Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to steering column support structures in vehicles and more particularly, to a lightweight mounting bracket assembly located on a cross car beam for mounting a steering column in the vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[002] Usually, a steering column is used for supporting a steering wheel of a vehicle. Vehicles include a cross-car beam (CCB) attached laterally between opposite sides of the forward portion of the vehicle. It provides support for various diverse components of the IP located at the front end of the passenger compartment. The components may include a steering column, HVAC, a fuse box, cable harness, an instrument panel having entertainment/information modules and multiple electronic accessories, and a gear shifter unit, etc. Typically various component mounting brackets or supports are provided for the components to be securely mounted to the CCB.
[003] Currently, there are various CCBs on the market that are composed of different materials like plastic, aluminum, and magnesium. Due to its greater design flexibility, aluminum and magnesium are more frequently used in structural applications, for example, cross car beams, support brackets, and steering column support brackets. However, magnesium has disadvantages include material cost, durability constraints, and limited availability of stock material. The conventional magnesium CCBs may increase manufacturing cost due to the use of high pressure die cast aluminum or magnesium and also increase the weight of the vehicle. Further, the conventional aluminum CCBs are more expensive than steel and have packaging issues, are harder to form, and are more difficult to weld than steel due to the lack of automotive aluminum production infrastructure.
[004] Additionally, the conventional plastic CCBs also have disadvantages include lack of structural integrity and stiffness to reduce noise, vibrations, and handling (NVH) criteria. The CCB needs to meet multiple requirements and stiff enough to support the various diverse components of the IP system. Particularly, a steering bracket of the CCB must be extremely rigid to support the steering column because any steering wheel trembling adversely affects the perception of the driver as to the quality of construction of the vehicle. The steering column of the vehicle must be securely mounted so that it does not vibrate.
[005] In current scenario, weight optimization is a serious challenge in the automotive manufacturing. Interior trimmings are heavily impacted by weight due to the CCB. The weight of the CCB, support brackets, and the steering column support brackets may also increase the weight of the vehicle. Thus, the weight of the vehicle may affect fuel consumption. The weight of the CCB, support brackets, and the steering column support brackets also leads to increase the material cost, tooling cost, and manufacturing cost of the vehicle.
[006] Therefore, it is desirable to simplify the design of the steering column bracket while reducing the number of parts required, thereby reducing weight of the CCB, manufacturing cost, and contributing to improve fuel consumption of the vehicle.
OBJECTS
[007] The principal object of embodiments herein is to provide a lightweight mounting bracket assembly located on a cross car beam for mounting a steering column in a vehicle.
[008] Another object of embodiments herein is to provide the lightweight mounting bracket assembly for the steering column which reduces an overall weight of the vehicle.
[009] These and other objects of embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with following description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] The embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0011] Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of a mounting bracket assembly located on a cross car beam for mounting a steering column in a vehicle, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0012] Fig. 2 depicts detail A of fig. 1, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0013] Fig. 3 depicts a side view of the mounting bracket assembly, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and
[0014] Fig. 4 depicts the mounting bracket assembly which is connected to the cross car beam and the dashboard of the vehicle, where the mounting bracket assembly mounts the steering column onto the cross car beam, according to embodiments as disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0016] The embodiments herein achieve lightweight mounting bracket assembly located on a cross car beam for mounting a steering column in a vehicle. Referring now to the drawings Figs. 1 through 4, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0017] Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of a mounting bracket assembly (100) located on a cross car beam (C) for mounting a steering column (S) in a vehicle, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the mounting bracket assembly (100) includes a first bracket (102), a second bracket (104), a third bracket (106), a plurality of fourth brackets (108) and a fifth bracket (110). For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the mounting bracket assembly (100) is explained herein with below reference to mounting the steering column ((S), (as shown in fig. 4)) onto the cross car beam (C) of the vehicle such as cars. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to use/practice the components used in mounting bracket assembly (100) for mounting steering column (S) on off-road vehicles or any other vehicles or any other applications, without otherwise deterring the intended function of the mounting bracket assembly (100) as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings. Further, the mounting bracket assembly (100) is adapted for supporting an instrumental panel (not shown) of the vehicle. The mounting bracket assembly (100) is adapted to withstand a static load of the steering column (S) and the instrument panel of the vehicle.
[0018] The first bracket (102) is connected to the cross car beam (C) of the vehicle. The first bracket (102) is adapted to receive the cross car beam (C) therethrough. The first bracket (102) substantially defines a L shape.
[0019] The second bracket (104) is connected to the first bracket (102) and the car cross beam (C). The second bracket (104) defines one of a square shape or a rectangular shape. The first and second brackets (102, 104) substantially define a triangular cross section.
[0020] The third bracket (106) is connected to a dashboard of the vehicle. The third bracket (106) is located above the fourth brackets (108). One end of the third bracket (106) is connected to one of the fourth bracket (108) and another end of the third bracket (106) is connected to another fourth bracket (108).
[0021] The plurality of fourth brackets (108) are adapted to connect the dashboard to the cross car beam (C) through the third bracket (106). One end of each fourth bracket (108) is connected to the first and second brackets (102, 104) and another end of each fourth bracket (108) is connected to the third bracket (106). Each fourth bracket (108) defines a plurality of legs ((108L), (as shown in fig. 2)) in which one of the leg (108L) is connected to the first bracket (102) and another leg (108L) is connected to the second bracket (104). Each fourth bracket (108) is parallel and spaced away from another fourth bracket (108).
[0022] The fifth bracket (110) is transversely mounted onto the fourth brackets (108). The fifth bracket (110) is adapted for supporting the instrument panel thereon. The first, second, third and fourth brackets (102, 104, 106 & 108) substantially define a human foot shape (as shown in fig. 3).
[0023] The technical advantage of the mounting bracket assembly (100) is as follows. The mounting bracket assembly (100) is lightweight and is durable. The lightweight mounting bracket assembly reduces an overall weight of the vehicle.
[0024] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
, Claims:1. A mounting bracket assembly (100) for a steering column (S) in a vehicle, said mounting bracket assembly (100) comprising:
a first bracket (102) connected to a cross car beam (C) of the vehicle, wherein said first bracket (102) is adapted to mount the steering column (S) thereon;
a second bracket (104) connected to said first bracket (102) and said cross car beam (C);
a third bracket (106) connected to a dashboard (D) of the vehicle; and
a plurality of fourth brackets (108), wherein one end of each of said plurality of fourth brackets (108) is connected to said first and second brackets (102, 104) and another end of each of said plurality of fourth brackets (108) is connected to said third bracket (106).
2. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first, second, third and fourth brackets (102, 104, 106 & 108) substantially define a human foot shape; and
said first bracket (102) is adapted to receive the cross car beam (C) therethrough.
3. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket assembly (100) includes a fifth bracket (110) transversely mounted onto said plurality of fourth brackets (108), wherein said fifth bracket (110) is adapted for supporting instrument panel thereon.
4. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first bracket (102) substantially defines a L shape.
5. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of fourth brackets (108) defines a plurality of legs (108L) in which one of said plurality of legs (108L) is connected to said first bracket (102) and another of said plurality of legs (108L) is connected to said second bracket (104).

6. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second bracket (104) defines one of a square shape or a rectangular shape.
7. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third bracket (106) is located above said plurality of fourth brackets (108); and
one end of said third bracket (106) is connected to one of said plurality of fourth brackets (108) and another end of said third bracket (106) is connected to another of said plurality of fourth brackets (108).
8. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second brackets (102, 104) substantially defines a triangular cross section.
9. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said plurality of fourth brackets (108) is parallel and spaced away from each other.
10. The mounting bracket assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket assembly (100) is adapted to withstand a static load of the steering column (S) and an instrument panel of the vehicle.