JP5111768B2 - Steering wheel core metal structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a core metal structure of a steering wheel.

  BACKGROUND ART A steering wheel of a vehicle has a structure in which a metal core that is a strength member is covered with a front / back cover or a pad material. The cored bar is attached to the upper end of the column shaft arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical, and is positioned above the boss portion in the direction of the column shaft and on the column shaft. A straight ring-shaped rim portion, a pair of lateral spoke portions whose outer ends are connected to the left and right side end portions of the rim portion, and an inner end is connected to the boss portion, and an outer end of the rim portion. It has a structure having a vertical spoke portion in which the inner ends of a pair of left and right branch arm portions formed in the vicinity of the occupant side end portion and connected to the surface of the boss portion.

  The branch arm portion has a shape that approaches each other from the inner end toward the occupant side, and is coupled to the surface of the boss portion with the inner end positioned most on both the left and right sides. Further, a step in the direction of the column shaft is formed in the middle of the branch arm portion.

  When the vehicle crashes, the occupant's abdomen hits the occupant side end of the rim, and when an impact is applied to the occupant side end of the rim, It is deformed in the outward direction to absorb the impact and protect the occupant.

  The angle of the rim portion with respect to the vertical varies depending on the vehicle type or the adjustment of the tilt angle of the column shaft. Therefore, the angle of impact applied to the rim portion also changes. When the angle to the rim part is small (when the rim part is tilted in a direction approaching the vertical direction), the impact applied in the horizontal direction is transmitted to the branch arm part via the vertical spoke part, and the branch arm part is faced. The element that acts to bend outward is large. When the angle to the rim part is large (when the rim part is tilted toward the horizontal direction), the impact applied in the horizontal direction is transmitted to the branch arm part through the vertical spoke part, and the branch arm part is faced. The element that acts to compress inward is large.

As described above, in the structure in which the step portion is formed in the middle of the branch arm portion, when the angle to the rim portion is large, even if the impact is applied so as to compress in the in-plane direction of the branch arm portion, it does not stretch. It is advantageous in that it buckles and deforms in a Z shape in the out-of-plane direction reliably starting from the stepped portion. Since the branch arm part has a shape that approaches each other toward the occupant side, the impact from the vertical spoke part acts so as to concentrate on the center of the pair of branch arm parts, and it always buckles and deforms from the step part. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-277783

  However, in such a conventional technique, a stepped portion is formed in the branch arm portion, and the branch arm portion is moved from the stepped portion to the out-of-plane direction at the time of a vehicle collision in a state where the vertical angle of the rim portion is increased. Because the structure is designed to absorb the impact by buckling and deforming in a Z shape, the part that buckles and deforms in the Z shape and projects in the out-of-plane direction interferes with the surrounding structure (airbag module or column cover). I fear. When the branch arm portion interferes with the surrounding structure, the occupant side portion of the rim portion is not sufficiently deformed, and the effect of alleviating damage to the occupant abdomen is reduced. Therefore, conventionally, in order to protect the occupant, it is necessary to add another structural measure such as tilting the entire steering wheel, which may lead to a complicated structure and an increased cost.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a conventional technique, and a steering wheel in which a branch arm portion does not buckle and deform in an out-of-plane direction at the time of a vehicle collision in a state where a vertical angle of the rim portion is increased. The core metal structure is provided.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a boss portion attached to an upper end of a column shaft arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical, and positioned above the boss portion in the column shaft direction. A ring-shaped rim portion that is perpendicular to the column shaft, a pair of lateral spoke portions whose outer ends are coupled to the vicinity of both left and right ends of the rim portion, and inner ends are coupled to the boss portion, and A steering wheel cored bar structure having a longitudinal spoke part coupled to the surface of the boss part, the inner end of a pair of left and right branch arm parts coupled to the vicinity of the passenger side end part of the rim part. The branch arm portion has a flat plate shape that rotates around the inner end so as to compress in the in-plane direction when an impact is applied, and has a curved shape that protrudes from the inner end to the left and right sides. , Out-of-plane direction in case of vehicle collision Characterized in that it does not buckle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the boss is attached to the upper end of the column shaft that is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical, and is positioned above the boss in the direction of the column shaft. A ring-shaped rim portion that is perpendicular to the column shaft, a pair of lateral spoke portions whose outer ends are coupled to the vicinity of both left and right ends of the rim portion, and inner ends are coupled to the boss portion, and A steering wheel cored bar structure having a longitudinal spoke part coupled to the surface of the boss part, the inner end of a pair of left and right branch arm parts coupled to the vicinity of the passenger side end part of the rim part. The fragile portion is formed near the inner end of the branch arm portion, and the branch arm portion has a flat plate shape and a curved shape projecting from the inner end to both the left and right sides. Don't buckle outward It is characterized in.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the branch arm portion is a flat plate shape, there is no stepped portion that is a starting point of buckling in the out-of-plane direction. Further, the branch arm portion has a curved shape protruding from the inner end to both the left and right sides. Therefore, even if the vertical angle of the rim part is large and the impact acts to compress the branch arm part in the in-plane direction, the branch arm part rotates around the inner end and spreads to the left and right sides, It only deforms on the surface of the boss part toward the non-occupant side, does not buckle out of the plane, and does not interfere with surrounding structures. Since the branch arm portion does not interfere with the surrounding structure and is reliably deformed in the in-plane direction toward the non-occupant side, an impact can be absorbed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the branch arm portion is a flat plate shape, there is no stepped portion that becomes a starting point of buckling in the out-of-plane direction. Further, the branch arm portion has a curved shape protruding from the inner end to both the left and right sides. Therefore, even if the vertical angle of the rim part is large and the impact acts to compress the branch arm part in the in-plane direction, the branch arm part rotates around the inner end and spreads to the left and right sides, It only deforms on the surface of the boss toward the non-occupant side, does not buckle in the out-of-plane direction, and does not interfere with surrounding structures. Since the branch arm portion does not interfere with the surrounding structure and is reliably deformed in the in-plane direction toward the non-occupant side, an impact can be absorbed. In addition, since the fragile part is formed near the inner end of the branch arm part, the branch arm part is
Easy to rotate around the inner edge.

An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel core metal structure in which a branch arm portion does not buckle and deform in an out-of-plane direction at the time of a vehicle collision in a state where a rim portion is perpendicular to a vertical angle. A boss portion attached to the upper end of the column shaft disposed at an angle of, and a ring-shaped rim portion which is positioned above the boss portion in the direction of the column shaft and is perpendicular to the column shaft. A pair of lateral spokes whose outer ends are coupled to the left and right ends of the rim and whose inner ends are coupled to the boss; and an outer end coupled to the passenger side end of the rim. And a vertical spoke portion in which inner ends of a pair of left and right branch arm portions formed on the boss portion are coupled to the surface of the boss portion, and when the impact is applied to the branch arm portion , ,surface It has a curved shape that protrudes on the left and right sides and from the inner end to rotate about the inner end 8a of a flat plate shape so as to compress in the direction, that it does not buckle in the out-of-plane direction during a vehicle collision, achieved did. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  1-8 is a figure which shows one Example of this invention. In the following description, the steering wheel is described as a steering reference position (straight-ahead steering state). A steering wheel of a vehicle has a structure in which a metal core 1 that is a strength member is covered with a front and back cover or a pad material (not shown). The metal core 1 is attached to the upper end of a column shaft 2 that extends from an instrument panel (not shown) in an oblique direction with a predetermined angle toward the vehicle interior. The column shaft 2 is covered with a column cover 3.

  The cored bar 1 is formed of a boss part 4, a rim part 6, a lateral spoke part 7, and a vertical spoke part 8. The boss 4 is fixed to the upper end of the column shaft 2 and rotates integrally with the column shaft 2. The airbag module 10 is supported on the upper portion of the boss portion 4 by a bracket (not shown) so as to cover the boss portion 4.

  The rim portion 6 is ring-shaped and is operated by a driver to rotate by hand. The rim portion 6 is positioned above the boss portion 4 in the direction of the column shaft 2. The rim portion 6 is set to have a large angle θ with respect to the vertical (about 60 degrees) according to the tilt angle of the column shaft 2.

  It is the lateral spoke portion 7 and the vertical spoke portion 8 that connect the boss portion 4 and the rim portion 6, which have different positions depending on the direction of the column shaft 2. There are two lateral spoke portions 7, each having an inner end 7 a coupled to the boss portion 4, and an outer end 7 b coupled to the left and right side ends of the rim portion 6 while rising toward the left and right sides.

  The inside of the vertical spoke part 8 is formed by a pair of left and right branch arm parts 5. At the boundary with the branch arm portion 5, a flange 9 is formed which is located in the end portion of a front or back cover or pad material (not shown) that covers the vertical spoke portion 8. While the vertical spoke portion 8 rises toward the occupant side, the outer end 8 b is coupled to the occupant side end portion of the rim portion 6.

  The branch arm portion 5 has a flat plate shape, and the inner end 8 a that is the tip thereof is coupled to the surface of the boss portion 4. A slight gap S (see FIG. 5) is provided between the surface of the boss portion 4 and the branch arm portion 5. The branch arm portion 5 has a curved shape projecting from the inner end 8a to the left and right sides. Near the inner end 8 a of the branch arm portion 5, a notch portion 11 as a “fragile portion” is formed on the side opposite to the occupant.

  As in this embodiment, when a vehicle collision occurs in a state in which the vertical angle θ of the rim portion 6 is large (about 60 degrees), the occupant abdomen hits the rim portion 6 horizontally against the occupant side end, The impact F acts to compress the branch arm portion 5 in the in-plane direction via the vertical spoke portion 8, and conventionally buckles in a Z shape and interferes with surrounding structures (airbag module 10 and column cover 3). However, in this embodiment, as described above, since the branch arm portion 5 is a flat plate shape, there is no stepped portion that becomes a starting point of buckling in the out-of-plane direction. Further, the branch arm portion 5 has a curved shape protruding from the inner end 8a to the left and right sides.

  Therefore, even if the impact F acts to compress the branch arm portion 5 in the in-plane direction, the branch arm portion 5 rotates about the inner end 8a as shown in FIGS. The surface of the boss part 4 is deformed toward the anti-occupant side while spreading to the outside, and does not buckle in the out-of-plane direction and does not interfere with surrounding structures. In particular, when the branch arm portion 5 rotates around the inner end 8a, the notch portion 11 is formed near the inner end 8a of the branch arm portion 5, and therefore, it is easy to rotate. As described above, the branch arm portion 5 does not interfere with the surrounding structure and is reliably deformed in the in-plane direction toward the non-occupant side, so that the impact F can be absorbed and damage to the occupant can be reduced.

  In each of the above embodiments, the lateral spoke portion 7 extending straight from the boss portion 4 to the left and right sides is taken as an example, but may have an angle inclined toward the occupant side or the counter occupant side. Further, two lateral spokes 7 may be provided on the left and right. Moreover, although the notch part 11 was demonstrated as an example as a weak part, it is not limited to this, A thin part may be sufficient.

The perspective view which shows the metal core structure of the steering wheel which concerns on one Example of this invention. The top view of the cored bar structure in the direction of the column shaft. The figure equivalent to FIG. 2 which shows the state which received the impact and the rim | limb part deform | transformed. The perspective view which shows the boss | hub part and branch arm part of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective explanatory view showing a distal end of a branch arm portion that rotates at the time of deformation shown in FIG. 3 around the inner end of FIG. 4. The top view which shows the branch arm part rotated centering on an inner side end at the time of a deformation | transformation shown in FIG. The side view which shows the metal core structure of FIG. The side view which shows the deformation | transformation state by the impact of the core metal structure of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 cored bar 2 column shaft 3 column cover (peripheral structure)
4 Boss part 5 Branch arm part 6 Rim part 7 Lateral spoke part 7a Inner end of lateral spoke part 7b Outer end of lateral spoke part 8 Vertical spoke part 8a Inner end of branch arm part 8b Outer end of longitudinal spoke part 10 Airbag module (Peripheral structure)
11 Notch θ Vertical angle of rim against water F Impact S Clearance

Claims (2)

A boss portion attached to the upper end of the column shaft arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical, and a ring positioned above the boss portion in the direction of the column shaft and facing the column shaft A rim portion, a pair of lateral spokes whose outer ends are coupled to the left and right ends of the rim portion and whose inner ends are coupled to the boss portion, and an occupant side end portion of the rim portion on the outer end And a vertical spoke portion in which the inner ends of the pair of left and right branch arm portions formed on the inner side are coupled to the surface of the boss portion,
The branch arm portion rotates around the inner end 8a so as to be compressed in the in-plane direction when an impact is applied, has a flat plate shape, and has a curved shape protruding from the inner end to the left and right sides, A steering wheel cored bar structure that does not buckle in the out-of-plane direction when a vehicle collides. A boss portion attached to the upper end of the column shaft arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical, and a ring positioned above the boss portion in the direction of the column shaft and facing the column shaft A rim portion, a pair of lateral spokes whose outer ends are coupled to the left and right ends of the rim portion and whose inner ends are coupled to the boss portion, and an occupant side end portion of the rim portion on the outer end And a vertical spoke portion in which the inner ends of the pair of left and right branch arm portions formed on the inner side are coupled to the surface of the boss portion,
A fragile portion is formed near the inner end of the branch arm portion, and the branch arm portion has a flat plate shape and a curved shape projecting from the inner end to both the left and right sides. Steering wheel core metal structure characterized by not buckling .

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