JP2000108940A - Steering support structure for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide steering support structure for a vehicle where the steering support rigidity can be obtained and also the safety can be improved. SOLUTION: In this steering support structure for a vehicle where a steering support beam 11 and a steering column are coupled with each other by a column bracket, and also a steering support beam 11 and a front bulk head 14 are coupled with each other through a stay 30, the stay 30 is made, with its front end 31 and rear end 33 coupled with each other by an upper arm 35 having the bends consisting of a front bend 36 and a rear bend 37 and a lower arm 45 having the bends consisting of a front bend 46 and a rear bend 47, and the rear end 33 is laid between a front bulk head 14 and a steering support beam 11, being offset in the direction of the car body width to the front end 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering support structure for a vehicle, and more particularly to a steering support structure for a vehicle in which a steering support beam and a steering column are connected and a steering support beam and a front bulkhead are connected via a stay. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a steering apparatus of an automobile, a steering shaft for supporting a steering wheel at an upper end thereof is inserted into a steering column made of a steel pipe or the like, and is rotatably supported via a bearing or the like. The freely supporting steering column is connected via a fuse mechanism to a steering support beam provided between left and right front pillars.

[0003] When an impact load or the like exceeding a predetermined value acts between the steering support beam and the steering column, the steering column is dropped from the steering support beam by the fuse mechanism to prevent the steering wheel from moving backward. ing.

On the other hand, a steering support beam for supporting a steering column is generally connected to a front bulkhead or a floor panel via a stay in order to secure support rigidity of the steering column and reduce vibration. Have been. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 57-4
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 466,466, etc., the vicinity of the steering column support portion of the steering support beam is connected to the front bulkhead via a stay, and the vicinity of the center of the steering support beam is connected to the floor panel via another stay. There is something to do.

[0005]

According to the above prior art, a steering support beam for supporting a steering column is connected to a front bulkhead or a floor panel by means of a stay to improve the support rigidity of the steering column and to improve the steering wheel and the like. Is obtained.

However, in the above-mentioned steering support beam connected to the front bulkhead by a stay, if the rigidity of the stay is made sufficiently high in order to improve the supporting rigidity of the steering column, a predetermined value or more from the front of the vehicle body is obtained. When the impact load acts on the front bulkhead and the front bulkhead retreats rearward from the vehicle body, the steering support beam is pressed backward through the stay and deforms, so the designer separates it from the steering support beam. It becomes extremely difficult to predict the movement state of the steering column after falling off, in other words, the behavior of the steering column.

On the other hand, when the steering support beam is connected to the floor panel via a stay, the steering support beam is supported by the floor panel by the stay, so that the steering support beam is deformed as the floor panel is deformed. As described above, it is difficult for the designer to predict the behavior of the steering column after the steering column is separated from the steering support beam, and the space under the occupant's feet is limited by the stay, and a large stay is required. There is a concern that the cost and weight will increase.

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-4466, a steering support beam is connected to a front bulkhead via a stay, and a steering support beam is connected to a floor panel via another stay. In the above, since the steering support beam is supported by the front bulkhead and the floor panel by the stay, the steering support beam is deformed along with the deformation of the front bulkhead or the floor panel. It is difficult to predict the behavior of the steering column after separation and falling off, and the space under the occupant's feet is limited by the stay, and a plurality of stays are required.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention, which has been made in view of the above points, is to provide a steering support structure for a vehicle, which secures steering support rigidity and improves safety.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle steering support structure for rotatably supporting a steering support beam provided between left and right front pillars and a steering shaft. A steering column is connected with a column bracket, and the steering support beam and the front bulkhead are connected via a stay. In the steering support structure for a vehicle, the stay is provided at a front end coupled to the front bulkhead. On the other hand, a rear end connected to the steering support beam is offset in the vehicle width direction and is provided between the front bulkhead and the steering support beam.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the steering support beam is normally firmly supported by the front bulkhead by the stay, and the support rigidity of the steering column and the like supported by the steering support beam is improved to suppress vibration and the like. Is done.

On the other hand, when an impact load of a predetermined value or more acts on the front bulkhead from the front of the vehicle body and the front bulkhead retreats rearward of the vehicle body, the stay is connected to the front end portion connected to the front bulkhead and the steering support. Since the rear end connected to the beam is offset in the width direction of the vehicle body and is installed between the front bulkhead and the steering support beam, the stay is easily deformed due to the retreat of the front bulkhead and the steering The transmission of the impact load to the support beam is suppressed, the deformation of the steering support beam is avoided, the designer can easily predict the behavior of the steering column, and the safety is improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle steering support structure according to the first aspect, the stay includes a plurality of arms connecting the front end and the rear end, and each of the arms is connected to the vehicle body. It is characterized in that it has bends at different positions in the front-rear direction.

According to the invention of claim 2, since the front end and the rear end of the stay are connected by a plurality of arms,
An opening is formed between the arms to reduce the weight of the stay, and the bent portion facilitates the deformation of the stay due to the retraction of the front bulkhead, thereby avoiding the deformation of the steering support beam due to an impact load. On the other hand, by forming each bent portion by displacing it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the bending rigidity of the stay in the normal state is ensured, the support rigidity of the steering support beam is improved, and the steering support rigidity is ensured.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle steering support structure according to the first aspect, the stay is provided below the upper arm and an upper arm connecting the front end and the rear end. And a lower arm having a fragile portion and connecting the front end and the rear end.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the front end and the rear end of the stay are connected by the upper arm and the lower arm, and the lower arm has a weak portion. Since the fragile portion is deformed prior to the upper arm, the lower arm is shortened and deformed before the upper arm, so that the steering column or the steering wheel supported by the steering support beam is prevented from jumping up.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle steering support structure of the first aspect, the stay has an upper arm connecting the front end and the rear end with a bent portion, and the upper arm has a bent portion. A lower arm that is disposed below and has a bent portion that is different from the bent portion formed in the upper arm in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and that connects the front end and the rear end. And

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the invention of the second aspect is further embodied. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the front end and the rear end of the stay are connected by an upper arm and a lower arm. Therefore, an opening is formed between each upper arm and the lower arm to reduce the weight of the stay, and the bent portion easily deforms the upper arm and the lower arm associated with the retraction of the front bulkhead so that the steering support beam can be easily deformed. Deformation is avoided. On the other hand, by forming each bent portion by displacing it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the bending rigidity of the stay in the normal state is ensured, the support rigidity of the steering support beam is improved, and the steering support rigidity is ensured.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle steering support structure of the fourth aspect, the upper arm and the lower arm each include a pair of bent portions having different positions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and extend along the vehicle longitudinal direction. The inclination angle of the intermediate portion between the bent portions of the lower arm with respect to the axis is larger than the inclination angle of the intermediate portion between the bent portions of the upper arm with respect to the axis along the vehicle longitudinal direction.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the upper arm and the lower arm each have a pair of bent portions, and the inclination angle of the intermediate portion between the bent portions of the lower arm with respect to the axis along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is set between the bent portions of the upper arm. Since the intermediate portion is formed so as to be larger than the inclination angle with respect to the axis along the vehicle longitudinal direction, when the front bulkhead is retracted, the bent portion of the lower arm is bent and deformed prior to the bent portion of the upper arm. As a result, the lower arm is shortened and deformed before the upper arm, so that a jumping-up phenomenon of the steering column or the steering wheel supported by the steering support beam is suppressed.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vehicle steering support structure according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a front part of a vehicle compartment. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a steering support beam provided between left and right front pillars 12. The press-formed column bracket 25 is welded and connected.

On the other hand, a column holder 26 formed by sheet metal press forming is welded to a steering column 21 rotatably supporting a steering wheel 22 and a steering shaft (not shown).
And the column holder 26 via a fuse mechanism (not shown) for releasing the connection by an impact load equal to or greater than a predetermined value, so that the steering column 21 is gradually lowered forward, that is, in a state where the steering column 21 is inclined forward. The steering support beam 11 is connected and supported.

The lower end of the steering column 21 penetrates through the toe board 13 that partitions the interior of the vehicle from the interior of the engine chamber, and reaches the interior of the engine chamber. Above the toe board 13, a front bulkhead installed between the left and right front pillars 12 14 are formed continuously, and the lower part of the toe board 13 is formed continuously with the floor panel 15. Reference numeral 16 denotes a tunnel formed on the floor panel 15.

Further, the steering support beam 11
Is connected to the front bulkhead 14 via a stay 30 in the vicinity of the mounting portion of the column bracket 25.

The stay 30 is shown in a perspective view in FIG.
As shown in a plan view showing an attached state and a side view showing the attached state in FIG.
4, a front end portion 31 formed by bending a front mounting portion 32 to be fastened to the steering support beam 11, a rear end portion 33 formed by bending a rear mounting portion 34 welded to the steering support beam 11, and a front end. A sheet metal press including an upper arm 35 connecting the upper ends of the portion 31 and the rear end 33 and a lower arm 45 disposed below the upper arm 35 and connecting the lower ends of the front end 31 and the rear end 33. The molded product has flanges 51 and 52 formed continuously along its outer periphery and inner periphery to secure the rigidity of the stay 30, and has an opening 55 formed to reduce the weight.

The front bent portion 3 which has a ridge line along the vertical direction at a position close to the front end portion 31 and the rear end portion 33 of the upper arm 35 and which is relatively gently bent in opposite directions to each other.
6 and a rear bent portion 37 are formed.

On the other hand, at a substantially central portion of the lower arm 45 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, there is provided a ridge line along the vertical direction with the vehicle front-rear position different from the front bent portion 36 and the rear bent portion 37 of the upper arm 35. Thus, a front bent portion 46 and a rear bent portion 47 which are bent in mutually opposite directions are formed.

Then, as shown in FIG.
Part 4 between front bend 46 and rear bend 47
8 with respect to an axis X along the vehicle front-rear direction, the front bent portion 36 and the rear bent portion 37 of the upper arm 35
Is larger than the inclination angle α of the intermediate portion 38 with respect to the axis along the vehicle longitudinal direction.

The stay 30 configured as above is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the rear end 33 is offset from the front end 31 in the vehicle width direction. For example, in the present embodiment, the front end 31
In contrast, the rear end 33 is offset laterally in the vehicle width direction by the dimension a, in other words, the entire stay 30 is inclined in the width of the vehicle body and the rear end 33 is bent at the rear end 33.
Is welded to the steering support beam 11 in the vicinity of the column bracket 21 mounting portion, and the front mounting portion 32 bent at the front end portion 31 is attached to the front bulkhead 14.
3 and 4 and is installed between the front bulkhead 14 and the steering support beam 11 as shown in FIGS.

According to the steering support structure for a vehicle configured as described above, the flanges 51 and 52 are respectively formed continuously along the outer circumference and the inner circumference of the stay 30 connecting the front bulkhead 14 and the steering support beam 11, Further, the bent portions of the front bent portion 36 and the rear bent portion 37 formed on the upper arm 35 and the bent portions of the front bent portion 46 and the rear bent portion 47 formed on the lower arm 45 differ from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The rigidity of the stay 30 is ensured, and the steering support beam 11 is firmly supported by the front bulkhead 14.

As a result, the steering support beam 11
The support rigidity of the steering column 21 connected to the steering column 21 via the column bracket 25 is ensured, and the occurrence of vibrations and the like of the steering device such as the steering column 21 and the steering wheel 22 in the normal state is sufficiently suppressed.

On the other hand, the steering support beam 1 is attached to the front end 31 connected to the front bulkhead 14.
A stay 30 is erected between the front bulkhead 14 and the steering support beam 11 with the rear end portion 33 joined to the vehicle 1 being offset in the vehicle width direction, and the upper arm 35 and the lower arm 45 are easily deformed. Since the front bent portions 36 and 46 and the rear bent portions 37 and 47 are formed, an impact load F of a predetermined value or more acts on the front bulkhead 14 from the front of the vehicle body, and the front bulkhead 14 retreats rearward of the vehicle body. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper arm 35 is easily bent at a position near each of the front end 31 and the rear end 33, the front bent portion 36, the rear bent portion 37, and the like. A portion near each of the front end 31 and the rear end 33, the front bent portion 4
6. It is easily bent at the rear bent portion 47 or the like.

Due to this bending deformation, the upper arm 35 and the lower arm 45 are shortened and deformed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the transmission of the impact load F to the steering support beam 11 accompanying the retreat of the front bulkhead 14 is sufficiently reduced. 11 is avoided, and the rearward movement of the steering support beam 11 is prevented.

At the same time, the coupling between the column holder 26 provided on the steering column 21 which is retracted by the impact load F and the column bracket 25 provided on the steering support beam 11 is released by a fuse mechanism, and the steering column 21 is removed. It separates from the bracket 25 and falls off.

Accordingly, the steering support beam 1 accompanying the retreat of the front bulkhead 14 due to the impact load F
1 is avoided and the steering support beam 1
1, the influence on the steering column 21 supported by the column bracket 25 is avoided, the direction of movement of the steering column 21 based on the impact load F is stabilized, and the movement of the steering column 21 in an unexpected direction is prevented. Becomes extremely stable.

Further, the front bent portion 36 of the upper arm 35
The upper arm 35 is formed relatively linearly and the rigidity is set relatively high while the rear bent portion 37 is bent relatively gently, while the front bent portion 46 of the lower arm 45 is set relatively high.
And the inclination angle β of the intermediate portion 48 between the front bending portion 46 and the rear bending portion 47 with respect to the axis X along the vehicle front-rear direction is relatively large. Angle α of an intermediate portion 38 between the bent portion 36 and the rear bent portion 37 with respect to an axis X along the vehicle longitudinal direction.
Because it is configured to be larger, the front bend 4
6. A weak portion A that is easily deformed is formed on the lower arm 45 by the rear bent portion 47 and the intermediate portion 48.

Accordingly, the deformation of the stay 30 due to the retreat of the front bulkhead 14 precedes the shortening deformation of the upper arm 35 due to the deformation of the front bent portion 36 and the rear bent portion 37 of the upper arm 35 and the like. The front bent portion 46 and the rear bent portion 37 forming the fragile portion A are deformed, so that the lower arm 45 is shortened and deformed.
The steering support beam 11 is pushed down in the direction D in which the steering support beam 11 relatively descends, and the steering column 21 and the steering wheel 22 are supported by the steering support beam 11 via the column bracket 25.
The jumping phenomenon in which the vehicle suddenly rises is prevented, and the safety for the driver is further improved.

The behavior of the steering column 21 is
It is easy to make predictions at the design stage, safety measures can be taken easily and reliably, safety is greatly improved, and a stay installed between the steering support beam 11 and the floor panel 15 is eliminated. Therefore, the space under the occupant's feet can be easily secured, and the comfort can be improved.

In the above description, the upper arm 35 and the lower arm 45 have the front bent portions 36 and 46 and the rear bent portion 3 respectively.
7 and 38, the upper arm 35 is provided.
It is also possible to provide three or more bent portions on the lower arm 45, and it is also possible to dispose each of these bent portions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body in order to secure the bending rigidity of the stay at normal times. Is also preferred.

Further, the front end 31 and the rear end 33 are connected by the upper arm 35 and the lower arm 45. However, the front end 31 and the rear end 33 may be connected by three or more arms. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, such as disposing a suitable number of bent portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0042]

According to the vehicle steering support structure of the present invention described above, the steering support beam,
A steering support structure for a vehicle, in which a steering column is connected to a steering column by a column bracket and a steering support beam and a front bulkhead are connected via a stay, the front end portion connected to the front bulkhead is connected to the steering support beam. Since the stay is installed between the front bulkhead and the steering support beam with the rear end offset in the vehicle width direction, the steering support beam is normally firmly supported by the front bulkhead and the steering While the support rigidity of the column and the like is improved and the occurrence of vibration and the like is suppressed, when an impact load of a predetermined value or more acts on the front bulkhead from the front of the vehicle body and the front bulkhead retreats to the rear of the vehicle body, Front bulkhead Deformation of the steering support beam due to the retreated stays easily deformed can be avoided, designers improve safety makes it easier to predict the behavior of the steering column can be obtained.

Further, the front end and the rear end of the stay are connected by a plurality of arms, and a bent portion is formed in each arm, so that the deformation of each arm accompanying the retreat of the front bulkhead can be made easier. The present invention suppresses the deformation of the steering column during normal operation, such that the deformation of the steering support beam caused by the retraction of the front bulkhead is more reliably avoided, the behavior of the steering column is more easily predicted, and the safety is improved. It is a great thing that contributes to suppression and improvement of safety.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an essential part of a front part of a vehicle cabin for explaining an outline of an embodiment of a steering support structure for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stay.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part showing a mounting state of a stay.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main part showing a state where the stay is attached.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part showing a deformed state of the stay.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part showing a deformed state of the stay.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Steering support beam 12 Front pillar 14 Front bulkhead 21 Steering column 25 Column bracket 26 Column holder 30 Stay 31 Front end 33 Rear end 35 Upper arm (arm) 36 Front bent part (bent part) 37 Rear bent part (bent part) ) 38 Intermediate part 45 Lower arm (arm) 46 Front bent part (bent part) 47 Rear bent part (bent part) 48 Intermediate part A Fragile part

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A steering support beam provided between left and right front pillars and a steering column rotatably supporting a steering shaft are connected by a column bracket, and a stay is provided between the steering support beam and the front bulkhead. In the steering support structure for a vehicle, the front bulkhead is configured such that a rear end coupled to the steering support beam is offset in a vehicle width direction with respect to a front end coupled to the front bulkhead. A steering support structure for a vehicle, wherein the steering support structure is provided between the vehicle and a steering support beam. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the stay includes a plurality of arms connecting the front end and the rear end, and each of the arms has a bent portion having a different position in the vehicle longitudinal direction. 2. The vehicle steering support structure according to 1. 3. The stay has an upper arm connecting the front end and the rear end, and a stay disposed below the upper arm and having a fragile portion to connect the front end and the rear end. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lower arm.
4. The steering support structure for a vehicle according to claim 1. 4. The stay according to claim 1, wherein the stay has a bent portion and connects the front end portion and the rear end portion to each other, and the stay is disposed below the upper arm and is formed on a bent portion formed on the upper arm. The vehicle steering support structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a lower arm having a bent portion having a different position in the vehicle front-rear direction and connecting the front end and the rear end. 5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper arm and the lower arm each include a pair of bent portions having different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and an inclination angle of an intermediate portion between the bent portions of the lower arm with respect to an axis along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body The steering support structure for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the inclination angle of the intermediate portion between the bent portions of the upper arm with respect to the axis along the front-rear direction is large.