JPH0466738B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a front body structure of an automobile, particularly a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction supporting a knee protector and a steering shaft in front of a passenger seat. The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile.

(Prior art) Conventionally, as a support structure for the upper part of the steering shaft, a support structure has been adopted in which a bracket extending toward the interior of the vehicle is provided on a dash panel located at the front of the vehicle interior, and the steering shaft is supported by this bracket. has been done. However, with this type of support structure, there is a limit to the support rigidity of the steering shaft, especially when driving at high speeds.In addition, in the event of a vehicle collision, when the dash panel moves backward due to the collision, the steering shaft moves backward along with the bracket. The vehicle will be ejected, causing a shock to the occupants.

For this reason, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-4466, a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in front of the front seat, and both ends of this steering support member are connected to the front edges of the left and right front door openings. The support rigidity of the steering shaft is improved by fixing it to a pair of cowl side panels extending forward from the steering shaft, and fixing a reinforcing member connecting the steering support member and the floor to the center of the steering support member. Additionally, a support structure has been proposed in which the steering shaft can be supported regardless of the retreat of the darts panel during a vehicle collision.

On the other hand, knee protectors have been adopted as another means for protecting occupants in the front seats of vehicles from shocks such as those caused by collisions. This knee protector is a member installed in front of the front seat, and when the occupant moves forward due to inertia during a collision, the knee protector catches the occupant's knees and prevents the occupant from moving forward further. This functions to prevent the occupant's upper body from colliding with the dart board or the like.

The knee protector is attached to the vehicle body by fixing both ends of the knee protector to a side bracket provided on the side surface of the vehicle body and a center bracket provided in the center portion of the vehicle body.
For the knee protector located in front of the passenger seat,
Since the glove box is located at the center of the knee protector at substantially the same height as the knee protector, the glove box forms a part of the knee protector.

By the way, between the knee protector located in front of the passenger seat and the dart lower panel located in front of it, there is a heater unit near the center of the car body, a blower near the side of the car body, and a heater unit that uses the air from the blower between them. Each unit is provided with a duct, and in the case of a vehicle equipped with a cooler, the cooler is generally provided at the location of the duct. In vehicles equipped with this cooler, the cooler is located in front of the glove box that forms part of the knee protector, and this cooler fills the space between the glove box and the darts panel, so in the event of a collision, etc. If the passenger's knee hits the glove box due to an impact, the knee protector will not only protect the knee but also protect the glove box from moving forward due to a greater impact load. The presence of the rigid cooler restricts the forward displacement of the glove box, making it possible to reliably catch the knee.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in vehicles without a cooler, an easily deformable duct exists between the glove box and the dart lower panel instead of the cooler. Since there is no structure to prevent the glove box from moving forward, the glove box moves to the lower needle panel, and cannot fully perform its function as a knee protector.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is designed to prevent the knee protector from being displaced forward in response to an impact even in a vehicle where there is no rigid structure such as a cooler between the knee protector and the lower darts panel. The purpose of this invention is to provide a front body structure for an automobile that can regulate the

(Means for Solving the Problems) The front body structure of an automobile according to the present invention attempts to solve the above problems by providing a reinforcing member in front of the knee protector to restrict forward displacement of the knee protector. When the reinforcing member is provided, its lower end is connected to the dart lower panel, and its upper end is connected to this using a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction. That is, the front body structure of an automobile is provided with a knee protector and a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction that supports the steering shaft in front of the passenger seat, and in front of the knee protector, an upper end portion is connected to the steering wheel. The present invention is characterized in that a reinforcing member is provided that restricts the forward displacement of the knee protector, the lower end of which is connected to the support member and which is connected to the dart lower panel.

The shape of the above-mentioned "reinforcing member" is not particularly limited as long as it can restrict the forward displacement of the knee protector. For example, it may be formed integrally, or the knee protector may be The part that comes into contact with this when displaced, the upper end part that is joined to the steering support member, and the lower end part that is joined to the dart lower panel may be formed of separate members, and these parts may be joined together. .

(Function) With the above configuration, when the passenger in the front passenger seat moves forward due to the inertia force associated with a vehicle collision, the knee of the passenger hits the knee protector and the knee protector receives an impact load, but the knee protector is prevented from being displaced forward by the reinforcing member. is regulated, so even if the impact load is greater than the knee protector itself can withstand, the knee protector will not be pushed forward by the occupant's knees, and this will prevent the occupant from moving forward. It is possible to avoid the danger of the upper body colliding with a dart board or the like.

(Effects of the Invention) Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to fully exhibit the function of the knee protector even in a vehicle where there is no rigid structure such as a cooler between the knee protector and the lower darts panel. ,
You can ensure the safety of the passenger in the passenger seat.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the front body structure of an automobile according to the present embodiment, viewed from the rear.

A steering support member 2 that supports a steering shaft 1 is provided in front of the front seats and extends in the vehicle width direction. This steering support member 2 is
It is formed into a smooth annular cross section except for the support portion that supports the steering shaft 1 via the U-shaped bracket 3. Both ends of the steering support member 2 are fixed by fixing members 5 to a pair of mounting brackets 4 fixed to left and right cowl side panels. Further, a pair of vertical members 6 extending downward are fixed to the center portion of the steering support member 2, and both vertical members 6 are attached to a U-shaped bracket 8 in a tunnel portion 7 formed by protruding the floor panel. are connected via. A bar 9 extending substantially parallel to the steering support member 2 is provided between the vertical members 6 to ensure the strength of the vertical member 6 in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, knee protectors 10 and 11 are provided in front of the driver's seat and in front of the passenger seat, respectively, and are located substantially below the steering support member 2 and extend in the vehicle width direction.
Both ends of are fixed by welding to a mounting bracket 4 and a vertical member 6, respectively. The knee protector 11 located in front of the passenger seat is attached to the vertical member 6
It is formed of a left side portion 11a fixed to the mounting bracket 4, a right side portion 11b fixed to the mounting bracket 4, and a glove box 12 located between these left and right side portions 11a and 11b. When the occupant moves forward due to the inertial force of

As shown in FIG. 2, between the glove box 12 and the dart lower panel 13 in front of the glove box 12, there is a heater unit 14 located in the center of the vehicle body and a blower 15 located near the side surface of the vehicle body. A duct 16 for sending air from a blower 15 is provided to the heater unit 14, both ends of which are connected. A reinforcing plate 17 is provided between the duct 16 and the glove box 12 along the glove box 12, and the lower end of the reinforcing plate 17 is inserted through a reinforcing frame 18 formed of a ladder-like pipe-like member. It is fixed to the lower panel 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing frame 18 is disposed below the duct 16, and its front and rear ends are fixed to the darts lower panel 13 and the reinforcing plate 17 by tightening bolts. The reinforcing plate 17 includes a vertical portion 19 extending substantially vertically along the back surface of the glove box 12, a horizontal portion 20 extending substantially horizontally along the upper opening of the glove box 12, and a substantially horizontal portion 20 extending substantially along both left and right sides of the glove box 12. A vertically extending side surface portion 21 is integrally formed with the vertical portion 19, and flanges 19a and 20a are formed at the lower edge of the vertical portion 19 and the rear edge of the horizontal portion 20, respectively. The reinforcing plate 17 has a horizontal portion 20
It is fixed to the steering support member 2 by welding via an L-shaped member 22 on the upper surface of the steering support member 2 .
This allows the reinforcing plates 17 to be bolted together.
The reinforcing frame 18 and the reinforcing frame 18 form a reinforcing member that restricts forward displacement of the glove box 12.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When the occupant in the passenger seat moves forward due to inertia caused by the impact of a vehicle collision, the occupant's knees come into contact with the knee protector 11 and are received. At this time, the knee protector 11 is attached to the left and right portions 1
Glove box 12 is one step further back than 1a and 11b, so the knee area is closer to glove box 1.
2, the left and right parts 11a, 11b
will bear the burden of this.

Due to the strength of the knee protector 11 itself, it is possible to withstand an impact load up to a certain level, but the knee protector 11 tends to displace forward in response to an impact load greater than that. However, in front of the glove box 12 constituting the knee protector 11, a reinforcing plate 17 is provided along the glove box 12, and the reinforcing plate 17 has its upper end fixed to the steering support member 2 and its lower end. is fixed to a reinforcing frame 18 fixed to the dart lower panel 13, and the reinforcing plate 17 itself also has side parts 21 on the left and right sides, and flange parts 19a and 20a on the lower and rear edges, respectively.
are integrally formed and have sufficient rigidity, so that forward displacement of the glove box 12 is prevented by the vertical portion 1 of the reinforcing plate 17.
9, further displacement will be prevented.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the forward displacement of the knee protector 11 is regulated by the reinforcing member consisting of the reinforcing plate 17 and the reinforcing frame 18 provided in front of the glove box 12.
Even if there is no rigid structure such as a cooler between the dart lower panel 13 and the glove box 12, it is possible to ensure the personal safety of the passenger in the passenger seat in the event of a collision.

Further, in this embodiment, since the horizontal portion 20 of the reinforcing plate 17 is provided along the upper opening of the glove box 12, the reinforcing plate 17 can have a function as a cover member for the glove box 12. .

Furthermore, since the reinforcing member consisting of the reinforcing plate 17 and the reinforcing frame 18 is fixed to the steering support member 2 and the dart lower panel 13,
The steering support member 2 is supported by the dart lower panel 13 via the reinforcing plate 17 and the reinforcing frame 18, so that the strength of the steering support member can also be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the front body structure of an automobile according to the present invention as seen from the rear, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. . DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Steering shaft, 2... Steering support member, 11... Knee protector, 13...
... Datsushi lower panel, 17... Reinforcement plate, 18...
...Reinforced frame.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A front body structure of an automobile in which a knee protector and a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction that supports a steering shaft are provided in front of a passenger seat, wherein in front of the knee protector, A front body structure for an automobile, characterized in that a reinforcing member is provided for restricting forward displacement of the knee protector, the upper end of which is connected to the steering support member and the lower end of which is connected to the dart lower panel.