JPH09193813A - Energy absorbing type steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To energy an impact on an operator to be sufficiently propagated to an energy absorbing mechanism part by providing such a structure as fixing a steering tube and a bracket together and separating them from each other when the operator makes collision with a steering wheel in the case of vehicle collision. SOLUTION: A tube 9 (2) is formed in a circle and projections 9A are provided on the left and right sides of its outer configuration. A bracket hollow closed sectional surface part inner wall 10A (2) is in an oval shape and projections 10B are provided so as to support tube projections 9A from its lower side. In this two-points supporting part, a resin injection 12 (2) is formed through a bracket 10 (2). By means of the resin injection 12 (2), a gap between the tube 9 (2) and the bracket 10 (2) is buried so as to fix them together and also at the time of collision with a load exceeding its specific constant level, sheering takes place so that the tube 9 (2) makes its slide stroke to absorb energy. When any load in such a direction for lowering the steering wheel is applied, the bracket projection 10B is broken so that the tube 9 (2) may be made possible to swing in only lower part direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a collision of a vehicle, the driver collides with the steering device, that is, in a so-called secondary collision,
The present invention relates to a steering structure that absorbs energy to ensure driver's safety, and more particularly to a mounting structure for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method of absorbing the shock to the driver at the time of a secondary collision between the driver and the steering wheel and improving the safety, the vehicle body and the steering column are normally used. There is a method of fixing (Fig. 1) and, in the event of a collision, breaking or deforming the attachment so that it can move, that is, a stroke is secured (Fig. 2). As a specific method, the actual method is 63-
19467, Jikken 6-13025, etc.
The capsule fixed to the vehicle body, and the capsule and the breakaway bracket are fastened with resin share pins or injection, and when the collision occurs, the breakaway bracket can be stroked by the shearing of the resin, and the steering column fixed to the bracket absorbs impact energy. Is the way to do it.

[0003]

In such a conventional structure, once the capsule and the breakaway bracket are broken, the breakaway bracket is free to move in the rotational direction with the joint of the shaft as a fulcrum (FIG. 2). . Therefore, the driver's impact is not affected by the energy absorption mechanism 8
There was a technical problem that the safety could not be ensured because it was not sufficiently transmitted to the user.

[0004]

A breakaway bracket (not breakaway in the present invention) according to the prior art is fixed to a vehicle, and a steering tube and a bracket are fixed so as to be capable of being broken during a collision. The inner wall of the hollow flat cross section of the blacket has a structure similar to the outer cross section of the tube or a structure in which a protrusion is provided inside. According to the structure according to the present invention, the tube will stroke along the inner wall of the hollow closed cross section after the fixed breakage.

[0005]

[Operation] During a collision, the bracket and the broken steering tube make a stroke while receiving a load. At this time, the steering tube slides while being guided by the hollow closed cross section of the bracket, so that the driver's impact is sufficiently propagated to the energy absorbing mechanism 8.

[0006]

3 and 4 schematically show a steering device. When a vehicle collides, the driver tries to jump forward due to inertia. The seatbelt margin and extension cause the upper body to bend forward. In some cases, the face or chest is bumped against the steering wheel 7. This impact force is applied to the steering shaft 5
And is transmitted to the bracket 10 via the steering tube 9. However, the bracket 10 is fixed to the vehicle body 4, and a load is applied between the bracket 10 and the tube 9. Between the bracket 10 and the tube 9, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the structure is such that it breaks at a constant load, and after the break, the shaft 5 and the tube 9 make a sliding stroke. The impact energy of the human body is reduced by the energy absorbing mechanism 8 that applies a load along with this stroke, but since the tube 9 does not exceed the inner wall of the bracket 10 during the stroke after breakage, the deflection angle of the steering wheel 9 is restricted to the inner wall range. As a result, the driver is not forced to take an unreasonable posture such as an abnormal bending of the upper body of the driver. Further, the stroke input to the energy absorbing mechanism 8 has little eccentricity, and the amount of energy absorbed is more stable.

5 to 9 show cross-sectional examples of the bracket 10 and the tube 9. In FIG. 5, the tube 9 (1) and the bracket hollow closed cross-section inner wall 10A are both circular, and they are in contact with each other at the lower end, and are joined by an A-shaped blind bed 11 near this contact. The A-type blind rivet 11 is sheared when a certain load at the time of collision is exceeded, and the tube 9 (1) slides and absorbs energy. The tube 9 (1) slides along the inner wall 10A of the bracket hollow closed cross section. In FIG. 6, the tube 9 (2) is circular, and projections 9A are provided on the left and right sides of the outer shape. The inner wall 10A (2) of the bracket hollow closed cross-section has an oval shape so that the tube projection 9A can be supported from below.
0B is provided. The resin is injected through the bracket 10 (2) through the two supporting portions.
(2) Molded. By this resin injection,
The gap between the tube 9 (2) and the bracket 10 (2) is filled and fixed, and at the time of collision, shearing occurs when a certain load is exceeded, and the tube 9 (2) slides,
Absorbs energy. In addition, the steering wheel 7
When a load is applied in the direction to lower the
B breaks, and the tube 9 (2) can swing only downward in the inner wall 10A (2) of the bracket hollow closed cross section.

In FIG. 7, both the tube 9 (3) and the bracket hollow closed cross section inner wall 10A (3) are circular,
The diameter also has a gap that does not bite during the slide stroke. Tube 9 (3) and bracket 10
In (3), the gap is filled and fixed by the resin injections 12 (3) from the left and right, and at the time of collision, shearing occurs when a certain load is exceeded, and the tube 9 (3) slides and absorbs energy. . At this time, the tube 9 (3) hardly slides and slides.

In FIG. 8, the tube 9 (1) and the inner wall 10A (4) of the bracket hollow closed cross-section are both circular, but the bracket 10 (4) has a column 10C, which allows the tube 9 (4) to be attached. support. The tube 9 (4) and the inner wall 10A (4) of the bracket hollow cross section are filled with a gap by the resin injection 12 (4) at the upper end and fixed, and at the same time, they are sheared at the time of impact or when a certain load is exceeded, and the tube 9 (4) makes a sliding stroke and absorbs energy. Furthermore, when a load is applied in the direction of lowering the steering wheel 7, the column 10C is deformed, and the swing is possible only within the inner wall 10A (4) of the bracket hollow cross section. Further, the energy absorption when the pillar is deformed can reduce the impact in the direction of lowering the steering wheel 7. In FIG. 9, both the tube 9 (5) and the bracket hollow closed cross-section inner wall 10A (5) are regular hexagons, and both are 2 at the upper end.
The surfaces are in contact with each other and joined by an A-shaped blind rivet 11. The A-type blind rivet 11 shears when a certain load at the time of collision is exceeded, and the tube 9 (5) slides and absorbs energy. Tube 9
(5) slides along the inner wall 10A (5) of the bracket hollow closed cross section.

[0010]

Since the movement of the steering tube that strokes due to a collision of the human body is restricted within the range of the steering tube receiving portion of the bracket, there is an effect of maintaining the posture of the human body during the stroke, and the posture of the human body is improved. It is possible to decelerate without overloading above. At the same time, eccentricity of the load is reduced with respect to the energy absorption mechanism, and a stable energy absorption amount can be secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a conventional steering structure.

FIG. 3

FIG. 4 shows a steering structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

FIG. 8

FIG. 9 shows an example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Capsule 2 ... Breakaway bracket 3 ... Resin pin 4 ... Car body 5 ... Steering shaft 6 ... Joint 7 ... .. Steering wheel 8 ... Energy absorption mechanism 9 ... Steering tube 9A ... Protrusion 10 ... Bracket 10A ... Bracket hollow closed cross-section inner wall 10B ... Protrusion 10C ..Supports 11 ... A type blind rivets 12 ... Resin injection

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A steering tube that rotatably holds a steering shaft, and a bracket that attaches the steering tube to a vehicle body. The steering tube and the bracket are fixed, and a driver collides with the steering wheel during a vehicle collision. A steering device having a structure for separating at the time. 2. The bracket is made of an extruded aluminum alloy having a cross-sectional shape having a hollow closed cross section and an airfoil mounting section, and the inner wall of the hollow closed cross section is substantially similar to the cross section of the tube. The steering device according to claim 1. 3. The bracket is made of an aluminum alloy extruded material having a cross-sectional shape having a hollow closed cross section and an airfoil mounting section, and one or more protrusions are provided on the inner wall of the hollow closed cross section. The steering device according to claim 1.