JPH0848174A - Steering support member of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a steering support member of an automobile capable of easily forming of the sectional shape corresponding to the layout of each part, improving the degree of freedom of the design, easily fitting various automobile parts and reinforcing members, and reducing the number of part items and the cost. CONSTITUTION:A steering support member 2 is constituted by connecting a structural member 3 of the closed section where the ends of a pair of press formed sheet members 3a, 3b are joined to a tubular member 4 at each end of the members.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a steering support member of an automobile.

[0002]

11 and 12 show a conventional steering support member 30. The conventional steering support member 30 is entirely constructed by a pipe member. The steering support member 30 is preassembled to the instrument panel 31 via a bracket (not shown) by screwing or welding, and both ends 30 of the assembled steering support member 30.
As shown in FIG. 2, a and 30b are fixed to a pair of left and right front pillars 32 of an automobile through mounting plates 33, respectively. Further, a steering shaft (not shown) is rotatably supported by the steering support member 30 thus installed between the pair of left and right front pillars 31.

[0003]

However, since the conventional steering support member 30 is entirely constructed by the pipe member as described above, when the pipe member needs to be bent, it is externally connected. It is easy to bend when a higher force is applied, so that it is necessary to attach a reinforcing member to the bent portion. Therefore, the number of parts increases,
Moreover, since welding work of the reinforcing member is required, the cost is increased.

Further, the steering support member 30
In the bending process of the pipe member constituting the above, there are many restrictions on the minimum bending diameter, the bending angle, the gripping margin of the bending machine, etc., so that the degree of freedom in design is actually small. Therefore, depending on the model, the instrument panel 3
The layout (design) of 1 may have to be changed significantly.

Further, in order to attach various automobile parts to the conventional steering support member 30, it is necessary to separately prepare nuts, bolts and the like to attach the automobile parts. The mounting work is also troublesome. Moreover, since various parts are often welded to the steering support member 30, it is difficult to ensure good dimensional accuracy of the steering support member 30 due to welding distortion, poor assembly jig accuracy, and the like.

The present invention has been made in view of these various problems, and an object thereof is to easily form a cross-sectional shape according to the layout of each part and to have a degree of freedom in design. It is possible to improve, and it is possible to easily attach various automobile parts and reinforcing members,
An object of the present invention is to provide a steering support member for an automobile having a structure capable of reducing the number of parts and cost.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a closed cross-section structural member having a closed cross-section formed by joining the edges of a pair of press-formed sheet metal members, and a pipe. The members are connected to each other at one end thereof to form a steering support member.

Further, according to the present invention, an automobile part is attached to a flange portion formed at a joint portion of the pair of sheet metal members.

[0009]

With the combination structure of the closed cross-section structural member and the pipe member, the pair of sheet metal members constituting the closed cross-section structural member can be manufactured by a relatively small press molding machine, and the yield is improved. Is planned. Moreover, since the outer shape of the closed cross-section structural member can be relatively easily formed by press molding, the degree of freedom in layout of the instrument panel arranged corresponding to the closed cross-section structural member of the steering support member is increased. It becomes possible. In addition, since the cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member can be easily set to a shape corresponding to the layout of other automobile parts at the installation location, the degree of freedom in designing the steering support member itself is significantly improved. Further, it becomes possible to mount an automobile part using the flange portion of the closed cross-section structural member and to integrate (integrally attach) the automobile part to the closed cross-section structural member.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to 0.

FIG. 1 shows an instrument panel 1 arranged in the front part of a passenger compartment of an automobile and a steering support member 2 assembled to the instrument panel 1. The steering support member 2 of this embodiment is , A pair of press-formed sheet metal members (bending molding members) 3a,
Closed-section structural member 3 in which 3b are joined to each other in a closed-section shape
And the pipe member 4 are connected to each other at one end thereof.

More specifically, a portion of the steering support member 2 arranged corresponding to a speedometer installation location 1a of the instrument panel 1 and a central location 1b where an ashtray and the like are provided (driver's side). Is a closed cross-section structural member 3, and the instrument panel 1
The portion (portion on the passenger seat side) disposed corresponding to the glove box disposition location 1c is the pipe member 4.

The above-mentioned closed cross-section structural member 3 is a pair of sheet metal members 3a and 3b formed by bending a long plate-shaped steel plate into a desired shape by a press forming machine and welding them at their edge portions. They are joined together to form an elongated member having a closed cross-sectional shape (box shape). In addition, the above-mentioned pipe member 4
Is a straight pipe which is made of a so-called round pipe having a circular cross section and is not bent and formed. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one end of the pipe member 4 is weld-bonded to one end of the closed cross-section structural member 3, whereby a longitudinal member integrally connected is configured as one steering support member 2. ing. The mounting plate 6 is attached to both ends of the steering support member 2, that is, the other end of the closed cross-section structural member 3 and the other end of the pipe member 4.
Each of a and 6b is integrally fixed by welding or the like.

Thus, the above-mentioned steering support member 2 is arranged on the back side of the instrument panel 1 and is integrally assembled to the instrument panel 1 via the bracket 5 and the like, and is assembled into the vehicle body under this assembly state. It is supposed to be. That is, the steering support member 2 is arranged between a pair of left and right front pillars (not shown), and mounting plates 6a and 6b at both ends thereof are attached to the pair of left and right front pillars, whereby the steering support member 2 is The instrument panel 1 is installed between a pair of left and right front pillars and is fixedly arranged at the front part of the vehicle compartment.

Here, the sectional structure of each part along the longitudinal direction of the steering support member 2 (the left-right direction of the vehicle body) and the arrangement structure of other automobile parts will be described in detail.
It is as follows.

First, at a location corresponding to the central location 1b of the instrument panel 1, as shown in FIG.
The closed cross-section structural member 3 of the steering support member 2 is arranged. The air-conditioning duct 8 is arranged above the closed cross-section structural member 3 and the heater control lever 9 is arranged below the closed air-conditioning duct 8. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member 3 is set accordingly. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pipe member 4 of the steering support member 2 is arranged at a position corresponding to the glove box mounting position 1c of the instrument panel 1. And this pipe member 4
An instrument panel 1 is fastened and fixed to a lower portion of the pipe member 4, and an air-conditioning duct 8 is provided on an upper front portion of a pipe member 4. A caulking nut is attached to the pipe member 4 in terms of strength and space at this location.

Further, in a portion of the instrument panel 1 corresponding to the location 1a of the speedometer, FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the closed cross-section structural member 3 of the steering support member 2 is arranged, and the cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member 3 in each part is the instrument panel 1 or an automobile part arranged near the instrument panel 1. Is bent and formed into various shapes corresponding to the layout. That is, in the locations shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the closed cross-section structural member 3 is disposed between the speedometer 11 and the steering column 12, and is fixed to the instrument panel 1 below the speedometer 11 by tightening. . The cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member 3 at this portion is a shape corresponding to the shape and layout of the speedometer 11 and the steering column 12.

In this example, the cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member 3 at the portions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is substantially the same, but at the place shown in FIG. A reinforcing plate 3c made of a metal plate is interposed between the constituent sheet metal members 3a and 3b, and the presence of the reinforcing plate 13 reinforces the portion.

In addition, in the portion shown in FIG. 7, it is necessary to increase the cross-sectional area of the closed cross-section structural member 3 in order to increase the rigidity of the steering mechanism, and at the same time, the escape portion such as the option switch 13 must be provided. Due to this, the concave portion 1 partially depressed at a predetermined position of the sheet metal member 3b on the lower side.
4 are formed.

Further, in the portion shown in FIG. 8, the concave portion 1 for fastening and fixing the speedometer garnish 15 is provided.
6 is formed, and a recess 17 for fastening and fixing the speedometer 11 is formed at the position shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 10, the closed cross-section structural member 3 is for improving the rigidity of the steering mechanism, preventing vibration, and preventing upward movement of the steering shaft during airbag operation. The support member 1
8 and a bracket 19 to support the cowl box 20. Specifically, a bolt insertion hole (not shown) is formed in the flange portion 21 formed of the joint portion of the pair of sheet metal members 3a and 3b forming the closed cross-section structural member 3, and by using this bolt insertion hole One end 18a of the support member 18 is attached by bolting or the like, and the other end 18b of the support member 18 is attached to a bracket 19 fixed to the cowl box 20.

According to the steering support member 2 having such a structure, by forming the portion which needs to be bent and formed by the closed cross-section structural member 3, the bending and molding can be extremely easily made into an arbitrary shape by press forming. Therefore, it is not necessary to bend the pipe material as in the conventional case, and it is not necessary to attach a reinforcing member to the bent portion. Moreover, the pair of sheet metal members 3 made of sheet metal press material
Since a closed cross-section structure of a and 3b (closed cross-section structural member 3) is used as a part of the steering support member 2, as compared with the case where the whole is configured by the closed cross-section structural member. The closed cross-section structural member 3 can be manufactured with a relatively small press molding machine, and at the same time, it is possible to suppress the amount of the material portion wasted during the material removal and to secure a good yield.

In addition, in the case of a so-called press plate mating structure formed by joining a pair of sheet metal members 3a and 3b, the bent shapes of the sheet metal members 3a and 3b and thus the closed cross-section structural member 3 are formed.
Since it is possible to easily and freely mold the closed cross-sectional shape into a shape according to the shape and layout of the instrument panel 1 and other automobile parts, it is possible to greatly improve the degree of freedom in design. it can. Further, if necessary, the cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member 3 can be partially changed, or a welding nut or the like can be preliminarily attached inside thereof, whereby the design of the closed cross-section structural member 3 can be performed. Further, the degree of freedom of the layout of the instrument panel 1 and the like, the mounting accuracy of various parts to the closed cross-section structural member 3 can be further improved, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, as described above, by inserting the reinforcing plate 3c made of a metal plate or the like between the pair of sheet metal members 3a and 3b constituting the closed cross section structural member 3, the rigidity of the closed cross section structural member 3 in this portion can be easily increased. Can be improved. Therefore, the strength of the closed cross-section structural member 3 can be sufficiently ensured even when it is arranged in a narrow space, and the deformation due to welding and the fluctuation due to vibration can be prevented.

Further, according to this example, since the portion on the passenger side is constituted by the pipe member 4, it is advantageous in the following points. That is, since the location corresponding to the passenger seat side is the location where the passenger seat airbag is attached, high strength is required. However, the sectional area of the steering support member cannot be made large due to the space at this location. Therefore, as in this example, if the portion corresponding to the location is the pipe member 4, stronger strength can be obtained compared to the case where the sheet metal laminated structural member (closed sectional structural member) having the same cross-sectional area is used. This is advantageous because it can be manufactured, and the cost is low and the weight is light.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the combined structure of the closed cross-section structural member 3 and the pipe member 4 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the arrangement configuration can be changed as necessary. That is, both side portions of the steering support member 2 may be used as the pipe member 4 and the intermediate portion thereof may be used as the closed cross-section structural member 3, and vice versa. Further, the cross-sectional shape of each part in the longitudinal direction of the closed cross-section structural member 3 can be easily designed and changed to various shapes as necessary.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, a closed cross-section structural member having a closed cross-section formed by joining the edges of a pair of press-formed sheet metal members and a pipe member are mutually connected at one end thereof. Since the steering support members are connected to each other, it is not necessary to use a large press molding machine for manufacturing the closed cross-section structural member, and a relatively small press molding machine can be used. In addition to being easy, the yield of the material can be improved. Moreover, both the cross-sectional shape of the closed cross-section structural member and the bent shape along the longitudinal direction thereof can be easily formed into an arbitrary shape by press forming. It is possible to make the cross-sectional shape that matches the layout of the panel sufficiently, and eventually it is possible to design the layout of the instrument panel and each part of the automobile parts arranged in relation to it without any restrictions, and the degree of freedom in design Can be greatly improved.

Further, when the portion which must be bent along the longitudinal direction is constituted by the closed cross-section structural member, as compared with the conventional case where the pipe material is bent, The accuracy with respect to shape and size can be greatly improved. Moreover, it is not necessary to attach a special reinforcing member to the bent pipe portion as in the conventional case.

Further, since it is possible to attach other parts, spot welding, etc. by utilizing the flange portion (joint portion of a pair of sheet metal members) formed in the closed cross-section structural member, it is necessary to use another attaching member. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and the weight can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

Further, it is possible to easily insert and arrange the sheet metal as a reinforcing member between the pair of sheet metal members forming the closed cross-section structural member, whereby the strength and height of the portion where the sheet metal is inserted are increased. Stiffening can be achieved very easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a steering support member of an automobile according to the present invention and an instrument panel in which the steering support member is assembled.

2A and 2B show the steering support member, FIG. 2A is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 2B is a front view thereof.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG.

7 is a sectional view taken along line EE in FIG.

8 is a sectional view taken along line FF in FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line GG in FIG.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in FIG.

FIG. 11 is an exploded sectional view for explaining a conventional steering support member.

12 is a sectional view taken along line MM in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Instrument panel 2 Steering support member 3 Closed-section structural member 3a, 3b Sheet metal member (bending molding member) 3c Reinforcing plate 4 Pipe member 21 Flange portion

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A closed cross-section structural member having a closed cross-section formed by joining edges of a pair of press-formed sheet metal members, and a pipe member connected to each other at one end thereof. Car steering support member. 2. The steering support member for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein an automobile part is attached to a flange portion formed at a joint portion of the pair of sheet metal members.