JP2003054390A - Support structure for parking brake pedal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a support structure for a parking brake pedal capable of securing foot space of passengers even if a dash panel is displaced backward by a head-on collision of a vehicle and so on. SOLUTION: The support structure for parking brake pedal is arranged by fixing the front part of the pedal bracket 2 for supporting the parking brake pedal 1 to a dash panel 3 and connecting the upper part of a pedal bracket 2 to a inpanel reinforcement 4 arranged in the lateral direction of the vehicle behind the dash panel 3 through a linking member 20. The guiding member 6 is arranged with the guide surface 60 for moving the parking pedal 1 in the direction of avoiding feet of passengers by guiding the linking member 20 in an abutting state to a floor brace 5 provided vertically between the inpanel reinforcement 4 and a compartment floor 7 near the pedal bracket 2 when the dash panel 3 is displaced by the external force working on the front part of the vehicle body, and the parking pedal 1 is moved backward together with the pedal bracket 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a parking brake pedal support structure installed in an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, a parking brake pedal 1 has a leg portion L of an occupant (driver) at the front of a vehicle compartment.
It is provided at the front position of the feet. Generally, a parking brake pedal 1 is a pedal bracket 2 fixed to a vehicle body.
It is rotatably supported by.

FIG. 3 shows a typical mounting structure of a pedal bracket. In the pedal bracket 2, upper and lower leg parts 21 and 22 projecting forward from the front part thereof partition the vehicle compartment and the engine room, respectively. It is bolted to the vertical wall-shaped dash panel 3. A connecting member 20 protruding upward is attached to the pedal bracket 2, and an upper end of the connecting member 20 is connected to a stay member 40 of an instrument panel reinforcement 4 extending in the vehicle width direction at a position behind the dash panel 3. is doing. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 5 denotes a floor brace that is erected between the instrument panel reinforcement 4 and the floor 7, and supports an intermediate portion of the instrument panel reinforcement 4.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 4, when a large external force is applied to the vehicle body during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the instrument panel reinforcement 4 is hardly deformed or moved, but the dash panel 3 may be displaced rearward. . In this case, when the dash panel 3 is displaced rearward, the pedal bracket 2 moves rearward, and the pedal bracket 2 is connected to the instrument panel reinforcement 4 by the connecting member 20.
There is a risk that the pedal portion 10 of the parking brake pedal 1 will move backward and slightly obliquely upward while being deformed, and will come into contact with the shin area of the leg L of the occupant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and has an object to realize a parking brake pedal support structure capable of securing a space for a passenger's feet even if a dash panel is displaced rearward due to a frontal collision of a vehicle. is there.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a parking brake pedal support structure disposed in front of a leg of an occupant, comprising a pedal bracket for rotatably supporting the parking brake pedal. The pedal bracket has its front portion fixed to a dash panel that separates the engine room from the vehicle compartment, and the upper portion of the pedal bracket extends in the vehicle width direction at a rear position of the dash panel via a connecting member. In the support structure of the parking brake pedal connected to the instrument panel reinforcement, when the dash panel is displaced rearward by the external force applied to the front part of the vehicle body and the parking brake pedal is moved rearward integrally with the pedal bracket, The parking brake pedal is brought into contact with the above-mentioned connecting member and is guided to the occupant. A guide member having a guide surface for moving in a direction to avoid the leg, installed in a floor brace erected between the instrument panel reinforcement and passenger compartment floor (claim 1). The parking brake pedal that has moved rearward due to displacement of the dash panel, such as during a frontal collision of the vehicle, moves along the guide surface when the connecting member abuts on the guide surface of the guide member installed on the floor brace. The occupant's legs are guided in a direction away from the occupant's legs to secure a space for the occupant's feet.

The guide member is installed on the upper end portion of the floor brace, and the guide surface is set to a vertical surface which is substantially vertical and which is an inclined surface inclined obliquely laterally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The guide surface guides the connecting member (claim 2). The upper end of the floor brace is connected to the instrument panel reinforcement and has high strength, which is suitable for installing a guide member. The guide member has a simple structure having a guide surface that is substantially vertical and is inclined obliquely laterally with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction, and reliably guides the connecting member to secure a foot space for an occupant.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2, a parking brake pedal 1 includes a dash panel 3
The pedal bracket 2 fixed to the instrument panel reinforcement 4 is rotatably supported.

The dash panel 3 is in the form of a vertical wall that divides the engine compartment from the vehicle compartment and has an upper edge connected to a cowl (not shown). Further, the lower end of the dash panel 3 is bent obliquely rearward, and the edge is joined to the front edge of the floor panel 7.

The instrument panel reinforcement 4 is a pipe-shaped rigid member that extends in the vehicle width direction and is installed between the left and right front pillars (not shown). The instrument panel reinforcement 4 is located at the rear of the dash panel 3 and has an instrument panel and a steering wheel (not shown). Support columns etc. An intermediate portion of the instrument panel reinforcement 4 in the vehicle width direction is supported by a floor brace 5 standing on a floor panel 7. The floor brace 5 is a bar member having a substantially hat-shaped cross section (FIG. 1 (B)), and a lower end portion 50 thereof.
Is fixed to a bracket 71 provided on the floor panel 7 by bolting at a plurality of places, and the upper end portion 51 is overlapped with a bracket 41 projecting downward from an intermediate portion of the instrument panel reinforcement 4 and bolted at a plurality of places. is there.

The pedal bracket 2 is a thick metal plate arranged vertically and in the vehicle front-rear direction, and has upper and lower leg portions 21 and 22 which are vertically separated and project forward from the front end. A fastening flange that is bent in the lateral direction is formed at the leg ends of the leg portions 21 and 22. Then, the fastening flanges of the leg portions 21 and 22 are superposed on the vertical surface of the dash panel 3 and bolted.

The upper end of the pedal bracket 2 is connected to the instrument panel reinforcement 4 via a connecting member 20. The connecting member 20 is a plate body having a substantially L-shaped section (FIG. 1 (B)) whose rear edge is bent in the lateral direction, and the lower end thereof is overlapped with the upper end portion of the pedal bracket 2 and bolted. The upper end of the connecting member 20 is bent to form a substantially horizontal fastening flange. Corresponding to the connecting member 20, the instrument panel reinforcement 4 is provided with a stay member 40 protruding downward from the lower surface thereof. The stay member 40 is a metal piece having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and includes a bottom wall and side wall flanges in the shape of vertical walls protruding upward from the left and right side edges of the bottom wall. The stay member 40 has a U-shaped upper edge welded to the lower surface of the instrument panel reinforcement 4 so that the stay member 40 has an inclined posture that projects obliquely forward and downward. A substantially horizontal fastening surface corresponding to the fastening flange of the connecting member 20 is formed at the lower end of the bottom wall of the stay member 40. Then, the fastening flange at the upper end of the connecting member 20 and the fastening surface at the lower end of the stay member 40 are overlapped and bolted.

The parking brake pedal 1 has a pedal arm body 1 having a pedal portion 10 at the lower end for the occupant to step on.
It is provided with a and a sub-plate 1b along with it. The parking brake pedal 1 is arranged so that the pedal bracket 2 is sandwiched between the pedal arm body 1a and the sub-plate 1b, and the pedal bracket 2 is provided by a support shaft 23 that integrally penetrates the pedal arm body 1a, the sub-plate 1b and the pedal bracket 2. It is rotatably attached to the shaft.

By depressing the parking brake pedal 1, the parking brake pedal 1 rotates forward (counterclockwise in FIG. 1 (A)) and faces the ratchet teeth 24 formed on the lower edge of the pedal bracket 2. The pole 12 installed between the pedal arm body 1a and the sub-plate 1b is engaged and held in the depressed state. At this time, the wire 8 connected to the upper end of the parking brake pedal 1 is pulled to apply the parking brake. By depressing the parking brake pedal 1 again, the engagement between the ratchet teeth 24 and the pole 12 is released, and the spring 1
The urging force of 3 rotates in the opposite direction to return.

The floor brace 5 is provided with a guide member 6 facing the connecting member 20 of the pedal bracket 2 at an upper end portion 51 which is a connecting portion with the instrument panel reinforcement 4. As shown in FIG. 1 (B), the guide member 6 is a metal plate slightly thicker than the connecting member 20 formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section, and has a front wall 61 and a rear wall 6 wider than this.
2 and a side wall 60 connecting the front wall 61 and the rear wall 62, and the side wall 60 serves as a guide surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1 (A), (B) and FIG. 2, the guide member 6 is installed so as to form a closed cross section with a floor brace 5 having a substantially hat-shaped cross section that opens to the side. I am doing it. The guide member 6 has a front wall 61 welded to the front edge of the floor brace 5 and a wide rear wall 62 welded to the rear edge of the floor brace 5, respectively. A substantially vertical vertical surface is formed along the standing floor brace 5, and the rear side is set to be an inclined surface that is inclined obliquely laterally with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction. The side wall 60 serving as a guide surface faces the rear end of the connecting member 20 of the pedal bracket 2 formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section in the vehicle front-rear direction. The vertical dimension of the guide member 6 is substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the connecting member 20.

When a large external force acts on the vehicle body, such as during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the dash panel 3 is largely displaced rearward under the influence of the external force. On the other hand, the instrument panel reinforcement 4 provided between the left and right front pillars and the floor brace 5 supporting the instrument panel reinforcement 4 are hardly affected by the external force and are not largely displaced. In this case, dash panel 3
The rearward displacement causes the pedal bracket 2 to move rearward. At this time, the lower end side of the connecting member 20 connected to the upper end of the pedal bracket 2 moves rearward together with the pedal bracket 2 with respect to the upper end of the connecting member 20 connected to the stay member 40 of the instrument panel reinforcement 4 that does not move.

When the lower end of the connecting member 20 is deformed and moved rearward, the lower end of the connecting member 20 is guided by the guide member 6 provided on the floor brace 5.
It contacts the guide surface (side wall) 60, and slides along the guide surface 60 to be guided obliquely laterally. The guide member 6 is the connecting member 2
By guiding the lower end side of 0, the pedal bracket 2
Also, the upper end is displaced diagonally to the side. At this time, the leg portions 21 and 22 of the pedal bracket 2 are deformed near the leg ends.

In this case, the guide member 6 is the floor brace 5
Is fixed to the joint portion with the instrument panel reinforcement 4 and forms a closed cross section with the floor brace 5, so that the rigidity of this portion is high and the connecting member 2 is not deformed by sliding, The connecting member 20 is surely guided to the diagonal side.

By displacing the upper end of the pedal bracket 2 obliquely to the side, the pedal bracket 2 and the parking brake pedal 1 integrated with the pedal bracket 2 are inclined to the side, and the pedal portion 10 at the lower end of the parking brake pedal 1 is occupant. Move and displace in a direction avoiding the legs of the. This secures a space for the occupant's feet.

[0021]

According to the present invention, even if a large external force acts on the vehicle body and the dash panel is displaced rearward due to a frontal collision of the vehicle or the like, the guide member provided on the floor brace moves the rear portion together with the dash panel. Since the pedal bracket is tilted to the side, the parking brake pedal supported by the pedal bracket can be reliably moved in the direction avoiding the legs of the occupant, and the foot space of the occupant can be secured. . Further, the support structure of the parking brake pedal according to the present invention has a simple structure in which only a guide member is added.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 shows a support structure for a parking brake pedal according to the present invention, FIG. 1 (A) is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1 (B) is a sectional view taken along line IB-IB of FIG. 1 (A). .

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a parking brake pedal support structure of the present invention and a displacement state of the parking brake pedal.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a conventional parking brake pedal support structure.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a displaced state of a parking brake pedal when a dash panel of a conventional parking brake pedal support structure is deformed.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Parking brake pedal 2 pedal bracket 20 Connection member 3 dash panel 4 Instrument panel reinforcement 5 floor brace 51 upper end 6 guide members 60 guideway 7 car floor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A support structure for a parking brake pedal, which is disposed in a front position of a leg portion of an occupant, comprising a pedal bracket for rotatably supporting the parking brake pedal, the pedal bracket having a front portion thereof. Of the parking brake pedal that is fixed to the dash panel that separates the engine room from the vehicle compartment, and the upper portion of the parking brake pedal that is connected to the instrument panel reinforcement that extends in the vehicle width direction at the rear position of the dash panel via the connecting member. In the support structure, when the dash panel is displaced rearward by the external force acting on the front part of the vehicle body and the parking brake pedal is moved rearward integrally with the pedal bracket, the dash panel contacts the connecting member and guides it. And has a guide surface that moves the parking brake pedal in a direction that avoids the occupant's legs. Guide member, the supporting structure of the parking brake pedal, characterized in that installed in the floor brace erected between the instrument panel reinforcement and the passenger compartment floor that. 2. The guide member is installed at an upper end portion of the floor brace, and the guide surface is a vertical surface which is substantially vertical and which is an inclined surface inclined obliquely laterally with respect to a vehicle front-rear direction. The parking brake pedal support structure according to claim 1, wherein the guide member guides the connecting member.