Instrument panel structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide an instrument panel structure for a vehicle capable of suppressing an unintended crack of a knee airbag cover when an airbag is deployed.SOLUTION: An instrument panel structure 1 for a vehicle includes: an instrument panel 2 in which a column hole 23 is formed; a knee airbag cover 6 that is disposed on a vehicle rear side of a knee airbag unit 4 and covers a lower section of the column hole 23; and a column hole cover 7 that is arranged side by side at the vehicle width direction outside of the knee airbag cover 6. The knee airbag cover 6 has a surrounding wall section 62 extending from a front side surface facing the knee airbag unit 4 to the vehicle front side. A first parting section P1 formed between a design surface 6A of the knee airbag cover 6 and a design surface 7A of the column hole cover 7 is positioned at the vehicle width direction outside of a side wall portion 62C at the vehicle width direction outside in the surrounding wall section 62 and linearly extends in a vehicle vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle instrument panel structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Some automobiles and other vehicles are equipped with knee airbag units that deploy toward the area below the knees of occupants seated in the driver's seat or other seats. These knee airbag units are attached to a steering support member or other member located within the vehicle's instrument panel. A knee airbag cover is located on the rear side of the knee airbag unit. The rear side of the knee airbag cover, together with the rear side of the instrument panel, forms a design surface facing the interior of the vehicle.

[0003] As a conventional vehicle instrument panel structure compatible with the above-described knee airbag unit, for example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a structure in which a knee airbag module equivalent to the above-described knee airbag unit is disposed behind the instrument panel in front of the driver's seat. A steering column covered by a steering column cover is disposed at an angle above the knee airbag module. Furthermore, an airbag door equivalent to the above-described knee airbag cover is attached to the driver's seat side of a package that stores an airbag in the knee airbag module, and a switch base is disposed on the outer side of the airbag door in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-98865 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 above has the problem that unintended cracks are likely to occur in the knee airbag cover (airbag door) when the knee airbag deploys. That is, the knee airbag cover typically has a surrounding wall portion that extends forward from the front side facing the knee airbag unit and surrounds the periphery of the knee airbag unit. This surrounding wall portion of the knee airbag cover is also called a shooter and has the function of guiding the inflating and deploying knee airbag toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0006] In the conventional structure, a parting portion extending in the vehicle vertical direction is formed between the design surface of the knee airbag cover (airbag door) facing the driver's seat and the design surface of a member (switch base) disposed on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the knee airbag cover. The lower portion of this parting portion is offset outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the vehicle widthwise outer side wall portion of the surrounding wall portion of the knee airbag cover. Furthermore, the upper portion of the parting portion extends while curving inward in the vehicle width direction as it extends upward in the vehicle, and its leading end (upper end) reaches the steering column cover. In other words, in the conventional structure, the parting portion formed on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the knee airbag cover extends while curving in the vehicle vertical direction so as to intersect with an extension line extending upward in the vehicle from the vehicle widthwise outer side wall portion of the surrounding wall portion of the knee airbag cover.

[0007] When a knee airbag cover has a parting line such as the one described above, when the inflating knee airbag presses the knee airbag cover and exerts a force toward the rear of the vehicle on the knee airbag cover, the knee airbag cover is prone to cracking near the intersection of the extension line and the parting line. This type of cracking in the knee airbag cover differs from the intentional rupture of a pre-designed tearing portion of the knee airbag cover when the airbag deploys, and there is room for improvement in terms of preventing unintentional cracking.

[0008] The present invention has been made in light of the above points, and aims to provide a vehicle instrument panel structure that can suppress unintended cracking of a knee airbag cover when the airbag is deployed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle instrument panel structure including: an instrument panel disposed in front of a driver's seat of a vehicle and having a column hole through which a steering column passes; a knee airbag cover disposed behind a knee airbag unit provided below the steering column and capable of deploying an airbag toward the knees of an occupant seated in the driver's seat and covering the lower part of the column hole; and a column hole cover disposed alongside the knee airbag cover on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The knee airbag cover in this vehicle instrument panel structure has an enclosing wall portion extending forward of the vehicle from a front side surface facing the knee airbag unit and formed to surround at least the periphery of the rear end of the knee airbag unit, and a first parting portion formed between a design surface of the knee airbag cover facing the driver's seat and a design surface of the column hole cover facing the driver's seat is located outward in the vehicle width direction of a side wall portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the enclosing wall portion and extends linearly in the vehicle up-down direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The vehicle instrument panel structure according to the present invention can suppress unintended cracking of the knee airbag cover when the airbag is deployed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle instrument panel structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the left rear of the vehicle. [Figure 2]2 is an exploded perspective view showing an enlarged view of the knee airbag cover, column hole cover, and bezel periphery in FIG. 1, as viewed obliquely from the rear right of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged rear view of the periphery of the first and second parting lines in FIG. 2, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the knee airbag cover in the embodiment, as viewed from diagonally rear left of the vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the knee airbag cover in the embodiment, as viewed diagonally from the front left of the vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of the outer portion (left portion) in the vehicle width direction of the knee airbag cover in the embodiment, as viewed from the front of the vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the first and second parting portions in a state where the column hole cover is removed, as viewed from diagonally below and rearward of the vehicle in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the second parting line in FIG. 7 with the knee airbag unit and the knee airbag cover removed, as viewed obliquely from below and rearward of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view of the state in FIG. 8 with the bezel further removed, as seen from diagonally below and rearward of the vehicle. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion where a stay is fixed to an outer portion (left portion) of the knee airbag unit in the embodiment, as viewed obliquely from below and rearward of the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen diagonally from the rear left of the vehicle. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the knee airbag cover 6, column hole cover 7, and bezel 8 in Fig. 1, as seen diagonally from the rear right of the vehicle, with the area around the knee airbag cover 6, column hole cover 7, and bezel 8 in Fig. 1 enlarged. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the area around first and second parting portions P1 and P2 in Fig. 2, as seen from the rear of the vehicle. In the figures described below, the arrow F indicates the front in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the arrow U indicates the upside in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the arrows R and L indicate the right and left when looking at the front of the vehicle from inside the vehicle cabin.

[0013] A vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to this embodiment is applied to a portion of an instrument panel 2 located in front of the driver's seat in a vehicle such as an automobile. The instrument panel 2 is formed using a resin material or the like, and as shown in FIG. 1, has an upper panel 21 facing upward in the vehicle and a lower panel 22 facing rearward toward the driver's seat. A steering support member 3 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed inside the instrument panel 2, i.e., in a space outside the vehicle located below the upper panel 21 and in front of the lower panel 22. A column hole 23, through which a steering column (not shown) is inserted, is formed in the driver's seat side portion of the instrument panel 2 (FIGS. 1 to 3). A knee airbag unit 4 (shown by a broken line) attached to the steering support member 3 is disposed below and in front of the column hole 23.

[0014] The steering support member 3 is a vehicle body component made of a highly rigid metal. The steering support member 3 includes a first pipe 31 extending in the vehicle width direction, a second pipe 32 extending in the vehicle width direction and spaced apart from the first pipe 31 toward the rear of the vehicle, and a knee airbag stay 33 extending downward from the first and second pipes 31, 32 (FIG. 1). In this embodiment, two knee airbag stays 33 are provided spaced apart in the vehicle width direction at positions corresponding to the column holes 23 of the instrument panel 2. The distance between the left and right knee airbag stays 33 is designed to correspond to the length (total width) of the knee airbag unit 4 in the vehicle width direction. Note that in FIG. 1, only the right knee airbag stay 33 is visible through the column hole 23.

[0015] The first pipe 31 extends in the vehicle width direction at a position below the upper panel 21 and in front of the lower panel 22 of the instrument panel 2. Both longitudinal (vehicle width) ends of the first pipe 31 are fixed to dash side panels (not shown) that form the sides of the vehicle body using side brackets 34. The second pipe 32 is located between the first pipe 31 and the instrument panel 2 when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and is arranged so as to overlap with the vicinity of the upper edge of the column hole 23 in the instrument panel 2 when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. The length of the second pipe 32 in the vehicle width direction is designed to roughly correspond to the length of the column hole 23 in the vehicle width direction. Both vehicle width ends of the second pipe 32 are connected to the left portion of the first pipe 31 located in front of the driver's seat via a pair of connecting members 35, respectively.

[0016] A steering column bracket (not shown), to which the steering column of the vehicle is connected, is provided between the pair of connecting members 35 so as to connect the first and second pipes 31, 32, and a front member (not shown) is provided extending forward from the first and second pipes 31, 32 and connected to the dash panel of the vehicle. A lower member 36 extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle is connected to the connecting member 35 on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction (FIG. 1). A lower end of the lower member 36 is fastened to a vehicle body part (not shown) on the floor panel side with a bolt or the like.

[0017] As described above, the first pipe 31 of the steering support member 3 has both ends in the vehicle width direction supported by the dash side panels on the sides of the vehicle body via the side brackets 34, and its middle portion in the vehicle width direction supported by the dash panel via the front member, and is also supported by vehicle body parts on the floor panel side via the connecting member 35 and the lower member 36.

[0018] In addition to the left and right knee airbag stays 33, steering support member 3 also has a plurality of panel stays (not shown) for supporting instrument panel 2 (upper panel 21 and lower panel 22) fixed by welding or the like to first and second pipes 31, 32. Each panel stay extends from first pipe 31 or second pipe 32 toward the side where instrument panel 2 is installed (either above or behind the vehicle) and is disposed in a dispersed manner in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] Knee airbag unit 4 is configured to deploy an airbag toward the area below the knees of an occupant seated in the driver's seat. In this embodiment, knee airbag unit 4 has a main body case formed in a horizontally long box shape, which houses a folded airbag and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag. A pair of left and right metal knee airbag brackets 5 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are fixed to both sides of the main body case in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] Each knee airbag bracket 5 extends diagonally upward and forward from the side surface of knee airbag unit 4 in the vehicle width direction, with a flange projecting in the vehicle width direction at its tip (front end). The flange of each knee airbag bracket 5 extends obliquely rearward as it extends upward along the lower part of knee airbag stay 33, and is fixed to knee airbag stay 33 using bolts or the like. The specific shape of knee airbag bracket 5 and the structure for fixing it to knee airbag stay 33 will be described later. An opening is formed in the rear side of the main case to allow the airbag, which receives gas from the inflator, to deploy outside the case. The opening of the main case is covered by knee airbag cover 6 made of a resin material or the like.

[0021] Knee airbag cover 6 is fixed to instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22) so as to cover the opening of knee airbag unit 4, which is fixed to knee airbag stay 33 using knee airbag bracket 5, from the rear of the vehicle (FIGS. 1 to 3). Knee airbag cover 6 is located below column hole 23 formed in instrument panel 2 and has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the rear of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the upper part of knee airbag cover 6 has a shape in which the center portion in the vehicle width direction is recessed toward the lower side of the vehicle to correspond to the shape of the steering column cover (not shown) that is inserted into column hole 23. The rear side of knee airbag cover 6 facing the interior of the vehicle forms part of the design surface of the interior material disposed in front of the driver's seat. In other words, knee airbag cover 6 has design surface 6A facing the driver's seat. A column hole cover 7, a bezel 8, and an inside cover 9, each made of a resin material, are adjacently arranged around knee airbag cover 6 (FIG. 1). The knee airbag cover 6 will be described in detail later.

[0022] The column hole cover 7 is arranged next to the knee airbag cover 6 on the vehicle widthwise outer side. The column hole cover 7 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, and the vehicle widthwise outer edge of the column hole cover 7 is located near the vehicle widthwise outer edge of the instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22). The vehicle widthwise inner portion of the column hole cover 7 is overlapped from the rear of the vehicle with an upper leg portion 67A and a lower leg portion 68A (described later) formed on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the knee airbag cover 6 (FIG. 2). The rear side of the column hole cover 7 facing the interior of the vehicle forms part of the design surface of the interior material arranged in front of the driver's seat. In other words, the column hole cover 7 has a design surface 7A facing the driver's seat. A first parting portion P1 extending linearly in the vehicle up-down direction is formed between the design surface 6A of the knee airbag cover 6 and the design surface 7A of the column hole cover 7 (FIGS. 1 and 3). A switch opening 7B is formed in the lower center of the column hole cover 7 in the vehicle width direction, penetrating in the vehicle front-rear direction, and various operation switches (not shown) are disposed in the switch opening 7B.

[0023] The bezel 8 is disposed above the outer side of the knee airbag cover 6 in the vehicle width direction and above the column hole cover 7 (FIGS. 1 to 3). The bezel 8 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the rear of the vehicle. The inner side edge of the bezel 8 in the vehicle width direction is adjacent to the outer side edge of the column hole 23 formed in the instrument panel 2, and the outer side edge of the bezel 8 in the vehicle width direction is located near the outer side edge of the instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22). The rear side of the bezel 8 facing the interior of the vehicle forms part of the design surface of the interior material disposed in front of the driver's seat. In other words, the bezel 8 has a design surface 8A facing the driver's seat. A second parting portion P2 extending linearly in the vehicle width direction is formed between the design surfaces 6A, 7A of the knee airbag cover 6 and the column hole cover 7 and the design surface 8A of the bezel 8 (FIGS. 1 and 3). A plurality of switch openings 8B are formed in the left center portion of the bezel 8 in the vehicle width direction, penetrating in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and various operating switches (not shown) are disposed in each switch opening 8B.

[0024] The inside cover 9 is arranged next to the knee airbag cover 6 on the inside in the vehicle width direction (Fig. 1). When viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the inside cover 9 has a generally rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the inside edge of the inside cover 9 in the vehicle width direction is located near the lower side surface 22A of the center cluster that is located in the center of the instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22) in the vehicle width direction. The rear side surface of the inside cover 9 that faces the interior of the vehicle forms part of the design surface of the interior material that is arranged in front of the driver's seat. In other words, the inside cover 9 has a design surface 9A that faces the driver's seat. A third parting portion P3 that extends linearly in the vertical direction of the vehicle is formed between the design surface of the knee airbag cover 6 and the design surface of the inside cover 9.

[0025] Here, the specific structure of knee airbag cover 6 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of knee airbag cover 6 as seen diagonally from the rear left of the vehicle, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of knee airbag cover 6 as seen diagonally from the front left of the vehicle. Also, Fig. 6 is a front view of the outer side (left side) of knee airbag cover 6 in the vehicle width direction as seen from the front of the vehicle.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, knee airbag cover 6 in this embodiment has lid portion 61 located on the vehicle rear side of knee airbag unit 4 fixed to knee airbag stay 33. Lid portion 61 is formed in a plate shape that slopes upward and extends in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle. The rear side of lid portion 61 forms flat design surface 6A of knee airbag cover 6 (FIG. 4). The front side of lid portion 61 faces an opening formed in the rear end surface of knee airbag unit 4. A surrounding wall portion 62 (shooter) and a tear portion 63 are formed in the portion of the front side of lid portion 61 corresponding to the opening (FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0027] Surrounding wall portion 62 extends from the front side surface of lid portion 61 toward the front of the vehicle, and is formed so as to surround at least the periphery of the rear end portion of knee airbag unit 4. Surrounding wall portion 62 is made up of upper wall portion 62A arranged above knee airbag unit 4, lower wall portion 62B arranged below knee airbag unit 4, and side wall portions 62C, 62D connecting both ends of upper wall portion 62A and lower wall portion 62B in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] The extension length of upper wall portion 62A from the front side surface of lid portion 61 is approximately the same as the extension length of lower wall portion 62B from the front side surface of lid portion 61. In other words, surrounding wall portion 62 is formed so that the front edge of lower wall portion 62B is positioned closer to the front of the vehicle than the front edge of upper wall portion 62A, in accordance with the inclination angle of the front side surface of lid portion 61. Upper wall portion 62A has a plurality of engagement holes 62E penetrating in the vertical direction and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction (FIG. 5). A plurality of engagement claws (not shown) provided on the upper rear side of knee airbag unit 4 can engage with each engagement hole 62E. Side wall portion 62C on the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction and side wall portion 62D on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction have approximately the same shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle. The front edge of each side wall portion 62C, 62D is provided with unevenness in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to avoid interference with left and right knee airbag brackets 5 and the like fixed to the main body case of knee airbag unit 4.

[0029] Cleavage section 63 is formed in a portion of the front side of lid section 61 located inside surrounding wall section 62, and extends straight in the vehicle width direction (FIGS. 5 and 6). Cleavage section 63 is configured to be cleavable when lid section 61 is pressed by the inflating airbag when knee airbag unit 4 is deployed. A portion of lid section 61 located outside surrounding wall section 62 on the front side is formed with multiple ribs 64 that protrude forward of the vehicle and extend in the vertical and width directions, increasing the surface strength of that portion. In other words, lid section 61 has a structure in which the portion located inside surrounding wall section 62 is weaker than the portion located outside.

[0030] The knee airbag cover 6 has an outer wall portion 65A that protrudes from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the design surface 6A (the rear side surface of the lid portion 61) toward the front of the vehicle and extends along this outer edge, and an inner wall portion 65B that protrudes from the vehicle width direction inner edge of the design surface 6A toward the front of the vehicle and extends along this inner edge (FIGS. 4 to 6). The outer wall portion 65A forms the inner wall surface of a first parting portion P1 that extends straight in the vertical direction between it and the design surface 7A of the column hole cover 7. The inner wall portion 65B forms the inner wall surface of a third parting portion P3 that extends straight in the vertical direction between it and the design surface 9A of the inside cover 9.

[0031] A bezel engagement portion 66 that engages with the bezel 8 is provided near the upper end portion of the outer wall portion 65A. In this embodiment, the bezel engagement portion 66 has an engagement claw 66A that protrudes toward the front of the vehicle from the upper end portion on the outer side of the front surface of the lid portion 61 in the vehicle width direction, and a positioning hole 66B that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end portion of the outer wall portion 65A and penetrates in the front-to-rear direction. The engagement claw 66A is inserted into an engagement hole 84A, which will be described later, of the bezel 8. A protrusion 84B, which will be described later, of the bezel 8 is inserted into the positioning hole 66B.

[0032] An upper leg 67A is provided in a central portion of outer wall 65A in the vertical direction of the vehicle, extending toward the front of the vehicle and then curving outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction. A lower leg 68A is provided at a lower end portion of outer wall 65A, extending outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction. In other words, upper leg 67A and lower leg 68A, which each extend outward in the vehicle width direction from outer wall 65A, are spaced apart in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0033] An upper leg 67B is provided at a central portion of inner wall 65B in the vertical direction of the vehicle, extending toward the front of the vehicle and then curving toward the inside (right side) in the vehicle width direction. A lower leg 68B is provided at a lower end portion of inner wall 65B, extending toward the inside (right side) in the vehicle width direction. In other words, upper leg 67B and lower leg 68B, which each extend toward the inside in the vehicle width direction from inner wall 65B, are arranged with a gap between them in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0034] 5 and 6, the left and right upper legs 67A, 67B are each disposed so as to overlap with an imaginary plane V1 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 6) formed by extending the upper surface of the upper wall portion 62A of the surrounding wall portion 62 in the vehicle width direction in a front view. Furthermore, the left and right lower legs 68A, 68B are each disposed so as to overlap with an imaginary plane V2 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 6) formed by extending the lower surface of the lower wall portion 62B of the surrounding wall portion 62 in the vehicle width direction in a front view.

[0035] Each of the upper legs 67A, 67B and each of the lower legs 68A, 68B is fixed to a corresponding fixing portion (not shown) provided on the rear surface of the instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22). In this embodiment, a plurality of ribs 67C are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the curved portion of each of the upper legs 67A, 67B, thereby increasing the strength of each of the upper legs 67A, 67B (FIGS. 4 to 6).

[0036] Next, the specific structure of the bezel 8 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of first and second parting lines P1, P2 in vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to this embodiment with column hole cover 7 removed, as viewed obliquely from below and rearward of the vehicle. Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of second parting line P2 in Fig. 7 with knee airbag unit 4 and knee airbag cover 6 removed, as viewed obliquely from below and rearward of the vehicle.

[0037] 7 and 8, bezel 8 in this embodiment has a lower wall portion 81 that protrudes from the lower edge of its design surface 8A toward the front of the vehicle and extends along this lower edge, and a flange portion 82 that protrudes from the front edge of lower wall portion 81 toward the bottom of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction along the rear surface of instrument panel 2. Lower wall portion 81 forms the inner wall surface of second parting portion P2 that extends straight in the vehicle width direction between design surface 6A of knee airbag cover 6 and design surface 7A of column hole cover 7. Flange portion 82 is formed with a panel engaging portion 83 that engages with instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22), a knee airbag cover engaged portion 84 with which knee airbag cover 6 engages, and a column hole cover engaged portion 85 with which column hole cover 7 engages.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the panel engaging portion 83 of the bezel 8 has three engaging claws that are inserted into later-described bezel engaged portions 24 that are provided on the rear surface of the lower panel 22 (FIGS. 7 and 8). The engaging claws of the panel engaging portion 83 are arranged at intervals at both end portions and the middle portion in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the flange portion 82, with one engaging claw located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction being positioned to overlap the upper end of the knee airbag cover 6 and the remaining two engaging claws being positioned to overlap the upper end of the column hole cover 7.

[0039] Knee airbag cover engaged portion 84 of bezel 8 has engagement hole 84A and protrusion 84B (Fig. 8). Engagement claw 66A (Figs. 5 and 6) of knee airbag cover 6 described above is inserted into engagement hole 84A. Protrusion 84B is inserted into positioning hole 66B of knee airbag cover 6 described above.

[0040] The column hole cover engaged portion 85 of the bezel 8 has three engagement holes spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the flange portion 82 (FIGS. 7 and 8). Each engagement hole of the column hole cover engaged portion 85 is provided in a position that overlaps with the upper end of the column hole cover 7. Three engagement claws (not shown) provided on the column hole cover 7 are inserted into each engagement hole.

[0041] Next, the specific structure of the lower panel 22 of the instrument panel 2 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the state in Fig. 8 with bezel 8 further removed, as viewed from diagonally below and rearward of the vehicle. Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the fixing location between the outer side (left side) of knee airbag unit 4 in the vehicle width direction and knee airbag stay 33 in this embodiment, as viewed from diagonally below and rearward of the vehicle.

[0042] 7 to 10, the lower panel 22 of the instrument panel 2 is provided with a bezel engagement portion 24 at a portion corresponding to the flange portion 82 of the bezel 8 on the rear surface facing the driver's seat. In this embodiment, the bezel engagement portion 24 of the lower panel 22 has three engagement holes spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. Each engagement claw of the panel engagement portion 83 formed on the flange portion 82 of the bezel 8 is inserted into each engagement hole of the bezel engagement portion 24.

[0043] Additionally, an opening 25 is formed in the rear surface of lower panel 22, through which knee airbag bracket 5 is inserted to secure knee airbag unit 4 to knee airbag stay 33 on the outer side (left side) of steering support member 3 in the vehicle width direction (FIGS. 7, 9, and 10). Opening 25 is disposed between left knee airbag stay 33 and knee airbag cover 6, and is formed in a generally rectangular shape extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A bridging portion 26 is provided in the middle of opening 25 in the vertical direction of the vehicle, spanning across the width of the vehicle (FIG. 10). Bridging portion 26 is fixed to knee airbag stay 33.

[0044] Knee airbag bracket 5 is formed with extension portion 51 and flange 52 (FIGS. 7 and 10) to correspond to opening 25 and bridging portion 26 of instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22) described above. Extension portion 51 extends obliquely upward and forward from the vehicle width direction side surface of the main body case of knee airbag unit 4. Flange 52 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the tip (front end) of extension portion 51 and extends along the lower part of knee airbag stay 33. A curved portion 52A that curves toward the vehicle rear is formed in the middle part of flange 52 in the longitudinal direction (vehicle up-down direction) (FIG. 10). Upper portion 52B and lower portion 52C of flange 52 are fixed to knee airbag stay 33 using bolts or the like so that curved portion 52A straddles bridging portion 26 of instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22) in the vehicle up-down direction. In this embodiment, extending portion 51 and curved portion 52A of knee airbag bracket 5 are beaded, and the strength of knee airbag bracket 5 is increased.

[0045] Next, the assembly work of knee airbag unit 4 and its peripheral members in vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the vehicle instrument panel structure 1 described above, when knee airbag unit 4 and its peripheral members are assembled in place, upper panel 21 and lower panel 22 of instrument panel 2 are first fixed to panel stays of steering support member 3. At this time, bridging portion 26 of lower panel 22 is also fixed to knee airbag stay 33 of steering support member 3.

[0046] Once instrument panel 2 is fixed to steering support member 3, knee airbag unit 4 is fixed to knee airbag stay 33 of steering support member 3 using knee airbag bracket 5. At this time, upper portion 52B and lower portion 52C of flange 52 are fixed to knee airbag stay 33 so that curved portion 52A of flange 52 in knee airbag bracket 5 straddles bridging portion 26 of lower panel 22.

[0047] When knee airbag unit 4 is fixed to knee airbag stay 33, the engaging claws of panel engaging portion 83 provided on flange portion 82 of bezel 8 are inserted into the engaging holes of bezel engaged portion 24 provided on the rear surface of lower panel 22. This fixes bezel 8 in a predetermined position on the rear surface of lower panel 22.

[0048] When bezel 8 is fixed to lower panel 22, knee airbag cover 6 is fixed to bezel 8 and lower panel 22 of instrument panel 2. At this time, engagement claws 66A and positioning holes 66B of bezel engagement portion 66 provided on knee airbag cover 6 are inserted into engagement holes 84A and protrusions 84B of knee airbag cover engaged portion 84 provided on flange portion 82 of bezel 8. Additionally, upper leg portions 67A, 67B and lower leg portions 68A, 68B provided on knee airbag cover 6 are each fixed to fixing portions provided on the rear surface portion of lower panel 22. As a result, the opening on the rear end surface of knee airbag unit 4 is covered by lid portion 61 of knee airbag cover 6, and at least the periphery of the rear end of knee airbag unit 4 is surrounded by surrounding wall portion 62 of knee airbag cover 6.

[0049] When knee airbag cover 6 is fixed to bezel 8 and lower panel 22, column hole cover 7 is fixed to bezel 8 and lower panel 22 of instrument panel 2, and inside cover 9 is fixed to lower panel 22 of instrument panel 2. At this time, the engagement claws on column hole cover 7 are inserted into the engagement holes of column hole cover engaged portions 85 on flange portion 82 of bezel 8. By fixing column hole cover 7, a first parting portion P1 extending linearly in the vertical direction of the vehicle is formed between design surface 6A of knee airbag cover 6 and design surface 7A of column hole cover 7, and a second parting portion P2 extending linearly in the width direction of the vehicle is formed between design surface 8A of bezel 8 and each of design surfaces 6A, 7A of knee airbag cover 6 and column hole cover 7. Furthermore, by fixing inside cover 9, a third parting portion P3 extending linearly in the vehicle up-down direction is formed between design surface 6A of knee airbag cover 6 and design surface 9A of inside cover 9.

[0050] With knee airbag unit 4 and its peripheral components assembled as described above, when an impact of a predetermined level or greater is applied to knee airbag unit 4, gas is instantly supplied from the inflator to the airbag, causing the airbag to rupture tearing portion 63 of knee airbag cover 6 and inflate toward the lower knees of the occupant sitting in the driver's seat, thereby protecting the lower knees of the occupant.

[0051] At this time, a reaction force directed toward the front of the vehicle acts on knee airbag unit 4 as the airbag deploys. This reaction force is transmitted to left and right knee airbag stays 33 via knee airbag bracket 5 connected to knee airbag unit 4, and then to first and second pipes 31, 32. First and second pipes 31, 32 are connected by a pair of connecting members 35 and are supported by various parts of the vehicle body via left and right side brackets 34, a front member, and a lower member 36. Therefore, the reaction force when the airbag deploys is reliably received by various parts of steering support member 3.

[0052] Furthermore, when the airbag deploys, knee airbag cover 6 is pushed by the inflating airbag and tends to move toward the rear of the vehicle. However, knee airbag cover 6 is fixed to bezel 8 and instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22) by bezel engaging portion 66, upper legs 67A, 67B, and lower legs 68A, 68B, and the engagement claws on knee airbag unit 4 engage with engagement holes 62E formed in surrounding wall portion 62 of knee airbag cover 6, thereby preventing knee airbag cover 6 from moving toward the rear of the vehicle. As the airbag continues to inflate, tearing portion 63 formed in knee airbag cover 6 ruptures, causing the airbag to deploy toward the area below the knees of the occupant.

[0053] As described above, in vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to the present embodiment, first parting portion P1 formed between design surface 6A of knee airbag cover 6 and design surface 7A of column hole cover 7 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from outer side wall portion 62C of surrounding wall portion 62 of knee airbag cover 6 in the vehicle width direction, and extends linearly in the vehicle up-down direction (FIG. 6, etc.). With this structure, knee airbag cover 6 can hide knee airbag unit 4, while suppressing the occurrence of cracks in unintended locations on the knee airbag cover when the knee airbag is deployed, as in the conventional structure described above.

[0054] Furthermore, in the vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to this embodiment, a bezel 8 is disposed above the knee airbag cover 6 and the column hole cover 7, and a second parting line P2 is formed between the design surface 8A of the bezel 8 and the design surfaces 6A, 7A of the knee airbag cover 6 and the column hole cover 7, with the upper end of the first parting line P1 reaching the second parting line P2. This structure maintains performance such as the accuracy of the gaps at the first and second parting lines P1, P2 between the knee airbag cover 6, the column hole cover 7, and the bezel 8 and appearance, while enabling each component to withstand the load (force toward the rear of the vehicle) acting on each component when the knee airbag deploys. Furthermore, panel engaging portions 83 formed on at least both ends of a flange portion 82 of the bezel 8 in the vehicle width direction engage with the rear surface of the instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22). In addition, bezel engagement portion 66 formed near the upper end portion of outer wall portion 65A of knee airbag cover 6 engages with bezel 8, and bezel engagement portion 66 is disposed in front of the vehicle of column hole cover 7. With this structure, when the knee airbag deploys, the load acting on each of knee airbag cover 6, column hole cover 7, and bezel 8 can be borne reliably while keeping each component in a predetermined position, and deterioration in the performance of first and second parting portions P1, P2 can be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, in vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to the present embodiment, engaging holes 62E engageable with engaging claws provided on knee airbag unit 4 are formed in surrounding wall portion 62 of knee airbag cover 6. Furthermore, upper leg portion 67A of knee airbag cover 6 is disposed so as to overlap with imaginary plane V1 obtained by extending the upper surface of upper wall portion 62A of surrounding wall portion 62 in the vehicle width direction in a front view, and lower leg portion 68A of knee airbag cover 6 is disposed so as to overlap with imaginary plane V2 obtained by extending the lower surface of lower wall portion 62B of surrounding wall portion 62 in the vehicle width direction in a front view, and upper leg portion 67A and lower leg portion 68A are each fixed to the rear surface of instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22). With this structure, knee airbag unit 4 and knee airbag cover 6 are spaced apart while the vehicle is in motion, preventing noise caused by the engagement claws of knee airbag unit 4 hitting the engagement holes of knee airbag cover 6. When the knee airbag is deployed, the knee airbag cover 6 is pushed by the inflating knee airbag, causing the engagement claws of knee airbag unit 4 to engage with the engagement holes of knee airbag cover 6, preventing displacement of knee airbag cover 6 toward the rear of the vehicle. In addition, the reaction force (force directed toward the front of the vehicle) acting on knee airbag cover 6 when the engagement claws of knee airbag unit 4 engage with the engagement holes of knee airbag cover 6 can be efficiently borne by upper leg 67A and lower leg 68A. This allows knee airbag cover 6 to be more reliably positioned in a predetermined position and effectively prevents degradation of the performance of first to third parting portions P1 to P3.

[0056] In vehicle instrument panel structure 1 according to this embodiment, knee airbag unit 4 is attached to knee airbag stay 33 of steering support member 3 via knee airbag bracket 5. Instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22) is provided with opening 25 through which knee airbag bracket 5 is inserted and bridging portion 26 spanning opening 25. Upper portion 52B and lower portion 52C of knee airbag bracket 5 are fixed to knee airbag stay 33 so that curved portion 52A of knee airbag bracket 5 spans bridging portion 26 of instrument panel 2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In this structure, opening 25 in instrument panel 2 is necessary to secure knee airbag unit 4 to knee airbag stay 33, which is disposed in the front of instrument panel 2. The formation of opening 25 in instrument panel 2 reduces the rigidity around opening 25, but the provision of bridging portion 26 helps to prevent this reduction in rigidity. Furthermore, since the knee airbag bracket 5 has the curved portion 52A, it is possible to assemble the knee airbag unit 4, the knee airbag cover 6, etc. after assembling the instrument panel 2 to the steering support member 3, thereby preventing a decrease in assembly workability.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which a bezel 8 is arranged above the outer side of the knee airbag cover 6 in the vehicle width direction and above the column hole cover 7, but the present invention is also effective for an instrument panel structure that does not have a bezel 8.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the engaging claws of panel engaging portion 83 of bezel 8 engage with the engaging holes of bezel engaged portion 24 of instrument panel 2 (lower panel 22), bezel engaging portion 66 of knee airbag cover 6 engages with knee airbag cover engaged portion 84 of bezel 8, upper leg portions 67A, 67B and lower leg portions 68A, 68B of knee airbag cover 6 are fixed to the rear surface portion of lower panel 22, and the engaging claws of column hole cover 7 engage with column hole cover engaged portion 85 of bezel 8. However, the method of fixing each of the components of instrument panel 2, knee airbag cover 6, column hole cover 7, and bezel 8 together is not limited to the above example, and each component can be fixed together using any method depending on the shape, etc. of each component. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...Vehicle instrument panel structure 2...Instrument panel 21...Upper panel 22...Lower panel 23...Column Hall 24...Bezel engagement part 25...Opening 26…Bridge portion 3...Steering support member 31...First pipe 32...Second pipe 33...Knee airbag stay 34...Side bracket 35...Connecting member 36...Lower member 4...Knee airbag unit 5...Knee airbag bracket 51...Extending part 52...Flange 52A...Bend 52B...Upper 52C...lower part 6...Knee airbag cover 6A...Design surface 61...Lid 62...Enclosure wall 62A…Top wall part 62B…Lower wall part 62C, 62D…Side wall part 63...cleavage part 64...Rib 65A…Outside wall part 65B…Inner wall part 66...Bezel engagement part 66A…Engagement claw 66B...Positioning hole 67A,67B...Upper leg 68A,68B…lower leg 7...Column hole cover 7A...Design surface 8...Bezel 8A...Design surface 81…Lower wall part 82...Flange 83... Panel engagement portion 84...Knee airbag cover engagement portion 84A…Engagement hole 84B…Protrusion 85...Column hole cover engagement part 9...Inside cover 9A...Design surface P1~P3: 1st to 3rd partings V1, V2...Virtual planes

Claims

1. an instrument panel disposed in front of a driver's seat of a vehicle and having a column hole through which a steering column passes; a knee airbag cover that is disposed behind a knee airbag unit that is provided below the steering column in the vehicle and that can deploy an airbag toward the lower part of the knees of an occupant seated in the driver's seat, and that covers a lower part of the column hole; a column hole cover disposed adjacent to the knee airbag cover on the outer side in the vehicle width direction; A vehicle instrument panel structure including: the knee airbag cover has a surrounding wall portion that extends toward the front of the vehicle from a front side surface facing the knee airbag unit and is formed to surround at least the periphery of a rear end portion of the knee airbag unit, a first parting portion formed between the design surface of the knee airbag cover facing the driver's seat and the design surface of the column hole cover facing the driver's seat is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer side wall portion of the surrounding wall portion in the vehicle width direction, and extends linearly in the vehicle up-down direction.

2. a bezel disposed above the knee airbag cover and the column hole cover in the vehicle, wherein a second parting portion is formed between a design surface of the bezel facing the driver's seat, the design surface of the knee airbag cover, and the design surface of the column hole cover; an upper end of the first parting portion reaches the second parting portion; The bezel a lower wall portion that projects from a lower edge of the design surface toward the front of the vehicle and extends along the lower edge to form the second parting portion; a flange portion that protrudes downward from a front edge of the lower wall portion and extends in a vehicle width direction along a rear surface portion of the instrument panel; a panel engaging portion formed at least at both ends of the flange portion in the vehicle width direction and adapted to engage with a rear surface portion of the instrument panel, The knee airbag cover is an outer wall portion that protrudes from an outer edge of the design surface in the vehicle width direction toward the front of the vehicle and extends along the outer edge to form the first parting portion; a bezel engagement portion formed near an upper end portion of the outer wall portion and adapted to engage with the bezel; 2. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the bezel engaging portion is disposed on a front side of the column hole cover in the vehicle.

3. The knee airbag cover is an engagement hole formed in the surrounding wall portion and capable of engaging with an engagement claw provided on the knee airbag unit; an outer wall portion that protrudes forward from an outer edge in the vehicle width direction of the design surface of the knee airbag cover and extends along the outer edge to form the first parting portion; an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion each extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer wall portion and arranged at an interval in the vehicle up-down direction, the upper leg portion is disposed so as to overlap with an imaginary plane obtained by extending an upper surface of an upper wall portion of the surrounding wall portion in a vehicle width direction in a front view, the lower leg portion is disposed so as to overlap with an imaginary plane obtained by extending a lower surface of a lower wall portion of the surrounding wall portion in a vehicle width direction in a front view, 2. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper leg portion and the lower leg portion are fixed to a rear surface of the instrument panel.

4. the knee airbag unit is attached via a knee airbag bracket to a stay of a steering support member that supports the steering column and the instrument panel, The instrument panel includes: an opening through which the knee airbag bracket is inserted; a bridging portion that spans the vehicle width direction at a middle portion of the opening in the vehicle up-down direction and is fixed to the stay, the knee airbag bracket has a curved portion curved toward the rear of the vehicle at a middle portion in the vehicle up-down direction, 2. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower portions of the knee airbag bracket are fixed to the stays so that the curved portion of the knee airbag bracket straddles the bridge portion of the instrument panel in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

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