JP4793540B2 - Car steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile steering apparatus.

A typical example of a steering device for steering the front wheels of a vehicle is disclosed in FIG. A conventional general steering device has lip-shaped attachment portions at both longitudinal ends of a steering unit extending in the vehicle width direction, and is bolted to the vehicle body via the attachment portions.
JP 2002-160647 A

  By the way, absorption of collision energy is known as one of vehicle safety measures. In particular, a small car with no room in the engine room has a problem of how to secure a shock absorbing stroke of a power unit including the engine in a frontal collision.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an automobile steering device that absorbs the collision energy of a vehicle and easily secures a collision absorption stroke of a power unit.

Such a technical problem, according to the onset Akira,
A power unit having a horizontally mounted engine and a transmission connected to an end of the horizontally mounted engine in an engine room at the front of the vehicle body so that a rear end of the transmission protrudes rearward from a rear end of the horizontally mounted engine. And a steering unit for a vehicle in which a steering unit extending in the vehicle width direction for steering the front wheels is fixed to the vehicle body behind the power unit,
An arm-shaped first mounting portion formed integrally with the steering unit at an end portion on the transmission side of the steering unit and extending obliquely forward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction;
A second mounting portion integrally formed with the steering unit at an end of the steering unit opposite to the transmission side ;
An arm-shaped third attachment portion formed integrally with the transmission unit and extending obliquely forward toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, at an end opposite to the transmission side of the steering unit ;
An interval between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion is set longer than an interval between the second attachment portion and the third attachment portion,
The steering unit is bolted to the vehicle body via the first, second, and third attachment portions, and when the power unit is retracted due to a frontal collision and the arm-shaped first attachment portion is broken. To provide a steering apparatus for an automobile, wherein the steering unit is rotated around a second mounting portion, and the arm-shaped third mounting portion is broken by the rotation. Is achieved.

According to the present invention, when a power unit having a transmission connected to a horizontally mounted engine moves backward due to a frontal collision, the arm-shaped first mounting portion disposed on the transmission side protruding rearward from the engine interferes with the transmission. Then, since the arm-shaped first mounting portion has an arm-shaped configuration extending obliquely forward, the arm-shaped first mounting portion is broken, thereby absorbing the collision energy. Can do. Further, when the arm-shaped first mounting portion is broken, the steering unit is released from the first mounting portion, but the other end portion of the steering unit, that is, the end portion on the opposite side to the transmission is the first. Since the bolt is fastened to the vehicle body via the two attachment portions, the steering unit tends to rotate around the second attachment portion, so that the power unit can be further retracted. Therefore, a sufficient collision absorption stroke of the power unit can be ensured.

In addition, the steering unit further includes an arm-shaped third attachment portion formed integrally with the steering unit and extending obliquely forward toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction at the end of the steering unit opposite to the transmission side. since you are the first, second, by the steering unit via a third attachment portion for bolt fastening to the vehicle body, the steering unit is stably fixed to the vehicle body at three points.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the arm-shaped first attachment portion extends substantially along a virtual line connecting the bolt insertion hole of the first attachment portion and the bolt insertion hole of the second attachment portion. Is preferred. In a horizontally mounted engine, the rear end of the transmission connected to the engine is usually located behind the engine body, but the transmission interferes with the arm-shaped first mounting portion due to the retreat of the power unit, Thus, when the first mounting portion is broken, the first mounting portion substantially follows a virtual line connecting the bolt insertion hole of the first mounting portion and the bolt insertion hole of the second mounting portion as described above. Since it has an extending shape, the turning operation of the steering unit around the second mounting portion is smoothly performed along with the further retraction of the transmission, and therefore the power unit can be smoothly retreated. . In order to facilitate the smooth retraction of the power unit, it is preferable to form an impact receiving surface for receiving the transmission at the base end portion of the arm-shaped first mounting portion, so that the load from the retreating transmission can be reliably received by the impact surface. I can take it.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rear end region of an engine room 1 provided at the front of the vehicle body. A rack and pinion type steering device 2 is disposed at the rear end of the engine room 1. The steering device 2 includes a steering unit 3 extending in the vehicle width direction, and a steering rack (not shown) is accommodated in the steering unit 3 so as to be linearly movable in the vehicle width direction.

  The pinion that meshes with the steering rack is attached to the lower end of the steering shaft 4 as is known, and when the steering shaft 4 rotates by the driver's handle operation, the steering rack moves in the vehicle width direction by the rack and pinion mechanism. To do.

  The steering device 2 has a pair of left and right tie rods 5, the inner end of each tie rod 5 in the vehicle width direction is connected to the steering rack, while the outer end of the tie rod 5 is connected to the corresponding right or left front wheels 6R, 6L. Has been. The left and right front wheels 6L and 6R are steered by the movement of the steering rack and the tie rod 5 in accordance with the driver's handle operation.

  The steering unit 3 is stably supported on the vehicle body by first to third attachment portions 10 to 12 formed integrally with the steering unit 3. That is, the steering unit 3 is provided with a first mounting portion 10 at one end thereof (the end portion on the left front wheel 6L side in the example of FIG. 1, that is, the left end portion). It extends toward. Further, the other end portion of the steering unit 3 (the end portion on the right front wheel 6R side in the example of FIG. 1, that is, the right end portion) is provided with a second mounting portion 11 that protrudes rearward. A third attachment portion 12 extends forward and obliquely outward at the end (right end).

  Both the first and third attachment portions 10 and 12 extending forward and obliquely outward from both ends of the steering unit 3 extending in the vehicle width direction have an elongated arm-like shape. Bolt insertion holes 10a and 12a for receiving mounting bolts (not shown) are formed at the front ends, ie, free ends, of the first and third mounting portions 10 and 12, respectively. In addition, the second mounting portion 11 protruding toward the rear of the vehicle body at the right end portion of the steering unit 3 has a lip shape, and the second mounting portion 11 receives a mounting bolt (not shown). Bolt insertion holes 11a are formed. The steering unit 3 is fastened to a vehicle body strength member such as a suspension cross member 15 by using bolts inserted into the bolt insertion holes 10a to 12a of the first to third attachment portions 10 to 12, for example.

  In the engine room 1, a power unit 16 is mounted in front of and adjacent to the steering unit 3. The power unit 16 includes an engine main body 17 and a transmission 18 connected to the engine main body 17. The engine main body 17 is mounted in the engine room 1 in a horizontal manner with its output shaft directed in the vehicle width direction. ing. That is, the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 is an FF vehicle that drives the front wheels 6 with a horizontally placed engine.

  As is well known, in a horizontally mounted engine type vehicle, the rear end of the transmission 18 usually protrudes backward from the engine body 17. As can be understood from FIG. 1, the arm-shaped first mounting portion 10 provided at the left end portion of the steering unit 3 is located behind and adjacent to the transmission 18, and on the other hand, the right end portion of the steering unit 3. The arm-shaped third mounting portion 12 provided at the rear of the engine body 17 is located behind and adjacent to the engine body 17.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the arm-shaped first mounting portion 10 located on the left end portion of the steering unit 3, that is, the side where the transmission 18 is disposed, extends in the vehicle width direction for receiving the transmission 18 at the base end portion. An impact surface 20 is formed, and the impact surface 20 preferably has a longitudinal extension.

  The first mounting portion 10 also has a narrow neck portion between the receiving surface 20 and the tip, preferably a portion where a corner portion of the transmission 18 collides when the transmission 18 moves rearward due to a vehicle collision. 21 may be provided. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1, a narrow neck portion at the base end portion of the arm-like third mounting portion 12 located on the right end portion of the steering unit 3, that is, the side where the engine body 17 is disposed. 22 may be provided.

  As a preferred embodiment, the extending direction of the first mounting portion 10 extending in an arm shape, that is, the inclination direction L1, connects the bolt insertion hole 10a of the first mounting portion 10 and the bolt insertion hole 11a of the lip-shaped second mounting portion 11. It is preferable to set so that the sandwiching angle between the virtual line L2 and the inclination direction L1 is as small as possible. In other words, the first mounting portion 10 located at the left end portion of the steering unit 3 and extending obliquely outward in the vehicle width direction includes the bolt insertion hole 10a of the first mounting portion 10 and the steering unit 3. It is preferable to extend substantially along a virtual line L2 connecting the bolt insertion hole 11a of the second mounting portion 11 located at the right end portion.

  According to the above embodiment, the power unit 16 moves backward due to a frontal collision of the vehicle, and the rear end of the transmission 18 interferes with the first arm-shaped mounting portion 10 at the left end portion of the steering unit 3, thereby When an impact is applied to the impact receiving surface 20 of the portion 10, the neck portion 21 is broken, and the left end portion of the steering unit 3 is released from restraint by the first mounting portion 10 and can absorb collision energy. . In FIG. 2, a line that is easily broken is indicated by reference numeral 23.

  When the left end portion of the steering unit 3 is in the released state, the left end portion tends to swing toward the rear of the vehicle body around the second mounting portion 11 at the right end portion, so that the power unit 16 can be further retracted. Can make a state. The rearward displacement of the left end portion of the steering unit 3 adds a load to the third arm-shaped mounting portion 13 at the right end portion, and breakage occurs at the neck portion 22 constituting the weakened portion of the third mounting portion 13. To do. When the neck portion 22 of the third attachment portion 13 is broken, the steering unit 3 is only attached to the vehicle body only by the second attachment portion 11, and thus an element that prevents this from reversing the power unit 16. It will disappear. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle such as a compact car that cannot sufficiently secure the shock absorbing stroke of the power unit 16 at the time of a frontal collision, particularly when the power unit 16 and the steering unit 3 must be designed close to each other. Even in such a case, since the power unit 16 can be reliably retracted, both the high safety of the vehicle and the layout design of the power unit 16 can be achieved.

  The extending direction L1 of the first arm-shaped mounting portion 10 located adjacent to the rear of the transmission 18 is defined by the bolt insertion hole 10a of the first mounting portion 10 and the bolt insertion hole 11a of the lip-shaped second mounting portion 11. Is extended substantially along the imaginary line L2 that connects the steering unit 3 by interference with the first mounting portion 10 due to the backward movement of the transmission 18 and at the same time the first mounting portion 10 is broken. It is easy to rotate the second attachment portion 11 as a center. That is, it is possible to smoothly execute a series of operations such as breakage of the first attachment portion 10, turning operation of the steering unit 3, and breakage of the second attachment portion 12 due to the backward movement of the power unit 16. Can be retreated.

  In addition, since the receiving surface 20 that receives the impact of the transmission 18 is formed on the first mounting portion 10, the power unit 16 can be reliably retracted by the first mounting portion 10. Accordingly, a series of operations such as breaking of the first mounting portion 10, turning operation of the steering unit 3, and breaking of the second mounting portion 12 can be smoothly executed.

It is a top view of the rear end part of the engine room of FF vehicle. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part in which a left end portion of the steering unit illustrated in FIG. 1 is extracted.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine room 2 Steering device 3 Steering unit 4 Steering shaft 5 Tie rod 6R Right front wheel 6L Left front wheel 10 Arm-shaped 1st attaching part 10a Bolt insertion hole of 1st attaching part 11 Lip-like 2nd attaching part 11a 2nd attaching part Bolt insertion hole 12 Arm-shaped third attachment portion 12a Bolt insertion hole in the third attachment portion 16 Power unit 17 Engine body 18 Transmission 20 Impact surface of the first attachment portion 21 Neck portion of the first attachment portion 22 Third attachment portion Neck

Claims (3)

A power unit having a horizontally mounted engine and a transmission connected to an end of the horizontally mounted engine in an engine room at the front of the vehicle body so that a rear end of the transmission protrudes rearward from a rear end of the horizontally mounted engine. And a steering unit for a vehicle in which a steering unit extending in the vehicle width direction for steering the front wheels is fixed to the vehicle body behind the power unit,
An arm-shaped first mounting portion formed integrally with the steering unit at an end portion on the transmission side of the steering unit and extending obliquely forward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction;
A second mounting portion integrally formed with the steering unit at an end of the steering unit opposite to the transmission side ;
An arm-shaped third attachment portion formed integrally with the transmission unit and extending obliquely forward toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, at an end opposite to the transmission side of the steering unit ;
The interval between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion is set longer than the interval between the second attachment portion and the third attachment portion,
The steering unit is bolted to the vehicle body via the first, second, and third attachment portions, and when the power unit is retracted due to a frontal collision and the arm-shaped first attachment portion is broken. A steering apparatus for an automobile, wherein the steering unit rotates about a second mounting portion, and the arm-shaped third mounting portion is broken by the rotation. The first mounting portion of the arm shape, to claim 1, characterized in that extending substantially along the imaginary line connecting the bolt insertion hole of the bolt insertion hole of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion The automobile steering device described. Wherein the first attachment portion arm-shaped, automobile steering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the impact receiving surface to receive the transmission at its base end portion is formed.

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