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 technology 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 instrument panel reinforcement comprising a main body and a crushed portion. The main body is cylindrical in shape, extending in the vehicle width direction from a first end to a second end. The crushed portion is provided on the main body at a position away from the first and second ends, and on which peripheral components can be arranged. The crushed portion has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vehicle width direction, which is concave, with the main body being recessed in a first direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction, so that the internal space of the main body is crushed. The crushed portion also has a mounting portion. The mounting portion is a portion where opposing inner circumferential surfaces of the main body substantially abut each other, and on which peripheral components are attached.

[0007] In this configuration, at the location where the crushed portion of the main body is provided, a space is formed around the main body by the amount that the main body is recessed in the first direction. Therefore, the space in which surrounding components can be placed can be expanded.

[0008] In one aspect of this disclosure, the mounting portion may be substantially planar. This configuration makes it easy to directly attach surrounding components to the mounting area. Therefore, it is possible to attach surrounding components to the instrument panel reinforcement without brackets.

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

[0010] The main body should ideally extend straight along the vehicle width direction, but if the mounting portion is located outside the outer diameter area, the main body is prone to warping. On the other hand, the above-described configuration can suppress warping of the main body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing the instrument panel reinforcement. [Figure 2]Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 from IIA-IIA, and Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 from IIB-IIB. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the first modified example of the crushed section. [Figure 4] This is a front view showing a second modified example of the crushed section. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view along the first direction showing a third modified example of the crushed portion. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view along the first direction showing a fourth modified example of the crushed portion. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [1. Structure] The instrument panel reinforcement 100 shown in Figure 1 is installed within the front interior components 200, such as the instrument panel and dashboard, located in front of the driver's and passenger's seats of the vehicle, and is positioned 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, for example, via brackets (not shown) provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction. Peripheral components 300, which are provided within the front interior components 200, are attached to the instrument panel reinforcement 100. 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 will be simply referred to as front, rear, top, and bottom. The vehicle in this embodiment is, as an example, a left-hand drive vehicle.

[0013] The instrument panel reinforcement 100 comprises a main body 1 and a crushing part 2. The main body 1 is a cylindrical member that extends in the vehicle width direction from the first end 101 to the second end 102. The main body 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 located 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 located 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 at portions other than the position where the crushing portion 2 is provided, and the outer diameter is substantially constant.

[0017] The first cylindrical portion 11 and the second cylindrical portion 12 are joined by inserting one end of the second cylindrical portion 12 into the small-diameter portion 112 and welding or the like, thereby forming the main body portion 1. Note that 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 the present 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. Further, the crushing portion 2 can be provided at any position in the vehicle width direction of the large-diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12. Also, 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 component 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. Thereby, the crushing portion 2 having a concave cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 2B is formed on the second cylindrical portion 12. 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 rearward. 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 substantially contact. Substantially contacting means a state where two parts are contacting 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 for example, extends 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 Figures 2A and 2B, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 21 is located within the outer diameter region R when viewed from the vehicle width direction. The outer diameter region R is the region between the tangents C of the cross-section of the outer circumferential surface at two points where the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the second cylindrical portion 12 adjacent to the crushed portion 2 intersects with a line B extending in the first direction D through the center point A of the second cylindrical portion 12. The outer diameter region R can also be described as the region between the outer diameter planes that include each tangent C and extend in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the outer surface 211 of the mounting portion 21 is provided on substantially the same plane as the outer diameter plane that includes the tangent C located on the first direction D side of the two tangents C. Within the outer diameter region R, the position of the outer surface of the mounting portion is not limited to being substantially the same plane as the outer diameter plane, but 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 gap between them, and are portions that extend from the end of the mounting portion 21 in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction (for example, the front-rear direction) in a direction opposite to the first direction D. The gap between the first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23 widens as they move away from the mounting portion 21. The first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23 constitute the side surface of the crushed portion 2. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surfaces of the second cylindrical portion 12 that face each other are in substantially contact with each other in the first wall portion 22 and the second wall portion 23 as well.

[0025] The through-hole 24 is provided in the mounting portion 21 and is a hole that penetrates the outer surface 211 and inner surface 212 of the mounting portion 21. As shown in Figure 1, in this 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 mounting portion 21, and the peripheral component 300 is fastened to the mounting portion 21 using a fastening member 3 that is, for example, inserted into the through hole 24 or in contact with the edge of the through hole 24. Examples of fastening members 3 include bolts, nuts, crimp nuts, etc. The fastening member may also be provided on the peripheral component. Alternatively, the peripheral component may be attached to the mounting portion 21 via other members such as brackets.

[0026] [2. Effects] According to the embodiments described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained. (2a) In this embodiment, at the positions where the crushed portion 2 is provided in the large diameter portion 111 of the first cylindrical portion 11 and the second cylindrical portion 12 (i.e., the main body portion 1), 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 to a configuration without the crushed portion 2, the space around the main body portion 1 can be expanded. In other words, the space in which peripheral components 300 can be arranged can be expanded. As a result, the degree of freedom in shape (i.e., design freedom) of the front interior member 200 that covers the perimeter of the instrument panel reinforcement 100 can be improved.

[0027] (2b) When the mounting portion of the crushed portion is configured to have a gap between the opposing inner surfaces of the large diameter portion or the second cylindrical portion, when the peripheral part 300 is attached to the mounting portion using the fastening member 3 (for example, a bolt and a nut), an axial force is generated on the fastening member 3 in the direction that crushes the gap, making the crushed portion prone to deformation. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 21 of the crushed portion 2 is such that the opposing inner surfaces of the large diameter portion 111 or the second cylindrical portion 12 are in substantially contact with each other, so there is almost no gap between the inner surfaces. Therefore, when the peripheral part 300 is attached to the mounting portion 21 using the fastening member 3, deformation of the crushed portion 2 is suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, compared to a configuration in which the mounting portion has a gap between the opposing inner surfaces of the large diameter portion or the second cylindrical portion, 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, peripheral components 300 can be easily attached directly to the mounting portion 21. Therefore, it is possible to attach the peripheral components 300 to the instrument panel reinforcement 100 without brackets. As a result, compared to a configuration in which peripheral components 300 are attached to the instrument panel reinforcement 100 using brackets, the space in which peripheral components 300 can be placed can be further expanded. In addition, since the attachment of peripheral components 300 to the instrument panel reinforcement 100 is bracketless, it leads to a reduction in the number of parts and weight reduction.

[0029] (2d) It is desirable that the main body 1 extends straight along the vehicle width direction, but if the mounting portions of the crushed parts provided on 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 prone to warping. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the mounting portion 21 is located within the outer diameter region R, it is possible to suppress warping of the large diameter portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 12.

[0030] (2e) In this embodiment, since the crushed portion 2 is formed by crushing, the positional accuracy of the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the second cylindrical portion 12 adjacent to the crushed portion 2 can be ensured. That is, in this embodiment, the crushed portion 2 can be formed such that the position of the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the second cylindrical portion 12 adjacent to the crushed portion 2 does not change substantially before and after the crushing process.

[0031] [3. Other Embodiments] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can take various forms.

[0032] (3a) In the above embodiment, one crushed portion 2 was provided on the second cylindrical portion 12, but for example, multiple crushed portions may be provided on the second cylindrical portion. When multiple crushed portions are provided on the second cylindrical portion, for example, the multiple crushed portions may be provided on the second cylindrical portion such that each mounting portion is located on substantially the same plane. Also, for example, as shown in Figure 3, the multiple crushed portions 2a of the first modified example may be provided on the second cylindrical portion 12a such that each mounting portion 21a is located on a different plane in the first direction D. The large diameter portion of the first cylindrical portion may also be provided with multiple crushed portions in a manner similar to the multiple crushed portions provided on the second cylindrical portion described above.

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

[0034] (3c) In the above embodiment, in all parts of the mounting portion 21, the first wall portion 22, and the second wall portion 23 of the crushed portion 2, the opposing inner surfaces of the large diameter portion 111 or the second cylindrical portion 12 were in substantially contact with each other. However, as shown in Figure 5, for example, in the crushed portion 2c of the third modified example, the first wall portion 22c and the second wall portion 23c may be formed with a gap between them. That is, in the crushed portion 2c, only the mounting portion 21c may have the opposing inner surfaces of the large diameter portion or the second cylindrical portion in substantially contact with each other.

[0035] (3d) For example, as shown in Figure 6, the crushed portion 2d of the fourth modified example may have a bead 25 on the mounting portion 21d. The bead 25 is a protrusion that projects from the mounting portion 21d toward the first direction D. Specifically, the bead 25 is formed by both the outer surface 211d and a part of the inner surface 212d of the mounting portion 21d protruding toward the first direction D. Multiple beads 25 may be provided around the through hole 24 provided in the mounting portion 21d. With such a configuration, the rigidity of the main body portion (specifically, the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion on which the crushed portion 2d is provided) can be improved by the bead 25. The bead may also be a protrusion that projects from the mounting portion toward the direction opposite to the first direction D, and the rigidity of the main body portion can also be improved by the bead.

[0036] (3e) In the above 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 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 multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Also, some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Also, at least some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to, replaced with, or otherwise adapted to the configuration of other above embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1...Main body, 2,2a~2d...Crushing part, 3...Fastening member, 11...First cylindrical part, 12,12a...Second cylindrical part, 21,21a~21d...Mounting part, 22,22c...First wall part, 23,23c...Second wall part, 24...Through hole, 25...Bead, 100...Instrument panel reinforcement, 101...First end, 102...Second end, 111...Large diameter part, 112...Small diameter part, 113...Intermediate part, 200...Front interior member, 211,211d...Outer surface, 212,212d...Inner surface, 300...Peripheral parts, A...Center point, B...Line, C...Tangent, R...Outer diameter region, S...Internal space.

Claims

[Claim 1] It is an instrument panel reinforcement, A cylindrical main body extending in the vehicle width direction from the first end to the second end, A crushing portion is provided in the main body at a position away from the first and second ends, on which peripheral components can be placed, Equipped with, The main body comprises a first cylindrical portion located in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle on which the instrument panel reinforcement is installed, and a second cylindrical portion located in front of the passenger seat of the vehicle. The crushing portion is provided in at least one of the first and second cylindrical portions, at a position away from both ends in the vehicle width direction. The crushed portion is, The cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vehicle width direction is a concave shape in which the main body is recessed in a first direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction such that the internal space of the main body is compressed. A mounting portion which is a part where the opposing inner circumferential surfaces of the main body portion substantially come into contact with each other, and which has a mounting portion to which the peripheral parts are attached, The mounting portion is substantially planar, and a through hole is formed that penetrates the mounting portion. The first direction is downward, or inclined downwards from the horizontal direction. The mounting portion is an instrument panel reinforcement located within the outer diameter region between the tangents of the cross-section of the outer circumferential surface at two points where the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the main body adjacent to the crushed portion intersects with a line extending in the first direction through the center point of the main body, as viewed from the vehicle width direction.

Images