JPH0115569Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a steering column for ensuring the physical safety of the driver when an abnormal impact force is applied to the steering wheel while the vehicle is running.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, abnormal impact forces applied to the steering wheel have been absorbed by an impact force absorber attached to a simple panel-type toeboard.

Problems that the invention aims to solve: With this conventional system, in the event of an impact, the toeboard deforms and the entire steering column moves, making it impossible to absorb the impact force sufficiently, ensuring the safety of the driver. was a structure that was not guaranteed. Furthermore, since the impact force is transmitted to the steering gear device, there is a high possibility that the gear device will be damaged.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a dash panel that is provided between the front pillars of the vehicle body and whose vertical cross section along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body forms a closed cross section. A cross member, a cylindrical column cover fixed to the cross member so as to penetrate the cross member and protrude forward, and a cylindrical column cover fixed to the rear surface of the cross member so as to protrude along the rearward extension of the column cover. It consists of a hollow cone-shaped impact force absorber, a front shaft that is disposed through the column cover and the impact force absorber and is connected to a steering gear device, and a rear shaft to which a steering wheel is attached. a steering shaft connected to each other so as to be slidable in the axial direction and non-rotatable; a first bearing that pivotally supports the rear shaft at an end; and a first bearing that pivotally supports the rear shaft at the front end of the column cover so as to enable relative displacement in the front-rear direction between the rear shaft and the column cover. The present invention provides a steering column characterized in that it is equipped with a second bearing.

Function The present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, so that the impact force absorber is fixedly supported by the highly rigid darth panel cross member, so that when an impact force is applied, the darth panel cross member will not move. It does not deform and the impact force is reliably absorbed by the impact force absorber.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and will be described below.

A steering column of an automobile is assembled with a steering shaft consisting of a front shaft on the steering gear device side and a rear shaft on the steering wheel side, a column cover 5, a darts panel cross member 6 provided between the front pillars of the vehicle body, etc. The rear shaft consists of an integrally fixed rear shaft 1 and a hollow shaft 2, and the front shaft consists of a front shaft 4 connected to a universal joint part 3.

A steering wheel (not shown) is attached to the rear end 7 of the rear shaft 1 of the steering shaft, and a mounting tube 10 to which the rear end 9 of the hollow shaft 2 is fixed is fixed to the front end 8 of the rear shaft. , connects the rear shaft 1 and the hollow shaft 2. A sliding body 13 is fixed to the front end 11 of the hollow shaft 2 and is fitted to the front shaft 4 via a spline 12 so that rotation can be transmitted to the front shaft 4 and the sliding body 13 can be slidably moved. The universal joint portion 3 is adapted to be connected to a steering gear device (not shown).

A cylindrical column cover 5 surrounding the hollow shaft 2 of the steering shaft protrudes forward through the dash panel cross member 6, and has a rear mounting portion 16 integrally formed with the dash panel cross member 6 at its rear end. At the same time, the intermediate portion is also fixed to a front attachment portion 17 integrally molded to the dash panel cross member 6. The front end of the column cover 5 is connected to the bearing support 1
4 and a ball bearing 15, the sliding body 13 at the front end of the hollow shaft 2 is rotatably held. The ball bearing 15 is gripped by the bearing support 14 so as to allow relative displacement of the hollow shaft 2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with respect to the column cover 5 when a predetermined impact force is applied to the steering shaft.

The dash panel cross member 6 is a two-piece type consisting of an upper body and a lower body extending along the vehicle width direction, and is formed by fixing the front attachment part 17 and the rear attachment part 16 of both bodies to each other. It has a closed cross-section structure with high rigidity.

Shock force absorber 18 having a hollow conical shape as a whole
is fixed to the rear surface of the dash panel cross member 6 so as to protrude along the rearward extension of the column cover 5. The impact force absorber 18 has a cylindrical portion 1
9. Consists of a sloped portion 20, a conical portion 21, and a mounting portion 22. The mounting portion 22 has a mounting hole 24, a mounting hole 23 of the dash panel cross member 6, a mounting hole 26, and a mounting hole 25 of the mounting portion 16 of the cross member. These are each fixed to the dash panel cross member 6 with fixing devices such as screws and bolts. Cylindrical part 19
The rear end rotatably supports the rear shaft 1 of the steering shaft by a ball bearing 29. This ball bearing 29 is the fixture 3
2 and 33, and is also fixed to the cylindrical portion 19, so that the rear shaft 1 cannot be displaced relative to the impact force absorber 18 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. has become impossible. Note that reference numeral 27 in the figure represents a notch that helps deform the impact force absorber 18, and one of the notches in FIG. 3 is invisible.

In the embodiment described above, the direction of travel of the vehicle can be changed through the rear shaft 1, the hollow shaft 2, the front shaft 4, and the universal joint portion 3 by rotating the steering wheel. If an abnormal impact force is applied to the steering wheel, this impact force will be transferred to the rear shaft 1.
The impact force is transmitted to the impact force absorber 18 via the ball bearing 29, and the impact force absorber 18 is plastically deformed or destroyed, thereby absorbing the impact force and ensuring the safety of the driver. At this time, the notch 27 of the impact force absorber 18 effectively acts on plastic deformation or destruction. Further, although the ball bearing 15 is fixed to the stepped portion 30 of the sliding body 13 and the fixing metal fitting 31, it is designed to slip out from the column cover 5 in the event of an impact. It is designed to be able to absorb impact force when sliding relative to 5.

Effects of the invention By having the above-mentioned structure, the present invention has the structure that when abnormal impact force is applied to the steering wheel, plastic deformation or destruction of the impact force absorber attached to the dash panel cross member and sliding of the ball bearing occur. Therefore, the impact force can be sufficiently absorbed to ensure the safety of the driver. This impact force absorber is fixedly supported by the highly rigid dartshull panel cross member, so when an impact force is applied, the dash panel cross member does not deform, and the impact force is absorbed by the impact force absorber. It is something that can reliably perform its functions. Further, since no impact force is transmitted to the steering gear device via the front shaft, there is an effect that damage to the steering gear device can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the steering column section of the dash panel cross member in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the impact force absorber in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the column cover in FIG. 1. 1... Rear shaft, 2... Hollow shaft, 4
...Front shaft, 5...Column cover, 6...
Dash panel cross member, 10...Mounting sleeve, 13...Sliding body, 14...Bearing support, 1
5, 29...Ball bearing, 18...Impact force absorber.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A dash panel cross member is provided between the front pillars of the vehicle body and has a vertical cross section along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body that forms a closed cross section. a column cover, a hollow conical impact force absorber fixed to the rear surface of the cross member so as to protrude along the rearward extension of the column cover, and a hollow conical impact force absorber that is disposed to penetrate the column cover and the impact force absorber; A steering shaft consisting of a front shaft connected to a steering gear device and a rear shaft to which a steering wheel is attached, the two shafts being connected so that they can slide freely in the axial direction and cannot rotate, the rear shaft and the shock absorber. a first bearing that pivotally supports the rear shaft at the rear end of the impact force absorber so that relative displacement along the front-rear direction with respect to the force absorber is impossible; and a first bearing that supports the rear shaft in the front-rear direction between the rear shaft and the column cover. A steering column comprising: a second bearing that pivotally supports the rear shaft at a front end of the column cover so as to allow relative displacement along the column cover.