JPS6215B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a steering column support structure for a vehicle, and more particularly to a steering column support structure for a cabover type vehicle such as a bus or a one-box car.

In a cab-over type vehicle, the steering column is installed upright from the floor panel, and is fixedly connected to the floor panel at its base.In order to increase the mounting rigidity of the steering column, a steering column is installed at the edge of the front window opening of the front panel. It is conceivable to connect the reinforcement member that spans between the left and right front pillars along the steering column and the vicinity of the tip of the steering column with a steering support brace, and to support the vicinity of the tip of the steering column from the reinforcement member. ing.

According to the above-described steering column support structure, the steering column is supported by the inter-pillar reinforcement member unless the front pillar-to-pillar reinforcement member moves toward the rear of the vehicle in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. This effectively supports the steering column and prevents the steering column from being pushed toward the rear of the vehicle.However, when the front pillar-to-pillar reinforcement member itself moves toward the rear of the vehicle, the steering support brace conversely pushes the steering column toward the rear of the vehicle. The steering column may be pushed toward the rear of the vehicle.

The present invention provides that even if the front pillar-to-pillar reinforcement member to which one end of the steering support brace is connected moves toward the rear of the vehicle due to a vehicle collision, the steering support brace will not push the steering column toward the rear of the vehicle. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved steering column support structure.

According to the present invention, this object includes a first inter-front pillar reinforcement member provided extending between the front pillars, and a first inter-front pillar reinforcement member fixedly connected at one end to the first inter-front pillar reinforcement member. a steering support brace whose other end is fixedly connected to the vicinity of the tip of the steering column; and a steering support brace provided extending between the front pillars at a position lower than the first front pillar reinforcement member and rearward of the vehicle; a second front inter-pillar reinforcement member fixedly connected to an intermediate portion of the support brace; the steering support brace has a connecting portion to the first front inter-pillar reinforcement member; a collapsible bellows portion having a bent portion between the connecting portion to the inter-pillar reinforcement member and the connecting portion to the second front inter-pillar reinforcement member and the connecting portion to the steering column; This is achieved by a steering column support structure for a vehicle characterized by comprising:

According to the above-described configuration, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the movement of the first front pillar-to-pillar reinforcement member toward the rear of the vehicle causes a force directed toward the rear of the vehicle to be applied to the steering support brace from the member. Sometimes, a compressive load acts on the steering support brace between its connection to the first front pillar reinforcement member and the connection to the second front pillar reinforcement member, and this compressive load When becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the steering support brace begins to undergo buckling deformation at the bending portion between the two connecting portions. As a result, even if the fixed connection part of the steering support brace to the first front pillar reinforcement member moves toward the rear of the vehicle, the movement is absorbed by the above-mentioned buckling deformation of the steering support brace, and the energy is transferred to the steering support brace. This is absorbed by the buckling deformation of the support brace, and the steering column is prevented from moving significantly toward the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, when a load is applied to the front of the vehicle by the occupant on the steering wheel due to inertia during a collision, the steering column moves forward while crushing the bellows part of the steering support brace, and no large resistance force acts on the movement.

The invention will now be described in detail by way of example embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a front body structure of a cab-over type vehicle incorporating a steering column support structure according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 indicates a floor panel, and 2 indicates a front panel. The front panel 2 is provided between the left and right front pillars 3, and is fixedly connected to the floor panel 1 at a lower end extending toward the front of the vehicle. The front panel 2 has an upper edge forming a lower edge of a front window opening, and a shield glass 4 is provided at the front window opening. A rod-shaped inter-pillar reinforcement member 5 is joined to the inner surface of the upper edge portion of the front panel 2 along the front panel by means such as welding, and the reinforcement member 5 has left and right reinforcement members at both ends. It is rigidly and fixedly connected to the front pillar 3 by appropriate means such as welding.

A headlamp housing 6 is attached to the lower part of the inner surface of the left and right sides of the front panel 2, and a lower cross member 7 is provided along the inner surface of the front panel 2 between the left and right headlamp housings 6.

A lower end of a steering column 9 is rigidly connected to the floor panel 1 by a screw fastener 8. The steering column 9 stands up from the floor panel 1 and supports a steering main shaft 10 and a steering wheel 11.

Another front inter-pillar reinforcement member 12 is arranged in front of the steering column 9. This reinforcement member 12 extends in the vehicle width direction at a position lower than the reinforcement member 5 and at the rear of the vehicle body, and is fixedly connected to the left and right front pillars 3 at both ends thereof. A steering support bracket 13 is fixed to an intermediate portion of the reinforcement member 12 by appropriate means such as welding. This bracket 13 has a screw fastener 15 attached to a support band 14 attached to the steering column 9 at its lower end.
The screw fastener 1 is fixedly connected to the middle part of the steering support brace 16 at the upper end.
7 is fixedly connected. The steering support brace 16 extends approximately horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, has a front end 41 fixedly connected to the front inter-pillar reinforcement member 5 on the front side by a screw fastener 18, and has a rear end 42 connected to the steering support brace 16. Support cover 2 installed near the tip of column 9
0 by a screw fastener 19.

As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the steering support brace 16 has a groove-shaped cross section, and has two bends between the connecting end 41 with the reinforcement member 5 and the joint with the bracket 13. Part 43,
44, and is bent into a dogleg shape in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction at these two bending portions 43 and 44, respectively. Further, holes 45 and 46 are formed in the bent portions 43 and 44 so that the steering support brace 16 can easily buckle at these portions. Furthermore, the bracket 13 of the steering support brace 16
A bellows portion 47 is provided between the connecting portion and the connecting end portion 42.
is formed, and the steering support brace 16
It is easy to crush in this part.

A brake booster 21 for a vehicle brake system is arranged in a space between the front panel 2 and the steering column 9. brake booster 21
is fixedly attached to the brake booster bracket 23 by screw fasteners 22. The brake booster bracket 23 is fixedly connected to the reinforcement member 5 by a screw fastener 48 at a connecting piece 24 provided at its upper end, and is also fixedly connected to the reinforcement member 5 by a connecting piece 24 provided at the tip of a short leg piece 25 at its lower end. Katabe 2
6 is fixedly connected to the bracket 27 fixed to the upper surface of the headlamp housing 6 by a screw fastener 28, and the lower cross member 7 is connected to the lower cross member 7 by a connecting piece 30 provided at the tip of the long leg piece 29 at the lower end. is fixedly connected to by a screw fastener 31. The connection portion between the connection piece portion 26 and the bracket 27 and the connection portion between the connection piece portion 30 and the lower cross member 7 are both located in front of the vehicle and below the connection portion between the connection piece portion 24 and the reinforcement member 5. .

The brake booster bracket 23 is adapted to hold the brake booster 21 at a mounting flange portion 33 provided at an intermediate portion thereof. Further, the brake booster bracket 23 supports a brake pedal support shaft 34 in a bearing hole 35, and this shaft 34 supports a brake pedal 36. The brake pedal 36 is
At its lower end it has a pedal pad 37, and at its other end it is drivingly connected by a pivot 38 to an actuating rod 39 of the brake booster 21. Further, a brake master cylinder 40 is attached to the brake booster 21.

With the above configuration, when the front panel 2 is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle due to a frontal collision, for example, and the reinforcement member 5 moves toward the rear of the vehicle, the steering support brace 16 moves toward the rear of the vehicle. Force acts. The steering support brace 16 is rigidly connected to the reinforcement member 12 on the side of the joint end 42 from the bent part 44 , and
Since the steering column 9 is rigidly supported by the floor panel 1 and the reinforcement member 12, the steering column 9 is connected to the steering support brace 16 from its joint end 41 as described above. When a force toward the rear of the vehicle is applied, a compressive load is applied between the joint end 41 of the steering support brace 16 and the connection to the reinforcement member 12. When this compressive load increases beyond a predetermined value, the steering support brace 16 is bent at the bent portion 43, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG.
At 44, the steering support brace 16 is buckled and bent, that is, bent between the two reinforcement members 5 and 12, so that the steering support brace 16 acts to push the steering column 9 toward the rear of the vehicle. At the same time, energy is absorbed by the buckling deformation of the steering support brace 16. Therefore, even if the reinforcement member 5 moves toward the rear of the vehicle, the steering column 9 will not move toward the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, when a load is applied to the front of the vehicle by the occupant on the steering wheel due to inertia during a collision, the steering support brace 6 is crushed at the bellows portion 47 between the connection part to the steering column 9 and the connection part to the reinforcement member 12. , the steering column 9 is allowed to move forward.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited thereto, and that various embodiments can be made within the scope of the present invention. It would be obvious to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the front body structure of a cab-over type vehicle incorporating the steering column support structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an example of a steering support brace used in the support structure according to the present invention. The perspective view and FIG. 3 are explanatory diagrams illustrating deformation of the steering support brace in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. 1...Floor panel, 2...Front panel,
3...Front pillar, 4...Front windshield glass, 5...Reinforcement member,
6... Headlamp housing, 7... Lower cross member, 8... Screw fastener, 9... Steering column, 10... Steering main shaft,
11... Steering wheel, 12... Reinforcement member, 13... Steering support bracket, 14... Steering band, 1
5...Screw fastener, 16...Steering support brace, 17, 18, 19...Screw fastener,
20... Support cover, 21... Brake booster, 22... Screw fastener, 23... Brake booster bracket, 24... Connection piece, 25...
Short leg piece, 26... Joint piece, 27... Bracket, 28... Screw fastener, 29... Long leg piece, 3
0... Connection piece part, 31... Screw fastener, 33...
Mounting flange portion, 34... Brake pedal support shaft, 35... Bearing hole, 36... Brake pedal, 37... Pedal pad, 38... Pivot,
39... Operating rod, 40... Brake master cylinder, 41, 42... Connection end, 43, 44...
...bent part, 45, 46... hole, 47... bellows part,
48...Screw fastener.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A first inter-front pillar reinforcement member provided extending between the front pillars, one end fixedly connected to the first inter-front pillar reinforcement member, and the other end connected near the tip of the steering column. a steering support brace fixedly connected to the steering support brace; and a steering support brace provided extending between the front pillars at a position lower than the first front pillar reinforcement member and at the rear of the vehicle and fixedly connected to an intermediate portion of the steering support brace. a second inter-front pillar reinforcement member, and the steering support brace has a connection portion to the first front pillar reinforcement member and a connection portion to the second front pillar reinforcement member. and a bending portion between the front pillar reinforcement member and a crushing bellows portion between the connecting portion to the second front pillar reinforcement member and the connecting portion to the steering column. Steering column support structure for vehicles.