JP2009012564A - Steering column support structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To alleviate vertical vibration generated while idling, and forward-backward vibration generated while traveling. <P>SOLUTION: A steering column support structure comprises a steering column stay 5 to connect a steering hanger 2 extended in the car body width direction for supporting a steering column to a dashboard lower panel 4 ahead of it. At a forward end of a main body part 31 of the steering column stay, a mounting part 22 to a dashboard panel is formed through a bent plate part 27 having a roughly L-shaped cross section. The bent plate part is deformable in the plate thickness direction to allow relative rotation between the mounting part and the main body part to follow forward-backward vibration of the dashboard panel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column support structure having a steering column stay that connects a steering hanger extending in the left-right direction of a vehicle body to support a steering column and a dashboard panel in front of the steering hanger in an automobile.

A steering column support structure in which both ends are connected to the left and right front pillars of the vehicle body and the steering column is supported by a steering hanger extending in the horizontal direction of the vehicle body is widely used. In order to secure high support rigidity, a technique in which a steering hanger is connected to a dashboard panel via a steering column stay is known (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-264830 JP 2001-213356 A

  However, in the conventional structure, the vertical vibration generated in the steering hanger at the time of engine idling can be reduced by increasing the vertical rigidity of the steering column stay. Since the generated longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the steering hanger via the steering column stay, there is a disadvantage that the demand for reducing the vibration of the steering wheel cannot be sufficiently satisfied.

  The present invention has been devised to solve such problems of the prior art, and its main purpose is to reduce the vibration in the front-rear direction generated during running as well as the vibration in the vertical direction generated during idling. It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering column support structure configured so as to be able to do this.

  In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, as shown in claim 1, a steering hanger (2) extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body to support the steering column (1), and a dash ahead thereof In a steering column support structure having a steering column stay (5) for connecting to a board panel (4), a bent plate portion having a substantially L-shaped cross section at the front end of the main body portion (31) of the steering column stay ( 27), an attachment portion (22) for the dashboard panel is formed, and the attachment portion and the main body portion due to vibration in the front-rear direction of the dashboard panel due to deformation in the thickness direction of the bent plate portion. The relative rotation with respect to was allowed.

  According to this, because the vibration in the front-rear direction of the dashboard panel that occurs during traveling is absorbed by the relative rotation of the main body portion and the mounting portion in the steering column stay, it is prevented from being transmitted to the steering hanger side. The operability can be improved by reducing the vibration of the steering wheel.

  Further, since the bending plate portion of the steering column stay has a substantially L-shaped cross section (substantially horizontal cross section), it is not necessary to lower the vertical rigidity, and the main body portion has a structure with high vertical rigidity. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the vertical vibration of the steering hanger that occurs during idling.

  In the steering column support structure, as shown in claim 2, the steering column stay is formed by bending a steel plate, and has a vertical wall (24) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and a side thereof. Protruding flanges (25, 26) may be provided, and the bent plate portion may be formed in a manner in which the flange is cut away.

  According to this, the required rigidity can be ensured and the manufacturing cost can be kept low, and the relative rotation between the mounting portion and the main body portion can be smoothly performed by elastic deformation of the steel plate material at the bent plate portion. .

  In addition, as described above, the steering column stay may have a substantially L-shaped or substantially U-shaped cross section including a vertical wall and a flange by bending a steel plate in terms of rigidity and manufacturing cost. However, the steering column stay in the present invention is not limited to this, and various forms such as a pipe shape are possible.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the vibration in the front-rear direction of the dashboard panel that occurs during traveling can be absorbed by the relative rotation between the main body portion and the mounting portion in the steering column stay and transmitted to the steering hanger side. In addition, since the bent plate portion has a substantially L-shaped cross section, it is not necessary to lower the vertical rigidity, so that it is possible to reduce the vertical vibration of the steering hanger that occurs during idling. A great effect is obtained in improving the operability by reducing the vibration of the wheel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing a steering column support structure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the steering column support structure shown in FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the steering column support structure shown in FIG.

  The steering column support structure includes a steering hanger 2 that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle body to support the steering column 1, a steering column bracket 3 that is connected to the steering hanger 2 and holds the steering column 1, and the steering column. A bracket 3 and a steering column stay 5 for connecting a dashboard lower panel 4 in front of the bracket 3 are provided.

  The steering column 1 rotatably supports a steering shaft 12 to which a steering wheel 11 is connected. A front end of the steering shaft 12 is connected to an intermediate shaft 14 via a universal joint 13, and the intermediate shaft 14 is inserted into an insertion hole 15 provided in the dashboard lower panel 4. It is connected to a pinion that meshes with a rack in a rack / pinion type steering gear box via a pinion shaft or the like.

  Both ends of the steering hanger 2 are coupled and supported by left and right front pillars (not shown). The dashboard lower panel 4 rises from the front end of the vehicle body floor 17 and is provided so as to partition the engine room 18 and the vehicle compartment 19 at the front of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 3, the steering column bracket 3 is formed with a receiving portion 20 formed in an arc shape corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical steering hanger 2, and this receiving portion 20 and the steering hanger 2 are MIG welded. It is fixed with etc.

  The steering column stay 5 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and a mounting portion 22 for the dashboard lower panel 4 is provided at the front end thereof. The mounting portion 22 is fixed to the dashboard lower panel 4 so as to be sandwiched between the head of the bolt 23 and the mounting surface of the dashboard lower panel 4. The rear end of the steering column stay 5 is fixed to the steering column bracket 3 by MIG welding or the like.

  The steering column stay 5 includes a vertical wall 24 formed by bending a steel plate and extending over the entire length of the steering column stay 5 and flanges 25 and 26 protruding laterally from upper and lower side edges of the vertical wall 24. A bent plate portion 27 having a substantially L-shaped cross section is formed in a state in which a portion extending from the upper flange 25 to the vertical wall 24 is cut away in the immediate vicinity of the mounting portion 22. The vertical wall 24 is provided with attachment holes 28 for wires.

  In the main body 31 provided with the flanges 25 and 26 above and below the vertical wall 24, the deformation of the vertical wall 24 is restricted by the flanges 25 and 26, and high rigidity can be secured against the vertical deformation. On the other hand, in the bent plate portion 27 having only the vertical wall 24 after the flange 25 is cut, the deformation in the thickness direction is not restrained by the flange, and the bent plate is smoothly bent and deformed by the elastic deformation of the steel plate material. By the deformation of the portion 27 in the plate thickness direction, relative rotation between the attachment portion 22 and the main body portion 31 around the ridge line portion of the bent plate portion 27 is allowed.

  The main body 31 is formed in a bent shape at a substantially central position in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 2). The front half portion 31 a on the front side of the bent portion 32 has a substantially L-shaped cross section by the upper flange 25 and the vertical wall 24 extending substantially the entire length of the main body portion 31. The rear half portion 31 b has a substantially U-shaped cross section with a lower flange 26, an upper flange 25, and a vertical wall 24 extending rearward from the bent portion 32.

  A cutout 33 is formed in the upper flange 25 at a position corresponding to the bent portion 32, and a cutout 34 is formed at a position corresponding to the bent portion 32 in the lower portion of the vertical wall 24. Yes. As a result, when the steering column stay 5 is pushed by the dashboard lower panel 4 that is displaced rearward at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the steering column stay 5 is smoothly bent and deformed at the position of the bent portion 32, It is possible to avoid the steering column bracket 3 from being displaced rearward together with the board lower panel 4.

  4A and 4B are schematic views showing the vibration state of the steering column support structure. FIG. 4A shows the vibration state of the conventional structure, and FIG. 4B shows the vibration state of the structure based on the present invention shown in FIG. Show.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the relative rotation between the main body portion 42 and the mounting portion 43 of the steering column stay 41 is restrained by a flange 45 protruding sideways from the vertical wall 44 of the main body portion 42. The vibration in the front-rear direction of the dashboard lower panel 4 is transmitted to the main body portion 42 of the steering column stay 41 to generate a bending vibration in the main body portion 42, and the vibration of the steering column stay 5 is further transmitted through the steering column bracket 3. The vibration is transmitted to the steering hanger 2 and vibrations in the front-rear direction are generated in the steering hanger 2.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, a bending plate portion 27 is provided between the main body 31 and the mounting portion 22 of the steering column stay 5, and the relative rotation between the main body 31 and the mounting portion 22 is performed. Is allowed, the mounting portion 22 vibrates together with the dashboard lower panel 4 in response to the longitudinal vibration of the dashboard lower panel 4, but the bent plate portion 27 of the steering column stay 5 is appropriately deformed to vibrate. Since it absorbs, the transmission of the vibration to the main-body part 31 is blocked | prevented and the vibration of the steering hanger 2 can be suppressed.

It is a side view which shows the steering column support structure by this invention. It is a top view of the steering column support structure shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the steering column support structure shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the vibration state of a steering column support structure.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering column 2 Steering hanger 3 Steering column bracket 4 Dashboard lower panel 5 Steering column stay 22 Mounting part 24 Vertical wall 25/26 Flange 27 Bending plate part 31 Main part

Claims (2)

A steering column support structure having a steering column stay that connects a steering hanger extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body to support the steering column and a dashboard panel in front of the steering hanger.
At the front end of the main body portion of the steering column stay, a mounting portion for the dashboard panel is formed via a bent plate portion having a substantially L-shaped cross section, and by deformation of the bent plate portion in the thickness direction, A steering column support structure, wherein relative rotation between the mounting portion and the main body portion due to vibration in the front-rear direction of the dashboard panel is allowed.   The steering column stay is formed by bending a steel plate, and includes a vertical wall extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and a flange protruding laterally, and the bent plate portion cuts out the flange. The steering column support structure according to claim 1, wherein the steering column support structure is formed in an aspect.

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