JPH10264830A - Supporting structure for steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operability by sufficiently ensuring the supporting rigidity of a steering column to reduce vibration of a steering wheel, and improve the safety by absorbing impact acting on the steering column at the time of collision to prevent it from projecting into the room. SOLUTION: In a supporting structure of a steering column, both end parts of a deck cross 21 provided along the crosswise direction of a car body are fixed to pillars 15a, 15b, a support member 23 longitudinally extending to intersect the deck cross 21 is connected and fixed to the deck cross 21 to support a steering column 24, and the front end part of the support member 23 is fastened to a dashpanel reinforcement 20. A longitudinal section of the support member 23 is formed into a U shaped sectional contour to increase the rigidity in an up and down direction, and fold lines 23d, 23e are formed in order for the support member to be set to a contour in which the longitudinal rigidity is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a steering column support structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of a vehicle showing a conventional steering column support structure.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 4, a cowl box 004 is connected to an upper portion of a dash panel 003 that separates a cabin 001 from an engine room 002.
Is composed of a cowl upper panel 005, a cowl front panel 006, and a cowl lower panel 007. The lower end of the windshield 008 is connected to the cowl upper panel 005, and the rear end of the hood 009 is supported by the cowl front panel 006. Further, a steering support member 010 is disposed in the rear of the cowl box 004 along the vehicle width direction, and each end is fixed to a side frame member of the vehicle body such as a front pillar (not shown).

A steering column 011 has a steering wheel 013 at a base end thereof via a steering shaft 012.
The front end portion extends through the dash panel 003 into the engine room 002, and is connected to a front wheel steering mechanism (not shown). The upper end of the steering column 011 is supported by the steering support member 010 by the mounting bracket 014, and the lower end is supported by the pedal bracket 016 by the mounting member 015. In addition, a support portion of the steering support member 010 in which the steering column 011 is supported by the mounting bracket 014 is connected to the cowl box 004 by a steering bracket 017.

[0005] Such a steering column support structure is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-43173.

[0006]

By the way, a steering column 011 has a steering wheel 013 attached to the base end thereof, and the driver can use the steering wheel 01
Hold 3 to steer the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to support the steering column 011 without rattling with respect to the vehicle body frame. On the other hand, at the time of a forward collision of the vehicle, a rearward load acts on the front portion of the vehicle body, and the dash panel 003, the cowl box 004, and the like are displaced toward the rear passenger compartment 001. At this time, if the steering column 011 supported by the mounting bracket 014 on the cowl box 004 is displaced rearward along with the rearward displacement of the cowl box 004, there is a possibility that the driver may be damaged. Therefore, even when the dash panel 003, the cowl box 004, etc. are displaced toward the cabin 001 at the time of such a forward collision of the vehicle, the steering column 011 remains connected to the front wheel steering mechanism and absorbs the impact force due to the collision. It is desirable to support so as not to be displaced backward.

However, in the conventional steering column support structure described above, the steering column 011 is supported on the steering support member 010 by the mounting bracket 014, and each end of the steering support member 010 is fixed to the vehicle body frame. At the same time, an intermediate portion is connected to the cowl box 004 by a steering bracket 017. Thus, the steering column 011 has the mounting bracket 014,
Steering support member 010, steering bracket 0
Since it is relatively firmly connected to the cowl box 004 via the 17 or the like, it has been difficult to sufficiently absorb the impact force due to the collision. In order to solve this problem, a detachment mechanism (not shown) is provided between the steering bracket 017 and the mounting bracket 014, between the steering column 011 and the mounting bracket 014, but the structure becomes complicated. Has caused a problem.

The present invention has been proposed based on such a background, and while improving the operability by reducing the vibration of the steering wheel by sufficiently securing the support rigidity of the steering column, An object of the present invention is to provide a steering column support structure that improves safety by absorbing the impact acting on the steering column at the time of a collision and preventing the steering column from projecting into the vehicle interior.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering column support structure for fixing both ends of a deck cloth extending along a width direction of a vehicle to a vehicle body. A support member extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle so as to intersect with the deck cross is connected and fixed to the deck cross and supports a steering column, and a front end of the support member extends vertically of the vehicle body. A support structure for a steering column fastened to a wall portion, wherein the support member has high rigidity in a vertical direction,
The rigidity in the front-rear direction is set to be low.

[0010] Therefore, by setting the rigidity of the support member in the vertical direction to be high, the steering column is firmly supported by the deck member and the vertical wall of the vehicle body by the support member, and the steering column While the vibration is reduced and the operability is improved, the rigidity of the support member in the front-rear direction is set to be low, so that even when the vertical wall portion of the vehicle body is displaced toward the passenger compartment at the time of a forward collision of the vehicle. The support member bends with the deck cloth to absorb the impact force at the time of the collision and suppresses the displacement of the steering column toward the passenger compartment, thereby improving the driver's safety.

Further, in the steering column supporting structure according to the second aspect of the present invention, the support member has an I-shaped or U-shaped vertical sectional shape.

Therefore, the vertical cross-sectional shape of the support member is I
Since the support member is formed in a U-shape or a U-shape, the rigidity of the support member in the vertical direction is set to be high, and the steering column is firmly supported on the deck cloth by the support member.

[0013] In the steering column supporting structure according to the third aspect of the present invention, the vertical wall portion may include a cowl box connected to an upper portion of a dash panel mounted on the vehicle body, and a dash cross connected to a lower portion. And a dash-panel hose arranged over the dash panel.

Therefore, the dash panel ring hose disposed over the cowl box and the dash cloth is used as the vertical wall portion, so that the steering column connected to the dash panel ring hose via the support member can be used. It is supported so that the rigidity in the vertical direction is increased.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a vehicle showing a steering column support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an attachment state of a steering column to a body frame, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a support member. Show.

In the steering column support structure of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cowl box 11 arranged along the width direction of the vehicle body includes a cowl top upper 12, a cowl top inner 13, The upper edge portion 14 of the dash panel is welded in a box shape, and the right and left ends of the cowl box 11 are provided with pillars 15a, 15b, respectively.
It is connected to. In addition, a vertical wall portion of the dash panel 16 extends below the cowl box 11. The dash panel 16 is disposed substantially vertically so as to partition a cabin 17 and an engine room 18, and a lower portion thereof is connected to a dash cross member 19. A dash panel phosphorus hose 20 is mounted on the driver's seat side so as to connect the cowl box 11 and the dash cross member 19 to the dash panel 16 on the vehicle cabin 17 side.

A deck cloth 21 is provided behind the dash panel 16 along the width direction of the vehicle body, and left and right ends thereof are attached to the pillars 15a, 15b.
Are fixed by fixing bolts (not shown). A support member 23 is provided between the dash panel ring hose 20 and the deck cloth 21.
The steering column 24 has a steering wheel 26 attached to a base end thereof via a steering shaft 25, while a distal end extends through the dash panel 16 into the engine room 18 and is connected to a front wheel steering mechanism (not shown). ing. And this steering column 2
4 is a plurality of bolts 28 via a support bracket 27.
To the deck cloth 21. In this case, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, the deck cloth 21, the support member 23, the steering column 24, the shaft 2
5 are assembled in advance, and the vehicle body frame (pillar 1
5a, 15b, dash panel ring hose 20 etc.).

By the way, the dash panel phosphorus hose 20
The support member 23 provided between the support member 23 and the deck cloth 21 has a shape in which the rigidity in the vertical direction is high and the rigidity in the front-rear direction is low. That is, as shown in detail in FIG. 3, the support member 23 is formed by punching a thin plate material so that the support member 23 has an L-shape in plan view and a U-shape in vertical section. Two mounting holes 23b are formed in a front mounting portion 23a mounted on the dash panel ring hose 20, and a connecting portion 23c which is bent substantially 90 degrees to the mounting portion 23a and extends rearward is integrally formed. Have been. The connecting portion 23c is bent right and left by a predetermined angle at two bending lines 23d and 23e extending in the vertical direction. Further, horizontal flange portions 23f and 23g are provided at the upper end and the lower end from the attachment portion 23a to the connection portion 23c.
Are formed.

Therefore, the support member 23 has the horizontal flange portions 23f and 23g formed in the connecting portion 23c and has a U-shaped vertical section, so that it can sufficiently receive the vertical load. High rigidity. On the other hand, two broken line portions 23d and 23
With the formation of e, it is possible to bend at the broken lines 23d and 23e with respect to the load in the front-rear direction, and the rigidity is low.

In the steering column support structure of the present embodiment having the above-described structure, the support member 2
The vertical cross section 3 has a U-shape so that the rigidity in the vertical direction is set to be high. The steering column 24 is firmly supported by the deck cross and the dash panel phosphorus hose 20 by the support member 23. Thus, the vibration of the steering wheel 26 is reduced, and the steering operability is improved. On the other hand, the support member 23
By forming the two fold lines 23d and 23e, the rigidity in the front-rear direction is set to be low, and the cowl box 11 and the dash panel phosphorus hose 2 are provided at the time of a forward collision of the vehicle.
When 0 or the like is displaced toward the passenger compartment 17, the support member 2
3 is bent at the broken lines 23d and 23e, and absorbs the impact force at the time of collision with the deck cloth 21. Therefore, the steering column 24 is not displaced toward the passenger compartment 17, and damage to the driver due to the steering wheel 26 and the like is suppressed, and safety is improved.

Further, by providing a support member 23 for increasing the vertical support rigidity of the steering column 24 between the dash panel ring hose 20 and the deck cloth 21, the deck cloth 21, the support, When assembling the member 23, the steering column 24, and the like to the vehicle body frame (the pillars 15a, 15b, the dash panel phosphorus hose 20, etc.), the fastening work between the dash panel phosphorus hose 20 and the support member 23 can be performed from the engine room 18 side. Thus, the workability of the assembling work can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cowl box 1
1 in front of the conventional vehicle, that is, the dash panel 1
By arranging the windshield in front of 6, the windshield can be extended to the front to secure a sufficient front view, and the degree of freedom in designing the vehicle body can be ensured.

[0024]

As described in detail in the above embodiment, according to the steering column support structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the steering column intersects with the deck cross extending along the width direction of the vehicle. The support member is extended and connected and fixed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the steering column is supported by the support member, and the front end of the support member is fastened to the vertical wall of the vehicle body. The rigidity in the vertical direction is high and the rigidity in the longitudinal direction is low, so the support member has high rigidity in the vertical direction, and the steering column is firmly attached to the deck cross and the vertical wall of the vehicle body by this support member. As a result, the steering wheel can be reduced in vibration and the operability can be improved. Due to the low rigidity, even if the vertical wall of the vehicle body is displaced toward the cabin at the time of a forward collision of the vehicle, this support member absorbs the impact force at the time of the collision by bending between the deck cross and the steering wheel. The displacement of the column toward the passenger compartment can be suppressed, and the safety of the driver can be improved.

According to the steering column support structure of the second aspect of the present invention, since the vertical cross section of the support member is formed in an I-shape or a U-shape, the rigidity of the support member in the vertical direction can be easily increased. It can be set high and vibration of the steering column can be reduced.

According to the steering column support structure of the third aspect of the present invention, the vertical wall portion is formed into a cowl box connected to an upper portion of a dash panel attached to a vehicle body and a dash cross connected to a lower portion. The dash-panel hose connected to the dash-panel hose via a support member is supported with high rigidity in the vertical direction. Vibration can be reliably reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a vehicle, illustrating a support structure of a steering column according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an attachment state of a steering column to a vehicle body frame.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a support member.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of a vehicle showing a conventional steering column support structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 11 cowl box 16 dash panel 17 cabin 18 engine room 19 dash cross member 20 dash panel phosphorus hose 21 deck cross 23 support member 24 steering column 26 steering wheel 23a mounting part 23c connecting part 23d, 23e broken line part 23f, 23g horizontal flange part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (72) Inventor Yoshihiro Nakagawa 110, Michiseyama, Aizuma-cho, Chiryu-shi, Aichi Ryowa Metal Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] An end of a deck cloth extending along the width direction of the vehicle is fixed to a vehicle body, and a support member extending along the front-rear direction of the vehicle so as to intersect the deck cross is provided. A steering column support structure connected and fixed to a deck cross and supporting a steering column, and a front end of the support member is fastened to a vertical wall of the vehicle body, wherein the support member has rigidity in a vertical direction. A steering column support structure characterized by a shape that is high and has low rigidity in the front-rear direction. 2. The steering column support structure according to claim 1, wherein the support member has an I-shaped or U-shaped vertical cross section. 3. The steering column support structure according to claim 1, wherein the vertical wall portion includes a cowl box connected to an upper portion of a dash panel attached to the vehicle body, and a dash cross connected to a lower portion. A support structure for a steering column, which is constituted by a dash panel ring hose disposed over the vehicle.