JP2562184Y2 - Shock absorbing steering column - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an impact-absorbing steering column in a steering device of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A steering column in a steering apparatus of an automobile is provided with a shaft having an upper shaft as a safety measure to prevent an occupant from colliding with a steering wheel in a vehicle collision accident, that is, a so-called secondary collision accident. It is well known that a structure that contracts in the direction is employed.

As an energy absorbing structure of a steering column, generally, a steering column is divided into an upper side and a lower side, and they are fitted to each other by applying a predetermined load in the axial direction. The mainstream structure is such that the upper side is disengaged from the clamp which is fixed to the vehicle body, so that the upper side is disengaged from the clamp and moves to the lower side and contracts when a load exceeding a predetermined value is input.

Recently, a lip member made of a metal plate is connected to the upper side of the steering column, and a curling portion and a ripping portion are formed on the lip member so as to be supported by a clamp. An energy absorption method has been proposed in which the curling portion is plastically deformed when a load is input, and the ripping portion is broken so that energy is consumed.

[0005]

Recently, in order to increase the safety of occupants in the event of an automobile collision, the use of an airbag device in the steering column of the steering device tends to be standard. . In an airbag device, an airbag is attached to a steering wheel, and a sensor that detects a collision accident explodes explosives contained in the airbag device and instantaneously inflates the bag by the gas pressure. In order to withstand the reaction force at the time of this operation and the reaction force at the time of an occupant collision, the rigidity of the steering column must be increased.

However, the conventional lip member of the steering column, which absorbs impact energy by curling and ripping, is formed for the purpose of appropriately operating against the load of the occupant, and has a predetermined structure and strength. However, when an airbag device is mounted on the steering column, there is a possibility that normal operation cannot be performed due to insufficient strength.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to improve the rigidity of a tilt steering column using a lip member.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A steering column according to the present invention is a steering column in which an upper tube is axially contractible and fixed to a lower tube via a lip member to a clamp fixed to a vehicle body. Bend the lower end of the stopper bracket to the connected distance bracket and connect it.
The stopper bracket is inclined obliquely upward to provide a hole for loosely fitting the upper tube, and a flange portion is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the hole.

Further, in a steering column for fixing an upper tube to a lower tube via a lip member to a clamp fixed to a vehicle body so as to be axially contractible, a lower end portion of a stopper bracket is bent to a distance bracket connected to the lip member. The stopper bracket is tilted obliquely upward to form a hole into which the upper tube is loosely fitted, and a flange having an arc-shaped cross section is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the hole.

[0010]

[Function] When the load of the occupant is input to the steering column in a secondary collision and the reaction force in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the steering column is applied to the lip member, the lip member is slightly deformed and the upper tube and the lower tube move upward. By doing so, the outer peripheral surface of the upper tube and the flange portion of the stopper bracket come into contact with each other and receive the reaction force, thereby preventing the rotation of the upper tube. Therefore,
Since the lip member does not have excessive input, the energy absorption performance is not impaired.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an upper tube 3 is supported via a lip member 2 on a clamp 1 fixed to a steering member 31 on the vehicle body side. The lower tube 2 is provided at the lower end of the upper tube 3 in the axial direction.
6 are fitted, and a plurality of concave portions 27 for applying a predetermined load to the lower tube 26 are formed in the fitted portion.

The clamp 1 is a member for holding the upper tube 3 in a vertically movable and diametrically slidable manner and fixing the upper tube 3 to the vehicle body. The clamps 1 are elongated holes 24, 24 for fixing to the steering member 31 with bolts. The front surface formed with mounting portions 25, 25 formed at both ends is a U-shaped body. Slots 8, 8 are formed in the side walls 7, 7 in the vertical direction,
Tightening bolts 9 are inserted into the elongated holes 8,8.

As shown in FIG. 3, a detent member 12 is engaged with one end of the tightening bolt 9, and the detent member 12 is engaged with the slot 8. A screw is formed at the other end of the tightening bolt 9, and the nut 1 engaging with the screw is formed.
A lock lever 14 to which 3 is fixed is screwed to the tightening bolt 9. Therefore, when the lock lever 14 is rotated in one direction to press the side walls 6, 6 against the side walls 7, 7 via the tightening bolt 9 and the distance 11, which will be described later, the lip member 2 is tightened and fixed to the clamp 1. When the lip member 2 is rotated in the opposite direction, the lip member 2 is loosened from the clamp 1 and can be freely moved up and down within the range of the clamp 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lip member 2 has a front wall portion 4 which is connected to the upper tube 3 by welding or the like.
And curling portions 5, 5 bent in an arc shape on both left and right sides of the front wall portion 4, and side wall portions 6, 6 extending from the curling portions 5, 5, and the curling portions 5, 5 and the side wall portion Ripping parts 50, 5 consisting of cuts between 6, 6
0 is formed. The front end portions of the side wall portions 6 and 6 are engaged with locking portions 29 and 29 formed by bending the inside of the U-shaped cutout inside the clamp 1.

The side wall portions 6 and 6 are side wall portions 7 and 7 of the clamp 1.
Holes 10 and 1 for inserting the tightening bolts 9 inserted into the elongated holes 8 and 8 formed in the side walls 7 and 7 in the vertical direction.
0 is drilled. Tightening bolt 9 between side wall parts 6 and 6
A distance 11 having a U-shaped cross-section is interposed therebetween and both ends thereof are connected by welding or the like.

Rollers 15, 15 are inserted into the curling portions 5, 5 of the lip member 2, respectively, and a cover 16 for inserting and fixing the rollers 15, 15 covers the upper surface of the lip member 2. The cover 16 is a plate made of resin so that foreign matter does not enter the lip member 2 from above and hinder the operation of the lip member 2, and the front end is fixed to the upper surface of the upper tube 3. Is inserted and fixed below the clamp stopper 28.

A stopper bracket 17 projecting rearward (toward the steering wheel) of the lip member 2 is connected to the distance 11 with a screw 18. As shown in FIG. 5, the stopper bracket 17 is a substantially L-shaped plate member having an oval hole 17a into which the upper tube 3 is loosely fitted, and is disposed obliquely behind the lip member 2. . A flange portion 19 is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the hole 17a toward the front side of the vehicle. 17c is an insertion hole for the screw 18.

The flange portion 19 is provided on the upper tube 3
When the upper tube 3 is tilted at the uppermost position and the lowermost position, the upper tube 3 is in contact with the inner peripheral edge of the hole 17a or is set to have a slight gap. The flange portion 19 prevents the upper tube 3 from rotating toward the vehicle body due to the upper surface of the upper tube 3 where the bending moment is generated, and slides when the upper tube 3 moves toward the vehicle front side. .

The operation of the above embodiment will now be described.
The tilt setting operation is performed by rotating the lock lever 14 to release the pressure contact between the side wall portions 6 and 7 and loosening the lip member 2 from the clamp 1. When the lip member 2 is loosened from the clamp 1, the upper tube 3 and the lower tube 26 center on the lower clamp 30. Slot 8,8
Can be moved up and down within the range of. Therefore, with the steering wheel set at a desired position, the lock lever 14 is operated in the opposite direction to the above operation so that the side walls 6, 7 are pressed against each other. That is, when the tightening bolt 9 is located at the upper end of the elongated hole 8, it is the uppermost limit of tilt, and when it is located at the lower end of the elongated hole 8, it is the minimum.

Therefore, for example, when a reaction force in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the steering column is applied to the lip member 2 when the airbag device is activated and the airbag is inflated, the lip member 2 is slightly deformed and the upper tube 3 is connected to the lip member 2. When the lower tube 26 moves upward, the outer peripheral surface of the upper tube 3 and the contact portion 20 of the stopper bracket 17 come into contact with each other, receive the reaction force, and prevent the rotation of the upper tube 3. Therefore, there is no excessive input to the lip member 2, so that the energy absorption performance is not impaired.

In this state, when a load is input due to a secondary collision of the occupant, the contact portion 20 of the stopper bracket 17 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper tube 3 as shown in FIG. Block the rotation of 3,
The upper tube 3 consumes energy due to the curling of the curling portions 5 and 5 of the lip member 2 and the ripping of the ripping portions 50 and 50, while consuming energy.
6, the upper tube 3 slides on the flange 19 of the stopper bracket 17. Then, the clamp 1 and the stopper bracket 17
Remains fixed to the vehicle body.

Also, even if both stick at the contact point between the flange portion 19 and the upper tube 3, the stopper bracket 17 is bent at the bent portion 17b as shown by the phantom line in FIG.
To the clamp 1 side and deformed to allow the upper bracket 3 to move. Although the flange portion 19 is good for maintaining the strength of the stopper bracket 17, a synthetic resin having an arc surface may be fitted to the end face of the contact portion 20 instead of the flange portion 19. Further, the stopper bracket 17 may be formed integrally with the distance 11.

[0023]

According to the invention described above, when the load of the occupant is input to the steering column in a secondary collision and the reaction force in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the steering column is applied to the lip member, the lip member slightly When the upper tube and the lower tube move upward due to the deformation, the outer peripheral surface of the upper tube and the contact portion of the stopper bracket come into contact with each other, receive the reaction force, and prevent the rotation of the upper tube. Therefore, there is no excessive input to the lip member, so that the energy absorption performance is not impaired, and the desired energy absorption effect can be sufficiently achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lip member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stopper bracket.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Clamp 2 ... Lip member 3 ... Upper tube 17 ... Stopper bracket 17a ... Hole 17b ... Bending part 18 ... Screw 19 ... Flange part 26 ... Lower tube

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A steering column for supporting and fixing an upper tube to a lower tube via a lip member to a clamp fixed to a vehicle body so as to be axially contractible.
A shock absorbing steering system comprising a distance bracket connected to the lip member, a lower end of a stopper bracket being bent and connected to the distance bracket, and the stopper bracket being inclined obliquely upward to provide a hole for loosely fitting an upper tube. column. 2. A steering column for fixing an upper tube to a lower tube via a lip member to a clamp fixed to a vehicle body so as to be axially contractible.
The lower end of the stopper bracket is connected to the distance bracket connected to the lip member by bending the lower end thereof, and the stopper bracket is inclined obliquely upward to provide a hole for loosely fitting the upper tube. An impact-absorbing steering column characterized by forming a flange portion.