JPH07267100A - Support structure for steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve crosswise support stiffness by fixing a steering column fully to a bonding member with a column side bracket mounted on a bottom outer periphery and a second column side racket mounted in a top outer periphery and forming a designated closed cross sectional space. CONSTITUTION:An upper column 44 forming a steering column is supported by a bonding material 47 through a column side bracket 51 mounted on its bottom side outer periphery and a second column side bracket 1 mounted in its top side outer periphery. And also a closed cross sectional space H, II are formed between the column side bracket 51 and the second column side bracket 1. Accordingly, support stiffness of the upper column 44 can be improved by the column side bracket 51 and the second column side bracket 1 even if the upper column 44 is cylindrical shaped and stiffness is small and the support stiffness in all direction not only in a vehicle width direction can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering column support structure having improved support rigidity in the vehicle width direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional steering device, for example, one shown in FIG. 4 is known. That is, the mount bracket 41 is fixed to the steering member 40 that is disposed in the front portion of the vehicle compartment so as to extend in the vehicle width direction, and the coupling member 47 is fixed to the mount bracket 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the coupling member 47 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and has a pair of upstanding walls 48, 48 and a bottom wall 4.
9 and 9 are integrated. A mounting bracket 50 is fixed to the bottom wall 49, and the mounting bracket 50 is bolted to the mounting bracket 41 via a sliding block (not shown).

A steering column 42 is supported on the connecting member 47. Steering column 42
Is composed of a cylindrical lower column 43 and an upper column 44 which are pivotally supported at the hinge center HC on the vehicle body side. A steering shaft 45 is rotatably inserted in the steering column 42, and a steering wheel 46 is provided at an upper end portion of the steering shaft 45.
Is attached.

The upper column 44 is connected to the connecting member 47.
A column-side bracket 51 having a substantially U-shaped cross-section is welded to the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the column.
The column-side bracket 51 has a pair of standing walls 52, 52 that are inscribed in the standing walls 48, 48, and a tubular spacer 53 sandwiched between the standing walls 52, 52 is sandwiched. . In addition, the standing walls 48, 4 of the connecting member 47
Both of 8 are provided with long holes in the vertical direction,
A tilt bolt 54 penetrating the elongated hole penetrates the upstanding walls 52, 52 of the column side bracket 51 and the spacer 53. Further, the tilt bolt 54 is attached to the weld nut 5.
The upper column 44 is positionally fixed to the coupling member 47 by the spacer 53 while being prevented from loosening by 5 and screwed together.

Although not shown, the tilt bolt 54 is provided with a tilt lever. By operating the tilt lever to weaken the fastening force of the tilt bolt 54, the steering column is centered around the hinge center HC described above. 42 can be tilted vertically. A steering device having the same structure as this type of steering device is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-29184.

[0006]

However, in such a conventional steering device, the column-side bracket 5 welded to the outer periphery of the lower column side of the upper column 44 is welded.
Since No. 1 has a structure in which the lower ends of the upstanding walls 48, 48 of the joining member 47 are partially joined, the support rigidity in the vehicle width direction at the upper ends of the upstanding walls 48, 48 of the joining member 47 was weak. For this reason, the steering column 42, and eventually the steering shaft 45, when traveling on a rough road, etc.
There is also a problem that the steering wheel 46 easily vibrates.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a support structure for a steering column which improves lateral support rigidity of the steering column.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a column-side bracket is provided on the lower surface-side outer periphery of a steering column into which a steering shaft is inserted, and the column-side bracket is interposed. The steering column is fixed to the joint member fixed to the vehicle body so that the position of the steering column can be adjusted, while the steering column is slidably fitted on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the steering column in the steering position adjusting direction. A second column-side bracket is provided which forms a closed cross-section space together with the coupling member and the column-side bracket.

[0009]

In the above structure, the steering column is supported by the coupling member through the column side bracket provided on the lower surface side outer periphery and the second column side bracket provided on the upper surface side outer periphery, and the column side A closed cross section space is formed between the bracket and the second column side bracket. Therefore, the steering column is fixed to the coupling member around the entire circumference by the column side bracket and the second column side bracket, the rigidity at the upper end side of the coupling member becomes high, and the steering column does not move in the vehicle width direction. Of course, sufficient support rigidity is secured in all directions.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are views showing the steering device described in FIGS. 3 and 4 using the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a bottom wall 49 of the connecting member 47.
A pair of sliding blocks 56, which are separated from each other by a coupling member 47, are provided at the edge portions of the mounting bracket 50 fixed to the.
56 are provided. Bolt holes 56a, 56a are opened in both sliding blocks 56, 56, and a coupling member 47 is fixed to the mount bracket 41 by a bolt (not shown) inserted in the holes 56a, 56a. Further, elongated holes 48a and 48a, through which the tilt bolt 54 is inserted, are opened in both of the pair of upstanding walls 48 and 48 of the connecting member 47 (not shown in FIG. 2).

On the other hand, in the upper column 44, the column side bracket 51 is welded to the lower surface side outer periphery of the portion received by the coupling member 47 (not shown in FIG. 1), and the upper surface side outer periphery is provided with a second The column side bracket 1 is welded. The upper column 4 is attached to the bracket 1 on the second column side.
A curved portion 2 that is welded to the surface 4 by welding is formed integrally with flat portions 3 and 3 that spread from the curved portion 2 to both sides in the vehicle width direction. When the upper column 44 is received by the coupling member 47, a pair of upstanding walls 48, 48 of the coupling member 47 are passed through the flat portions 3 and 3 in the middle of the extension direction of the upper column 44. Therefore, rectangular notches 4 and 4 are provided. As a result, on both flat portions 3 and 3, projecting portions 5 and 5 are formed on the lower end side of the upper column 44 with respect to the cutouts 4 and 4 and project slightly from the pair of upstanding walls 48 and 48 in the vehicle width direction. Has been done.

Further, both flat portions 3 and 3 are provided with bent portions 6 and 6 which are bent toward the lower end side of the upper column 44 on the upper end side of the upper column 44 from the cutouts 4 and 4. The bent portions 6 and 6 are in contact with the outer surfaces of the pair of upstanding walls 48 and 48, which are the upper end portions. That is, the second column side bracket 1 is in a state of being externally fitted to the coupling member 47, and as shown in FIG. 2, the second column side bracket 1 and the pair of upstanding walls 48, 48 and the column. With the side brackets 51, closed cross-section spaces H, H are formed on both sides of the upper column 44 in the vehicle width direction.

The other parts of the configuration are the same as those described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, and therefore the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the present embodiment having the above-mentioned structure, the upper column 44 constituting the upper end side of the steering column 42 has a column side bracket 51 provided on the lower surface side outer periphery thereof and a first bracket provided on the upper surface side outer periphery thereof. It is supported by the coupling member 47 via the two-column side bracket 52. Moreover, closed cross-section spaces H are formed between the column-side bracket 51 and the second column-side bracket 1.

Therefore, even if the upper column 44 has a cylindrical shape and the rigidity of the upper column 44 is low, the upper column 44 is connected to the connecting member 47 by the column side bracket 51 and the second column side bracket 1 all around. By being fixed, the rigidity on the upper end side of the coupling member 47 is increased, and sufficient support rigidity is secured in all directions, not only in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the steering column 42, the steering shaft 45, and the steering wheel 46 do not vibrate when traveling on a rough road.

When the steering column 42 is tilted, the bent portions 6 and 6 of the second column side bracket 1 slidably contact the outer surfaces of the pair of upstanding walls 48 of the coupling member 47. At this time, the second column side bracket 1 is deformed to some extent, so that the influence on the tilt operation force is extremely small. Therefore, the tilt operation is not hindered.

In the present embodiment, the second column side bracket 1 is shown to be fitted on the connecting member 47.
Not limited to this, the second column-side bracket 1 is connected to the connecting member 4
7 may be internally fitted, and even in that case, the same effect as this embodiment can be obtained.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the steering column ensures sufficient support rigidity not only in the vehicle width direction but also in all directions by the column side bracket and the second column side bracket. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the steering column, and eventually the steering shaft and the steering wheel vibrate when traveling on a bad road.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention excluding a coupling member and an upper column.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 4 showing a conventional example.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a steering device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 2nd column side bracket 6 Bending part 42 Steering column 45 Steering shaft 47 Coupling member 51 Column side bracket

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A column-side bracket is provided on the outer periphery of the lower surface of a steering column through which a steering shaft is inserted, and the position of the steering column can be adjusted to a coupling member fixed to the vehicle body side via the column-side bracket. While being fixed to the outer periphery of the steering column, the outer periphery of the steering column is slidably fitted in the steering member position adjustment direction with respect to the coupling member, and a closed cross-section space is formed together with the coupling member and the column-side bracket. A support structure for a steering column, characterized in that a second column side bracket is provided.