JP3285276B2 - Vehicle steering support beam - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering support beam for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In vehicles, a steering support beam is provided between left and right front pillars, and a steering column for rotatably holding a steering shaft is mounted and supported on the steering support beam. Many, for example, as shown in FIG.
The steering support beam a is generally constituted by a steering column support portion b having one side portion formed of a sheet metal into a closed cross-sectional structure, and a pipe portion c extending from the center portion to the other side portion (actually open flat). No. 4-114869). This steering support beam, in addition to the function of mounting and supporting the steering device as described above,
It is also responsible for mounting various parts around the instrument panel.

[0003]

Since the steering support beam is a component for directly connecting the left and right front pillars, it can be effectively used as one of the shock energy absorbing structures at the time of a side collision. That is, at the time of a side collision, it is effective to transmit the collision energy assigned to one of the front pillars to the other front pillar as the axial force of the steering support beam, thereby effectively dispersing and absorbing the collision energy.

[0004] However, the steering beam is a component that also supports mounting of various components around the instrument panel in addition to supporting the steering system as described above, and includes a steering device, various instruments, audio, a radio, an air conditioner, and the like. It is difficult to connect the left and right front pillars linearly because they must pass between the overcrowded zones inside the instrument panel in which the heater module or airbag system is installed. As shown in FIG. 4, a certain amount of bending occurs in the middle of the pipe portion c of the steering support beam a, that is, near the boundary between the central portion passing through the center console portion and the side portion passing through the rear portion of the glove box on the passenger seat side. In many cases, the part d must be formed.

As described above, the bent portion d is formed in the middle of the pipe portion c.
Is formed in the conventional steering support beam a,
The problem is that bending deformation of the pipe portion c is likely to occur at the bent portion d at the time of a side collision of the vehicle, making it difficult to receive the collision energy as the axial force of the steering support beam a, and it is difficult to effectively absorb the collision energy. have.

[0006] Such a problem can be solved by forming the steering support beam into a straight structure.
It is very difficult to lay out many parts that can be accommodated in the limited space of the instrument panel,
The problem arises.

An object of the present invention is to address the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[0008]

According to the present invention, as described above, one side portion is a steering column mounting support portion, and a pipe portion made of a pipe material extends from the center portion to the other side portion. In the steering support beam of the vehicle fixed to the left and right front pillars, the pipe section is divided into a central pipe section made of straight pipe material and a side pipe section made of straight pipe material, and a straight square pipe material Or, the ends of the central pipe and the ends of the side pipes are offset from each other on the left and right sides or the left and right sides of the connecting member made of a straight pipe material having two hollow portions. The pipe members are fixed by butt welding and integrally connected.

[0009]

By adopting the above configuration, the pipe portion can be offset in the middle without bending, and the steering support beam can pass through the various parts inside the instrument panel so that the steering support beam can pass therethrough. Despite the pipe part being offset halfway, the steering support beam can receive the collision load input to one of the front pillars with the same axial force as the straight pipe, improving the collision energy absorption effect Can be measured.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a front view of a state in which a steering support beam 1 is assembled to a vehicle body, as viewed from the vehicle interior side, and FIG. 1B is a steering support beam. FIG. 1C is a plan view, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

The steering support beam 1 is a steering column support 2 having a box-shaped cross section made of sheet metal on one side (left side for a left-hand drive vehicle, right side for a right-hand drive vehicle). From the central portion to the other side portion, the pipe portion 3 is made of a pipe material. The pipe portion 3 is separated in the middle, and one end is fitted to the end of the steering column support portion 2 on the vehicle body center side. Central pipe section 31 consisting of a straight pipe fixed and attached
And a bracket 3 for attachment to the front pillar at the side end
It is divided into a side pipe portion 32 made of a straight pipe to which 2a is fixed, and a connecting member 33 connecting the ends of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 on the butt side.

The connecting member 33 is formed of a straight rectangular pipe member having a square cross section. The connecting member 3 has an axis thereof offset from the axis of the central pipe 31 and the axis of the side pipe 32. That is, the connecting member 3 is interposed between the end portions on the butt side of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 so as to face the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The end portions of the pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 are fixed to each other by butt welding to form the pipe portion 3 which is integrally connected. The pipe portion 3 thus configured has a side pipe 32 made of a straight pipe at the tip of a central pipe portion 31 extending straight from the vehicle body center end of the steering column support portion 2, the axis of which is the central pipe. Part 3
The central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portions 32 are straight and have bent portions as in the conventional art, with the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 both being straight and offset by a predetermined amount in front of the vehicle body in parallel with the extension of the first axis. Instead, the conventional bending is absorbed by the connecting member 33.

The thickness of the square pipe constituting the connecting member 33 is made larger than the thickness of the central pipe part 31 and the side pipe part 32, and the axial force of one pipe part is straightened as the axial force of the other pipe part. Tuning is performed to have a strength equivalent to the axial force of each pipe portion so that transmission can be performed.

In the steering support beam 1 configured as described above, the side end 2a of the steering column support 2 is fixed to one front pillar, and the side pipe 3
By fixing the mounting bracket 32a fixedly attached to the side end of the second front pillar to the other front pillar, the mounting bracket 32a can pass through the congested zone of the same part as the conventional steering support beam having a curved portion, and can be moved between the left and right front pillars. The steering column is mounted on a bracket 2b fixed to the steering column support portion 2 in the same manner as before, and a lower edge portion of an instrument panel on which various instruments are mounted, and other parts. Are attached to the steering support beam 1 as appropriate.

In the above description, the position where the steering support beam is mounted on the vehicle body is near the upper door hinge mounting portion of the front pillar. When a collision occurs, a collision load is input from the door hinge to the front pillar, so that the steering support beam plays an important function in absorbing the collision energy.

That is, when a collision load is input from one of the front pillars, the load is received as the axial force of the steering support beam, so that the one front pillar accurately absorbs the collision energy.
The collision energy is dispersed and absorbed by the other front pillar, and more effective absorption of the collision energy is performed.

Therefore, instead of the conventional pipe portion having a bent portion in the middle, the center pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 each formed of a straight pipe are connected by a connecting member 33 formed of a square pipe material as described above. In the steering support beam 1 in which the pipe portions 3 are connected to each other, even if the center pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portions 32 are offset in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the pipe portions 3 have an axial force equivalent to that of a straight pipe. The collision load input to one of the front pillars can be accurately received, and effective collision energy can be absorbed.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a connecting member 33 made of a straight rectangular pipe member is connected to an axis thereof by an offset between a central pipe portion 31 and a side pipe portion 32. In the direction perpendicular to the direction, that is, in the up-down direction, between the ends of the butt side of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32, and each butt side of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 Are fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the connecting member 33 by butt welding, and ribs 34 and 35 are fixed to the outer peripheral surfaces of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 near the respective butt side ends. 1 is that the end surfaces of the ribs 34 and 35 are butt-welded to the left and right side surfaces of the connecting member 33, respectively, and the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32, which are mutually offset in the front-rear direction, are integrally connected. Only differs from the embodiment, other configurations are the same as in Example 1, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 in FIG. 2 represent the same parts in FIG.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the ribs 34,
By adding 35, the connection of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 to the connecting member 33 becomes stronger, and the front and rear offsets of the axial force action points of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 are reduced. The ribs 34 and 35 prevent the crushing deformation of the connecting member 33 based on the above, and have the same operation and effect as the embodiment of FIG. 1 at the time of side collision.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as the connecting member 33, a straight pipe material in which two hollow portions having a substantially semicircular cross section are arranged in front and rear is used. The connecting member 33 has its axis aligned with the central pipe portion 3.
1, interposed between the ends of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 on the butt side so as to be parallel to each axis of the side pipe portion 32, and each of the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 The ends are butt-welded to both end faces of the connecting member 33 so that the hollow portion of the central pipe and the hollow portion of the side pipe communicate with the rear hollow portion 33a and the front hollow portion of the connecting member 33, respectively. 1 and 2 except that the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32 are integrally connected by a connecting member 33. 3 are the same as those of the first and second embodiments. In FIG. 3, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. In addition, the two hollow portions 33a, 3
The cross-sectional shape of 3b is not limited to the illustrated semicircular shape, but may be any cross-sectional shape ranging from a nearly crescent shape to a nearly circular shape according to the offset amount between the central pipe portion 31 and the side pipe portion 32. it can.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the operation and effect of the steering support beam 1 at the time of a side collision of the vehicle are the same as those of the embodiment of FIGS.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is different from the embodiment shown in FIG.
By adding the ribs 34 and 35 shown in the embodiment, the connection between the central pipe portion 31, the side pipe portion 32 and the connecting member 33 may be further strengthened.

In each of the above embodiments, the central pipe portion 31
And the axis of the side pipe portion 32 are offset in the vehicle front-rear direction. However, the present invention provides a case in which the two axes are offset in the vertical direction, and an offset in the front-rear direction and an offset in the vertical direction. It is also applicable if you do.

[0025]

As described above, according to the conventional steering support beam, a bent portion must be formed in the middle of the pipe portion in order to pass the congested zones of various parts inside the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction. On the other hand, in the present invention, the pipe portion of the steering support beam is divided into a central pipe portion and a side pipe portion, each of which is a straight pipe, and the axes of the central pipe portion and the side pipe portions are offset. In the state, the steering support beam with no bend is constructed by butt-fixing and connecting integrally to the left and right side surfaces or the left and right side surfaces of the connecting member made of a straight pipe material to form a steering support beam without bending. Collision load of the steering support beam can be received as an axial force equivalent to that of a straight pipe. Ri unit in which it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in the impact energy absorbing effect relative to the steering support beam with.

In the steering support beam of the present invention, both the central pipe and the side pipes are straight pipes, and the entire pipe section has the same axial force performance as a straight pipe. Compared with the conventional pipe section, the center pipe section and the side pipe section can be made thinner, and the weight and cost can be reduced, and the performance can be easily predicted and the accuracy can be improved. Therefore, it can bring a great effect in practice.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front view of a steering support beam mounted state as viewed from the rear side, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the steering support beam shown in FIG. (C) is a sectional view taken along line CC of (B).

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a plan view of a steering support beam, and (B) is (A).
FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a plan view of a steering support beam, and (B) is (A).
FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional steering support beam.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering support beam 2 Steering column support part 3 Pipe part 31 Central pipe part 32 Side pipe part 33 Connecting member 34 Rib 35 Rib

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-15174 (JP, A) JP-A-6-107105 (JP, A) JP-A 4-83879 (JP, U) JP-A 4-83879 114869 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 25/08 B62D 1/16

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A steering column supporting portion for mounting and supporting a steering column on one side, and a pipe portion made of a pipe material from a central portion to the other side portion. In the steering support beam to be fixed, the pipe portion is divided into a central pipe portion made of a straight pipe material, a side pipe portion made of a straight pipe material, and a connecting member made of a straight square pipe material having a square cross section. The central pipe portion and the side pipe portion are configured and fixed by butt-fixing the end portion of the central pipe portion and the end portion of the side pipe portion to one side surface of the connecting member and the other side surface opposed thereto. A steering support for a vehicle having a structure in which the axes are offset and integrally connected via a connecting member. beam. 2. A steering column support portion for mounting and supporting a steering column on one side, and a pipe portion made of a pipe material from a central portion to the other side portion. In the steering support beam to be fixed, the pipe portion is a straight pipe having a shape in which a central pipe portion made of a straight pipe material, a side pipe portion made of a straight pipe material, and two hollow portions are formed in parallel. A connecting member made of a pipe material, each end of the central pipe portion and the side pipe portion, the hollow portion of the central pipe portion communicates with one hollow portion of the connecting member, and the hollow portion of the side pipe portion The central pipe portion and the side pipe portion are fixed by butt-fixing to the left and right end surfaces of the connecting member so that the portion communicates with the other hollow portion of the connecting member. A steering support beam for a vehicle, wherein the steering support beam is integrally connected via a connecting member in a state where the axes are offset. 3. The steering support beam for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein ribs are respectively protruded from outer peripheral surfaces near respective ends of the central pipe portion and the side pipe portions, and the end surfaces of the ribs are connected. A steering support beam for a vehicle, which is abutted and fixed to a member.