JPH0495546A - Energy absorber in front of cab - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set an auxiliary member to a proper position by installing a knee protector in an instrument panel main frame, and forming a weak part in a mounting part of the auxiliary member insertionally installed in an opening of the knee protector so as to adjoin the front of an instrument panel. CONSTITUTION:A symmetrical pair of knee protector members 9, 10 and 12, 13 are attached to each part corresponding to symmetrical knee parts of both driver and assistant driver's seats out of symmetrical support members 7, 11 of an instrument panel main frame 6 for installing an instrument panel 1, and an opening 10a corresponding to an open hole 5 is formed in a mid part of the knee protector 10 at the right part at the side of the driver's seat. Then, an operating part 20 of a key cylinder 4 or an auxiliary member is inserted into the opening 10a, while it is clamped to a stationary part 19 of a mounted member 18 integral with a steering column 3 via clamping parts 24, 25. As for the key cylinder 4, a weak part thinner in its wall than other parts is formed in the mid part of a cylindrical mounting part 22 extending to the left from the mid part of a cylinder part 21, and when the knee protector member 10 is deformed, this weak part is made so as to be broken down.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an energy absorption device for the front part of a vehicle interior, and particularly to an energy absorption device for the front part of a vehicle interior for protecting the knees of front seat occupants in the event of a collision. Regarding.

[Prior Art] Various devices have been developed and put into practical use in automobiles to protect occupants in the event of a collision.

As a device for protecting the knees of front seat occupants in the event of a collision, a knee protector member is provided inside the instrument panel, as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 62-90252. BACKGROUND ART An energy absorption device has been employed that protects the knees of an occupant by absorbing the collision energy by absorbing the collision energy by blocking the knees of the occupant with a protector member.

Incidentally, the instrument panel is equipped with various auxiliary parts, and these auxiliary parts are arranged at appropriate positions on the front of the instrument panel from the viewpoint of operability and function, and are also placed inside the instrument panel. It is fixedly attached to the member to which it is attached.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As mentioned above, the placement positions of auxiliary equipment members on the instrument panel are limited in terms of operability and function of auxiliary equipment members, and it is difficult to properly arrange these auxiliary equipment members. The position often overlaps with the proper placement position of the above knee protector member,
In order to ensure the energy absorption function of the knee protector member, the auxiliary equipment member must be installed at a position deviated from the proper installation position, which poses a problem in that the operability and function of the auxiliary equipment member deteriorate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an energy absorbing device for the front portion of a passenger compartment, which allows auxiliary equipment members to be placed at appropriate locations and ensures the energy absorbing function of a knee protector member.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle interior according to the first claim is an energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle interior for protecting the knees of front seat occupants in the event of a collision. A knee protector member fixed to the instrument panel main frame inside the instrument panel is provided, and an auxiliary equipment member disposed facing the front of the instrument panel is disposed so as to be inserted through the opening of the knee protector member. The mounting portion of the auxiliary member is fixed to the member to be mounted, and the mounting portion of the auxiliary member is formed with a weak portion that breaks or deforms when the knee protector member is deformed.

The energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle compartment according to the second claim comprises a first
In the energy absorbing device for the front part of a vehicle interior, the auxiliary component is a key cylinder, and the attachment portion of the key cylinder is fixed to a member to be attached to a steering column.

[Effect]

In the energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle compartment according to the first aspect, the auxiliary component is disposed to be inserted through the opening of the knee protector member, and is fixed to the attached member at the attachment portion of the auxiliary component so as to be attached to the instrument panel. It is installed at an appropriate location facing the front.

A weak part is formed in the attachment part of the auxiliary equipment member that breaks or deforms when the knee protector member deforms.In the event of a collision, when the knee protector member deforms by stopping to support the knee of the occupant, the auxiliary equipment member Components may break or deform at weak points at the attachment point, so
Impact energy can be reliably absorbed by the knee protector member and the auxiliary equipment member, and the knees of the occupant can be protected. Further, since the auxiliary equipment member can be placed at an appropriate position through the opening of the knee protector member, it is possible to prevent the operability and function of the auxiliary equipment member from deteriorating.

In the energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle cabin according to the second claim, when the knee protector member is deformed by receiving the knees of the occupant in the event of a collision, the key cylinder is fixed to the attached member of the steering column. Since the attachment portion is broken or deformed at a weak point, the knee protector member and the key cylinder can reliably absorb the impact energy, thereby protecting the occupant's knees. Further, since the key cylinder can be disposed at an appropriate position, deterioration in the operability of the key cylinder can be prevented.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle compartment according to the first aspect, a weak portion that breaks or deforms when the knee protector member is deformed is formed in the attachment portion of the auxiliary component, so that in the event of a collision,
Impact energy from the knees of the occupant can be reliably absorbed by the knee protector member and the above-mentioned weak parts, increasing the energy absorption capacity, and the auxiliary equipment member can be connected to the attached member through the opening of the knee protector member. By attaching the auxiliary equipment member, it is possible to arrange the auxiliary equipment member at an appropriate arrangement position, so that effects such as preventing deterioration of the operability and function of the auxiliary equipment member can be obtained.

According to the energy absorption device for the front part of the vehicle interior according to the second aspect, when the knee protector member is deformed by the collision load from the knees of the occupant during a collision, the key cylinder is attached to the attached member of the steering column. Since the fixed attachment part is broken or deformed at the weak part, the impact energy from the knee part of the occupant can be reliably absorbed by the knee protector member and the weak part, and the energy absorption capacity can be increased; Since the key cylinder can be disposed at an appropriate position, it is possible to obtain effects such as preventing deterioration in the operability of the key cylinder.

〔Example〕

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

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an energy absorption device for the front of the cabin of a left-hand drive vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, a column cover 2 is provided in a protruding manner on the left side of the instrument panel 1, and the column cover 2 has a column insertion hole 2 through which a steering column 3 is inserted.
A is formed in a portion of the instrument panel 1 near the right side of the column cover 2, and an opening 5 is formed in which a key cylinder 4, which is one of the auxiliary equipment members, is disposed.

The position of the opening 5 is such that the driver can most easily operate the ignition key.

On the other hand, the vehicle body is provided with an instrument panel main frame 6 to which the instrument panel 1 is attached, and of the support member 7 on the left side of the instrument panel main frame 6, the portions corresponding to the left and right knees 8 of the driver are provided with a A pair of left and right knee protector members 9 and 10 are fixed to the left and right knee protectors 9 and 10 to protect the knees 8 of the front passenger. A pair of left and right knee protector members 12 and 13 are fixed to protect the knees of an occupant, and an opening 10a corresponding to the opening 5 is formed in the middle of the right knee protector member 10 on the driver's seat side. It is formed.

The width of the knee protector member 10 excluding the opening 10a is formed to be approximately equal to the width of the knee protector member 9, and the energy absorption performance of the knee protector members 9 and 10 is approximately equal.

Support member 7 between left and right knee protector members 9 and 10
A bracket 14 for attaching the steering column 3 is fixed to this portion, and a pair of left and right bolt holes 14a and 14b are formed in the bracket 14. Incidentally, reference numerals 15 and 16 indicate brackets for attaching the instrument panel main frame 6 to the vehicle body.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, attached members 17 and 18 for attaching the steering column 3 to the bracket 14 are provided at the upper part of the middle part of the steering column 3. Bolt holes 17a and 18a corresponding to the left and right bolt holes 14a14b of the bracket 14 are formed in the rear part of the bracket 14, and a fixing part 19 is provided in the front part of the right side mounting member 18. A pair of bolt holes 19a and 19b are formed, and the steering column 3 is connected to the bracket 1 through the attached members 17 and 18.
4 is fastened with bolts and installed.

The key cylinder 4 includes a cylinder part 21 that has an operating part 20 for mounting an ignition key at the rear end and extends in the front-rear direction, and a cylindrical mounting part that extends leftward from a middle part of the cylinder part 21. 22, a weak part 23 that is thinner than other parts is formed in the middle part of the mounting part 22, and a pair of front and rear fastening parts 24 and 25 are formed in the part of the steering column 3 from the weak part 23. Bolt holes 24a and 25a corresponding to the bolt holes 19a and 19b of the attached member 18 are formed in each fastening portion 24 and 25, and the key cylinder 4 is
The operating portion 20 is inserted through the opening 10a of the knee protector member 10 and is fastened to the fixing portion 19 of the attached member 18 via the fastening portions 24 and 25 with bolts.

As shown in FIG. 2, a steering lock rod member 26 is provided inside the mounting portion 22.
6 is switchable between a locked position in which it protrudes leftward from the mounting part 22 and an unlocked position in which it retracts into the mounting part 22.

After installing the steering column 3 and key cylinder 4 in this way, and installing other auxiliary components to the instrument panel main frame 6, insert the steering column 3 into the column insertion hole 2a.
The operating section 20 of the key cylinder 4 is arranged so as to face through the opening 5, and the instrument panel 1 is inserted into the instrument panel 1.
is attached to the instrument panel main frame 6, and then a steering wheel 30 is attached to the steering column 3.

Note that when the key cylinder 4 is attached to the steering column 3, the rod member 26 of the key cylinder 4 can be engaged with and detached from a steering lock portion (not shown) provided on the steering column 3.

The operation of the energy absorbing device configured in this way will be explained.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 4, when a car collides head-on,
The driver's left and right knees 8 are the instrument panel l
When the driver's right knee part 8 thrusts forward toward the instrument panel 1 from below and enters the part of the instrument panel 1 near the opening 5, an impact is generated on the knee protector member 10. When the load is applied, the knee protector member 10 deforms and absorbs the impact energy.

At this time, a load is also applied to the key cylinder 4, and this load causes the key cylinder 4 to break or deform at the weak part 23 of the mounting part 22, so that the impact energy from the knee part 8 is also absorbed by this weak part 23. Ru.

By forming the weak portion 23 in the attachment portion 22 of the key cylinder 4 in this manner, the energy absorption ability of the knee protector member 10 can be increased.

Since the opening 10a is formed in the knee protector member 10 and the key cylinder 4 is inserted through the opening 10a, even if the proper installation positions of the knee protector member 10 and the key cylinder 4 overlap, the key can be inserted into the opening 10a. The cylinder 4 can be placed at an appropriate position.

It goes without saying that the energy absorbing device described above can also be applied to right-hand drive vehicles. Further, the auxiliary machine member is not limited to the key cylinder 4, but can also be applied to other auxiliary machine members.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the front part of the vehicle compartment, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the main part of the energy absorption device, and Fig. 3 is the main part of the device. The front view and FIG. 4 are longitudinal sectional views of the front part of the vehicle compartment. 1...Instrument panel, 3...Steering column, 4 6...Instrument panel 9, 10, 12, 1 10a...Opening part, 22...Mounting part,...Key cylinder, frame, 8...Knee part , 3. Knee protector member, 18. Attached member, 23. Weak part. Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an energy absorption device at the front of the vehicle cabin for protecting the knees of front seat occupants in the event of a collision, a knee protector member is provided that is fixed to the instrument panel main frame inside the instrument panel, and the above-mentioned instrument An auxiliary equipment member arranged so as to face the front of the panel is inserted through the opening of the knee protector member, and the attachment part of the auxiliary equipment member is fixed to the member to be attached, and the attachment part of the auxiliary equipment member is fixed to the member to be attached. 1. An energy absorption device for a front part of a passenger compartment, characterized in that a weak part is formed in the part to break or deform when the knee protector member is deformed. (2) Energy absorption in the front part of the vehicle interior according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary component is a key cylinder, and the attachment part of the key cylinder is fixed to a member to be attached to a steering column. Device.