JPS6160348A - Energy absorbing device for steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a sufficient energy absorbing effect against forces in vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions, by providing an energy absorbing device in a steering device. CONSTITUTION:An energy absorbing device 26 having a substantially rectangular structure is located in a space defined between a core cover 24 and a core portion 12 along an inner surface of the space. The energy absorbing device 26 is fixed to a steering shaft 16 together with the core portion 12 of a steering wheel 10 by means of a bolt 30 through a washer 28. The energy absorbing device 26 is provided with a plate structure member 42 comprising a substantially rectangular top plate 36 having a central opening 34 for permitting a mount operation of the bolt, two side plates 38 extending downwardly in parallel from opposite two edges of the top plate 36 at right angles thereto, and a bottom plate 40 integrally formed with the two side plates 38 and arranged in parallel relation with the top plate 36.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application gf) The present invention relates to a steering wheel energy absorption device Vc that is attached to a boss at the tip of a steering shaft and absorbs energy to soften the impact on an occupant. .

(Conventional Shigeru #I) The steering wheel is attached to the tip of the steering shaft, but the mounting part has a structure in which the boss part including the mounting bolt protrudes upward. In such cases, the occupant's body may come into contact with this part (and when this part hits, a shock is applied to the occupant's body. For this reason, the safety of the occupant has traditionally been In order to protect Vcf
It absorbs the impact energy and reduces the impact shock by 4.5
It is known to do. For example, Tokukai Sho, 5″r-/
! In the r-coro No. 60, the boss part has a U-shaped cross-section for energy absorption, which has a top plate and two side plates extending downward in parallel to each other at right angles from the end of the top plate. A structure in which the member is attached is disclosed.

(Intermediate point to be resolved) This Tokukaisho! rg-/! r = The structure disclosed in the Otsu No. 0 publication is capable of acting against forces in three directions: the vertical direction, that is, the axial direction of the steering shaft, the longitudinal direction of the absorbing member in the direction perpendicular to this axial direction, and the lateral direction. It has a moderate amount of rigidity and can exhibit a modest energy absorption function, but its rigidity is too weak to withstand the force applied from the diagonal direction at the corner of the top board and the drawing board. There is a problem in that it deforms without absorbing it and therefore cannot alleviate the impact force. In order to solve this problem, increasing the thickness of the energy absorbing member or creating a box-shaped structure with a top plate and wide side plates reduces the rigidity in the vertical direction, the longitudinal direction of the absorbing member, and the lateral direction of the absorbing member. There is a problem that if it becomes too strong, it actually deteriorates the protection function.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to suppress not only the forces in the vertical, longitudinal, and +m directions of the absorbing member but also the forces acting diagonally from the corners of the top plate and the side plates. It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy absorption device for a steering wheel that has rigidity and can sufficiently exhibit a monitoring function.

(Structure and operation of the invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features.
be done. That is, the steering wheel energy absorption device of the present invention is attached to the tip of the steering shaft, and includes at least a substantially rectangular top plate and an edge of the top plate that extends downward in a substantially perpendicular direction to face the top plate. A plate structure having two side plates; and a reinforcing member extending diagonally across a cross section of a space defined by the top plate and the two drawing plates and having at least one end attached to the plate structure. The reinforcement member is characterized in that it is constituted by a plate-like member having a width extending in the direction in which the space portion extends, that is, in the direction in which the plate structure extends.

The plate structure may have a cylindrical structure with a rectangular cross section including a top plate, two side plates, and a bottom plate, or may have a structure without a bottom plate. Preferably, the reinforcing members are attached as a pair, sandwiching the boss portion. The reinforcing member is a plate-like member that extends in the direction of extension of the plate structure, and its ends are
It can be attached to the upper and lower corners of the internal space of the plate structure, or to the bottom plate if it has one, by any fixing means such as welding. In this structure,
When a force is applied from an oblique direction, such as from an upper corner to a lower corner of a plate structure, the presence of a reinforcing member extending in the direction in which this force is applied prevents the plate structure from being easily affected by the force in the diagonal direction. It will no longer deform.

Especially since the width direction of the reinforcing member corresponds to the extending direction of the plate structure.

It has sufficient rigidity even when a force is applied in an oblique direction and has a component force in the direction in which the plate structure extends.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel 10 has a core portion 12 in the center.
By fitting the provided through hole 14 with the groove portion 18 formed at the tip of the steering shaft 16,
Steering wheel 1° is steering shaft 1
It is fixed at 6. In this case, the teeth provided inside the through hole 14 and the teeth formed on the outer periphery of the boss portion 18 are spline-engaged, and relative movement between the steering wheel IO and the steering shaft 16 is prevented. It looks like this. This central core portion 12 is connected to a donut-shaped grip portion 22 by spoke portions 20 that extend radially from the core portion 12 as well.

A core cover 24 is attached to the core part 12 so as to cover the upper part of the core part 12. This core cover 24
In the space formed between the core portion 12 and the core portion 12, an energy absorbing device 26 having a substantially rectangular cross section is arranged along the inner surface of the space. This energy absorbing device δ is fixed to the steering shaft 16 together with the core portion 12 of the steering wheel/L/10 by a bolt 30 via a washer 28. Further, the outer side of the core cover 24 is covered with a cap 32.
covered in. As shown in FIG. 1, the energy absorbing device 26 includes a substantially rectangular top plate 36 having an opening 34 in the center for bolt attachment work, and two opposing edges of the top plate 360 extending downward in a substantially perpendicular direction and parallel to each other. two side plates 38 that extend as shown in FIG.
6 and a parallel bottom plate 40.
2. The energy absorbing device 26 also includes a reinforcing member 44 extending from the corner of the top plate 36 and the side plate 38 to the corner of the side plate 38 and the bottom plate 40 in a substantially diagonal direction of the cross section of the plate 4 structure 42. The reinforcing member 44 has one end inside the upper part of the side plate 38 and the other end inside the bottom plate 4.
It is welded and fixed to the inside of 0. The reinforcing member 44 is composed of a plate-like member having a width extending in the direction in which the plate structure 42 extends. A pair of reinforcing members are provided so as to sandwich the goss portion 18. . The side plate 38 has an inwardly bent portion 38a at its upper end, and the top plate 36 is welded and fixed to this bent portion 38a. The bottom plate 40 also has a through hole 40 in the center. A is provided in this hole 40a? Furthermore, the side plate 38 has a rectangular opening 38 into which the base portion 18 is inserted.
t), whereby the rigidity of the side plate 38 is adjusted to an appropriate level. Top plate 36
A 9JI Q& screw hole 36a is provided in the 9JI Q& screw hole 36a, and the cap 32 and core cover 24 are attached with screws (not shown).
, and the plate structure 42 are fixed together.

Further, the bottom plate 40 has a projecting portion 40b on the side thereof, and this projecting portion 401) is also provided with a screw hole 40c. Therefore, the bottom plate 40 is further strengthened (not shown) using screws (not shown).
, is fixed to the spoke portion 20 of the steering wheel 10.

When a saliva force is applied to the energy absorbing device 26 of the above 5 sa, if it is an impact force in the vertical direction, that is, in the axial direction of the steering shaft 16, the energy absorbing device 26 8 absorbs energy by deforming in the vertical direction. Also, a side plate 38 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the steering shaft 16 extends.
The longitudinal force exerted by the side plate 38
deforms in-plane and absorbs energy. In this case, side plate 3
Since the opening 38b is formed in the opening 38b, the rigidity is adjusted to an appropriate level, and deformation occurs at an appropriate level. Furthermore, if the impact force is a lateral force in the same plane as the longitudinal force and perpendicular to the longitudinal force, the side plate bends and deforms, thereby mainly absorbing energy. Furthermore, the reinforcing member 44 deforms to absorb energy in response to an impact force acting from an oblique direction on the rectangular hollow cross section.

Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment of the energy absorbing device of the present invention is shown. In this example, the reinforcing member 44
The upper end portion is fixed to the corner of the top plate 36 and the side plate 38, and the lower end portion is fixed to approximately the center of the bottom plate 40.

Even in this case, the rigidity of the energy absorbing device 26 against diagonal forces can be increased, so that the same effect as in the previous example can be obtained.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, impact energy can be sufficiently absorbed no matter which direction an impact force is applied to the energy absorption device.

That is, the device of the present invention gradually deforms while absorbing energy during a collision, so that the collision shock is not suddenly transmitted to the occupant. In particular, when a diagonal force is applied to the cross section of the hollow part of the plate structure, this diagonal force further has a component force in the depth direction of the hollow part, that is, in the extending direction of the plate structure. Also, since the reinforcing member is composed of a plate-like member having a width expanding in the depth direction, the energy absorbing device of the present invention has appropriate rigidity in this direction as well, and therefore has the desired robustness. Demonstrate function.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an energy absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the state of use of the energy absorbing device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the energy absorption device concerning this. 10--- Steering wheel. 15------ Steering shaft, 18---
---yjf spoke part, 20'---- spoke part, 2
2------Grip part, 24------Core cover, 26------Energy absorption device, 28------
-, washer, 30------bolt, 36------
Top plate, 38---one side plate, 40---=bottom plate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] an energy absorbing device attached to a tip end of a steering shaft, the plate structure having at least a generally rectangular top plate and two side plates facing each other and extending downward in a substantially perpendicular direction from an edge of the top plate; a reinforcing member extending diagonally across the cross section of the space defined by the top plate and the two side plates, and having at least one end attached to the plate structure, the reinforcing member extending in the direction in which the space extends; An energy absorption device for a steering wheel, characterized in that it is constructed of a plate-like member having an expanding width.