Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Imanishi

Kosuke Matsushita

Kazuhiro Sakai

Kimitaka Andoh

Masami Ogura

Takehiko Koshiishi

Taku Uchiyama

A vehicle body front structure includes: a front subframe; left and right suspension lower arms swingably supported by the front subframe; and a steering gearbox supported by the front subframe. The front subframe includes left and right longitudinal members extending in a fore-and-aft direction, a cross member extending laterally and joined to the longitudinal members, and front and rear lower arm supports provided on each longitudinal member to be spaced from each other in the fore-and-aft direction and swingably supporting the corresponding lower arm. The steering gearbox includes a laterally extending rack shaft and a pair of joints provided at either end of the rack shaft and joined to ends of respective tie rods. The longitudinal members extend obliquely to approach each other toward rear, and the rear lower arm supports are positioned more laterally inward than the respective joints when the rack shaft is in a neutral position.

Vehicle body front structure

A vehicle body front structure includes: a front subframe; left and right suspension lower arms swingably supported by the front subframe; and a steering gearbox supported by the front subframe. The front subframe includes left and right longitudinal members extending in a fore-and-aft direction, a cross member extending laterally and joined to the longitudinal members, and a front lower arm support and a rear lower arm support provided on each longitudinal member to be spaced from each other in the fore-and-aft direction and swingably supporting the corresponding lower arm. The steering gearbox includes a laterally extending rack shaft and a pair of joints provided at either end of the rack shaft and joined to ends of respective tie rods. The longitudinal members extend obliquely so as to approach each other toward rear, and each front lower arm support is positioned more rearward than the steering gearbox.

A steering shaft is supported for tilting-up and tilting-down movements by a pivot mechanism, and connected at its front end to a steering gear box by a joint shaft. The joint shaft passes through an opening of a dashboard and is provided with a stopper facing a rear portion of the opening. When the dashboard is driven backwards as a result of collision of the vehicle, the joint shaft having the stopper urged by the opening is driven backward along with the dashboard. Thus, the steering gear box can be moved rearwards and downwards to inhibit the forward and downward pulling of the joint shaft, thereby preventing tilting-up of the steering shaft.

Tilt-type steering device

A steering shaft is supported for tilting-up and tilting-down movements by a pivot mechanism, which includes a base member fixed to a steering hanger in an instrument panel, on arm member pivotably supported on the base member through a fulcrum pin, and holder which support the steering shaft on the arm member. When the steering shaft is pulled forwards and downwards as a result of collision of the vehicle, the end of the forward and downward turning of the arm member is inhibited by the contact of a ceiling wall of the arm member with a stopper face of a stopper, thereby preventing tilting-up of the steering shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Hiroshi Imanishi