Steering column supporting structure for motor vehicle

Claim 1

A steering column supporting structure for use in a motor vehicle including a dash panel constituting a front wall of a cab for the motor vehicle, a floor panel extending rearwardly from the lower edge of the dash panel to constitute a vehicle floor and having a floor tunnel portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body at a central portion of the motor vehicle so as to be raised into the cab, an inner side panel extending from a front edge of a door opening at the side wall of the cab to a side edge of the dash panel and forming a closed cross sectional structure together with a hinge pillar outer panel, and a steering column provided in the forward portion of the cab at a central portion with respect to the driver's seat and rotatably housing a steering shaft therein, said steering column supporting structure comprising a steering column supporting member constituted by a long closed cross-section hollow duct bent so as to have a vertical portion provided in the forward part of the cab and extending generally perpendicularly with respect to the vehicle floor at approximately a central portion of the vehicle body, and a horizontal portion extending from the upper end of said vertical portion and laterally toward the side wall of the motor vehicle adjacent to the driver's seat in a direction approximately horizontal with respect to the vehicle floor, said vertical portion being rigidly connected, at its lower end, to said floor tunnel portion of said vehicle floor, said horizontal portion being rigidly connected, at its other end at the side wall of the motor vehicle adjacent to the driver's seat, to said inner side pannel, said steering column being fixed to approximately a central part of said horizontal portion for being supported thereat.