermined interval (s), and a rib 6 projecting from either of the under cover 3 and load receiving plate 5 to the other for elastic deformation when compressed between both of them by force of or over a preset value.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a knee protector structure of a vehicle for protecting an occupant's knee during a vehicle collision, and more particularly, to overload from an occupant's knee via an undercover supported by an instrument panel. The present invention relates to a vehicle knee protector structure that is received by a receiving plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a knee protector, which is one of safety devices for protecting an occupant's knee in the event of a collision, has been increasingly mounted on an automobile. The knee protector abuts against the occupant's knee which shifts forward in the event of a vehicle collision, and at this time, functions to absorb the overload received from the occupant's knee and reduce the impact force applied to the occupant's knee. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the knee protector is attached to an instrument panel 100 at a front portion of a vehicle compartment and a deck crossbar 104 at a lower portion thereof.
The knee protector includes an under cover 101 screwed to the main body of the instrument panel 100 at a portion of the instrument panel 100 facing the driver's seat at a position facing the driver's seat, and an under cover insert 102a provided on the back surface thereof. , 102b and support members 103a, 103b for connecting these undercover inserts to the deck crossbar 104.

Here, the knee protector shown in FIG. 6A is composed of an under cover 101 and an under cover insert 102a.
When the overload W is deformed and absorbs shock, and when the overload is large, the support member 103a, which is a shock absorbing member, bends and absorbs shock to reduce the impact force applied to the occupant's knee. Can be. On the other hand, in the knee protector shown in FIG. 6B, the support member 103b is a rigid body, and the iron cover shock absorbing member 103 'is attached to the under cover insert 102b extending downward from the tip. Here, the under cover 101 and the shock absorbing member 103 'are overloaded W
When they are received, they deform and absorb the impact, and the impact force applied to the occupant's knee can be reduced.

In each of the above knee protectors, a gap s is held between the under cover 101 and the under cover insert 102a or between the under cover 101 and the shock absorbing member 103 '. It is ensured that the body 101 itself can be bent and deformed, thereby obtaining a shock absorbing function. An example of such a knee protector is disclosed in Utility Model Registration Publication No. 2549497.

[0005]

However, FIG.
In each knee protector disclosed in (a) and (b) and Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2554997, as described above, the under cover 101 and the under cover insert 102a are provided.
The gap s is held between the gap (see the symbol m) and the shock absorbing member 103 '(see the symbol n). For this reason, when the vehicle travels, the vehicle body vibration changes. For example, the under cover 101 and the under cover insert 10
2a or the resonance of the shock absorbing member 103 '
If the vibration from the road surface becomes excessively large, the under cover 101 and the under cover insert 102a or the shock absorbing member 103 'may come into contact with each other and generate abnormal noise, which may cause discomfort to the occupant. is there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a knee protector structure for a vehicle which can reliably prevent generation of abnormal noise when a vehicle body vibrates, and which can sufficiently reduce an impact force applied to an occupant's knee at the time of a vehicle collision. is there.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an under cover is attached to an instrument panel at a front portion of a passenger compartment, and the under cover is opposed to a knee of an occupant. A front surface is formed, and a weight receiving plate is provided on a back surface of the under cover with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the weight receiving plate is supported by a vehicle body frame at a front portion of a vehicle cabin. A rib is formed so as to project from one of the receiving plates so as to be in contact with the other, and the rib is formed so as to be plastically deformed when pressed between the under cover and the load receiving plate with a force of a predetermined value or more. Is done. For this reason, a rib protruding from one of the under cover and the load receiving plate so as to contact the other restricts the relative vibration displacement between the under cover and the load receiving plate, thereby restricting the generation of abnormal noise when the vehicle body vibrates. In addition, if the occupant's knee hits the undercover at the time of a vehicle collision, the rib sandwiched between the undercover and the load receiving plate with a force of a predetermined value or more plastically deforms to absorb the collision energy, Impact force received by the knee can be reduced.

Preferably, the weight receiving plate is supported on a vehicle body base frame at a front portion of the vehicle cabin via an impact absorbing member. In this case, the rib is plastically deformed and the shock absorbing member is plastically deformed, and the collision energy is absorbed with each of these plastic deformations, so that the impact force applied to the occupant's knee can be further reduced,
Shock absorption can be further improved. Preferably, an elastic member that presses the weight receiving plate in the direction of the rib is preferably provided opposite to the weight receiving plate. In this case, since the elastic member and the rib sandwich the load receiving plate, the vibration of the load receiving plate can be more reliably restricted, and the generation of abnormal noise can be more reliably prevented.

[0009]

1 to 4 show a knee protector structure of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied. The knee protector structure of this vehicle is mounted on an instrument panel 1 provided at a front portion of a vehicle compartment (not shown) and a deck cross bar 2 provided at a lower portion inside the instrument panel. An under cover 3 formed at a portion of the driver's seat facing the knee of the occupant; a knee absorber 4 fixed to the deck crossbar 2; And a rib 6 protruding from the back surface of the under cover 3.

The instrument panel 1 is composed of a core material, a pad material and a skin material (not shown), and a deck crossbar 2 extending in the vehicle width direction X (see FIGS. 1 to 3) and a cowl top member for supporting a lower end of a front window (not shown). D
And other unillustrated vehicle body frame parts. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the instrument panel 1 has an instrument panel mounting portion 8, a steering shaft mounting portion 10, and an under cover mounting portion 11 at a portion facing the driver's seat.

The instrument panel mounting portion 8 is provided at a position above the instrument panel 1 opposite to the driver's seat at a position easily visible to the occupant. In addition, an under cover 3 which forms a part of the knee protector structure of the vehicle is mounted below the vehicle. The steering shaft mounting portion 10 is formed continuously below the central lower end of the instrument panel mounting portion 8 of the instrument panel 1 and is large enough to insert and attach the steering shaft 7 when assembling the steering shaft 7. And a peripheral member 101 of the hole h1.

The under cover attaching portion 11 is formed of an under cover attaching hole h2 formed continuously below the hole h1 of the instrument panel 1 and a flange portion 111 on the periphery thereof. The under cover attaching portion 11 is provided on the instrument panel 1 at a position facing the knee of a driver in the driver's seat, and has an undersize large enough to allow the under cover insert to pass through when the under cover insert 5 is assembled. A cover mounting hole h2 is formed. Further, a flange portion 111 is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the under cover mounting hole h2, and the outer peripheral edge of the under cover 3 is overlapped on the flange portion 111, and a plurality of portions of the flange portion 111 are connected with screws d or the like. It is configured to be fixed by means.

Here, the under cover 3 has a surface 301.
Has a curved plate shape curved in the vertical direction, and has a cut portion 303 at the upper end of the center to avoid interference with the steering shaft 7.
(See FIGS. 3 and 4). The under cover 3 is made of the same resin as the skin of the instrument panel 1 (e.g., PP resin), and its rigidity is appropriately set so that it can be bent and deformed when subjected to a predetermined overload. The rear surface 302 of the under cover 3 has a plurality of ribs 6 protruding toward a weight receiving surface f of the under cover insert 5 described later.
As shown by the broken lines in FIG. 4, the ribs 6 are distributed and arranged so that any rib 6 can be broken even if an overload W is received at any position on the surface 301 side. ing.

The protruding amount e of the rib 6 is set so that the leading end portion of the rib 6 normally comes into contact with the weight receiving surface f. For this reason, each rib 6 on the side of the under cover 3 is always in contact with the under cover insert 5, and vibration of the under cover insert 5 described later can be prevented. Rib 6 here
Can be easily formed integrally with the under cover 3, and cost reduction can be achieved. Here, the rib 6 is formed of the same material as the under cover 3. However, in some cases, the rib 6 may be separately formed and then integrally bonded to the back surface 302 of the under cover 3.

Further, the rib 6 presses against the load receiving surface f when the occupant's knee applies an overload W to the undercover 3 at the time of a vehicle collision, and the overload W at that time is a predetermined threshold. If it exceeds the value, it will break down, and at this time, it will be able to exhibit its shock absorbing function.
For this reason, the number of ribs 6 here, length L, thickness t
(See FIG. 1 and FIG. 4) and the like are appropriately set, thereby appropriately adjusting the function of absorbing the collision energy due to the plastic deformation accompanying the destruction of the rib 6. Although the thin strip-shaped rib 6 is shown here, a saw-toothed rib 6 ′, a holed rib 6 ″ and the like as shown in FIGS. , The threshold value of the overload W can be adjusted.

The deck crossbar 2 provided at the lower portion inside the instrument panel 1 cooperates with a cowl top member D which supports the lower end of the front window at the front of the crossbar 2, and the vehicle in the vehicle width direction X (see FIG. 2). Maintain the rigidity of the front of the room. Here, the deck crossbar 2 includes a pipe-shaped main portion 201, mounting brackets 202 at the left and right ends thereof, a steering bracket 203 provided at a portion facing a driver's seat (see reference numeral C in FIG. 2), and a steering bracket 203. And a pair of knee protector mounting pieces 204 disposed in the vicinity of the left and right of the vehicle.

The main part 201 is made of a pipe material having sufficient rigidity, and the mounting bracket 20 welded to the left and right ends thereof.
Numeral 2 is integrally connected to other vehicle base frames such as left and right front liner members E, thereby enhancing the rigidity in the vehicle width direction X at the front of the passenger compartment. The steering bracket 203 has a central portion integrally joined to the main portion 201 and a front and rear end formed with a fastening portion a for fastening and fixing the steering shaft 7 with a bolt. Each of the pair of knee protector mounting pieces 204 is formed with a downward fixing surface b (see FIG. 1). Each fixed surface b overlaps the base end of the knee absorber 4 as a shock absorbing member and is bolted, thereby supporting the knee absorber 4 in a cantilever state.

The pair of knee absorbers 4 are made of sheet metal and have a bar shape, extend in parallel with each other toward the back surface 302 of the under cover 3, and have a fastening end 401 at each end. The tightening end 401 has an under cover insert 5
Is bolted to the upper end. In addition, knee absorber 4
The cross-sectional shape of the under cover insert 5 is appropriately set such that the under cover insert 5 at the tip receives an overload W via the under cover 3 and, when the overload exceeds a predetermined value, can be bent and deformed at the straight portion 402 and the bent portion 403. Have been. The under cover insert 5, which is an essential part of the knee protector structure of the vehicle, is formed of a sheet metal material having a predetermined rigidity, and has a curved load receiving surface f. The weight receiving surface f is provided to face the curved back surface 302 of the under cover 3 while maintaining a predetermined gap s. The under cover insert 5 has a notch 501 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) formed at the upper end of the center to avoid interference with the steering shaft 7.

The under cover insert 5 has an elastic member 13 made of urethane foam between the lower end thereof and the extension 112 of the under cover mounting hole h2 on the instrument panel 1 located at a position facing the lower cover insert. The elastic member 13 is provided at the lower end of the under cover insert 5 with a rib 6.
Press in the direction of. For this reason, the elastic member 13 and the rib 6 can clamp the undercover insert 5, thereby reliably preventing the vibration of the undercover insert 5.

When the above-described knee protector structure of the vehicle is adopted, a pair of knee absorbers 4 are bolted to a pair of knee protector mounting pieces 204 of the deck crossbar 2 at the time of assembling. Then, the instrument panel 1 is carried into the front of the passenger compartment, and is mounted and supported on the deck crossbar 2, the cowl top member D and the like. Next, the steering shaft 7 (not shown) is inserted through the hole h1 of the instrument panel 1 or the under cover mounting hole h2, and the steering bracket 203 is inserted.
The steering shaft 7 is assembled. afterwards,
The under cover insert 5 inserted through the under cover mounting hole h2 is bolted to each tightening end 401 of the pair of knee absorbers 4, and the under cover 3 is further tightened and fixed to the under cover mounting hole h2.

By such an assembling process, each rib 6 of the under cover 3 comes into contact with the weight receiving surface f of the under cover insert 5, and at the same time, presses the under cover insert 5 against the elastic member 13. For this reason, even if resonance occurs between the under cover 3 and the under cover insert 5 when the vehicle is running, or the vibration from the road surface becomes excessively large,
Since the rib 6 and the elastic member 13 always clamp the under cover insert, the under cover insert 5 is reliably prevented from vibrating, and both the under cover insert 5 and the instrument panel 1 hit each other when vibrating, generating abnormal noise. Can be reliably prevented.

In the event of a collision of a vehicle equipped with such a knee protector structure for a vehicle, the occupant's knee first shifts and collides with the front undercover 3. At this time, the undercover 3 receiving the overload W bends and deforms by a predetermined gap s,
At the same time, the rib 6 is pressed between the under cover 3 and the under cover insert 5. At this time, the weight receiving surface f
Receives the overload W, the ribs 6 pressed against each other are broken, and the resulting plastic deformation absorbs the collision energy. here,
If the overload W is large, after the rib 6 is broken, both the under cover 3 and the under cover insert 5 move forward, that is, toward the deck crossbar 2, and the straight portion 402 and the bent portion 403 of each knee absorber 4 are bent. Deformation and plastic deformation accompanying the bending can further absorb the collision energy. As a result, when the occupant's knee collides with the under cover 3, the collision energy of the occupant is sufficiently absorbed by the plastic deformation of the under cover 3, the ribs 6 on the rear surface thereof, and the knee absorber 4, and the occupant's knee is thus absorbed. The reaction force received from the undercover 3 side is sufficiently reduced, and even if the occupant's knee collides with the undercover 3 due to the overload W, the damage received at that time can be sufficiently prevented.

As described above, in the knee protector structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, prior to exhibiting the shock absorbing function due to the bending deformation of the knee absorber 4, the shock absorbing function is formed by the bending deformation in the gap s of the under cover 3 itself. In addition to the above, the rib 6 on the back surface 302 of the undercover 3 can be sufficiently pressed against the undercover insert 5 to break down by plastic deformation, thereby sufficiently exerting the shock absorbing function, and the shock absorbing function is further improved. Damage to the occupant's knee can be more reliably prevented. As described above, the threshold value P1 for the bending deformation of the knee absorber 4, the threshold value for the destruction of the rib 6, and the threshold value for the bending deformation of the undercover 3 itself are sequentially set to be smaller in this order. The collision energy can be absorbed in accordance with the overload of the vehicle, and the knee of the occupant can be prevented from being damaged.
The threshold values may be set to the same value, and the knee absorber 4, the rib 6, and the undercover 3 may be plastically deformed at the same threshold value.

In the vehicle knee protector structure shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the rib 6 and the under cover 3, the knee absorber 4 for supporting the under cover insert 5 is also plastically deformed. As shown, the undercover insert 5 is supported by a rigid support member 4 ′
Only a and the under cover 3 may have a function of absorbing collision energy. The number of the ribs 6a, the protruding amount e ', the length L', the thickness, and the like of the ribs 6a are set relatively large in order to sufficiently secure a capacity capable of exhibiting a function of absorbing collision energy accompanying the destruction. Will be done. Further, the above-described under cover insert 5 is supported by the deck crossbar 2 as a vehicle body base frame portion at the front of the passenger compartment via the knee absorber 4, but instead of this, another vehicle body such as a cowl top member may be used. It may be configured to be supported by the frame portion, and in this case, the same operation and effect as the knee protector structure of the vehicle in FIG. 1 can be exhibited.

In the knee protector structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, the rib 6 is formed so as to protrude from the under cover 3, but instead, the load receiving surface f of the under cover insert 5 is replaced with this.
A rib (not shown) may be formed so as to protrude, and the tip of the rib may be brought into contact with the back surface 302 of the under cover. In this case, the same operation and effect as the knee protector structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. it can.

[0026]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the rib protruding from one of the under cover and the weight receiving plate so as to abut the other is provided to the relative position between the under cover and the weight receiving plate. Since vibration displacement is regulated, generation of abnormal noise during vehicle vibration can be regulated.Moreover, when the occupant's knee hits the undercover during a vehicle collision, the occupant is pinched between the undercover and the load receiving plate with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The pressed ribs are plastically deformed to absorb the collision energy, and the impact force applied to the occupant's knee can be reduced. If the load receiving plate is supported on the vehicle body frame in the front of the passenger compartment through an impact absorbing member, the plastic load can absorb the overload, and the impact force received by the occupant's knee can be reduced. Can be reduced, and the shock absorption can be further increased. If the load receiving plate is sandwiched between the elastic member and the rib, the vibration of the load receiving plate can be more reliably regulated, and the generation of abnormal noise can be more reliably prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a vehicle body front part of an automobile equipped with a vehicle knee protector structure to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a deck crossbar of a vehicle equipped with the knee protector structure of the vehicle of FIG. 1 and a mounting member thereof.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cutaway perspective view of a vehicle body front portion of the vehicle equipped with the knee protector structure of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of an under cover used in the knee protector structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1;

5A and 5B show a modified example of a rib used in the knee protector structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 5A is a first modified example, and FIG.
(C) is a third modification.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional knee protector structure of a vehicle,
(A) is a first conventional example, and (b) is a second conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Instrument panel 2 Deck cross bar 3 Under cover 302 Back surface 4 Knee absorber 5 Under cover insert 6, 6a, 6 ', 6 "rib f Weight receiving surface s Gap D Cowling top member

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An undercover attached to an instrument panel at a front portion of a passenger compartment, the undercover having a surface facing an occupant's knee, facing a back surface of the undercover via a predetermined gap,
A weight receiving plate supported by the vehicle body frame at the front of the vehicle compartment; and an under cover and a weight receiving plate that are formed so as to protrude from one of the under cover and the weight receiving plate so as to contact the other. And a rib that plastically deforms when pressed with a force greater than or equal to a predetermined value between the knee protector and the vehicle.