JPH0761306A - Structure of knee-panel for front passenger seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To absorb a load sufficiently, and to improve the yield at the time of manufacturing a knee panel, and to restrict the increase of weight of a car body due to the knee panel. CONSTITUTION:A glove box door is provided in the lower part of an instrument panel at the side of a front passenger seat so as to face to knees of a person sitting on this seat. Knee panels 32, 34 are fixed to arms 28, 30 fixed to an instrument panel reinforcement 26. These knee panels 32, 34 are formed into a belt-shape extending in the vertical direction of a car body, and lower ends 32B, 34B are fixed to a cowl side inner and an instrument panel brace respectively. A striker bracket 40 is fixed to the instrument panel reinforcement 26, and a striker 46 is to be engaged with a latch of the glove box door.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a knee panel structure for a passenger seat provided at a portion facing a knee of an occupant seated in a passenger seat of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-23753 is known as an example of a knee panel structure for a passenger seat provided at a portion facing a knee of an occupant seated in a passenger seat of an automobile.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this passenger panel knee panel structure, a knee panel 74 is provided at a lower portion of the instrument panel 70 to which a glove box door 72 is attached. As shown in FIG. 6, this knee panel 74
Is a frame that surrounds the mounting opening of the glove box formed in the instrument panel. The knee panel 74 is supported by an instrument panel reinforcement 76 fixed to the vehicle body via a bracket 78.
As shown in, the knee 8 of the occupant 82 seated in the passenger seat 80
When 2A comes into contact with the glove box door 72, the load is transmitted from the knee panel 74 to the instrument panel reinforcement 80 through the bracket 78, and the connecting portion 78A of the bracket 78 absorbs the load.

[0004]

However, in this passenger panel knee panel structure, as shown in FIG. 6, since the knee panel 74 is a frame, the yield at the time of manufacturing the knee panel 74 is reduced, and at the same time, Knee panel 7
There is a problem that the increase in vehicle weight due to 4 is large.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention can fully absorb the load, improve the yield in manufacturing the knee panel, and reduce the increase in the weight of the vehicle body due to the knee panel. The purpose is to obtain a knee panel structure for use.

[0006]

A knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to the present invention is provided so as to extend in a substantially vertical direction of a vehicle body, both ends thereof are supported by the vehicle body, and are provided at a predetermined interval in a vehicle width direction. A pair of strip-shaped knee panels, a pair of knee panels and a grab box door that abuts on the rear surface in the vicinity of both ends in the vehicle width direction, a lock striker fixed near the center of the rear surface of the glove box door in the vehicle width direction, and a vehicle body. And a load absorbing means provided on the striker bracket.

[0007]

With the knee panel structure for the passenger seat according to the present invention, the load generated when the knees of the passenger seated in the passenger seat abuts on the glove box door is in contact with the vicinity of both ends in the vehicle width direction on the rear surface of the glove box door. The load is transmitted to the vehicle body through the pair of knee panels that are in contact with each other, and the load is transmitted to the vehicle body through the striker bracket near the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the glove box door where the largest load acts. Therefore, the load can be effectively absorbed by the load absorbing means provided on the striker bracket. In addition, conventionally,
Since the knee panel used as the frame body is made into a pair of strip-shaped bodies, the yield at the time of manufacturing the knee panel is improved, and the increase in vehicle weight due to the knee panel can be reduced.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, an arrow FR indicates a vehicle body front direction, an arrow UP indicates a vehicle body upward direction, and an arrow IN indicates a vehicle width inner direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the glove box door 1 is provided on the lower portion of the instrument panel 10 on the passenger side.
2 is provided, and this grab box door 12 is
It is designed to face the knees of an occupant seated in the passenger seat.

As shown in FIG. 3, an opening 14 is formed in the lower portion of the instrument panel 10 on the passenger seat side. The grab box door 12 is swingably supported by a shaft 16 arranged in the lower portion of the opening 14 along the vehicle width direction so as to open and close the opening 14.

The glove box door 12 includes a glove box door outer panel 18 which constitutes a vehicle cabin inner side portion of the glove box door 12 and a glove box door inner panel 2 which constitutes a box inner side portion of the glove box door 12.
It has 0 and. A lower end 22A of a glove box panel 22 is coupled to an end 20A of the glove box door inner panel 20 on the shaft 16 side, and the glove box panel 22 forms a glove box 24 together with the glove box door inner panel 20. is doing.

As shown in FIG. 2, arms 28 and 30 are fixed in parallel from the instrument panel reinforce 26 toward the upper portions of both end portions 12A and 12B of the glove box door 12 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, these arms 2
Upper end portions 32A and 34A of knee panels 32 and 34 are fixed to tip portions 28A and 30A of 8 and 30, respectively. Each of these knee panels 32 and 34 is in the form of a strip extending substantially in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and extends in parallel at a predetermined interval in the vehicle width direction. The lower end portion 32B of the knee panel 32 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction has the bracket 3
It is fixed to a cowl side inner (not shown) via 6. Also, the knee panel 3 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction
The lower end portion 34B of No. 4 is fixed to an instrument panel brace (not shown) that connects the instrument panel reinforcement 26 and the tunnel portion via a bracket 38.

A striker bracket 40 is fixed to the instrument panel reinforcement 26 substantially at the center of the arm 28 and the arm 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, the striker bracket 40 has one end 40A fixed to the instrument panel reinforcement 26 by a bolt 42. The striker bracket 40 extends toward the rear of the vehicle body, and the rear end portion 40B is bent obliquely downward and rearward of the vehicle body. Instrument panel 1 of this rear end 40B
The 0-side surface is in contact with the positioning protrusion 44 erected from the instrument panel insert 10A, and the striker 46 is fixed to the opposite surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, the striker 46 is U
The leg member 46 </ b> A is fixed to the striker bracket 40 by a pipe member curved in a letter shape.

As shown in FIG. 3, the curved portion 46B of the striker 46 engages with the latch 52 provided on the back surface of the handle 50 at the center of the glove box door 12 in the vehicle width direction to close the glove box door 12. It is designed to hold.

A bent portion 40C as a load absorbing means is provided between both ends 40A and 40B of the striker bracket 40, and a load acts on the striker bracket 40 from the glove box door 12 via the striker 46. In this case, this load is transmitted to the instrument panel reinforce 26, and when the load acting on the bent portion 40C reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, the striker bracket 40
Is bent at the bent portion 40C to absorb part of the load.

Reference numeral 54 in FIG. 3 indicates an airbag unit, and reference numeral 56 indicates a cooler unit.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the passenger panel knee panel structure of the present embodiment, the load generated when the knee of the passenger seated in the passenger seat abuts on the glove box door 12 faces both ends 12A and 12B of the glove box door 12 in the vehicle width direction. It is transmitted to the instrument panel reinforcement 26 via a pair of knee panels 32, 34 and arms 28, 30 that come into contact with both ends in the vehicle width direction of the grab box door inner panel 20, and is also transmitted to the cowl side inner via a bracket 36. The load is transmitted to the instrument panel brace via the bracket 38. Further, in the vicinity of the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the glove box door 12 where the largest load acts, the load is transmitted via the latch 52, the striker 46 and the striker bracket 40 to the instrument panel reinforcement 26. Be transmitted to. Therefore, the bent portion 4 provided between the both end portions 40A and 40B of the striker bracket 40
When the load acting on 0C exceeds a predetermined value, the striker bracket 40 bends at the bending portion 40C, so that the load can be effectively absorbed.

Further, in the knee panel structure for the passenger seat of this embodiment, since the knee panels 32 and 34, which are conventionally frame bodies, are made into a pair of strip-shaped members, the yield in manufacturing the knee panels 32 and 34 is improved. And knee panel 3
It is possible to reduce an increase in vehicle body weight due to 2, 34.

Also, from the knees of the occupant, the glove box door 1
When the load input to 2 is relatively large, the lower end of the glove box also moves toward the front of the vehicle body. At this time, the cooler unit 56 located in front of the glove box and the glove box 24 come into contact with each other, and the lower part of the glove box is supported by the cooler unit 56 to restrict the movement to the front of the vehicle body. When the load is continuously input, the cooler unit 56
Is plastically deformed and the load is absorbed.

Although the bent portion 40C as the load absorbing means is formed on the striker bracket 40 in this embodiment, other load absorbing means such as a slit may be provided instead of the bent portion 40C.

[0024]

In the knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to the present invention, a pair of belt-like members are provided which extend substantially in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, both ends thereof are supported by the vehicle body, and which are provided at predetermined intervals in the vehicle width direction. A knee panel, a pair of these knee panels, and a grab box door on the rear surface in the vicinity of both ends in the vehicle width direction, a lock striker fixed near the center of the rear surface of the glove box door in the vehicle width direction, and a lock supported by the vehicle body. A striker bracket to which the striker is fixed,
Since the load absorbing means provided on the striker bracket is provided, the load can be sufficiently absorbed, the yield at the time of manufacturing the knee panel is improved, and the weight of the vehicle body is increased by the knee panel. It has an excellent effect that it can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from a vehicle body rear obliquely from the passenger seat side.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between a knee panel structure for a passenger seat and a glove box door according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from a vehicle body rear oblique passenger side.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a passenger panel knee panel structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a passenger compartment to which a knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, as viewed from a vehicle body rearward oblique passenger side.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a knee panel structure for a passenger seat according to a conventional example, as viewed from the diagonally rear passenger seat side of the vehicle body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 instrument panel 12 glove box door 14 opening 24 glove box 26 instrument panel reinforcement 32 knee panel 34 knee panel 40 striker bracket 40C bent portion (load absorbing means) 46 striker 52 latch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of strip-shaped knee panels that extend in a substantially vertical direction of the vehicle body and have both ends supported by the vehicle body and are provided at a predetermined interval in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of knee panels and the vehicle on the back surface. A grab box door in the vicinity of both ends in the width direction is in contact, a lock striker fixed near the center of the rear surface of the glove box door in the vehicle width direction, and a striker bracket supported by the vehicle body to which the lock striker is fixed, A knee panel structure for a passenger seat, comprising: a load absorbing means provided on a striker bracket.