JPH05155342A - Shock absorbing steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the holding rigidity of a column tube in a normal condition sufficiently without disturbing the energy absorbing function and the column posture control function at the secondary collision in a head-on collision of a vehicle. CONSTITUTION:An installing bracket B to assemble a column tube 11 together with a breakaway bracket 13 to the part 14 of a car body is fixed at its one end to the part 14 of the car body. Furthermore, a control plate 43 which is fixed to the column tube 11 at the other end, and has a curving part to absorb the shock energy by deforming at the middle part, and a holding plate 44 which has a holding hole 44a almost parallel to the axial line of the column tube 11 at its free end, and holds a holding pin 41 fixed to the tube 11 fixed to the part 14 of the car body at its basic end by the holding hole 44a removable to the front side, are provided to compose this steering column.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering column of a vehicle, and more particularly to a shock absorbing steering column which absorbs impact energy during a secondary collision of the vehicle (when the driver collides with a steering wheel).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of shock absorbing steering columns of this type, a column tube rotatably supporting a steering shaft integral with a steering wheel is used.
For example, a breakaway bracket that can be detached forward and a mounting bracket that can absorb impact energy can be attached to a part of the vehicle body.
It is proposed in Japanese Patent No. 29971. In the shock absorbing steering column proposed in this publication,
The mounting bracket is composed of a single member and has a support portion for movably supporting the column tube forward and an energy absorbing portion for bending and deforming by the forward movement of the column tube to absorb impact energy. ..

[0003]

In the shock absorbing steering column of the above-mentioned publication, the mounting bracket is composed of a single member having a supporting portion and an energy absorbing portion and has only the function of holding the column tube in a normal state. It also has an energy absorption function at the time of a secondary collision, a column attitude control function, etc., so if the rigidity of the mounting bracket is increased, the energy absorption function at the time of a secondary collision, the column attitude control function, etc. will be hindered.
It is difficult to sufficiently enhance the holding rigidity of the column tube in normal times without impairing these functions. The present invention has been made to address the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to sufficiently enhance the holding rigidity of a column tube in a normal state without impairing the energy absorption function and the column attitude control function in a secondary collision at the time of a frontal collision of a vehicle.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, a break-away bracket in which a column tube rotatably supporting a steering shaft integral with a steering wheel can be detached forward. And a shock absorbing steering column adapted to be assembled to a part of a vehicle body through a mounting bracket capable of absorbing impact energy, the mounting bracket being fixed to a part of the vehicle body at one end and to the other end. And a control plate having a curved portion that is fixed to the column tube and absorbs impact energy by deformation in the middle part, and a support hole that is substantially parallel to the axis of the column tube at the free end, and has a base end of the vehicle body. A support pin, which is fixed to a part and fixed to the column tube, is detachably supported forward through the support hole. It was constructed by the support plate.

[0005]

In the shock absorbing steering column according to the present invention, the column tube is normally supported by a part of the vehicle body through the breakaway bracket, and the support pin fixed to the column tube and the support pin are supported by the support hole. It is supported by a part of the vehicle body through a support plate fixed to a part of the vehicle body and a control plate fixed to a part of the vehicle body at one end and a column tube at the other end. Further, at the time of a head-on collision of the vehicle, the support pin is separated from the support hole of the support plate to the front as the breakaway bracket is separated to the front and the column tube is moved to the front during the secondary collision. Further, at this time, the control plate deforms the curved portion to absorb impact energy, and controls the posture of the column tube after the support pin is separated from the support hole of the support plate forward.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the mounting bracket for supporting the column tube on a part of the vehicle body together with the breakaway bracket is constituted by the support plate and the control plate, and normally, both the support plate and the control plate are used. Since the column tube can be supported and the control plate absorbs impact energy and controls the posture of the column tube in the case of a secondary collision at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, even if the rigidity of the support plate is increased, the control plate can be controlled. The energy absorption function and the column posture control function due to are not impeded at all. Therefore, both the support plate with increased rigidity and the deformable control plate sufficiently enhance the holding rigidity of the column tube in normal times without impairing the energy absorption function and the column attitude control function in a secondary collision. Therefore, it is possible to improve the vibration resistance of the column tube under normal conditions. Also,
Since the support pin cooperates with the support hole of the support plate to control the column attitude at the initial stage of the secondary collision, the column attitude control function is also improved.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of a shock absorbing steering column according to the present invention. In this steering column, a column tube 11 is assembled to a part of a vehicle body, that is, an instrument panel force 14 via a breakaway bracket 13 and a mounting bracket B. Attached,
This column tube 11 has a steering shaft 12
Is rotatably supported. Also, the column tube 1
1 is formed to be shorter than the steering shaft 12, and a front end portion of the steering shaft 12 is exposed by a predetermined amount.

The steering shaft 12 is connected at its front end through a universal joint 21, an intermediate shaft 22 and a universal joint 23 to an input shaft 25 of a gear box 24 so that torque can be transmitted, and at its rear end, a steering wheel 26. Is connected to the column tube 11 so as to be able to transmit torque and to be bent by a load equal to or more than a predetermined value, so as to move integrally with the column tube 11 in the axial direction. In addition, a corrugated tube 27 that bends and deforms when a predetermined load is applied is provided on the exposed front end portion of the steering shaft 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the breakaway bracket 13 is welded to the middle portion of the column tube 11 and is sheared and broken when a load of a predetermined value or more is applied to the front ( It is assembled to the instrument panel reinforce 14 via a capsule 31 which is detachably assembled to the breakaway bracket 13 (not shown). Further, a base end of an energy absorption plate 32 is fixedly fixed between the capsule 31 and the instrument panel force 14, and the energy absorption plate 32 penetrates through the breakaway bracket 13 when the breakaway bracket 13 is moved forward. The holes 13a are squeezed and deformed to absorb the impact energy.

The mounting bracket B is fixed to the instrument panel reinforce 14 at the upper end, and at the left and right lower ends extending to both the left and right sides of the corrugated pipe 27, the support pins 41 and the arms 42, both of which have high rigidity, are attached. The control plate 43 having a curved portion fixed to the column tube 11 via the intermediate portion to absorb impact energy by deformation.
And support holes 44a substantially parallel to the axis of the column tube 11 are provided at both left and right lower ends extending to both left and right sides of the corrugated pipe 27, and the upper end is fixed to the instrument panel reinforce 14 together with the control plate 43. Each of the support pins 41 is configured to be supported by the support holes 44a so as to be detachable forward through the guide sleeve 45. In addition, each support pin 41 corresponds to each arm 4
2 is fixed to the tip of the arm using a nut 46, and each arm 42
Is welded to the left and right side portions of the column tube 11 at the base end, and the guide sleeves 45 are fitted and welded to the support holes 44a of the support plate 44.

In the present embodiment constructed as described above, normally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the column tube 11 is located at the intermediate portion of the instrument panel through the breakaway bracket 13 and the capsule 31. Force 14
And is supported by the instrument panel reinforce 14 through the arms 42, the guide pins 41, the support plate 44 of the mounting bracket B, and the control plate 43 at the front end.

On the other hand, at the time of a head-on collision of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate shaft 2 is moved as the gear box 24 moves rearward due to the primary collision.
A bending force acts on the corrugated tube 27 provided on the steering shaft 12 via the two and the universal joints 21 and 23, and the corrugated tube 27 is bent and deformed. Therefore, the position of the universal joint 21 that connects the steering shaft 12 and the intermediate shaft 22 moves in accordance with the bending deformation direction and the deformation amount of the corrugated tube 27, and the intermediate shaft 22 and the universal joints 21 and 23. The degree of freedom of deformation is increased, the rearward movement stroke of the gear box 24, which is restricted by the front end portion of the steering shaft 12, can be made sufficiently large, and the impact energy can be reduced by the plasticity of the front portion (not shown) of the vehicle body. It can be sufficiently absorbed by deformation.

When the steering wheel 26 is bent and deformed due to the secondary collision that occurs after the primary collision, and the column tube 11 is subjected to an impact force toward the front of the vehicle, the breakaway bracket 13 and the capsule 31.
The pin (not shown) that is connected to the column shears and breaks, and the column tube 11 moves forward in the axial direction. With this movement, the energy absorbing plate 32 is squeezed by the through hole 13a portion of the breakaway bracket 13 and deforms to absorb the impact energy, and at the same time, the support pin 41 is separated from the guide sleeve 45 forward, and the control plate 43 is removed. Deforms the curved portion to absorb impact energy, and controls the posture of the column tube 11 after the support pin 41 is separated from the guide sleeve 45 forward. Further, at this time, the steering shaft 12 moves forward in the axial direction integrally with the column tube 11, so that the corrugated tube 27 is further deformed and the impact energy is absorbed.

By the way, in this embodiment, the mounting bracket B for supporting the column tube 11 together with the breakaway bracket 13 on the instrument panel reinforcement 14 is provided with a support plate 44 and a control plate 41.
The column tube 11 can be normally supported by both the support plate 44 and the control plate 41, and the control plate 43 absorbs impact energy during a secondary collision at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle and the column tube 11 Since the posture of 11 is controlled, the support plate 44
Even if the rigidity of the control plate 43 is increased, the energy absorption function and the column attitude control function of the control plate 43 are not impeded at all. Therefore, the holding rigidity of the column tube 11 in the normal state can be maintained by both the support plate 44 and the deformable control plate 43, which have increased rigidity, without impairing the energy absorption function and the column attitude control function in the secondary collision. It can be sufficiently increased, and the vibration resistance of the column tube 11 under normal conditions can be improved. Further, since the support pin 41 cooperates with the guide sleeve 45 fixed to the support plate 44 to control the column posture at the initial stage of the secondary collision, the column posture control function is also improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a shock absorbing steering column according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged side view of a partially enlarged view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory view of the steering column shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Column tube, 12 ... Steering shaft,
13 ... Breakaway bracket, 14 ... Instrument panel force (part of vehicle body), 26 ... Steering wheel, B ... Mounting bracket, 41 ... Support pin, 43 ... Control plate, 44 ... Support plate, 44a ... Support hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A column tube that rotatably supports a steering shaft integral with a steering wheel is assembled to a part of a vehicle body through a breakaway bracket that can be detached forward and a mounting bracket that can absorb impact energy. In the shock absorbing steering column configured to be attached, a curve in which the mounting bracket is fixed to a part of the vehicle body at one end and to the column tube at the other end to absorb impact energy by deformation at an intermediate portion. A control plate having a portion and a support hole at a free end substantially parallel to the axis of the column tube, and a support pin fixed to a part of the vehicle body at a base end and fixed to the column tube in the support hole. Shock-absorbing stearin, characterized in that Gucolum.