JP5049252B2 - Body strength member structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body strength member structure.

  A vehicle such as an automobile is provided with a resin instrument panel (a vehicle interior front panel) at the front of the vehicle interior. A metal vehicle body strength member is provided inside the instrument panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body strength member 1 provided at the front portion of the vehicle interior includes a vehicle body strength member main body 3 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 2. In this case, the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is constituted by a round pipe. The round pipe has a shape in which an intermediate portion is detoured (for example, forward). The vehicle body strength member main body 3 includes side brackets 4 for attachment to left and right vehicle body panels (side panels) (not shown) at both ends.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 3 is mainly configured to support a steering column (not shown). For this purpose, the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is provided with a column bracket 5 for attaching a steering column at an intermediate portion (driver seat side portion) in the vehicle width direction 2. The column bracket 5 is usually provided separately from the front and rear of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 (not shown).

  The vehicle body strength member main body 3 has an intermediate portion (center portion) in the vehicle width direction 2 and a lower portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 in the vertical direction 7 with respect to the vehicle compartment floor portion 6 (floor panel, see FIG. 5). A stay 8 that can be supported is provided. In this case, two stays 8 are provided on the left and right. The stay 8 is provided with a mounting bracket (not shown) to which a vehicle-mounted audio device, a control box for controlling the air conditioner, and the like (not shown) can be attached. Further, in order to install the in-vehicle audio device or the control box at a predetermined position, the stay 8 is routed rearward so as to be located near the rear surface portion of the instrument panel 9 (see FIG. 5). Yes. In this case, the stay 8 extends substantially in the up-down direction 7 and has a rear-handed shape that is substantially “<” in a side view. Thereby, as for the stay 8, the position of an upper end part and a lower end part has shifted | deviated large back and forth.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 3 has an intermediate portion (driver's seat side portion) in the vehicle width direction 2 and a front portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 with respect to the vehicle compartment front wall 11 (dash panel, see FIG. 5). A post bracket 13 that can be supported in the vehicle longitudinal direction 12 is provided. In this case, the post bracket 13 has a substantially U-shaped cross section that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction 12 and opens upward. As shown in FIG. 6, the post bracket 13 is bent and deformed (collapsed) as indicated by an imaginary line with respect to the emergency input load 15 from the front (for example, the backward movement of the vehicle interior front wall 11), It is configured to have a strength enough to bend and deform against the knee input loads 16, 17 (see FIG. 5) of the occupant from the rear. In order to obtain such strength, the post bracket 13 is intentionally weakened by forming notches and other weakened portions 18 (see FIG. 6).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle body strength member main body 3 receives the occupant's knees in the middle of the vehicle width direction 2 (driver's seat side portion or passenger seat side portion) as needed. A knee protector 21 capable of absorbing the input loads 16 and 17 (see FIG. 5) is provided. The knee protector 21 includes, for example, a knee protection bracket 22 that is substantially L-shaped or substantially L-shaped in side view and extends downward from the lower portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 3, and a knee receiving member 23 that directly receives the occupant's knee. I have. In this case, a pair of knee protector brackets 22 is provided substantially corresponding to both knees of the occupant, and the knee receiving member 23 is bent at the tip of the pair of left and right knee protector brackets 22. It is constructed and connected between the parts (rear end or lower end).

  In addition to the above, the knee protector 21 has an upper knee protection bracket 24 that mainly receives the knee of an average occupant and absorbs the knee input load 16, as shown in FIG. A lower knee protect bracket 25 that mainly receives a small passenger's knee and absorbs the knee input load 17 is provided separately so that it can be adapted to the occupant's physique. Yes. Note that the knee protector 21 in FIG. 4 does not have a function corresponding to such a physique.

  According to such a configuration, the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is attached to left and right vehicle body panels (side panels) (not shown) by the side brackets 4 provided at both ends thereof.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 3 basically functions to support a steering column (not shown) via the column bracket 5.

  The stay 8 provided in the middle part of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 in the vehicle width direction 2 has the lower part of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 mainly in the vertical direction 7 with respect to the passenger compartment floor 6 (floor panel). Functions to support. The stay 8 can suppress vibrations in the vertical direction 7 of the steering column and the vehicle body strength member main body 3.

  And the post bracket 13 provided in the intermediate part of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 in the vehicle width direction 2 mainly uses the front part of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 with respect to the vehicle compartment front wall 11 (dash panel). It functions to support in the front-rear direction 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the post bracket 13 is bent and deformed (collapsed) before the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is deformed with respect to the emergency input load 15 from the front. It functions to prevent backward movement and bending. Further, with respect to the knee input loads 16 and 17 of the occupant from the rear, the post bracket 13 is bent and deformed (collapsed) before the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is deformed, so that the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is moved forward. It functions to prevent movement and bending.

  Further, in the knee protector 21 provided at the intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction 2 of the vehicle body strength member main body 3, the knee protection member 22 receives the occupant's knee and the knee protection bracket 22 is bent and deformed (crushed) in an emergency. ) To absorb the knee input loads 16 and 17.

  Further, in FIG. 5, due to the difference in the height per knee with respect to the knee support member 23, in the case of an average occupant, the upper knee protection bracket 24 is mainly bent and deformed (collapsed), so that the knee input is performed. In the case of a small passenger, the load 16 is absorbed, and the lower knee protect bracket 25 functions to absorb the knee input load 17 mainly by bending deformation (collapse).

Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the occupant from jumping out of the vehicle.
JP 05-142354 A

  However, the vehicle body strength member structure has the following problems.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the knee protector bracket 22 constituting the knee protector 21 is configured to extend downward from the vehicle body strength member main body 3 (arm length L). When the knee input loads 16 and 17 are absorbed by the occupant's knees, a torsional moment M, a forward load F1, an upward load F2, and the like are applied to the vehicle body strength member body 3. It will be.

  Then, in order to predict the operating state of the knee protector 21 with respect to the knee input loads 16 and 17 from the occupant (such as how to collapse) and to enable accurate operation as predicted, the moment M and the load F1 described above are used. , F2, etc., the deformation of the body strength member main body 3 needs to be made as small as possible.

In order to reduce the deformation of the vehicle body strength member main body 3,
1. Increase the strength of the body strength member body 3;
2. The strength of the post bracket 13 and the stay 8 is increased so that the deformation of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 is suppressed by these.
Possible means such as,
When the second (indirect) means is employed, the post bracket 13 is applied to the emergency input load 15 from the front in order to prevent the vehicle body strength member body 3 from moving and bending as described above. The post bracket 13 is intentionally weakened because it is bent and deformed, and is also strong enough to bend and deform against the passenger's knee input loads 16 and 17 from behind. Therefore, it is difficult to suppress the deformation of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 by the post bracket 13.

  Similarly, the stay 8 has a substantially “<” shape when viewed from the side so as to be positioned near the rear surface of the instrument panel 9 in order to arrange an in-vehicle audio device or a control box. In other words, the stay 8 does not have a structure that gives priority to securing strength, so that the stay 8 prevents the deformation of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 from occurring. difficult.

  Therefore, adopting one (direct) means is the most effective and practical. However, since the inside of the instrument panel 9 is crowded and there is not enough space, it is difficult to increase the strength of the vehicle body strength member body 3 by increasing the section modulus of the vehicle body strength member body 3. Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to use a high-strength (expensive) material such as high-strength steel instead of increasing the section modulus of the vehicle body strength member main body 3 because of the cost.

  In addition to the above, the knee protector 21 may be designed in consideration of the deformation of the vehicle body strength member main body 3, but in the knee input direction of the occupant (the direction of the knee input loads 16, 17). Because there are variations depending on individual differences and circumstances, it is difficult to accurately predict performance, and many complicated processes are required to design considering the deformation of the body strength member body 3 Therefore, it cannot be said that it is a very realistic means.

  In addition to the above, new problems and other problems may occur in the process leading to the present invention. Such problems will be described in the embodiments of the present invention. The description in this column can be substituted. However, this column can be used if necessary.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is provided with a vehicle body strength member at a front portion of a vehicle interior, and the vehicle body strength member includes a vehicle body strength member main body extending substantially in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the vehicle body strength member main body can support at least a lower portion of the vehicle body strength member main body in the vertical direction at an intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction and a front portion of the vehicle body strength member main body in the vehicle front-rear direction. In a vehicle body strength member structure equipped with a post bracket and a knee protector that can absorb the knee input load in response to an occupant's knee in an emergency, high rigidity having a plurality of closed cross sections at least in the middle of the vehicle body strength member body A structure portion is provided, and the stay, a post bracket, and a knee protector are attached to the high-rigidity structure portion.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above, the upper end side portion of the stay is provided with a cross-sectional enlarged portion having a cross section larger than that of the lower end side portion, and the cross-sectional enlarged portion is provided on the lower surface of the high-rigidity structure portion. It is characterized by being connected.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the above, the post bracket is bent and deformed before the vehicle body strength member body with respect to an emergency input load from the front in the vehicle front-rear direction, and from the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction. The reinforced post bracket has a strength that does not bend and deform before the vehicle body strength member main body against the knee input load of the occupant.

  Each of the above is the minimum configuration necessary for exhibiting the required operational effects. Of course, the details of the configuration described above and configurations not described above have a degree of freedom. is there. Of course, matters that can be read from the description of the above configuration are included in the scope even if they are not specifically described. In addition, when a configuration other than the above is added, it is needless to say that the operational effects of the added configuration are added.

  According to invention of Claim 1, the following effects can be acquired by the said structure. That is, the strength and rigidity of at least the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body can be improved by providing a high-rigidity structure portion having a plurality of closed cross sections at least at the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body. As a result, bending or twisting (circumferential direction) of the vehicle body strength member main body can be reduced, and movement or bending of the vehicle body strength member main body can be prevented. And by attaching a stay, a post bracket, and a knee protector to such a high-rigidity structure part, it becomes possible to improve the attachment rigidity with respect to these, and to improve these individual functions. In particular, the dependence of the knee protector on the body strength member body can be reduced.

  According to invention of Claim 2, the following effects can be acquired by the said structure. That is, since the cross-sectional enlarged portion provided at the upper end portion of the stay has a high section modulus, deformation of the stay itself can be reduced. Therefore, by connecting the enlarged cross section to the lower surface of the high-rigidity structure part, it is possible to effectively suppress the movement of the vehicle body strength member body (high-rigidity structure part, etc.) in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vertical direction by the stay. It becomes. For example, it is possible to suppress the vehicle body strength member main body from moving backward with respect to the emergency input load from the front by the stay. Further, for example, the stay can suppress the vehicle body strength member body from moving upward or forward due to a knee input load to the knee protector. Further, by connecting the enlarged section to the lower surface of the high-rigidity structure portion, the stay can effectively suppress the twist of the vehicle body strength member main body (such as the high-rigidity structure portion). For example, the stay generates a reaction force with respect to the moment generated in the vehicle body strength member main body due to the knee input load applied to the knee protector, whereby the twist of the vehicle body strength member main body can be suppressed. Therefore, the strength of the body strength member body necessary for satisfying the performance of the knee protector can be reduced by the stay having the cross-sectional enlarged portion, and the body strength member of the knee protector by the stay having the cross-sectional enlarged portion. The degree of dependence on the main body can be further reduced.

  According to invention of Claim 3, the following effects can be acquired by the said structure. That is, the body strength member body is less likely to be bent or twisted due to the rigidity and strength improvement effect of the body strength member body by the highly rigid structure portion and the effect of restraining the movement and twisting of the body strength member body by the stay. Therefore, the knee input load to the knee protector can be received only by the vehicle body strength member main body. Accordingly, it is not necessary to bend and deform the post bracket to absorb the knee input load before the vehicle body strength member body is bent, so that the strength of the post bracket can be increased. And by increasing the strength of the post bracket and making it a reinforced post bracket, the reinforced post bracket bends and deforms to absorb the load against the emergency input load from the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the vehicle longitudinal direction The reinforced post bracket functions to share the knee input load with the vehicle body strength member body by withstanding the knee input load of the occupant from the rear without bending and deforming. Therefore, a structure capable of suppressing and preventing both the rearward movement of the vehicle body strength member main body due to the emergency input load from the front and the forward movement and twist of the vehicle body strength member main body due to the knee input load is obtained. Can do. Therefore, the strength of the body strength member body necessary to satisfy the performance of the knee protector can be reduced by the reinforced post bracket, and the dependence of the knee protector on the body strength member body by the reinforced post bracket. The degree can be further reduced. In addition, by using a reinforced post bracket, the steering support rigidity can also be increased, so that the weight of other parts of the body strength member body can be reduced by increasing the degree of freedom of material selection. Is possible.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to effectively improve the strength and rigidity of a vehicle body strength member main body.

  Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described together with illustrated examples.

  The following examples have a close relationship with the above-described background art and problems to be solved by the invention. Therefore, when necessary, the descriptions are diverted to each other or necessary corrections are made. And can be diverted.

  1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention.

  <Description of Basic Portion> First, the basic portion will be described.

  A vehicle such as an automobile is provided with a resin instrument panel 32 (a vehicle interior front panel, see FIG. 2) at the front of the vehicle interior 31. Inside the instrument panel 32, a metal body strength member 33 is provided.

  Here, reference numeral 34 denotes a vehicle width direction, 35 denotes a vehicle front-rear direction, and 36 denotes a vertical direction. Such a vehicle body strength member 33 includes a vehicle body strength member main body 37 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 34.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 37 provided at the front portion in the passenger compartment 31 is provided with side brackets 38 for attachment to left and right vehicle body panels (side panels) (not shown) at both ends. The side bracket 38 is made of metal and is fixed to the vehicle body strength member main body 37 by welding.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 37 is mainly configured to support a steering column (not shown). For this purpose, the vehicle body strength member main body 37 is provided with a column bracket 39 for attaching a steering column at an intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction 34. The column bracket 39 is for attaching the front portion of the steering column. The column bracket 39 is made of metal and is fixed to the vehicle body strength member main body 37.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 37 is a stay that can support an intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction 34 and a lower portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vertical direction 36 with respect to the vehicle compartment floor 41 (floor panel, see FIG. 2). 42 is provided. The stay 42 is made of metal.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 37 supports the front portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle longitudinal direction 35 with respect to the vehicle compartment front wall portion 43 (see the dash panel, FIG. 2). A possible post bracket 44 is provided. The post bracket 44 is made of metal and is fixed to the vehicle body strength member main body 37.

  Furthermore, the vehicle body strength member main body 37 includes a knee protector 47 that can receive the knee input loads 45 and 46 by receiving the knees of the occupant in an emergency in the middle of the vehicle width direction 34 as necessary. The knee protector 47 includes a knee protect bracket 48 attached to a lower portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37, and a knee support member 49 that directly receives an occupant's knee. The knee protect bracket 48 is made of metal. The knee support member 49 is made of metal.

  In this case, the knee protect bracket 48 receives the upper knee protect bracket 51 that mainly receives the knee of the average occupant and absorbs the knee input load 45, and mainly receives the knee of the small occupant. The lower knee protection bracket 52 capable of absorbing the knee input load 46 is divided into upper and lower parts so that it can correspond to the physique of the occupant.

  Here, the upper knee protection bracket 51 has a substantially “T” shape in a side view, and the lower knee protection bracket 52 has a substantially “L” shape in a side view. As shown in the drawing, the upper knee protect bracket 51 is attached in the middle of the vertically extending portion of the lower knee protect bracket 52 (welding fixing). Further, the lower knee protect bracket 52 is fixed to the vehicle body strength member main body 37 at the upper end of the longitudinally extending portion.

  The knee protect bracket 48 is provided in a pair of left and right substantially corresponding to both occupants' knees, and the knee support member 49 is provided at the distal end of the pair of left and right knee protect brackets 48 (upper knee protect bracket 51 and The lower knee protection bracket 52 is erected and connected between the rear end and the lower end). The knee support member 49 is disposed inside the instrument panel 32.

  <Structure> And, in this embodiment, the basic structure as described above is configured as follows.

  (A) A high-rigidity structural portion 64 having a plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 to 63 is provided at least in the middle portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37. Then, the stay 42, the post bracket 44, and the knee protector 47 are attached (concentrated) to the high-rigidity structural portion 64.

  (B) In the above description, the upper end side portion 65 of the stay 42 is provided with the cross-section enlarged portion 67 whose cross section is larger than that of the lower end side portion 66. This cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 is connected to the lower surface of the high-rigidity structure portion 64 (connection portion 68).

  (C) In the above, the post bracket 44 is bent and deformed before the vehicle body strength member main body 37 with respect to the emergency input load 71 from the front in the vehicle front-rear direction 35, and the occupant's knee from the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction 35 The reinforced post bracket 73 has a strength that does not bend and deform before the vehicle body strength member body 37 with respect to the input loads 45 and 46.

  (D) The above detailed configuration is as follows.

  The high-rigidity structure portion 64 having the plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 to 63 may be provided on the whole or partially with respect to the vehicle body strength member main body 37. In this case, the high-rigidity structural portion 64 is partial. That is, when the vehicle body strength member main body 37 is divided into three ranges of a driver seat side portion, a passenger seat side portion, and a center portion, the partial high rigidity structure portion 64 is arranged inside the driver seat side portion. It is provided at a position corresponding to the half. The outer half portion of the driver seat side portion, the passenger seat side portion, and the central portion portion are respectively constituted by separate round pipe members 75 and 76 having the same diameter. The round pipe members 75 and 76 (inner ends thereof) are fixed to the high-rigidity structure portion 64 by press-fitting or the like. The side brackets 38 are attached to the outer ends of the round pipe members 75 and 76, respectively. In this case, the vehicle body strength member main body 37 is for a right-hand drive vehicle.

  Each of the plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 to 63 has a cylindrical shape that has a constant cross-sectional size and shape and extends in the vehicle width direction 34. In this case, the high-rigidity structure portion 64 has a triple cylindrical shape in which three cylindrical cross-sections 61 to 63 are adjacent to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction 35. The number of the closed cross-section portions 61 to 63 may be any number as long as it is two or more, but three is optimal in terms of structure and function. Further, regarding the arrangement of the plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 to 63, it is optimal to increase the strength in the vehicle longitudinal direction 35 so as to be adjacent to the vehicle longitudinal direction 35. Thereby, the highly rigid structure part 64 becomes a thing longer in the vehicle front-back direction 35 than usual. However, the arrangement of the plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 to 63 is not limited to this.

  Among the plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 to 63, the front one (closed cross-section portion 61) is large, the middle one (closed cross-section portion 62) is smaller than that, and the rear one (closed cross-section portion 63) is the smallest. The size is configured to be different. As a result, the high-rigidity structure portion 64 has a rearwardly narrow shape as viewed from the side. And the closed cross-section part 61 of the front side is made into the round pipe connection part by having the magnitude | size (inside diameter dimension) and shape (circular shape) which can press-fit the round pipe members 75 and 76. FIG.

  Such a high-rigidity structural portion 64 can be produced by, for example, extruding a light alloy.

  The column bracket 39 is attached to the front lower portion of the high-rigidity structural portion 64 in the vehicle width direction 34 substantially at the center. The stay 42 is attached to the lower surface of the inner end portion of the highly rigid structural portion 64. The post bracket 44 is attached to the front upper portion of the high-rigidity structural portion 64 in the center of the vehicle width direction 34 and to the upper side of the column bracket 39. The pair of knee protection brackets 48 of the knee protector 47 are respectively attached to the lower surfaces of the high-rigidity structure portion 64 in the vicinity of both ends.

  For this purpose, the high-rigidity structure portion 64 has a downward column bracket mounting surface to which the column bracket 39 can be attached at the lower front portion thereof, and an upward post bracket mounting surface to which the post bracket 44 can be attached at the upper front portion thereof. And a horizontal mounting surface to which the stay 42 and the knee protector 47 can be mounted. Further, a rear column mounting surface for directly mounting the rear portion of the steering column is provided at the rear of the horizontal mounting surface. The column mounting surface is integrally formed with a column mounting screw hole.

  The stay 42 is arranged so as to exist at a position directly below the highly rigid structure portion 64 (in the vertical direction 36). The stay 42 has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape, and is constituted by a metal plate material formed so as to extend substantially in the vertical direction. The upper end side portion 65 and the lower end side portion 66 of the stay 42 are provided with a reinforcing shape portion by embossing, if necessary.

  The cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 of the upper end side portion 65 of the stay 42 has a gradually expanding shape in which the front side portion expands forward. The upper end portion of the cross-section enlarged portion 67 is substantially the same as the horizontal mounting surface and the column mounting surface 35 in order to be able to contact and be fixed to the entire lower surface of the high-rigidity structural portion 64 with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction 35. And the same (unevenness) shape.

  If the connection part 68 of the cross-sectional enlarged part 67 and the lower surface of the highly rigid structure part 64 is the same material, it can be joined by welding. Moreover, if it is a different material, it can be set as mechanical joining, adhesion | attachment by an adhesive agent, etc. Further, the connecting portion 68 may be a full portion (full face connecting portion) or a partial portion (partial connecting portion).

  The post bracket 44 can be a reinforced post bracket 73, for example, by increasing the plate thickness or changing to a high-strength material. In this case, the post bracket 44 is formed as an independent reinforcing structure having a triangular shape (closed loop shape) when viewed from the side, so that the reinforced post bracket 73 is structurally reinforced. In this case, the reinforced post bracket 73 having a triangular shape in side view is in a state of straddling the upper portion of the upper surface of the column bracket 39 and the upward-facing post bracket mounting surface provided in the upper front portion of the high-rigidity structure portion 64. The abutting arrangement is fixed using a fixing member.

  <Operation> Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  The vehicle body strength member main body 37 basically functions to support a steering column (not shown) via a column bracket 39.

  The stay 42 provided in the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle width direction 34 has a lower portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 mainly in the vertical direction 36 with respect to the vehicle compartment floor 41 (floor panel). Functions to support. The stay 42 can suppress vibrations in the vertical direction 36 of the steering column and the vehicle body strength member main body 37.

  A post bracket 44 provided at an intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle width direction 34 mainly connects the front portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 to the vehicle interior front wall portion 43 (dash panel). It functions to support in the front-rear direction 35.

  Further, the knee protector 47 provided at the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle width direction 34 is bent and deformed (crushed) by the knee receiving member 49 receiving the occupant's knee in an emergency. ) To absorb the knee input loads 45 and 46.

  In particular, due to the difference in height per knee with respect to the knee support member 49, in the case of an occupant having an average physique, the knee input load 45, 46 is mainly caused by the upper knee protection bracket 51 being bent or deformed (crushed). In the case of a small occupant, the lower knee protection bracket 52 functions to absorb the knee input loads 45 and 46 mainly by bending deformation (crushed).

  Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the occupant from jumping out of the vehicle.

  According to this embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.

  (A) A vehicle body strength member 33 is provided at a front portion in the vehicle interior 31, and the vehicle body strength member 33 includes a vehicle body strength member main body 37 extending substantially in the vehicle width direction 34. A stay 42 capable of supporting at least the lower part of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vertical direction 36 and a post bracket 44 capable of supporting the front part of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle front-rear direction 35 at an intermediate portion in the width direction 34. In the vehicle body strength member 33 structure including the knee protector 47 that can receive the knee input loads 45 and 46 in response to an occupant's knee in an emergency, a plurality of closed cross-section portions 61 are provided at least in the middle portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37. The high-rigidity structural part 64 having ˜63 is provided, and the stay 42, the post bracket 44, and the knee protector 47 are attached to the high-rigidity structural part 64. Te, it is possible to obtain the following effects.

  That is, as described above, the vehicle body strength member main body 37 basically has rigidity capable of supporting a steering column (not shown). The lower part of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 can be supported in the vertical direction 36 by the stay 42 provided at the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle width direction 34. Further, the front portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 can be supported in the vehicle front-rear direction 35 by the post bracket 44 provided at the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle width direction 34. Furthermore, the knee protector 47 provided at the intermediate portion of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 in the vehicle width direction 34 can receive and absorb the knee input loads 45 and 46 of the occupant in an emergency.

  And by providing the highly rigid structure part 64 which has the some closed cross-section parts 61-63 in the at least intermediate part of the vehicle body strength member main body 37, the intensity | strength and rigidity of at least the intermediate part of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 are improved. Can do. As a result, it is possible to reduce bending and (twisting in the circumferential direction) of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 and to prevent movement and bending of the vehicle body strength member main body 37.

  Then, by attaching the stay 42, the post bracket 44, and the knee protector 47 to such a high-rigidity structural portion 64, it is possible to improve the mounting rigidity with respect to these and to improve the individual functions thereof. It becomes possible. In particular, the dependence of the knee protector 47 on the vehicle body strength member main body 37 can be reduced.

  (B) In the above description, the upper end side portion 65 of the stay 42 is provided with a cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 whose cross section is larger than that of the lower end side portion 66, and the cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 is connected to the lower surface of the high-rigidity structural portion 64. As a result, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, since the cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 provided in the upper end side portion 65 of the stay 42 has a high section modulus, the deformation of the stay 42 itself can be reduced.

  Therefore, by connecting the cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 to the lower surface of the high-rigidity structure portion 64, the stay 42 effectively moves the vehicle body strength member main body 37 (such as the high-rigidity structure portion 64) in the vehicle longitudinal direction 35 and the vertical direction 36. Can be suppressed.

  For example, the stay 42 can suppress the vehicle body strength member main body 37 from moving backward with respect to the emergency input load 71 from the front. Further, for example, the stay 42 can suppress the vehicle body strength member main body 37 from moving upward or forward by the knee input loads 45 and 46 to the knee protector 47 (see loads F1 and F2, FIG. 2). It becomes.

  Further, by connecting the cross-section enlarged portion 67 to the lower surface of the high-rigidity structure portion 64, the stay 42 can effectively suppress the twist of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 (the high-rigidity structure portion 64 and the like). . For example, the stay 42 generates a reaction force against the moment M generated in the vehicle body strength member main body 37 by the knee input loads 45 and 46 applied to the knee protector 47, thereby suppressing the twist of the vehicle body strength member main body 37. Is possible.

  Therefore, the strength of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 necessary for satisfying the performance of the knee protector 47 can be reduced by the stay 42 having the cross-sectional enlarged portion 67 and the stay 42 having the cross-sectional enlarged portion 67. The dependence of the knee protector 47 on the vehicle body strength member main body 37 can be further reduced.

  (C) In the above, the post bracket 44 is bent and deformed before the vehicle body strength member main body 37 with respect to the emergency input load 71 from the front in the vehicle front-rear direction 35, and the occupant's knee from the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction 35 By using the reinforced post bracket 73 that does not bend and deform before the vehicle body strength member main body 37 with respect to the input loads 45 and 46, the following operational effects can be obtained.

  That is, the vehicle body strength member main body 37 is bent or twisted by the rigidity and strength improvement effect of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 by the high-rigidity structure portion 64 and the effect of suppressing the movement and twist of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 by the stay 42. Therefore, the knee input loads 45 and 46 to the knee protector 47 can be received only by the vehicle body strength member main body 37. This eliminates the need to bend and deform the post bracket 44 to absorb the knee input loads 45 and 46 before the vehicle body strength member main body 37 is bent, so that the strength of the post bracket 44 can be increased. .

  Further, by increasing the strength of the post bracket 44 to form the reinforced post bracket 73, the reinforced post bracket 73 is bent and deformed to absorb the load with respect to the emergency input load 71 from the front in the vehicle front-rear direction 35. At the same time, the knee input loads 45 and 46 are shared with the vehicle body strength member main body 37 by withstanding the knee input loads 45 and 46 of the occupant from the rear of the vehicle longitudinal direction 35 without bending and deforming the reinforced post bracket 73. Will work.

  Therefore, both the backward movement of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 due to the emergency input load 71 from the front and the forward movement and twisting of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 due to the knee input loads 45 and 46 are both suppressed and prevented. A possible structure can be obtained.

  Therefore, the strength of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 necessary for satisfying the performance of the knee protector 47 can be reduced by the reinforced post bracket 73, and the vehicle strength of the knee protector 47 can be reduced by the reinforced post bracket 73. The degree of dependence on the member body 37 can be further reduced.

  Further, since the reinforced post bracket 73 is adopted, the steering support rigidity can be increased, and accordingly, the degree of freedom of material selection is increased, and the weight of other parts of the vehicle body strength member main body 37 is reduced. It becomes possible to plan.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the embodiments are only examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Needless to say, design changes and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the invention are included in the present invention. Further, for example, when each embodiment includes a plurality of configurations, it is a matter of course that possible combinations of these configurations are included even if not specifically described. Further, when a plurality of embodiments and modifications are shown, it is needless to say that possible combinations of configurations extending over these are included even if not specifically described. Further, the configuration depicted in the drawings is of course included even if not particularly described. Further, when there is a term of “etc.”, it is used in the sense that the equivalent is included. In addition, when there are terms such as “almost”, “about”, “degree”, etc., they are used in the sense that they include those in the range and accuracy recognized by common sense.

It is a perspective view of the vehicle body strength member structure concerning the Example of this invention. It is a side view of FIG. It is a perspective view of the vehicle body strength member structure concerning a prior art example. It is a perspective view which shows the knee protector concerning a prior art example. It is a side view for demonstrating the problem of a prior art example. It is a top view for demonstrating another problem of a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

31 Vehicle compartment 33 Car body strength member 34 Vehicle width direction 35 Vehicle longitudinal direction 36 Vertical direction 37 Car body strength member main body 42 Stay 44 Post bracket 45 Knee input load 46 Knee input load 47 Knee protector 61 Closed section 62 Closed section 63 Closed section Portion 64 High-stiffness structure portion 65 Upper end side portion 66 Lower end side portion 67 Cross section enlarged portion 71 Emergency input load 73 Reinforced post bracket

Claims (3)

A vehicle body strength member is provided at the front of the passenger compartment,
The vehicle body strength member includes a vehicle body strength member main body extending substantially in the vehicle width direction,
The vehicle body strength member main body has at least an intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction,
A stay capable of supporting the lower part of the body strength member body in the vertical direction;
A post bracket capable of supporting the front part of the body strength member body in the vehicle longitudinal direction;
In the body strength member structure equipped with a knee protector that can absorb the knee input load by receiving the knee of the occupant in an emergency,
While providing a high-rigidity structure portion having a plurality of closed cross sections at least in the middle portion of the body strength member body,
A vehicle body strength member structure in which the stay, a post bracket, and a knee protector are attached to the high-rigidity structural portion. The upper end portion of the stay is provided with a cross-sectional enlarged portion whose cross section is larger than the lower end portion,
2. The vehicle body strength member structure according to claim 1, wherein the enlarged section is connected to the lower surface of the highly rigid structure portion. The post bracket,
Bending and deforming ahead of the body strength member body against an emergency input load from the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction,
3. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced post bracket has a strength not to bend and deform before the vehicle body strength member body with respect to an occupant's knee input load from the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Strength member structure.

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