Occupant protection device and vehicle

Abstract

To suppress excessive impact on an occupant from a steering wheel when a steering shaft moves forward.SOLUTION: An occupant protection device 10 comprises a steering wheel 5, a steering shaft 7, and a receiving member 20 disposed in front of a driver seat 2. The receiving member 20 comprises: a regulating projection 20d that is engaged with the steering shaft 7 to regulate forward movement of the steering shaft 7, the regulating projection 20d being moved by the load applied to the receiving member 20 and disengaged from the steering shaft 7 to allow forward movement of the steering shaft 7; and an uneven part 20e that is brought closer to the steering shaft 7 by the load applied to the receiving member 20, and which does not come into contact with the steering shaft 7 when the load is less than a predetermined value, and comes into contact with the steering shaft 7 when it is the predetermined value or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle, and a vehicle equipped with the occupant protection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, seat belts, airbags, and the like have been widely used as occupant protection devices for protecting an occupant seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle. Patent Document 1 also describes a configuration in which a receiving member is provided in front of the driver's seat to receive the occupant's lower legs in the event of a vehicle collision. With this configuration, the occupant's lower legs, which move forward in response to a vehicle collision, are received by the receiving member, thereby preventing the occupant's lower legs from being injured.

[0003] Patent Document 1 also describes a configuration in which the restriction on the forward movement of the steering shaft is released by utilizing the load input to a receiving member or the steering wheel when the occupant collides with these members. This allows the steering wheel to move forward by the load input from the occupant when the occupant collides with the steering wheel, thereby reducing the impact that the occupant receives from the steering wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-100499 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 does not mention the load applied to the steering shaft when the steering shaft moves forward. However, if the load does not change according to the load input from the occupant to the receiving member or the steering wheel, the impact that the occupant receives from the steering wheel from the start to the end of the forward movement of the steering shaft cannot be smoothed, and the maximum value of the impact may become large. In order to protect the occupant, it is desirable to have a configuration that can smooth this impact as much as possible and suppress the occupant from receiving an excessive impact instantaneously.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device that can prevent an occupant from receiving an excessive impact from the steering wheel when the steering shaft moves forward. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A typical configuration of the occupant protection device according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle, comprising: a steering wheel; a steering shaft to which the steering wheel is connected; a receiving portion disposed in front of the driver's seat and configured to receive the lower legs of the occupant; a regulating portion that engages with the steering shaft to regulate forward movement of the steering shaft, the regulating portion moving due to a load input to the receiving portion and disengaging from the steering shaft to allow the steering shaft to move forward; and a contact portion that approaches the steering shaft due to the load input to the receiving portion, does not come into contact with the steering shaft when the load is less than a predetermined value, and comes into contact with the steering shaft when the load is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the contact portion sliding against the steering shaft when the load input to the receiving portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value and the steering shaft is moving forward.

[0008] According to the present invention, in the passenger protection device, it is possible to prevent the passenger from receiving an excessive impact from the steering wheel when the steering shaft moves forward. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vehicle equipped with an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the periphery of an instrument panel of a vehicle. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are a perspective view and a perspective sectional view of a receiving member; [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the surrounding area of ​​a receiving member in a vehicle. FIG. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the protective operation of the passenger protection device when the impact of a vehicle collision is small. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the protective operation of the passenger protection device when the impact of a vehicle collision is small. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the protective operation of the passenger protection device when the impact caused by a vehicle collision is large. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the protective operation of the passenger protection device when the impact caused by a vehicle collision is large. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the protective operation of the passenger protection device when the impact of a vehicle collision is small. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the protective operation of the passenger protection device when the impact of a vehicle collision is small. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The configuration of an occupant protection device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, the left-right direction means the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1 equipped with the occupant protection device 10, specifically the left and right directions as seen from an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 2. The front-rear direction means the front and rear directions of the vehicle 1, specifically the front and rear directions as seen from an occupant M seated in the driver's seat 2. The up-down direction means the vertical direction. Note that unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle 1 equipped with an occupant protection device 10. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the vehicle 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the periphery of an instrument panel 4 (hereinafter referred to as "instrument panel 4") of the vehicle 1. In FIGS. 1 to 3, an occupant M seated in a driver's seat 2 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the occupant protection device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is a one-seater vehicle provided with only the driver's seat 2 as a seat. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle powered by electricity.

[0012] A seat belt 13 for restraining an occupant M is installed in the driver's seat 2. An instrument panel 4 is provided in front of the driver's seat 2 across the entire left-right area of ​​the vehicle 1. A windshield 3 is provided above the instrument panel 4. A steering shaft 7 and the like are provided inside the instrument panel 4.

[0013] A steering wheel 5 for the occupant M to steer the vehicle 1 is provided behind the instrument panel 4. The steering wheel 5 has an annular ring portion 5a which the occupant M grips when steering, and a core metal 5b which connects the ring portion 5a to the steering shaft 7. The core metal 5b has a ring core metal portion 5b1 located within the ring portion 5a, a shaft connecting portion 5b2 which is connected to the rear end of the steering shaft 7 by fastening a bolt 14, and a spoke core metal portion 5b3 which connects the annular portion 5b1 to the shaft connecting portion 5b2. The steering wheel 5 also has a pad 5c which covers the rear surface of the steering wheel 5, a pad holder 5d which holds the pad 5c, and a lower cover 5e which covers the front surface of the steering wheel 5.

[0014] The pad 5c has an occupant facing portion 5c1 disposed to face the occupant M, and a connecting portion 5c2 extending forward from the occupant facing portion 5c1 and connected to the pad holder 5d (see FIG. 5). The pad holder 5d is formed by bending a metal plate, and is connected to the connecting portion 5c2 of the pad 5c by a bolt 32 (see FIG. 5). In addition, the pad holder 5d and the lower cover 5e are connected to the core metal 5b by a bolt 19.

[0015] The rear end side of the steering shaft 7 protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 4. Of this protruding portion, the portion where the steering wheel 5 is not present is covered by a column cover 11. The column cover 11 is held by being fitted into the instrument panel 4. Inside the column cover 11, a reinforcement 8 that enhances the rigidity of the front side of the vehicle 1 and a bearing 9 that supports the steering shaft 7 are provided. The reinforcement 8 and the bearing 9 are connected by a bracket 6 that is welded to both of them.

[0016] The steering shaft 7 is disposed so as to extend obliquely upward from the front to the rear. The front end of the steering shaft 7 is connected to the rear end of an intermediate shaft 16 via a universal joint 15. The front end of the intermediate shaft 16 is connected to a gear box 18 via a universal joint 17. The gear box 18 is connected to the body of the vehicle 1 via a bracket (not shown), and is also connected to tires 31 of the vehicle 1 via a ball joint (not shown). In this way, the steering wheel 5 is connected to the tires 31 via the steering shaft 7, etc., and the tires 31 are turned by the steering wheel 5 by the occupant M, thereby changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

[0017] In addition, a recess 7a is provided on the side surface of the steering shaft 7 so that the diameter of the steering shaft 7 is smaller than the surrounding area. In addition, in front of the recess 7a on the side surface of the steering shaft 7, an uneven portion 7b (first uneven portion) is provided in which recesses 7b1 and protrusions 7b2 are continuously formed along the rotation axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7. In this embodiment, the uneven portion 7b is configured by continuously arranging five recesses 7b1 and protrusions 7b2. The recess 7b1 is a recessed portion so that the diameter of the steering shaft 7 is smaller than the surrounding area, and the protrusion 7b2 is a protruding portion so that the diameter of the steering shaft 7 is larger than the surrounding area. The protrusion 7b2 has an inclined surface 7b2a that slides against the inclined surface 20e2a of the protrusion 20e2 of the receiving member 20 described later.

[0018] Further, a receiving member 20 is provided below the column cover 11 in front of the driver's seat 2 to receive and protect the lower legs MN, such as the knees and thighs, of the occupant M, which move forward due to the impact when the vehicle 1 collides. In this embodiment, the receiving member 20 is made of a resin such as polypropylene, and is housed in an opening 4a formed in the instrument panel 4. When the occupant M is seated in the driver's seat 2, the receiving member 20 is disposed in front of the lower legs MN of the occupant M.

[0019] Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the receiving member 20. Fig. 4B is a perspective cross-sectional view of the receiving member 20 cut along the cross section AA shown in Fig. 4A. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the receiving member 20 and its surroundings in the vehicle 1. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the receiving member 20 is disposed at a position facing the driver's seat 2 in the front-rear direction, and has a plate-shaped receiving portion 20a configured to receive the lower leg MN of the occupant M. The receiving portion 20a is disposed so as to substantially block the opening 4a when viewed from the rear, and is disposed so as to protrude slightly from the instrument panel 4 toward the driver's seat 2 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0020] The receiving member 20 also has an insertion hole 20b through which the steering shaft 7 is inserted, and positioning grooves 20c formed on the left and right end faces of the receiving member 20. The grooves 20c have their upper walls 20c1 engaged with the protrusions 4b formed on the instrument panel 4 so as to be hooked from above. This determines the vertical and lateral positions of the receiving member 20 relative to the instrument panel 4. As will be described later, when the receiving member 20 receives the lower legs MN of the occupant M and moves upward, the grooves 20c move upward relative to the protrusions 4b of the instrument panel 4. In other words, the protrusions 4b of the instrument panel 4 move relatively from the position where they contact the upper wall 20c1 of the grooves 20c toward the lower wall 20c2. The width between the upper wall 20c1 and the lower wall 20c2 of the grooves 20c is set to a width dimension that does not hinder the vertical movement of the receiving member 20.

[0021] Further, a restricting protrusion 20d (restricting portion) that protrudes downward toward the steering shaft 7 is provided on the upper inner periphery 20b1 of the insertion hole 20b. In a normal state in which no load is input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, the restricting protrusion 20d engages with the recessed portion 7a of the steering shaft 7. This brings the rear end face of the restricting protrusion 20d into contact with the inner wall of the recessed portion 7a of the steering shaft 7, restricting the forward movement of the steering shaft 7. In other words, the restricting protrusion 20d engages with the recessed portion 7a of the steering shaft 7 to restrict the forward movement of the steering shaft 7.

[0022] Further, an uneven portion 20e (contact portion, second uneven portion) in which recesses 20e1 and protrusions 20e2 are continuously formed along the rotational axis direction Z of the steering shaft 7 is provided on the inner periphery 20b1 on the lower side of the insertion hole 20b. The protrusions 20e2 are portions that protrude upward toward the steering shaft 7. The recesses 20e1h are portions that are recessed from the protrusions 20e2 so as to move away from the steering shaft 7. In a normal state in which no load is input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, the uneven portion 20e is located at a position away from the steering shaft 7, and the two are in a non-contact state.

[0023] As described later, the uneven portion 20e approaches the steering shaft 7 due to the load input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, and when the load is large, it meshes with the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7. The protruding portion 20e2 of the receiving member 20 has a slope 20e2a that allows the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 to move forward when the uneven portions 7b and 20e are meshed with each other. When the uneven portions 7b and 20e are meshed with each other, the rearward movement of the steering shaft 7 is restricted by the protruding portion 7b2 of the steering shaft 7 coming into contact with the front surface 20e2b of the protruding portion 20e2 of the receiving member 20.

[0024] Further, a spring seat 20f for holding one end 25a of a spring member 25 (biasing member) is provided on the upper surface of the receiving member 20. The other end 25b of the spring member 25 is held by a spring seat 4c of the instrument panel 4. The spring member 25 biases the receiving member 20 downward, and in this embodiment, a compression coil spring is used. The biasing force of the spring member 25 biases the restricting protrusion 20d toward the steering shaft 7, thereby making the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 strong. Note that, instead of a compression coil spring as in this embodiment, other types of springs or elastic bodies other than springs may be used as the biasing member.

[0025] The steering wheel 5, steering shaft 7, receiving member 20, and spring member 25 described above are members that constitute the passenger protection device 10. The protective operation of the passenger protection device 10 for protecting the passenger M, which is constituted by these members, will be described below with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Figs. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams sequentially showing the protective operation of the passenger protection device 10 when the impact of a collision of the vehicle 1 is small. Figs. 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams sequentially showing the protective operation of the passenger protection device 10 when the impact of a collision of the vehicle 1 is large.

[0026] First, the protective operation of the occupant protection device 10 in the case where the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1 is small, such as when the vehicle 1 collides at a low speed, will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle 1 collides, the impact causes the occupant M to move forward, and the lower legs MN of the occupant M are received by the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 arranged in front of the driver's seat 2. As a result, the lower legs MN of the occupant M are protected, and a forward and upward load is input from the lower legs MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20. Since the forward movement of the receiving member 20 is almost restricted by the contact between the front end surface 20g of the receiving member 20 and the instrument panel 4, the receiving member 20 moves upward as if being lifted by the lower legs MN of the occupant M by the input load. At this time, the receiving member 20 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring member 25, so that the force that the lower legs MN of the occupant M receive from the receiving member 20 is reduced by the spring member 25, and the lower legs MN of the occupant M are appropriately protected.

[0027] In addition, with the upward movement of the receiving member 20, the restricting protrusion 20d and the uneven portion 20e, which are parts of the receiving member 20, also move upward against the biasing force of the spring member 25. This movement of the restricting protrusion 20d releases the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7, allowing the steering shaft 7 to move forward. On the other hand, although the uneven portion 20e moves upward, if the impact caused by the collision of the vehicle 1 is small, the load input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 is also small, so the amount of upward movement of the uneven portion 20e is small. Therefore, the uneven portion 20e does not move to a position where it comes into contact with the steering shaft 7, and maintains a non-contact state with the steering shaft 7. That is, when the load input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 through the uneven portion 20e is less than a predetermined value, the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d and the recessed portion 7a of the steering shaft 7 is released, and the interval between the restricting protrusion 20d and the uneven portion 20e and the steering shaft 7 in the movement direction of the receiving member 20 is set so that the uneven portion 20e does not come into contact with the steering shaft 7. The relationship between the magnitude of the load input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 and the movement amount of the receiving member 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the biasing force of the spring member 25.

[0028] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, such as the face and chest, which move forward due to the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1, collide with the steering wheel 5. As a result, a forward load is input from the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to the steering wheel 5 and the steering shaft 7 connected to the steering wheel 5. Since the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is permitted as described above, the steering shaft 7 and the steering wheel 5 connected thereto move forward due to this load. Specifically, the steering shaft 7 and the steering wheel 5 rotate forward with the gear box 18 (FIG. 3) as the center of rotation. At this time, the uneven portion 20e of the receiving member 20 is not in contact with the steering shaft 7 and does not become a load for the movement. Therefore, the steering shaft 7 and the steering wheel 5 move smoothly forward in response to the collision of the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, and the impact that the upper limbs MU of the occupant M receive from the steering wheel 5 is suppressed. This forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is restricted and terminated by interference between the protrusion 7b2 of the steering shaft 7 and the instrument panel 4, and between the core metal 5b of the steering wheel 5 and the bearing 9. The lower cover 5e of the steering wheel 5 is deformed by interference with the bearing 9.

[0029] Here, when the impact of a collision of the vehicle 1 is small, the load input from the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to the steering wheel 5 is also small, so the kinetic energy when the steering shaft 7 moves (rotates) forward is small. Also, part of this kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy by friction around the gear box 18 when the steering shaft 7 rotates. Therefore, when the steering shaft 7 has moved forward to its maximum extent and finished its movement, most of this kinetic energy has been consumed, so the impact that the upper limbs MU of the occupant M receive from the steering wheel 5 is small.

[0030] Here, if the load during the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is increased by meshing the uneven portions 7b and 20e2 of the receiving member 20 with the steering shaft 7 when the impact caused by the collision of the vehicle 1 is small, the following problem may occur. That is, although the amount of kinetic energy consumed from the start to the end of the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 increases, the impact received by the occupant M from the steering wheel 5 at the timing when the occupant M collides with the steering wheel 5 increases. In contrast, when the impact caused by the collision of the vehicle 1 is small as in this embodiment, the uneven portion 20e is not brought into contact with the steering shaft 7 to reduce the moving load of the steering shaft 7, so that the impact received by the steering wheel 5 when the occupant M collides with the steering wheel 5 can be reduced. That is, according to the configuration of this embodiment, when the impact caused by the collision of the vehicle 1 is small, the load during the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is reduced, so that the impact received by the occupant M from the steering wheel 5 during the start to the end of the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 can be smoothed.

[0031] Next, a protective operation of the occupant protection device 10 in the case where the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1 is large, such as when the vehicle 1 collides at high speed, will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, when the vehicle 1 collides, the impact moves the occupant M forward, as in the case of a low-speed collision, and the lower leg MN of the occupant M is received by the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 arranged in front of the driver's seat 2. This protects the lower leg MN of the occupant M, and a forward and upward load is input from the lower leg MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20. Here, the forward movement of the receiving member 20 is almost restricted by the contact between the front end surface 20g of the receiving member 20 and the instrument panel 4, so that the receiving member 20 moves upward as if it is lifted by the lower leg MN of the occupant M by the input load. At this time, the receiving member 20 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring member 25, so that the force that the lower leg MN of the occupant M receives from the receiving member 20 is reduced by the spring member 25, and the lower leg MN of the occupant M is appropriately protected.

[0032] Also, as the receiving member 20 moves upward, the regulating protrusion 20d and the uneven portion 20e, which are part of the receiving member 20, also move upward against the biasing force of the spring member 25. Due to the movement of the regulating protrusion 20d, the engagement between the regulating protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 is released, allowing the steering shaft 7 to move forward. Further, the upward movement amount of the uneven portion 20e becomes larger compared to the case where the impact due to the collision of the vehicle 1 is small because the impact due to the collision of the vehicle 1 is large and the load input from the lower limb MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 is also large. Therefore, the uneven portion 20e moves to a position where it meshes with the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7. That is, the uneven portion 20e contacts the steering shaft 7 when the load input from the lower limb MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. As described above, the relationship between the magnitude of the load input from the lower limb MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 and the movement amount of the receiving member 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the biasing force of the spring member 25. That is, the load F1 for releasing the engagement between the regulating protrusion 20d and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 and the load F2 for meshing the uneven portion 20e of the receiving member 20 with the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 can be adjusted by adjusting the biasing force of the spring member 25. At this time, F1 < F2. Also, this can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the receiving member 20 and the steering shaft 7 in the moving direction of the receiving member 20.

[0033] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, such as the face and chest, which move forward due to the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1, collide with the steering wheel 5. As a result, a forward load is input from the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to the steering wheel 5 and the steering shaft 7 connected to the steering wheel 5. Since the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is permitted as described above, this load causes the steering shaft 7 and the steering wheel 5 connected thereto to rotate forward with the gear box 18 as the rotation center. In addition, since the uneven portion 20e of the receiving member 20 and the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 are engaged with each other, the steering shaft 7 moves forward while sliding against the uneven portion 7b. Specifically, the convex portion 20e2 of the receiving member 20 has an inclined surface 20e2a that allows the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 to move forward, so that the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 moves forward while repeatedly climbing the inclined surface 20e2a of the receiving member 20. In this way, the steering wheel 5 moves forward in response to a collision of the upper limbs MU of the occupant M, thereby suppressing the impact that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5. This forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is restricted and terminated by interference between the convex portion 7b2 of the steering shaft 7 and the instrument panel 4, and between the core metal 5b of the steering wheel 5 and the bearing 9. The lower cover 5e of the steering wheel 5 is deformed by interference with the bearing 9.

[0034] Here, the sliding between the uneven portion 20e of the receiving member 20 and the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 becomes a load for the forward movement of the steering shaft 7. Therefore, the steering shaft 7 moves forward while receiving the load from the receiving member 20 and a load due to friction around the gear box 18, and the load when the steering shaft 7 moves forward is larger than when the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1 is small. In other words, the load when the steering shaft 7 moves forward is larger when the load input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving member 20 is equal to or larger than a predetermined value than when it is less than the predetermined value. This provides the following effects.

[0035] That is, when the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1 is large, the load input from the upper limbs MU of the occupant M to the steering wheel 5 is also large, and the kinetic energy when the steering shaft 7 moves forward is also large. Therefore, if the load when the steering shaft 7 moves forward is small as in the case where the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1 is small, the kinetic energy cannot be sufficiently consumed between the start and end of the steering shaft 7's forward movement, and the upper limbs MU of the occupant M receive a large impact from the steering wheel 5 at the timing when the steering shaft 7 moves forward to the maximum extent and the movement is restricted. In contrast, by increasing the movement load of the steering shaft 7 when the impact of the collision of the vehicle 1 is large as in this embodiment, the kinetic energy consumed between the start and end of the steering shaft 7's movement can be increased. Therefore, the impact that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 at the timing when the steering shaft 7 stops moving can be reduced.

[0036] In this case, since the load of the steering shaft 7 is large, the occupant M is likely to receive a shock when colliding with the steering wheel 5. However, when the load is reduced and the shock that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 when the steering shaft 7 stops moving is taken into consideration, the maximum value (peak value) of the shock that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 between the start and end of the steering shaft 7's movement is small. In other words, according to the configuration of this embodiment, when the shock due to the collision of the vehicle 1 is large, the load during the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 is made larger than when the shock is small, thereby smoothing the shock that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 between the start and end of the forward movement of the steering shaft 7.

[0037] As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the load during the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 can be controlled according to the magnitude of the load input from the lower limbs MN of the occupant M to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, that is, the impact during a collision of the vehicle 1, thereby smoothing the impact that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 from the start to the end of the forward movement of the steering shaft 7. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occupant M from receiving an excessive impact from the steering wheel 5 when the steering shaft 7 moves forward.

[0038] In addition, in a state in which the uneven portions 7b, 20e of the steering shaft 7 and the receiving member 20 are engaged with each other, the rearward movement of the steering shaft 7 is restricted by the contact of the convex portion 7b2 of the steering shaft 7 with the front surface 20e2b of the convex portion 20e2 of the receiving member 20. Therefore, the rearward movement of the steering shaft 7 due to a collision with an object outside the vehicle 1 or the like can be restricted, and the occupant M can be prevented from receiving an impact from the steering wheel 5. If this is not taken into consideration, a configuration may be adopted in which the uneven portions 7b, 20e are not engaged with each other, and the receiving member 20 is simply pressed against the steering shaft 7 moving forward, thereby increasing the movement load of the steering shaft 7.

[0039] 6 and 7 show a state in which the uneven portion 20e does not enter the movement path of the steering shaft 7 when it moves forward. However, if the load input to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 is a little larger, the uneven portion 20e does not mesh with the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7 but enters the movement path, and thus comes into contact with the steering shaft 7 moving forward and slides, becoming a movement load of the steering shaft 7. Even in this case, when the load input to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 is large, the contact area between the receiving member 20 and the steering shaft 7 becomes larger than when the load input to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 is small, and the movement load of the steering shaft 7 also becomes larger accordingly. Therefore, similarly to the above, the load when the steering shaft 7 moves forward can be controlled according to the magnitude of the load input to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, and the impact that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 from the start to the end of the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 can be smoothed.

[0040] Also, unlike the configuration of this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, when the engagement between the restricting protrusion 20d of the receiving member 20 and the recess 7a of the steering shaft 7 is released, the uneven portion 20e of the receiving member 20 does not mesh with the uneven portion 7b of the steering shaft 7, but may be located on the movement path of the steering shaft 7. Even with this configuration, when the load input to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20 is large, the contact area between the receiving member 20 and the steering shaft 7 becomes larger than when the load is small, and the movement load of the steering shaft 7 also becomes larger accordingly. Therefore, similarly to the above, the load during the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 can be controlled according to the magnitude of the load input to the receiving portion 20a of the receiving member 20, and the impact that the occupant M receives from the steering wheel 5 from the start to the end of the forward movement of the steering shaft 7 can be smoothed.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the receiving member 20 is configured such that the receiving portion 20a, the restricting protrusion 20d, and the uneven portion 20e are integrally molded from resin, and thus the restricting protrusion 20d and the uneven portion 20e move integrally when a load is input to the receiving portion 20a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as long as the restricting protrusion 20d and the uneven portion 20e move integrally when a load is input to the receiving portion 20a, they may be formed separately and fixed to each other, connected via other members, or formed from other materials. However, by integrally molding the receiving portion 20a, the restricting protrusion 20d, and the uneven portion 20e, it is possible to increase the positional accuracy without generating an assembly tolerance, so it is preferable to integrally mold the receiving member 20 from resin or the like as in the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] Reference Signs List 1...vehicle, 2...driver's seat, 5...steering wheel, 7...steering shaft, 7b...uneven portion (first uneven portion), 7b1...concave, 7b2...convex portion, 10...occupant protection device, 20...receiving member, 20a...receiving portion, 20d...regulating protrusion (regulating portion), 20e...uneven portion (contact portion, second uneven portion), 20e2...convex portion, 20e2a...inclined surface, 25...spring member (biasing member), M...occupant, MN...lower leg

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle, A steering wheel; a steering shaft to which the steering wheel is connected; A receiving portion disposed in front of the driver's seat and configured to receive the lower legs of the occupant; a restricting portion that engages with the steering shaft to restrict forward movement of the steering shaft, the restricting portion being moved by a load input to the receiving portion to release the engagement with the steering shaft and allowing the steering shaft to move forward; a contact portion that approaches the steering shaft due to a load input to the receiving portion, does not come into contact with the steering shaft when the load is less than a predetermined value, and comes into contact with the steering shaft when the load is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and slides against the steering shaft when the load input to the receiving portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value and the steering shaft is moving forward; An occupant protection device comprising:

2. a biasing member that biases the restriction portion toward the steering shaft, 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is disengaged from the steering shaft by being moved against the biasing force of the biasing member due to a load input to the receiving portion.

3. 3. The passenger protection device according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member is a spring member.

4. 3. The passenger protection device according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion approaches the steering shaft against the biasing force of the biasing member due to a load input to the receiving portion.

5. the steering shaft has a first concave-convex portion in which concave portions and convex portions are continuously provided along a rotational axis direction of the steering shaft, The occupant protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact portion has a second uneven portion that does not engage with the first uneven portion when the load input to the receiving portion is less than the predetermined value, and that engages with the first uneven portion when the load input to the receiving portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

6. a protrusion forming the second uneven portion of the contact portion has an inclined surface that allows the first uneven portion to move forward when the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion are engaged with each other, 6. The passenger protection device according to claim 5, wherein, in a state in which the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion are engaged with each other, the steering shaft is permitted to move forward and is restricted from moving rearward.

7. 2. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving portion, the restricting portion, and the contact portion are integrally formed.

8. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle, A steering wheel; a steering shaft to which the steering wheel is connected; A receiving portion disposed in front of the driver's seat and configured to receive the lower legs of the occupant; a restricting portion that engages with the steering shaft to restrict forward movement of the steering shaft, the restricting portion being moved by a load input to the receiving portion to release the engagement with the steering shaft and allowing the steering shaft to move forward; a contact portion that comes into contact with the steering shaft, which approaches the steering shaft and moves forward due to a load input to the receiving portion, the contact portion that comes into contact with the steering shaft such that a contact area with the steering shaft is larger when the load input to the receiving portion is large than when the load is small; An occupant protection device comprising:

9. a biasing member that biases the restriction portion toward the steering shaft, 9. The passenger protection device according to claim 8, wherein the restricting portion is disengaged from the steering shaft by being moved against the biasing force of the biasing member due to a load input to the receiving portion.

10. 10. The passenger protection device according to claim 9, wherein the biasing member is a spring member.

11. 10. The passenger protection device according to claim 9, wherein the contact portion approaches the steering shaft against the biasing force of the biasing member due to a load input to the receiving portion.

12. the steering shaft has a first concave-convex portion in which concave portions and convex portions are continuously provided along a rotational axis direction of the steering shaft, The occupant protection device according to claim 8, characterized in that the contact portion has a second uneven portion that does not engage with the first uneven portion when the load input to the receiving portion is less than a predetermined value, and that engages with the first uneven portion when the load is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

13. a protrusion forming the second uneven portion of the contact portion has an inclined surface that allows the first uneven portion to move forward when the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion are engaged with each other, 13. The passenger protection device according to claim 12, wherein, in a state in which the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion are engaged with each other, the steering shaft is permitted to move forward and is restricted from moving rearward.

14. 9. The passenger protection device according to claim 8, wherein the receiving portion, the restricting portion, and the contact portion are integrally formed.

15. The driver's seat and An occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, for protecting an occupant seated in the driver's seat; A vehicle comprising:

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