Steering support device

Abstract

To reduce the number of components of a steering support unit, and inhibit a manufacturing variance.SOLUTION: A steering support unit 1 includes a body 10 of an instrument panel reinforcement disposed in a front part of a vehicle, and a steering member 20 that is attached to the body 10 in order to support a steering. The steering member 20 includes an upper side member 30 and a lower side member 40 which are tubular and opposed to each other. The steering member has a hollow sectional shape formed with the upper side member 30 and the lower side member 40. At least one of the upper side member 30 and the lower side member 40 is connected to the body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a steering support device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a steering support device including a first member extending in the width direction of a vehicle, and a second member spaced apart from the first member and extending in the vehicle width direction through a region on the driver's seat side.

[0003] In this steering support device, in order to disperse the load applied to the steering support device, the second member is attached to the first member at two locations on both end sides in the longitudinal direction thereof via brackets.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the device described in Patent Document 1, since the second member is attached to the first member via a plurality of brackets, the number of components increases, and the number of welded locations and the number of welding operations for connecting these components to each other also increase. As a result, there has been a problem that manufacturing variations of the device increase due to processing variations caused by press working of each component and welding processing variations.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to reduce the number of components of the steering support device and suppress manufacturing variations.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] One aspect of the steering support device of this disclosure comprises a main body of an instrument panel reinforcement located at the front of the vehicle, and a steering member attached to the main body to support the steering wheel.

[0008] The steering member is plate-shaped and comprises an upper member and a lower member positioned opposite each other, with a hollow cross-sectional shape formed by the upper and lower members. At least one of the upper and lower members is connected to the main body.

[0009] Thus, since the steering member has a clamshell structure with a hollow cross-sectional shape, the area of ​​the internal space can be increased and rigidity can be enhanced compared to the second member described in Patent Document 1.

[0010] Furthermore, since the steering member is connected to the main body of the instrument panel reinforcement without the need for brackets, the number of parts in the steering support system can be reduced, thereby lowering the manufacturing cost of the steering support system.

[0011] Furthermore, by reducing the number of parts in this way, the rigidity of the steering support device can be increased. This increase in rigidity is possible because the combined spring constant decreases as the number of parts increases. And by increasing rigidity in this way, the steering feel provided by the vehicle driver can be improved.

[0012] Furthermore, since the shape of the steering member can be appropriately set by the shapes of the upper and lower members, the design flexibility of the steering member can be increased. In addition, the shapes of the upper and lower members allow for arbitrary setting of the connection points and connection ranges to the main body in order to distribute the force applied from the steering.

[0013] Therefore, by connecting at least one of the upper member and the lower member to the main body, the force can be transmitted to the main body in a more widely distributed manner compared to the steering support device described in Patent Document 1, and the main body can be made less susceptible to deformation.

[0014] Furthermore, since the steering member has a clamshell structure consisting of an upper and lower member, it is possible to increase rigidity by, for example, making the thickness of the lower member, to which the steering column is attached, thicker than that of the upper member. Also, since the thickness of the upper and lower members can be set individually, it is possible to increase rigidity to ensure strength while reducing the thickness of one of the members to lighten the steering member.

[0015] Here, the upper member and the lower member have an elongated shape in the direction of the central axis of the main body, and at least one of the upper member and the lower member may have a portion of its outer peripheral edge facing the main body connected to the main body.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower member may have a portion of its outer peripheral edge facing the main body connected to the main body, and the upper member may have its outer peripheral edge facing the main body bent and extending toward the lower member, with the extended portion and the plate surface of the lower member connected to each other.

[0017] In this case, the upper member may also be provided with a mounting member to which the bent portion, which is bent toward the lower member, and the main body are attached. In a steering support device equipped with mounting members, the steering member has a hollow cross-sectional shape formed by the upper member and the lower member, as well as a hollow cross-sectional shape formed by the lower member connected to the main body and the mounting member.

[0018] Accordingly, the steering member has higher rigidity due to the plurality of hollow cross-sectional shapes, can support the steering more stably, and can improve the steering feel of the steering for a vehicle driver. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the steering support device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged perspective view of the steering member shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the connected state of the steering member in Fig. 1. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing the connected state of the steering member according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing the connected state of the steering member according to the third embodiment. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing the connected state of the steering member according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing the connected state of the steering member according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing the connected state of the steering member according to the sixth embodiment. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] As shown in Fig. 1, the steering support device 1 of the present embodiment is a device that is mounted on a vehicle and for supporting a steering 3.

[0021] The steering support device 1 is configured by connecting a steering member 20 to a main body portion 10 of an instrument panel reinforcement (hereinafter referred to as R / F) 8 whose both ends in the vehicle width direction are fixed to left and right pillars (not shown) of the vehicle via brackets 5 and 6.

[0022] The pillars are located near the driver's and passenger's side doors of the vehicle and are components that make up the vehicle's body. The main body 10 of the R / F8 is made of a hollow pipe. The R / F8 is also used to support various other components (not shown) that are different from the steering member 20.

[0023] The steering member 20 attaches the steering wheel 3 to the main body 10 of the R / F8 by fixing the steering column 50 in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle, and comprises an upper member 30 and a lower member 40.

[0024] The steering column 50 rotatably supports the steering shaft 54 ​​that protrudes from the vehicle's steering wheel 52, and is fixed to the lower surface of the lower member 40 that constitutes the steering member 20.

[0025] The upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are manufactured by press-forming metal plates made of iron or the like, so that an internal space 28 (see Figure 3) is formed when they are placed facing each other.

[0026] The upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are positioned facing each other in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and their outer periphery, which is away from the main body 10 of the R / F8, is connected by welding or the like. In addition, parts of the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are directly connected to the main body 10 of the R / F8 by welding or the like.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the steering member 20 has an elongated shape that is long in the direction of the central axis of the main body 10 of the R / F8, and is equipped with straight sections 22 that are spaced apart on the main body 10. The steering member 20 is also equipped with first connecting sections 24A and 24B that protrude toward the main body 10 from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the straight section 22, and a second connecting section 26 that protrudes toward the main body 10 from the center of the straight section 22.

[0028] The upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are press-formed such that the straight section 22, the first connecting section 24A, 24B, and the second connecting section 26 of the steering member 20 bulge vertically across the internal space 28.

[0029] Furthermore, in the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, the edges of the first connecting portion 24A, 24B and the second connecting portion 26 on the main body portion 10 side are connected to each other in the main body portion 10. In addition, in the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, the outer peripheral portions that are away from the main body portion 10 are bent by press molding so that they overlap each other and are connected to each other.

[0030] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the steering member 20 has a clamshell structure with an internal space 28 formed by the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, which provides rigidity suitable for supporting the steering 3.

[0031] Furthermore, the plate thickness of the lower member 40 is thicker than that of the upper member 30 in order to securely fix the steering column 50.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, fixing portions 60 that protrude toward the front of the vehicle are connected to the upper and lower surfaces of the second connecting portion 26 in order to fix the steering member 20 to the vehicle body.

[0033] As described above, the steering support device 1 of this embodiment comprises a main body portion 10 of the vehicle's instrument panel reinforcement 8 and a steering member 20 connected to the main body portion 10 to support the steering wheel 3. Furthermore, the steering member 20 has a clamshell structure with a hollow cross-sectional shape, formed by an upper member 30 and a lower member 40.

[0034] Therefore, as is clear from Figure 3, the steering member 20 can have a larger internal space area (more specifically, cross-sectional area) compared to the second member described in Patent Document 1, thereby increasing its rigidity.

[0035] Furthermore, the steering member 20 is fixed to the main body 10 by the fact that the edges of the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 on the main body 10 side are connected to the main body 10. Therefore, the steering member 20 can be fixed to the main body 10 without using a bracket, reducing the number of parts in the steering support device 1 and lowering the manufacturing cost of the steering support device 1. Furthermore, by reducing the number of parts, the rigidity of the steering support device 1 can be increased, improving the steering feel of the steering wheel 3 by the vehicle driver.

[0036] Furthermore, since the plate thickness of the lower member 40 is greater than that of the upper member 30, the steering column 50 can be securely fixed to the lower member 40, and by reducing the plate thickness of the upper member 30, weight reduction can also be achieved.

[0037] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment, the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 were described as having a hollow cross-sectional shape not only for the straight portion 22 of the steering member 20, but also for the first connecting portion 24A, 24B, and the second connecting portion 26, thereby forming an internal space 28.

[0038] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the upper member 30 of the steering member 20 has a plate surface that is bent toward the lower member 40 on the main body 10 side and extends thereafter. The tip 34A of the extended portion 34 that extends from the bent portion 32 is connected to the lower member 40.

[0039] According to the steering member 20 of this embodiment, at least the straight section 22 has a hollow cross-sectional shape and a clamshell structure with an internal space 28, so that rigidity can be increased, similar to the first embodiment.

[0040] In this case, the plate surface of the upper member 30 may be bent at the bending portion 32 to form an extended portion 34, and its tip 34A may be connected to the lower member 40 using only the second connecting portion 26. Similarly, the plate surface of the upper member 30 may be bent at the bending portion 32 to form an extended portion 34, and its tip 34A may be connected to the lower member 40 using only the first connecting portions 24A and 24B. By doing so, the rigidity can be increased by making the first connecting portions 24A and 24B or the second connecting portion 26 at both ends of the steering member 20 into a hollow cross-sectional shape.

[0041] [Third Embodiment] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, in the steering member 20, the plate surface of the lower member 40 on the main body portion 10 side is bent and extends toward the upper member 30. The tip 44A of the extended portion 44 that extends from the bent portion 42 is connected to the upper member 30.

[0042] According to the steering member 20 of this embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, at least the straight portion 22 has a clamshell structure with an internal space 28, which increases rigidity.

[0043] Furthermore, the bending of the plate surface of the lower member 40 at the bending portion 42 to form the extended portion 44, and the connection of its tip 44A to the upper member 30, may be done only at the second connection portion 26, as in the second embodiment, or only at the first connection portions 24A and 24B.

[0044] [Fourth Embodiment] As shown in Figure 6, the steering member 20 of this embodiment is constructed by providing a plate-shaped mounting member 38 to which the bent portion 32 of the upper member 30 and the main body portion 10 are attached, as in the second embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0045] In this embodiment of the steering member 20 equipped with the mounting member 38, in addition to the internal space 28 of the straight section 22, there is an internal space 29 formed by the lower member 40 connected to the main body 10, the mounting member 38, and the main body 10.

[0046] Therefore, the steering member 20 of this embodiment can be made more rigid by the two internal spaces 28 and 29, and by fixing the steering column 50 to the lower member 40, the steering 3 can be supported more firmly and the steering feel can be improved. Note that the mounting member 38 does not necessarily have to be in the shape of a plate, and it is sufficient if it can be attached to the bent portion 32 of the upper member 30 and the main body portion 10 and connect them.

[0047] [Fifth Embodiment] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the steering member 20 has an upper member 30 that is bent and extends toward the lower member 40 at least at the first connection portion 24A, 24B, or second connection portion 26, and is connected to the lower member 40.

[0048] Furthermore, in the upper member 30, the extension portion 34 from the bent portion 32 extends from the connection portion 35 with the lower member 40 toward the main body 10, bent at the second bent portion 36 so as to increase the distance between it and the lower member 40. The tip 37A of the second extension portion 37 extending from the second bent portion 36 is connected to the main body 10. The lower member 40 is connected to the main body 10, as in the second embodiment.

[0049] In the steering member 20 of this embodiment, in addition to the internal space 28 of the straight portion 22, there is an internal space 29 formed by the second extended portion 37 of the lower member 40 and upper member 30 connected to the main body 10, and the main body 10.

[0050] Therefore, in the steering member 20 of this embodiment, the rigidity can be further increased by the two internal spaces 28 and 29, and the same effects as in the fourth embodiment can be obtained.

[0051] [Sixth Embodiment] As shown in Figure 8, in this embodiment, the steering member 20 has an outer peripheral region 58 on the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 that is separated from the main body 10 and directly connected to the steering column 50 for a length that allows it to be mounted. The steering column 50 is fixed to the lower surface side of the lower member 40 in the outer peripheral region 58 of the connected upper member 30 and lower member 40.

[0052] On the other hand, on the side of the main body 10 that is closer to the outer peripheral region 58 where the steering column 50 is fixed, the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are arranged opposite each other with a predetermined distance between them, and their tips, that is, the edges on the main body 10 side, are each connected to the main body 10.

[0053] Unlike the embodiments described above, the steering member 20 of this embodiment cannot have a straight section 22 with an internal space 28. However, since it has an internal space 29 formed by the lower member 40 and upper member 30 connected to the main body 10 and the main body 10, this internal space 29 can increase the rigidity of the steering member 20 and ensure its strength.

[0054] [Other embodiments] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can take various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0055] For example, in the above embodiment, the steering member 20 is described as having first connecting parts 24A and 24B at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the steering member 20 and a second connecting part 26 in the center, which are connecting parts that can be connected to the main body 10.

[0056] However, since the width of the second connection portion 26 can be arbitrarily set according to the connection position of other members to the main body portion 10, the width of the second connection portion 26 can be increased to improve the connection strength with the main body portion 10.

[0057] Therefore, the first connecting parts 24A and 24B do not necessarily need to be provided. For example, the steering member 20 may be connected to the main body 10 by appropriately changing the width and number of the second connecting parts 26 according to the connection positions of other members to the main body 10.

[0058] Furthermore, although it has been explained that welding is used to connect the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, or to connect these members 30 and 40 to the main body 10, fastening members such as bolts and nuts or screws may also be used for these connections.

[0059] Furthermore, multiple functions of one component in the above embodiment may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Also, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Furthermore, some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, at least some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of other above embodiments.

[0060] [Technical Concept Disclosed in This Specified Specification] [Item 1] The main body of the instrument panel reinforcement located at the front of the vehicle, The steering member is attached to the main body and supports the steering, The steering member is It is plate-shaped and comprises an upper member and a lower member arranged opposite each other, Having a hollow cross-sectional shape consisting of the upper member and the lower member, A steering support device in which at least one of the upper member and the lower member is connected to the main body.

[0061] [Item 2] The steering support device described in item 1, The steering support device comprises an upper member and a lower member, both having an elongated shape in the direction of the central axis of the main body, and at least one of the upper member and the lower member having a portion of its outer peripheral edge facing the main body that is connected to the main body.

[0062] [Item 3] The steering support device described in item 2, The lower member has a portion of its outer peripheral edge facing the main body that is connected to the main body. A steering support device wherein the upper member has an outer peripheral edge facing the main body that is bent and extends toward the lower member, and the bent and extended portion and the plate surface of the lower member are connected to each other.

[0063] [Item 4] The steering support device described in item 3, A steering support device comprising a mounting member to which a bent portion of the upper member is bent toward the lower member and the main body portion is attached. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1...Steering support device, 3...Steering wheel, 8...Instrument panel reinforcement (R / F), 10...Main body, 20...Steering member, 28,29...Internal space, 30...Upper member, 40...Lower member.

Claims

1. The main body of the instrument panel reinforcement located at the front of the vehicle, The steering member is attached to the main body and supports the steering, The steering member is It is plate-shaped and comprises an upper member and a lower member arranged opposite each other, Having a hollow cross-sectional shape consisting of the upper member and the lower member, The upper member and the lower member have an elongated shape that is long in the direction of the central axis of the main body. The lower member has a portion of its outer peripheral edge facing the main body that is connected to the main body. A steering support device wherein the upper member has an outer peripheral edge facing the main body that is bent and extends toward the lower member, and the bent and extended portion and the plate surface of the lower member are connected to each other.

2. A steering support device according to Claim 1, A steering support device comprising a mounting member to which a bent portion of the upper member is bent toward the lower member and the main body portion is attached.

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