JP2524149Y2 - Steering adjustment device linked to inner mirror - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a steering adjusting device that adjusts a steering operation unit to an appropriate position.

(Prior Art) In a vehicle, the position of a seat in the front-rear direction is adjusted so that pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and the like) are at appropriate positions where they can be easily operated.

However, although the driver is in an appropriate position with respect to the pedals and the external field of view, it cannot be said that the driver is in an appropriate position with respect to the steering wheel because the physique is different for each driver.

Therefore, conventionally, an automobile employs a steering wheel that can move in a telescopic direction (front-back direction) and a tilt direction (up-down direction), and adjusts the steering wheel from the telescopic direction and the tilt direction. Is set to an appropriate position that does not impair the visibility of the steering wheel and facilitates the steering operation.

(Problems to be solved by the present invention) However, in order to obtain an appropriate driving position with a steering device having such a function, in addition to adjusting the slide of the seat, the user can move the steering up, down, left and right each time to obtain an appropriate driving position. It was necessary to make adjustments to achieve a proper drive position, and the adjustment was cumbersome.

This invention was made with a focus on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a steering adjustment device that can easily adjust to an appropriate steering position suitable for the user without obstruction of the instrument panel view. To provide.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, a steering adjustment device according to the present invention is provided with a steering operation unit that is provided at the rear of the instrument panel and is movable in the front-rear direction and movable in the vertical direction. A steering adjusting means for adjusting the steering operation unit in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction, an inner mirror provided in the vehicle interior and capable of adjusting an angle, a mirror detecting means for detecting a position of the inner mirror, and the mirror detecting means. Control means comprising: storage means for storing position data of the steering operation unit such that the instrument panel is not hidden from the driver's eye level determined at each position of the detected inner mirror; Means for driving the steering adjustment means in accordance with the position of the steering operation section determined by the means. .

(Operation) According to the steering adjustment device of the present invention, after the driver sits on the seat and adjusts the seat to an appropriate position,
When the inner mirror is adjusted to be easily viewed, an appropriate position of the steering operation section is determined from the angular position of the inner mirror.

The position of the steering operation unit determined here is set in advance so as to be an area where the instrument panel is not covered by the steering operation unit.

Then, the steering adjustment means is driven and controlled according to the obtained position of the steering operation unit,
Adjust the steering operation part to the appropriate driving position that matches the body shape.

In other words, just by adjusting the inner mirror after adjusting the seat position, the steering operation unit automatically moves to the proper tilt and telescopic position (appropriate steering position) that suits you without compromising the visibility of the instrument panel. Adjusted.

(Embodiment) The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 3 shows the periphery of the driver's seat of the vehicle to which the present invention is applied, 1 is a vehicle compartment, 2 is a front door, and 3 is a steering wheel (steering operation unit) provided in the vehicle compartment 1.

A steering shaft 5 penetrating the cabin 1 is connected to the steering wheel 3 as shown in FIG. And this steering shaft 5
The gearbox, tie rod, not shown
The front wheels (steering wheels) are connected via a knuckle arm, and the vehicle can be steered by rotating the steering wheel 3 in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the steering system is provided with, for example, an electric tilt adjusting device 6 (tilt adjusting driving means) and a telescopic adjusting device 7 (telescopic adjusting driving means).

The mechanical part of the tilt adjusting device 6 is provided with a hinge 8 for vertical rotation on a shaft portion protruding downward from an end of the steering column 5a around the steering shaft 5, for example. Further, the steering column 5a is supported on members constituting the vehicle body via a bracket (both not shown) so as to be vertically movable. And the steering column 5a
The steering wheel 3 with the hinge 8 as a fulcrum
It has a structure in which a drive source 9 for driving the side vertically is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the drive source 9 includes a rotary drive unit 10 using a motor 10a as a power source, a potentiometer 11 for detecting a tilt position, an upper limit position and a lower limit position of a tilt adjustment region. And limit switches 12 and 13 for stopping the motor drive.

Each component of the mechanical unit is connected to, for example, a tilt switch 15 (corresponding to an operation unit of a tilt adjustment device, shown in FIG. 3) provided on the instrument panel 14 via an ECU 35 described later. , Set the tilt switch 15 to the UP side,
By operating to the DOWN side, the steering wheel 3 side can be turned up and down around the hinge 8 by the rotational force of the motor 10a.

Further, the mechanical part of the telescopic adjustment device 7 divides a portion of the steering shaft 5 covered with the steering column 5a into front and rear portions, and rotates both of the divided portions using, for example, a fitting structure and engagement with pins. The connection is made so as to be extendable and contractible in the axial direction while restricting the direction. The steering column 5a is provided with a drive source 16 for driving the shaft portion on the steering wheel 3 side to expand and contract in the front-rear direction. The driving source 16 is
As shown in FIG. 4, a telescopic drive unit 17 using a motor 17a as a power source, a potentiometer 18 for detecting a telescopic position, for example, and a motor drive at each position on the contraction side and extension side of the limit of the telescopic adjustment area. And limit switches 19 and 20 for stopping the operation.

And each part of this mechanical part and the tilt switch 15
A telescopic switch 21 (operating unit of a telescopic adjustment device) provided with the steering shaft 5 is connected via an ECU 35, which will be described later, and operates the telescopic switch 21 in a contraction side or a retraction side to rotate the steering shaft 5 by the torque of the motor 17a. Can be expanded and contracted.

In addition, a driver's seat 22 (hereinafter, referred to as a vehicle seat) is installed in the vehicle compartment 1 with respect to the steering wheel 3. Driver's seat 22
Is, for example, a seat cushion that can slide in the front-back direction
23 and a seat back 24 whose angle with respect to the seat cushion 23 can be adjusted. An electric seat slide device 25 that slides the seat 22 in the front-rear direction is provided on a frame (not shown) of the seat cushion 23. This seat slide device 25
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a slide drive unit 26 using a motor 26a as a drive source and limit switches 28 and 29 for stopping motor drive at front end positions and rear end positions of a slide adjustment area are assembled. It is configured together. And these devices and, for example, seat cushion
The seat slide switch 30 provided on the side of the switch 23 is connected via an ECU 35 described later, and the seat slide switch 3
By operating 0 on the front and rear sides, the motor 2
The seat 22 can be slid in the front-back direction (the direction in which the seat 22 comes into contact with and separates from the steering wheel 3) by the rotation force 6a.

On the other hand, an inner mirror 31 is provided at a roof portion above the instrument panel 14, for example, at a widthwise center on the edge side of the windshield 1a. The inner mirror 31 has a structure in which, for example, a mirror body 31a is movably connected to a stay 31b by a ball joint (not shown). That is, the angle can be adjusted by grasping the mirror body 31a by hand. The inner mirror 31 has a sensor for detecting the state of the mirror body 31a, for example, a horizontal angle sensor 32a and a vertical angle sensor 32b for detecting the horizontal and vertical positions of the mirror body 31a, respectively (both for example, Provided by a Hall element or the like).

The ECU 35 (control means) sets the steering wheel 3 to an appropriate position in accordance with the detection signals output from the angle sensors 32a and 32b. This control system is shown in FIG.

That is, the ECU 35 includes the CPU 36a and the RAM 36b connected to the CPU 36a. In addition, the CPU 36a sends detection signals from the angle sensors 32a and 32b to each of the sensor circuits 3.
Mirror position detecting means 37 is provided for detecting the mirror position (angle) by coordinates in the horizontal and vertical directions, which are received via 2c, 32d and the A / D conversion circuit 33.

On the other hand, the RAM 36b stores data necessary for determining the tilt and the telescopic position of the steering wheel 3 from the vertical angle of the mirror detected by the mirror position detecting means 37 as shown in FIGS. As a map,
It is stored in advance.

More specifically, this data is obtained by actually experimenting on how the position of the steering wheel 3 in the standard drive position is related to the eye height, that is, the vertical angle of the inner mirror 31. It is basic.

Note that the steering position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 corresponds to an instrument panel provided on the back side of the steering wheel 3.
The steering position is set so as not to cover 39, and this is input to the RAM 36b. That is, if the steering wheel 3 is set at the tilt position and the telescopic position according to the maps shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the steering wheel 3 can be set to an appropriate position without blocking the instrument panel 39. Has become.

On the other hand, to the ECU 35, for example, an operation panel 40 installed near the inner mirror 31 is connected. The operation panel 40 is provided with a set switch 41. ECU35
Is set so that the tilt adjusting device 6 and the telescopic adjustment 7 can be operated independently (independently) until the set switch 41 is turned on. Also, when turned on, the CPU 36a drives the tilt adjusting device 6 and the telescopic adjusting device 7 to drive the respective motors to the telescopic position T1 and the tilt position T2 selected from the RAM 36b according to the angle of the inner mirror 31. The control signal to be output is output.

Next, the operation procedure and operation of the steering adjusting device thus configured will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

When the driver adjusts the drive position,
First, the user sits on the seat 22 via the front door 2. Next, as shown by "S1," the seat slide switch 30 on the side of the seat is operated, and as shown in FIG. 1, the seat 22 is moved to a position where the pedal 45 (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, etc.) can be easily operated. To slide back and forth electrically.

Then, after the seat 22 is adjusted to an appropriate position, the driver then holds the inner mirror 31 with his / her finger and adjusts the angle to a position where the best rear view can be obtained as shown by “S2”.

Next, when the mirror adjustment is completed, the set switch 41 is turned on as indicated by “S3”. Then, CPU36a
Detects the position of the inner mirror 31 in the horizontal and vertical directions as indicated by "S4" by calculation from the signals input from the angle sensors 32a and 32b for the horizontal and vertical directions. Then, as shown by “S5”, this inner mirror 31
Is read.

Then, the CPU 36a changes the view area of the instrument panel 39 by the rim 3a or the like of the steering wheel 3 corresponding to the position of the inner mirror 31 (mirror vertical angle) from the map stored in the RAM 36b as indicated by “S6”. The telescopic position T1 and the tilt position T2 which are not impaired, that is, the optimum drive position are selected. For example, if the inner mirror vertical angle is “(a) point position”, the telescopic position T1 is the “(c) point position” telescopic amount, and the tilt position T2 is “(b) point position” from the mirror vertical angle. The tilt angle is set as an optimum steering position that matches the current adjusted seat position.

Next, a drive signal according to the above setting is output from the ECU 36a to the tilt adjustment device 6 and the telescopic adjustment device 7, and the motor 1 of each device is output as indicated by "S8" to "S11".
Turn on 0a and 17a. As a result, the steering wheel 3 slightly extends from the initial state (the position of the telescopic position “0 mm” and the tilt position “0 deg” indicated by the solid line) and slightly lifts up as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Position: extension, tilt position: high). The displacement of the steering wheel 3 at this time is determined by the potentiometer 1
Feedback is provided from 1,18 to the CPU 36a.

When this feedback causes the steering wheel 3 to reach the “(b) point position”, the CPU 3
6a determines that the steering wheel 3 has been set to the optimal tilt position as indicated by "S12" and "S13",
The motor 10a of the tilt adjusting device 6 is stopped. Similarly, when the front and rear positions of the steering hole 3 extend to the “point (c) position”, the CPU 36a determines that the steering wheel 3 is set to the optimal telescopic position as indicated by “S14” and “S15”. Then, the motor 17a of the telescopic adjustment device 7 is stopped.

When all the adjustments of the steering wheel 3 are completed as indicated by “S16”, the steering wheel 3
This means that the position is automatically adjusted to the position of the driver sitting on the seat 4.

As a result, the steering wheel is set to an appropriate steering position suitable for each driver without adjusting the visibility of the instrument panel 39 by merely adjusting the inner mirror 21 as shown in FIG. According to the experiment, people of normal body shape can set their own positions at a ratio of "80% to 90%" without fine adjustment.

Therefore, the driver only needs to adjust the slide position of the seat 22 and the inner mirror 31, and the adjustment of the steering position is easy.

In the above-described embodiment, the seat that can be adjusted in the front-rear direction (seat slide position) is used.
The same effect can be obtained by using a seat whose height or the like can be adjusted.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the driver automatically adjusts the seat position and the mirror position, and automatically adjusts to the optimum steering position suitable for the user without impairing the visibility of the instrument panel. Can be adjusted.

Therefore, it is possible to easily adjust a position suitable for oneself.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention.
The figure shows the tilt and telescopic state of the steering wheel adjusted according to the inner mirror.
The figure shows a steering wheel set without impairing the visibility of the instrument panel, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a steering adjustment device mounted on an automobile, FIG. 4 is a view showing a control system, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the correlation between the vertical angle and the tilt angle of the inner mirror, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the correlation between the vertical angle of the inner mirror and the telescopic position, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the transition of the adjustment of the steering position. 3. Steering wheel (steering operation unit)
6 ... Tilt adjustment device (steering adjustment means), 7 ...
… Telescopic adjustment device (steering adjustment means), 22 ……
Seat, 31 ... Inner mirror, 35 ... ECU (control means), 36a ... CPU, 36b ... RAM, 39 ... Instrument panel, 41 ...
Set switch.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A steering operation unit provided behind a vehicle on an instrument panel, the steering operation unit being movable in a front-rear direction, and being movable in a vertical direction; a steering adjusting means for adjusting the steering operation unit in a front-rear direction and a vertical direction; An inner mirror provided in the room, the angle of which is adjustable, a mirror detecting means for detecting a position of the inner mirror, and a driver's eye height determined by each position of the inner mirror detected by the mirror detecting means. Control means comprising storage means for storing position data of the steering operation part so that the instrument panel is not hidden; and means for driving the steering adjustment means in accordance with the position of the steering operation part determined by the control means And a steering adjustment device linked to an inner mirror.