JPH0580969U - Steering member support structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To prevent the steering member from moving backward in the event of a frontal collision, and to secure the movability of the front seat occupants to the left and right of the passenger compartment. [Structure] The front wall of the vehicle interior 2 is formed in the vehicle body 1, and the vehicle interior 2
A dash lower 4 that separates the engine room 3 from the engine room 3 is provided. The dash lower 4 is provided with an embossed portion 13 formed so as to bulge inwardly of the passenger compartment 2.
A vertical wall 14 is formed on the embossed portion 13. Vertical wall 1
A lower bracket 15 is fixed to the lower bracket 4, and a lower end portion 19 of an upright stay lower 16 is fixed to the lower bracket 15. The stay lower 16 has a plate shape, and plate surfaces 17 and 17 existing on both sides thereof are arranged along the vehicle width direction B, and flanges 18 are formed on both side portions. The upper end of the stay lower 16 has an upper bracket 2
It is fixed to the steering member 8 via 2.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a support structure for a steering member that is installed laterally in the front of a vehicle compartment.

[Prior Art]

 As a conventional steering member supporting structure, a structure shown in FIG. 3 has been proposed (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-4466). That is, the vehicle body 1 is provided with a dash lower 4 that forms a front wall of the vehicle compartment 2 and separates the vehicle compartment 2 from the engine room 3. The dash lower 4 is joined at its upper end to an air box 5 extending in the vehicle width direction, and is joined at its lower end to a floor panel 6 forming the floor surface of the vehicle compartment 2. The dash lower 4 and the floor panel 6 are continuously provided with a floor tunnel portion 11 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the side portion of the dash lower 4 forms a front side wall of the passenger compartment 2. It is connected to the dash side 7. To the dash side 7, both ends of a steering member 8 provided laterally in the front part of the vehicle compartment 2 are fixed, and to the steering member 8, the upper end of a steering shaft (not shown) is fixed. ..

On the other hand, a lower end portion of a standing stay 9 is fixed to a side surface of a floor tunnel portion 11 formed on the floor panel 6. The stay 9 is a plate-shaped member having a plate surface 17 extending in the front-rear direction A of the vehicle body 1 and an upper end portion fixed to the steering member 8. A bracket 10 is attached to the air box 5, and the steering member 8 is inserted through the tip of the bracket 10. As a result, both ends of the steering member 8 are supported by the dash side 7, and the middle portion is supported by the stay 9 and the bracket 10, so that a sufficient supporting strength for fixing the steering shaft is secured. There is.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in such a conventional steering member support structure, the stay 9 has its lower end fixed to the side surface of the floor tunnel portion 11 formed in the floor panel 6. Therefore, at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, when the engine disposed in the engine room 3 receives the collision load and moves backward, and the floor tunnel portion 11 is pushed back by the engine, the lower end of the stay 9 is at the rear of the vehicle body. The load F that is suitable for is input.

At this time, since the stay 9 is a plate-shaped member and the plate surface 17 is arranged along the front-rear direction A of the vehicle body 1 as described above, it is opposed to the load F directed rearward of the vehicle body. Then it will function as a rigid body. Therefore, the load F is transmitted to the steering member 8 via the stay 9 as a rigid body, the steering member 8 retracts together with the stay 9, and the steering shaft fixed to the steering member 8 may also retract backward. There is.

Further, since the lower end portion of the stay 9 is fixed to the floor tunnel portion 11 formed on the floor panel 6 which is the floor surface of the vehicle compartment 2, the stay 9 is located in the front portion of the vehicle compartment 2. It is located between the floor spaces of the left and right front seat occupants around the floor tunnel 11. Therefore, when the front seat occupant moves left and right in the passenger compartment 2, the stay 9 interferes with the front seat occupant's movability to the left and right.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and prevents the steering member from retreating in the event of a frontal collision and secures the front seat occupant's movability to the left and right in the vehicle compartment. It is intended to provide a steering member support structure.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a steering member is horizontally installed in the front part of a vehicle compartment, and a lower end portion is fixed to a vehicle body member forming the vehicle compartment to stand upright, and an upper end portion is raised. In a structure provided with a support member that is coupled to a steering member and supports the steering member, the support member is plate-shaped, and the plate surface is arranged along the vehicle width direction, and the front wall of the vehicle compartment is A lower end portion of the support member is fixed to a vertical wall that separates the vehicle body member formed into a vehicle compartment and an engine room.

[0008]

[Action]

 In the above structure, the lower end of the support member is fixed to the vertical wall that separates the vehicle compartment and the engine room. If the lower end of the support member is fixed to the vertical wall, the lower end of the support member is It will be located as close to the engine room as possible in the passenger compartment. That is, the vertical wall is a boundary surface between the vehicle compartment and the engine room, and if the lower end portion of the support member is fixed to this interface, the fixed position of the lower end portion of the support member is the front of the vehicle interior. It is the foremost position in the division that you can't expect any more. Therefore, if the fixed position of the support member reaches the foremost position in the vehicle compartment that cannot be expected any more, the influence of the lower end portion of the support member on the foot space in the vehicle compartment is maximally alleviated.

However, if the end portion of the support member is fixed to the vertical wall that separates the vehicle compartment and the engine room in this way, the engine arranged in the engine room will be withdrawn and the vertical wall will be separated when the frontal collision of the vehicle occurs. It is likely that a load directed toward the rear of the vehicle body is input, and thus a load in the same direction is also input to the lower end of the support member. However, since the support member is plate-shaped and its plate surface extends along the vehicle width direction, the load directed rearward of the vehicle body is in a direction orthogonal to the plate surface. When the plate-shaped member receives a load in the direction orthogonal to the plate surface, the plate-shaped member does not function as a rigid body and is easily deformed according to the load due to the bending of the surface. Therefore, when a load directed rearward of the vehicle body is applied to the lower end of the plate-shaped support member, the plate-shaped support member is deformed according to the load, and the transmission of the input load to the steering member is suppressed.

[0010]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle body 1 is provided with a dash lower 4 that forms a front wall of the vehicle interior 2 and separates the vehicle interior 2 from the engine room 3. The dash lower 4 is provided with an embossed portion 13 formed so as to bulge inward of the vehicle compartment 2 in order to avoid interference with the engine 12 arranged in the engine room 3. A vertical wall 14 is formed on the embossed portion 13, and a floor tunnel portion 11 is provided at the lower end of the vertical wall 14 to extend. The dash lower 4 is connected at its upper end to an air box 5 extending in the vehicle width direction and at its lower end to a floor panel 6 forming the floor surface of the vehicle compartment 2. A steering member 8 is laterally provided in the front portion of the vehicle compartment 2, and the steering member 8 is fixed to a dash side (not shown) at both ends.

On the other hand, a lower bracket 15 is fixed to the vertical wall 14, and a lower end portion 19 of a stay lower 16 as a standing support member is fixed to the lower bracket 15. The stay lower 16 is plate-shaped, and plate surfaces 17, 17 existing on both sides thereof are arranged along the vehicle width direction B, and flanges 18 are formed on both sides. An upper bracket 22 is joined to the upper end of the stay lower 16 and is welded to the steering member 8. One end portion of a stay upper 20 for mounting a radio or the like is fixed to the air box 5, the other end portion of the stay upper 20 is bent downward in a curved shape, and the steering ring member 8 is provided in the middle portion. It is fixed to the steering member 8 by a surrounding fixing member 21.

In the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is fixed to the vertical wall 14 of the embossed portion 13 that separates the passenger compartment 2 of the dash lower 4 from the engine compartment 3. Therefore, if the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is fixed to the vertical wall 14, the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is located in the vehicle compartment 2 as close as possible to the engine room 3 side.

That is, in this vehicle body structure, the vertical wall 14 formed on the embossed portion 13 is a boundary surface between the vehicle compartment 2 and the engine room 3, and if the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is fixed to this boundary surface. The fixed position of the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is the foremost position in the vehicle interior 2 in the front portion of the vehicle interior 2 that can be no longer desired. Then, if the fixed position of the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 becomes the foremost position in the passenger compartment 2 that can be no longer desired, the influence of the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 on the foot space is affected in the passenger compartment 2. Is maximally relaxed, which maximizes the left-right mobility of the front passengers.

However, when the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is fixed to the vertical wall 14 of the embossed portion 13 that divides the vehicle compartment 2 and the engine room 3 in this way, the engine arranged in the engine room 3 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle. 12 is retracted and the load F directed to the rear of the vehicle body is input to the vertical wall 14 of the embossed portion 13, so that the load F in the same direction is also input to the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 in many cases. Occur. However, since the stay lower 16 is plate-shaped and the plate surfaces 17 and 17 are along the vehicle width direction, the load F directed rearward of the vehicle is in a direction orthogonal to the plate surfaces 17 and 17.

When a plate-like member such as the stay lower 16 receives a load in a direction orthogonal to the plate surfaces 17, 17, the surface does not function as a rigid body and is deformed according to the load due to the bending of the surface. It will be easy. Therefore, when a load F directed rearward of the vehicle body is input to the lower end portion 19 of the plate-shaped stay lower 16, the plate-shaped stay lower 16 is deformed according to the load, and the transmission of the input load to the steering member 8 is suppressed. The backward movement of the steering member 8 is prevented. Therefore, as described above, even if the lower end portion 19 of the stay lower 16 is fixed to the vertical wall 14 in order to secure the foot space of the front seat occupant to the maximum extent, the steering member 8 is prevented from retreating in the case of a frontal collision. It becomes possible.

The steering member 8 is supported when the plate surface 17 is arranged along the front-rear direction A (see FIG. 3) of the vehicle body 1 and when it is arranged along the vehicle width direction B. Since there is no change in performance, the ability to support the steering member 8 does not deteriorate.

[0017]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, since the lower end of the supporting member whose upper end is fixed to the steering member is fixed to the vertical wall of the vehicle body member that separates the vehicle compartment and the engine room, the lower end of the supporting member is fixed. The fixed position is the foremost position in the passenger compartment that you can not expect any more, so the influence on the foot space at the lower end of the support member in the passenger compartment is maximally alleviated, which allows the front seat occupant to be left and right freely. It is possible to secure the maximum. Further, since the supporting member for supporting the steering member is plate-shaped and the plate surface is arranged along the vehicle width direction, the engine arranged in the engine room is retracted in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, Even if a load directed to the rear of the vehicle body is input to the vertical wall, the supporting member does not function as a rigid body and can be easily deformed according to the load due to the bending of the surface. Therefore, the load is not transmitted to the steering member, and the steering member is prevented from retreating during a frontal collision.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the frontward occupant from moving leftward and rightward to the maximum while preventing the steering member from retreating during a frontal collision.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an essential part of a vehicle body showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional steering member support structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vehicle Body 2 Vehicle Room 3 Engine Room 4 Dash Lower (Vehicle Member) 8 Steering Member 14 Vertical Wall 16 Stay Lower (Supporting Member) 17 Plate Surface 19 Lower End

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A steering member is laterally provided in a front portion of a vehicle compartment, and a lower end portion is fixed to a vehicle body member forming the vehicle body to stand upright, and an upper end portion is coupled to the steering member so that the steering member is fixed. In a structure provided with a supporting member for supporting, the supporting member is plate-shaped, the plate surface is arranged along the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle compartment of the vehicle body member and the engine room forming the front wall of the vehicle compartment. A steering member support structure in which a lower end portion of the support member is fixed to a vertical wall that divides the steering member.