JP2005206104A - Vehicular steering supporting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular steering supporting structure capable of arranging a steering shaft corresponding to a steering wheel to reduce the feeling of fatigue of an occupant, expanding the margin in the longitudinal direction of the steering wheel, and ensuring the supporting rigidity of a pedal supporting bracket and realizing the supporting structure of the steering shaft with a simple configuration. <P>SOLUTION: In the vehicular steering supporting structure, a dash panel 6 is provided on a front part in a cabin 5 in which a seat to be seated by an occupant is arranged, a steering supporting member 13 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided behind the dash panel 6, a steering device 30 is connected to a front end of the steering supporting member 13, and a steering shaft 14 with a steering wheel 31 mounted thereon is supported by the rear end. The steering wheel 31 is arranged facing the shoulder of the occupant, and an intermediate part of the steering shaft 14 is supported by extending a pedal supporting bracket 32 provided on the dash panel 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle steering support structure in which a steering shaft having a steering device connected to a front end portion and a steering wheel attached to a rear end portion is supported by a steering support member as a vehicle body rigid member extending in the vehicle width direction. About.

Conventionally, there is a structure as shown in FIG.
That is, a dash panel (specifically, a dash lower panel) is provided at the front of the passenger compartment 201 where a driver's seat 200 as a seat on which the occupant A is seated, and the vehicle width is located behind the dash panel publication. A steering support member 202 as a vehicle body rigid member extending in the direction is provided, a steering device including a steering gear and a tie rod composed of a worm and a rack is connected to a front end portion, and a steering wheel 203 is attached to a rear end portion. A steering shaft 204 is provided, and the steering shaft 204 is supported below the steering support member 202 described above.

  Also, a meter 205 is provided on the instrument panel, and the steering wheel 203 is moved forward by an angle θb (for example, about 23 degrees) with respect to a virtual vertical line 206 extending in the vertical direction in order to give priority to the occupant's meter view. It was tilted.

In such a conventional vehicle steering support structure, the meter visibility is good, but there are the following problems.
That is, because the above-described steering wheel 203 is greatly inclined forward by the angle θb, when adjusting the position of the steering wheel 203 in the vehicle front-rear direction according to the difference in the occupant's physique, the adjustment allowance is insufficient. There was a problem.
Further, the distance between the hand and shoulder of the occupant A holding the upper part of the steering wheel 203 is large, the distance between the hand and shoulder of the occupant A holding the lower part of the steering wheel 203 is small, and this becomes cramped. As described above, the difference in distance between the hand and the shoulder of the occupant A becomes large at the top and bottom, so that the operability of the steering wheel 203 is poor and it is difficult to reduce the tiredness of the occupant A.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, a steering shaft is supported on a lower portion of a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction via a steering hanger, and a steering wheel attached to the rear end portion of the steering shaft is tilted forward by a predetermined angle. Although disclosed, the steering support structure for a vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 15, and thus has the same problems as described above.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-52809

  Therefore, in order to increase the position adjustment margin of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and to improve the operability of the occupant's steering wheel, the steering wheel is disposed in front of the occupant's shoulder (so-called confrontation). In this case, if the steering shaft is disposed below the steering support member, the distance between the pedal support bracket and the steering support member is reduced. It becomes possible to respond to the request that both sides need to be firmly supported.

  In the present invention, focusing on the above points, the steering wheel is disposed in front of the occupant's shoulder (facing front), and the pedal support bracket provided on the dash panel is extended at the middle of the steering shaft. By supporting the steering wheel, it is possible to achieve the arrangement of the steering shaft corresponding to the steering wheel that can reduce the tiredness of the occupant, it is possible to increase the adjustment allowance in the front-rear direction of the steering wheel, and the pedal support bracket An object of the present invention is to provide a steering support structure for a vehicle that can achieve support rigidity and a support structure for a steering shaft with a simple configuration.

  In the steering support structure for a vehicle according to the present invention, a dash panel is provided at a front portion of a vehicle interior where a seat on which an occupant is seated, and a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided behind the dash panel. A steering support structure for a vehicle, in which a steering device is connected to a front end portion of the steering support member and a steering shaft is attached to a rear end portion of the steering support member. The pedal support bracket provided on the dash panel is extended and supported at the intermediate portion of the steering shaft.

According to the above configuration, since the steering wheel is disposed so as to face the occupant's shoulder (front facing), the distance between the occupant's hand and the shoulder that grips the steering wheel upper part when the steering wheel is operated, The difference between the distance between the hand and the shoulder of the occupant holding the lower part of the steering wheel becomes small, the operability of the steering wheel is improved, and the tiredness of the occupant can be reduced.

  In addition, by the above-described facing arrangement of the steering wheel, a large adjustment allowance can be taken when the steering wheel is adjusted in the front-rear direction of the vehicle according to the difference in the occupant's physique.

  In addition, since the intermediate part of the steering shaft is supported by extending the pedal support bracket provided on the dash panel, the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket and the support structure of the steering shaft can be achieved with a simple configuration. be able to.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the pedal support bracket has one end attached to the dash panel and the other end attached to the steering support member.

  According to the above configuration, since the pedal support bracket is attached to the dash panel and the steering support member, the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket can be improved and the support rigidity of the steering shaft supported by the pedal support bracket can be improved. Can also be improved. Further, the load input from the pedal support bracket can be received by the steering support member at the time of a vehicle collision.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate portion of the steering shaft is supported by an intermediate portion between the dash panel side mounting portion and the steering support member side mounting portion of the pedal support bracket.

  According to the above configuration, since the intermediate portion of the steering shaft is supported by the above-described intermediate portion of the pedal support bracket, the layout can be made compact in terms of layout.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the steering shaft is supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle with respect to the steering support portion.
According to the above configuration, the steering shaft has a high support rigidity by the pedal support bracket, and the steering shaft is supported to be slidable in the front-rear direction at the portion where the support rigidity is high. The impact absorbing effect on the occupant can be improved.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, a pedal guide bracket is provided at a rear portion of the pedal support portion of the pedal support bracket, and the pedal bracket includes a guide portion and is supported by the pedal support portion at the time of a vehicle collision. Is configured to move obliquely downward and rearward along the guide portion.

The pedal guide bracket configured as described above may employ a structure for preventing the pedal from moving backward.
According to the above configuration, the pedal moves obliquely downward and rearward along the guide portion of the pedal guide bracket at the time of a vehicle collision, so that the pedal can be prevented from jumping up in the direction of the occupant's feet. Since the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket is high, the pedal can be reliably moved diagonally downward and rearward.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the steering shaft and the pedal support bracket are disposed offset in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front.

  According to the above configuration, the offset structure described above can avoid interference between the pedal support bracket and the steering shaft during a vehicle collision (particularly during a frontal collision), and behaves so that the steering shaft protrudes toward the occupant side. Can be reliably prevented.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an impact absorbing member is provided between the pedal support bracket and the steering support portion.
You may comprise the above-mentioned impact-absorbing member with a U-shaped plate.
According to the above configuration, the secondary collapsible movement is further ensured by the above-described shock absorbing member.

  According to the present invention, the steering wheel is disposed in front of the occupant's shoulder (facing front), and the intermediate portion of the steering shaft is supported by extending the pedal support bracket provided on the dash panel. It is possible to achieve the arrangement of the steering shaft corresponding to the steering wheel that can reduce the tiredness of the occupant, and it is also possible to increase the adjustment allowance in the front-rear direction of the steering wheel, as well as ensuring the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket and the steering shaft The support structure can be achieved with a simple configuration.

  The steering shaft corresponding to the steering wheel that can reduce the tiredness of the occupant can be achieved, the adjustment allowance of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction can be increased, and the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket is ensured, and the steering shaft The steering wheel is placed in front of the occupant's shoulder (front facing), and the middle part of the steering shaft is provided on the dash panel. The pedal support bracket is extended and supported.

An example of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
The drawings show a steering support structure of a vehicle. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a driver's seat 1 is provided as a seat on which an occupant A is seated. The driver's seat 1 (driver's seat) includes a seat cushion 2, a seat back 3, and a handrest 4, and is configured such that the position of the driver's seat 1 (driver's seat) can be adjusted in the vehicle front-rear direction by a well-known seat slide device.

  A dash lower panel 6 (dash panel) is provided at the front of the passenger compartment 5 where the above-described driver's seat 1 and passenger seat (not shown) as a passenger seat are disposed. 7 and the compartment 5 are partitioned in the front-rear direction.

  A cowl box 8 having a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle width direction is attached to the upper portion of the dash lower panel 6 described above. The cowl box 8 is a vehicle body rigid member in which a cowl panel 9 and a dash upper panel 10 are joined to form a cowl closed section 11 extending in the vehicle width direction.

A floor panel 12 is joined to the lower portion of the above-described dash lower panel 6 to join a floor panel 12 extending rearward substantially horizontally.
A steering support member 13 as a vehicle body rigid member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided behind the dash lower panel 6 described above. This steering support member 13 is stretched horizontally and in a straight line between left and right hinge pillars as a vehicle body rigid member.

  A steering shaft 14 is supported on the lower portion of the steering support member 13 described above. The steering shaft 14 includes the following members.

  That is, as schematically shown in FIG. 3 as a whole, the first steering shaft 18 comprising an outer shaft 16 and an inner shaft 17 disposed in the steering column 15 and capable of secondary collapsible movement, A second steering shaft 22 (intermediate shaft) connected to the front end portion of the first steering shaft 18 via a universal joint 19 (joint portion) as a steering joint and having an outer shaft 20 and an inner shaft 21. And a third steering shaft 24 (pinion input shaft) connected to the front end portion of the second steering shaft 22 via a universal joint 23 (joint portion) as a steering joint. That is, the above-described steering shaft 14 includes a plurality of shafts 18, 22, and 24 connected by joint portions (see universal joints 19 and 23).

  Then, the third steering shaft 24 is extended forward from the opening 25 of the dash lower panel 6 as shown in FIG. 2, and this extended end worm 26 is engaged with the sector or rack 27 to form the steering gear 28. The tie rods 29 and 29 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) are connected to the left and right sides of the steering gear 28 to constitute a steering device 30 for steering the left and right front wheels.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a steering wheel 31 is attached to the rear end portion of the outer shaft 16 of the first steering shaft 18 described above. The steering wheel 31 is attached to the shoulder of the occupant A as shown in FIG. They are arranged in pairs (front facing).

  In this embodiment, the steering wheel 31 is tilted forward by an angle (θa) (for example, about 15 degrees) with respect to a virtual vertical line (VER) extending in the vertical direction. Here, in particular, the steering column 15 and the first steering shaft 18 are disposed below the steering support member 13 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and the steering shaft 14 is indirectly steered. It is attached to the support member 13.

  In this manner, the steering wheel 31 is disposed in front of the shoulder of the occupant A seated on the driver's seat 1 (front facing arrangement), so that the relationship between the occupant A and the steering wheel 31 is shown in FIG. When the steering wheel 31 is operated, the distance between the hand and shoulder of the occupant A holding the upper part of the steering wheel 31 and the hand and shoulder of the occupant A holding the lower part of the steering wheel 31. As a result, the operability of the steering wheel 31 is improved, the tiredness of the occupant A can be reduced, and the steering wheel 31 can be attached to the vehicle according to the difference in the physique of the occupant A. A large amount of adjustment can be made when adjusting in the front-rear direction.

  The intermediate portion of the steering shaft 14 described above (in particular, refer to the front portion of the steering column 15) extends and supports a pedal support bracket 32 provided on the dash lower panel 6 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the pedal support bracket 32 includes a pedal support portion 34 (pedal mounting bracket) that supports the brake pedal 33, and a pedal as a pedal control bracket provided at the rear portion of the pedal support portion 34. A guide bracket 35 and a support bracket 36 as an extension are provided, and the front portion of the steering column 15 is supported by a support bracket 36 as an extension of the pedal support bracket 32.

  In other words, the support bracket 36 (specifically, the steering support bracket 36) that supports the intermediate portion of the steering shaft 14 (see the front end portion of the steering column 15) is extended to provide the pedal support portion 34 (pedal mounting bracket). It is what was supported.

  One end of the pedal support bracket 32 described above, specifically, the front end of the pedal support portion 34 (refer to the front plate 40 described later) is attached to the dash lower panel 6, and the other end of the pedal support bracket 32, specifically, the rear of the support bracket 36. The end is attached to the steering support member 13 by welding means.

  Moreover, as shown in a front view in FIG. 5, the steering shaft 14 (see particularly the second steering shaft 22 and the third steering shaft 24) and the pedal support bracket 32 are offset in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front. Has been established.

  Here, with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the configurations of the pedal support portion 34, the pedal guide bracket 35, and the support bracket 36 will be described in detail.

  The pedal support 34 has an opening 39 for leading a valve operating rod 38 (shown in phantom in FIG. 2 for convenience of illustration) of the brake booster 37 (see FIG. 2) to the brake pedal 33 side. A front plate 40, left and right side plates 41, 42, and an upper plate 43 and a back plate 44 that connect the left and right side plates 41, 42 in the vehicle width direction are integrally combined. A shaft member 45 (so-called pin) is inserted and fixed between the left and right side plates 41 and 42.

  The brake booster 37 described above includes a master cylinder 46 and a fluid reservoir 47. The main body of the brake booster 37 is attached to the front portion of the dash lower panel 6, and the tread 48 of the brake pedal 33 is provided. When depressed, the brake operating force is exerted through the valve operating rod 38.

  The pedal guide bracket 35 is a rigid member having a substantially triangular shape in a side view disposed on the upper rear portion of the pedal support portion 34. The pedal guide bracket 35 includes an upper surface portion 35a, a rear surface portion 35b, and left and right portions. A pair of left and right guides having side portions 35c and 35c and formed in a substantially box shape whose lower surface side is open, and inclined to a front, rear and lower shape on the lower surface side of the pedal guide bracket 35 and having high rigidity. The pieces 35d and 35d are integrally formed by bending.

  The pedal guide bracket 35 is fixed to the support bracket 36 so that its position remains unchanged before and after the collision, and the dash lower panel 6 and the pedal support portion 34 are moved backward during a frontal collision of the vehicle. At this time, the shaft member 45 of the pedal support portion 34 is guided in the direction of the arrow C shown in FIG. 4 on the lower surface of the guide pieces 35d and 35d described above (guided so as to move obliquely downward and rearward while moving backward). The pedal support portion 34 is buckled (see FIG. 14) to prevent the brake pedal 33 from jumping up toward the foot of the occupant A (pedal retraction preventing structure).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the above-mentioned support bracket 36 includes rising pieces 36a and 36b on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and a middle stage connected substantially perpendicularly from the lower part of one rising piece 36a toward the other rising piece 36b. A mounting piece 36c, a lower mounting piece 36d connected substantially perpendicularly from the lower part of the other rising piece 36b toward the one rising piece 36a, and a connecting piece 36e connecting these mounting pieces 36c, 36d integrally in the vertical direction. And an upper mounting piece 36f integrally bent at the upper end of the other rising piece 36b is a rigid member having a substantially concave cross section. The lower mounting piece 36d of the support bracket 36 has a bolt Using the mounting members 50 and 50 such as nuts, the upper surface portion 35a of the pedal guide bracket 35 is mounted and fixed without changing its position. To have.

  The rear end of the support bracket 36 is attached to the steering support member 13 as shown in FIG. 4, but another support bracket having a concave cross section on the opposite side of the support bracket 36 across the steering column 15. 51 is provided.

  Further, further support brackets 52 and 53 having a concave cross section are provided on the rear side of the above-described support brackets 36 and 51 with the steering support member 13 being separated, and rear end portions of these support brackets 36 and 51 are provided. The front end portions of the support brackets 52 and 53 are fixed to the steering support member 13 by welding.

  As shown in FIG. 4, mounting members 54 and 54 (preferably bolts and nuts with U plates and nuts) such as bolts and nuts are used for the respective support brackets 36 and 51 fixed to the front side of the steering support member 13. Column support pieces 55 and 55 as steering support portions are fixed.

  On the other hand, a U-shaped bracket 56 (a so-called outer cylinder member) is fixed to the front end portion of the steering column 15 so as not to interfere with the universal joint 19, and a side piece portion of the bracket 56 facing the vehicle width direction is fixed to the side piece portion. Form long holes 57, 57 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Then, pins 58 and 58 (sliding guide means) provided on the column support pieces 55 and 55 are slidably inserted into the pair of left and right elongated holes 57 and 57, respectively.

  That is, the front end portion of the steering column 15 as an intermediate portion of the steering shaft 14 is supported by an intermediate portion between the dash panel side mounting portion d (see the front plate 40) and the steering support member side mounting portion β in the pedal support bracket 32. However, the steering column 15 is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with respect to the steering support portion (see the column support pieces 55 and 55).

  In addition, a steering support bracket 59 is attached between the upper mounting piece 36f of the support bracket 36 and the rear surface of the dash upper panel 10 shown in FIG. 2 to improve the support rigidity. ing.

Further, the support structure between the above-described support brackets 52 and 53 and the steering column 15 is configured as shown in FIG.
That is, brackets 61 and 61 having long holes 60 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are fixed to the left and right sides of the steering column 15 by means such as welding, while the support brackets 52 and 53 are provided with bolts, nuts, and the like. L-shaped brackets 63 and 63 are fixed by using attachment members 62 and 62 (preferably bolts and nuts with U-shaped plates), and the brackets 63 and 63 extend in the vertical direction. Holes 64 are formed.

  A shaft member 65 that integrally penetrates the long holes 64 and 60 in the vehicle width direction is provided, and a lever 66 for adjusting the steering wheel position is fixed to one end of the shaft member 65. A threaded portion (not shown) is integrally formed at the other end, and the threaded portion is tightened against a nut (not shown) that is previously welded to the bracket 63 on the other end side (the bracket 63 on the right side in FIG. 7). It can be operated and loosened.

  With this configuration, after loosening the above-described screw portion via the adjustment lever 66 and the shaft member 65, the steering column 15 is moved along the vertical hole 64 (see FIG. 7) along the arrow a in FIG. When the tilting operation is performed in the direction, the steering shaft 14 and the steering wheel 31 can be adjusted in the tilt direction, and the steering column 15 is inserted into the long hole 57 (see FIG. 4) and the long hole 60 (see FIG. 7) in the vehicle front-rear direction. 3 along the direction of arrow b in FIG. 3, the steering shaft 14 and the steering wheel 31 can be adjusted in the telescopic direction, and after adjusting both the tilt and telescopic positions, the shaft member 65 is tightened. Steering shaft 14 and steering wheel 31 at desired positions according to the physique of passenger A It is possible to position adjustment.

  4 and 7, the illustration is omitted for convenience of illustration. However, at least one of the space between the attachment member 54 and the column support piece 55 in FIG. 4 and between the attachment member 62 and the bracket 63 in FIG. A U-shaped plate 67 as an impact absorbing member is interposed between the elements 54 and 55 as shown in FIG.

  Here, instead of the pair of left and right brackets 61, 61 in FIG. 7, a bracket 68 having a substantially concave cross section is provided as shown in FIG. 8, and elongated holes 60, 60 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are formed in the bracket 68. May be. If comprised in this way, while being able to aim at reduction of a number of parts and an assembly man-hour, the rigidity improvement of bracket 68 itself can also be aimed at. In FIG. 8, the other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 7. Therefore, in FIG. 8, the same parts as those in FIG.

By the way, the second steering shaft 22 as an intermediate shaft is configured as shown in FIG.
That is, the second steering shaft 22 is composed of a plurality of shafts of an outer shaft 20 and an inner shaft 21 that are connected to each other as shown in the figure, and the steering force (rotational force) by the steering wheel 31 is applied to the universal joint 19. The outer shaft 20, the inner shaft 21, and the universal joint 23 are configured to transmit to the third steering shaft 24, and the outer shaft 20 and the inner shaft 21 are relatively moved in the axial direction in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. The shafts 20 and 21 are separated after the shafts 20 and 21 are extended (see FIG. 14).

  Specific cross-sectional structures that transmit the rotational force (steering force by the steering wheel 31) in the second steering shaft 22 and that can be relatively moved in the axial direction are as shown in FIGS. It is.

  The structure shown in FIG. 10 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 21a extending radially at an opening angle of 60 degrees on the circumference on the inner shaft 21, and the outer shaft 20 has a plurality of recesses 20a corresponding to these protrusions 21a. It is formed.

In the structure shown in FIG. 11, the outer shaft 20 and the inner 21 are both formed in a square frame shape.
In the structure shown in FIG. 12, the inner shaft 21 has a spline shaft 21b shape, and the outer shaft 20 has a spline hole 20b.
10, 11, and 12, both shafts 20, 21 are configured to be slidable, and by using one of these, the rotational force is transmitted while the direction of the axial center line The shaft 20 and 21 can be extended or separated by relative movement. In addition, the outer shaft 16 and the inner shaft 17 in the first steering shaft 18 shown in FIG. 3 are also configured in substantially the same manner as the structure of FIG. 10, FIG. 11 or FIG.

  Here, each of the universal joints 19 and 23 shown in FIG. 9 includes yoke members 70 and 71 and a cross member 72 (so-called joint cross) for connecting the yoke members 70 and 71.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 73 denotes an instrument panel, and a meda hood portion 74 is integrally formed on the instrument panel 73. 2 and 6, reference numeral 75 denotes a meter portion having a speedometer, a tachometer as an engine tachometer, and the like. The meter portion 75 is disposed between the meter hood portion 74 and the steering column 15. Can visually recognize the meter portion 75 from the inner space of the ring-shaped outer ring portion of the steering wheel 31. 2, 76 is a column cover, 77 is a knee protector, and 78 is a duct for air conditioning. In the drawing, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, and arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle.

The effect | action of the steering support structure of the vehicle comprised in this way is explained in full detail below.
3, 4, and 7, the steering column 15 in the steering shaft 14 is telescopic along the elongated holes 57 and 60 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) that extend in the vehicle front-rear direction (see arrow b in FIG. 3). Direction), and can be adjusted in the tilt direction (in the direction of arrow a in FIG. 3) along the elongated holes 64 and 64 (see FIG. 7) extending in the vertical direction.

  Further, the steering force of the steering wheel 31 is transmitted to the left and right front wheels via the first steering shaft 18, the second steering shaft 22, the third steering shaft 24 and the steering device 30, so that these front wheels can be steered. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the dash lower panel 6 and the pedal support portion 34 move backward from the normal state of FIG. 2 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle. At this time, the shaft member 45 of the pedal support portion 34 has a support rigidity. Since it is guided by the lower surfaces of the guide pieces 35d and 35d of the high pedal guide bracket 35, the pedal support portion 34 is buckled as shown in FIG. 14, and the brake pedal 33 is prevented from jumping up toward the foot of the occupant A. be able to.

  In addition, the second steering shaft 22 is deformed rearward. In this case, the second steering shaft 22 is deformed via the universal joints 19 and 23 as joint portions, and the outer shaft 20 and the inner shaft 21 are axially connected to the second steering shaft 22. After extending in the direction, the shafts 20 and 21 are separated as shown in FIG. 14, and the position J1 of the cross member 72 (see FIG. 9) of the universal joint 19 remains unchanged before or after the collision. Kept in place.

  As a result, the safety of the occupant A can be ensured without the behavior of the steering shaft 14 so that the first steering shaft 18 protrudes toward the occupant A side.

  Further, after the airbag (not shown) provided on the steering wheel 31 is deployed, when the occupant A behaves forward, the U-shaped plate 67 extends forward of the vehicle as shown in FIG. The steering wheel 31 is moved by a predetermined amount along the long holes 57 and 60 in the direction, and the steering wheel 31 is moved from the imaginary line x position (normal position) in FIGS. 13 and 14 to the solid line y position in FIG. (Secondary collapsible movement) to protect the occupant A from impact.

  Thus, in the vehicle steering support structure of the above embodiment, the dash lower panel 6 is provided in the front part in the passenger compartment 5 where the driver's seat 1 on which the occupant A is seated is disposed, and behind the dash lower panel 6. A steering support member 13 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided. A steering device 30 is connected to the front end portion of the steering support member 13 and a steering shaft 14 to which a steering wheel 31 is attached is supported at the rear end portion. A steering support structure for a vehicle, wherein the steering wheel 31 is disposed facing the shoulder of the occupant A (facing the front), and an intermediate portion of the steering shaft 14 (see the front end of the steering column 15). The pedal support bracket 32 provided on the dash lower panel 6 is extended and supported. Than it is.

  According to this configuration, since the steering wheel 31 is disposed in front of the shoulder of the occupant A (facing the front), the hand and shoulder of the occupant A holding the upper portion of the steering wheel 31 when the steering wheel 31 is operated. Therefore, the operability of the steering wheel 31 is improved, and the occupant A can feel less tired.

  Further, by the above-described facing arrangement of the steering wheel 31, a large adjustment allowance can be taken when the steering wheel 31 is adjusted in the front-rear direction of the vehicle according to the physique difference of the occupant A.

  Moreover, since the intermediate portion of the steering shaft 14 (see the front end portion of the steering column 15) is supported by extending the pedal support bracket 32 provided on the dash lower panel 6, the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket 32 is ensured and the steering is supported. The support structure of the shaft 14 can be made compatible with a simple configuration.

  The pedal support bracket 32 has one end (see the front end of the pedal support portion 34) attached to the dash lower panel 6 and the other end (see the rear end of the support bracket 36) attached to the steering support member 13. It is.

  According to this configuration, since the pedal support bracket 32 is attached to the dash lower panel 6 and the steering support member 13, the support rigidity of the pedal support bracket 32 can be improved and the pedal support bracket 32 is supported. The support rigidity of the steering shaft 14 can also be improved. Further, the load input from the pedal support bracket 32 can be received by the steering support member 13 at the time of a vehicle collision.

  Further, the steering shaft is provided at an intermediate portion (see the mounting portion of the column support piece 55) between the dash lower panel side mounting portion α (see FIG. 4) and the steering support member side mounting portion β (see FIG. 4) of the pedal support bracket 32. The intermediate portion 14 (see the front end portion of the steering column 15) is supported.

  According to this configuration, the intermediate portion of the steering shaft 14 (see the front end portion of the steering column 15) is supported by the above-described intermediate portion of the pedal support bracket 32, so that the layout can be made compact.

  In addition, the steering shaft 14 is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with respect to the steering support portion (see the column support piece 55 in FIG. 4).

  According to this configuration, the steering shaft 14 is supported with high rigidity by the pedal support bracket 32, and the steering shaft 14 is supported to be slidable in the front-rear direction at the portion where the support rigidity is high. The impact absorbing effect on the occupant A can be improved.

  In addition, a pedal guide bracket 35 is provided at the rear portion of the pedal support portion 34 in the pedal support bracket 32, and the pedal bracket 35 includes a guide portion (refer to the guide piece 35d) that is front and rear and low, and is used in the event of a vehicle collision. The brake pedal 33 supported by the pedal support portion 34 is configured to move obliquely downward and rearward along the guide portion (see the guide piece 35d).

  In this embodiment, the pedal guide bracket 35 described above employs a structure for preventing the brake pedal 33 from moving backward.

  According to this configuration, the brake pedal 33 moves obliquely downward and rearward along the front and rear low guide portions 35d of the pedal guide bracket 35 at the time of a vehicle collision. Further, since the pedal support bracket 32 has a high support rigidity (particularly, the support rigidity of the pedal guide bracket 35), the brake pedal 33 can be surely moved obliquely downward and rearward. Can be done.

Further, the steering shaft 14 and the pedal support bracket 32 are disposed offset in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front (see FIG. 5).
According to this configuration, due to the above-described offset structure, interference between the pedal support bracket 32 and the steering shaft 14 (particularly, the second steering shaft 22 and the third steering shaft 24) during a vehicle collision (particularly during a frontal collision). Can be avoided, and it is possible to reliably prevent the steering shaft 14 (in particular, the first steering shaft 18) from behaving so as to protrude toward the occupant A side.

  Further, between the pedal support bracket 32 (see the front part of the support bracket 36) and the steering support part (see the column support piece 55 in FIG. 4), an impact absorbing member (see the U-shaped plate 67 in FIG. 3). Is provided.

  According to this configuration, the secondary collapsible movement is further ensured by the above-described shock absorbing member (see the U-shaped plate 67).

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The seat on which the passenger of the present invention is seated corresponds to the driver's seat 1 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The dash panel corresponds to the dash lower panel 6,
The middle part of the steering shaft corresponds to the front end of the steering column 15,
One end of the pedal support bracket corresponds to the front end of the pedal support 34,
The other end of the pedal support bracket corresponds to the rear end of the support bracket 36,
The steering support portion corresponds to the column support piece 55,
The guide portion corresponds to the front and rear low guide pieces 35d,
The pedal corresponds to the brake pedal 33,
The shock absorbing member corresponds to the U-shaped plate 67,
The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

The side view which shows the front facing structure with respect to the passenger | crew shoulder part of a steering wheel. The side view which shows the steering support structure of the vehicle of this invention. The side view which shows a steering support structure typically. The expansion perspective view of the principal part of FIG. The enlarged front view of the principal part of FIG. The enlarged plan view of the principal part of FIG. The partial perspective view which shows the support structure of the steering column with respect to a steering support member. The fragmentary perspective view which shows the other support structure of the steering column with respect to a steering support member. Sectional drawing of a 2nd steering shaft. Explanatory drawing which shows the cross-section of a 2nd steering shaft. Explanatory drawing which shows the other cross-sectional structure of a 2nd steering shaft. Explanatory drawing which shows the other cross-section of a 2nd steering shaft. The schematic side view which shows the behavior at the time of a vehicle collision. The side view which shows the behavior at the time of a vehicle collision. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a conventional vehicle steering support structure.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Driver's seat
5. Car compartment 6. Dash lower panel (dash panel)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Steering support member 14 ... Steering shaft 30 ... Steering device 31 ... Steering wheel 32 ... Pedal support bracket 33 ... Brake pedal (pedal)
34 ... Pedal support part 35 ... Pedal guide bracket 35d ... Guide piece (guide part)
55. Column support piece (steering support part)
67 ... U-shaped plate (shock absorbing member)
α… Dash panel side mounting part β… Steering support member side mounting part

Claims (7)

A dash panel is provided in the front part of the passenger compartment where a seat on which an occupant is seated,
A steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided behind the dash panel,
A steering support structure for a vehicle that supports a steering shaft to which a steering device is connected to a front end portion and a steering wheel is attached to a rear end portion with respect to the steering support member,
The steering wheel is disposed in front of the occupant's shoulder, and
A vehicle steering support structure in which an intermediate portion of the steering shaft is extended and supported by a pedal support bracket provided on the dash panel. The vehicle steering support structure according to claim 1, wherein the pedal support bracket has one end attached to the dash panel and the other end attached to the steering support member. The steering support structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an intermediate portion of the steering shaft is supported at an intermediate portion between a dash panel side attachment portion and a steering support member side attachment portion in the pedal support bracket. The vehicle steering support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steering shaft is slidably supported with respect to a steering support portion in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A pedal guide bracket is provided at the rear of the pedal support portion in the pedal support bracket,
5. The pedal guide bracket according to claim 1, wherein the pedal guide bracket includes a guide portion and is configured to move the pedal supported by the pedal support portion obliquely downward and rearward along the guide portion when a vehicle collides. Vehicle steering support structure. The vehicle steering support structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the steering shaft and the pedal support bracket are disposed offset in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front. The vehicle steering support structure according to claim 4, wherein an impact absorbing member is provided between the middle of the pedal support bracket and the steering support portion.

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