JP6243458B2 - Steering hanger beam structure for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention divides a steering hanger beam whose outer end in the vehicle width direction is supported by left and right front pillars into a first beam and a second beam that are offset in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction, The present invention relates to a vehicle steering hanger beam structure in which inner end portions of a second beam in the vehicle width direction are connected via a bracket.

  In a steering hanger beam in which two pipes (beams) that are offset from each other are connected by a plate-like connector (bracket), the pipe inserted through the insertion hole formed in the connector is expanded at two locations sandwiching the connector The one that is fixed to the coupler by expanding the diameter is known from Patent Document 1 below.

JP 2008-51237 A

  By the way, the above-described conventional steering hanger beam in which two pipes are connected by a plate-like connector is bent when a bending moment is applied due to a collision of an automobile and stress concentration occurs at the connection portion between the pipe and the connector. There was a possibility of deformation. In order to prevent this, it is sufficient to increase the wall thickness of the pipe and the plate thickness of the coupling tool. However, this causes a problem that the weight of the steering hanger beam increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to increase the strength of a steering hanger beam in which first and second beams are connected via a bracket while minimizing an increase in weight.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the steering hanger beam whose outer end in the vehicle width direction is supported by the left and right front pillars is offset in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction. A vehicle steering hanger beam structure that is divided into one beam and a second beam, and the vehicle width direction inner ends of the first beam and the second beam are connected via a bracket. A first opening into which the inner end of the one beam in the vehicle width direction fits, a second opening into which the inner end of the second beam in the vehicle width direction fits, the first opening, and the second opening. A vehicular steering hanger characterized in that a reinforcing member fitted into the third opening abuts against the outer peripheral surfaces of the first beam and the second beam. Over-time structure is proposed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect, the reinforcing member protrudes from the third opening to both sides in the vehicle width direction. Is proposed.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the configuration of claim 2, one end in the vehicle width direction of the reinforcing member is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the first beam by the first welded portion, The other end portion in the vehicle width direction of the reinforcing member is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the second beam by a second welded portion, and the inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the first beam is third on the first side surface of the reinforcing member. A vehicle steering hanger beam structure is proposed in which a vehicle width direction inner end portion of the second beam is welded to a second side surface of the reinforcing member by a fourth weld portion while being welded by a weld portion. The

  The right beam 16 of the embodiment corresponds to the first beam of the present invention, the center beam 18 and the left beam 20 of the embodiment correspond to the second beam of the present invention, and the right connection bracket 17 of the embodiment. Corresponds to the bracket of the present invention.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, the steering hanger beam whose outer end in the vehicle width direction is supported by the left and right front pillars is divided into the first beam and the second beam that are offset in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction, The inner ends of the first beam and the second beam in the vehicle width direction are connected via a bracket. The bracket includes a first opening in which an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the first beam is fitted, a second opening portion in which an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the second beam is fitted, a first opening portion, and a second opening portion. And a reinforcing member fitted into the third opening abuts on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first beam and the second beam, so that the first beam and the second beam are attached to the reinforcing member. And the load on the steering hanger beam is transmitted to the whole and the steering hanger beam is deformed at the bracket part. Can be prevented.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the reinforcing member protrudes from the third opening to both sides in the vehicle width direction, the stress hanger beam at the portion where the first and second beams abut against the reinforcing member is alleviated, and the steering hanger beam A load applied to a part of the steering hanger beam can be transmitted to the whole, and the steering hanger beam can be more reliably prevented from being deformed at the bracket part.

  According to the configuration of the third aspect, one end of the reinforcing member in the vehicle width direction is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the first beam by the first welding portion, and the other end of the reinforcing member in the vehicle width direction is the second beam. The inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the first beam is welded to the outer peripheral surface by the third weld portion, and the inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the second beam is welded to the first side surface of the reinforcing member. Is welded to the second side surface of the reinforcing member by the fourth welded portion, so that the first and second beams and the reinforcing member are firmly integrated by welding the portion where the stress is concentrated, so that it is part of the steering hanger beam. The applied load can be efficiently transmitted to the whole.

The perspective view of a steering hanger beam. FIG. 3A-3A and 3B-3B cross-sectional views of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present specification, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and the up-down direction are defined with reference to an occupant seated in a driver seat.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a left mounting bracket 13 and a right mounting bracket 14 provided at both ends of a steering hanger beam 12 disposed in the vehicle width direction on the inner surfaces in the vehicle width direction of a pair of left and right front pillars 11, 11 of an automobile. Are fixed respectively. The steering hanger beam 12 supports a steering shaft 15 extending from the front lower side to the rear upper side, and supports an instrument panel (not shown) covering the periphery thereof.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the steering hanger beam 12 includes a right beam 16 made of a pipe material having a circular cross section whose right end is fixed to a right front pillar 11 via a right mounting bracket 14, and a right beam 16. A central beam 18 made of a pipe material having a circular cross section connected to the left end via a right connection bracket 17, a left end fixed to the left front pillar 11 via a left mounting bracket 13, and a right end via a left connection bracket 19. And a left beam 20 made of a pipe material having a circular cross section connected to the left end of the central beam 18. The right beam 16 corresponds to the first beam of the present invention, and the center beam 18 and the left beam 20 correspond to the second beam of the present invention. The right beam 16 is offset forward with respect to the central beam 18, and the left beam 20 is offset upward with respect to the central beam 18, whereby the steering hanger beam 12 is arranged inside the instrument panel. Interference with other ducts is avoided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the right connection bracket 17 is connected to a first circular opening 17a, a second circular opening 17b, and a first opening 17a and a second opening 17b. 3 openings 17c are formed. With the left end of the right beam 16 penetrating the first opening 17a from right to left and the right end of the central beam 18 penetrating the second opening 17b from left to right, the third opening 17c has a block-like shape. The reinforcing member 21 is fitted. The reinforcing member 21 includes an arc-shaped first side surface 21a that is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 16a of the right beam 16, and an arc-shaped second side surface 21b that is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 18a of the central beam 18, and its vehicle width direction The length is larger than the thickness in the vehicle width direction of the right connection bracket 17, and therefore both end portions in the vehicle width direction of the right connection bracket 17 protrude from the right connection bracket 17 to both sides in the vehicle width direction.

  The right end portion of the reinforcing member 21 is welded to the outer peripheral surface 16a of the right beam 16 by the arc-shaped first welded portion w1, and the left end portion of the reinforcing member 21 is arc-shaped second welded to the outer peripheral surface 18a of the central beam 18. The left end portion of the right beam 16 which is welded at the portion w2 and protrudes to the left from the first opening portion 17a is welded to the first side surface 21a of the reinforcing member 21 at the arc-shaped third welding portion w3, and the second opening portion The right end portion of the central beam 18 protruding rightward from 17b is welded to the second side surface 21b of the reinforcing member 21 by an arc-shaped fourth weld w4. Further, the first opening 17a of the right connection bracket 17 and the outer peripheral surface 16a of the right beam 16 fitted therein are welded by the welded portion w5, and the second opening 17b of the right connection bracket 17 and The outer peripheral surface 18a of the center beam 18 to be fitted is welded at the welded portion w6.

  The left connecting bracket 19 is formed with a circular first opening 19a and a second opening 19b. The right end of the left beam 20 passes through the first opening 19a, and the left and right sides of the penetration are welded portions. While being welded at w7, the left end of the central beam 18 penetrates through the second opening 19b, and the left and right sides of the penetration are welded at the welded portion w8.

  In FIG. 2, when the vehicle collides front and a collision load indicated by an arrow F is input to the steering hanger beam 12, a bending moment indicated by an arrow M acts on a portion of the right connection bracket 17 that connects the right beam 16 and the center beam 18. However, if the bending strength of the portion of the right connecting bracket 17 is insufficient at this time, the steering hanger beam 12 may be deformed.

  However, according to the present embodiment, the right connection bracket 17 includes the first opening 17a through which the left end of the right beam 16 passes, the second opening 17b into which the right end of the center beam 18 is fitted, A first opening 17a and a third opening 17c communicating with the second opening 17b, and a reinforcing member 21 fitted into the third opening 17c contacts the outer peripheral surfaces 16a and 18a of the right beam 16 and the central beam 18. Therefore, the right beam 16 and the central beam 18 are firmly integrated via the reinforcing member 21, the stress concentration at the connecting portion of the right beam 16 and the central beam 18 is reduced, and the collision load is transmitted to the entire steering hanger beam 12. In addition, the steering hanger beam 12 can be prevented from being deformed at the portion of the right connection bracket 17.

  At this time, since the reinforcing member 21 protrudes from the third opening 17c of the right connection bracket 17 to both sides in the vehicle width direction, the right beam 16 is welded to the reinforcing member 21 between the first welded portion w1 and the third welded portion w3. The distance D1 between the second welded portion w2 and the fourth welded portion w4 at which the center beam 18 is welded to the reinforcing member 21 is greater than the thickness T of the right connecting bracket 17, and the distance D2 between the second welded portion w4 and the fourth welded portion w4 is It becomes larger than the thickness T. As a result, the stress concentration at the portion where the right beam 16 and the central beam 18 abut against the reinforcing member 21 is alleviated, and the collision load is effectively transmitted to the entire steering hanger beam 12, thereby steering the right connection bracket 17. It is possible to more reliably prevent the hanger beam 12 from being deformed.

  The right end portion of the reinforcing member 21 is welded to the outer peripheral surface 16a of the right beam 16 by the first welded portion w1, and the left end portion of the reinforcing member 21 is welded to the outer peripheral surface 18a of the central beam 18 by the second welded portion w2. The left end portion of the right beam 16 is welded to the first side surface 21a of the reinforcing member 21 by the third welded portion w3, and the right end portion of the center beam 18 is welded to the second side surface 21b of the reinforcing member 21 to the fourth welded portion w4. Therefore, the right beam 16, the central beam 18 and the reinforcing member 21 can be firmly integrated by welding the portion where the stress is concentrated, and the collision load can be effectively transmitted to the entire steering hanger beam 12. it can.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the steering hanger beam can be avoided while avoiding an increase in the thickness of the right connection bracket 17 and an increase in the thickness of the right beam 16 and the center beam 18 that cause an increase in weight. The bending strength of 12 can be increased.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment, the steering hanger beam 12 is divided into the left beam 20, the center beam 18, and the right beam 16, but it is sufficient that the steering hanger beam 12 is divided into at least the first beam and the second beam.

  In the embodiment, the steering hanger beam 12 for the right-hand drive vehicle has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to the steering hanger beam 12 for the left-hand drive vehicle.

11 Front pillar 12 Steering hanger beam 16 Right beam (first beam)
16a Outer peripheral surface 18 Center beam (second beam)
18a Outer peripheral surface 17 Right connection bracket (bracket)
17a 1st opening part 17b 2nd opening part 17c 3rd opening part 20 Left beam (2nd beam)
21 reinforcement member 21a 1st side surface 21b 2nd side surface w1 1st welding part w2 2nd welding part w3 3rd welding part w4 4th welding part

Claims (3)

A steering hanger beam (12) supported at the outer end in the vehicle width direction by the left and right front pillars (11), the first beam (16) and the second beam (18, 20) offset in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction. A vehicle steering hanger beam structure in which the vehicle width direction inner ends of the first beam (16) and the second beam (18, 20) are connected via a bracket (17).
The bracket (17) includes a first opening (17a) into which an inner end in the vehicle width direction of the first beam (16) is fitted, and an inner end in the vehicle width direction of the second beam (18, 20). A second opening (17b) into which the first opening (17a) and the second opening (17b) communicate with each other, and the third opening ( A steering hanger beam for vehicles, wherein a reinforcing member (21) fitted to 17c) abuts on outer peripheral surfaces (16a, 18a) of the first beam (16) and the second beam (18, 20). Construction.   The vehicle steering hanger beam structure according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member (21) protrudes from the third opening (17c) to both sides in the vehicle width direction. One end of the reinforcing member (21) in the vehicle width direction is welded to the outer peripheral surface (16a) of the first beam (16) by the first welded portion (w1), and the reinforcing member (21) in the vehicle width direction. The other end portion is welded to the outer peripheral surface (18a) of the second beam (18, 20) by a second welded portion (w2), and the inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the first beam (16) is the reinforcing member. While being welded to the first side surface (21a) of (21) by the third welding portion (w3), the inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the second beam (18, 20) is the second of the reinforcing member (21). The vehicle steering hanger beam structure according to claim 2, wherein the side hanger (21b) is welded by a fourth weld (w4).

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