US 7,740,278 B2Granted

Steering gearbox mounting structure

AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsTsutomu Kakuta, Yasuhiro Tsutsui, Kazuhito Onoda, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Koji Nagata

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Abstract

A steering gearbox mounting structure having an intermediate bracket mounts a steering gearbox for steering wheels of a vehicle on a subframe of the vehicle. The intermediate bracket has a breakable portion which breaks when a force greater than a predetermined force is applied to the breakable portion to provide an impact absorbing stroke of an engine of the vehicle. The breakable portion may have a thin portion such as a plate or a recess portion and is more breakable in the traveling direction than the width direction. First and second intermediate brackets may be used which include first and second kinds of breakable portions that are breakable in different modes, respectively.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A steering gearbox mounting structure for mounting, on a subframe of a vehicle, a steering gearbox for steering at least one wheel of the vehicle, the steering gearbox mounting structure comprising:

an intermediate bracket for mounting the steering gearbox on the subframe, wherein the intermediate bracket is removably installable on a vehicle frame between the steering gearbox and the subframe, wherein the intermediate bracket comprises:
a breakable portion that is structured and configured to break when a force greater than a predetermined force is applied to the breakable portion;
and
a subframe fixing portion integrally formed on the intermediate bracket, the breakable portion formed at the subframe fixing portion, wherein the subframe fixing portion attaches the intermediate bracket to the subframe;
and wherein the subframe fixing portion has a thickness less than a thickness of a bracket body of the intermediate bracket;
and is configured to break in the event of a collision of the vehicle;
wherein the intermediate bracket further comprises a gearbox fixing portion for fixing the steering gearbox to the intermediate bracket, and the bracket body extending between the gearbox fixing portion and the subframe fixing portion, and wherein the subframe fixing portion comprises a thin portion extending outwardly from the bracket body;
and
wherein the bracket body is substantially L-shaped.

6 more elements

A steering gearbox mounting structure for mounting, on a subframe of a vehicle, a steering gearbox for steering at least one wheel of the vehicle, the steering gearbox mounting structure comprising:

an intermediate bracket for mounting the steering gearbox on the subframe, wherein the intermediate bracket comprises a breakable portion that is structured and configured to break when a force greater than a predetermined force is applied thereto;
wherein the intermediate bracket comprises a subframe fixing portion as the breakable portion for fixing the intermediate bracket to the subframe and further comprises a gearbox fixing portion for fixing the steering gearbox to the intermediate bracket, and a bracket body extending between the gearbox fixing portion and the subframe fixing portion, and wherein the subframe fixing portion comprises a thin portion extending outwardly from the bracket body;
wherein the thin portion comprises a plate that extends from the bracket body and is fixed to the subframe, and has such a thickness as to break when the force is applied thereto;
wherein the plate has a hole for penetrating a bolt therethrough and is fixed to the subframe with the bolt, and the plate is broken by the bolt when the force is applied to the breakable portion by movement between the bracket body and the subframe;
and wherein the intermediate bracket further comprises a rib having a first edge connected to the bracket body and a second edge connected to a surface of the plate, the rib extending perpendicularly to the plate and extending outwardly from the bracket body up to a location corresponding to the hole in the width direction to determine a breaking line on the plate.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/247,518Filed 11 Oct 2005
Priority: JP 2004-30362819 Oct 2004
Published: US 2006/0082121 A120 Apr 2006
Granted: 22 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B62D 3/12
Mechanical: of rack-and-pinion type
B62D 21/11
Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted: with resilient means for suspension , e.g. of wheels or engine;…
B62D 21/15
Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted: having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or…
B62D
Motor vehicles