JPH079662U - Automotive knee protector - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a knee protector for an automobile, which can efficiently absorb the knee load of an occupant during a rapid deceleration of the vehicle with a short stroke. [Structure] A knee panel 2 for receiving an occupant's knees 5 is provided in a passenger compartment in front of a passenger's leg, and a bead 34 is formed on an upper half portion 31 of the vehicle fixing portion 4 in front of the knee panel 2 with a substantially V-shaped cross section. The rigidity of the upper half 31 to the lower half 32
A bracket 3 which is higher than the above is provided, and the projecting end 33 is coupled to the front surface of the knee panel 2 at a position higher than the knee receiving position, and the knee load of an occupant acting on the bracket 3 via the knee panel 2 is changed by the deformation of the bracket 3. It has a structure that absorbs.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a knee protector that protects an occupant's knee during sudden deceleration such as a car collision.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 A knee protector is installed in front of the occupant's knees as a means of protecting the occupant's knees in the event of a car collision. The knee protector is preferably an axial compression type from the viewpoint of knee load absorption performance, but the axial compression type has a long length, and its use is restricted in the current limited space in the vehicle cabin.

Therefore, a knee protector in which a knee panel for receiving the knees of an occupant is supported by a bracket having a substantially V-shaped cross section from the back surface is often used. FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example thereof. A reinforcement 4 provided in the vehicle width direction inside the instrument panel 1 in the passenger compartment has a substantially rectangular cross section made of a metal plate at the front position of the driver's leg. A bracket 3 is provided, and its bent projecting end 33 is joined to the front surface of a knee panel 2 provided below the instrument panel 1.

During a vehicle collision, when the knees of the occupant move diagonally upward and forward around the heel and hit the knee panel 2 at a position below the coupling position of the bracket 3, the protruding end 33 of the bracket 3 moves forward together with the knee panel 2. Pushed diagonally upward, the entire bracket 3 deforms so as to collapse toward the reinforcement 4, while the knee load is absorbed.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the knee protector 3 of this structure, as shown by the line B in FIG. 3, the knee load may suddenly increase during the stroke and exceed the load allowable reference value C, and the load absorption efficiency is not good.

Therefore, the present invention provides a knee protector including a knee load absorbing bracket, capable of setting the knee load so as not to exceed a reference value, and capable of efficiently absorbing the knee load with a short stroke. It was done as an issue.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention supports a knee panel 2 for receiving the knees of an occupant in the event of a vehicle collision or the like, and a bracket 3 having a substantially V-shaped cross section for supporting the knee panel 2 above the knee receiving position from the front side. In the knee protector provided with, the bead 34 is formed on the upper half portion 31 of the bracket 3 so that the rigidity of the upper half portion 31 is higher than that of the lower half portion 32.

[0008]

[Action]

 When an occupant's knee load is applied to the bracket 3 via the knee panel 2, the bracket 3 is deformed obliquely forward and upward as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, and the knee load is absorbed in the process. Then, as shown by the line A in FIG. 3, there is no sudden increase in the knee load, the load is averaged during the stroke, and the load absorption efficiency becomes good. Moreover, the knee load D can be adjusted by adjusting the rigidity of the upper half portion 31 by the shape of the bead 34 or the like.

[0009]

【Example】

 In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bracket 3 is made of a metal plate and is bent in a U shape at a position slightly above the center in the height direction, and has a substantially V-shaped cross section as a whole. A bead 34 having a trapezoidal cross section is formed in the upper half portion 31 in the longitudinal direction. The lower half portion 32 has a wavy bent shape.

The brackets 3 are provided on the reinforcements 4, which are hung in the instrument panel 1 at the front of the passenger compartment in the vehicle width direction, at positions facing the left and right knees of the driver, respectively. Yes, the upper and lower ends are welded to the reinforcement 4.

On the other hand, below the instrument panel 1, a knee panel 2 is provided in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the knee 5. The knee panel 2 has its upper end superposed on the lower end of the instrument panel 1, and is joined to a U-shaped projecting end 33 of a bracket 3 projecting rearward at a position slightly above the knee receiving position.

In the knee protector configured as described above, when the knee 5 of the occupant who has moved diagonally upward and forward around the heel hits the knee panel 2 at the time of a vehicle collision, the protruding end 33 of the bracket 3 is caused to move together with the knee panel 2. It is pushed diagonally upward and forward. Then, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, the bracket 4 is bent in the vicinity of the fixed portion at the upper end and is erected while the whole is deformed into a crushed shape, during which the knee load of the occupant is absorbed.

According to an actual vehicle test using a dummy of the inventor, as shown by a solid line A in FIG. 3, the knee load increases at the time of a collision with the knee panel 2, but thereafter there is almost no change and the knee load tends to slightly decrease. It was confirmed that there was a tendency to increase slightly in the final stage of the stroke. The initial load D can be adjusted by the shape of the bead 34, etc., and the knee load can be set so as not to exceed the allowable reference value C.

With the knee protector according to the present invention, however, the knee load can be made to be almost even in the course of the stroke, so that the knee load can be maximally absorbed in a predetermined stroke.

In the above embodiment, the brackets 3 are provided so as to oppose the left and right knees of the driver, respectively. However, the instrument panel and the reinforcement bend forward at the portion facing the one knee, and the one knee is bent. If there is sufficient space between the and, the bracket may be installed only at the part facing the other knee.

[0016]

[Effect of device]

 Since the knee protector of the present invention can efficiently absorb the occupant's knee load with a short stroke, it can be installed in a passenger compartment with a limited space to have a great practical effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a cross section and an operation of a knee protector of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bracket used in the knee protector of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing knee load absorbing characteristics of a knee protector of the present invention and a conventional knee protector.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a front portion of a vehicle compartment including a knee protector.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bracket of a conventional knee protector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Instrument panel 2 Knee panel 3 Bracket 31 Upper half part 34 Bead 4 Bracket mounting fixing part 5 Knee

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A knee panel that is provided in a passenger compartment in front of a leg of an occupant and receives an occupant's knee when the vehicle rapidly decelerates, and a substantially V-shaped cross section having upper and lower ends fixed to a fixed portion in front of the knee panel, and a protruding end. In a knee protector of an automobile having a bracket that is coupled to a knee panel at a position above a knee receiving position and that is deformed by an occupant's knee load acting through the knee panel, a bead is formed on an upper half portion of the bracket. Knee protector for car.