JPH10217979A - Steering device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce impact applied to occupants at the time of secondary collision when a vehicle has a head collision. SOLUTION: This device is so constituted that a steering column 21 rotatably supporting a main shaft 11 capable of being integrally rotated with a steering wheel 14, is connected with a car body (column support 31) so as to be supported at an oblique angle as specified. In this case, the steering column 21 is so constituted that it can be connected with the car body so as to be supported by two places A and B parted as specified, the steering column 21 is connected so as to be supported tiltably in the longitudinal direction at the connecting support point A, the steering column 21 is also connected so as to be supported releasably afterward at the connecting support part B, and a pressing and moving means (rod 51) is provided, which presses and moves the steering column 21 and the main shaft 11 in response to the deformation of the car body (front panel 32) at the time of primary collision, releases connecting support at the connecting support part B so as to eliminate it, and concurrently, raises the column and shaft so as to allow them to be tilted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a main shaft which rotates integrally with a steering wheel and a steering column which rotatably supports the main shaft is used in a primary collision in a vehicle frontal collision. The present invention relates to a steering device that stands and tilts in response to deformation of a vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of vehicle steering devices,
2. Description of the Related Art A steering column rotatably supporting a main shaft that rotates integrally with a steering wheel is connected to and supported by a vehicle body at a predetermined inclination angle, and is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-50864.

In the vehicle steering apparatus disclosed in the above publication, a steering column is connected and supported to the vehicle body at a middle portion via a support bracket, and is connected to and supported by the vehicle body at a gear box side end. In normal use, the support bracket is reinforced by the reinforcing link so that appropriate support strength (rigidity) can be obtained. In addition, at the time of a vehicle frontal collision, reinforcement by the reinforcing link according to the deformation of the vehicle body at the time of the primary collision Is released, and the connection support at the gear box side end is released. Therefore, at the time of a secondary collision at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle (when the occupant collides with the steering wheel), the support bracket is deformed by the forward external force acting on the steering wheel from the occupant, and the steering column and the main shaft are tilted upright. I do.

[0004]

In the above-described conventional steering apparatus for a vehicle, the occupant collides with the steering wheel in a secondary collision at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, so that the support bracket is deformed and the steering column and the main body are deformed. Since the shaft rises and tilts, a sufficient living space for the occupant can be secured behind the steering wheel, but the reaction force of the external force that deforms the support bracket acts as an impact force on the occupant.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and a steering column rotatably supporting a main shaft which rotates integrally with a steering wheel is provided on a vehicle body at a predetermined inclination. In a vehicle steering device that is connected and supported at a corner, the steering column is configured to be connected to and supported by the vehicle body at two locations separated by a predetermined distance in the column axial direction, and a connection support portion on the steering wheel side is provided. The steering column is connected and supported so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction, while the connection support portion on the gear box side is connected and supported so that the steering column can be disengaged rearward. The steering on the gear box side from the steering wheel side connection support portion in response to deformation of the vehicle body And a pushing means for pushing the steering column and the main shaft to release the connection support at the gear box side connection support portion to separate the steering column and the main shaft, and for raising and tilting the steering column and the main shaft. is there.

[0006]

In the steering apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention, the pushing means has a steering column on the gear box side of the steering wheel side connection support portion in accordance with the deformation of the vehicle body at the time of a primary collision in a vehicle frontal collision. After the primary collision and before the secondary collision, the steering column and main shaft must Standing around the steering wheel side connection support portion, a sufficient living space for the occupant is secured in front of the occupant.

Therefore, as long as the occupant moves forward in the living space after the primary collision, the occupant does not collide with the steering wheel, and the reaction force due to this collision does not act on the occupant as an impact force. By restraining the forward movement of the occupant by a well-known seat belt or airbag before the occupant collides with the steering wheel, it is possible to reduce the impact given to the occupant in the event of a secondary collision.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle steering apparatus embodying the present invention. In this steering apparatus, a steering column 21 rotatably supporting a main shaft 11 via a bearing (not shown) is separated from the steering column 21 by a predetermined distance in a column axial direction. Two connecting support parts A and B
At the (intermediate part and the tip part), it is connected and supported by a column support 31 (vehicle body) at a predetermined inclination angle. The column support 31 is an instrument panel reinforcing member. The column support 31 has a front end fixed to a front panel 32 and left and right ends fixed to a side panel (not shown). An upper end is fixed to a rear end of the panel member 31a. Floor panel 3 at lower end
3 and a front panel 32 in a primary collision at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle.
The front part is deformed with the deformation, but the rear part is hardly deformed.

The main shaft 11 has a universal joint 12 at its lower end (a portion projecting from the steering column 21).
The upper end of the intermediate upper shaft 13 is connected to the upper end of the intermediate upper shaft 13 so as to be able to bend and transmit torque. A steering wheel 14 is attached to the upper end so as to rotate integrally. The main shaft 11 and the steering column 21 are covered by a column cover 29 below the steering wheel 14.

The intermediate upper shaft 13 is fitted at its lower end to the upper end of the intermediate lower shaft 15 so as to be able to transmit torque and to slide in the axial direction. Boot 23. The lower intermediate shaft 15 is connected at its lower end to a gear box 17 via a universal joint 16,
The periphery is covered by a column lower cover 22. The column lower cover 22 is fixed to the floor panel 33 at its lower end, and is held upright. The boot 23 is connected at its upper end to the lower end of the steering column 21 and at its lower end to the upper end of the column lower cover 22.
And the column lower cover 22 are bendably connected.

By the way, in the steering wheel side connection support portion A of the present embodiment, the steering column 21 has a support portion 31a1 formed at the rear end of the panel member 31a of the column support 31 (a portion having high rigidity and being hardly deformed).
The support pins 41 are connected and supported so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction (rotatably about the support pins 41).

On the other hand, in the gear box side connection support portion B,
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the steering column 21
Is supported at the upper end of the pipe member 31b of the column support 31 via a bracket 42, a pair of connecting arms 43, a connecting bolt 44, and a bracket 45 so as to be detachable rearward. The bracket 42 is connected to the pipe member 31b.
The connecting arms 43 are fixed to both ends of the bracket 42 using mounting bolts 46. Each connecting arm 43 has a connecting bolt 4
4 has a mounting hole 43a through which a slit 43b is opened at a rear end of the mounting hole 43a under a predetermined load.
Are formed. The bracket 45 is integrally fixed to the front of the lower end of the steering column 21.

Further, in the present embodiment, the imaginary line in FIG. 1 changes according to the deformation of the front panel 32 at the time of the primary collision at the time of the vehicle frontal collision (for example, at the time of the frontal collision with the barrier 100 shown in FIG. 1). As shown in the figure, a pushing rod 51 pushed backward is provided between the front panel 32 and the column lower cover 22. When the pushing rod 51 is pushed backward, the column lower cover 22 and the intermediate The lower ends of the main shaft 11 and the steering column 21 are pushed rearward through the upper shaft 13 so that the connection support of the steering column 21 at the gear box side connection support portion B is released, whereby the steering is performed. The lower end of the column 21 is detached rearward from the column support 31 and the steering column 21 and the main shaft 11 are removed. It is adapted to upright tilted as shown in phantom lines in FIG. During the upright tilting, sliding in the axial direction occurs between the intermediate upper shaft 13 and the intermediate lower shaft 15.

In this embodiment constructed as described above, the pushing rod 51 moves the lower end of the main shaft 11 and the steering column 21, ie, the steering wheel, in accordance with the deformation of the front panel 32 at the time of a primary collision at the time of a vehicle frontal collision. The portion on the gear box side from the side connection support portion A is connected to the column lower cover 22 and the intermediate upper shaft 13
To release the connection support at the gear box side connection support portion B and to separate it, and to tilt the steering column 21 and the main shaft 11 upright.
After the primary collision and before the secondary collision, the steering column 21 and the main shaft 11 stand up around the steering wheel side connection support portion A as shown by the phantom line in FIG. A sufficient living space is secured.

Therefore, as long as the occupant moves forward in the living space after the primary collision, the occupant does not collide with the steering wheel 14, and the reaction force due to this collision does not act on the occupant as an impact force. By restraining the forward movement of the occupant by a well-known seat belt or an airbag (both not shown) before the occupant collides with the steering wheel 14, the impact given to the occupant at the time of the secondary collision can be reduced. .

In this embodiment, the main shaft 11 is connected to the gear box 17 via a universal joint 12, an intermediate upper shaft 13, an intermediate lower shaft 15, and a universal joint 16 so as to be extendable and bendable. In addition, since the steering column 21 is configured to be extendably and flexibly connected to the column lower cover 22 via the boot 23, the steering column 21 is pushed by the pushing rod 51 at the time of a primary collision in a vehicle frontal collision. The main shaft 11 can be made to stand up smoothly, and the space between the steering column 21 and the main shaft 11 on the gear box side of the steering wheel side connection support A can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, each connecting arm 43 is provided with a slit 43 in the gear box side connecting support portion B.
b to form a slit 43 with a predetermined load to the rear of the vehicle.
b is expanded so that the connection support at the gear box side connection support portion B is released. However, like the gear box side connection support portion B shown in FIGS.
A notch 45a and a thin portion 45b for promoting rupture are provided in a bracket 45 integrally fixed to the front of the lower end of the bracket 45, and the bracket 45 is broken by a predetermined load toward the rear of the vehicle, and It is also possible to implement such that the connection support is released.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a steering apparatus in which the tilt mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are not incorporated in the steering column 21 and the main shaft 11, but the tilt mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are provided in the steering column and the main shaft. The present invention can be similarly implemented in a steering device in which is incorporated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a vehicle steering device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a gear box side connection support portion shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modification of the gear box side connection support shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a steering column side bracket shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Main shaft, 14: Steering wheel,
21: steering column, 31: column support (vehicle body), 32: front panel (vehicle body), 51: push rod, A: steering wheel side connection support, B: gear box side connection support.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicular steering apparatus in which a steering column rotatably supporting a main shaft that rotates integrally with a steering wheel is connected to and supported by a vehicle body at a predetermined inclination angle. It is configured to be connected to and supported by the vehicle body at two places separated by a predetermined distance, and the steering column is connected and supported so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction at a connection support portion on the steering wheel side, while being connected to the gear box side In the support portion, the steering column is connected and supported so as to be able to be disengaged rearward, and the steering column on the gear box side with respect to the steering wheel side connection support portion in response to deformation of the vehicle body at the time of a primary collision during a vehicle frontal collision. And pushing the main shaft to connect and support the gear box side A steering device for a vehicle, further comprising a pushing means for disengaging and detaching the connection support at the part and for raising and tilting the steering column and the main shaft.