JPH0746595Y2 - Steering column support structure - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention is an impact absorption type for absorbing the impact on the steering wheel of the driver at the time of a collision of the vehicle to ensure the safety of the driver. The present invention relates to a steering column support structure, and more particularly to a steering column support structure characterized by means for defining a load for starting an impact absorbing operation.

<Prior Art> In recent years, various measures have been taken to ensure the traveling safety of a vehicle. For example, as a structure for cushioning a vehicle collision or the like, for example, a steering column is supported on a vehicle body at two locations along the axial direction, and one of the support portions restrains the steering shaft in the radial direction and Direction is allowed, the steering column is connected to the vehicle body through a deformable member such as a U-shaped plate at the other supporting portion, and when the impact occurs, the deformable member is gradually deformed so that the impact energy is reduced. A steering column support structure of a type that absorbs is known.

In such a structure, since it is necessary to define the load level at which the shock absorbing operation is started so that the steering column does not rattle during normal operation, the support portion is provided with an axial slot and is provided in the steering column. A starting load regulating structure for a shock absorbing operation is provided, which includes a plate-shaped portion having the same, a fitting member such as an aluminum capsule that is provided on the vehicle body side and fits in the slot, and a resin shear pin that connects the two members to each other. ing. Then, when a load larger than a predetermined load acts on the shear pin, the pin is sheared and the slot and the fitting member are separated from each other to start a shock absorbing operation (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho-61-96).
52-13228).

On the other hand, the steering wheel is equipped with a switch for electrical equipment such as a horn, and in order to ground one terminal side of the steering wheel to the vehicle body, conventionally, separate wiring for grounding was done between the steering wheel and the vehicle body. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of parts and the number of assembly steps increase. Therefore, it is recommended that the plate-like portion and the fitting member are made of an electrically good conductor and both are electrically connected to each other. However, in practice, the structure for defining the start load of the shock absorbing operation is to facilitate load management. Since the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member are fitted as loosely as possible and only the shear load of the shear pin is managed,
It was difficult to obtain an electrical contact state, such as a resin material being embedded between the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member when the shear pin was formed. It is also considered that the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member are partially brought into pressure contact with each other, and the start load of the shock absorbing operation is controlled by the shear stress of the shear pin and the frictional force generated between the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member. However, depending on the shape and sliding contact area between the two, the influence of the component accuracy and assembly accuracy on the impact absorption operation start load becomes large, and there is a problem that its management becomes complicated.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> In view of the problems of the prior art as described above, the main purpose of the present invention is to reduce the number of parts and assembling man-hours of the vehicle, and to absorb the shock in the steering column support portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering column support structure in which the operation starting load of the means can be easily managed.

[Structure of the Invention] <Means for Solving the Problems> According to the present invention, such an object is to provide a support portion that supports the steering column to the vehicle body so that the steering column can move in the axial direction. Is provided, and a means for defining an operation starting load of the impact absorbing means is provided, and the operation starting load defining means is integrated with the steering column and has an axial slot having one end opened. A shear pin that breaks the formed plate-like portion and a fitting member that is integral with the vehicle body and that fits into the axial slot from the opening side when a load larger than the operation starting load is generated. A steering column support structure formed by coupling to each other,
The plate-shaped portion and the fitting member are made of an electrically good conductor,
The axial slot has a tapered portion whose width gradually narrows from the opening side along the axial direction, and the fitting member extends from the rear end of the axial slot toward the protruding end. It has a corresponding tapered portion whose width gradually narrows at a gentler angle than the tapered portion, and its protruding end is wide so as to come into pressure contact with the tapered portion at the time of fitting. The fitting member is fitted into the slot, and the protruding end of the corresponding tapered portion is brought into pressure contact with the tapered portion, so that the steering column and the vehicle body are connected via the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member. This is achieved by providing a steering column support structure characterized in that it has an electrical connection between and.

<Operation> As described above, in the axial slot formed in the plate-shaped portion and having the tapered portion, the angle gradually increases from the rear portion of the protrusion into the slot toward the protruding end at a more gentle angle than that of the first tapered portion. A fitting member having a corresponding tapered portion whose width is narrower and whose width at the plunging end is wider than the corresponding portion of the tapered portion, and the plunging end is provided on the side wall of the slot. Both can be surely electrically connected by pressure contact. Further, since the press-fitting range is small and the tapered portions are pressure-bonded to each other, surface pressure management of the portions does not become complicated.

<Embodiment> Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a main part of a steering mechanism having a steering column support structure according to the present invention. A steering shaft 1 provided with a steering wheel (not shown) at one end (right side in FIG. 1) is rotatably supported inside a steering column 2, penetrates through the column, and the other end (see FIG. 1). In the left side), a steering yoke joint (not shown) is connected to the wheels via a pinion, a rack, etc. When the driver rotates the steering wheel, the steering force is transmitted from the steering shaft 1 via the pinion, the rack, etc. Transmitted to the wheels.

A support portion 3 for supporting the steering column 2 on the vehicle body is provided at an intermediate portion of the steering column 2. An inner holder 4 fixed to the steering column 2 is supported by an outer holder 6 via a shaft 5 by the support portion 3. The inner holder 4 can swing with respect to the outer holder 6 in a predetermined range in the vertical direction in FIG.
By pressing down the tilt lever 7 pivotally supported on the shaft 5, the inner holder 4 or the steering column 2 swings in the vertical direction to constitute a known tilt mechanism having a structure capable of adjusting the position of the steering wheel.

At the upper end of the outer holder 6, plate-shaped portions 8 are provided on both left and right sides of the steering column 2. This plate-shaped part 8
1 is provided with a slot 9 which is open on the steering wheel side (right side in FIG. 1) along the axial direction of the steering column 2.

An aluminum capsule 11 as a fitting member fixedly mounted on the vehicle body side through a stud bolt 10 is fitted into the slot 9 with a pair of grooves 12 formed along the axial direction on both left and right side surfaces thereof. ing. Further, as also shown in FIG.
Aluminum capsule 11 at one end of U-shaped plate 13 for shock absorption
It is held together with the vehicle body. The other end of the U-shaped plate 13 is held by the outer holder 6.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a plurality of holes 14 are formed at appropriate positions from the upper surface 11a of the aluminum capsule 11 to the groove 12. Further, a hole 15 having a slightly larger diameter than the hole is also formed at a position corresponding to the hole 14 of the plate portion 8. A resin material is injected into the holes 14 and 15 to form a sheer pin 16.

Then, the aluminum capsule 11 is fitted from the opening 17 side of the slot 9 of the plate-like portion 8 (FIG. 5), and the resin material is injected to form the shear pin 16.

Here, the portion from the middle point P of the slot 9 to the inner end wall surface 19, that is, the side wall surface 20b is tapered so that the width thereof gradually becomes narrower (tapered portion A: FIG. 5). Also, aluminum capsule
The groove 12 on the 11 side is the end surface of the protrusion from the rear of the aluminum capsule.
It is tapered toward 21 (corresponding tapered portion B: Fig. 5). Corresponding taper part B on this aluminum capsule 11 side
Is gradually narrowed at a gentler angle than the tapered portion A of the slot 9. Also, the corresponding tapered portion B
The portion from the plunging end face 21 (point R) of the aluminum capsule 11 to the point Q (line segment PR> line segment QR) in FIG. 3 corresponds to the tapered portion A at the time of fitting. It is wider than. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the aluminum capsule 11 is inserted from the opening 17 side of the slot 9 so that the insertion end surface 21
Is inserted until it contacts the inner end wall surface 19. And the side wall surface
By press-fitting the aluminum capsule 11 only from the point Q to the point R of 20b, the side wall surface 20b and the groove 12 are provided between the point Q and the point R.
It comes into pressure contact with the side wall surface 22 of.

The portion from the opening 17 of the slot 9 to the intermediate point P,
That is, the side wall surface 20a also has a tapered shape, and this tapered portion has the same inclination as the corresponding tapered portion B on the aluminum capsule 11 side. Further, the wall surface 20c near the inner end wall surface 19 is slightly widened as a relief.

Here, an enlarged view from the point Q to the point R in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the side wall surface 20b and the groove 12
The surface drag force N and the friction force F act between the side wall surface 22 of
In the x direction, that is, in the fitting direction of the aluminum capsule 11 and the slot 9 (left-right direction in FIG. 6), the components Nx and Fx are balanced, so that the plate-shaped portion 8 is stationary with respect to the aluminum capsule 11. Become. Therefore, the width of the plunging end face 21, the taper portion A on the slot 9 side and the corresponding taper on the aluminum capsule 11 side are set so that the component Nx of the surface drag force N in the X direction is slightly smaller than the component Fmaxx of the maximum static friction force Fmax in the x direction. By determining the angle and the like of the portion B, the aluminum capsule 11 and the plate-like portion 8 are securely electrically connected, and a shock absorbing member provided between the outer holder 6 and the aluminum capsule 11 is provided. The operation starting load of the U-shaped plate 13 is generally determined only by the shear stress of each shear pin 16.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a reliable electrical connection state can be obtained between the steering column side plate-like portion and the vehicle body side fitting member without increasing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps.
Management of the operation starting load of the shock absorbing means does not become complicated. From the above, the effect of the present invention is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a main part of a steering mechanism having a steering column support structure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an essential part of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an assembled state of the steering column support structure according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an enlarged view of FIG. 1 ... Steering shaft 2 ... Steering column 3 ... Support section, 4 ... Inner holder 5 ... Shaft, 6 ... Outer holder 7 ... Tilt lever, 8 ... Engagement section 9 ... Slot, 10 ... Stud bolt 11 …… Aluminum capsule, 12 …… Groove 13 …… U plate, 14,15 …… Hole 16 …… Shear pin, 17 …… Opening 19 …… Inner end wall 20a, 20b, 20c …… Wall 21… … Inrush end face, 22 …… Sidewall face

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A shock absorbing means for absorbing a shock force from the steering wheel side, and a means for defining an operation starting load of the shock absorbing means, on a supporting portion for supporting a steering column on a vehicle body so as to be movable in an axial direction. And a plate-shaped portion that is integral with the steering column and has an axial slot that is open at one end, and that is integral with the vehicle body and that is located in the axial slot. With a fitting member that fits from the opening side,
A steering column support structure that is connected to each other with a shear pin that breaks when a load greater than the operation start load is generated, wherein the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member are both electrically good conductors, and the axial direction The slot has a tapered portion whose width gradually narrows along the axial direction from the opening side, and the fitting member has the tapered portion from the rear end of the axial slot toward the protruding end. Has a corresponding tapered portion whose width gradually narrows at a gentler angle, and the protruding end portion is wide so that it can be pressed against the tapered portion at the time of fitting. By inserting the fitting member and pressing the protruding end of the corresponding tapered portion into pressure contact with the tapered portion, the steering coil is inserted through the plate-shaped portion and the fitting member. A steering column support structure in which a ram and the vehicle body are electrically connected.