JP2009126369A - Occupant crash protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable mainly a knee protecting device and an emergency column omission mechanism part to work together. <P>SOLUTION: The knee protecting device 14 capable of absorbing input load on an occupant's knee in emergency is directly or indirectly mounted to a steering column 13 extending nearly to a vehicle longitudinal direction 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant protection device provided in a front part of a vehicle interior of a vehicle such as an automobile.

  A vehicle such as an automobile is provided with an instrument panel in the front part of the vehicle interior. A vehicle body strength member that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the left and right vehicle body panels is provided inside the instrument panel.

  Then, a knee protection device (a knee protector) capable of absorbing a passenger's knee input load in an emergency is attached to the vehicle body strength member as an occupant protection device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The occupant protection device described in this document is as shown in FIG. 9, and the knee protect device 2 is directly fixed to the lower portion of the vehicle body strength member 1 by welding. The knee protector 2 includes a main bracket 3 that is substantially L-shaped in side view, and a sub bracket 4 that is welded and fixed so as to form a closed cross-section by connecting both sides of the corner of the main bracket 3. ing. Further, the knee protect device 2 includes a deformation strength setting means that can set and adjust the deformation strength with respect to the knee input load. The sub bracket 4 described above is one of deformation strength setting means. Further, as a deformation strength setting means, a reinforcing bead or the like is formed on the main bracket 3 or the sub bracket 4. The knee protect device 2 is provided as a pair on the left and right sides corresponding to both occupants' knees. Furthermore, between the rear ends of the pair of left and right knee protectors 2, a knee support plate 5 for receiving the occupant's knee is installed. The knee support plate 5 is configured to have such a strength that the knee protection device 2 is not deformed by the knee input load of the occupant so that the knee protector 2 is crushed first.

  According to such a configuration, when an occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, the knee support plate 5 receives the occupant's knee, and the knee protection devices 2 at both ends of the knee support plate 5 are crushed, thereby Absorb the passenger's knee input load at the time. At this time, if the knee protection device 2 can be crushed while generating an appropriate reaction force, the deformation amount of the knee protection device 2 and the like are minimized, and the influence on the occupant's knee is minimized. Since it becomes possible to protect a passenger | crew's knee, various ideas are made | formed in the deformation | transformation intensity | strength setting means.

  Although not particularly illustrated, a steering column is disposed below the above-described vehicle body strength member, and this steering column is attached to the vehicle body strength member via an attachment portion.

  For this steering column, as an occupant protection device, an emergency column dropping mechanism that can drop the steering column from the vehicle body strength member by an occupant's chest input load in an emergency is provided. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). This emergency column drop-off mechanism part is provided in the attachment part or its periphery.

According to such a configuration, when the occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, the rear end of the steering column (the handle attached to the steering column) receives the occupant's chest. At this time, the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion drops the steering column from the vehicle body strength member due to the passenger's chest input load acting on the rear end portion of the steering column. Thus, it is possible to protect the occupant's chest while minimizing the influence on the occupant's chest.
JP 10-169687 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No.59-186168

  However, the above-described occupant protection device has the following problems.

  That is, the knee protect device 2 of FIG. 9 has a problem that the reaction force generated by the occupant's physique cannot be changed, that is, the appropriate reaction force according to the occupant's physique cannot be generated.

  Therefore, the applicant of the present application, as shown in FIG. 10, can absorb the knee input load of the lower occupant mainly for the small occupant and the knee input load of the occupant having the average physique. There has been proposed a new knee protector 8 that is divided into the upper protector bracket 7 and is separately provided so that they can be used properly depending on the physique of the passenger.

  In this case, the lower knee protect bracket 6 is welded and fixed to the lower portion of the vehicle body strength member 1, and the upper knee protect bracket 7 is welded and fixed to the lower knee protect bracket 6. The Roney protective bracket 6 has a substantially letter shape when viewed from the side. Further, the upper protection bracket 7 has a substantially square shape in a side view. The knee protect device 8 is assembled as a whole so as to have a substantially square shape or a square shape when viewed from the side. The knee protect device 8 is provided in a pair of left and right corresponding to both knees of the occupant. Between the rear end portions of the lower knee protect bracket 6 and the upper knee protect bracket 7 in the pair of left and right knee protect devices 8. A knee support plate 5 for receiving the occupant's knee is installed between the rear end portions and between the rear end portion of the lower side protector bracket 6 on the same side and the rear end portion of the upper knee protect bracket 7. Has been.

  However, since the above-described improved knee protector 8 is directly welded and fixed to the lower portion of the vehicle body strength member 1, the height dimension L of the lower knee protect bracket 6 is increased, and therefore, the lower knee protector 8 is increased. When the protective bracket 6 is crushed, there is a problem that the moment acting on the vehicle body strength member 1 is increased and the possibility that the vehicle body strength member 1 is crushed increases. Further, there is a problem that the weight of the knee protector 8 is increased by the increase in the height dimension L of the lower knee protector bracket 6.

  Furthermore, since the knee protect device 8 (or the knee protect device 2) as an occupant protection device and the above-described emergency column drop-off mechanism unit are coexisting as separate devices, both have a particularly cooperative relationship. There wasn't. Therefore, only the function as a single unit could be achieved. In addition, design, manufacture, and assembly are also separate, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost and assembly time.

  In addition to the above, problems that occur in the process leading to the present invention are also conceivable.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a steering column that extends substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a knee protect device capable of absorbing a passenger's knee input load in an emergency is directly or indirectly It is characterized by being mounted on.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above, the steering column is disposed below a vehicle body strength member extending substantially in the vehicle width direction, and the steering column is attached to the vehicle body strength member via an attachment portion. The mounting portion includes an emergency column dropping mechanism that can drop the steering column from the vehicle body strength member in response to an occupant's chest input load and an occupant's knee input load in an emergency.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the above, the attachment portion includes an additional load absorbing mechanism portion that can further absorb an input load by an occupant with or after the operation of the emergency column dropping mechanism portion is started. It is characterized by that.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the above, the mounting portion includes a column mounting bracket fixed to the vehicle body strength member, a vehicle body mounting bracket fixed to the steering column, a column mounting bracket, and a vehicle body mounting. A fastening portion that can be fastened to the bracket for fastening by a fastener, wherein the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion is a screw hole portion formed in a fastening portion of the column mounting bracket, and a fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket A U-groove portion extending in the drop-off direction, and a sliding plate having a fastener insertion hole that can be inserted into the fastening portion of the body mounting bracket and through which the fastener can be inserted. Is provided between the body mounting bracket and the sliding plate or column mounting bracket, and is Using the sliding resistance generated Te, capable further absorb the input load by the occupant, it is characterized by having a sliding resistance generating portion for load absorption.

  The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the above, the load-absorbing sliding resistance generating section has a sliding resistance increasing section in which the sliding resistance in the latter half of sliding is higher than that in the first half of sliding. It is said.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the above, the attachment portion includes a front attachment portion and a rear attachment portion, and the knee protector can mainly absorb a knee input load of a small occupant. Separately, a Roanye protection bracket and an upperney protection bracket that can absorb the knee input load of an average occupant are used separately. The bracket is characterized in that it is separately and independently attached to the rear attachment portion in a corresponding state.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the knee protect device capable of absorbing the occupant's knee input load in an emergency is directly or indirectly attached to the steering column extending substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Such effects can be obtained.

  That is, when an occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, the knee protect device receives the occupant's knee and the knee protect device collapses to absorb the occupant's knee input load in an emergency. At this time, the knee protect device is crushed while generating an appropriate reaction force, thereby minimizing the amount of deformation of the knee protect device, etc., and minimizing the impact on the passenger's knee, thereby reducing the knee of the passenger. Can be protected. The knee protect device is not attached to the vehicle body strength member as in the prior art, but is attached to the steering column. Since a stable steering column can be mounted as a reference, the installation state of the knee protect device is stabilized, and thus it becomes possible to make the knee protect device versatile and shared. Further, when the knee protect device is attached to the steering column, when the knee protect device is crushed, the moment acting on the mounted member (such as the vehicle body strength member or the steering column) is directly applied to the vehicle body strength member. As a result, the vehicle body strength member can be effectively prevented from being crushed. At this time, since the steering column extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the steering column has a structure strong against the moment as compared to the vehicle body strength member extending in the vehicle width direction. Can withstand moments without hindrance. Further, by attaching the knee protect device to the steering column, it is possible to make the size of the knee protect device in the height direction smaller than that in the conventional arrangement. Thereby, when the knee protect device is crushed, the moment itself acting on the attached portion such as the steering column can be reduced. Thus, the possibility that the mounted portion such as the steering column is crushed can be further reduced. Furthermore, since the height dimension of the knee protect device can be made smaller than before, the knee protect device can be reduced in size and weight accordingly. The knee protect device can be directly or indirectly attached to the steering column.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above, the steering column is disposed below a vehicle body strength member extending substantially in the vehicle width direction, and the steering column is attached to the vehicle body strength member via an attachment portion. The mounting portion is provided with an emergency column drop-off mechanism portion that can drop the steering column from the vehicle body strength member by an emergency occupant's chest input load and an occupant's knee input load. An effect can be obtained.

  In other words, the steering column disposed below the vehicle body strength member extending substantially in the vehicle width direction is attached to the vehicle body strength member via the attachment portion. At this time, the emergency column dropping mechanism provided in the mounting portion is mounted so that the steering column is dropped from the vehicle body strength member by the chest input load of the occupant and the knee input load of the occupant in an emergency. When the occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, the knee protect device receives the occupant's knee as described above. The rear end of the steering column (the handle attached to it) receives the chest of the occupant. The distance between the knee protection device and the occupant's knee is usually closer than the distance between the rear end of the steering column and the occupant's chest, although it varies slightly depending on the occupant's physique and sitting posture. Therefore, the knee protect device starts to operate first, and the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion starts to operate thereafter. Since both the occupant's chest input load acting on the rear end of the steering column and the occupant's knee input load acting on the knee protector described above are applied to the steering column, both these loads cause an emergency. The column dropping mechanism is actuated to drop the steering column from the vehicle body strength member. Thus, the influence on the occupant's chest can be minimized to protect the occupant's chest, and the influence on the occupant's knee can be minimized to protect the occupant's knee. That is, the chest protection and knee protection of the occupant can be simultaneously achieved in cooperation. Therefore, it becomes possible to develop an effective device configuration with higher cooperation that could not be obtained when both were provided as a single configuration. Moreover, since design, manufacture, and assembly can be performed together, it can be advantageous in terms of cost and assembly man-hours. In this case, the emergency column drop-off mechanism is operated by both the occupant's chest input load and the knee input load, and may be operated only by the occupant's chest input load. It does not include those that operate only with the knee input load.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the above, the attachment portion includes an additional load absorbing mechanism portion that can further absorb an input load by an occupant with or after the operation of the emergency column dropping mechanism portion is started. As a result, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, in addition to the knee protect device and the emergency column drop-off mechanism, the steering column can be operated with or after the operation of the emergency column drop-off mechanism by the additional load absorbing mechanism provided in the mounting portion. It is possible to further absorb the input load (such as knee input load and chest input load that could not be removed by the knee protect device or the emergency column drop-off mechanism). As a result, it is possible to obtain a function more than simply combining the knee protect device and the emergency column drop-off mechanism, and it is possible to protect the occupant more safely and reliably.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the above, the mounting portion includes a column mounting bracket fixed to the vehicle body strength member, a vehicle body mounting bracket fixed to the steering column, a column mounting bracket, and a vehicle body mounting. A fastening portion that can be fastened to the bracket for fastening by a fastener, wherein the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion is a screw hole portion formed in a fastening portion of the column mounting bracket, and a fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket A U-groove portion extending in the drop-off direction, and a sliding plate having a fastener insertion hole that can be inserted into the fastening portion of the body mounting bracket and through which the fastener can be inserted. Is provided between the body mounting bracket and the sliding plate or column mounting bracket, and is Using the sliding resistance generated Te, capable further absorb the input load by the occupant, by which a sliding resistance generating portion for load absorption can be obtained the following effects.

  That is, by fastening between the fastening portion of the column mounting bracket fixed to the vehicle body strength member and the fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket fixed to the steering column with a fastener, as described above, The steering column can be attached to the vehicle body strength member at the attachment portion. At this time, the sliding plate is clamped to the fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket by the emergency column dropping mechanism provided in the mounting portion, and the fastener insertion hole of the sliding plate and the fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket are connected. By aligning the U groove and the screw hole portion of the fastening portion of the column mounting bracket, and inserting and fastening a fastener between them, the fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket is interposed via the sliding plate. And fixed to the fastening portion of the column mounting bracket. And since the fastening part of the bracket for mounting the vehicle body is only sandwiched and held around the U-groove part, the U-groove part comes off from the fastener when a force in the drop-off direction is applied. As a result, the vehicle body mounting bracket is removed from the mounting portion. Further, as an additional type load absorbing mechanism, a load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion provided between the vehicle body mounting bracket and the sliding plate or column mounting bracket is formed by a sliding generated by a relative displacement caused by dropping. The input load by the occupant can be further absorbed by using the dynamic resistance. As described above, the additional load absorbing mechanism portion is a load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion that uses sliding resistance, thereby realizing an additional load absorbing mechanism portion that functions reliably with a simple configuration. It becomes possible.

  The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the above, the load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion has a sliding resistance increasing portion in which the sliding resistance in the latter half of sliding is higher than that in the first half of sliding. The following effects can be obtained.

  That is, the sliding resistance increasing portion of the load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion can increase the sliding resistance in the second half of sliding compared to the first half of sliding. As a result, the absorption of the input load and the generation of the reaction force can be maintained and continued for a longer time, and these can be performed with a margin.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the attachment portion includes a front attachment portion and a rear attachment portion, and the knee protection device is capable of mainly absorbing a knee input load of a small passenger. And an upper protection bracket that can absorb the knee input load of an average occupant, with the lower knee protection bracket at the front mounting portion and the upper knee protection bracket at the rear. The following effects can be obtained by separately and independently attaching to the side attachment portions in a corresponding state.

  That is, the lowerie protection bracket can mainly absorb the knee input load of a small passenger. Further, the upper protection bracket can mainly absorb the knee input load of a passenger with an average physique. Thereby, it becomes possible to use these properly depending on the physique of the passenger. In addition, the Roanye protect bracket and the upper knee protect bracket are attached separately to the front mounting portion and the upper knee protection bracket to the rear mounting portion, respectively. The bracket can function independently. Thereby, the reliability of each operation can be improved, and the design can be simplified.

  Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described together with illustrated examples.

  In addition, since the following examples are described based on the background art described above, if necessary, the description of the examples is made with the description of the background art and drawings, or with necessary modifications. Can be diverted.

  1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, the configuration will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle such as an automobile is usually provided with an instrument panel 11 in the front part of the vehicle interior. A steering column 13 that extends substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction 12 is provided at the driver seat side of the instrument panel 11. In this case, the instrument panel 11 is not an essential component.

  First, a knee protect device 14 capable of absorbing a passenger's knee input load in an emergency is directly or indirectly attached to the steering column 13 extending substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction 12. In addition, the above is a minimum necessary configuration for exhibiting a required operation effect, and a configuration not described above has a degree of freedom. For example, the (more specific) configurations such as the steering column 13 and the knee protect device 14 and their interrelationships, as well as other configurations, may still be arbitrary at this stage.

  In this case, the steering column 13 is inclined so as to have an upward gradient toward the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction 12 as in the normal case. A handle 15 is attached to the rear end of the steering column 13. The knee protect device 14 is disposed on the side or below the steering column 13 depending on the positional relationship between the handle 15 and the occupant's knee.

  Next, in the above, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 (mainly refer to FIG. 2 or FIG. 5), the steering column 13 is disposed below the vehicle body strength member 17 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 16, and the steering column 13 is attached to the vehicle body strength member 17 through the attachment portion 18, and the attachment portion 18 drops off the steering column 13 from the vehicle body strength member 17 due to an occupant's chest input load and an occupant's knee input load in an emergency. A possible emergency column drop-off mechanism 19 is provided. In addition, the above is a minimum necessary configuration for exhibiting a required operation effect, and a configuration not described above has a degree of freedom. For example, (more specific) configurations such as the steering column 13, the vehicle body strength member 17, the mounting portion 18, the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19, and their mutual relations, and other configurations, etc. May still be optional at this stage.

  In this case, the vehicle body strength member 17 is a strength member that connects between left and right vehicle body panels (not shown). The vehicle body strength member 17 is called a steering support member or a cross car beam. The vehicle body strength member 17 is usually installed inside the instrument panel 11. The vehicle body strength member 17 is composed of a metal pipe. However, the vehicle body strength member 17 is not limited to a metal pipe. In addition, a vertical gap is secured between the vehicle body strength member 17 and the steering column 13 in order to install the mounting portion 18 as necessary.

  Next, in the above, the attachment portion 18 may be provided with the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 that can further absorb the input load by the occupant with or after the operation of the emergency column drop mechanism portion 19 is started. . In addition, the above is a minimum necessary configuration for exhibiting a required operation effect, and a configuration not described above has a degree of freedom. For example, the (more specific) configuration of the additional load absorbing mechanism 21 and other configurations may be arbitrary at this stage.

  Next, in the above, the mounting portion 18 includes a column mounting bracket 25 fixed to the vehicle body strength member 17, a vehicle body mounting bracket 26 fixed to the steering column 13, and the column mounting bracket 25 and the vehicle body mounting bracket. 26 may be provided with fastening portions 28 and 29 that can be fastened with a fastener 27.

  Further, the emergency column drop-off mechanism 19 may be provided at the fastening portions 28 and 29 described above. In other words, in the above, the emergency column drop-off mechanism 19 extends in the drop-off direction formed in the screw hole portion 31 formed in the fastening portion 28 of the column mounting bracket 25 and the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26. A U-groove portion 33 and a sliding plate 35 having a fastener insertion hole 34 that can be inserted into the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and through which the fastener 27 can be inserted may be provided.

  Further, in the above, the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 may include a load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36 between the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and the sliding plate 35 or the column mounting bracket 25. good.

  The load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36 is relative to the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and the sliding plate 35 or the column mounting bracket 25 when the steering column 13 is detached (from the vehicle body strength member 17). It is also possible to have a configuration that can further absorb the input load by the occupant using the sliding resistance generated by the displacement (in the load-absorbing sliding resistance generator 36).

  In addition, the above is a minimum necessary configuration for exhibiting a required operation effect, and a configuration not described above has a degree of freedom. For example, (more specific) configurations such as the mounting portion 18, the emergency column dropping mechanism portion 19, the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21, the load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36, and their interrelationships In addition, the configuration other than these may be arbitrary at this stage.

  In this case, the column mounting bracket 25 and the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 are, for example, as shown in the figure, and the fastening portions 28 and 29 have a required area with each other directly or indirectly. The contact surface can be contacted and fixed. These contact surfaces are surfaces substantially parallel to the axial direction of the steering column 13 and the vehicle width direction 16. The fastener 27 is a fastening bolt or the like. The fastener 27 is fastened from below.

  Further, the drop-out direction of the above-described emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 is substantially in front of the vehicle front-rear direction 12 (in this case, set in the axial direction of the steering column 13) before drop-off. After falling off, it is set to be almost downward. As for the drop-off direction, the above is optimal, but other settings are possible, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. The sliding plate 35 has a substantially U-shape in a side view opened to the front side so that the sliding plate 35 can be clamped to the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 from the rear to the front in the vehicle front-rear direction 12. The sliding plate 35 is configured by bending a metal plate so as to have an upper folded portion, a lower folded portion, and an intermediate folded portion. However, the sliding plate 35 is not necessarily limited to this. The sliding plate 35 is arranged in a direction substantially parallel to the fastening portions 28 and 29. The fastener insertion hole 34 of the sliding plate 35 is provided at a position that matches the U-groove portion 33. Further, the U groove 33 is configured to open rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction 12.

  Further, the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 is provided between the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and the sliding plate 35. By doing so, the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 can be provided regardless of the column mounting bracket 25, so that the configuration of the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 is simplified and the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 is provided. On the other hand, it can be easily installed. On the other hand, although not particularly illustrated, when the additional load absorbing mechanism 21 is provided between the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and the column mounting bracket 25, the additional load absorbing mechanism 21 is It can be made more robust and have high load absorption capability.

  In this stage, the load absorbing sliding resistance generating section 36 can include all of the components having a configuration and a function capable of absorbing the load by using the sliding resistance. For example, it includes those whose sliding resistance is constant from beginning to end, and those whose sliding resistance changes.

  Next, in the above, the load-absorbing sliding resistance generating section 36 may include a sliding resistance increasing section 37 in which the sliding resistance in the latter half of sliding is higher than that in the first half of sliding. In addition, the above is a minimum necessary configuration for exhibiting a required operation effect, and a configuration not described above has a degree of freedom. For example, the configuration of the sliding resistance increasing portion 37 and other configurations may be arbitrary at this stage.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the load absorbing sliding resistance generator 36 includes a sliding guide 41 formed integrally with the sliding plate 35 and a sliding body attached to the vehicle body mounting bracket 26. 42. The sliding guide 41 is integrally formed extending from the front end portion of the upper folded portion of the sliding plate 35 that is substantially U-shaped when viewed from the side, substantially in the drop-off direction (substantially forward in the vehicle front-rear direction 12). The sliding body 42 is formed by attaching a metal strip material bent in a substantially hat shape to the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 so as to straddle the sliding guide 41 from above. The sliding body 42 is slid along the line. The sliding body 42 is fixed to the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 with flange portions at both ends thereof by welding, rivets, bolts or the like. The sliding body 42 is disposed substantially in the vehicle width direction 16. In order to mount the sliding body 42, the sliding plate 35 having a substantially U shape in side view is formed so that the upper folded portion is slightly longer than the lower folded portion, so that the sliding body 42 is attached to the column mounting bracket 25. It is devised so as to be provided at a position where it does not buffer with the fastening portion 28. The sliding body 42 is configured to function as a positioning and holding member for the sliding plate 35 with respect to the vehicle body mounting bracket 26. As a result, the sliding plate 35 can be set in a state in which the sliding plate 35 is positioned and held in advance on the vehicle body mounting bracket 26. Therefore, when the steering column 13 is attached to the vehicle body strength member 17, the sliding plate 35, which is a fine component, is used. It is possible to eliminate the necessity of assembling to the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 one by one.

  The sliding resistance increasing portion 37 is configured by making the sliding guide 41 have a gradually expanding shape (substantially triangular shape in plan view) that expands toward the front in the vehicle front-rear direction 12. That is, the sliding resistance is increased by forming the sliding body 42 and the gradually expanding shape of the sliding guide 41 into a shape that “squeezes”. Therefore, it is assumed that the sliding body 42 and the sliding guide 41 can withstand “squeeze”. In other words, the sliding body 42 and the sliding guide 41 may be deformed to such an extent that the function is not lost by “squeezing”, but the strength, shape, thickness, etc. are set so as not to break. To do. The sliding guide 41 has a gradually expanding shape that expands in the vehicle width direction 16, but may have a gradually expanding shape that expands in the vertical direction. The sliding guide 41 has a plate shape, but may have a rod shape (conical shape, pyramid shape, etc.). Also, it is possible to increase the sliding resistance by directing the sliding direction of the sliding guide 41 to a direction other than the drop-off direction. Furthermore, the gradually increasing shape can be multistaged or curved so that the amount of increase in sliding resistance can be changed midway. In addition, by setting the sliding body 42 and the sliding guide 41 so that they cannot be removed after the steering column 13 is dropped, the steering column 13 can be configured to function as a fall prevention device. it can.

  Next, in the above, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 (mainly refer to FIG. 2), the attachment portion 18 includes a front attachment portion 51 and a rear attachment portion 52, and the knee protector 14 is Rony protection bracket 53 that can absorb the knee input load of a small occupant and an upper protection bracket 54 that can absorb the knee input load of an occupant of an average physique separately. The mounting bracket 53 may be attached to the front mounting portion 51, and the upper knee protection bracket 54 may be attached to the rear mounting portion 52 separately and independently. In addition, the above is a minimum necessary configuration for exhibiting a required operation effect, and a configuration not described above has a degree of freedom. For example, (more specific) configurations such as the front side mounting portion 51, the rear side mounting portion 52, the Roney protective bracket 53, the upper knee protective bracket 54, and their mutual relationships, and other than these As for the configuration, etc., it may be arbitrary at this stage.

  In this case, the column mounting bracket 25 includes a front bracket portion 55 and a rear bracket portion 56. The front bracket portion 55 and the rear bracket portion 56 may be integrated or separated. In this case, the front bracket portion 55 and the rear bracket portion 56 each have a U-shaped cross section opened upward. The front bracket portion 55 and the rear bracket portion 56 are fixed to the vehicle body strength member 17 by welding. In addition, the said fastening part 28 is formed in the intermediate | middle connection part which connects between both arm parts among the U-shaped cross section opened on the upper side.

  Correspondingly, the body mounting bracket 26 also includes a front bracket 57 and a rear bracket 58. Each of the front bracket 57 and the rear bracket 58 has a substantially inverted L shape in a side view having a lateral surface portion and a longitudinal surface portion extending substantially directly below the surface from the front edge portion of the lateral surface portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction 12. Presents. In addition, the said fastening part 29 is formed in the side surface part of a reverse L-shape substantially side view.

  Further, the above-described rear slide guide 41 has a length that does not interfere with the front bracket 57, the front bracket portion 55, and the like.

  The lower knee protect bracket 53 is attached to the front bracket portion 55 via the front bracket 57, and the upper knee protect bracket 54 is attached to the rear bracket portion 56 via the rear bracket 58. Note that, between the front bracket portion 55 and the front bracket 57 and between the rear bracket portion 56 and the rear bracket 58, the mounting portion 18, the emergency column dropping mechanism portion 19, the load absorbing slide, and the like. A dynamic resistance generating unit 36, a sliding resistance increasing unit 37, and the like are provided.

  The Roney protective bracket 53 has a substantially “S” shape when viewed from the side, and its front end is welded and fixed to the front bracket 57 (the rear surface side of the vertical surface portion). Further, the upper protection bracket 54 has a substantially “T” shape in a side view, and a front end portion thereof is fixed to a rear bracket 58 (the rear surface side of the vertical surface portion) by welding. The rear end portion of the upper knee protection bracket 54 and the rear end portion of the lower knee protection bracket 53 are opposed to each other substantially vertically with a gap at a position slightly rearward of the rear bracket 58. As a whole, they are arranged so as to form a forward and downward gradient. As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the Roney protective bracket 53 has a U-shaped cross-section that is open substantially upward. The upper protecting bracket 54 has a U-shaped cross-section that is open substantially downward.

  Further, a pair of knee protect devices 14 are provided corresponding to the left and right knees of the occupant. A knee support plate 61 (see FIG. 1) for directly receiving the occupant's knee is installed between the left and right knee protectors 14. The knee support plate 61 is configured to have such a strength that the knee protector 14 is not deformed by the knee input load of the occupant so that the knee protector 14 is crushed first. In this case, each knee protector 14 is provided with the lower knee protect bracket 53 and the upper knee protect bracket 54, so that the knee support plate 61 is located between the left and right lower knee protect brackets 53, and It spans between the left and right upper protection brackets 54 and between the lower knee protection bracket 53 and the upper protection bracket 54 on the same side.

  Further, in order to make the left and right knee protect devices 14 correspond to the positions of both occupants' knees, the front bracket 57 and the rear bracket 58 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. Thus, it has the overhang | projection part 62 extended in the vehicle width direction 16 outward. Then, the lower knee protection bracket 53 and the upper knee protection bracket 54 are respectively attached to the outer end portion (the vertical surface portion) of the overhang portion 62. The left and right front brackets 57 and the left and right rear brackets 58 may be integrated or separated. In this case, the left and right front brackets 57 and the left and right rear brackets 58 are respectively integrated. For this reason, column installation recesses 63 for installing the steering column 13 are formed at intermediate portions of the left and right front brackets 57 and the left and right rear brackets 58, respectively.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  When the occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, first, the knee protect device 14 receives the occupant's knee and is deformed, for example, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. Absorbs load. At this time, the knee input load of the small occupant is mainly absorbed by the lower knee protection bracket 53, and the knee input load of the average occupant is mainly absorbed by the upper knee protection bracket 54. This proper use is performed according to the difference in the knee height of the occupant. Thereby, the reaction force generated according to the occupant's physique can be changed, and the occupant's knee can be optimally protected.

  Next, the rear end portion (the handle 15 attached to the steering column 13) receives the chest of the occupant. Then, the emergency column drop-off mechanism 19 is operated by the passenger's knee input load and chest input load, and the steering column 13 is dropped from the vehicle body strength member 17 to absorb the knee input load and chest input load.

  Further, load absorption is performed by utilizing sliding resistance generated by relative displacement between the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and the sliding plate 35 or the column mounting bracket 25 when the steering column 13 is detached from the vehicle body strength member 17. The sliding resistance generator 36 further absorbs the input load by the occupant.

  As described above, since the input load by the occupant can be absorbed in three stages, the occupant can be protected more effectively and reliably.

  More specifically, according to this embodiment, a knee protect device 14 capable of absorbing a passenger's knee input load in an emergency is directly or indirectly attached to a steering column 13 extending substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction 12. As a result, the following operational effects can be obtained.

  That is, when an occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, the knee protect device 14 receives the occupant's knee, and the knee protect device 14 is crushed, thereby absorbing an occupant's knee input load in an emergency. At this time, the knee protect device 14 is crushed while generating an appropriate reaction force, thereby minimizing the amount of deformation of the knee protect device 14 and the like and minimizing the influence on the passenger's knees. Can protect the knee. Then, the knee protect device 14 is not attached to the vehicle body strength member 17 as in the prior art, but is attached to the steering column 13, so that the arrangement is not the vehicle body strength member 17 whose arrangement changes for each vehicle type, regardless of the vehicle type. Since the steering column 13 having a stable arrangement can be mounted as a reference, the installation state of the knee protect device 14 can be stabilized, so that the knee protect device 14 can be generalized and shared. Become. Further, when the knee protect device 14 is attached to the steering column 13, when the knee protect device 14 is crushed, the moment acting on the attached member (the vehicle body strength member 17 or the steering column 13) becomes a vehicle body strength member. Therefore, the vehicle body strength member 17 can be effectively prevented from being crushed. At this time, since the steering column 13 extends substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction 12, the steering column 13 has a structure strong against the moment as compared with the vehicle body strength member 17 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 16. The column 13 can withstand the moment without any problem. Further, by attaching the knee protect device 14 to the steering column 13, the height dimension L '(see FIG. 2) of the knee protect device 14 can be made smaller than the conventional one. Thereby, when the knee protect device 14 is crushed, the moment itself acting on the attached portion such as the steering column 13 can be reduced. Thus, the possibility that the mounted portion such as the steering column 13 is crushed can be further reduced. Furthermore, since the dimension L ′ in the height direction of the knee protect device 14 can be made smaller than before, the knee protect device 14 can be reduced in size and weight accordingly. The knee protect device 14 can be directly or indirectly attached to the steering column 13.

  Next, in the above description, the steering column 13 is disposed below the vehicle body strength member 17 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 16, and the steering column 13 is attached to the vehicle body strength member 17 via the attachment portion 18. Since the portion 18 includes the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 that can drop the steering column 13 from the vehicle body strength member 17 by an emergency passenger's chest input load and an occupant's knee input load, the following operation is achieved. An effect can be obtained.

  That is, the steering column 13 disposed below the vehicle body strength member 17 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 16 is attached to the vehicle body strength member 17 via the attachment portion 18. At this time, the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 provided in the mounting portion 18 causes the steering column 13 to be dropped from the vehicle body strength member 17 due to the chest input load of the occupant and the knee input load of the occupant. Mounted. When the occupant's body moves forward in an emergency, the knee protect device 14 receives the occupant's knee as described above. The rear end portion of the steering column 13 (the handle attached thereto) receives the chest of the occupant. The distance between the knee protect device 14 and the occupant's knee is usually closer than the distance between the rear end of the steering column 13 and the occupant's chest, although it may vary slightly depending on the physique and sitting posture of the occupant. Therefore, the knee protect device 14 starts to operate first, and the mounting portion 18 starts to operate thereafter. Since both the occupant's chest input load acting on the rear end of the steering column 13 and the occupant's knee input load acting on the knee protect device 14 are applied to the steering column 13, Then, the emergency column dropping mechanism 19 is activated, and the steering column 13 is dropped from the vehicle body strength member 17. Thus, the influence on the occupant's chest can be minimized to protect the occupant's chest, and the influence on the occupant's knee can be minimized to protect the occupant's knee. That is, the chest protection and knee protection of the occupant can be simultaneously achieved in cooperation. Therefore, it becomes possible to develop an effective device configuration with higher cooperation that could not be obtained when both were provided as a single configuration. Moreover, since design, manufacture, and assembly can be performed together, it can be advantageous in terms of cost and assembly man-hours. The emergency column drop-off mechanism 19 in this case is operated by both the occupant's chest input load and the knee input load, and is operated only by the occupant's chest input load, It does not include those that operate only with the occupant's knee input load.

  Next, in the above, the attachment portion 18 includes the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 that can further absorb the input load by the occupant with or after the operation of the emergency column dropping mechanism portion 19 is started. The following effects can be obtained.

  That is, in addition to the knee protect device 14 and the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 described above, the additional column load absorbing mechanism portion 21 provided in the mounting portion 18 is activated or activated when the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 is started. After the start, it is possible to further absorb an input load (such as a knee input load and a chest input load that cannot be removed by the knee protector 14 or the mounting portion 18) by the occupant to the steering column 13. As a result, it is possible to obtain a function more than simply combining the knee protect device 14 and the mounting portion 18, and it is possible to protect the passenger more safely and reliably.

  Next, in the above, the mounting portion 18 includes a column mounting bracket 25 fixed to the vehicle body strength member 17, a vehicle body mounting bracket 26 fixed to the steering column 13, and the column mounting bracket 25 and the vehicle body mounting bracket. 26, fastening portions 28 and 29 that can be fastened by a fastener 27, and an emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 includes a screw hole portion 31 formed in the fastening portion 29 of the column mounting bracket 25, and a vehicle body. A U-groove 33 formed in the fastening portion 29 of the mounting bracket 26 and extending in the drop-off direction, and a fastener insertion hole 34 that can be sandwiched in the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and through which the fastener 27 can be inserted. A sliding plate 35, and the additional load absorbing mechanism 21 includes a vehicle body mounting bracket 26, a sliding plate 35, and a sliding plate 35. A load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36 that is provided between the vehicle mounting bracket 25 and that can further absorb an input load by an occupant by using a sliding resistance generated by a relative displacement caused by dropping. By providing, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, the fastener 27 is used to fasten between the fastening portion 29 of the column mounting bracket 25 fixed to the vehicle body strength member 17 and the fastening portions 28 and 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 fixed to the steering column 13. Thus, as described above, the steering column 13 can be attached to the vehicle body strength member 17 by the attachment portion 18. At this time, the sliding plate 35 is clamped to the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 by the emergency column drop-off mechanism portion 19 provided in the mounting portion 18, and the fastener insertion hole 34 of the sliding plate 35 and the vehicle body By aligning the U groove 33 of the fastening portion 29 of the mounting bracket 26 and the screw hole portion 31 of the fastening portion 29 of the column mounting bracket 25, and inserting and fastening the fastener 27 therebetween, The fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 is fixed to the fastening portion 29 of the column mounting bracket 25 via the sliding plate 35. Since the fastening portion 29 of the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 is only held by the sliding plate 35 around the U-groove portion 33, the U-groove portion 33 is formed when a force in the drop-off direction is applied. By disengaging from the fastener 27, the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 is dropped from the mounting portion 18. Further, as the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21, the load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36 provided between the vehicle body mounting bracket 26 and the sliding plate 35 or the column mounting bracket 25 is provided with a relative displacement caused by dropping. By utilizing the sliding resistance generated by the vehicle, it is possible to further absorb the input load by the occupant. As described above, the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 is a load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36 that utilizes sliding resistance, thereby realizing the additional load absorbing mechanism portion 21 that functions reliably with a simple configuration. It becomes possible to do.

  Next, in the above, the load absorption sliding resistance generating portion 36 includes the sliding resistance increasing portion 37 in which the sliding resistance in the latter half of the sliding is higher than that in the first half of the sliding. Can be obtained.

  That is, the sliding resistance increasing portion 37 of the load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 36 can increase the sliding resistance in the latter half of sliding compared to the first half of sliding. As a result, the absorption of the input load and the generation of the reaction force can be maintained and continued for a longer time, and these can be performed with a margin.

  Next, in the above, the mounting portion 18 includes the front mounting portion 51 and the rear mounting portion 52, and the knee protection device 14 can mainly absorb the knee input load of a small occupant. 53 and an upper protection bracket 54 that can absorb the knee input load of an average sized occupant mainly. The lower knee protection bracket 53 is provided on the front mounting portion 51, and the upper knee protection bracket 54 is provided on the upper side. The following functions and effects can be obtained by separately and independently attaching to the rear attachment portions 52 in a corresponding state.

  That is, the lowerie protection bracket 53 can mainly absorb the knee input load of a small passenger. Further, the upper protecting bracket 54 can mainly absorb the knee input load of the average occupant. Thereby, it becomes possible to use these properly depending on the physique of the passenger. In addition, the lowerie protect bracket 53 and the upper knee protector 54 are respectively attached to the front mounting portion 51 and the rear mounting portion 52 separately and independently, so that the lowerney protect bracket 53 is attached. And the upper protecting bracket 54 can function independently. Thereby, the reliability of each operation can be improved, and the design can be simplified.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the embodiments are only examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Needless to say, design changes and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the invention are included in the present invention. Further, for example, when each embodiment includes a plurality of configurations, it is a matter of course that possible combinations of these configurations are included even if not specifically described. Further, when a plurality of embodiments and modifications are shown, it is needless to say that possible combinations of configurations extending over these are included even if not specifically described. Further, the configuration depicted in the drawings is of course included even if not particularly described.

1 is an overall side view of an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an additional load absorbing mechanism portion of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an operation diagram of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is an operation diagram following FIG. 7. It is a perspective view of the knee protect device concerning a prior art example. FIG. 10 is a side view of the improved knee protect device of FIG. 9.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Vehicle front-back direction 13 Steering column 14 Knee protect device 16 Vehicle width direction 17 Car body strength member 18 Mounting part 19 Emergency column drop-off mechanism part 21 Additional type load absorption mechanism part 25 Column mounting bracket 26 Car body mounting bracket 27 Fastener 28 Fastening portion 29 Fastening portion 31 Screw hole portion 33 U-groove portion 34 Fastener insertion hole 35 Sliding plate 36 Load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion 37 Sliding resistance increasing portion 51 Front mounting portion 52 Rear mounting portion 53 Roanye protection bracket 54 Brackets for upper protection

Claims (6)

  An occupant protection device, wherein a knee protection device capable of absorbing an occupant's knee input load in an emergency is directly or indirectly attached to a steering column extending substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The steering column is disposed below a vehicle body strength member extending substantially in the vehicle width direction;
The steering column is attached to a vehicle body strength member via an attachment portion,
2. The emergency column drop-off mechanism portion according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion includes an emergency column drop-off mechanism portion capable of dropping the steering column from the vehicle body strength member by an emergency passenger's chest input load and an occupant's knee input load. Crew protection device.   The occupant protection according to claim 2, wherein the attachment portion includes an additional load absorbing mechanism portion that can further absorb an input load by the occupant with or after the operation of the emergency column dropping mechanism portion is started. apparatus. The mounting portion is a column mounting bracket that is fixed to the vehicle body strength member, a vehicle body mounting bracket that is fixed to the steering column, and a fastener that can be fastened between the column mounting bracket and the vehicle body mounting bracket by a fastener. With
The emergency column drop-off mechanism portion includes a screw hole portion formed in a fastening portion of the column mounting bracket, a U-groove portion formed in the fastening portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket and extending in the dropping direction, and fastening of the vehicle body mounting bracket. A sliding plate having a fastener insertion hole that can be clamped to the portion and through which the fastener can be inserted,
The additional load absorbing mechanism is provided between the vehicle body mounting bracket and the sliding plate or column mounting bracket, and is input by the occupant using the sliding resistance generated by the relative displacement caused by dropping. The occupant protection device according to claim 3, further comprising a load absorption sliding resistance generator capable of further absorbing a load.   5. The occupant protection device according to claim 4, wherein the load absorbing sliding resistance generating portion includes a sliding resistance increasing portion in which a sliding resistance in the latter half of sliding is higher than that in the first half of sliding. The mounting portion comprises a front mounting portion and a rear mounting portion;
The knee protection device is a separate lower knee protection bracket that can absorb the knee input load of a small occupant and an upper knee protection bracket that can mainly absorb the knee input load of an average size occupant. Prepared,
6. The lower and lower protect brackets are attached separately to the front mounting portion and the upper knee protection bracket to the rear mounting portion, respectively. Crew protection device.

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