Motor-vehicle dashboard assembly including a covering body for a steering shaft

Abstract

Motor-vehicle comprising: - a steering shaft (3) and a dashboard assembly (1) including a covering body (2) provided for hiding part of said steering shaft (3), - wherein said covering body (3) is formed by a lower covering portion (2') and an upper covering portion (2"), mutually assembled, - a support bracket (4) engaged on a section of the steering shaft (3), included inside the covering body (2), - wherein the support bracket (4) includes a first end portion (4') and a second end portion (4") rigidly connected to respective parts of the lower covering portion (2').

Description

[0001] “Motor-vehicle dashboard assembly including a covering body for a steering shaft”

[0002] ****

[0003] TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

[0004] Field of the invention

[0005] The present invention relates, in general, to the field of motor-vehicle interiors and, more specifically, to a motor-vehicle including a steering shaft and a dashboard assembly including a covering body provided for hiding part of the steering shaft.

[0006] Prior art

[0007] As is widely known, the dashboard assembly is provided on the front part of the passenger compartment of a vehicle, on which various components are arranged, such as for example the instrument panel, the infotainment system, the air inlets, the steering wheel, various button panels and / or adjustment sliders, etc.

[0008] Near the steering wheel, the dashboard assembly includes a covering body provided for hiding part of the steering shaft of the vehicle. The steering shaft (also known as steering column) connects the steering wheel to the mechanical parts of the steering system, allowing the driver to control the direction of the vehicle. Its main function is therefore to transfer the movement of the steering wheel to the steered wheels.

[0009] The covering body serves several functions, including:

[0010] - helping to maintain an overall neat and aesthetically pleasing dashboard by hiding mechanical parts of the steering shaft,

[0011] - contributing to safety by protecting the steering shaft and reducing the risk of moving parts being accidentally touched while driving,

[0012] - contributing to sound insulation by reducing noise from the steering system,

[0013] - integrating additional features, such as additional controls, air inlets for the air conditioning system, and / or electronic components of the vehicle control system,

[0014] - providing a housing for driving indicators.

[0015] Typically, a bracket, known as a steering column bracket, is mounted inside the covering body and is mounted on the steering shaft itself. This bracket serves several functions, including:

[0016] - providing structural support to the steering shaft, ensuring that it is securely attached to the vehicle frame,

[0017] - reducing vibrations and noise that may be transmitted from the steering shaft to the dashboard, thereby improving driving comfort,

[0018] - absorbing part of the energy of a possible impact, deforming in a controlled way and thereby reducing the risk of injury to the driver,

[0019] - acting as a mounting point for various components of the steering system, such as steering angle sensors, electronic controls, and other devices that may be integrated into the steering shaft.

[0020] In this context, there is a need to develop a particularly effective solution to ensure correct positioning of the covering portion, relative to the steering shaft bracket.

[0021] Object of the invention

[0022] It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor-vehicle including a steering shaft and a dashboard assembly with said covering body, which can meet said needs.

[0023] A further object of the present invention is to provide such a solution with means thar are inexpensive and relatively simple to implement, respecting the planned tolerances and design features.

[0024] Summary of the invention

[0025] In view of achieving these purposes, the invention has as its object a motor-vehicle as indicated in the attached claims.

[0026] Brief description of the figures

[0027] Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0028] - figure 1 is a front view of a part of a dashboard assembly of a motorvehicle, according to possible embodiments,

[0029] - figure 2 is an elevation view of a part of the steering shaft extending inside a covering body, according to possible embodiments, - figures 3, 4 are perspective views illustrating further features of the covering body, according to possible embodiments, and

[0030] - figure 5 is a further perspective view illustrating the components illustrated in figure 2.

[0031] Detailed description of several embodiments

[0032] In the following description, various specific details are illustrated aimed at a thorough understanding of examples of one or more embodiments. The embodiments may be achieved without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc.

[0033] In other instances, known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments. Reference to “an / one embodiment” in this specification means that a particular configuration, structure, or feature described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment.

[0034] Thus, phrases such as “in an / one embodiment,” which may appear in various places in this specification, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0035] Furthermore, particular configurations, structures, or features may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments and / or associated with embodiments other than as illustrated herein, such that, for example, a feature exemplified herein in connection with one figure may be applied to one or more embodiments exemplified in a different figure.

[0036] References herein are for convenience only and do not limit the scope or extent of the embodiments.

[0037] In figure 1 , reference 1 indicates as a whole a dashboard assembly of a motor-vehicle. The dashboard assembly 1 extends substantially across the entire width of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, therefore comprising a driver side portion, a central portion, and a passenger side portion. The driver side portion, on which the steering wheel is mounted (not illustrated), comprises a covering body 2 provided for hiding part of a steering shaft 3. The covering body 2 is formed by a lower covering portion 2’ and an upper covering portion 2”, mutually assembled (figure 1 ). Said part of a steering shaft 3 (figures 2, 5) can be made in any way known per se.

[0038] Said covering body 2 can be configured to perform various functions, including:

[0039] - helping to maintain an overall neat and aesthetically pleasing dashboard by hiding mechanical parts of the steering shaft,

[0040] - contributing to safety by protecting the steering shaft and reducing the risk of moving parts being accidentally touched while driving,

[0041] - contributing to sound insulation by reducing noise from the steering system,

[0042] - integrating additional features, such as additional controls, air inlets for the air conditioning system, and / or electronic components of the vehicle control system,

[0043] - providing a housing for driving indicators.

[0044] With particular reference to figures 2, 5, a support bracket 4 is positioned inside the covering body 2, engaged on a section of the steering shaft 3. This support bracket 4 performs various functions, including:

[0045] - providing structural support to the steering shaft, ensuring that it is securely attached to the vehicle frame,

[0046] - reducing vibrations and noise that may be transmitted from the steering shaft to the dashboard, thereby improving driving comfort,

[0047] - absorbing part of the energy of a possible impact, deforming in a controlled way and thereby reducing the risk of injury to the driver,

[0048] - acting as a mounting point for various components of the steering system, such as steering angle sensors, electronic controls, and other devices that may be integrated into the steering shaft.

[0049] In the following, various features are now described regarding the mutual engagement between respective parts of the covering body 2 and the support bracket 4.

[0050] In the case of the invention, the support bracket 4 comprises a first end part 4’ and a second end part 4” rigidly connected to respective parts of the lower covering portion 2’.

[0051] More specifically, according to one or more embodiments, along a first side of the lower covering portion 2’ a first connection adjunct 5 is obtained, connected by interference with the first end part 4’ of the support bracket 4. The first connection adjunct 5 is made in a single piece with the lower covering portion 2’.

[0052] According to a further feature, on the lower covering portion 2’ an intermediate fixing bracket 6 is mounted, located along a part of the internal surface of the lower covering portion 2’, in particular along a second side of the lower covering portion 2’ opposite to said first side. As illustrated in figure 3, the intermediate fixing bracket 6 can be advantageously arranged to support in position a steering control electronic component 7, provided for controlling the position of the steering shaft 3, with respect to the covering body 2.

[0053] According to a further feature, on the intermediate fixing bracket 6 a second connection adjunct 8 is obtained, connected by interference with the second end part 4” of the support bracket 4.

[0054] It will therefore be appreciated that, thanks to the said features, a correct positioning of the lower covering portion is achieved, with respect to the steering shaft, by means of a retention system obtained partly on the lower covering portion itself, and partly by an intermediate support bracket welded to the lower covering portion.

[0055] Of course, notwithstanding the principle of the invention, the construction details and the embodiments may vary with respect to what is described and illustrated purely by way of example, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Motor-vehicle comprising:- a steering shaft (3) and a dashboard assembly (1 ) including a covering body (2) provided for hiding part of said steering shaft (3),- wherein said covering body (3) is formed by a lower covering portion (2’) and an upper covering portion (2”), mutually assembled,- a support bracket (4) engaged on a section of the steering shaft (3), included inside the covering body (2),- wherein the support bracket (4) includes a first end part (4’) and a second end part (4”) rigidly connected to respective parts of the lower covering portion (2’).

2. Motor-vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a first connection adjunct (5) is provided along a first side of the lower covering portion (2’), connected by interference with said first end part (4’) of the support bracket (4).

3. Motor-vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first connection adjunct (5) is made in a single piece with the lower covering portion (2’).

4. Motor-vehicle according to any of the previous claims, wherein an intermediate fixing bracket (6) is mounted on the lower covering portion (2’), located along a part of the internal surface of the lower covering portion (2’), in particular along a second side of the lower covering portion (2’).

5. Motor-vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a second connection adjunct (8) is provided on the intermediate fixing bracket (6) connected by interference with the second end part (4”) of the support bracket (4).

6. Motor-vehicle according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the intermediate fixing bracket (6) supports in position a steering control electronic component (7), provided for controlling the position of the steering shaft (3) with respect to the covering body (2).

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