Instrument panel reinforcement

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of expanding a space where peripheral components can be disposed.SOLUTION: An instrument panel reinforcement includes a main body portion and a crushed portion. The main body has a tubular shape extending in a vehicle width direction from a first end to a second end. The crushed portion is provided at a position away from the first end and the second end of the main body portion, and a peripheral component can be disposed in the crushed portion. Further, a cross-sectional shape of the crushed portion perpendicular to the vehicle width direction is a recessed shape in which the main body portion is recessed in a first direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction such that the internal space of the main body portion is compressed. Furthermore, the crushed portion has a mounting portion. The mounting portion is a portion where the inner peripheral surfaces of the main body portion that face each other substantially abut against each other, and a peripheral component is mounted thereon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to in-panel reinforcement.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a tubular in-panel reinforcement extending in the vehicle width direction, in which the mounting portion of the steering column is formed in a flat shape compared to other portions in order to make the rigidity of the mounting portion of the steering column higher than that of other portions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, due to the electrification of vehicles and the multifunctionalization of vehicles, the number of peripheral components arranged around the front of the driver's seat and the passenger seat of the vehicle has been increasing. And since the peripheral components are attached to the in-panel reinforcement using brackets, in addition to the peripheral components, it is necessary to secure a space for arranging the brackets. The in-panel reinforcement of Patent Document 1 has a problem that the space where the peripheral components can be arranged is narrow.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a technique capable of expanding the space where peripheral components can be arranged.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is an in-panel reinforcement, which includes a main body portion and a crush portion. The main body portion is cylindrical and extends in the vehicle width direction from a first end to a second end. The crush portion is provided at a position away from the first end and the second end in the main body portion, and peripheral components can be arranged thereon. Further, the crush portion has a concave shape in a first direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction such that the internal space of the main body portion is crushed, and the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vehicle width direction is concave. The crush portion also has a mounting portion. The mounting portion is a portion where the inner peripheral surfaces of the main body portion facing each other substantially come into contact, and peripheral components are attached thereto.

[0007] In such a configuration, at the position where the crush portion is provided in the main body portion, a space is formed around the main body portion by the amount that the main body portion is recessed in the first direction. Therefore, the space where peripheral components can be arranged can be expanded.

[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the mounting portion may be substantially planar. In such a configuration, it is easy to directly attach peripheral components to the mounting portion. Therefore, it is possible to mount peripheral components to the in-panel reinforcement without brackets.

[0009] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the mounting portion may be located within an outer diameter region between each tangent line of the cross-section of the outer peripheral surface at two points where the outer peripheral surface of the portion adjacent to the crush portion of the main body portion intersects a line extending through the center point of the main body portion in the first direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0010] Although it is desirable for the main body portion to extend straight along the vehicle width direction, when the mounting portion is located outside the outer diameter region, the main body portion is likely to warp. On the other hand, according to the above-described configuration, warping of the main body portion can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [1. Configuration] The instrument panel reinforcement 100 shown in FIG. 1 is provided in the front interior member 200 such as an instrument panel or a dashboard provided in front of the driver's seat and the front passenger seat of the vehicle, and is provided along the vehicle width direction (in other words, the left-right direction of the vehicle). The instrument panel reinforcement 100 is fixed to the vehicle body via brackets (not shown) provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction, for example. Peripheral components 300 provided in the front interior member 200 are attached to the instrument panel reinforcement 100. The peripheral components 300 are, for example, a head-up display and an airbag. In the following description, the front, rear, top, and bottom of the vehicle are simply described as front, rear, top, and bottom. Note that the vehicle of the present embodiment is a left-hand drive vehicle as an example.

[0013] The instrument panel reinforcement 100 includes a main body portion 1 and a crushing portion 2. The main body portion 1 is a cylindrical member extending in the vehicle width direction from the first end 101 to the second end 102. The main body portion 1 has a first cylindrical portion 11 and a second cylindrical portion 12.

[0014] The first cylindrical portion 11 is a cylindrical member that is positioned in front of the driver's seat side and supports the steering via a support member. The first cylindrical portion 11 has a substantially circular cross-section (hereinafter simply referred to as a cross-section) perpendicular to the vehicle width direction at portions other than the position where the crushing portion 2 is provided. The first cylindrical portion 11 has a large-diameter portion 111, a small-diameter portion 112, and an intermediate portion 113.

[0015] The outer diameter of the large-diameter portion 111 is substantially constant at portions other than the position where the crushing portion 2 is provided. The outer diameter of the small-diameter portion 112 is smaller than the outer diameter of the large-diameter portion 111 and is substantially constant. The intermediate portion 113 connects the large-diameter portion 111 and the small-diameter portion 112 and has a reduced diameter as it extends from the large-diameter portion 111 toward the small-diameter portion 112.

[0016] The second cylindrical portion 12 is a cylindrical member that is positioned in front of the passenger seat side and has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the small-diameter portion 112. The second cylindrical portion 12 has a substantially circular cross-section and a substantially constant outer diameter at portions other than the position where the crushing portion 2 is provided.

[0017] One end of the second cylindrical portion 12 is inserted into the small-diameter portion 112 and joined by welding or the like, thereby forming the main body portion 1. The large-diameter portion 111 of the first cylindrical portion 11 extends to the first end 101 of the main body portion 1, and the second cylindrical portion 12 extends to the second end 102 of the main body portion 1.

[0018] The crushing portion 2 is provided at a position away from the first end 101 and the second end 102 in the main body portion 1, and peripheral components 300 can be arranged. In this embodiment, one crushing portion 2 is provided on each of the large-diameter portion 111 of the first cylindrical portion 11 and the second cylindrical portion 12, and a total of two crushing portions 2 are provided in the main body portion 1. Note that the number of crushing portions provided in the main body portion may be one or three or more. Also, the crushing portion 2 may be provided at any position in the vehicle width direction of the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12. Further, the location where the crushing portion is provided in the main body portion may be only one of the large-diameter portion and the second cylindrical portion.

[0019] Each crushing portion 2 is formed by pressing and crushing the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12. Each crushing portion 2 provided on the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12 has a similar shape. Therefore, hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the crushing portion 2 provided on the second cylindrical portion 12 will be described, and the description of the crushing portion 2 provided on the large-diameter portion 111 will be omitted. In FIG. 2B, the illustration of the peripheral components 300 and the fastening member 3 is omitted.

[0020] Specifically, by the crushing process, the second cylindrical portion 12 is recessed in the first direction D, which is a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction, so that the internal space S shown in FIG. 2A of the second cylindrical portion 12 is crushed. In the present embodiment, for example, the second cylindrical portion 12 is recessed downward. As a result, the crushing portion 2 having a concave cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 2B is formed in the second cylindrical portion 12. Note that the first direction D is not limited to downward, and may be various directions perpendicular to the vehicle width direction, such as upward, forward, and backward. That is, in the circumferential direction of the second cylindrical portion 12, the position where the crushing portion 2 is provided is not limited.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2B, the crushing portion 2 has a mounting portion 21, a first wall portion 22, a second wall portion 23, and a through hole 24. The mounting portion 21 is a portion where the inner peripheral surfaces of the second cylindrical portion 12 facing each other are substantially in contact. Substantially in contact means a state where two parts are in contact or are arranged with a slight gap. The thickness T of the mounting portion 21 is about twice the thickness from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 12.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 21 is substantially planar, and extends, for example, in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction. The substantially planar surface includes a flat surface and a non-flat surface having a slight curvature or a slight bend. The mounting portion 21 has an outer surface 211 and an inner surface 212. The outer surface 211 is a surface located on the first direction D side of the mounting portion 21. The inner surface 212 is a surface facing the outer surface 211 and constitutes the bottom surface of the crushing portion 2. In the present embodiment, the outer surface 211 faces downward, and the inner surface 212 faces upward.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the present embodiment, the attachment portion 21 is located within the outer diameter region R when viewed in the vehicle width direction. The outer diameter region R is the region between the tangent lines C of the cross section of the outer peripheral surface at two points where the outer peripheral surface of the portion adjacent to the crushed portion 2 of the second cylindrical portion 12 intersects with the line B extending through the center point A of the second cylindrical portion 12 in the first direction D. Note that the outer diameter region R can also be said to be the region between the outer diameter planes that include the tangent lines C and extend in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the outer surface 211 of the attachment portion 21 is provided on substantially the same plane as the outer diameter plane including the tangent line C located on the first direction D side among the two tangent lines C. Note that within the outer diameter region R, the position of the outer surface of the attachment portion is not limited to being on substantially the same plane as the outer diameter plane, and may be provided at any position away from the outer diameter plane.

[0024] The first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23 face each other with a space therebetween, and are portions that extend from the ends of the attachment portion 21 in the direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction (for example, the front-rear direction) toward the direction opposite to the first direction D. The distance between the first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23 widens as it moves away from the attachment portion 21. The first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23 constitute the side surfaces of the crushed portion 2. In the present embodiment, also in the first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23, the inner peripheral surfaces of the second cylindrical portion 12 facing each other are substantially in contact.

[0025] The through hole 24 is provided in the attachment portion 21 and is a hole that penetrates the outer surface 211 and the inner surface 212 of the attachment portion 21. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the peripheral component 300 is directly attached to the crushed portion 2. Specifically, the peripheral component 300 is brought into contact with the inner surface 212 of the attachment portion 21, and the peripheral component 300 is fastened to the attachment portion 21 using a fastening member 3 that is arranged to be inserted into the through hole 24 or to contact the edge of the through hole 24, for example. As the fastening member 3, for example, a bolt, a nut, a caulking nut, etc. are used. Note that the fastening member may be provided on the peripheral component. Further, the peripheral component may be attached to the attachment portion 21 via another member such as a bracket.

[0026] [2. Effects] According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained. (2a) In this embodiment, at the positions where the large-diameter portion 111 of the first cylindrical portion 11 and the crushing portion 2 in the second cylindrical portion 12 (i.e., the main body portion 1) are provided, a space is formed around the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12 by the amount that the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12 are recessed in the first direction D. Therefore, compared with a configuration without the crushing portion 2, the space around the main body portion 1 can be expanded. That is, the space where the peripheral component 300 can be arranged can be expanded. As a result, the degree of freedom in shape (i.e., the degree of freedom in design) of the front interior member 200 that covers the periphery of the instrument panel reinforcement 100 can be improved.

[0027] (2b) When the mounting portion of the crushing portion is configured to have a gap between the inner peripheral surfaces of the large-diameter portion or the second cylindrical portion that face each other, when the peripheral component 300 is attached to the mounting portion using the fastening member 3 (for example, a bolt and a nut), an axial force is generated in the fastening member 3 in the direction of crushing the gap, so the crushing portion is likely to be deformed. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 21 of the crushing portion 2 is such that the inner peripheral surfaces of the large-diameter portion 111 or the second cylindrical portion 12 that face each other are substantially in contact, so almost no gap is generated between the inner peripheral surfaces. Therefore, when the peripheral component 300 is attached to the mounting portion 21 using the fastening member 3, the deformation of the crushing portion 2 is suppressed. Also, in this embodiment, compared with a configuration in which the mounting portion has a gap between the inner peripheral surfaces of the large-diameter portion or the second cylindrical portion that face each other, a larger space can be formed around the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12.

[0028] (2c) In this embodiment, since the mounting portion 21 is substantially planar, it is easy to directly attach the peripheral component 300 to the mounting portion 21. Therefore, it is possible to attach the peripheral component 300 to the instrument panel reinforcement 100 without using a bracket. As a result, compared with a configuration in which the peripheral component 300 is attached to the instrument panel reinforcement 100 using a bracket, the space where the peripheral component 300 can be arranged can be further expanded. Also, since the attachment of the peripheral component 300 to the instrument panel reinforcement 100 is bracketless, it also leads to a reduction in the number of parts and weight reduction.

[0029] (2d) The body portion 1 preferably extends straight along the vehicle width direction. However, when the mounting portions of the respective crushing portions provided in the large-diameter portion and the second cylindrical portion are located outside the outer diameter region R, the large-diameter portion and the second cylindrical portion are likely to warp. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the mounting portion 21 is located within the outer diameter region R, warping of the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12 can be suppressed.

[0030] (2e) In the present embodiment, since the crushing portion 2 is formed by a crushing process, it is possible to ensure the positional accuracy of the outer peripheral surface of the portion adjacent to the crushing portion 2 of the second cylindrical portion 12. That is, in the present embodiment, the crushing portion 2 can be formed so that the position of the outer peripheral surface of the portion adjacent to the crushing portion 2 of the second cylindrical portion 12 hardly changes before and after the crushing process.

[0031] [3. Other Embodiments] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. Needless to say, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can take various forms.

[0032] (3a) In the above embodiment, one crushing portion 2 is provided in the second cylindrical portion 12. However, for example, a plurality of crushing portions may be provided in the second cylindrical portion. When a plurality of crushing portions are provided in the second cylindrical portion, for example, the plurality of crushing portions may be provided in the second cylindrical portion so that the respective mounting portions are located on substantially the same plane. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of crushing portions 2a of the first modification may be provided in the second cylindrical portion 12a so that the respective mounting portions 21a are located on planes having different positions in the first direction D. Note that a plurality of crushing portions may also be provided in the large-diameter portion of the first cylindrical portion in the same manner as the plurality of crushing portions provided in the second cylindrical portion described above.

[0033] (3b) In the above embodiment, the mounting portion 21 of the crushing portion 2 is located within the outer diameter region R. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the mounting portion 21b of the crushing portion 2b of the second modification may be located outside the outer diameter region R. Even with such a configuration, the space in which the peripheral components 300 can be arranged can be expanded.

[0034] (3c) In the above-described embodiment, in all portions of the mounting portion 21, the first wall portion 22, and the second wall portion 23 in the crushing portion 2, the inner peripheral surfaces of the large-diameter portion 111 or the second cylindrical portion 12 facing each other were substantially in contact. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the crushing portion 2c of the third modification may be formed such that the first wall portion 22c and the second wall portion 23c have a gap therebetween. That is, in the crushing portion 2c, only the mounting portion 21c may have the inner peripheral surfaces of the large-diameter portion or the second cylindrical portion facing each other substantially in contact.

[0035] (3d) For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the crushing portion 2d of the fourth modification may have a bead 25 on the mounting portion 21d. The bead 25 is a convex portion that protrudes from the mounting portion 21d in the first direction D. Specifically, the bead 25 is formed by a part of the outer surface 211d and the inner surface 212d of the mounting portion 21d both protruding in the first direction D. A plurality of beads 25 may be provided around the through hole 24 provided in the mounting portion 21d. According to such a configuration, the rigidity of the main body portion (specifically, the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion where the crushing portion 2d is provided) can be improved by the bead 25. Note that the bead may be a convex portion that protrudes in a direction opposite to the first direction D from the mounting portion, and the rigidity of the main body portion can also be improved by such a bead.

[0036] (3e) In the above-described embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the first cylindrical portion 11 and the second cylindrical portion 12 were substantially circular, but the cross-sectional shapes of the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion are not limited thereto. For example, the cross-sectional shapes of the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion may be elliptical or polygonal.

[0037] (3f) In the above-described embodiment, the mounting portion 21 was substantially planar, but for example, the mounting portion may have a curved shape.

[0038] (3g) The functions of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed among a plurality of components, or the functions of a plurality of components may be integrated into one component. Also, a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to, replaced with, etc., the configuration of another of the above embodiments.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 1... main body portion, 2, 2a to 2d... crushing portions, 3... fastening member, 11... first cylindrical portion, 12, 12a... second cylindrical portion, 21, 21a to 21d... attachment portions, 22, 22c... first wall portions, 23, 23c... second wall portions, 24... through hole, 25... bead, 100... instrument panel reinforcement, 101... first end, 102... second end, 111... large diameter portion, 112... small diameter portion, 113... intermediate portion, 200... front interior member, 211, 211d... outer surface, 212, 212d... inner surface, 300... peripheral component, A... center point, B... line, C... tangent line, R... outer diameter region, S... internal space.

Claims

1. An instrument panel reinforcement, a cylindrical main body portion extending in a vehicle width direction from a first end to a second end; a crushed portion provided at a position away from the first end and the second end of the main body portion, on which peripheral components can be placed; Equipped with The crushed portion is a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vehicle width direction is a concave shape in which the main body portion is concave in a first direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction so that an internal space of the main body portion is crushed, An instrument panel reinforcement having a mounting portion where opposing inner circumferential surfaces of the main body portion substantially abut against each other, and to which the peripheral component is attached.

2. The instrument panel reinforcement according to claim 1, The mounting portion has a substantially planar shape.

3. The instrument panel reinforcement according to claim 1 or 2, an instrument panel reinforcement, wherein the mounting portion is located within an outer diameter region between tangents to a cross section of the outer peripheral surface at two points where an outer peripheral surface of a portion of the main body portion adjacent to the crushed portion intersects with a line extending through a center point of the main body portion in the first direction, when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

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