JP2548134Y2 - Energy absorbing device for steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an energy absorbing device for a steering wheel which is attached to a boss at an upper end of a steering shaft and absorbs impact energy to reduce an impact on an occupant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A steering wheel is mounted on an upper end portion of a steering shaft. The mounting portion has a structure in which a boss portion including a mounting bolt projects upward. However, there is a problem that an occupant's body is likely to hit the boss portion in a collision or the like, and an impact is applied to the occupant's body when this portion is hit.

For this reason, conventionally, in order to protect the occupant's safety, an energy absorbing member is arranged around the boss portion so as to cover the boss portion so that the occupant's body does not directly hit the boss portion in the event of a collision or the like. It is known to absorb collision energy to reduce collision shock.

[0004] These known ones are in the vertical direction,
The energy absorbing member provided in the axial direction of the steering shaft and in the vertical and horizontal directions of the energy absorbing member provided in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction has appropriate rigidity and exhibits an energy absorbing function. Can be. However, by changing the number and size of vertical holes drilled in the side plate,
It devised to absorb the impact energy have been made, but there is a problem that can not be sufficiently mitigated the forward impact force enough.

In order to solve this problem, the thickness of the energy absorbing member is increased, a box-shaped structure having a top plate and four side plates is provided, or a V-shaped reinforcing member is provided on both sides of the hollow. (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-47949), but at present it is not a sufficient solution.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in particular , the present invention relates to a steering wheel having sufficient rigidity against impact force applied in the forward direction and capable of sufficiently exhibiting a shock absorbing function. It is intended to provide an absorption device.

[0007]

An energy absorbing device (4) attached to a tip portion of a steering shaft, comprising:
One bottom plate 9 and a plurality of longitudinal slots 7 extending substantially perpendicularly upward from opposite front and rear edges of the bottom plate 9 and facing each other.
b, or top panel 6 having two side plates 7, 8 of the front way and rear side with 8b, consists fixedly provided has been substantially U-shaped reinforcing member 10 Metropolitan across the central portion of the top plate 6 and the bottom plate 9, the reinforcing members 10 of the U-shaped fixed at a front side plate 7 and spacing, thereby to allow exhibit sufficient energy absorbing performance of the forward.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a boss plate which is welded to the spoke 2 of the steering wheel. A horn pad 3 is mounted on the boss plate 1 via the energy absorbing device 4 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the energy absorbing device 4 has a substantially rectangular top plate 6 having a square opening 5 for attaching a boss plate to the top of the steering shaft at the center. rear side plate 8 and the front side plate 7 extending downwardly smoothly bent from the front and rear edges are formed integrally (the driver-side and rear). Side plate 7
And 8 have inwardly curved flanges 7a and 8a at the lower ends. Downwardly bent pieces 6a are integrally provided on both left and right sides of the top plate 6.

[0010] There are a plurality of elongated holes 7b and 8b bored in parallel with the upper and lower directions on the front side and the rear side plate 7 and 8, and before side and the rear side plate central portion 7c, inwardly 8c It smoothly curves toward.

A substantially rectangular bottom plate 9 is spot-welded at a plurality of locations on the lower surfaces of the flanges 7a and 8a at the lower portion of the side plate.
It is fixed at a. On the left and right sides of the bottom plate 9, upwardly projecting side projections 9 b are integrally provided. In the center of the bottom plate 9, there is a horizontally elongated hole 9c whose left and right edges reach the rising base of the lateral overhang 9b.

[0012] 10 is a reinforcing member mounted apart from the previous <br/> side plate 7 the central portion to the front center of the front side plate 7, a substantially U-shape, both ends thereof to the top plate 6 and the bottom plate 9 It is fixed by spot welding 10a.

The energy absorbing device 4 having the above configuration
When the impact force in the axial direction of the steering shaft is applied to
Before side and the rear side plate 7 and 8 to absorb energy by deformation in the vertical direction. When the front-rear direction of the force perpendicular to the front side plate is applied, primarily side plates 7, 8 are deformed. In this case, since the vertically long holes 7b or 8b are clear in the side plate, the rigidity is adjusted to an appropriate size by this.

[0014] The vertical direction, but for the impact force before backward direction to absorb the energy in the deformation of the side plates 7 and 8, the reinforcing member 10 provided at the center portion of the side plate is further reinforced.

[0015]

According to the embodiments of the present invention, with respect to the energy absorbing device 4, even if the impact force is applied in the forward direction can sufficiently absorb energy. Also act impact force of the front and rear direction, especially but it can sufficiently correspond, are further reinforced by the presence of the reinforcing member 10. FIG. 3 is a performance comparison diagram of the conventional product and the present invention. The conventional product is displaced substantially in proportion to the load, but in the present invention, the energy absorption performance does not drop to the left until the load is approximately 300 kg, and the absorption is sufficient. It can be seen that the performance is maintained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the energy absorbing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a configuration of an upper portion of a steering shaft.

FIG. 3 is a performance comparison diagram between an energy absorption device and a conventional product.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Boss plate 2 Spoke 3 Horn pad 4 Energy absorption device 5 Opening 6 Top plate 6a Bending piece 7, 8 Side plate 7a, 8a Flange 7b, 8b Elongated hole 9 Bottom plate 9a Spot welding 9b Side overhang 9c Hole 10 Reinforcement member

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An energy absorbing device (4) attached to a tip portion of a steering shaft, comprising: a bottom plate (9); And a plurality of longitudinal holes (7
b, 8b) with two rear and front side plates (7, 8)
And a substantially U-shaped reinforcing member (10) fixedly provided across the center of the top plate (6) and the bottom plate (9), and the U-shaped reinforcing member (10) is before hand side plate (7)
An energy absorbing device for a steering wheel, wherein the energy absorbing device is fixed at intervals.