JPH0594022U - Vehicle instrument panel structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] When the vehicle head-on collision, the shock absorbing device provided in the steering column or the like operates normally, while effectively reinforcing the meter box fitting opening of the instrument panel. . [Structure] An instrument panel 11 having a meter box fitting opening 12 is provided behind a dashboard 1 in a vehicle compartment. A steering support member 16 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in the instrument panel.
The steering column 17 is attached to the steering support member.
Are supported via the bracket 18. A stiffener 2 that reinforces the opening of the instrument panel.
1 is provided and one end of the stiffener is joined to the bracket. Further, the stiffener is formed with a fragile portion 25 which is weaker in strength than other portions so that bending deformation tends to occur at a portion contacting the dashboard due to the backward movement of the dashboard when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a structure of an instrument panel provided behind a dashboard in a vehicle compartment of a vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Generally, in a vehicle, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-10128, an instrument panel is provided behind a dashboard in a vehicle compartment, and a meter box is displayed on the driver's side of the instrument panel. It is fitted with the surface facing toward the passenger compartment. A steering wheel is provided on the front side of the meter box, and a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel and a steering column that rotatably holds the shaft are provided in the instrument panel within the vehicle width. It is supported by a steering support member extending in the direction through a bracket.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 By the way, in recent years, in order to reduce the weight of the instrument panel, a resin one is often used and the thickness of the instrument panel has been thinned. The display surface has become considerably large from the viewpoint of design, and along with this, the opening for fitting the meter box of the instrument panel is also formed large. Therefore, the vicinity of the opening for fitting the meter box of the instrument panel is weak in strength and lacks heat resistance. In particular, when the instrument panel has a two-part structure in which the upper part and the lower part are divided, a gap is generated near the opening in the joining line between the upper part and the lower part due to thermal deformation of the upper part. However, there is a problem of impairing the appearance.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a stiffener for reinforcing the opening for fitting the meter box is provided on the instrument panel, and one end of the stiffener connects the steering support member and the steering column. It is conceivable that it will be joined to the bracket. In this case, since the bracket is located near the lower side of the opening in the instrument panel and is connected to the steering support member to have high rigidity, it is not possible to join one end of the stiffener to this bracket. The strength of the stiffener and thus the reinforcing effect can be enhanced while reducing the size of the stiffener.

However, when the dashboard retreats and comes into contact with the stiffener during a frontal collision of the vehicle, an impact force is transmitted from the dashboard to the steering column via the stiffener and the bracket, and the stiffener and the steering column are separated from each other. As a result, a large amount of member interference may occur, and the shock absorbing device provided in the steering column or the like may not operate normally.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to ensure that an impact absorbing device provided in a steering column or the like normally operates during a frontal collision of a vehicle, while at the same time installing an instrument. It is intended to provide a vehicle instrument panel structure that can effectively reinforce the meter box fitting opening of the instrument panel.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a solution means of the present invention is that an instrument panel having an opening for fitting a meter box is provided at the rear of a dashboard in a vehicle compartment, and the instrument panel has a vehicle width direction inside the instrument panel. It is premised that a steering support member is provided extending to the steering support member, and the steering support member is supported by a bracket on a portion of the instrument panel corresponding to the opening for fitting the meter box. .. Then, the instrument panel is provided with a stiffener for reinforcing the opening for fitting the meter box, and one end of the stiffener is joined to the bracket. In addition, the stiffener is formed with a weakened portion that is weaker in strength than other portions so that bending deformation tends to occur at a portion that comes into contact with the dashboard due to the retreat of the dashboard when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs. ..

[0008]

[Action]

 With the above configuration, in the present invention, one end of the stiffener that reinforces the meter box fitting opening of the instrument panel is joined to the bracket that connects the steering support member and the steering column, thereby reducing the size of the stiffener. It is possible to enhance the strength and thus the reinforcing effect while achieving the above.

Moreover, when the dashboard retreats and comes into contact with the above-mentioned stiffener during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the portion of the stiffener that comes into contact with the dashboard is formed in a weakened portion which is weaker in strength than other portions. Since the bending deformation is likely to occur, the impact force from the dashboard is not transmitted to the steering column through the stiffener, and member interference between the stiffener and the steering column can be prevented.

[0010]

【Example】

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

1 and 2 show a front portion of a vehicle of a left-hand drive type vehicle equipped with an instrument panel structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 1 is a dash separating an engine room 2 and a vehicle room 3. A cowl panel 4 is joined to the upper part of the dashboard 1, and a cowl box 5 having a closed cross-section structure extending in the vehicle width direction is constituted by the both 1 and 4. The lower edge of the front windshield 6 is supported on the upper surface of the cowl volks 5.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an instrument panel provided in the rear of the dashboard 1 or the cowl box 5 in the vehicle compartment 3, and a meter box fitting opening is provided on the left side of the instrument panel 11, that is, on the driver's seat side. A portion 12 is formed, and the display surface 13 of the meter box is exposed from the opening portion 12 to the passenger compartment 3 side. The instrument panel 11 has a two-part structure made of resin and is divided into an upper part 11a and a lower part 11b. The connection line 14 between the upper part 11a and the lower part 11b has the above-mentioned opening. It extends substantially horizontally to the left and right across the part 12.

A steering support member 16 formed of a circular pipe extending in the vehicle width direction below the meter box storage space 15 is provided in the instrument panel 11, and the left and right ends of the steering support member 16 are illustrated. Not connected, but connected to the side wall of the car body. A steering column 17 is supported on the steering support member 16 via a bracket 18 at a portion corresponding to the meter box fitting opening 12 of the instrument panel 11.

The steering column 17 extends through the lower portion 11 b of the instrument panel 11 toward the vehicle compartment 3 side, and the extending portion 17 a of the steering column 17 is covered with a column cover 19. A steering shaft 20 is rotatably provided in the steering column 17, and one end of the steering shaft 20 is connected to a steering wheel (not shown). Although not shown, the steering column 17 or the steering shaft 20 is provided with an impact absorbing device that absorbs an axial impact force that acts at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle. The bracket 18 is joined to the first and second members 18a and 18b with the steering support member 16 interposed therebetween, and the third member 18c is fastened to the second member 18b and supports the steering column 17. Consists of.

As a feature of the present invention, the instrument panel 11 is provided with a stiffener 21 that reinforces the vicinity of the meter box fitting opening 12, particularly the upper portion 11a side. The stiffener 21 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the inner surface (lower surface) of the upper portion 11a, and is screwed to three projecting portions 22a, 22b, 22c formed on the inner surface of the upper portion 11a. Further, it has a fixed portion 21a and an inclined portion 21b that extends backward and downward from the front end of the fixed portion 21 and is formed in a substantially L shape so as to bypass the box storage space 15 as a whole. The lower end of the inclined portion 21b is joined to the joining portion of the first member 18a and the second member 18b of the bracket 18 via the connecting member 24.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inclined portion 21b of the stiffener 21 has a central horizontal portion 21c and a pair of left and right side edges of the horizontal portion 21c which are bent substantially at right angles. From the inner side wall portions 21d, 21d, a pair of side horizontal portions 21e, 21e bent from the both inner side wall portions 21d, 21d in opposite directions at substantially right angles, and from the outer edges of the both side horizontal portions 21e, 21e. It has a pair of outer side wall portions 21f, 21f each bent at a substantially right angle. Although not shown, the fixed portion 21a of the stiffener 21 also has a central horizontal portion and a pair of inner side wall portions, side horizontal portion and outer side wall portion, respectively, in the width direction like the inclined portion 21b. ing. Therefore, although the fixed portion 21a and the inclined portion 21b of the stiffener 21 are both thinner than the connecting member 24, the cross-sectional shape in the width direction increases the strength.

Further, in the inclined portion 21b of the stiffener 21, at the upper portion of the dashboard 1, that is, at the upper and lower three portions of the portion where the cowl box 5 retreats and abut in the case of a frontal collision of the vehicle, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. In addition, by removing the pair of outer side wall portions 21f and 21f, weak portions 25, 25 and 25, which are weaker in strength than other portions, are formed. A seat portion 26 for coupling with the connecting member 24 is formed at the lower end of the inclined portion 21b of the stiffener 21.

Therefore, in the above embodiment, when the instrument panel 11 is provided with the stiffener 21 that reinforces the vicinity of the opening 12 for fitting the meta box (in particular, the upper portion 11a side), the inclination of the stiffener 21 is increased. Since the lower end of the portion 21b is joined to the bracket 18 that connects the steering support member 20 and the steering column 17 via the connecting member 24, the support strength of the stiffener 21 itself can be increased. The effect can be enhanced. Moreover, since the bracket 18 is provided for connecting the steering support member 20 and the steering column 17 and is arranged in the instrument panel 11 near the opening 12 for fitting the meter box, the number of parts is large. The reinforcing effect can be effectively exerted without increasing the stiffener 21 and without increasing the size of the stiffener 21.

Moreover, when the dashboard 1, particularly the cowl box 5 on the upper part of the dashboard 1 retreats and comes into contact with the inclined portion 21b of the stiffener 21 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, it comes into contact with the cowl box 5 of the inclined portion 21b. Weak portions 25, which are weaker in strength than the other portions, are formed at the three upper and lower portions of the portion, and as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 2, bending is likely to occur at the weak portions 25. The impact force from the dashboard 1 is not transmitted to the steering column 17 via the stiffener 21. As a result, member interference can be prevented from occurring between the stiffener 21 and the steering column 17, and between the instrument panel 11 and the column cover 19, and the impact provided on the steering column 17 and the like can be prevented. The operation of the absorber, that is, the shock absorbing function can be surely exhibited.

[0020]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the vehicle instrument panel structure of the present invention, one end of the stiffener for reinforcing the instrument panel is joined to the bracket that connects the steering support member and the steering column, and the stiffener of the above stiffener is used. By forming a fragile part in the part that comes into contact with the dashboard due to the retreat of the dashboard in the case of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the stiffener can be made smaller and its strength and thus the reinforcing effect can be enhanced. It is possible to prevent the impact force from being transmitted from the dashboard to the steering column via the stiffener at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle and causing member interference between the stiffener and the steering column. The function of the shock absorber It can be.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a front portion of a passenger compartment of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the passenger compartment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an inclined portion of a stiffener viewed from a direction orthogonal to the inclined portion.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Dashboard 11 Instrument Panel 12 Opening for Fitting Meter Box 16 Steering Support Member 17 Steering Column 18 Bracket 21 Stiffener 25 Weak Section

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An instrument panel having an opening for fitting a meter box is provided behind a dashboard in a vehicle compartment, and a steering support member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in the instrument panel. The steering support member has a vehicle instrument panel structure in which a steering column is supported via a bracket at a portion corresponding to a meter box fitting opening of the instrument panel. Is provided with a stiffener that reinforces the opening for fitting the meter box, and one end of the stiffener is joined to the bracket. Bend to the part that contacts Instrument panel of a vehicle, characterized in that the strength weak fragile portion than other portions so that the shape is likely to occur is formed.