JPH07323796A - Knee bolster fitting device of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a knee bolster fitting structure of an automobile which is not affected by the positional change of a steering mechanism due to the impact applied to an automobile body, nor affects the steering mechanism by the impact applied to a knee bolster. CONSTITUTION:A frame member 5 which is different from 3 steering support member to support a steering column is provided in the automobile lateral direction to the lower side of an instrument panel 1, and a knee bolster 12 is not affected by the movement of the steering mechanism by fitting the knee bolster 12 on an instrument panel holder 4 supported by this frame member 5 toward the seat side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automobile knee bolster mounting structure which is not affected by the movement of a steering column.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a knee bolster provided on the lower side of an instrument panel so as to correspond to the legs of an occupant seated in the front seat of an automobile.

FIG. 5 shows a driver's seat of an automobile equipped with a knee bolster 100. A steering support member 103 for supporting a steering column 102 is provided inside an instrument panel 101 provided at the front of the driver's seat. It is provided in the vehicle width direction.

The knee bolster 100 comprises a knee bolster body 104 and a pair of left and right support arms 105 mounted on the back surface of the knee bolster body 104. The support arms 105 are welded to the steering support member 103 by welding or the like. It is installed and attached.

As the supporting arm 105, a bifurcated one as shown in FIG. 6 or a plate-shaped one as shown in FIG.

By the way, recently, the number of vehicles equipped with an air bag is gradually increasing, and some of these vehicles are equipped with a steering wheel.

[0007]

In such a vehicle equipped with an airbag, it is necessary to support the steering mechanism such as the steering column and the knee bolster 100 by the common steering support member 103. Is applied to the steering wheel, which may affect the operation of the airbag, which is not preferable. Further, when the knee bolster 100 is welded to the steering support member 103, the work of assembling the heater wire and the work of assembling the electrical component harness become difficult.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and provides an automobile which is not affected by the change in the position of the steering mechanism due to the impact applied to the vehicle body and which is not affected by the impact applied to the knee bolster. It is intended to provide a knee bolster mounting structure.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a frame member other than a steering support member supporting a steering column is provided in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of an instrument panel. The knee bolster was attached to the seat side of the instrument panel holder supported by the member.
Further, the present invention comprises the knee bolster, which includes a knee bolster body and a pair of arm portions provided on the left and right sides of the back surface of the knee bolster body. It is formed by branching into the side flange portion, and the length of the upper side flange portion is formed longer than the length of the lower side flange portion.

[0010]

A frame member different from the steering support member for supporting the steering column is provided in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of the instrument panel, and the instrument panel holder supported by the frame member faces the seat side. Install the knee bolster. When a shock is applied to the vehicle body and the steering mechanism changes position,
Since the knee bolster is supported by a frame member other than the steering support member, it is not affected by the position change of the steering mechanism. On the contrary, the impact applied to the knee bolster does not affect the steering mechanism.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3, a steering support member 3 for supporting a steering column 2 is provided in the vehicle width direction inside an instrument panel 1 provided at a front portion of a driver's seat.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an instrument panel holder arranged below the instrument panel 1 in the vehicle width direction of the automobile. The instrument panel holder 4 is a pipe-shaped frame member 5 and this frame member. 5 and a U-shaped holder portion 6 attached to the unit 5. This frame member 5 has stays 7 and 8 on both left and right ends.
The stays 7 and 8 are screwed to the pillar inner portion 10 and the floor tunnel portion 11 with bolts 9. The instrument panel holder 4 is provided separately on the driver's seat side and the passenger's seat side, and in the drawing, the instrument panel holder 4 is shown on the driver's seat side of the left-hand drive vehicle.

Reference numeral 12 is a knee bolster screwed to the instrument panel holder 4 toward the seat side. As shown in FIG. 4, the knee bolster 12 includes a knee bolster body 13 and a knee bolster body 13. It is composed of a pair of arm portions 14 provided on the left and right sides of the back surface. The knee bolster body 13 is a plate-shaped plate 15 having vertically elongated holes 16 formed on both sides of the plate surface. On the other hand, the arm portion 14 has a U-shaped plate 17
A belt-like flange is provided on the outer edge of the arc to form an arc-shaped upper side flange portion 18 and a lower side flange portion 19, and the length of the upper side flange portion 18 is made longer than the length of the lower side flange portion 19 to form the rear surface 20. Against the above knee bolster body 1
3 is arranged so as to face downward. Bolt holes 22 (or screw holes) for passing bolts 21 (or screws) are formed on the rear surface 20, and the portion where the bolt holes 22 are formed is located at the knee bolster body 13
The inclined surface 23 is formed so as to face the side. Bolt holes 24 are formed in the holder portion 6 corresponding to the bolt holes 22. A nut (not shown) may be attached to the back surface of the holder 6 in advance by welding or the like corresponding to the bolt hole 24.

The instrument panel holder 4 is screwed to a pedal bracket 27 by passing a bolt 26 through a bolt hole 25 formed in the holder portion 6. The pedal bracket 27 is attached to the dash panel 28 and screwed to the cowl box 29 via bolts 30.

A column hole cover 31 is attached by a bolt 32 to the front opening of the instrument panel 1 to which the knee bolster 12 is attached and is closed.

Next, the operation of the automobile knee bolster mounting structure having the above structure will be described. When an impact is applied to the steering mechanism and the steering mechanism moves, the steering support member 3 and the steering mechanism 3 change in position. However, since the knee bolster 12 is mounted on the instrument panel holder 4, it is not affected by the movement of the steering mechanism. On the other hand, when an impact is applied to the knee bolster 12 and the instrument panel holder 4 moves, the impact is not transmitted to the steering support member 3, so that the steering mechanism is not affected. On the other hand, the arm portion 14
Is provided with a belt-shaped flange on the outer edge of the U-shaped plate 17 so as to branch from the middle to the upper side and the lower side to form an arc-shaped upper side flange portion 18 and lower side flange portion 19, and the upper side Since the length of the flange portion 18 is made longer than the length of the lower side flange portion 19 so that the knee bolster body 13 is obliquely downward with respect to the rear surface 20, the initial load by the long upper side flange portion 18 is increased. Since the short lower side flange portion 19 can absorb the latter half of the load, it is possible to prevent a sudden load from being applied.

[0018]

As described above, according to the knee bolster mounting structure for an automobile according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. In Claim 1, a frame member different from the steering support member supporting the steering column is provided in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of the instrument panel, and the instrument panel holder supported by this frame member is provided on the seat side. Since the knee bolster is attached to the knee bolster, the knee bolster is not affected by the movement of the steering mechanism. On the other hand, even if an impact is applied to the knee bolster and the instrument panel holder moves, the impact is not transmitted to the steering support member, so that the steering mechanism is not affected. 3. The knee bolster according to claim 2, comprising a knee bolster body and a pair of arm portions provided on the left and right sides of the back surface of the knee bolster body. Since the length of the upper side flange part is longer than the length of the lower side flange part, the initial load is absorbed by the long upper side flange part, and Since the load can be absorbed, it is possible to prevent a sudden load from being applied.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a knee bolster mounting structure for an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a knee bolster mounting structure for an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a knee bolster and an instrument panel holder.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an arm portion of a knee bolster.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a conventional knee bolster.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the knee bolster of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional knee bolster.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Instrument panel 2 Steering column 3 Steering support member 4 Instrument panel holder 5 Frame member 6 Holder part 12 Knee bolster 13 Knee bolster body 14 Arm part 15 Plate 16 Long hole 17 Plate 18 Upper side flange 19 Lower side flange 20 Rear surface 21 , 26 bolts 22, 24, 25 bolt holes 27 pedal bracket

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A frame member other than a steering support member supporting a steering column is provided in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of the instrument panel, and an instrument panel holder supported by the frame member is provided on the seat side. A knee bolster mounting structure for automobiles, characterized in that a knee bolster is attached to the car. 2. The knee bolster comprises a knee bolster body and a pair of arm portions provided on the left and right sides of the back surface of the knee bolster body, and the arm portions are formed at least in the middle from the upper side flange portion and the lower side. The knee bolster mounting structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion is formed to be branched, and the length of the upper side flange portion is longer than the length of the lower side flange portion.