Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Body shell
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-26
2002-11-12
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Body shell
C296S070000, C280S752000, C074S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478365
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a crash safety device of a vehicle for preventing a knee of a driver from interfering with a brake master vac mounting portion, a clutch master vac mounting portion or the like at a time when a great force is applied at a time of collision of the vehicle or the like so as to keep safety of the driver.
BACKGROUND ART
FIGS. 9 and 10
show a summary of a steering master vac mounting portion
26
, a brake master vac mounting portion
25
a
and a clutch master vac mounting portion
24
a
within a cab in a forward control vehicle, and a mounting structure therefor.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, a leg portion
30
of a driver brought into contact with a floor panel
23
on the sole of a foot and being in a normal drive attitude holds the steering column portion
26
between the leg portions
30
and
30
as shown in
FIG. 9
, and a knee
31
thereof is arranged at a position substantially opposing to the brake master vac mounting portion
25
a
and the clutch master vac mounting portion
24
a
so as to be comparatively close thereto.
The brake master vac mounting portion
25
a
and the clutch master vac mounting portion
24
a
are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and are respectively constituted by a brake pedal bracket
37
, a brake master vac
27
and a brake master cylinder
28
, and a clutch pedal bracket
1
a,
a clutch master vac
6
, a clutch master cylinder
7
and the like. The brake master vac
27
and the clutch master vac
6
are arranged so that front surfaces thereof are respectively fixed to the brake pedal bracket
37
and the clutch pedal bracket
1
a,
and the brake master cylinder
28
and the clutch master cylinder
7
are respectively arranged so that rear surfaces thereof are directed to the knee
31
side. The brake pedal bracket
37
and the clutch pedal bracket
1
a
are respectively connected and supported to a front frame
21
and a front mount rail
22
which are connected to upper and lower portions of the front panel
19
, as shown in FIG.
10
. In this case, a brake pedal
29
and a clutch pedal
5
(
FIG. 1
) are respectively connected to the brake pedal bracket
37
and the clutch pedal bracket
1
a.
On the contrary, the steering column portion
26
is constituted by a steering boot
32
connected to the floor panel
23
, a steering cowl
33
arranged thereabove, a steering shaft
35
supported to a steering support bracket
34
, a steering handle
36
or the like. These elements are arranged at the position held between the leg portions
30
and
30
of the driver as mentioned above, and the steering handle
36
is arranged close to the driver's side.
When a great force is applied to the vehicle having the structure mentioned above at a time of collision or the like, as shown in
FIG. 11
, the front panel
19
moves rearward, the brake pedal bracket
37
and the clutch pedal bracket
1
a
are pressed, and the brake master vac mounting portion
25
a
and the clutch master vac mounting portion
24
a
largely moves rearward. On the contrary, the driver is pressed forward due to an inertia force, and the leg
31
moves to a position shown by a solid line from a position shown by a dot line in the drawing. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the knee
31
is brought into contact with the brake master cylinder
28
and a rear end
7
a
of the clutch master cylinder
7
.
In order to solve the problem mentioned above, various kinds of devices have been conventionally proposed, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication Nos. 62-56378, 62-59580 and 7-31516 can be listed up.
“Instrument Panel Frame of Automobile” described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 62-56378 corresponds to a structure in which a flange and an inclined surface are formed in the instrument panel frame provided in a lower portion of the instrument panel in a vehicle having equipment such as a master vac of a brake, a heater unit and the like within a vehicle body in front of the instrument panel so as to change directions of the master vac of the brake and the heater unit by the flange and the inclined surface when an external force is applied at a time of collision or the like, thereby preventing the elements from entering to the driver's side, and as the result, a safety is kept. Accordingly, the structure itself is effective, however, is largely different from the present invention mentioned below in view of the structure.
Further, “Vehicle Panel” described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 62-59580 corresponds to a structure in which a slit is provided in a panel arranged in such a manner as to oppose to a front end of a brake device, and the front end of the brake device expands the slit and enters to the panel side at a time when an external force is applied, so as to reduce an impact force applied to the brake device, thereby preventing the brake device from moving rearward to the steering side. The slit portion may be compared with a weakened portion in accordance with the present invention mentioned below, however, the known art is as a whole largely different from the present invention in view of the structure.
Further, “Knee Protector of Automobile” described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 7-31516 corresponds to a structure in which a knee protector for covering a rear end side of a member such as a master cylinder is provided therein so as to prevent the master cylinder from being directly brought into contact with a leg portion of a driver and the knee protector is deformed so as to shift the leg portion brought into contact with the knee protector in an oblique direction, thereby reducing an impact force applied to the leg portion. That is, an object of the prior art is to reduce an application of the impact force due to the collision, and is not to prevent a rigid member such as a master cylinder from being brought into contact with the leg portion in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, this prior art is different from the present invention in view of a structure, an object and an effect.
The present invention is made by taking the matters mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a crash safety device of a vehicle which securely prevents a brake master vac mounting portion and a clutch master vac mounting portion from being brought into contact with a leg portion of a driver by comparatively simple means for changing support positions of the brake master vac mounting portion and the clutch master vac mounting portion at a time when a great force is applied such as at a vehicle collision time or the like, thereby keeping a safety of the driver.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a collision safety device for preventing a knee of a driver from interfering with a brake master vac mounting portion and a clutch master vac mounting portion in a vehicle at a time when an external force is applied at a time of collision of a vehicle or the like, the brake master vac mounting portion being supported to a pedal bracket arranged at a position substantially opposing to the knee of the driver and fixed to a rigid member such as a dash panel or the like in a front surface side of a cab, wherein the pedal bracket of the master vac mounting portion arranged along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle is provided with a first bracket having a bent portion for fixing a master vac to a rear surface side and fixing a front surface side to the rigid member and a second bracket supported to the first bracket in a cantilever manner and having a striker extending forward along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and including a front end side arranged in a free end side thereof so as to pass through the rigid member, and a weakened portion is formed in the bent portion of the first bracket and a base end portion of the striker in the second bracket.
In more particular, the str
Inoue Makoto
Nakanose Kenji
Shindo Takeshi
Isuzu Motors Limited
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Pape Joseph D.
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