JP6082234B2 - Steering column support structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column support structure.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of a steering column support structure in a conventional cab-over type vehicle. A steering shaft 2 having a steering wheel 1 operated at the upper end by a driver is rotatable by the steering column 3. The steering wheel 1 is extended to the bottom of the floor 4 and connected to the steering gear box 5. The operating force of the steering wheel 1 is transmitted to the steering gear box 5 via the steering shaft 2, and the pitman arm 6 is moved. It is converted into a large force that swings, and the drag link 7 is pushed and pulled by the swing of the pitman arm 6 so that the front wheels are steered via a knuckle arm and a tie rod (not shown).

  The steering column 3 that supports the steering shaft 2 is supported via a steering column bracket 10 by a steering support 9 assembled on the dash panel 8 on the vehicle compartment side. The lower portion of the shaft 2 constitutes a telescopic spline shaft portion 2a that does not restrict the tilt of the cab and the operation of the cab suspension, and does not serve as a strength member. , The steering shaft 2, the steering column 3, and the like are substantially cantilevered by the steering support 9.

  In the figure, 11 is a universal joint that forms a bendable joint in the middle of the steering shaft 2 so that the inclination angle of the steering wheel 1 can be adjusted, and 12 is for fixing or releasing the steering wheel 1 at the adjustment position. An adjustment lever 13 for covering the steering column 3, a column cover for covering the steering column 3, a column boot for covering the lower portion of the steering shaft 2, and a side rail 15 are shown.

  In such a cab-over type vehicle, when a large external force is applied to the front surface of the cab during a collision, the distance between the cab tip and the occupant is shorter than that of a passenger car. Whether to protect passengers is an important issue, and measures such as increasing the rigidity of the cab frame and adopting shock absorbing materials are being considered.

  As prior art document information related to this type of steering column support structure, there are the following Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the like.

JP 2002-370651 A JP 2003-182593 A

  However, particularly in Europe and the like, stricter vehicle regulations have been promoted, and it has been decided to carry out a stricter crash test than before. For example, as schematically shown in FIG. A crash test that is performed by applying an external force from the front is also scheduled to be carried out. However, when an external force is applied from the front to the periphery of the front window 16 in this way, the dash panel 8 that forms the front portion of the cab 17 is formed. And the steering column bracket 10 and the steering column 3 fall backward, and the living space of the driver 18 is narrowed, and the legs and the like are sandwiched between the driver 18 and the driver 18 quickly. There is concern that it will be difficult to escape.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to secure a sufficient living space where the driver can quickly escape even when an external force is applied to the periphery of the front window from the front. Objective.

The present invention is fixed in the vicinity of the rear edge portion of the through hole of the steering shaft by extending the lower portion of the steering column bracket to be assembled with respect to the steering support provided in the vehicle compartment side of the dash panel to the floor, the steering column bracket However, the present invention relates to a steering column support structure, which is configured to function as a stiffener that supports the dash panel falling backward due to an external force from the front.

  Thus, in this case, even if an external force is applied from the front to the periphery of the front window in the event of a collision and the upper part of the dash panel is pushed backward, the steering column bracket functions as a stiffener and the rear of the dash panel It is possible to receive the external force from the front to the floor and receive it, so compared to the case where the external force from the front is received only by the skeleton of the cab, the dash panel has fallen backward significantly Will be suppressed.

  In the past, the load of the steering mechanism consisting of the steering wheel, steering shaft, steering column, etc. has been supported from the front by a cantilever by the steering support, but the load of the steering mechanism is directly below the steering column bracket. Since it can be supported firmly from the floor and supported from the front by the steering support as before, the support rigidity of the steering mechanism is greatly improved and the load on the steering support is also reduced compared to the conventional case. .

  Further, in concrete implementation of the present invention, at least a portion extending to the lower portion of the steering column bracket forms a folded plate structure having a ridge line portion in the vertical direction so as to cover the steering shaft from the passenger compartment side. Preferably, it is formed, and by doing so, the buckling strength of the steering column bracket is increased by the folded plate structure having the ridge line portion in the vertical direction, and the steering column is supported more firmly.

  Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that a reinforcing member for improving the strength of the portion is provided at a portion where the lower portion of the steering column bracket is fixed on the floor, and in this way, the steering column bracket on the floor is provided. The strength of the portion where the lower part of the arm is fixed is improved by the reinforcing member, and the external force from the front is firmly received on the floor side.

  According to the steering column support structure of the present invention described above, various excellent effects as described below can be obtained.

  (I) According to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, when an external force is applied to the periphery of the front window from the front in the event of a collision or the like, the steering column bracket functions as a stiffener and the dash panel tilts backward. And the external force from the front can also be transmitted to the floor and received, so that the descent of the dash panel can be suppressed more significantly than before, which allows the driver to escape quickly. A safe living space.

  (II) According to the first aspect of the present invention, the load of the steering mechanism including the steering wheel, the steering shaft, the steering column, and the like is firmly supported from the floor immediately below by the steering column bracket and the steering support as before. Since it can be supported from the front, the support rigidity of the steering mechanism can be greatly improved, the steering vibration can be significantly reduced, and the load on the steering support can be reduced more than before. The weight of the steering support can be reduced.

  (III) According to the invention described in claim 2 of the present invention, the folding column structure having the ridge line portion in the vertical direction can increase the buckling strength of the steering column bracket and more firmly support the steering column. The effects of securing a sufficient living space at the time of a collision, reducing steering vibration, and reducing the weight of the steering support can be further ensured.

  (IV) According to the invention described in claim 3 of the present invention, the strength of the portion of the floor to which the lower portion of the steering column bracket is fixed can be improved by the reinforcing member, and the external force from the front can be increased on the floor side. Since it can be firmly received, the effects of securing a sufficient living space in the event of a collision, reducing steering vibration, and reducing the weight of the steering support can be further ensured.

It is the side view which notched and showed an example of the form which implements this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the structure of FIG. 1 except the column cover and the column boot. It is the perspective view which showed the steering column bracket of FIG. It is a schematic diagram regarding a cab deformation | transformation when external force is added to the structure of FIG. 1 from the front. It is the side view which notched and showed the conventional example. It is the perspective view which showed the structure of FIG. 5 except the column cover and the column boot. It is a schematic diagram regarding cab deformation | transformation when external force is added to the structure of FIG. 5 from the front.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 4 show an example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 5 to 7 represent the same items.

  In the example shown here, a cab-over type vehicle in which the steering column 3 is supported via a steering column bracket 19 by a steering support 9 assembled on the cabin side of the dash panel 8 of the cab 17. The steering column bracket 10 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), which has been interposed between the steering support 9 and the steering column 3 so far and has only been a member for assembling the two, is located below the floor. The steering column bracket 19 is changed to a new steering column bracket 19 extended to 4 and fixed to the floor 4, and the steering column bracket 19 is supported by a stiffener that supports the backward tilting of the dash panel 8 by an external force from the front. As a special feature, It has become.

  In the case of the steering column bracket 19 employed in this embodiment, the upper part has the same shape as before, and is fastened to the portion of the upper part of the steering support 9 that protrudes toward the passenger compartment via the flange 20. On the other hand, the part extended to the lower part is formed so as to cover the steering shaft 2 from the passenger compartment side by forming a folded plate structure having a ridge line portion 21 in the vertical direction. Is a folded plate structure having a U-shaped cross section projecting toward the passenger compartment.

  At this time, it is preferable that the steering column bracket 19 has a shape that is accommodated in the shape of the conventional column cover 13 and the column boot 14 so as not to infringe the pedal space, and a portion that extends below the steering column bracket 19. It is also possible to eliminate the column boot 14 and to rationalize parts by substituting the role of the column boot 14.

  The lower part of the steering column bracket 19 is fastened to the vicinity of the rear edge of the through hole 23 of the steering shaft 2 opened in the floor 4 via a flange 22. A reinforcing member 24 made of channel steel or the like for improving the strength of the part is provided on the back surface of the part to which the lower part is fixed.

  Thus, in this case, as schematically shown in FIG. 4, even if an external force is applied to the periphery of the front window 16 from the front and the upper portion of the dash panel 8 is pushed backward in the event of a collision, the steering column Since the bracket 19 functions as a stiffener to support the falling down of the dash panel 8 and it is possible to transmit the external force from the front to the floor 4 and receive it, the external force from the front can be received only by the skeleton of the cab 17. Compared with the case where it catches, the fall of the dash panel 8 to the back is suppressed significantly.

  At this time, the portion extended to the lower portion of the steering column bracket 19 is formed so as to cover the steering shaft 2 from the vehicle compartment side by forming a folded plate structure having a ridge line portion 21 in the vertical direction. The buckling strength of the bracket 19 is increased and the steering column 3 is supported more firmly.

  In addition, since a reinforcing member 24 for improving the strength of the portion of the floor 4 where the lower portion of the steering column bracket 19 is fixed is provided, a portion of the floor 4 where the lower portion of the steering column bracket 19 is fixed. It is possible to improve the strength of the steel plate by the reinforcing member 24 and firmly receive external force from the front on the floor 4 side.

  In the past, the load of the steering mechanism comprising the steering wheel 1, the steering shaft 2, the steering column 3, etc. has been supported from the front by a cantilever by the steering support 9, but the load of the steering mechanism is supported by the steering column. Since the bracket 19 can be firmly supported from the floor 4 directly below and can be supported from the front by the steering support 9 as before, the support rigidity of the steering mechanism is greatly improved and the load on the steering support 9 is also increased. This will be alleviated from the conventional level.

  Therefore, according to the above embodiment, when an external force is applied from the front to the periphery of the front window 16 at the time of a collision or the like, the steering column bracket 19 is functioned as a stiffener to support the descent of the dash panel 8 from the front. The external force of the vehicle can be transmitted to the floor 4 and received, so that the rearward fall of the dash panel 8 can be significantly suppressed as compared with the conventional case, so that the driver 18 can sufficiently escape quickly. Space can be secured.

  Further, since the load of the steering mechanism including the steering wheel 1, the steering shaft 2, the steering column 3 and the like can be firmly supported from the floor 4 directly below by the steering column bracket 19 and can be supported from the front by the steering support 9 as before, The support rigidity of the steering mechanism can be greatly improved, the steering vibration can be remarkably reduced, and the load on the steering support 9 can be reduced as compared with the prior art, so that the weight of the steering support 9 can be reduced. Can be planned.

  Here, particularly in the present embodiment, the folding column structure having the ridge line portion 21 in the vertical direction can increase the buckling strength of the steering column bracket 19 to support the steering column 3 more firmly. The strength of the portion where the lower portion of the steering column bracket 19 is fixed can be improved by the reinforcing member 24, and the external force from the front can be firmly received on the floor 4 side, so that sufficient survival in a collision or the like The effects of securing space, reducing steering vibration, and reducing the weight of the steering support 9 can be further ensured.

  Note that the steering column support structure of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the shape of the steering column bracket can function as a stiffener that supports the descent of the dash panel from falling backward due to external force from the front. Of course, the shape does not necessarily have to be the shape shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

3 Steering column 4 Floor 8 Dash panel 9 Steering support 19 Steering column bracket 21 Ridge section 24 Reinforcement member

Claims (3)

The lower part of the steering column bracket that is assembled to the steering support provided on the vehicle interior side of the dash panel is extended to the floor and fixed near the rear edge of the through hole of the steering shaft. A steering column support structure characterized by being configured to function as a stiffener that supports the dash panel to fall backward by an external force of the wheel.   2. The steering column bracket according to claim 1, wherein at least a lower portion of the steering column bracket is formed so as to cover the steering shaft from the passenger compartment side by forming a folded plate structure having a ridge line portion in the vertical direction. The described steering column support structure.   The steering column support structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a reinforcing member for improving the strength of the portion is provided at a portion of the floor where the lower portion of the steering column bracket is fixed.

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