JP2014046751A - Vehicle steering hanger beam support structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering hanger beam support structure excellent in waterproofness with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A vehicle steering hanger beam support structure includes a stay 40 extending to the vehicle body front from a steering hanger beam 31 extending in a vehicle width direction, and a bracket 50 to which a front end of the stay 40 is fastened. The bracket 50 is joined to an internal surface 23b facing a cabin 13 in a windshield lower panel 23. The bracket 50 is configured to have a substantially U-shaped section opened toward the internal surface 23b and has the bottom 51 to which the front end of the stay 40 is fastened. In the windshield lower panel 23, a through-hole 61 is formed to allow insertion of a tool 71 from an external surface 23a side of the panel 23 to the cabin 13 during a fastening work of the stay 40 to the bracket 50. The through-hole 61 is closed by a waterproof plug 81 having flexibility.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for improving a support structure of a steering hanger beam for supporting a steering column for a vehicle.

  A steering hanger beam for supporting the steering column is positioned in the passenger compartment and extends in the vehicle width direction, and both ends thereof are attached to the left and right front pillars. Development of an improved technology is being promoted so as to reduce vibration transmitted from the vehicle body to the steering wheel via the steering hanger beam. Such a technique is known from Patent Documents 1 and 2.

  In a vehicle steering hanger beam support structure known from Patent Document 1, a dashboard lower panel is reinforced by a reinforcing material. The front end of the stay extending from the middle part of the steering hanger beam to the front of the vehicle body is bolted to the dashboard lower panel and the reinforcing material.

  The steering hanger beam support structure for a vehicle known from Patent Document 2 is such that the front end of a stay extending forward of the vehicle body from a portion in the middle of the length of the steering hanger beam is bolted to the dashboard lower panel.

  In recent years, development of vehicles with high vehicle height has been promoted. Along with this, the seating height of the seat and the height of the steering wheel have also been set to high positions. The height of the steering hanger beam relative to the dashboard lower panel is also relatively high. For this reason, the front end of the stay extending forward from the steering hanger beam to the vehicle body is attached not to the dashboard lower panel but to the windshield lower panel provided on the dashboard lower panel. The windshield lower panel is a member that supports the lower end of the windshield, and the front surface faces the cowl box. A technique in which a steering hanger beam is supported on the windshield lower panel is known from Patent Document 3.

  The vehicle steering hanger beam support structure known from Patent Document 3 is such that the front end of a stay extending forward of the vehicle body from a part in the middle of the length of the steering hanger beam is bolted to the windshield lower panel. The front surface of the windshield lower panel faces a cowl box having a substantially U-shaped cross section. The cowl box is a flow path of rainwater flowing from the windshield. For this reason, it is necessary to consider that rainwater does not enter the passenger compartment from the cowl box through the bolted portion of the windshield lower panel.

  For this purpose, it is conceivable to attach a cowl box having a substantially U-shaped cross section made of another member to the front side of the windshield lower panel after bolting the front end of the stay to the windshield lower panel. That is, after bolting, the front surface of the windshield lower panel and the bolting portion are covered by the cowl box. As a result, rainwater can be prevented from entering the passenger compartment from the cowl box through the bolting portion. However, the steering hanger beam support structure becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost increases, which is not a good idea.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-264830 JP 2009-12564 A JP-A-4-43173

  An object of the present invention is to provide a steering hanger beam support structure having a simple configuration and excellent waterproofness.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the dashboard lower panel constituting the front wall of the passenger compartment, the windshield lower panel provided on the dashboard lower panel and supporting the lower end portion of the windshield, and the passenger compartment And a steering hanger beam that extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the steering column, and a stay that extends forward from the middle part of the steering hanger beam to the vehicle body and is supported by the windshield lower panel. In the steering hanger beam support structure, a substantially U-shaped cross-section bracket that is open toward the inner surface of the windshield lower panel facing the passenger compartment is joined to the inner surface of the windshield lower panel. The front end of the stay is fastened, and the windshield lower panel has the bra A through-hole through which a tool can be passed from the outer surface side of the windshield lower panel to the vehicle compartment is formed during the fastening operation of the stay to the door, and the through-hole is provided with a flexible waterproof plug. It is closed by being fitted.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the periphery of the peripheral edge forming the through hole in the windshield lower panel is formed in a bulging portion that bulges toward the front of the vehicle body. The front end surface of the part is formed as a flat sealing surface.

  Preferably, the bracket is located in the vicinity of the bulging portion.

  Preferably, the bracket includes the bottom, a pair of legs extending from both ends of the bottom toward the inner surface of the windshield lower panel, and front ends of the pair of legs. A pair of bead portions are formed at each corner between the pair of attachment portions joined to the inner surface and the pair of leg portions. ing.

  As described in claim 5, preferably, at least a part of the stay is formed with a fragile portion that is vulnerable to a load in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

  In the invention according to claim 1, a bracket having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open toward the inner surface is joined to the inner surface of the windshield lower panel that faces the passenger compartment. The front end of the stay extending from the steering hanger beam to the front of the vehicle body is fastened to the bottom of the bracket. In other words, the front end of the stay is not directly fastened to the windshield lower panel, but is fastened to the windshield lower panel via the bracket located in the passenger compartment. As a result, the fastening position of the front end of the stay with respect to the windshield lower panel is separated from the windshield lower panel toward the steering hanger beam by a certain distance. Further, the windshield lower panel is formed with a through-hole through which a tool can be passed from the outer surface side of the windshield lower panel to the vehicle compartment during a fastening operation for the bracket. The front end of the stay can be easily fastened to the bottom of the bracket by a tool inserted into the vehicle compartment from the through hole. After the fastening operation is completed, the through hole can be easily closed by fitting a waterproof plug (for example, a grommet with a film) having flexibility into the through hole. As a result, rainwater can be prevented from entering the cabin from the cowl box.

  As described above, in the invention according to claim 1, the bracket having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open toward the inner surface is joined to the inner surface of the windshield lower panel, and the through hole for passing the tool is provided with a waterproof plug. Therefore, it is possible to provide a steering hanger beam support structure excellent in waterproofness with a simple configuration and a low cost configuration. In addition, vibrations transmitted from the vehicle body to the steering wheel via the steering hanger beam can be suppressed. Furthermore, the distance from the inner surface of the windshield lower panel to the bottom of the bracket may be set to the shortest distance at which the stick can be fastened to the bottom with a tool inserted into the vehicle compartment from the through hole. Therefore, the distance that the fastening portion protrudes from the inner surface to the passenger compartment can be shortened.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the circumference | surroundings of the periphery which forms the through-hole in the windshield lower panel are formed in the bulging part which bulged toward the vehicle body front. For this reason, the rigidity around the periphery forming the through hole can be sufficiently secured. As a result, the rigidity of the windshield lower panel can be ensured. In addition, since the periphery of the periphery forming the through hole bulges forward in the vehicle body, a flexible plug can be easily fitted into the through hole from the front side of the panel. Therefore, a series of operations from the fastening operation to the plug fitting operation can be performed only from the front side of the panel, and workability is improved.

  Furthermore, even if the bottom of the bracket is brought closer to the inner surface of the windshield lower panel by the amount of the bulge around the periphery forming the through-hole, the fastening portion that fastens the stay to the bottom does not contact the inner surface. Absent. Therefore, the distance that the fastening portion protrudes from the inner surface to the passenger compartment can be made as short as possible. Furthermore, since the front end surface of the bulging portion is formed as a flat sealing surface, the sealing performance can be improved by bringing a waterproof plug into close contact with the sealing surface. As a result, the waterproofness between the sealing surface and the stopper is enhanced.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 3, the bracket is joined to the vicinity of the bulging part which is comparatively highly rigid in the windshield lower panel. For this reason, the joint rigidity of the bracket to the windshield lower panel is increased. Therefore, it is possible to increase the support rigidity for supporting the steering hanger beam by the windshield lower panel via the stay and the bracket. Vibration transmitted from the vehicle body to the steering wheel via the steering hanger beam can be further suppressed.

  Moreover, since the bracket is joined in the vicinity of the bulging portion in the windshield lower panel, it can serve as a reinforcing member in the vicinity of the peripheral edge forming the through hole. As a result, the vicinity of the periphery of the through hole is reinforced by both the bulging portion and the bracket. Even when an external force acts on the front end surface of the bulging portion when a waterproof plug is fitted into the through hole, the front end surface does not bend. For this reason, the mounting | wearing property of this stopper increases.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 4, the bracket is a structure of what is called a hat-shaped cross section in which the attachment part was provided in the both ends of the substantially U-shaped cross section. That is, the bracket includes a bottom portion, a pair of leg portions extending from both ends of the bottom portion toward the inner surface of the windshield lower panel, and a pair of attachment portions extending from the front ends of the pair of leg portions to the outside in the surface direction of the inner surface. Consists of. Further, a pair of beads are formed at each corner between the pair of attachment portions and the pair of legs joined to the inner surface of the windshield lower panel. Each corner is reinforced by a bead to increase rigidity. On the other hand, since the bottom is not reinforced, it is less rigid than each corner.

  For example, when an obstacle collides from the front of the vehicle, that is, when a so-called frontal collision occurs, excessive collision force is generated from the windshield lower panel through the pair of corners of the bracket to the bottom through the pair of legs. It is transmitted. With respect to the collision force, the bottom portion, which is lower in rigidity than each corner, is plastically deformed before the other part of the bracket, thereby obtaining a characteristic of relaxing the collision energy.

  In the invention according to claim 5, at least a part of the stay is formed with a fragile portion that is weak against a load in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. When an obstacle collides from the front of the vehicle, that is, when a so-called frontal collision occurs, an excessive collision force is transmitted from the windshield lower panel to the stay through the bracket. When the windshield lower panel is pushed into the vehicle interior by the collision force, the portion of the fragile portion in the stay is plastically deformed. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the steering hanger beam from being displaced rearward of the vehicle, and as a result, it is possible to appropriately secure the passenger space in the passenger compartment.

It is the perspective view which looked at the vehicle provided with the steering hanger beam support structure which concerns on this invention from the compartment side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the steering hanger beam support structure shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a relationship between a through hole and a bracket illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the attachment operation | work of the stay shown by FIG.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The form for implementing this invention is demonstrated below based on an accompanying drawing.

  A vehicle steering hanger beam support structure according to an embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 is, for example, a passenger car, and a front chamber 12 and a vehicle compartment 13 positioned immediately behind the front chamber 12 are formed inside the vehicle body 11. The vehicle body 11 comprises a monocoque body. The front chamber 12 is configured as a power unit housing chamber for housing a power unit such as an engine (not shown), for example, and an upper opening is covered with a hood 14 that can be opened and closed. The front chamber 12 may be other than the power unit accommodation chamber.

  The front half of the vehicle body 11 includes left and right front pillars 21 (only the right side is shown), a dashboard lower panel 22, a windshield lower panel 23, and a dashboard upper panel 24. The dashboard lower panel 22 is a member constituting the front wall of the passenger compartment 13. That is, the dashboard lower panel 22 is a vertical plate-like member that partitions the front chamber 12 and the vehicle compartment 13.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the windshield lower panel 23 is a vertical plate-like member provided on the dashboard lower panel 22, and extends substantially straight from above the dashboard lower panel 22. . The upper end portion of the windshield lower panel 23 supports the lower end portion of the windshield 25 directly or via a flat extension 26.

  The dashboard upper panel 24 is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross section that extends forward from the space between the upper end of the dashboard lower panel 22 and the lower end of the windshield lower panel 23. That is, the dashboard upper panel 24 is located in front of the windshield lower panel 23.

  The windshield lower panel 23 and the dashboard upper panel 24 form a cowl box 27 having a substantially U-shaped cross section. That is, the front surface 23a (outer surface 23a) of the windshield lower panel 23 faces the cowl box 27 having a substantially U-shaped cross section. The cowl box 27 is formed in the shape of a rain gutter that is elongated in the vehicle width direction, and is a flow path of rainwater that flows from the windshield 25, and stores a wiper unit (not shown). The open end at the top of the cowl box 27 is covered with a cowl top grill 28.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a steering hanger beam 31 is stretched between the left and right front pillars 21. The steering hanger beam 31 is a member that is positioned in the vehicle compartment 13 and supports the steering column 32. The steering hanger beam 31 is constituted by a pipe extending in the vehicle width direction, and both ends thereof are attached to the left and right front pillars 21. The steering column 32 rotatably supports a steering shaft 34 to which a steering wheel 33 is attached.

  A predetermined portion 31 a in the middle of the steering hanger beam 31 is supported on the windshield lower panel 23 by a stay 40 and a bracket 50 (panel-side bracket 50). That is, the stay 40 extends forward from the portion 31 a in the middle of the steering hanger beam 31 and is supported by the windshield lower panel 23. Hereinafter, the stay 40 and the panel side bracket 50 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a predetermined part 31 a in the middle of the length of the steering hanger beam 31 has a beam-side bracket 37 extending toward the front of the vehicle body. On the other hand, the stay 40 is a member that is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and is formed in a downward substantially inverted L-shaped cross section composed of a vertical plate 41 and a horizontal plate 42. The rear end portion 43 of the stay 40 is attached to the beam side bracket 37 with bolts 38.

  The front end 44 of the stay 40 is constituted by a flange that extends downward from the front end of the flat plate 42. Hereinafter, the front end 44 of the stay 40 is referred to as “flange 44” as appropriate. The flange surface of the flange 44 faces the inner surface 23 b of the windshield lower panel 23 facing the vehicle compartment 13. The vertical plate-like flange 44 has one bolt hole 45 penetrating in the plate thickness direction (vehicle body longitudinal direction) and a nut 47 for fastening the bolt 46 inserted into the bolt hole 45. The nut 47 is fixed to the rear surface of the flange 44.

  At least a part of the stay 40 is formed with a fragile portion 48 that is vulnerable to a load in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 11. The fragile portion 48 is constituted by a thinned portion in which at least one of the vertical plate 41 and the horizontal plate 42 is thinned (including through). More specifically, the fragile portion 48 is formed by an elongated hole elongated in the longitudinal direction of the stay 40, for example. The long hole 48 (fragile portion 48) penetrates at least one of the vertical plate 41 and the horizontal plate 42.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the panel side bracket 50 is joined to the inner surface 23 b of the windshield lower panel 23. The panel side bracket 50 is a bent product of a steel plate, and has a pair of attachment portions 53 and 53 integrally at both ends of a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens toward the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23. It is the structure of what is called a hat-shaped cross section.

  For example, when the panel-side bracket 50 joined to the windshield lower panel 23 is viewed from above, the panel-side bracket 50 has a substantially hat shape. That is, the panel-side bracket 50 includes a bottom 51 (mounting seat 51) that forms a U-shaped bottom plate, and a pair of legs 52 and 52 that extend from both ends of the bottom 51 toward the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23. , And a pair of mounting portions 53, 53 (mounting flanges 53, 53) extending from the front ends of the pair of leg portions 52, 52 outward in the surface direction of the inner surface 23b. The bottom 51, the pair of legs 52, 52, and the pair of attachments 53, 53 are all formed in a flat vertical plate shape.

  A pair of beads 55 and 55 are formed at each corner 54 and 54 between the pair of leg portions 52 and 52 and the pair of attachment portions 53 and 53. The pair of beads 55 and 55 are grooves formed by embossing over the pair of leg portions 52 and 52 and the pair of attachment portions 53 and 53. The corners 54 and 54 are reinforced by the bulging portion formed so as to form the groove. That is, the corners 54 and 54 are reinforced by the beads 55 and 55, respectively, thereby increasing the rigidity. On the other hand, since the bottom 51 is not reinforced, it is less rigid than the corners 54 and 54. The pair of attachment portions 53, 53 are overlapped with the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23 and joined by welding such as spot welding or MIG welding.

  A front end 44 of the stay 40 is fastened to the bottom 51 of the panel side bracket 50. More specifically, the vertical plate-like bottom 51 has one bolt hole 56 penetrating in the plate thickness direction (vehicle body longitudinal direction).

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the windshield lower panel 23 has a through hole 61 that penetrates in the thickness direction (vehicle body longitudinal direction) and a periphery of the peripheral edge 62 of the through hole 61. One bulging portion 63 is formed. The through hole 61 is a work hole through which a tool 71 (see FIG. 6) can be passed from the outer surface 23a side of the windshield lower panel 23 to the vehicle compartment 13 during the fastening operation of the stay 40 to the panel side bracket 50. For example, it is formed in a perfect circle shape. The bulging portion 63 is a portion of the windshield lower panel 23 in which the periphery of the peripheral edge 62 forming the through hole 61 bulges toward the front of the vehicle body 11. The front end surface 64 of the bulging portion 63 is formed as a flat sealing surface. The through hole 61 is located on the front end face 64 of the bulging portion 63.

  The panel side bracket 50 is located in the vicinity of the bulging portion 63 in the windshield lower panel 23. As shown in FIG. 6, the positions, sizes, and inclinations of the through hole 61, the bulging portion 63, and the panel side bracket 50 with respect to the windshield lower panel 23 are determined from the outer surface 23 a side of the windshield lower panel 23. 13 is set so that the tool 71 can be passed through.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the through hole 61 is closed by fitting a waterproof plug 81 having flexibility. The waterproof plug 81 having flexibility is constituted by a grommet with a film, for example. The grommet with a film is a well-known component that is made of a flexible material (for example, rubber or soft resin) and has a film 82 that can seal the inside and the outside.

  Next, a procedure for attaching the stay 40 to the panel side bracket 50 will be described with reference to FIG. The through hole 61 is in an open state. First, the front end 44 (flange 44) of the stay 40 is superimposed on the bottom 51 from the rear of the vehicle body. Next, while maintaining this state, the bolt 46 is inserted into the through hole 61 from the outside of the vehicle and screwed into the nut 47. Then, the tool 71 is inserted into the through hole 61 from the outside of the vehicle, and the bolt 46 is tightened. As a result, the front end 44 of the stay 40 is fastened to the panel side bracket 50 by the bolt 46 and the nut 47. In this way, the front end 44 (flange 44) of the stay 40 is overlapped with the bottom 51 from the rear of the vehicle body and attached by the bolt 46 inserted into the bolt holes 45 and 56. After completing the fastening operation, a waterproof plug 81 is fitted into the through hole 61 and closed.

  The above description is summarized as follows. As shown in FIG. 2, a panel-side bracket 50 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open toward the inner surface 23 b is joined to the inner surface 23 b of the windshield lower panel 23. A front end 44 of the stay 40 extending from the steering hanger beam 31 toward the front of the vehicle body is fastened to the bottom 51 of the panel side bracket 50. That is, the front end 44 of the stay 40 is not directly fastened to the windshield lower panel 23 but is fastened to the windshield lower panel 23 via the panel side bracket 50 located in the passenger compartment 13. As a result, the fastening position of the front end 44 of the stay 40 with respect to the windshield lower panel 23 is separated from the windshield lower panel 23 toward the steering hanger beam 31 by a certain distance Dc.

  Further, the windshield lower panel 23 has a through hole 61 through which a tool 71 (see FIG. 6) can be passed from the outer surface 23a side of the windshield lower panel 23 to the vehicle compartment 13 when the stay 40 is fastened to the panel side bracket 50. Is formed. The front end 44 of the stay 40 can be easily fastened to the bottom 51 of the panel side bracket 50 by the tool 71 inserted into the vehicle compartment 13 from the through hole 61. After the fastening operation is completed, the through hole 61 can be easily closed by fitting a waterproof plug 81 having flexibility into the through hole 61. As a result, rainwater can be prevented from entering the vehicle compartment 13 from the cowl box 27.

  In this manner, the panel-side bracket 50 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens toward the inner surface 23b is joined to the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23, and the through hole 61 for passing the tool 71 is provided with a waterproof plug. It is possible to provide a steering hanger beam support structure excellent in waterproofness with a simple and low-cost structure that is closed by 81. In addition, vibration transmitted from the vehicle body 11 to the steering wheel 33 (see FIG. 1) via the steering hanger beam 31 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the distance Dc from the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23 to the bottom 51 of the panel-side bracket 50 can be fastened to the bottom 51 by a tool 71 inserted into the vehicle compartment 13 through the through hole 61. What is necessary is just to set to the shortest distance. Therefore, the protrusion distance Dc at which the fastening portion protrudes from the inner surface 23b to the vehicle compartment 13 can be shortened.

  Furthermore, the periphery of the peripheral edge 62 forming the through hole 61 in the windshield lower panel 23 is formed as a bulging portion 63 bulging toward the front of the vehicle body 11. For this reason, the rigidity around the peripheral edge 62 forming the through hole 61 can be sufficiently secured. As a result, the rigidity of the windshield lower panel 23 can be ensured. In addition, since the periphery of the peripheral edge 62 forming the through hole 61 swells forward of the vehicle body 11, the flexible plug 81 can be easily fitted into the through hole 61 from the front side of the panel. Therefore, a series of operations from the fastening operation to the fitting operation of the plug 81 can be performed only from the front side of the windshield lower panel 23, and workability is improved.

  Further, even if the bottom 51 of the panel side bracket 50 is brought closer to the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23 by the amount of the bulge around the peripheral edge 62 forming the through hole 61, the bottom 51 is supported by the stay 40. The fastening portion that fastens is not in contact with the inner surface 23b. Therefore, the distance that the fastening portion projects from the inner surface 23b to the vehicle compartment 13 can be shortened as much as possible. Furthermore, since the front end face 64 of the bulging portion 63 is formed as a flat sealing surface, the sealing performance can be improved by bringing a waterproof plug into close contact with the sealing surface. As a result, the waterproof property between the sealing surface and the plug 81 is enhanced.

  Furthermore, the panel side bracket 50 is joined to the windshield lower panel 23 in the vicinity of the bulging portion 63 having relatively high rigidity. For this reason, the joining rigidity of the panel side bracket 50 with respect to the windshield lower panel 23 increases. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the support rigidity for supporting the steering hanger beam 31 by the windshield lower panel 23 via the stay 40 and the panel side bracket 50. Vibration transmitted from the vehicle body 11 to the steering wheel 33 via the steering hanger beam 31 can be further suppressed.

  In addition, since the panel side bracket 50 is joined in the vicinity of the bulging portion 63 in the windshield lower panel 23, it can serve as a reinforcing member in the vicinity of the peripheral edge 62 forming the through hole 61. . As a result, the vicinity of the peripheral edge 62 of the through hole 61 is reinforced by both the bulging portion 63 and the panel side bracket 50. Even when an external force is applied to the front end face 64 of the bulging portion 63 when a waterproof plug is fitted into the through hole 61, the front end face 64 does not bend. For this reason, the mounting | wearing property of this stopper 81 improves.

  Furthermore, as FIG. 4 shows, the panel side bracket 50 is a structure of what is called a hat-shaped cross section. A pair of beads 55 and 55 are formed at each of the corners 54 and 54 between the pair of mounting portions 53 and 53 and the pair of leg portions 52 and 52 joined to the inner surface 23b of the windshield lower panel 23. Yes. The corners 54 and 54 are reinforced by the beads 55 and 55, respectively, thereby increasing the rigidity. On the other hand, since the bottom 51 is not reinforced, it is less rigid than the corners 54 and 54.

  For example, when an obstacle collides from the front of the vehicle 10, when a so-called frontal collision occurs, an excessive collision force is generated from the windshield lower panel 23 through the pair of corners 54, 54 of the panel side bracket 50. Are transmitted to the bottom 51 through the legs 52, 52. With respect to the collision force, the bottom 51, which is lower in rigidity than the corners 54, 54, is plastically deformed prior to the other part of the panel side bracket 50, thereby obtaining the characteristic of reducing the collision energy. it can.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, at least a part of the stay 40 is formed with a fragile portion 48 that is vulnerable to a load in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 11. When an obstacle collides from the front of the vehicle 10, when a so-called frontal collision occurs, an excessive collision force is transmitted from the windshield lower panel 23 to the stay 40 via the panel side bracket 50. When the windshield lower panel 23 is pushed into the passenger compartment 13 by the collision force, the portion of the fragile portion 48 in the stay 40 is plastically deformed. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the steering hanger beam 31 from being displaced rearward of the vehicle, and as a result, it is possible to appropriately secure the passenger space in the passenger compartment 13.

  The vehicle steering hanger beam support structure of the present invention is suitable for use in a passenger car.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 11 ... Vehicle body, 12 ... Power unit accommodation room, 13 ... Vehicle compartment, 22 ... Dashboard lower panel, 23 ... Windshield lower panel, 23a ... Outer surface, 23b ... Inner surface, 25 ... Windshield, 31 ... Steering hanger beam, 32 ... Steering column, 40 ... Stee, 44 ... Front end, 48 ... Fragile part, 50 ... Bracket (panel side bracket), 51 ... Bottom part, 52 ... Leg part, 53 ... Mounting part, 54 ... Corner, 55 ... Bead, 61 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Through-hole, 62 ... Periphery which forms through-hole, 63 ... Perimeter of peripheral edge (bulging part), 64 ... Front end surface of bulging part, 71 ... Tool, 81 ... Plug.

Claims (5)

Dashboard lower panel that forms the front wall of the passenger compartment,
A windshield lower panel provided on the dashboard lower panel and supporting a lower end of the windshield;
A steering hanger beam located in the vehicle compartment and extending in the vehicle width direction and supporting a steering column;
The steering hanger beam extends from the middle part of the steering wheel to the front of the vehicle body and is supported by the windshield lower panel.
In a vehicle steering hanger beam support structure having
A bracket having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open toward the inner surface is joined to the inner surface of the windshield lower panel facing the passenger compartment,
The front end of the stay is fastened to the bottom of the bracket,
The windshield lower panel is formed with a through hole through which a tool can be passed from the outer surface side of the windshield lower panel to the vehicle compartment during the fastening operation of the stay with respect to the bracket.
The steering hanger beam support structure for a vehicle, wherein the through hole is closed by fitting a waterproof plug having flexibility. The periphery of the peripheral edge forming the through hole in the windshield lower panel is formed in a bulging portion that bulges toward the front of the vehicle body,
2. The steering hanger beam support structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a front end surface of the bulging portion is formed as a flat sealing surface.   The vehicle steering hanger beam support structure according to claim 2, wherein the bracket is located in the vicinity of the bulging portion. The bracket includes a pair of leg portions extending from both ends of the bottom portion toward the inner surface of the windshield lower panel, and a pair of leg portions extending from the front ends of the pair of leg portions to the outside in the surface direction of the inner surface. Consisting of a mounting part,
The pair of beads are formed in each corner between the pair of attachment portions joined to the inner surface and the pair of leg portions, respectively. The steering hanger beam support structure for a vehicle according to the item.   5. The vehicle steering hanger beam support according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the stay is formed with a fragile portion that is vulnerable to a load in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Construction.

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