JP6390185B2 - Steering column device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column device that rotatably supports a steering shaft connected to a steering wheel of a vehicle.

  As a conventional steering column device, there is one that has an impact absorbing function that absorbs an impact of a secondary collision in which an impact load is applied to the steering wheel, and reduces an impact applied to a driver's body when a collision accident occurs (for example, Patent Document 1).

  A steering column device described in Patent Literature 1 includes a steering column that rotatably supports a steering shaft, a column that supports the steering column with respect to a vehicle body side bracket, and has a top plate at the upper end. And a guide block made of resin bonded and fixed to the top plate. A guide cutout extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is formed in the vehicle body side bracket, and a guide block is engaged with the guide cutout.

  The guide block includes a locking collar portion that is locked to the guide notch, a pair of locking leg portions that are locked to a locking hole provided in the top plate of the column side bracket, a locking collar portion, and a pair of And a base formed between the locking legs. The width dimension of the guide notch is formed narrower than the width dimension of the base portion of the guide block. When a secondary collision occurs, the movement of the column side bracket to the front of the vehicle is guided by the guide block, and the base of the guide block is plastically deformed to absorb impact energy.

  Further, the guide block can temporarily hold the column side bracket on the vehicle body side bracket when the steering column device is assembled to the vehicle body. By fixing the column side bracket with a bolt in a state where the column side bracket is temporarily held by the vehicle body side bracket, the steering column device can be easily assembled to the vehicle body.

JP 2012-214166 A

  In the steering column device described in Patent Document 1, workability is improved by allowing the column side bracket to be temporarily held by the vehicle body side bracket. However, the guide block can be used even in a secondary collision. The pair of locking leg portions of the guide block need to be locked in locking holes provided in the top plate of the column side bracket with appropriate coupling strength so as not to come off. For this reason, when attaching the guide block to the column side bracket, it was necessary to push the pair of locking leg portions of the guide block into the locking holes of the column side bracket with a strong force, which was a heavy burden on the assembly operator. .

  Further, the steering column device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to be able to absorb impact energy by plastic deformation of a guide block that is a resin member. However, since the resin is easily deformed or torn, In some cases, the structure does not always provide a sufficient impact absorbing effect.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering column device that can improve the workability of attaching a steering column and can enhance the impact absorption effect at the time of a secondary collision.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a steering column that is mounted on a vehicle and rotatably supports a steering shaft having a steering wheel fixed to an end thereof, and a column bracket that supports the steering column with respect to a vehicle body. And an impact absorbing member attached to the column bracket, and the column bracket is supported by the vehicle body so as to be detachable forward of the vehicle at the time of a secondary collision in which an impact load acts on the steering wheel. The absorbing member includes a locked portion that is locked to a locking portion provided on the vehicle body side when the column bracket is assembled to the vehicle body, a plate-like portion that is fixed to the column bracket, and the locked member. and a connecting portion connecting the plate-shaped portion and the stop portion, said engaged portion, the horizontal plate portion which is formed horizontally along the vehicle width direction , A T-shape integrally having a vertical plate portion extending downward from the central portion of the horizontal plate portion, and a locking hole penetrating in the vertical direction of the vehicle body is formed in the locking portion, The locking hole includes a first through hole formed as a long hole long in the vehicle width direction, and a second through hole formed as a short hole shorter in the vehicle width direction than the first through hole. The second through hole is provided on the vehicle front side with respect to the first through hole, and the length of the first through hole in the vehicle width direction is The lateral plate portion is longer than the length in the vehicle width direction, and the length of the second through hole in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the vertical plate portion in the vehicle width direction and the width direction of the horizontal plate portion. When assembling the column bracket to the vehicle body, the horizontal plate portion is inserted into the first through hole from below in the vertical direction. Wherein the said vertical plate portion that is fitted into the second through hole after through the engaged portion is engaged with the locking portion, in front of the column bracket when the secondary collision the vehicle Provided is a steering column device in which the impact of the secondary collision is absorbed by moving a part of the plate-like part torn by moving.

  According to the steering column device of the present invention, it is possible to improve the workability of attaching the steering column and enhance the impact absorbing effect at the time of the secondary collision.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a steering column device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a steering column apparatus typically. The structural example of an impact-absorbing member is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a rear view. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3. It is a top view which shows the structure of the latching | locking part provided in the vehicle body. It is a partial perspective view which shows the impact-absorbing member at the time of a secondary collision, and its periphery, (a) shows the state before a secondary collision, (b) shows the state after a secondary collision. (A)-(c) is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the state change of the impact-absorbing member at the time of a secondary collision.

[Embodiment]
A steering column apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, left and right, top and bottom, and front and rear refer to the left and right, top and bottom, and front and rear of a vehicle in a state where the steering column device is mounted.

(Configuration of the steering column device 1)
FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a steering column device 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the steering column device 1 in a cross section along its rotation axis. The steering column device 1 is configured as a steering column device with a column assist type steering assist device that assists the driver in operating the steering wheel 2.

  A steering column device 1 is mounted on a vehicle, and a steering column 4 that rotatably supports a steering shaft 3 having a steering wheel 2 fixed to an end thereof, and an upper column bracket 5 that supports the steering column 4 with respect to a vehicle body 9. And an impact absorbing member 6 attached to the upper column bracket 5 and a steering assist device 7 for applying a steering assist force to the steering shaft 3. In FIG. 1, for the vehicle body 9, only the peripheral portion of the portion that supports the upper column bracket 5 is shown.

(Configuration of steering column 4)
The steering column 4 has an outer tube 41 and an inner tube 42 that are fitted so as to be relatively rotatable and relatively movable in the axial direction. The outer tube 41 is disposed on the steering wheel 2 side and accommodates one end portion of the inner tube 42. Further, an upper fixing bracket 43 having a pair of side plates is fixed to the outer tube 41.

(Configuration of steering shaft 3)
As shown in FIG. 2, the steering shaft 3 includes an upper shaft 31 fixed to the steering wheel 2 and a lower shaft 32 fitted to the upper shaft 31 so as not to be relatively rotatable and to be relatively movable in the axial direction.

  The lower shaft 32 is connected to the output shaft 710 via a torsion bar (not shown) housed in the housing 70 of the steering assist device 7. The steering assist device 7 includes a lower bracket 72 that supports the housing 70, an electric motor 711, and a controller 712 that supplies a motor current to the electric motor 711. The rotational force of the electric motor 711 is reduced by a worm gear mechanism (not shown). Decelerate and apply to output shaft 710. The torque of the output shaft 710 is transmitted to the rack and pinion type steering mechanism via the universal joint 11 and the like, and the steered wheels are steered by the forward and backward movement of the rack shaft.

  The lower bracket 72 has a pair of flange pieces 721 at both ends in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle body 9 (only one flange piece 721 is shown in FIG. 1). The pair of flange pieces 721 are formed with two bolt insertion holes 721a through which bolts 900 (shown in FIG. 2) that are screwed into bolt holes (not shown) of the vehicle body 9 are inserted. Further, the lower bracket 72 is formed with a bolt insertion hole 720a through which a bolt 720 screwed into the housing 70 is inserted. In the steering column device 1, the steering wheel 2 moves in the vertical direction by swinging around the bolt 720 as a tilt axis, and tilt adjustment is possible.

(Configuration of upper column bracket 5)
The upper column bracket 5 includes a bracket body 51 having a pair of wall portions sandwiching the upper fixing bracket 43 in the vehicle width direction, an attachment stay 52 that is fixed to the bracket body 51 by a fixing means such as welding, and extends in the vehicle width direction. It has a pair of capsules 53 as support members with which a pair of engaging portions 52a provided at both ends of the mounting stay 52 engage. The pair of engaging portions 52 a are removably engaged with the pair of capsules 53, and the pair of capsules 53 are fixed to the vehicle body 9. In other words, the upper column bracket 5 is provided with a pair of engaging portions 52a that are detachably engaged with the pair of capsules 53 in the vehicle width direction, and the front of the vehicle at the time of a secondary collision in which an impact load acts on the steering wheel 2. It is supported by the vehicle body 9 so as to be detachable.

  The capsule 53 is formed with a bolt insertion hole 53a through which a bolt (not shown) is inserted, penetrating in the vertical direction. The capsule 53 is fixed to the vehicle body 9 when a bolt inserted into the bolt insertion hole 53 a is screwed into a female screw portion 9 a formed in the vehicle body 9.

  The upper fixing bracket 43 is formed with a horizontally elongated hole 81a (shown in FIG. 2) through which a fastening shaft 81 that rotates as the operating lever 80 operated by the driver swings is inserted. The clamping shaft 81 is eccentrically connected to the cylindrical pressing member 82, and the pressing member 82 is eccentrically rotated as the operation lever 80 is operated. The outer tube 41 is formed with a through hole 41 a that allows the inner tube 42 to face the pressing member 82.

  When the driver lifts the tip of the operation lever 80, the upper fixing bracket 43 is fastened and fixed to the upper column bracket 5 by a cam mechanism (not shown), and the inner tube 42 is pressed by the pressing member 82, and tilt lock is performed. And telescopic lock is performed. Further, when the driver depresses the tip of the operation lever 80, tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment are possible.

(Configuration of shock absorbing member 6)
FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the shock absorbing member 6, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a rear view. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the locking portion 91 provided on the vehicle body 9.

  The shock absorbing member 6 includes a locked portion 61 that is locked to a locking portion 91 provided in the vehicle body 9 when the upper column bracket 5 is assembled to the vehicle body 9, and a rectangular shape that is fixed to the upper column bracket 5. The plate-like portion 62 and a connecting portion 63 that connects the locked portion 61 and the plate-like portion 62 are integrally provided. The impact absorbing member 6 is formed by punching and bending a steel plate such as SPCC into a predetermined shape, for example, and the upper column bracket 5 so that the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 62 is parallel to the rotation axis of the steering shaft 3. Are fixed to the upper surface of the mounting stay 52.

  The locked portion 61 is provided on the lower bracket 72 side in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 62. Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the locked portion 61 is T-shaped, and has a horizontal plate portion 610 that is formed horizontally along the vehicle width direction, and a horizontal plate portion 610. A vertical plate portion 611 extending downward from the central portion is integrally provided.

  The plate-like portion 62 is disposed between the pair of engaging portions 52a in the mounting stay 52 of the upper column bracket 5, and the lower surface of the plate-like portion 62 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper column bracket 5 by fixing means such as welding. Yes. In the present embodiment, the impact absorbing member 6 is fixed to the upper column bracket 5 by spot welding at the four corners of the plate-like portion 62. However, the plate-like portion 62 is not limited to welding, and may be fixed to the upper column bracket 5 by bolt fastening, for example.

  The plate-like portion 62 has a thickness of 1 to 3 mm, for example. Further, the plate-like portion 62 is formed with a pair of grooves 62a formed along the moving direction of the steering column 4 at the time of the secondary collision. In the present embodiment, the extending direction of the pair of grooves 62 a is parallel to the rotation axis of the steering column 4.

  The connecting portion 63 connects the locked portion 61 between the pair of grooves 62 a in the plate-like portion 62. More specifically, the connecting portion 63 extends in parallel with the plate-like portion 62 from between the pair of grooves 62 a and is continuous with the lower end of the vertical plate portion 611 of the locked portion 61.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of grooves 62 a has a triangular shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 62. The thickness of the portion other than the pair of grooves 62a are formed in the plate portion 62 and h _1, when the groove depth of the grooves 62a and h _2, the groove depth h ₂ is deeper than half the thickness h ₁ It is desirable. By thus groove depth h ₂ of the pair of grooves 62a is set, the plate-like portion 62 is easily torn along the pair of grooves 62a by the impact of the secondary collision.

The pair of grooves 62 a is formed in a part of the plate-like portion 62 on the vehicle front side. In other words, the entire length of the longitudinal direction is L ₁ of the plate-like portion 62 as shown in FIG. 3 (a), when the longitudinal length of the grooves 62a and L _2, the length L ₂ of the groove 62a is , shorter than the longitudinal length _{L 1} of the plate-like portion 62. That is, the groove 62 a is formed as a halfway stop groove extending from the end portion of the plate-like portion 62 on the vehicle front side toward the steering 2 and stopping in the middle of the plate-like portion 62.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a locking hole 910 that penetrates in the vertical direction of the vehicle body 9 is formed in the locking portion 91 provided in the vehicle body 9. The locking hole 910 includes a first through hole 910a formed as a long hole long in the vehicle width direction, and a second through hole 910b formed as a short hole shorter in the vehicle width direction than the first through hole 910a. And the second through hole 910b is provided on the vehicle front side of the first through hole 910a.

  The length in the vehicle width direction of the first through hole 910a is longer than the length in the vehicle width direction of the lateral plate portion 610 of the shock absorbing member 6, and the length in the vehicle width direction of the second through hole 910b is It is longer than the length of the vertical plate portion 611 of the absorbing member 6 in the vehicle width direction and shorter than the length of the horizontal plate portion 610 in the vehicle width direction.

(Installation of steering column device 1)
In attaching the steering column device 1 to the vehicle body 9, first, the locked portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 6 is locked to the locking portion 91 of the vehicle body 9 to temporarily hold the steering column device 1.

  When the locked portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 6 is locked to the locking portion 91 of the vehicle body 9, the steering column 61 is positioned so that the locked portion 61 is positioned below the locking hole 910 of the locking portion 91. The device 1 is arranged, and the horizontal plate portion 610 of the locked portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 6 is inserted through the first through hole 910a. Then, by moving the steering column device 1 forward of the vehicle, the vertical plate portion 611 of the locked portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 6 is fitted into the second through hole 910b. As a result, the locked portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 6 is locked to the locking portion 91 of the vehicle body 9, and the steering column device 1 is temporarily held.

  The bolt 900 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 721a of the pair of flange pieces 721 of the lower bracket 72, and the bolt 900 is screwed into the female screw of the vehicle body 9, thereby fixing the lower bracket 72 to the vehicle body 9 and the upper column. The upper column bracket 5 is fixed to the vehicle body 9 by inserting a bolt (not shown) into the bolt insertion hole 53 a of the capsule 53 of the bracket 5 and screwing this bolt into the female screw portion 9 a of the vehicle body 9. As a result, the steering column device 1 is attached to the vehicle body 9.

  Thus, the locked portion 61 is locked to the locking portion 91 of the vehicle body 9, so that the weight is supported by the shock absorbing member 6 when the steering column device 1 is attached to the vehicle body 9, and the steering column device. 1 can be easily fixed.

(Operation during secondary collision)
Next, operations of the upper column bracket 5 and the impact absorbing member 6 at the time of the secondary collision will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of the upper column bracket 5 and the shock absorbing member 6 at the time of the secondary collision, with the illustration of the vehicle body 9 omitted, and (a) shows the state before the secondary collision. (B) shows the state after the secondary collision, respectively. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of deformation of the shock absorbing member 6 at the time of a secondary collision, where (a) shows a state before the secondary collision, (b) shows a state during the occurrence of the secondary collision, ( c) shows the state after the secondary collision.

  After the primary collision of the vehicle, when the driver has a secondary collision with the steering wheel 2 and an impact load greater than a predetermined load acts on the steering wheel 2, the impact load is applied from the steering shaft 3 to the upper column via the steering column 4. Bracket 5 receives.

  In the state shown in FIGS. 6A and 7A, the upper column bracket 5 is supported by the vehicle body 9 by the capsule 53. When a secondary collision occurs, the upper column bracket 5 receives an impact load via the steering column 4, so that the upper column bracket 5 moves forward with respect to the vehicle body 9 as shown in FIGS. 6 (b) and 7 (b). It moves in the direction of the arrow, and the engaging portion 52 a of the upper column bracket 5 is detached from the capsule 53 along the guide groove 53 b provided in the capsule 53.

  At this time, the plate-like portion 62 of the shock absorbing member 6 is torn along the pair of grooves 62a. On the other hand, the upper column bracket 5 moves forward of the vehicle body 9 with respect to the vehicle body 9 while receiving a force in the direction opposite to the moving direction by the impact absorbing member 6. Thereby, the impact at the time of the secondary collision is absorbed by the impact absorbing member 6, and the impact received by the driver is reduced. That is, a part of the plate-like portion 62 of the shock absorbing member 6 is torn along with the movement of the upper column bracket 5 forward of the vehicle at the time of the secondary collision, so that the impact of the secondary collision is absorbed.

  Further, since the pair of grooves 62a are formed in a part of the plate-like portion 62 on the vehicle front side, the plate-like portion 62 is not broken over the entire area in the longitudinal direction, and the secondary collision occurs. It is avoided that the steering column device 1 is detached from the vehicle body 9 and sometimes falls off.

(Operation and effect of the embodiment)
According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The impact absorbing member 6 includes a locked portion 61 that is locked to the locking portion 91 of the vehicle body 9 when the upper column bracket 5 is assembled to the vehicle body 9, and a plate-like portion 62 that is fixed to the column bracket 5. Therefore, the steering column device 1 can be easily attached to the vehicle body 9. Furthermore, since a part of the plate-like portion 62 is torn at the time of the secondary collision, the impact absorbing member 6 can reduce the moving speed of the upper column bracket 5 to the front of the vehicle due to the secondary collision. The impact received by the driver can be reduced.

(2) Since the plate-like portion 62 of the shock absorbing member 6 is formed with a pair of grooves 62a extending in the moving direction of the steering column 4 at the time of the secondary collision, the plate-like portion 62 is paired at the time of the secondary collision. It is possible to tear along the groove 62a and obtain the impact absorbing effect by the shock absorbing member 6 stably.

(3) Since the pair of grooves 62a is formed in a part of the plate-like portion 62 on the front side of the vehicle, the plate-like portion 62 is prevented from tearing in the entire region in the longitudinal direction. It is possible to avoid the steering column device 1 being detached from the vehicle body 9 and falling off.

(4) Since the shock absorbing member 6 is fixed between the engaging portions 52a of the upper column bracket 5, when the steering column 4 is temporarily held when the steering column 4 is attached to the vehicle body 9, the steering column device 1 Inclination with respect to the vehicle width direction is suppressed by the weight. Further, when a secondary collision occurs, the shock absorbing force by the shock absorbing member 6 acts along the axial direction of the steering column 4, so that the tilting of the steering column 4 in the left-right direction can be suppressed.

  As mentioned above, although the electric power steering column apparatus of the present invention has been described based on the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is possible to implement.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pair of grooves 62a are formed in parallel to the axial direction of the steering column 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pair of grooves, for example, are separated from each other toward the steering wheel 2 in the axial direction. It may be inclined like this. That is, the pair of grooves 62a may be inclined and extend in the moving direction of the steering column 4 at the time of the secondary collision.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the locked portion 61 of the shock absorbing member 6 is locked by inserting the horizontal plate portion 610 into the locking hole 910 formed in the locking portion 91 of the vehicle body 9. It is not limited to this. For example, a protrusion may be provided on the vehicle body 9 side, and the impact absorbing member 6 may be provided with a recess that engages with the protrusion.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the pair of grooves 62a is formed on the upper surface where the plate-like portion 62 faces the vehicle body 9, but is not limited to this, for example, only on the lower surface side facing the upper column bracket 5. It may be formed, and may be formed in the upper surface and the lower surface.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering column apparatus, 2 ... Steering wheel, 3 ... Steering shaft, 31 ... Upper shaft, 32 ... Lower shaft, 4 ... Steering column, 41 ... Outer tube 41, 41a ... Through-hole, 42 ... Inner tube, 43 ... Upper Fixing bracket, 5 ... upper column bracket, 51 ... bracket body, 52 ... mounting stay, 52a ... engaging portion, 53 ... capsule, 53a ... bolt insertion hole, 53b ... guide groove, 6 ... shock absorbing member, 61 ... engaged Stop part, 610 ... Horizontal plate part, 611 ... Vertical plate part, 62 ... Plate-like part, 62a ... Pair of grooves, 63 ... Connecting part, 7 ... Steering assist device, 70 ... Housing, 710 ... Output shaft, 711 ... Electric Motor, 712 ... Controller, 72 ... Lower bracket, 721 ... A pair of flange pieces, 721a ... Bolt insertion hole, 720 ... Bo 720a ... bolt insertion hole, 11 ... universal joint, 80 ... operating lever, 81 ... clamping shaft, 81a ... horizontal hole, 82 ... pressing member, 9 ... vehicle body, 9a ... internal thread portion, 91 ... locking portion, 910 ... locking hole, 910a ... first through hole, 910b ... second through hole, 900 ... bolt

Claims (4)

A steering column mounted on a vehicle and rotatably supporting a steering shaft having a steering wheel fixed to an end;
A column bracket for supporting the steering column with respect to the vehicle body;
An impact absorbing member attached to the column bracket;
The column bracket is supported by the vehicle body so as to be detachable forward of the vehicle at the time of a secondary collision in which an impact load acts on the steering wheel.
The shock absorbing member includes a locked portion that is locked to a locking portion provided on the vehicle body side when the column bracket is assembled to the vehicle body, a plate-like portion that is fixed to the column bracket, A connecting portion that connects the locked portion and the plate-like portion;
The locked portion is a T-shape integrally including a horizontal plate portion that is formed horizontally along the vehicle width direction and a vertical plate portion that extends downward from the center portion of the horizontal plate portion,
The locking portion is formed with a locking hole penetrating in the vertical direction of the vehicle body,
The locking hole includes a first through hole formed as a long hole long in the vehicle width direction, and a second through hole formed as a short hole shorter in the vehicle width direction than the first through hole. The second through hole is provided on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the first through hole.
The length of the first through hole in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the lateral plate portion in the vehicle width direction,
The length of the second through hole in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the vertical plate portion in the vehicle width direction and shorter than the length of the horizontal plate portion in the vehicle width direction,
When assembling the column bracket to the vehicle body, the horizontal plate portion is inserted into the first through hole from below in the vertical direction, and then the vertical plate portion is fitted into the second through hole. The locked portion is locked to the locking portion,
When the column bracket moves to the front of the vehicle at the time of the secondary collision, a part of the plate-like portion is torn, so that the impact of the secondary collision is absorbed.
Steering column device. The plate-like portion is formed with a pair of grooves extending in the moving direction of the steering column at the time of the secondary collision,
The connecting portion connects the locked portion between the pair of grooves in the plate-like portion.
The steering column device according to claim 1. The pair of grooves are formed in a part of the plate-like portion on the vehicle front side.
The steering column device according to claim 2. The column bracket is provided with a pair of engaging portions that are detachably engaged with a pair of support members fixed to the vehicle body, side by side in the vehicle width direction,
The plate-like portion of the shock absorbing member is fixed between the pair of engaging portions;
The steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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