JPH01195176A - Steering support structure for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a steering wheel form moving far upward in the case of a car clash by connecting a moving member such as a pedal bracket to the bottom end part of a steering column by means of a control member. CONSTITUTION:A pedal bracket 20 comprises a frame-shaped member with its bottom surface part opened and a bent link 21 is installed inside the pedal bracket 20 as a control member. The bent link 21 is composed of two members connected to each other with a pin 21a in a bendable state and a tubular member 21b is attached to its upper end part. The upper end part of the bent link 21 is connected to the pedal bracket 20 with free turning movement, and the lower end part of the bent link 21 is connected to a steering column bracket 3a. A steering column fixing device is constructed by comprising a bent part 20b formed on the lower part of the pedal bracket 20, a connecting member 3b and a shear pin.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a steering support structure for an automobile, which prevents a steering wheel from moving upward significantly in the event of a collision of the automobile.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, various steering support structures have been proposed in order to minimize collision damage to a driver against a steering wheel during a vehicle collision. For example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-111668, the lower part of the steering column is swingably attached to the support bracket of the vehicle body, the upper part of the steering column is separably fixed to the support bracket under a predetermined load, and A steering collision energy absorbing device is disclosed in which a hook attached to a column engages an energy absorbing wire having resistance to extension.

Furthermore, a steering support device has been developed that absorbs energy during a collision by having the driver apply pressure to a relatively low-rigid rim portion (annular operating portion) of the steering wheel. In this steering support device, the upper part of the steering column is fixed to the steering support member extending in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the lower part of the steering column is fixed to the pedal bracket or master cylinder bracket via a shear pin that breaks under a predetermined load. It is fixed to . When the shear pin breaks during a car collision, the steering column rotates about the steering support member, causing the steering wheel to move upward.

It should be noted that the steering shaft is originally generally arranged at an inclination so that it becomes higher toward the rear. Therefore, when an external force to the rear such as a collision is input from the front end of the steering shaft, The steering wheel tends to move upward around the portion supported by the steering column support member.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In recent years, so-called airbags have been developed that inflate in a short period of time in the event of a car collision to prevent the driver from directly hitting the steering wheel. The airbag is
Normally, the airbag is installed inside a boss at the center of the steering wheel and inflates around this boss. Therefore, in order to effectively protect the driver with an airbag, the position of the wheel pad in the event of a car collision must be adjusted. It is undesirable for the wheel position to remain moved significantly upward or downward.

In this case, modern steering wheels are often equipped with a large and thick buffer pad made of elastic material on the boss part to protect the driver. Also, it is undesirable for the steering wheel to remain moved significantly upward or downward during a collision.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering support structure for an automobile that can reliably hold the steering wheel vertically at substantially the pre-collision position during a car collision, and that is easy to assemble to the car body. It is about providing.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the steering support structure for an automobile of the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a steering shaft that transmits the rotational force of the steering wheel to the steering gear and is capable of contracting in the axial direction when an axial force of a predetermined value or more is applied;
a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft; a steering column support member that is fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction and that holds the steering column in a predetermined position; a movable member that is capable of relative displacement with respect to a non-deformed portion of the vehicle body when the portion deforms rearwardly, and that moves toward the rear of the vehicle body above the steering column when the portion is deformed rearward; A movable member is connected to a lower end portion of the steering column located forward of the steering column support member, and the lower end portion of the steering column is allowed to be displaced relative to the movable member. transmitting the tensile force associated with the displacement of the moving member to the lower end of the steering column;
It is characterized by having a control member, and a steering column fixing device that fixes the lower end of the steering column to the vehicle body or a part attached to the vehicle body so that the steering column can be separated when the steering column is retracted. This is an automobile steering support structure.

The moving member is preferably configured using an existing pedal bracket to which an accelerator pedal or a brake pedal is attached.

(Function) In the steering support structure of the present invention having such a configuration, when a car collides and the front part of the vehicle body deforms rearward, the lower end of the steering column first hits the intermediate shaft of the steering device, etc. When pressed, it starts shrinking. At this time, the steering shaft also contracts together with the steering column. At the beginning of this retracting operation, the steering column fixing device separates the lower end of the steering column to enable the retracting operation, but at this time, since the movable member has not yet been displaced, the lower end of the steering column is attached to the movable member. This results in displacement toward the rear of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle body.

Next, as the deformation of the vehicle body progresses, the moving member disposed above the steering column is displaced toward the rear of the vehicle body in accordance with the amount of deformation of the vehicle body. This displacement is a relative displacement with respect to a non-deformable part of the vehicle body, for example, a steering column support member. Since the movable member is connected to the lower end of the steering column via the control member,
A tensile force is applied to the lower end of the steering column due to the displacement of the moving member. Since this tensile force acts obliquely upward on the steering column, it has a compressive force component in the axial direction of the steering column and a component directed upward of the vehicle body. Therefore, the steering column and the steering shaft further contract in the axial direction, and at the same time rotate by a certain amount about the steering column support member as a fulcrum, and the steering wheel moves slightly downward.

However, when the moving member is further displaced to the rear of the vehicle body, the moving member collides with the contracted steering column and pushes the steering column down. As a result, the steering wheel returns to approximately its pre-collision position. Here, if the vehicle has an airbag, it will inflate and effectively protect the driver.

Note that if the impact at the time of the collision is small, the movable member will stop before pushing down the steering column, so the steering wheel will remain moved downward and will not return to its original position, but the airbag will not inflate in this state. However, in this case, there is no particular problem because it is a minor collision.

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

The steering device l of a car is the steering shaft 2
The steering shaft 2 is inserted into the steering column 3 and is rotatably held. As is known, the steering shaft 2 and the steering column 3 have a structure that contracts when a compressive force of a predetermined value or more is applied in the axial direction.

A steering wheel 4 is attached to the rear end of the steering shaft 2, and the front end of the steering shaft 2 is connected to an intermediate shaft 6 via a universal joint 5.
is connected to. The intermediate shaft 6 passes through a darts lower panel IO that separates the engine room 8 and the vehicle interior 9 of the vehicle body 7, and is connected to the steering gear drive shaft 11 in the engine room 8. It is connected to the steering gear 12. 13 is a universal joint interposed between the intermediate shaft 6 and the shaft 11. In the steering device l having such a configuration, the rotational force of the steering wheel 4 is transmitted to the steering shaft 2, the universal joint 5, the intermediate shaft 6, and the universal joint 13.
, are transmitted to the steering gear 12 via the shaft 11.

Note that the steering shaft 11 is also arranged on the vehicle interior 9 side so as to be slightly inclined so as to become higher toward the rear.

A dash upper panel 14 extending rearward is joined to the upper end of the dash lower panel lO extending in the vertical direction,
The dash upper panel 14 constitutes a part of the cowl of the vehicle body 7. In the figure, 15 is a bonnet, 16 is a windshield, 17 is an engine, 18 is a brake master cylinder, and 19 is a brake booster.

As shown in FIG. 1, the brake booster 19 that supports the master cylinder 18 is supported by the darts lower panel 10 and located in the engine room 8, and is located on the vehicle interior 9 side via the darts lower panel 10. The pedal bracket 20 constituting the moving member of the present invention is the lower panel lO
located supported by. The pedal bracket 20 is to which an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal (not shown) are attached, and in the embodiment, it is configured to also function as a moving member, as will be described later.

As is clear from FIG. 5, this pedal bracket 20 consists of a frame-like member with an open bottom, and inside the pedal bracket 20 there is a bending link 2 as a control member.
1 is placed. The bending link 21 is constructed by connecting two members in a bendable manner with a pin 21a, and has a tube member 21b attached to its upper end. The upper end of the bending link 21 is rotatably connected to the pedal bracket 20 by inserting a pivot pin 22 extending in a direction across the pedal bracket 20 into the pipe member 21b. A lower end portion of the steering column 3 is rotatably connected to a bracket 3a integrally attached to the lower end portion of the steering column 3 via a pivot pin 23. A nut 24 is screwed onto the pivot pin 22 to fix the pivot pin 22 to the pedal bracket 20.

Incidentally, instead of the bending link 21, the control member of the present invention may be constituted by a flexible wire 21' as shown in FIG.

At the end of the upper surface of the pedal bracket 20, as shown in FIG. 5, a darts lower panel 10. A pair of engagement grooves 25 opened on the side are formed, and the end of the pedal bracket 20 is connected to the dash upper panel 14 by engaging a pair of engagement pins 26 implanted in the dash upper panel 14 into the engagement grooves 25. It is held by the upper panel 14. The pair of engagement grooves 25 and the pair of engagement pins 26 constitute a shock absorption mechanism.

More specifically, a slope 20a is formed on the upper surface of the pedal bracket 20, and the front end of the engagement groove 25 is opened in this slope 20a. The rear part of the engagement groove 25 has a narrow part 25a that is narrower than the head of the engagement pin 26a, while the vicinity where it opens into the inclined part 20a is thicker than the head of the engagement pin 26. It is set as a wide width part 25b.

Therefore, the pedal bracket 20 has the above-mentioned engagement pin 2.
When a relative displacement force of a predetermined amount or more is applied to 6, it will initially be displaced backward while being subjected to the locking action (drop-off prevention action) by the engaging pin 26, but in the final stage, the engaging pin 26 will be displaced backward. The locking action is completely released, and the dash upper panel 14 is separated downwardly. The above-mentioned engagement groove 25, engagement pin 26, and inclined portion 20a work together to constitute a shock absorption mechanism, but this absorption mechanism may be constructed using other appropriate structures such as using an elastic material. can be adopted.

Next, a pair of bent portions 2 are provided at the bottom of the pedal bracket 20.
0b is formed, and a pin insertion hole (not shown) is formed in each bent portion 20b. Also, steering column 3
A connecting member 3b having an end shape corresponding to the bent portion 20b is attached to the front end of the bracket 3a, and the connecting member 3b has an opening toward the front of the vehicle body 7, as shown in FIG. It has a groove 3c. These grooves 3c and the pin insertion hole of the bent portion 20b are formed at positions corresponding to each other, and the connecting member 3b is inserted into the bent portion 20b of the pedal bracket 20 by the shear pin 29 inserted into the groove 3c and the pin insertion hole. Fixed. That is, the steering column fixing device 30 is fixed by the bent portion 20b, the connecting member 3b, and the shear pin 29 that tightens them.
is configured. The front end of the steering column 3 is fixed to the vehicle body 7 by this steering column fixing device 30. Note that the shear bin 29 breaks when subjected to a shearing force of a predetermined value or more.

In FIG. 1, 27 extends in the width direction of the vehicle body 7.
This figure shows a steering column support member made of steel pipe or the like with excellent strength. The steering column support member 27 has both ends fixed to the cowl side panel 31 and is integral with the vehicle body 7.

Of course, the cowl side panel 31 is a strength member that constitutes the front portion of the door. Steering column 3
is fixed to a steering column support member 27 by a bracket 28, and the steering column support member 27, in conjunction with the above-mentioned steering column fixing device 30, holds the steering shaft 2 in a predetermined position.

The operation of the above embodiment will be explained below.

Figure 1 shows the state of the steering support device before a car collision. When the car in this state receives an impact load from the front, it passes through the states shown in Figures 2 and 3, and finally reaches the 4th position.
Changes to the state shown in the figure.

First, in the initial state of the collision shown in FIG. 2, the engine 17 moves to the rear of the vehicle body 7 due to the impact of the collision, and the drive shaft 1
1 and pushes up the intermediate shaft 6 upward to the rear of the vehicle body 7 while deforming the lower part of the darts lower panel 10.

As a result, the shear pin 29 of the steering column fixing device 30 breaks, and the steering column 3 contracts together with the steering shaft 2. At this time, since the pedal bracket 20 has not yet been displaced, the lower end portion of the steering column 3 will be displaced toward the rear of the vehicle body 7 relative to the pedal bracket 20. Therefore, as the steering column 3 contracts, a compressive force acts on the bending link 21, but since the bending link 21 bends as shown in FIG.
does not interfere with the retracting operation.

Next, the deformation of the vehicle body 7 progresses, and as shown in FIG. The front end of the dash upper panel 14 is also deformed. At this time, since the darts lower panel 1o is displaced toward the rear of the vehicle body 7 as the booster 19 and the like move, the pedal bracket 2o attached to the darts lower panel 1o is also moved toward the vehicle body 7 by the displacement distance.
Displaced backwards. This displacement is a relative displacement with respect to a non-deformed portion of the vehicle body 7, for example, the steering column support member 27. However, the pedal bracket 20 has an engagement groove 25.
and the engagement pin 26, the dash upper panel 1
Since it is separably engaged with 4, it can be displaced to the rear of the vehicle body 7 without deforming itself. This displacement of the pedal bracket 20 creates a tensile force on the bending link 21, and this tensile force causes the steering column 3 to further contract. At this time, since the pedal bracket 20 moves above the steering column 3, a force acting to lift the column 3 upward also acts as a result of the movement. Due to this upward force, the column 3 rotates in six directions in FIG. 3 using the steering column support member 27 as a fulcrum, and the steering wheel 4 moves from the position shown by the broken line to the position shown by the solid line.

Next, in the later stages of the collision, as shown in FIG. 4, the pedal bracket 20 moves rearward while further contracting the steering column 3, and finally reaches
collides with the top of the This allows the steering column 3
is pushed down and the steering column support member 2
7 in the direction B in the figure, and the steering wheel 4 returns to approximately the position before the collision. An airbag (not shown) installed in a boss part (not shown) of the steering wheel 4 is inflated in this state.

Note that if the relative displacement distance of the pedal bracket 20 is not sufficient to separate the steering column 3 and the steering shaft 2, the steering wheel 4 may remain at the position shown in FIG. 3 and may not return to the position before the collision. However, in such a case, the damage to the vehicle body 7 due to the collision is slight, and the airbag does not inflate at this time.

Although one end of the bending link 21 is attached to the pedal bracket 20 in this embodiment, it may be attached to the dash upper panel 14, for example.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the steering support structure of the present invention, the movable member such as the pedal bracket and the lower end of the steering column are connected by the mantle roll member, and the movable member is The displacement can be used to absorb collision energy and maintain the steering wheel in its pre-collision position. Thereby, the effect of the airbag or the effect of the buffer pad provided on the boss portion of the steering wheel can be fully exerted.

Further, in the steering support structure of the present invention, since the lower end of the steering column is connected to the vehicle body or a part attached to the vehicle body by the steering column fixing device, it is possible to firmly support the steering shaft and to attach the control member. Since the movable member and the lower end of the steering column are simply connected by the control member, the assembly into the vehicle body is superior.

When the moving member is configured by a pedal bracket, the existing pedal bracket can be effectively utilized, which is advantageous in terms of reducing the number of parts and securing extra space for attaching other parts.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a steering support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows the state before a collision. FIG. 2 is a side view of the steering support structure shown in FIG. 1 at the initial stage of a car collision. FIG. 3 is a side view of the steering support structure shown in FIG. 1 in the middle stage of a car collision. FIG. 4 is a side view of the steering support structure shown in FIG. 1 at a later stage of the automobile collision. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the bending link is attached. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the shear pin attachment of the steering column fixing device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the control member. ■... Steering device 2... Steering shaft 3... Steering column 4... Steering wheel 7... Vehicle body 9... Vehicle interior 10... Darts lower panel 14... Dash upper panel 20 ...Pedal bracket 21...Bending link 22.23...Pivot pin 25...Engagement groove 26...Engagement pin 27...Steering column support member 29...Support bracket

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A steering shaft that transmits the rotational force of the steering wheel to the steering gear and can be retracted in the axial direction when an axial force of a predetermined value or more is applied, and a steering wheel that rotatably supports the steering shaft. a column; a steering column support member that is fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction and holds the steering column in a predetermined position; a movable member that is movable relative to a non-deformable portion of the vehicle body, and that moves toward the rear of the vehicle body above the steering column when the movable member is displaced; The steering column is connected to the lower end of the steering column located at the front, and allows the lower end of the steering column to be displaced relative to the movable member, and absorbs the tensile force caused by the displacement of the movable member. a control member that transmits information to a lower end of the column; and a steering column fixing member that fixes the lower end of the steering column to the vehicle body or a part attached to the vehicle body so as to be detachable when the steering column is retracted. A steering support structure for an automobile, comprising: a device;