KR20030018554A - An automotive steering device for absorbing impact - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A steering apparatus of a vehicle for absorbing impact is provided to keep even friction between lower and upper tubes, and to absorb and buffer impact by fitting each other with increasing the contact area of lower and upper tubes. CONSTITUTION: A steering column is fixed in the lower part of a dash panel through a lower bracket(B) to transmit operational force of a steering wheel to a steering gear assembly, and composed of lower and upper tubes(10,20) containing lower and upper shafts(10',20'). Four fixing ends(20a) are symmetrically formed with bending the end of the upper tube containing the lower tube inward after cutting, and contacted to the outside of the lower tube. Deformation of lower and upper tubes is prevented with fixing by keeping the gap, and the lower tube is fastened with the fixing ends of the upper tube. Impact is absorbed efficiently with keeping even friction between upper and lower tubes.

Description

An automotive steering device for absorbing impact

The present invention relates to a vehicle steering apparatus having a shock absorbing function, and more particularly to a vehicle steering apparatus having a shock absorbing function to be able to absorb the shock uniformly.

In general, the steering device is a part that is in charge of the three functions of driving, turning, and stopping, which are the basic functions of the vehicle, and the driver mainly changes the direction of the front wheel to freely change the driving direction of the vehicle. The general aspect is a device for adjusting the direction and magnitude of the tire force for the change of direction, and also has the function of transmitting the vehicle's movement state and the road grounding state of the tire to the driver through the steering reaction force.

Such a steering device is made of a steering column fixed via a lower bracket (B) at the lower portion of the dash panel (D) between the steering wheel (SW) and the steering gear assembly as shown in FIG. The steering gear assembly generally refers to a portion generally composed of a steering sector shaft arm, a drag link, a spindle arm and various rod links.

Here, the steering column is designed as a tubular rigid body so as to support the spindle axis for transmitting the rotational movement generated by the steering wheel (S) to have the same rigidity as the vehicle body to absorb the collision energy during the collision of the vehicle. That is, when the driver hits the steering wheel S by inertia during the collision of the vehicle, the steering column absorbs this collision energy to perform a function of minimizing the injury of the driver.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shock absorbing structure of the steering column has a lower tube 10 and an upper tube 20 each receiving lower and upper shafts 10 'and 20' coupled to each other. Coupled to the coupling portion of the lower upper tube (10, 20) as shown in Figure 3 by using a circular die crushing two parts of the upper tube 20 facing each other using a choking (Caulking) method By using the upper tube 20 to make an elliptic shape to be combined.

Here, reference numeral N denotes a needle bearing for reducing the rotational resistance of the lower shaft 10 'that is rotated according to the steering wheel operation.

Accordingly, the impact force transmitted during the collision of the vehicle absorbs the shock through the frictional force while the molding part of the lower upper shaft 10 'and 20' and the choking part of the lower upper tube 10 and 20 are damaged. In the choking operation of the lower upper tubes 10 and 20, the pressure for pressurizing the upper tube 20 is not always uniformly constant, and thus, the friction force is generated while being inserted into the upper tube 20. There is a problem that the friction force of the lower tube 10 is not uniform.

In addition, when the pressing pressure of the lower upper tubes 10 and 20 is not uniform, only products satisfying the stiffening collision law of automobiles must be selected. Has the disadvantage of being very large.

Therefore, the present invention was invented in view of the above-mentioned matters, while increasing the contact area between the lower and upper tubes so as to be fitted to each other to be coupled to each other to maintain uniform friction between the lower and upper tubes at all times without having to conduct a total quality test. Its purpose is to satisfy.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a steering sector shaft arm, a drag link, and a spindle arm connected to a steering column fixed via a lower bracket at a lower portion of the dash panel so that the steering device transmits the steering force of the steering wheel. It consists of a steering gear assembly of various rod links, wherein the steering column has a plurality of lower tubes and upper tubes accommodating the lower and upper shafts coupled to each other while maintaining a gap so as not to deform the circular cross-sectional shape of each other. The parts are in contact with each other to form a coupling site for generating a fixing force.

1 is a block diagram of a steering device for a vehicle having a shock absorbing function according to the prior art

FIG. 2 is a partial configuration diagram of a steering column provided with the shock absorbing function of FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.

4 is a partial configuration diagram of a steering column given a shock absorption function according to the present invention

5 is a side configuration diagram of FIG.

6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: lower tube 10 ': lower shaft

10a: stepped off

20: upper tube 20 ': upper shaft

20a: fixed end

B: Lower Bracket

D: Dash panel K: Choking part

N: Needle Bearing S: Steering Wheel

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 4 shows a partial configuration of the steering column is provided with a shock absorbing function according to the present invention, the present invention in the lower portion of the dash panel (D) so that the steering device transmits the operating force of the steering wheel (SW) A steering sector shaft arm connected to a fixed steering column via a lower bracket (B) and a steering gear assembly comprising a drag link and a spindle arm and various load links, wherein the steering column is coupled to a lower upper The lower tube 10 and the upper tube 20 respectively accommodating the shafts 10 'and 20' maintain a spacing so as not to deform the circular cross-sectional shape of each other, and a plurality of portions are in contact with each other to generate a coupling force. To form.

Here, the coupling portion is a lower tube as shown in Figure 6 by bending the end of the upper tube 20 that accommodates the lower tube 10 as shown in Figure 5 to a predetermined width (Bending) To form a fixed end (20a) in contact with the outer diameter of (10), this fixed end (20a) is formed in four places to be symmetrical to each other to maintain a stable fixing force.

In addition, the lower tube 10 has a relatively small diameter compared to a portion where the portion fixed to the upper end of the upper tube 20 via the fixed end 20a is coupled to the lower bracket B mounted on the dash panel D. Of course, the stepped block 10a is formed in a predetermined section of the entire length so as to block the applied impact.

Accordingly, the impact force transmitted during the collision of the vehicle is primarily absorbed and buffered while being transmitted to the molding portion of the lower upper shafts 10 'and 20', and then the lower upper shafts 10 'and 20'. When the impact force that damaged the molding part of the exerted force is applied to the lower upper tubes 10 and 20 accommodating them, the lower tube 10 of the lower tube 10 is deformed and the lower tube 10 having a relatively large diameter portion is deformed. ) Wraps around the outer diameter of the small diameter part and absorbs and cushions the shock secondary.

Subsequently, the impact force continuously applied to the lower tube 10 after the stepped portion 10a of the lower tube 10 is deformed is applied to the lower upper tubes 10 and 20 fixed through the fixed end 20a. The lower tube 10 is applied to the coupling portion, and thus the lower tube 10 pushed into the upper tube 20 overcomes the fixing force with the fixed end 20a of the upper tube 20 and is pushed down even when the lower tube 10 is separated. The outer diameter of the upper tube 20, while generating the horsepower and the fixed end (20a) of the impact force applied to the third to absorb and buffer the steering column is able to block the transmission of the impact force in multiple.

As described above, according to the present invention, the lower tube forming the steering column has a fixed force at a plurality of points through a fixed end of a predetermined length bent inwardly of the upper tube with a gap caused by a diameter difference with the upper tube accommodating the lower tube. It increases the frictional force between the impact force generated during the collision of the vehicle and the lower tube pushed into the upper tube, thereby greatly improving the absorption and buffering function of the impact of the steering column.

In addition, in the present invention, since the lower tube is fixed through the fixed end bent into the upper tube, the frictional force between the upper tube and the lower tube is always uniform, and accordingly, the sampling is not a quality test. Of course, the inspection can be performed, and the cost can be greatly reduced.

Claims (3)

Lower and upper shafts 10 ', in which steering columns fixed at lower portions of the dash panel D through the lower bracket B are coupled to each other in order to transfer the operating force of the steering wheel SW to the steering gear assembly. It consists of a lower tube 10 and an upper tube 20 to accommodate each 20 '), the end of the upper tube 20 accommodated in the lower tube 10 is cut in a predetermined width and then bent inward to lower Vehicle steering apparatus having a shock absorbing function to form a fixed end (20a) in contact with the outer diameter of the tube (10). 2. The steering apparatus for a vehicle having a shock absorbing function according to claim 1, wherein the fixed ends (20a) are formed at four positions so as to be symmetrical to each other. According to claim 1, wherein the lower tube 10 is a portion fixed to the upper end via the fixed end (20a) of the upper tube 20 is coupled to the lower bracket (B) is mounted to the dash panel (D) A stepped vehicle (10) having a shock absorbing function, characterized in that the stepped (10a) is formed in a predetermined section of the total length to achieve a relatively small diameter.