JP4257905B2 - Steering operation device for automobile - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering operation device in an automobile in which a protruding portion of a steering column to a passenger compartment is moved forward when the automobile collides.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some steering operation devices for automobiles are configured as follows.

  That is, the steering operation device is supported by the vehicle body and protrudes rearward and upward from the front side of the passenger compartment, the steering shaft supported by the steering column, and the end of the protruding portion of the steering shaft. A steering wheel attached to the steering shaft, the front lower end portion of the steering shaft and the steering wheel are coupled to each other, and the vehicle can be steered by the steering operation of the steering wheel.

  On the other hand, when the automobile collides, the protrusions of the steering shaft and the steering column are automatically moved forward with respect to the vehicle body. The impact force at the time of a secondary collision with the handle on the protruding portion side is alleviated.

  Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a steering operation device in an automobile includes a column cover that is externally fitted to a protruding portion of a steering column, is supported by the steering column, and accommodates a meter therein. is there. In general, an automobile is provided with an instrument panel that covers the front side of the passenger compartment, and a part of the instrument panel is disposed in front of the column cover.

JP 2003-146223 A

  By the way, as described above, in the event of a car collision, the protrusions of the steering shaft and the steering column are automatically moved forward with respect to the vehicle body. In this case, however, they are supported by the steering column as described above. The column cover also moves forward together with the protrusion of the steering column.

  Here, as described above, a part of the instrument panel is disposed in front of the column cover. Therefore, as the column cover moves forward, the column cover hits a part of the instrument panel. You may touch. In this case, the forward movement of the column cover is inhibited by the instrument panel, and accordingly, the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column supporting the column cover is inhibited. At the time of the collision, there is a possibility that the relaxation of the impact force at the time of the secondary collision described above is hindered.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above situation, and an object of the present invention is a column cover supported by a protruding portion of a steering column to a passenger compartment, and disposed in front of the column cover. When the instrument panel is provided, it is more reliable that the protruding portion of the steering column tries to move forward in the event of a car collision, without being disturbed by the contact of the column cover with the instrument panel. Therefore, when the driver has a secondary collision on the protruding portion side of the steering column, the impact force to be applied to the driver is effectively reduced.

The invention of claim 1 includes a steering column 5 supported by the vehicle body 1 and projecting rearward and upward from the front side of the vehicle compartment 2, a meter 16 fixedly supported by the steering column 5, and the steering column. the projecting portion 5 is fitted to and supported by the steering column 5 and column cover 13 for housing the meter 16 therein, a portion 21 is provided so as to cover the front side of the vehicle compartment 2 is the column cover 13 An instrument panel 22 arranged in front of the vehicle, and at the time of a collision of the vehicle, the steering operation device in the vehicle in which the protruding portion of the steering column 5 can be moved forward with respect to the vehicle body 1,
The meter 16 and the column cover 13 move forward together with the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column 5 , and the meter 16 presses the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 via the column cover 13 and the column cover 13. In this case, a part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is deformed by the pressing force.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect of the invention, a part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is bent and deformed by the pressing force.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first or second aspect of the invention, the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is separated from the other part 23 of the instrument panel 22, and On the other hand, the part 21 is attached.

  In addition to the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the invention of claim 4 is a deformation promoting portion 28 that promotes the deformation when a part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is deformed by the pressing force. , 30 and 36 are formed in the part 21.

The invention of claim 5, in addition to any one of the invention of the claims 1 4, in front of the meter 16 at the rear of a portion 21 of the upper Symbol instrument panel 22, to protrude toward the front rib 32 is formed.

  In this section, the reference numerals appended to the above terms are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the contents of the “Examples” section described later.

  The effects of the present invention are as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering column supported by the vehicle body and projecting rearward and upward from the front side of the passenger compartment, a meter fixedly supported by the steering column, and a protrusion of the steering column. a column cover that houses the fitting has been the meter therein supported by the steering column, and instrument panel portion thereof provided so as to cover the front side of the vehicle compartment is disposed in front of the column cover In a steering operation device in an automobile that enables the protrusion of the steering column to move forward with respect to the vehicle body when the automobile collides,
When the meter and the column cover move forward together with the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column and the meter presses the column cover and a part of the instrument panel through the column cover, A part of the instrument panel is deformed.

Therefore, when a collision of the vehicle, the protruding portion of the steering column is moved forward relative to the vehicle body, to which with supported by the steering column the said meter and the column cover also move forward to the column cover is the instrument If it is in contact with a part of the panel, this part is deformed by the pressing force from the column cover and the pressing force from the meter through the column cover . That is, the protruding portion of the steering column moves forward without being obstructed by a part of the instrument panel.

  Therefore, when the automobile collides, the protrusion of the steering column moves forward as described above, so that when the driver has a secondary collision on the protrusion of the steering column, the impact that is about to be given to the driver. Power is effectively mitigated.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a part of the instrument panel is bent and deformed by the pressing force.

  Here, the bent surface of a part of the instrument panel that is deformed by the pressing force has a higher flatness than the fractured portion when the instrument panel is fractured. For this reason, stress concentration is prevented from occurring in a pressing portion such as a column cover that presses against a part of the instrument panel, and thus the column cover or meter is unnecessarily damaged due to such stress concentration. This is prevented.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, a part of the instrument panel is separated from the other part of the instrument panel, and the part is attached to the other part.

  For this reason, a part of the instrument panel is made thinner overall than the other part of the instrument panel, or a material that is more easily bent and deformed without being affected by the material of the other part, for example, In addition, the degree of freedom of design is improved in order to ensure the partial deformation, such as selection of a rubber material, a urethane material, or a resin material containing them.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when a part of the instrument panel is deformed by the pressing force, a deformation promoting portion for promoting the deformation is formed in the part.

  For this reason, when a part of the instrument panel is given a pressing force from the column cover at the time of a car collision, the part of the instrument panel is more easily deformed by the deformation promoting portion.

  Therefore, when the automobile collides, it is more reliably achieved that the protruding portion of the steering column moves forward without being obstructed by a part of the instrument panel. When the driver has a secondary collision on the part side, the impact force to be given to the driver is more effectively mitigated.

The invention of claim 5, the front of the meter at the rear of a portion of the upper Symbol instrument panel, is formed with ribs projecting toward the front.

  For this reason, when the meter moves forward along with the forward movement of the steering column at the time of a car collision, the rib partially presses a part of the instrument panel via the column cover, and stress is applied to this part. Cause concentration.

  Therefore, a part of the instrument panel is more easily and quickly started to bend and deform from the part, and this deformation is more easily and quickly spread to the instrument panel. The steering column protruding portion is more reliably achieved without being obstructed by a part of the instrument panel, so that the driver can move to the steering column protruding portion side. The impact force to be applied to the driver in the case of a secondary collision is further effectively mitigated.

  The present invention relates to a steering operation device in an automobile, and a collision of an automobile when a column cover supported by a protruding portion of a steering column to a passenger compartment and an instrument panel arranged in front of the column cover are provided. At this time, it is ensured that the protrusion of the steering column is not obstructed by the contact of the column cover with the instrument panel. The best mode for carrying out the present invention is as follows in order to realize the purpose of effectively mitigating the impact force to be applied to the driver at the time of collision. .

That is, a steering operation device in an automobile includes a steering column that is supported by a vehicle body and protrudes rearward and upward from the front side of a passenger compartment, supports a steering shaft, a meter fixedly supported by the steering column, and the steering a column cover that houses the meter therein supported by the steering column, is a portion provided so as to cover the front side of the vehicle compartment is disposed in front of the column cover is fitted on the protruding portion of the column An instrument panel is provided, and the protruding portion of the steering column is movable forward with respect to the vehicle body in the event of a car collision.

When the meter and the column cover move forward together with the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column and the meter presses the column cover and a part of the instrument panel through the column cover, A part of the instrument panel is supposed to be deformed.

  In order to describe the present invention in more detail, Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1-3.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle body, and an arrow Fr indicates the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  The interior of the vehicle body 1 is a casing 2, and a steering operation device 3 is provided at the front of the casing 2. The steering operation device 3 includes a circular pipe-shaped steering column 5 that is supported by a bracket that is a component 4 of the vehicle body 1 in front of the vehicle compartment 2 and protrudes rearward and upward, and an axial center of the steering column 5 6, a steering shaft 7 that is fitted in the steering column 5 and is supported on the steering column 5 so as to be rotatable around the axis 6, and a handle attached to the rear upper end of the steering shaft 7. 8, a front lower end portion of the steering shaft 7 and a steering wheel (not shown) are interlocked with each other, and the vehicle can be steered by a steering operation on the handle 8.

  The steering operation device 3 is externally fitted to the protruding portion (rear upper end portion) of the steering column 5 and is fixed to the steering column 5 by a fastener (not shown) and supported by the steering column 5. A box-shaped resin column cover 13 is provided.

  The column cover 13 constitutes a lower portion of the column cover 13 and constitutes a column cover body 14 supported by the fasteners on the protruding portion of the steering column 5 and an upper portion of the steering column 5 to constitute the column cover. And an upper cover 15 integrally projecting upward from the main body 14. A meter 16 such as a speedometer is accommodated in the upper cover 15, and the meter 16 is fixed to and supported by the steering column 5 by a fastener 17. The display surface 18 of the meter 16 passes through an opening 19 formed in the rear surface of the steering column 5 and is visible to the driver from the rear.

  A resin instrument panel 22 is provided so as to cover a portion of the vehicle body 1 on the front side of the vehicle compartment 2 and a portion 21 of which is disposed in front of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13.

  The part 21 of the instrument panel 22 and the other part 23 other than the part 21 are separated from each other, and the other part 23 is fixed to the part of the vehicle body 1 with a fastener or the like. The other portion 23 is formed with a notch-shaped opening 24 at a portion facing the portion 21 in the front-rear direction, and the portion 21 can be attached and detached only to the other portion 23 so as to open and close the opening 24 from the rear. Is attached. More specifically, the outer edge of the portion 21 is joined to the rear surface of the edge of the opening 24 and is detachably attached by a fixing tool 25 such as a clip.

  When the automobile collides with any object located in front of it while the automobile is moving forward, the steering column 5, the projections of the steering shaft 7, and the handle 8 automatically move forward relative to the vehicle body 1. Due to this forward movement, the impact force when the driver has a secondary collision with each of the protrusions and the handle 8 during the collision of the automobile is alleviated.

  Here, as described above, in the case where the protruding portion of the steering column 5 is moved forward, the “front” refers to the front in the horizontal direction, the front in the axial direction of the steering column 5 (front and lower), and the distance between them. In front and lower. Further, the mechanism that allows the protrusion of the steering column 5 to move forward may be a mechanical mechanism that uses the impact force of a car collision, and an actuator that operates according to a detection signal from a sensor at the time of a collision. In addition, at the time of a collision, the projecting portion of the steering column 5 is moved forward by an impact force when the driver has a secondary collision with the projecting portion side of the steering column 5. It may be what you did.

  When the automobile collides, the column cover 13 moves forward A together with the forward movement of the protrusion of the steering column 5, and the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13 presses the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. The portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is bent and deformed by the pressing force (the chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2).

  Further, when the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is deformed so as to be bent by the pressing force, a deformation promoting portion 28 that promotes the deformation is formed in the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. A plurality of (a pair of left and right) deformation promoting portions 28 are formed on the front surface (back surface as viewed from the passenger compartment 2) of the portion 21 and have a V-shaped groove shape with an angle θ of 90 °. Each of the deformation promoting portions 28 extends in the vertical direction and is formed over substantially the entire vertical width of the portion 21, and is based on the central portion 29 of the column cover 13 in the width direction of the vehicle body 1. Are arranged in a left-right distribution manner, and more specifically, are arranged at substantially symmetrical positions with respect to the central portion 29 as a reference. The central portion 29 is located in the width direction of the vehicle body 1 at substantially the same location as the axis 6 of the steering column 5.

  As shown by a three-dot chain line in FIG. 3, another deformation promoting portion 30 is formed on the front surface of a part 21 of the instrument panel 22 so as to straddle the middle portions in the longitudinal direction of the respective deformation promoting portions 28. Also good.

  The front surface of the resin housing 31 constituting the outer shell of the meter 16 (the rear surface when viewed from the vehicle compartment 2) extends substantially flat in the width direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle body 1. Each corner 31a in the direction is arranged at substantially the same position as each deformation promoting portion 28 in the width direction, that is, each corner 31a is arranged substantially rearward of each deformation promoting portion 28.

  A rib 32 is formed on the front surface of the housing 31 so as to project integrally toward the front. The rib 32 extends in the vertical direction, and a protruding end edge thereof is positioned in the vicinity of the rear of the front inner surface of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13. The rib 32 is disposed behind the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 and is disposed at substantially the same position as the central portion 29 of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13 in the width direction of the vehicle body 1. Yes. Further, in the width direction of the vehicle body 1, the deformation promoting portions 28 and the ribs 32 are disposed so as to be separated from each other, and the ribs 32 are disposed in the center between the left and right deformation promoting portions 28 and 28.

  As shown by a three-dot chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2, another rib 33 protruding integrally forward may be formed on the front surface of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13. The ribs 33 extend in the vertical direction, and the ribs 33 are arranged behind the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22, and the central portion 29 of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13 in the width direction of the vehicle body 1. It is almost the same place.

  In particular, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, another rib 34 protrudes integrally from the lower part of the front surface of the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 toward the front. In the width direction of the vehicle body 1, the rib 34 is disposed away from each of the deformation promoting portions 28, and the rib 34 is disposed at a central portion between the left and right deformation promoting portions 28, 28. The ribs 34 are disposed at substantially the same location as the central portion 29 of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13.

  Further, the front edge portion of the upper cover 15 which is a part 13a of the column cover 13 is a protruding piece protruding upward, and the lower edge part which is further a part of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 The front end edge of the rib 34 is disposed with a slight gap in the vicinity of the rear of the portion 13a of the column cover 13, respectively. It should be noted that at least one of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 and the rib 34 may be disposed in the vicinity of the rear of the part 13a of the column cover 13, and the gaps are eliminated and the parts are pressed against each other. You may let them.

  According to the above configuration, when the column cover 13 moves forward together with the forward movement of the projecting portion of the steering column 5 and the column cover 13 presses the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22, A part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is deformed.

  Therefore, when the automobile collides, the protruding portion of the steering column 5 moves forward with respect to the vehicle body 1, and accordingly, the column cover 13 supported by the steering column 5 also moves forward A and the instrument panel. If the portion 21 is in contact with the portion 21, the portion 21 is deformed by the pressing force from the column cover 13. That is, the protruding portion of the steering column 5 moves forward without being obstructed by the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22.

  Therefore, when the vehicle collides, the protrusion of the steering column 5 moves forward as described above, so that when the driver has a secondary collision with the protrusion of the steering column 5, the driver is given to the driver. The impact force is effectively mitigated.

  As described above, at least a part of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is bent and deformed by the pressing force.

  Here, the bent surface of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 that is deformed by the pressing force has a higher flatness than the fractured portion when the instrument panel 22 is fractured. For this reason, stress concentration is prevented from occurring in the pressing portion such as the column cover 13 that presses against the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22, so that the column cover 13, the meter 16, etc. It is prevented from being damaged unnecessarily.

  Further, as described above, the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is separated from the other portion 23 of the instrument panel 22, and the portion 21 is attached to the other portion 23.

  For this reason, the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is made thinner overall than the other part 23 of the instrument panel 22 or is more flexibly deformed without being affected by the material of the other part 23. In order to ensure the deformation of the portion 21 such as easy selection of materials such as rubber material, urethane material or resin material containing them, the degree of freedom of design is improved.

  Further, as described above, the other part 23 of the instrument panel 22 is fixed to and supported by the vehicle body 1, and the part 21 is attached only to the other part 23.

  For this reason, when a part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is given a pressing force from the column cover 13 during a car collision, the pressing force is directly supported by the vehicle body 1 via the part 21. This is prevented and the deformation of the part 21 is more reliably achieved. Therefore, the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column 5 is more reliably achieved, and the impact force at the time of the secondary collision is more reliably mitigated.

  As described above, the opening 24 is formed in the other portion 23 of the instrument panel 22, and the portion 21 is detachably attached to the other portion 23 so as to open and close the opening 24.

  For this reason, if the part 21 is removed from the other part 23, the opening 24 is opened, so that the opening 24 can be used as a wiring harness wiring work space in the internal space of the instrument panel 22.

  Further, as described above, when the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is deformed by the pressing force, the deformation promoting portions 28, 30, 36 that promote the deformation are formed in the portion 21.

  For this reason, when a portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is given a pressing force from the column cover 13 during a car collision, the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is more easily moved by the deformation promoting portion 28. Can be transformed into

  Therefore, when the automobile collides, the protrusion of the steering column 5 attempting to move forward is more reliably achieved without being obstructed by the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. When the driver makes a secondary collision on the protruding portion side of the column 5, the impact force to be applied to the driver is more effectively mitigated.

  Moreover, the said deformation | transformation promotion part 28 is formed in the front surface of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22, For this reason, the said deformation | transformation promotion part 28 is prevented from being seen from the compartment 2 side. Therefore, as described above, even when the deformation promoting portion 28 is provided so as to reduce the impact force of the secondary collision, the appearance of the passenger compartment 2 is kept good.

  Further, as described above, the respective corners 31a in the width direction of the vehicle body 1 on the front surface of the meter 16 are arranged at substantially the same positions as the respective deformation promoting portions 28 in the width direction.

  For this reason, when the meter 16 moves forward together with the protruding portion of the steering column 5 at the time of the collision of the automobile, the vicinity of the deformation promoting portion 28 is more surely provided from the corner portions 31a and 31a of the meter 16. By applying a pressing force, the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is more easily and easily deformed. Therefore, as described above, the impact force to be applied to the driver is further effectively mitigated.

  Further, as described above, the meter 16 is fixed to the steering column 5, and the rib 32 protruding forward is formed on the front surface of the meter 16 behind the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. .

  Therefore, when the meter 16 moves forward A with the forward movement of the steering column 5 during a car collision, the rib 32 partially presses the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 through the column cover 13. Thus, stress concentration occurs in this portion.

  Therefore, the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 is easily and quickly started to bend and deform from the portion, and this deformation is more easily and quickly spread over the entire portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. Therefore, in the event of a car collision, the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column 5 is more reliably achieved without being obstructed by the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. When the driver makes a secondary collision on the protruding portion side of the steering column 5, the impact force to be applied to the driver is further effectively mitigated.

  Further, the rib 32 is formed on the front surface of the meter 16, and thus the rib 32 is prevented from being seen from the passenger compartment 2 side. Therefore, as described above, even when the rib 32 is provided to reduce the impact force of the secondary collision, the appearance of the passenger compartment 2 is kept good.

  Further, as described above, the rib 33 protruding forward is formed on the front surface of the column cover 13 behind the part 21 of the instrument panel 22.

  For this reason, when the column cover 13 moves forward A as the steering column 5 moves forward in the event of a car collision, the rib 33 partially presses the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 to this portion. Causes stress concentration. Therefore, the same effect as the effect by the rib 32 occurs.

  Further, as described above, the ribs 34 project from the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 at a position away from the deformation promoting portions 28 in the width direction of the vehicle body 1.

  For this reason, since the rib 34 reinforces the portion 21 except for the vicinity of the deformation promoting portion 28, the rigidity of the portion 21 due to the formation of each deformation promoting portion 28 in the portion 21 is excessive. Prevent decline. Therefore, for example, even when an occupant puts a hand on the portion 21 to apply an external force during normal driving of the automobile, the rib 34 prevents the portion 21 from being excessively bent.

  Further, as described above, at least one of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 and the rib 34 projecting forward from the part 21 is located near the rear of the part 13a of the column cover 13. It is arranged.

  Here, during normal driving of the automobile, when an occupant puts a hand on the part 21 from the passenger compartment 2 side and applies an external force toward the front, the part 21 is directed forward due to the presence of the deformation promoting portion 28 in particular. Try to flex. However, according to the above configuration, immediately after the start of the bending of the portion 21, the portion 21 abuts against the portion 13 a of the column cover 13 directly or indirectly through the rib 34. For this reason, it is prevented that the part 21 of the said instrument panel 22 bends excessively, and predetermined rigidity is ensured in this instrument panel 22. FIG.

  Therefore, as described above, even when a passenger occupies the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 to prevent the part 21 from being excessively bent and to secure a predetermined rigidity, At the time of a collision, the part 21 together with the steering column 5 smoothly moves forward A, and the impact force that is to be applied to the driver is effectively reduced.

  Further, the inside of the instrument panel 22 can be easily seen from the vehicle compartment 2 side through the gap between the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13 and the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22. Is prevented by a portion 13a. Therefore, according to this rib 34, the appearance of the passenger compartment 2 is improved.

  Although the above is an example in the drawing, the meter 16 may be fixed to the column cover 13 or may be fixed across the column cover 13 and the steering column 5. In addition, the deformation of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 is a concept including not only bending but also part or all of the breakage or a combination of these. The deformation promoting portions 28 and 30 may be U-shaped grooves or thin portions. The deformation promoting portions 28 and 30 and the ribs 32 and 33 may be singular or plural.

  Further, at least one of the deformation promoting portions 28 and 30 and the ribs 32 and 33 may be opposed to each other in the front-rear direction. If it does in this way, the said deformation | transformation promotion parts 28 and 30 will be pressed more directly by the said ribs 32 and 33, and the deformation | transformation of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22 will be quicker and reliable. To be made.

  4 and 5 below show Examples 2 and 3. FIG. Each of these embodiments is common in many respects to the configuration and operational effects of the first embodiment. Therefore, regarding these common items, common reference numerals are attached to the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted, and different points are mainly described. In addition, the configurations of the respective portions in the respective embodiments may be variously combined in light of the object and the effect of the present invention.

  In order to describe the present invention in more detail, Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 4, a protrusion 35 is formed on the front surface of the upper cover 15 of the column cover 13 so that a part thereof protrudes forward. The projecting portion 35 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear of the part 21 of the instrument panel 22. Specifically, the front surface of the upper cover 15 has a triangular top shape in plan view, and the top portion is The protruding portion 35 is used.

  For this reason, when the column cover 13 moves forward A as the steering column 5 moves forward at the time of the collision of the automobile, the protruding portion 35 partially presses the portion 21 of the instrument panel 22 and this portion. Cause stress concentration. Therefore, the same effect as that of the ribs 32 and 33 is produced.

  In order to describe the present invention in more detail, Example 3 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 5, another deformation promoting portion 36 is formed on a part 21 of the instrument panel 22. The deformation promoting portion 36 has an arc shape, and a plurality (two) of deformation promoting portions 36 having different diameters are provided substantially on one center.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 1 is a partial side sectional view of an automobile showing Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating Example 3 and corresponding to a part of FIG. 3.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car body 2 Car compartment 3 Steering operation apparatus 5 Steering column 6 Axis 7 Steering shaft 8 Steering wheel 13 Column cover 13a Part 14 Column cover main body 15 Upper cover 16 Meter 21 Part 22 Instrument panel 23 Other part 24 Opening 25 Fixing tool 28 Deformation promotion part 29 Central part 30 Deformation promotion part 31 Housing 31a Corner part 32 Rib 33 Rib 34 Rib 35 Projection part 36 Deformation promotion part A Forward movement

Claims (5)

A steering column that is supported by the vehicle body and protrudes rearward and upward from the front side of the passenger compartment, a meter that is secured to and supported by the steering column, and a protrusion that protrudes from the steering column and is fitted to the steering column. comprising a supported column cover accommodating the meter therein, a portion thereof is provided so as to cover the front side of the vehicle interior and instrument panel disposed in front of the column cover, when a collision of the vehicle, In a steering operation device in an automobile in which the protruding portion of the steering column is movable forward with respect to the vehicle body,
When the meter and the column cover move forward together with the forward movement of the protruding portion of the steering column and the meter presses the column cover and a part of the instrument panel through the column cover, A steering operation device for an automobile, wherein a part of the instrument panel is deformed.   The steering operation device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a part of the instrument panel is bent and deformed by the pressing force.   3. A steering operation in an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a part of the instrument panel is separated from the other part of the instrument panel, and the part is attached to the other part. apparatus.   The automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when a part of the instrument panel is deformed by the pressing force, a deformation promoting part that promotes the deformation is formed in the part. Steering operation device. The front of the meter at the rear of a portion of the upper Symbol instrument panel, a steering operation in a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 4, characterized in that the formation of the ribs projecting toward the front apparatus.

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