JPS6154359A - Steering column tube supporting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively install a protector by integrally forming the protector arranged in bent form, permitting a bending deformation, between a bolt installation position and the position of the knee of the leg, onto a supporting bracket for a steering column. CONSTITUTION:At the top edge of a bent protector 40, an insertion hole 42 for allowing a tool to pass through when a bolt is fastened is formed. Said protector 40 is arranged between a bolt installation position and the position of the knee of a driver, and the direct contact of the knee with the bolt is prevented, when the leg is shifted for operating a pedal, etc. Further, since the protector 40 is formed integrally with an installation part 30, the necessity of separately installing the protector as in the conventional can be obviated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a stay/song column tube support device for a vehicle such as an automobile.

[Conventional technology]

As a steering column tube support device for a vehicle such as an automobile, a steering column tube is held by a steering column support bracket, and this steering column support bracket is attached to a support member such as a vehicle body with bolts, and the mounting position of this bolt is set on the steering column tube. There is a steering column tube support device located on both sides, opposite the position of the driver's knee.

In this type of steering column tube support device, the bolts that attach the steering column support bracket to the support member such as the vehicle body are located in a protruding position, so when you move your foot when operating the pedals, your knees will touch the protruding bolts. ε, which causes a problem that the driver feels uncomfortable.

In order to solve this problem, various countermeasures have been considered. One of these methods is to install the bolt in a position that does not face the driver's knees.

However, this measure requires changing the way the steering column tube is supported, and also requires rearranging parts inside the instrument panel, which normally supports the steering column tube and has limited space. However, there is a problem in that it requires changes in design or production technology.

As a countermeasure to avoid this problem, the bolt may be left in the same position and a protector is provided to cover the protrusion of the bolt to prevent the knee from directly hitting the bolt.

C Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the above-mentioned protector is provided, the protector is formed as a separate part from the steering column support bracket, which increases the number of parts and makes it difficult to install the protector. You will need a structure to attach it to.
Attachment has the problem of complicating the structure and increasing costs. In particular, when attaching the protector with bolts, the bolts must be installed at a position that does not face the position of the driver's knees.

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to avoid the problem of attaching the protector even when the protector is used.

Means for Solving Problem C] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by eliminating the need to attach the protector using bolts or the like.

Specifically, the present invention provides a steering column tube support device of this kind described above, in which a protector is integrally formed on the steering column support bracket, and this protector is arranged at a position where a bolt is attached and a position where the knee of the foot is. The means is arranged between the two parts and is bent and arranged so as to be bendable and deformable.

[Effect]

According to the above-mentioned means, since the protector is disposed between the bolt attachment position and the knee position of the foot, the knee is prevented from directly hitting the bolt.

Further, since the protector is formed integrally with the steering column support bracket, it is automatically attached when the steering column support bracket is attached. In other words, it is not necessary to install the protector alone.

Further, since the protector is arranged so as to be bendable and deformable, when a large external force is applied to the protector by a knee or the like, the protector bends and deforms, and this bending deformation absorbs the energy of the external force.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of a steering column tube support device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of the steering column tubes. In FIG. 5, 10 is a steering column tube, 12 is a steering column support bracket, and 14 is a steering column tube.
1 is a support member such as an instrument panel, and 16 is a steering wheel. steering column tube 1
0 is held by a steering column support bracket 12 and supported by a support member 14 with bolts 18.

The steering wheel 16 is provided at the upper end of the steering column tube 10 (all the way to the right as seen in FIG. 5). The mounting position of the bolt 18 for mounting the steering column support bracket 12 to the support member 14 is determined by the driver 20.
The position is opposite to the position of the knee 22 of the foot. Note that 24 is a seat on which the driver 20 is seated.

1 to 3 show the steering column support bracket 12, FIG. 1 is a side view, FIG. 2 is a perspective view,
FIG. 3 shows a front view. The steering column support bracket 12 is shown in FIG.
0, a holding section 32, and a protector 40. The holding part 32 is located in the center, and protectors 4 are placed on both sides of the holding part 32.
0 is in the fifth place. The holding part 32 and the protector 40 are connected via a mounting part.
, the protector 40 is integrally formed by press molding or the like. In addition, steering column support bracket 1
2 is made of a plastically deformable steel plate.

The attachment portion 30 is formed into an elongated, substantially planar shape.

Bolt mounting holes 38, 38 are drilled on both longitudinal sides. The bolt 18 is installed through this bolt installation hole 38,38. Therefore, the mounting positions of the bolts 18 are on both sides of the insertion position of the steering column tube 10.

The holding part 32 is located at the center and is formed by being bent downward from the mounting part 30, as best shown in FIG. As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this holding portion 32 is provided with a holding hole 34 through which the steering column tube 10 is inserted. The steering column tube 10 is inserted through this holding hole 34, and the steering column tube 10 is held by the steering column support bracket 12. Note that the steering column tube 10 and the holding portion 32 are integrally connected by appropriate fixing means such as welding.

The protectors 40 are located on both sides of the holding part 32, and are bent downward from the mounting part 30, as best shown in FIG. This bending is larger than the bending of the holding portion 32, and is bent to a position below the bolt 18. This allows the protector 40 to adjust the mounting position of the bolt 18 and the knee 2 of the driver's 20 foot.
2 (see Figure 5). Since the protector 40 is formed by being bent in this manner, when an external force is applied, the bent portion bends and deforms to absorb energy.

Note that the protector 40 is bent in two stages, as clearly shown in FIG. That is, it is bent at locations 40a and 40b shown in FIG.

The bending point 40a is the joint between the mounting part 30 and the protector 40, and the bending point 40b is the joint between the protector 4.
This is the middle position of 0. The bending portion indicated by 40b is formed at an angle, as clearly shown in FIG. This slope is formed to slope upward so that when the knee 22 of the driver's 20 foot touches the slope, the knee 22 slides away from the steering column tube 10.

Further, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an insertion hole 42 through which a tool for tightening the bolt 18 passes is provided at the tip of the bent protector 40.

FIG. 4 shows how the bolt 18 is installed. A rotary tightening tool 50 is arranged below the bolt 18. A connecting tool 52 matching the size of the pole 1-18 is attached to this tightening tool 50, and the bolt 18 is attached by rotating the tightening tool 50. At this time, the connecting tool 5
2 passes through the insertion hole 42 of the protector 40, so there is no interference between the connecting tool 52 and the protector 40.

According to the first embodiment described above, since the protector 40 is disposed between the mounting position of the bolt 18 and the position of the knee 22 of the driver 20, even when moving the foot to operate the pedal etc. The knee 22 of the foot does not directly hit the bolt 18. That is, the knee 22 hits the protector 40 before hitting the bolt 18. Since the protector 18 does not have any protrusions, even if the protector 18 hits the knee, the user will not feel any discomfort.

Furthermore, since the protector 40 is integrally formed with the mounting portion 30 of the steering column support bracket 12,
It can be automatically attached by attaching the attaching portion 30 with the bolts 18. Therefore, there is no need to separately attach a protector as in the conventional case.

Furthermore, even if a large external force is applied to the protector 40, such as when the knee 22 of the driver 20 strongly hits the protector 40, the protector 40 will bend and deform at the bending point of 40a or 40b, and this bending deformation will be performed as plastic deformation. Absorb energy.

In particular, when the knee 22 hits the protector 40, the bent portion 40b of the protector 40 is formed to be inclined, so the knee 22 slides away from the steering column tube 10, and the external force is weakened. More effective energy absorption action is achieved.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and shows a modification of the steering column support bracket 12. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the same or equivalent components as in the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In this second embodiment, the insertion hole 42 provided at the tip of the protector 40 in the first embodiment described above is eliminated. Therefore, in the embodiment 'IA2, the protector 40 is bent to a position where the connecting tool 52 can be inserted when tightening the bolt 18. Note that the protector 40 may be bent further after the bolt 18 is tightened, if necessary. The second embodiment configured in this way is basically the same as the first embodiment described above.
Since this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, it has the same effect as the first embodiment.

Although specific embodiments illustrating the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments.
Various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention.

For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the bending portion 40b of the protector 40 is formed to be inclined, but it may not be inclined. However, when it is tilted, it has the above-mentioned advantages. Alternatively, the bending portion 40b may not be provided.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, first, the protector prevents the knee from directly hitting the bolt, so it is possible to eliminate the discomfort caused by the knee hitting the bolt.

Next, since the protector is integrally formed with the steering column support bracket and is automatically attached when the steering column support bracket is attached, it is not necessary to attach the protector alone, and the attachment is simplified. Additionally, since the number of parts can be reduced, handling of parts during assembly becomes easier.

Furthermore, since the protector can bend and deform to absorb energy, even when a large external force is applied, the protector can effectively absorb the energy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the steering column tube support device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of the steering column support bracket, FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the steering column support bracket. The same front view, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how the bolts are attached, and FIG. 5 is an overall layout diagram showing the arrangement of the steering column tube. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a steering column support bracket showing a second embodiment of the steering column tube support device according to the present invention. Explanation of symbols 10--Steering column tube 12--Steering column support bracket 14--Support member 18--Bolt 20--Driver 22--Knee 40 −・−・−・Protector

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The steering column tube is held by a steering column support bracket, and the steering column support bracket is attached to a supporting member such as a vehicle body with bolts, and the bolts are attached at positions on both sides of the steering column tube. In the steering column tube support device, which is located opposite to the knee of the driver's foot, the steering column support bracket is integrally formed with a protector, and this protector is located at the position where the bolt is attached and where the foot is. What is claimed is: 1. A steering column tube support device, characterized in that it is disposed between a knee position and is bent so as to be bendable and deformable.