Mazda Motor Corporation

Other

Shuji Sanagi

Keisuke Miyoshi

Kazutaka Ishikura

Kouki Makino

Gaku Ikeyama

Michio Kado

Hideaki Tanaka

Kazunori Tomono

Nobuyuki Tanaka

Toshihiko Mori

Yuki Hori

Daito Nakano

Takeshi Terada

Hiroyuki Fuke

Yuki Togawa

A steering device comprises a tilt-telescopic mechanism to switch between its tilt-and-axial move allowed state and its prohibited state. The tilt-telescopic mechanism comprises a pair of side wall portions provided on both sides, in a vehicle width direction, of an upper column, a bolt penetrating the side wall portions and pressing the side wall portions against each other in an approaching direction, a lever, and a biasing portion arranged between each of the side wall portions and the upper column and operative to apply a pressing force to the upper column from the both sides, in the vehicle width direction, thereof. The biasing portion comprises a pair of upper-side pressing portions to press an upper portion of the upper column above its axial center from both sides and a pair of lower-side pressing portions to press a lower portion of that below its axial center from both sides.

Steering device

Road wheels of a vehicle are provided with a steering shaft for transmitting a steering force from a steering wheel. An electric power steering unit (accessory) is disposed to a lateral side of the steering shaft. A clutch pedal is disposed below the electric power steering unit and pivotally mounted to a dash panel. The electric power steering unit is provided with an anti-intrusion bracket extending to the vicinity of the rear of the clutch pedal so that the anti-intrusion bracket can abut on the clutch pedal pushed rearward in a collision.

Anti-intrusion pedal system

In a supporting structure for a brake pedal assembly pivotally mounted for rocking motion on the rear surface of a dash panel of an automobile through a first bracket, a front portion of the first bracket is fixed to the dash panel and the rear end thereof is coupled to a second bracket, fastened to a cowl member in a cabin, so as to be disengageable by the application of a load of automobile collision above a predetermined level. The brake pedal assembly is pivotally mounted for rocking motion to the first bracket. At the lower end of the second bracket, a pedal lever stop is provided which abuts against the rear end of the brake pedal assembly when the first and second brackets are disengaged in an automobile collision so that the brake pedal assembly moves backward. The brake pedal assembly is restrained by abutment on the pedal lever stop against backward movement. This ensures to prevent the brake pedal assembly from moving backward in an automobile collision while providing a simple and highly reliable structure.

Pedal assembly supporting structure for automobile

In a supporting structure for a brake pedal assembly pivotally mounted for rocking motion on the rear surface of a dash panel of an automobile through a first bracket, a front portion of the first bracket is fixed to the dash panel and a rear-end upper portion thereof is coupled to a second bracket fastened to an instrument panel member as a car body member in a cabin so as to be disengageable by the application of a load of automobile collision above a predetermined level. The brake pedal assembly is pivotally mounted for rocking motion to the first bracket. On the underside of the second bracket, an inclined guide surface is provided which abuts against the upper end of the brake pedal assembly when the coupling between the first and second brackets is disengaged in an automobile collision so that the first bracket moves backward together with the brake pedal assembly. The inclined guide surface guides the brake pedal assembly in its downward movement through its abutment against the inclined guide surface. This ensures to prevent the brake pedal assembly from moving backward in an automobile collision while providing a simple and highly reliable structure.

A structural arrangement for supporting a tilt steering device includes a steering column into which a steering shaft coupled at one end thereof with a steering wheel, is inserted so as to be rotatable. A lower steering column bracket is attached to the lower end portion of the steering column, and a connecting bracket is attached to the vehicle body, facing the lower steering column bracket. A shaft supports the lower steering column bracket to the connecting bracket so that each bracket is able to rotate with respect to each other. A rotation blocking element is located between the lower steering column bracket and the connecting bracket so that the bracket does not rotate with respect to each other when a force, which is larger than a predetermined force, is applied between each bracket.

Structural arrangement for supporting a tilt steering drive

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima, Japan

Shuji Sanagi