JPS58167255A - Support for steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To have a support for a steering column with simple construction at low cost as well as enhances absorption of impact energy by supporting a steering column with friction force with respect to the car body and by stretching over a ring between a projection from car body and a projection from the steering column. CONSTITUTION:A steering column 13 is supported by the car body through a bracket 12 and, at the same time, supports a bracket 15, fixed to the column 13 by welding etc., at a fitting 23 with friction force to provide a slidable support with respect to the car body in case an excessive impact is applied. A projection 14 is fixed to the undersurface of dash panel 19 of car body while an L-shaped projection 17 is fixed to the upper circumferential wall of the steering column 13 facing the side further than this projection 14. A ring 20 as impact absorbing member is hung over between these two projections 14 and 17, where the ring is coupled with either or both of the projections by welding etc. so as not to be separated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a support device for a steering column that absorbs and balances the impact when a driver hits the steering wheel during a vehicle collision.

A steering shaft connecting the steering wheel is rotatably supported by a cylindrical steering column, and this steering column is usually supported by a dash panel of a vehicle body.

Conventionally, this kind of steering column support@1:
For example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,629, it has been proposed that a steering column or steering shaft has an axially retractable portion to absorb impact energy in the event of a collision. However, this has the following am.

First, it is difficult to apply this method to a dash panel that supports the steering column at two points. There is no problem if the steering shaft and the input shaft of the steering mwa mechanism are arranged in a straight line, but such an arrangement is a national problem in the case of cab-over type trucks, and generally the steering shaft and the eight shaft of the steering-skewer mechanism are connected by two universal joints and one inner shaft.

12. If the steering shaft is provided with a retractable portion, the support rigidity in the axial direction of the steering shaft will be reduced, and the structure will be complicated to compensate for this.

In view of these problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering device that can be applied to a type of steering device in which a steering shaft and an input shaft of a steering/heavy mechanism are connected by an intermediate shaft, and that can be configured at a uniform cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a support member for a steering column having a structure capable of absorbing impact energy.

For this reason, the structure of the present invention supports the steering column with respect to the vehicle body by frictional force, and the first steering column is fixed to the vehicle body.
A protruding piece and a second protruding piece located forward of the first protruding piece and facing the first protruding piece are fixed to the steering column, and the first protruding piece is fixed to the steering column. A ring is attached to the second projecting piece so that the steering column overcomes the frictional force and moves against the impact of a collision, and the impact energy is absorbed by the deformation of the ring.

To explain the present invention based on an embodiment, as shown in the first all, the in-flight device has a bracket 12 fixed to the lower side of a dash panel 19 with bolts 10, and a cross section U
A letter-shaped bracket 15 is swingably supported with bolts 16, and a steering column 13 is supported on these brackets 12,15.

The steering wheel 18 is attached to the steering column 13.
A steering shaft 9 coupled to the proximal end is rotatable but supported so as not to move in the axial direction. The leading end of the steering shaft 9 is connected to one end of an intermediate shaft 7 through a universal joint 8, and the other end of the intermediate shaft 7 is connected to an input shaft 3 of the steering gear mechanism 2 through a universal joint 4. Then, the rotation of the steering wheel 18 is transmitted to the input shaft 3 of the steering/heavy mechanism 2, and in the case of a rack-and-binion type, the rack rod 1 that meshes with the pinion of the input shaft 3 is driven to drive the link mechanism. The steering wheel is deflected through the steering wheel.

The intermediate shaft 7 changes the direction of the steering shaft 9 and the input shaft 3 based on the relationship between steering and the arrangement of the heavy mechanism 2.
; It is arranged to penetrate the floor panel 6, and this penetrating portion is covered by the dustproof boot 5.

Such a configuration is almost the same as the conventional one.

According to the present invention, the steering column 13 is firmly fitted and supported in the hole provided in the bracket 12.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 15 is constructed by bending a band plate into a U-shape, and this bent portion is fixed to the steering column 13 by welding or the like.
Both end portions 15a, which are bent outward from each other, are supported so as to be able to vibrate with respect to fixing fittings 23, which will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing fitting 23 is made of a metal plate bent into a trowel-shaped cross section, and is attached to the dash panel 19 with a bolt 16. The bracket 15 has an end portion 15
a is strongly frictionally engaged with the inside of a groove formed by mutually parallel wall plates of the fixture 23 and extending forward. Then, as shown in the fourth factor, the notch groove 22 provided at the rear edge of the end portion 15a of the bracket 15 is engaged with the bolt 16.

As shown in the second @l, while a protruding piece, specifically the bottle 14, is fixed downwardly on the dash panel 19, this protruding piece 14
The upper leg of the steering column 13 faces the field towards the front! A projecting piece 17 made of a thick plate in the shape of a letter is fixed by welding or the like. A cylindrical body or a ring 20 serving as an equal impact absorbing member is hung on the bottle 14 and the protrusion 17 by six turns, and is coupled to one or both of the bottle 14 and the protrusion 17 by welding or the like so as not to come off.

The ability to absorb impact energy due to a single impact is determined by the width, wall thickness, and material of the ring 20.

By configuring the present invention as described above, when the driver's chest is hit by the steering wheel 18 due to inertia during a vehicle collision, the steering shaft 9 supporting the driver and the steering column 13 are integrated. then move forward along bracket 12.15.

At this time, the bracket 15 integrally with the steering column 13 overcomes the frictional engagement force with the fixing metal fitting 23 and moves forward (in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 4), and at the same time, the protrusion 17 fixed to the steering column 13 2
0 is stretched forward. Ring 2 made of metal etc.
The impact energy applied to the steering shaft 9 at the time of a duck collision is absorbed by the deformation of the steering wheel 0, thereby preventing excessive impact from being applied to the driver and protecting the driver.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the steering column 13 is mounted at two points on the vehicle body side, that is, the brackets 12.
The shock absorbing ring 20 can be easily attached to the steering device of the type supported by the vehicle body without sacrificing its rigidity and strength, and can absorb the impact caused by a collision and protect the driver. Since the side projecting piece or pin 14 and the steering column side projecting piece 17 are turned, the structure is extremely simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

In addition, the shock absorbing ring 20 can be placed below the dash panel inside the bracket 15, which used to be a dead space, so it does not require extra installation space and does not become an obstacle to driving operations. .

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, if the bracket 12 is configured to be stirred forward in response to an impact, the steering column 13
may remain fixed to the bracket 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, the shock absorbing ring 20 is arranged inside the bracket 15, but it is also possible to arrange it in other parts.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows the steering column support gi&
Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the support device, Fig. 3 is a front sectional view of the steering device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is the same Hiranan. FIG. 2: Inside the steering wheel - skewer mechanism 7: Intermediate shaft 9 Ni steering shaft 12 Ni steering bracket 13 Ni steering column
14: Bottle (protrusion) 15: Bracket 16: Bolt 17: Protrusion h 18 Nistea') > , j7% E7
゜19: Gtsu□/<2/l/ 20+
'Ring 22: Groove 23 = Fixing bracket No. 4t! l -319,- Fig. 3 3 Fig. 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A first projecting piece that supports the steering column with respect to the vehicle body by frictional force and is fixed to the vehicle body side, and a stirrup positioned forward of the first projecting piece and facing the first projecting piece. Second
a protrusion is fixed to the steering column, the first protrusion is fixed to the steering column;
A ring is hung on the second projecting piece so that the steering column moves by overcoming the frictional force against the impact during a collision, and absorbs the impact energy through deformation of the ring. Steering column support featuring @■.