JP6103290B2 - Steering column support structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column support structure.

As a structure for attaching the steering column to the vehicle body, for example, a structure in which a column side bracket that fixes a column jacket of a steering column is screw-fastened to a vehicle body side bracket that is fixed to a reinforcement member, for example, as a vehicle body side structural member by welding. Is. Further, there is a structure in which the structure has a shock absorbing function at the time of a secondary collision.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a column side bracket is connected to a vehicle body (vehicle body side bracket) via a resin pin inserted through a notch groove formed in the column side bracket. With the breaking of the column side bracket, the column side bracket is detached from the vehicle body side bracket to the front of the vehicle body.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, two pairs of left and right horizontal long holes are provided in a mounting bracket fixed to a vehicle body, and an upper bracket to which a column jacket is fixed has four shafts (screw members) through which the long holes are inserted. A steering device that is supported by a mounting bracket so as to be movable in the horizontal direction is proposed. When absorbing the impact, the upper bracket moves horizontally with the column jacket while tearing the energy absorber, and the contracting body interposed between the steering shaft and the intermediate shaft is bent and plastically deformed. Absorbs the displacement stroke of the column jacket.

JP 2010-274708 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-117686

In Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the column jacket that has left the front of the vehicle body during impact absorption will fall downward. In Patent Document 2, although the column jacket does not fall when absorbing the impact, an operation of inserting the four shafts into the corresponding long holes is necessary, and the assemblability is poor.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering column support structure that is excellent in assembling property and can prevent the column jacket from dropping when absorbing a shock.

To achieve the above object, the vehicle body side member (14) extending in the first direction (Y1) and the first direction extending in the second direction (Y2), which is the moving direction at the time of shock absorption orthogonal to the first direction. A pair of support grooves (26; 26A) that face each other and a pair of vehicle body side brackets (25; 25A) that are fixed to the vehicle body side member, and a pair of support grooves that face each other in the first direction. A column side bracket (27) including a pair of supported edge portions (28) to be supported, each of the vehicle body side brackets defining a part of a support groove of the vehicle body side bracket, A first direction of the column side bracket when moving in the second direction at the time of a secondary collision, including a first direction facing portion (33; 56) facing the edge portion in the first direction and extending in the second direction. Is moved by the first direction facing portion. Providing; (30A 30) steering column support structure is configured to be braking.

In addition, although the alphanumeric character in a parenthesis represents the corresponding component etc. in embodiment mentioned later, this does not mean that this invention should be limited to those embodiment as a matter of course. The same applies hereinafter.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cylindrical jacket (16) that rotatably supports a steering shaft extending in parallel with the second direction and is capable of moving integrally with the column side bracket in the second direction when absorbing an impact. And a pair of holding members (29) for holding the pair of supported edges at a predetermined position in the second direction of the corresponding support groove with a predetermined holding force. Also good.

According to a third aspect of the present invention , each of the vehicle body side brackets defines a part of the support groove of the vehicle body side bracket and faces the third direction (Y3) orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction. to third direction opposing portion of the pair; wherein (31,32 54, 55), each of said retaining member, a notched groove of the column-side bracket (39) inserted in the third direction, the corresponding support groove A screw member (29) that is engaged with the vehicle body side bracket by frictionally engaging the corresponding supported edge portion with any one of the third direction facing portions may be included.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention , each of the vehicle body side brackets may have a groove shape that partitions the support groove.
Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention , each of the vehicle body side brackets may include a hollow pipe in which a part of the outer periphery is formed to be recessed to form the support groove.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when absorbing the shock, the column side bracket is in the direction in which the support groove extends in a state where the pair of supported edge portions are supported by the support grooves of the pair of vehicle body side brackets. Since it moves in the direction (moving direction at the time of shock absorption), the column side bracket can be prevented from falling off. Further, at the time of manufacture, the pair of supported edge portions of the column side bracket may be slid into the support grooves of the pair of vehicle body side brackets, so that the assembling property is good. Further , the movement of the column side bracket in the first direction when moving in the second direction at the time of the secondary collision is suppressed by the first direction facing portion.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a force that exceeds the holding force of the pair of holding members that hold the pair of supported edge portions of the column side bracket at predetermined positions of the pair of support grooves acts during impact absorption. Then, the jacket supporting the steering shaft moves in the second direction together with the column side bracket.
According to the invention of claim 3, the screw member as each holding member has the corresponding supported edge portion of the column side bracket at the third direction facing portion of any one of the corresponding support grooves of the vehicle body side bracket. The column side bracket is held by the vehicle body side bracket by frictional engagement. The column side bracket can be held with a simple structure.

According to the invention of claim 4, since each vehicle body side bracket has a groove shape that partitions the support groove, the structural strength can be increased with a simple shape.
Further, according to the invention of claim 5, since the hollow pipe as each vehicle body side bracket is provided with the support groove recessedly formed in a part of the outer periphery thereof, the structure strength is simplified while simplifying the structure. Can be high.

1 is a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration of a steering apparatus to which a steering column support structure of an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a disassembled perspective view of a steering column support structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the steering device and corresponds to a cross section taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1. It is a schematic diagram of the steering column support structure before shock absorption, and shows a state where the vehicle body side bracket and the column side bracket are connected by a screw member. It is a schematic diagram of the steering column support structure at the time of shock absorption, and shows a state in which the column side bracket is detached from the screw member and moves along the vehicle body side bracket. It is a disassembled perspective view of the steering column support structure of another embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the steering column support structure of FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steering apparatus to which a steering column support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Referring to FIG. 1, a steering apparatus 1 includes a steering shaft 3 connected to a steering member 2 such as a steering wheel, an intermediate shaft 5 connected to the steering shaft 3 via a universal joint 4, and an intermediate shaft 5. A pinion shaft 7 connected via a universal joint 6 and a rack shaft 8 as a steered shaft having a rack 8a meshing with a pinion 7a provided in the vicinity of the end of the pinion shaft 7 are provided.

  The rack shaft 8 is supported by a housing 10 fixed to the vehicle body side member 9 so as to be movable in an axial direction along the left-right direction of the vehicle (a direction orthogonal to the paper surface). Each end portion of the rack shaft 8 is connected to a corresponding steered wheel via a corresponding tie rod and a corresponding knuckle arm, although not shown. A rack and pinion mechanism constituted by the pinion shaft 7 and the rack shaft 8 and a tie rod, a knuckle arm, etc. (not shown) constitute a turning mechanism A1 for turning the steered wheels.

The steering shaft 3 includes, for example, an upper shaft 11 and a lower shaft 12 that are connected so as to be able to rotate together and to be relatively movable in the axial direction X1 using spline coupling, for example. The steering member 2 is connected to one end of the upper shaft 6. Further, the steering shaft 4 can expand and contract in the axial direction X1.
The steering shaft 3 is rotatably supported by a steering column 15 supported by a lower vehicle body side member 13 and an upper vehicle body side member 14 via a bearing (not shown).

  The steering column 15 includes a cylindrical upper jacket 16 and a cylindrical lower jacket 17 that are fitted so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction, and a housing 18 that is coupled to the lower end of the lower jacket 17 in the axial direction. The housing 18 houses a speed reduction mechanism 20 that decelerates the power of the steering assisting electric motor 19 and transmits it to the lower shaft 12. The speed reduction mechanism 20 includes a drive gear 21 that is connected to a rotation shaft (not shown) of the electric motor 19 so as to be able to rotate together with the drive gear 21 and a driven gear 22 that meshes with the drive gear 21 and rotates along with the lower shaft 12. .

  The steering column 15 is rotatably supported by a fixed bracket 23 fixed to the vehicle body side member 13 via a tilt center shaft 24. As a result, the steering column 8 and the steering shaft 4 are rotatable (tiltable) with the tilt central axis 24 as a fulcrum. By rotating (tilting) the steering shaft 4 and the steering column 8 with the tilt central axis 24 as a fulcrum, the position of the steering member 2 can be adjusted (so-called tilt adjustment).

In the present embodiment, the case where the steering apparatus 1 is an electric power steering apparatus will be described. However, the present invention may be applied to a manual steering apparatus. Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the steering apparatus 1 can be tilt-adjusted will be described. However, the present invention may be applied to a steering apparatus that does not have a tilt adjustment function.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 which is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the steering column support structure, the upper vehicle body side member 14 is a reinforcement member as a vehicle body side structural member, for example, using a pipe material. Is formed. The vehicle body side member 14 extends in a first direction Y1 (see FIG. 2, which corresponds to a direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1) corresponding to the left-right direction of the vehicle.

A pair of vehicle body side brackets 25 (only one vehicle body side bracket 25 is shown in FIG. 1) are fixed to the vehicle body side member 14 by, for example, welding. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of vehicle body side brackets 25 extend in the second direction Y2, which is a moving direction during shock absorption perpendicular to the first direction Y1, and are a pair of support grooves facing the first direction Y1. 26 is formed.
The column side bracket 27 connected to the vehicle body side bracket 25 is provided with a pair of supported edge portions 28 facing the first direction Y1 and supported by the pair of support grooves 26, respectively. The pair of supported edge portions 28 are each held by a screw member 29 as a corresponding holding member at a predetermined position in the second direction Y2 of the support groove 26 of the corresponding vehicle body side bracket 25 with a predetermined holding force. Yes. The column side bracket 27 moves integrally with the upper jacket 16 of the steering column 15 when absorbing the impact.

A pair of vehicle body side brackets 25 each having a support groove 26, a column side bracket 27 having a pair of supported edge portions 28, and each supported edge portion 28 of the column side bracket 27 are held in the corresponding support grooves 26. A steering column support structure 30 is constituted by a pair of screw members 29 (holding members) that are respectively held by force.
The steering column support structure 30 of the present embodiment is mainly characterized in that a pair of supported edge portions 28 of the column side bracket 27 move in the corresponding support groove 26 in the second direction Y2 when absorbing a shock. This is to prevent the steering column 15 from dropping off.

Referring to FIG. 3 which is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2 and FIG. 1, each vehicle body side bracket 25 faces a third direction Y3 orthogonal to both the first direction Y1 and the second direction Y2. And a pair of long opposing portions 31 and 32 extending in the second direction Y2 and a connecting portion 33 for connecting the ends of the pair of opposing portions 31 and 32 in the first direction Y1 as a whole. It has a shape.
A support groove 26 is defined between the pair of opposed portions 31 and 32. Screw insertion holes 34 and 35 (see FIG. 3) through which the screw member 29 is inserted in the third direction Y3 are formed in the pair of opposed portions 31 and 32.

  2 and 3, the column side bracket 27 is formed of, for example, a sheet metal. It has a pair of sandwiching side plates 36 and a connecting plate 37 that connects the upper ends of the pair of sandwiching side plates 36 and has a groove shape that opens downward. Further, the column side bracket 27 has a top plate 38 fixed along the upper surface of the connecting plate 37. The pair of supported edge portions 28 are provided on the top plate 38 so as to extend outward from the pair of sandwiching side plates 36. Each supported edge portion 28 is formed with a notch groove 39 extending in the direction Y2R opposite to the second direction Y2.

As shown in FIG. 3, each screw member 29 (holding member) includes a screw insertion hole 34 in one facing portion 31 of the vehicle body side bracket 25, and a notch groove 39 in the supported edge portion 28 of the column side bracket 27. The screw insertion hole 35 of the other facing portion 32 of the vehicle body side bracket 25 is sequentially inserted and screwed into a nut 40 fixed to the other facing portion 32 by welding, for example.
The supported edge portion 28 is sandwiched between the pair of facing portions 31 and 32 by sandwiching the pair of facing portions 31 and 32 between the head 29 a of the screw member 29 and the nut 40. As a result, the supported edge portion 28 is frictionally engaged with the pair of opposed portions 31 and 32. With the predetermined holding force by this frictional engagement, the supported edge portion 28 is held at a predetermined position in the second direction Y2 of the support groove 26 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, at the time of absorbing the shock, as shown in FIG. 5, the column side bracket 27 moves the screw member 29 (holding member) away from the notch groove 39 in the opposite direction Y2R in the second direction Y2, while moving in the second direction Y2. Moving.

  A distance bracket 41 is fixed to the upper jacket 16 of the steering column 15. The distance bracket 41 has a groove shape that opens upward, and has a pair of sandwiched side plates 42 having one end (upper end in the figure) fixed to the outer periphery of the upper jacket 16 by welding, for example, and a pair of sandwiched side plates 42. The other end (lower end in the figure) is connected to the connecting plate 43. The pair of sandwiching side plates 36 of the column side bracket 27 are disposed outside the pair of sandwiched side plates 42 of the distance bracket 41.

The pair of sandwiching side plates 36 of the column side bracket 27 is formed with a vertically long fastening shaft insertion hole 44 having an arc shape in a side view, and the pair of sandwiched side plates 42 of the distance bracket 41 has a circular cross section. A tightening shaft insertion hole 45 is formed.
A tightening shaft 46 including a bolt that passes through the tightening shaft insertion hole 44 of the clamping side plate 36 of the column side bracket 27 and the tightening shaft insertion hole 45 of the clamped side plate 42 of the distance bracket 41 is provided. A nut 47 that is screwed to the tightening shaft 46 is rotated by a rotating operation of an operation lever 48 that rotates integrally with the nut 47, so that a bolt head 46 a serving as the tightening shaft 46 is interposed between the nut 47. Then, the pair of sandwiching side plates 36 are tightened, and the pair of sandwiching side plates 42 are tightened by the pair of sandwiching side plates 36, and each sandwiching side plate 36 is pressed against and locked to the corresponding sandwiched side plate 42. Thereby, the position of the steering member 2 after the tilt adjustment is locked to achieve the tilt lock.

  According to the present embodiment, the column side bracket 27 extends in the direction in which the support groove 26 extends while the pair of supported edge portions 28 are supported by the support grooves 26 of the pair of vehicle body side brackets 25 during shock absorption. The column side bracket 27 can be prevented from falling off because it moves in the second direction Y2 (moving direction during shock absorption). Further, at the time of manufacture, as shown in FIG. 2, since the pair of supported edge portions 28 of the column side bracket 27 may be slid into the support grooves 26 of the pair of vehicle body side brackets 25, the assemblability is good.

Specifically, the force exceeding the holding force of the pair of screw members 29 (holding members) holding the pair of supported edge portions 28 of the column side bracket 27 at predetermined positions of the pair of support grooves 26 when absorbing the shock. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper jacket 16 of the steering column 15 moves in the second direction Y2 together with the column side bracket 27, as shown in FIG.
Further, before the shock absorption, the screw member 29 as each holding member causes the corresponding supported edge portion 28 of the column side bracket 27 to correspond to one of the opposing portions 31 of the corresponding support groove 26 of the vehicle body side bracket 25, The column side bracket 27 is held on the vehicle body side bracket 25 by friction engagement with 32 (both opposing portions 31 and 32 in this embodiment). Therefore, the column side bracket 27 can be held with a simple structure.

Moreover, since each vehicle body side bracket 25 has a groove shape that defines the support groove 26, the structural strength can be increased with a simple shape.
6 is an exploded perspective view of a steering column support structure 30A according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the steering column support structure 30A. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the present embodiment is different from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that, in this embodiment, the vehicle body side bracket 25A is supported with a part of the outer periphery being recessed and formed in a U shape. This is a point constituted by a hollow pipe forming the groove 26A.

  The vehicle body side bracket 25 </ b> A includes a main body 50 having a pair of end portions 51, 52 facing each other in the circumferential direction and having a circular arc shape in section, and a groove-shaped portion 53 continuous to the pair of end portions 51, 52. . The groove-shaped portion 53 has one end in the first direction Y1 continuous to the pair of end portions 51 and 52, respectively, and a pair of facing portions 54 and 55 facing the third direction Y3, and a pair of facing portions 54 and 55. A connecting portion 56 having a semicircular cross section for connecting the other ends in one direction Y1 is provided.

  A support groove 26 </ b> A is defined between the pair of opposed portions 54 and 55. Screw insertion holes 57 and 58 (see FIG. 7) through which the screw member 29 (holding member) is inserted in the third direction Y3 are formed in the pair of opposed portions 54 and 55. The main body 50 is formed with cutout holes 59 and 60 that face the screw insertion holes 57 and 58, respectively. One notch hole 59 is set to a size that allows the head 29a of the bolt 29 to be inserted in the third direction Y3. The other notch hole 60 is set to a size that allows the nut 40 to be inserted in the third direction Y3.

Each screw member 29 includes a screw insertion hole 57 of one opposing portion 54 of the vehicle body side bracket 25A, a notch groove 39 of the supported edge portion 28 of the column side bracket 27, and the other opposing portion 55 of the vehicle body side bracket 25A. The screw insertion holes 58 are sequentially inserted and screwed into the nut 40 fixed to the other facing portion 55 by welding, for example.
The supported edge portion 28 is sandwiched between the pair of facing portions 54, 55 by sandwiching the pair of facing portions 54, 55 between the head 29 a of the screw member 29 and the nut 40. As a result, the supported edge portion 28 is frictionally engaged with the pair of opposed portions 54 and 55. With the predetermined holding force by this frictional engagement, the supported edge 28 is held at a predetermined position in the second direction Y2 of the support groove 26A before the impact is absorbed. In the constituent elements of this embodiment, the same constituent elements as those of the embodiment of FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the constituent elements of the embodiment of FIG.

Also in this embodiment, it is possible to provide a steering column support structure 30A that is excellent in assemblability and can prevent the column jacket 16 from dropping when absorbing the impact. Can play.
Moreover, as the vehicle body side bracket 25A, a hollow pipe having a support groove 26A recessed in a part of the outer periphery thereof is used, so that the structure strength can be remarkably increased while simplifying the structure.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, friction is caused on at least one of the sliding surfaces of the supported edge portion 28 and the facing portions 31, 32; A coating material for adjusting the resistance may be coated. The covering material may be a low friction material such as a fluororesin for reducing the frictional resistance.
Moreover, although not shown in figure, as the space | interval between a pair of opposing part 31, 32; 54,55 which clamps the to-be-supported edge part 28 goes to the 2nd direction Y2 (movement direction at the time of shock absorption), it goes. It may be narrowed or may be widened toward the second direction Y2. In this case, the impact absorption energy due to the frictional resistance can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the pair of facing portions.

  Although not shown, a stepped bolt or the like is used as the screw member 29 (holding member), and the supported edge portion 28 is frictionally engaged with only one of the pair of opposed portions 31, 32; 54, 55. You may make it make it. In addition, various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering device, 2 ... Steering member, 3 ... Steering shaft, 14 ... Car body side member, 15 ... Steering column, 16 ... Upper jacket, 25; 25A ... Car body side bracket, 26; 26A ... Support groove, 27 ... Column side Bracket, 28 ... supported edge, 29 ... screw member (holding member), 30; 30A ... steering column support structure, 31,32 ... opposing portion, 33 ... connecting portion, 34,35 ... screw insertion hole, 36 ... clamping Side plate, 37 ... connecting plate, 38 ... top plate, 39 ... notched groove, 40 ... nut, 41 ... distance bracket, 42 ... clamped side plate, 50 ... main body, 51,52 ... end, 53 ... grooved portion, 54, 55 ... opposing portion, 56 ... connecting portion, 57, 58 ... screw insertion hole, 59, 60 ... notch hole, X1 ... axial direction of the steering shaft, Y1 ... first direction, Y2 ... first Direction, Y3 ... the third direction

Claims (5)

A vehicle body side member extending in the first direction;
A pair of vehicle body side brackets that are fixed to the vehicle body side member, forming a pair of support grooves that extend in a second direction that is a moving direction during impact absorption perpendicular to the first direction and that are opposed to the first direction;
A column-side bracket including a pair of supported edge portions that are respectively opposed to the first direction and supported by the pair of support grooves ,
Each of the vehicle body side brackets defines a part of a support groove of the vehicle body side bracket, includes a first direction facing portion that faces the corresponding supported edge portion in the first direction and extends in the second direction,
A steering column support structure configured such that movement of the column side bracket in the first direction when moving in the second direction at the time of a secondary collision is suppressed by the first direction facing portion . The steering column according to claim 1, including a cylindrical jacket that rotatably supports a steering shaft extending in parallel with the second direction, and that can move integrally with the column side bracket and the second direction when absorbing an impact.
A steering column support structure comprising: a pair of holding members that hold the pair of supported edge portions at predetermined positions in the second direction of the corresponding support grooves with a predetermined holding force. In claim 2, each of the vehicle body-side bracket, defines a portion of the support groove of the body-side bracket, a pair in the third direction opposite that facing the third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions Part
Each said retaining member is inserted through the cutout groove of the column-side bracket in the third direction, the third direction opposite portion of one of the corresponding support grooves, and the corresponding the supported edge frictionally engaged A steering column support structure including a screw member locked to the vehicle body side bracket. 4. The steering column support structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the vehicle body side brackets has a groove shape that divides the support groove. 5. 5. The steering column support structure according to claim 4, wherein each of the vehicle body side brackets includes a hollow pipe in which a part of an outer periphery is recessed to form the support groove.

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