JP5691880B2 - Shock absorbing steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device, and more particularly, to a steering device that absorbs an impact load by collapsing from a vehicle body to the vehicle body front side together with a steering shaft in a secondary collision.

  In the steering device for a vehicle, the capsule and the flange portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket are connected by a synthetic resin shear pin, the shear pin is sheared by the impact at the time of collision, and the column is moved forward along with the flange portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket. To move away from the capsule and absorb the impact energy at the time of collision to ensure the driver's safety.

  In the steering apparatus having such a capsule, when the column moves to the front side of the vehicle body together with the flange portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket at the time of the secondary collision, the capsule remains on the vehicle body side and the flange portion is detached from the capsule. As a result, the column and the steering wheel are separated from the vehicle body and fall to the vehicle body lower side. For this reason, the smooth collapse movement of the column after detachment from the capsule is impaired, and there is a possibility that the impact energy at the time of collision may be insufficiently absorbed. Further, since the steering wheel falls off to the lower side of the vehicle body, the steering wheel cannot be operated after the secondary collision.

  The steering devices disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are guided by a fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body at the time of a secondary collision so that the column moves in a collapsed manner toward the front side of the vehicle body over the entire length of the collapse movement stroke. ing. Therefore, the column moves smoothly without collapsing to the lower side of the vehicle body, and shock energy at the time of collision is absorbed smoothly to ensure the safety of the driver. However, in the steering devices disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, since the structure of the fixed bracket that guides the column over the entire length of the collapse movement stroke is increased and the structure becomes complicated, the weight of the fixed bracket increases and the manufacturing cost increases. Will rise.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-280654 Special table 2007-504985

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering device that enables operation of a steering wheel after a secondary collision while being inexpensive.

In order to solve the above problems, a steering shaft for mounting a steering wheel on the rear side of the vehicle body, a vehicle body mounting bracket attached to a column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, and a flange portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket are sandwiched. A pair of left and right capsules that are fixed to the vehicle body, and the flange portion is connected to the capsule so as to be detachable from the capsule by a predetermined impact force toward the front side of the vehicle body The connecting means, and the bent portion of the guide bracket having a hole at the tip of the bent portion is fitted into the hole opened in the bottom surface of the capsule, and the guide bracket is integrally connected by the connecting means. The vehicle body has a front-side extension that extends longer than the collapse travel distance on the front side of the vehicle body from the front side end surface of the vehicle body. Vehicle front side extension portion is characterized by guiding the flange portion to collapse moving end. Further, the connecting means is an injection molding using a synthetic resin.

  The steering device according to the present invention includes a capsule having a pair of upper and lower upper clamping plates and a lower clamping plate for clamping the flange portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket, the vehicle body front side of the front end surface of the flange portion, and the collapse moving distance. Also, a guide bracket having a vehicle body front side extension portion that extends long is provided, and the vehicle body front side extension portion guides the flange portion to the collapse moving end.

  Although the present invention is inexpensive, it is possible to improve the assembly property to the vehicle, and the body mounting bracket can smoothly move to the collapse moving end by the collapse moving distance without dropping from the capsule. It is possible to absorb the impact energy at the time of collision smoothly and to ensure the safety of the driver. In addition, since the vehicle body mounting bracket does not fall off the capsule, the steering wheel can be operated even after the secondary collision, so that it is possible to perform driving operations such as driving the car and retreating to a safe place. . Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the guide bracket from being displaced due to an external force during transportation, and to prevent the generation of noise due to backlash due to vibration.

1 is an overall perspective view of a steering device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the principal part of the steering device of Example 1 of the present invention from the vehicle body upper side. It is a perspective view of a guide bracket alone. It is a front view of the principal part of the steering device of Example 1 of the present invention. It is a front view of the assembled | attached guide bracket. It is P arrow line view of FIG. It is Q arrow line view of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 illustrating a state in which the column collapsed to the collapse moving end on the vehicle body front side due to the secondary collision. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG.

  In the following embodiments, an example in which the present invention is applied to a tilt / telescopic steering device that adjusts both the tilt position and the telescopic position of a steering wheel will be described.

(Example)
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a steering apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is a column assist type rack and pinion type power steering apparatus. The column assist type rack and pinion type power steering apparatus shown in FIG. 1 applies the steering assist force of the electric assist mechanism 102 attached to the column 105 to the steering shaft in order to reduce the operating force of the steering wheel 101, and the intermediate shaft 106. This is a power steering device of a type in which the rack of a rack and pinion type steering gear 103 is reciprocated via the steering wheel and the steering wheel is steered via a tie rod 104.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the steering device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above the vehicle body, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guide bracket alone. FIG. 4 is a front view of the assembled guide bracket. FIG. 5 is a front view of a main part of the steering device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a view taken in the direction of arrow P in FIG. 7 is a view taken in the direction of arrow Q in FIG.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing a state in which the column has collapsingly moved to the collapse moving end on the front side of the vehicle body due to the secondary collision.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, the column 105 includes an outer column 42 and an inner column 46 on the vehicle body front side (left side in FIG. 5) of the outer column 42, and a steering wheel 101 is mounted on the vehicle body rear side. A steering shaft 41 is rotatably supported by a cylindrical outer column 42. The outer column 42 is guided by the tilt adjusting long grooves 26 and 26 of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket (vehicle mounting bracket) 21 and can be tilt-adjusted. The tilt adjusting long grooves 26 and 26 are formed in the side plates 21 b and 21 b of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21.

  An inner column 46 is fitted inside the outer column 42 on the front side of the vehicle body (left side in FIG. 5) so as to be telescopically movable in the axial direction, and an electric assist mechanism (electric power steering) 102 is placed on the front side of the inner column 46 in the vehicle body. Is installed. The electric assist mechanism 102 is pivotally supported by the lower vehicle body mounting bracket 44 fixed to the vehicle body 11 so as to be tiltable about the tilt central shaft 45.

  Further, a slit 422 that penetrates the inner peripheral surface (see FIG. 8) 421 of the outer column 42 is formed on the lower surface of the outer column 42. Further, the outer column 42 includes telescopic adjustment long grooves 423 and 423 formed so that the major axis direction extends in parallel with the axis of the outer column 42 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 8).

  A tightening rod 51 is inserted into the tilt adjusting long grooves 26 and 26 and the telescopic adjusting long grooves 423 and 423 from the left side of FIG. A fixed cam 52, a movable cam 53, and an operation lever 54 are externally fitted in this order on the outer periphery on the left side (left side in FIG. 8) of the tightening rod 51. An adjustment nut 55 is fitted on the right end (right side in FIG. 8) of the tightening rod 51, and a female screw formed on the inner diameter portion of the adjustment nut 55 is screwed into a male screw 56 formed on the right end of the tightening rod 51. Thus, the left end surface of the adjustment nut 55 is in contact with the outer surface of the right side plate 21b.

  An operation lever 54 is fixed to the left end surface of the movable cam 53, and the movable cam 53 and the fixed cam 52 that are integrally operated by the operation lever 54 constitute a cam lock mechanism.

  The side surface of the outer column 42 is tightened by the side plates 21 b and 21 b of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 by the swinging operation of the operation lever 54. By this tightening operation, the outer column 42 is clamped / unclamped to the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21, and the tilt position of the outer column 42 is adjusted during unclamping. Also, by this tightening operation, the inner peripheral surface 421 of the outer column 42 is reduced in diameter, and the outer column 42 is clamped / unclamped to the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 46, and the telescopic position of the outer column 42 is adjusted during unclamping. Do.

  An output shaft 43 (see FIG. 4) 43 on the front side of the vehicle body of the electric assist mechanism 102 is connected to a pinion that meshes with the rack shaft of the steering gear 103 via the intermediate shaft 106, so that the rotation operation of the steering wheel 101 is made to the steering device. Communicating.

  The upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 is fixed to the vehicle body 11. The mounting structure of the vehicle body 11 and the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 is the flange portion 21a at the upper portion of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21, and a pair of left and right cutout grooves (see FIG. 9) 23, 23 formed in the flange portion 21a. The capsules 24 and 24 are fitted in the left and right side edges of the notch grooves 23 and 23, and are symmetrical in the vehicle width direction (vertical direction in FIGS. 6 and 7) with respect to the axis of the outer column 42. It has a structure. On the vehicle body front side end surface 211 of the flange portion 21a, a bent portion 21c that is bent in an L shape is formed on the vehicle body lower side over the entire width in the vehicle width direction, thereby increasing the rigidity of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21.

  The upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 and the outer column 42 are made of a conductive material such as metal, and the notched grooves 23 and 23 are opened on the vehicle body rear side of the flange portion 21a. The notches 23 and 23 are fitted with capsules 24 and 24 made of a conductive material such as a metal (light alloy such as aluminum or zinc alloy die-cast), and each of the capsules 24 and 24 has four shear pins. (Connecting means) 24c is coupled to the flange portion 21a. The capsules 24 and 24 are fixed to the vehicle body 11 by bolts 25 inserted into the long groove-like bolt holes 24d and nuts (see FIG. 8) 27.

  When the driver collides with the steering wheel 101 due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision and a strong impact force is applied to the front side of the vehicle body, the shear pin 24c is sheared, and the flange portion 21a of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 is detached from the capsule 24. Thus, it moves in a collapsible manner toward the front side of the vehicle body (the left side in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7). Then, the outer column 42 moves along the inner column 46 toward the front side of the vehicle body and absorbs impact energy at the time of collision. When the outer column 42 performs a collapse movement by the collapse movement distance L1 shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle body front side end surface 424 of the outer column 42 comes into contact with the vehicle body rear side end surface 102a of the electric assist mechanism 102, and the collapse movement ends.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the capsule 24 is formed with an upper clamping plate 24a and a lower clamping plate 24b, and a flange portion 21a is inserted between the upper clamping plate 24a and the lower clamping plate 24b so as to be cut out. The upper and lower clamping plates 24a and 24b sandwich the left and right edges of the grooves 23 and 23.

  The capsule 24 is formed with a connecting portion 24e that connects the upper clamping plate 24a and the lower clamping plate 24b. Both side surfaces of the connecting portion 24e in the vehicle width direction are sandwiched between both side surfaces of the notch groove 23 in the vehicle width direction. The dimension of the connecting portion 24e in the vehicle width direction is smaller than the dimension of the upper clamping plate 24a and the lower clamping plate 24b in the vehicle width direction. The outer side surface 241 of the connecting portion 24e in the vehicle width direction is parallel to the axis of the outer column 42 on the vehicle body rear side (right side in FIG. 7), and the vehicle body front side (left side in FIG. 7) is the axis of the outer column 42. It is formed on an inclined surface inclined in a direction approaching the heart.

  Further, the inner side surface 242 of the connecting portion 24e in the vehicle width direction is parallel to the axis of the outer column 42 on the vehicle body rear side (right side in FIG. 7), and the vehicle body front side (left side in FIG. 7) is the outer column 42. It is formed in the inclined surface inclined in the direction away from the axial center. That is, as for the dimension in the vehicle width direction of the connecting portion 24e, the width on the vehicle body front side (left side in FIG. 7) is the narrowest, and the width gradually increases toward the vehicle body rear side (right side in FIG. 7). It is formed with a certain width.

  Outer surfaces 231 and 231 of the cutout grooves 23 and 23 in the vehicle width direction are formed on the flange portion 21a along the shape of the outer surfaces 241 and 241 of the connecting portions 24e and 24e in the vehicle width direction. Further, inner side surfaces 232 and 232 of the notch grooves 23 and 23 in the vehicle width direction are formed on the flange portion 21a along the shape of the inner side surfaces 242 and 242 of the connecting portions 24e and 24e in the vehicle width direction.

  Therefore, during the collapse movement of the upper body mounting bracket 21, the outer surfaces 231 and 231 in the vehicle width direction of the cutout grooves 23 and 23 and the inner surfaces 232 and 232 in the vehicle width direction are in the vehicle width direction of the connecting portions 24e and 24e. It moves away from the outer side surfaces 241 and 241 and the inner side surfaces 242 and 242 in the vehicle width direction and moves forward of the vehicle body.

  The guide bracket 70 is formed by press-molding a flat plate having a thickness capable of supporting the column 105 from which the vehicle body front extension 72 is detached, and includes a bolt insertion hole 71a and bent portions 73 and 73 bent substantially at right angles. And a small hole is provided at the tip of the bent portion 73.

  The capsule 24 is molded from a light alloy such as aluminum or zinc alloy die casting. The hole 24 f is integrally formed by die casting and opens at the bottom surface of the capsule 24.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the guide bracket 70, two bent portions 73 and 73 provided in the guide bracket 70 are fitted into holes 24 f and 24 f provided in the bottom surface of the capsule 24. Thereafter, the capsule 24 and the guide bracket 70 are integrally fixed to the flange portion 21a by a shear pin (connecting means) 24c in which the capsule 24 is injection-molded on the flange portion 21a with a synthetic resin.

  Synthetic resin wraps around through the holes provided in the two bent portions 73, 73 provided in the guide bracket 70, and then hardens, so that the guide bracket 70 is securely held. Make sure.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the guide brackets 70, 70 are formed with vehicle body front side extension portions 72, 72 extending longer to the vehicle body front side than the vehicle body front side end surface 211 of the flange portion 21a. The vehicle body front side extension 72 is formed so as to protrude by a length L2 parallel to the axis of the outer column 42 and on the vehicle front side of the vehicle body front side end surface 211 of the flange portion 21a. The length L2 of the vehicle body front side extension 72 is formed to be slightly longer than the collapse movement distance L1 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a rectangular cutout hole 21d into which the vehicle body front side extension 72 can be inserted is formed in the bent portion 21c of the vehicle body front side end surface 211 of the flange portion 21a, and the vehicle body is passed through the cutout hole 21d. A vehicle body front side extension 72 projects from the front side end surface 211 to the vehicle body front side.

  Accordingly, the flange portion 21a of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 is moved along the vehicle body front side extension portions 72 and 72 until the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 moves by the collapse movement distance L1 and reaches the collapse movement end on the vehicle body front side. Guided. Therefore, the flange portion 21a of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 can smoothly move to the collapse moving end without falling off from the capsules 24, 24.

  When a driver collides with the steering wheel 101 due to an impact at the time of a secondary collision and a strong impact force is applied to the front side of the vehicle body, the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 moves in a collapsed manner toward the front side of the vehicle body, and the shear pin 24c shears. When the shear pin 24c is sheared, the capsule 24 and the guide bracket 70 remain on the vehicle body 11 side, and the flange portion 21a of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 collapsingly moves to the vehicle body front side.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer side surfaces 231 and 231 in the vehicle width direction of the flange portion 21a and the inner side surfaces 232 and 232 in the vehicle width direction are the outer surfaces 241 and 241 in the vehicle width direction of the connecting portions 24e and 24e and Detach from the inner side surfaces 242 and 242 in the vehicle width direction. However, the flange portion 21a of the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 is guided along the vehicle body front side extensions 243 and 243 until reaching the collapse moving end on the vehicle body front side.

  Therefore, the upper vehicle body mounting bracket 21 can smoothly move to the collapse moving end by the collapse moving distance L1 without dropping from the guide brackets 70 and 70. Therefore, the impact energy absorbing member (not shown) is plastically deformed, so that the impact energy at the time of collision can be absorbed smoothly, and the driver's safety can be ensured reliably. In addition, since the upper body mounting bracket 21 does not fall off from the guide brackets 70, 70, the steering wheel 101 can be operated even after the secondary collision, so that the vehicle can be steered and retreated to a safe place. Driving operation can be performed.

  In the above embodiment, the shear pin is used as the connecting means for connecting the flange portion to the capsule so that the flange portion can be detached from the capsule with a predetermined impact force toward the front side of the vehicle body. However, instead of the shear pin, the capsule and the flange portion are used. May be coupled by press-fitting, and the flange portion may be detached from the capsule at the press-fitting portion, and may be collapsed to the front side of the vehicle body. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a tilt / telescopic steering apparatus has been described. However, a telescopic steering apparatus capable of adjusting only a telescopic position, and a steering apparatus in which neither a tilt position nor a telescopic position can be adjusted. You may apply to.

101 Steering wheel 102 Electric assist mechanism 103 Steering gear 104 Tie rod 105 Column 106 Intermediate shaft 11 Vehicle body 21 Upper vehicle body mounting bracket (vehicle body mounting bracket)
211 Car body front side end surface 21a Flange portion 21b Side plate 21c Bending portion 21d Notch hole 23 Notch groove 231 Outer surface 232 in the vehicle width direction Inner surface 24 in the vehicle width direction Capsule 24a Upper clamping plate 24b Lower clamping plate 24c Shear pin 24d Bolt hole 24e Connecting portion 24f Hole 241 Outer surface 242 in the vehicle width direction Inner surface 25 in the vehicle width direction Bolt 26 Long groove for tilt adjustment 27 Nut 41 Steering shaft 42 Outer column 421 Inner peripheral surface 422 Slit 423 Telescopic adjustment long groove 424 Front of vehicle body Side end face 43 Output shaft 44 Lower vehicle body mounting bracket 45 Tilt center shaft 46 Inner column 51 Tightening rod 52 Fixed cam 53 Movable cam 54 Operation lever 55 Adjustment nut 56 Male screw 70 Guide bracket 71a Bolt insertion hole 72 Car body front side extension 73 Folding Bending part

Claims (2)

A steering shaft for mounting a steering wheel on the rear side of the vehicle body;
A vehicle body mounting bracket attached to a column that rotatably supports the steering shaft;
A pair of left and right capsules fixed to the vehicle body, having a pair of upper and lower upper clamping plates and a lower clamping plate for clamping the flange portion of the vehicle body mounting bracket;
A connecting means for connecting the flange portion to the capsule so as to be detachable from the capsule with a predetermined impact force toward the vehicle body front side;
The bent portion of the guide bracket having a hole at the tip of the bent portion is fitted into the hole opened in the bottom surface of the capsule and is integrally coupled by the connecting means. A vehicle body front side extension that extends longer than the collapse movement distance on the vehicle body front side,
The steering device, wherein the vehicle body front side extension portion guides the flange portion to a collapse moving end. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means is injection molding using a synthetic resin.

Images