Steering assembly supporting construction of a motor vehicle

• US 4,946,195 A
• Filed: 03/07/1989
• Issued: 08/07/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshifumi, Shimada, Kaoru, Amatsu, Kazunari, Ioka, Tadashi, Sakane, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/319,689
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 74/492, 74/493, 280/777, 280/779, 280/780
• US Class Current: 280/777
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/197 incorporating devices for preventing ingress of the steering column into the passengers space in case of accident

Abstract

An upper part of a steering column is supported by a first supporting member and a lower part of the steering column is connected releasably to a car body by a second supporting member. Such component state is released by a releasing device which detects a predetermined state of collision upon the occurrence of a collision. This arrangement restricts the extent of rearward movement of a steering wheel and adjusts properly the amount of upward movement of the steering handle, thereby contributing to the improvement of safety.

Claims

1. A steering assembly supporting construction for a motor vehicle, said construction comprising:

a steering column to be arranged in an upwardly inclined orientation and supporting rotatably a steering shaft for transmitting turning force of a steering wheel to a gear box unit;

a first steering column supporting member to be fixed to a body of the vehicle and supporting an upper part of said steering column at a fixed position;

a second steering column supporting member for releasably connecting a lower part of said steering column to a member on the body side; and

releasing means for detecting a predetermined state of collision upon the occurrence of a collision of the vehicle and for releasing the connected state of said steering column by said second steering column supporting member before the impact of the collision is transmitted to said steering column.

2. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means detects said state of collision by movement of an auxiliary member of the vehicle arranged in an engine compartment thereof.

3. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 2, wherein the auxiliary member is an engine of the vehicle.

4. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 2, wherein said releasing means includes a first end to be connected to the auxiliary member and a second end connected to said second steering column supporting member.

5. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said releasing means is connected to a weight member operable, upon the occurrence of the collision, to move by inertia and to cause said means to release the connected state of said steering column by the second steering column supporting member.

6. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second steering column supporting member comprises a pair of clamp members supported pivotably at first ends thereof to a member on the vehicle body, and a connecting pin insertable through second ends of said clamp members for clamping said steering column between said clamp members, and said releasing means comprises a moving member moved by movement of said weight member upon the occurrence of the collision to remove said connecting pin from said second ends of said clamp members, thereby to release the connected state of said steering column.

7. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said steering shaft comprises a main steering shaft and a connecting shaft for connecting said main steering shaft with a gear box unit, and a joint between said main steering shaft and said connecting shaft and a joint between said connecting shaft and the gear box unit being universal joints.

8. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 7, wherein said connecting shaft inclines downwardly with respect to said main steering shaft.

9. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 7, wherein the gear box unit includes a gear box and a pinion projecting upwardly from the gear box, and said connecting shaft is connected to an upper end of said pinion rod.

10. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first steering column supporting member extends in the direction of the width of the vehicle and has opposite ends connected to a cowl of the vehicle.

11. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second steering column supporting member connects a bracket connected to a cowl of the vehicle extending in the direction of the width of the vehicle with said steering column.

12. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second steering column supporting member comprises a sliding member mounted slidably at the outer circumference of said steering column, said sliding member including an engaging portion fittable into and removable from a holding member to be fixed on the vehicle body, and said connected state of said steering column is released by removing said engaging portion from said holding member upon sliding of said sliding member relative to said steering column.

13. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 12, wherein said releasing means comprises a link member having a first end to be positioned closely adjacent a rearwardly facing surface of an auxiliary member arranged in an engine compartment of the vehicle and a second end contacting said sliding member of said second steering column supporting member, such that said link member moves rearwardly with movement of the auxiliary member upon the occurrence of a collision, and said second end of said link member slides said sliding member to remove said engaging portion from said holding member.

14. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second steering column supporting member comprises a pair of clamp members supported pivotably at first one ends thereof to a member on the vehicle body, and a connecting pin insertable through second ends of said clamp members for clamping said steering column between said clamp members, the connected state of said steering column being released by withdrawal of said connecting pin from said second ends of said clamp member.

15. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 14, wherein said releasing means comprises a wire having a first end to be connected rom above to an auxiliary member arranged in an engine compartment of the vehicle and a second end connected to the rear of said connecting pin of said second steering column supporting member, such that, upon the occurrence of a collision, said wire is pulled by the movement of the auxiliary member and removes said connecting pin from said second ends of said clamp members.

16. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second steering column supporting member comprises a connecting rod connected to said steering column and extending the direction of the width of the vehicle and orthogonal to the axis of said steering column, a receiving member to be mounted on the vehicle body and supporting said connecting rod from the underside thereof, and a restricting member to be pivotally mounted on the vehicle body side and urging said connecting rod from the upper side thereof toward said receiving member.

17. A steering assembly supporting construction as claimed in claim 16, wherein said releasing means comprises a link member having a first end to be positioned closely adjacent to a rearwardly facing surface of an auxiliary member arranged in an engine compartment of the vehicle and a second end connected to said restricting member of said second steering column supporting member, such that said link member moves rearwardly with movement of the auxiliary member upon the occurrence of a collision and pivots said restricting member away from said connecting rod to release said connecting rod from said receiving member.