JP2003246271A - Tiltable steering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a light-weight and low-cost structure having a small number of components. <P>SOLUTION: A tiltable steering apparatus comprises a steering column 3 and a protrusion 11 bulged down integrally with an intermediate part of the steering column 3. A through hole 10 matched to a long hole 8 formed at a fixed bracket 6 is formed at the protrusion 11. The apparatus further comprises a tilting mechanism having a tilting nut 14 engaged with a protruding part from the outside face of the bracket 6 at the distal end of a tilting bolt 13 inserted into the holes 8, 10, and a tilting lever 12 fixedly coupled to a base end. Thus, the nut 14 is clamped and unclamped by operating the lever 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention A tilt type steering apparatus according to the present invention adjusts a height position of a steering wheel for steering an automobile. 2. Description of the Related Art In order to change the height of a steering wheel according to the physique and driving posture of a driver, there has been conventionally known a steering wheel height position adjusting device called a tilt type steering device. [0003] As the tilt type steering apparatus, those having various structures have been used. And, for example,
With the structure as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the height position of the steering wheel 1 can be freely adjusted. Rear end (upper end)
The steering shaft 2 which is rotated by the operation of the steering wheel 1 fixed to the
And a front end (lower end) of the steering column 3 is supported on the vehicle body so as to be swingable about a horizontal axis 4. On the other hand, an intermediate portion of the steering column 3 is supported by a fixing bracket 6 fixed to the vehicle body to freely adjust the vertical position. Such a so-called tilt mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1 is configured as shown in detail in FIGS. That is, the fixing bracket 6 fixed to a part of the vehicle body (the lower side of the dashboard) is provided with a pair of vertical plate portions 7, 7 parallel to each other, and these vertical plate portions 7, 7 are aligned with each other. At the position, elongated holes 8 are formed in an arc shape centered on the horizontal axis 4 and long in the vertical direction.
An elevating bracket 9 formed by bending a rigid metal plate is formed on the lower surface of the intermediate portion of the steering column 3.
It is fixed by welding or the like. This lifting bracket 9 is
It is fixed so as to be sandwiched between the pair of vertical plate portions 7. The lifting bracket 9 is formed with through holes 5, 5 concentric with each other in the lateral direction (the front and back directions in FIGS. 4 to 5 and the left and right directions in FIG. 6). And these through holes 5, 5
And the elongated holes 8, 8 are provided with a tilt bolt 1 as a rod-shaped member.
3 is inserted. One end (left end in FIG. 6) of the tilt bolt 13 is provided with a head 13a as a pressing portion. A tilt nut 14, which is a pressing member, is screwed into a portion of the tip of the tilt bolt 13 protruding from the outer surface of the fixed bracket 6, and the base end of the tilt lever 12 is further fitted to the tilt nut 14. The connection is fixed. When the height position of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted by the conventional tilt-type steering device having the above-described configuration in accordance with the driver's physique or the like, the tilt lever 12 is operated. The tilt nut 14 is loosened to increase the distance between the tilt nut 14 and the head 13a. In this state, the pair of vertical plate portions 7,
The frictional force generated between the inner side surface of the lifting bracket 7 and the outer side surface of the lifting bracket 9 is reduced. Therefore, in this state, the tilt bolt 13 is inserted along the long holes 8 of the fixing bracket 6.
To move the steering wheel 1 to a desired height position by moving the rear end of the steering column 3 up and down. [0006] With the height of the steering wheel 1 moved to a desired position in this manner, the tilt nut 14 is tightened by the tilt lever 12. Based on this tightening, the interval between the head 13a and the tilt nut 14 is reduced, and the inner side surfaces of the pair of vertical plate parts 7, 7 are strongly pressed against the outer side surface of the elevating bracket 9, and between these two sides. The resulting frictional force increases. As a result, the upper portion of the steering column 3 can be fixed at the adjusted position. On the other hand, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-30605 discloses a structure as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 for pivotally supporting a lower end portion of a steering column constituting a steering device of a cab-over type truck. ing. In this structure, the collar member 15 is inserted through long holes 8a, 8a formed in the boss 18 into which the lower end of the steering column 17 is press-fitted. Then, bushings 19, 19 are fitted into both ends of the collar member 15, and the bolts 16 inserted through these members 15, 19 are used to secure the steering column 1
7 is supported on a fixed bracket 6a so as to be able to move up and down and swing freely. At the time of a tilt operation for adjusting the front / rear position of the steering wheel 1 (FIG. 4), the collar member 15 and the steering column 17 are swung about the bolt 16. When adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel, the collar member 15 is moved (elevated) along the long holes 8a. [0009] Among the conventional tilt type steering devices constructed and operated as described above, FIG.
In the case of the structures of the first examples described in Nos. 6 to 6, the number of components is large due to the presence of the lifting bracket 9 constituting the tilt mechanism, and the production of components, the management of components, and the assembling work are all complicated, and the production cost is increased. Further, when the lifting bracket 9 is fixed to the steering column 3 by welding, the following problem arises due to the influence of heat generated by the welding. A part of the outer peripheral surface of the steering column 3 may be subjected to plastic working such as surface pressing in advance in order to form a collapsible steering column, but this plastic processed part is liable to be tempered by welding heat. When tempering occurs, the shape of the steering column 3 becomes unstable, and the load for contracting the collapsible steering column may become unstable. When the entire length of the steering column 3 is reduced due to a primary collision or a secondary collision caused by a collision accident, the leading edge of the inner column displaced forward interferes with a part of the outer column deformed by the welding heat. Therefore, there is a possibility that the contraction of the steering column is not performed smoothly. If the lifting bracket 9 is deformed by heat due to welding and the contact state between the both side surfaces of the lifting bracket 9 and the inner surfaces of the vertical plates 7, 7 is poor, the tilt type steering device is likely to malfunction. . Specifically, there is a possibility that the tilt operation force for raising and lowering the lifting bracket 9 becomes unstable, and it is difficult to generate a sufficient tilt stop load for holding the lifting bracket 9. Also, in the case of the structure of the second example shown in FIGS.
7, it is necessary to make them separately from each other and to fit them later, which also increases the manufacturing cost. The tilt type steering device of the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. In the tilt type steering apparatus according to the present invention, similarly to the above-mentioned conventional tilt type steering apparatus, a steering shaft for fixing a steering wheel is inserted into a rear end portion, and a front end thereof is provided. A steering column pivotally supported by a horizontal axis, an elevating bracket fixed to an intermediate portion of the steering column, a through hole formed in the elevating bracket in a lateral direction, and a pair of vertical plate portions. A fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body with the vertical plate portion sandwiching the lifting bracket from the left and right, and a vertically long portion formed at a portion of each of the vertical plate portions that is aligned with the through hole. A hole, a rod member inserted through the elongated hole and the through hole, a pressing portion provided at one end of the rod member, and a pressing member engaged with the other end of the rod member. And a tilt lever having a base end fixed to the pressing member and capable of expanding and contracting the distance between the pressing member and the pressing portion with swinging. In particular, in the tilt type steering apparatus according to the present invention, the lifting bracket is constituted by a convex portion formed integrally with the steering column by expanding an intermediate portion of the steering column. I have. The function of the tilt type steering apparatus of the present invention configured as described above to rotatably support the steering shaft and the function of adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel are the same as those of the conventional steering apparatus described above. This is the same as in the case of the tilt type steering device. In particular, in the case of the present invention, there is no need to later fix the lifting bracket to the outer peripheral surface of the steering column by welding. As a result, it is possible to prevent the above-described inconveniences caused by the welding and to simplify the production of parts, the management of parts, and the assembling work, thereby reducing production costs. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention.
A feature of the present invention is that a convex portion 11 corresponding to the elevating bracket 9 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is formed integrally with the steering column 3. Since the configuration and operation of the other parts are almost the same as those of the above-described conventional structure, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted or simplified. . The entire steering column 3 is made of a metal plate such as a mild steel plate or an aluminum alloy plate in a cylindrical shape. In the middle of the steering column 3, a convex portion 11, which is a feature of the present invention, is formed integrally with the steering column 3. That is, the convex portion 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a part of the steering column 3 subjected to plastic working to swell from below the steering column 3 (the lower side in FIGS. 1 to 3). Through holes 10, 10 extending in the width direction of the steering column 3 (front and back directions in FIGS. 1 and 3 and left and right directions in FIG. 2) are formed concentrically with each other on the left and right side walls forming the convex portion 11. Is formed. And
A tilt bolt 13 is inserted into both the through holes 10 and the elongated holes 8 formed in the pair of vertical plates 7 forming the fixing bracket 6, and the tip of the tilt bolt 13 is tilted. The nut 14 is screwed. The base end of the tilt lever 12 is connected and fixed to the tilt nut 14,
The tilt mechanism for adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 1 (FIG. 4) is configured. When the height position of the steering wheel 1 (FIG. 4) is adjusted by the tilt type steering apparatus of the present invention configured as described above according to the physique and the like of the driver, as in the conventional case. By operating the tilt lever 12, the tilt nut 14 is loosened, and the interval between the tilt nut 14 and the head 13a of the tilt bolt 13 is increased. In this state, the frictional force generated between the inner surfaces of the pair of vertical plates 7, 7 and the outer surfaces of the convex portions 11 formed on the steering column 3 is reduced. Therefore, the tilt bolts 13 extend along the elongated holes 8 formed in the vertical plate portions 7 and 7.
Is moved, and the tilt nut 14 is tightened by the tilt lever 12. By this operation, the upper portion of the steering column 3 can be supported by the fixed bracket 6 fixed to the vehicle body with the height of the steering wheel 1 adjusted to a desired position. As described above, in the case of the tilt type steering apparatus of the present invention, the convex column 1 corresponding to the lifting bracket 9 (FIGS. 5 to 6) is previously provided on the steering column 3.
Since the first bracket 1 is formed, it is not necessary to fix the lifting bracket 9 to the steering column 3 later. Further, since welding for fixing the lifting bracket 9 is not required, deformation of the steering column 3 and the lifting bracket 9 due to welding as described above can be prevented. As a result, in addition to ensuring the safety at the time of the primary collision and the secondary collision, ensuring the good tilt operability, and simplifying all of the parts production, parts management, and assembly work, the tilt steering system The manufacturing cost of the device can be reduced. The tilt type steering apparatus according to the present invention has the following features.
Since it is configured and operates as described above, it is possible to provide a lightweight and inexpensive tilt-type steering device that does not require welding. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of troubles due to welding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view similar to FIG. 5, showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a steering column. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a tilt type steering apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion B of FIG. 4 showing a first example of a conventional structure. FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 4; FIG. 7 is an essential part perspective view showing a second example of the conventional structure. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 7; [Description of Signs] 1 Steering wheel 2 Steering shaft 3 Steering column 4 Horizontal shaft 5 Through hole 6, 6a Fixed bracket 7 Vertical plate portion 8, 8a Elongated hole 9 Elevating bracket 10 Through hole 11 Convex portion 12 Tilt lever 13 Tilt bolt 13a Head 14 Tilt nut 15 Collar member 16 Bolt 17 Steering column 18 Boss 19 Bush

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[Procedure amendment] [Date of submission] April 1, 2003 (2003.4.1) [Procedure amendment 1] [Document name to be amended] Description [Item name to be amended] Claims [Amendment method] 1. A steering column for fixing a steering wheel to a rear end portion, a front end portion of which is pivotally supported by a horizontal axis, and a steering column. An elevating bracket fixed to an intermediate portion, a through hole formed in the elevating bracket in a lateral direction, and a pair of vertical plate portions. The vertical plate portion sandwiches the elevating bracket from the left and right on the vehicle body. A fixing bracket to be fixed, a vertically long slot formed in a part of each of the vertical plate portions aligned with the through-hole, and a rod-like shape inserted through the long hole and the through-hole. Member and this rod shape A pressing portion provided at one end of the member, a pressing member engaged with the other end of the rod-shaped member, and a base end portion fixed to the pressing member, and the pressing member and the pressing portion are associated with swinging. A tilt lever having a tilt lever for expanding and contracting the interval of
A tilt type steering apparatus, wherein the lifting bracket is formed by a convex portion formed integrally with the steering column by expanding an intermediate portion of the steering column. 2. The tilt type steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the steering column is made entirely of a metal plate into a cylindrical shape.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A steering shaft for fixing a steering wheel is inserted into a rear end portion, and a front end portion is fixed to a steering column pivotally supported by a horizontal axis and an intermediate portion of the steering column. Mounting bracket, a through hole formed in the lifting bracket in the lateral direction, and a pair of vertical plates, and a fixing bracket fixed to the vehicle body with the vertical plates sandwiching the lifting bracket from the left and right. A vertically long slot formed in a part of each of the vertical plate portions that is aligned with the through hole, a rod-shaped member inserted through the long hole and the through hole, A pressing portion provided at one end of the rod-shaped member, a pressing member engaged with the other end of the rod-shaped member, and a base end fixed to the pressing member. Chill to expand and contract the interval with In the tilt-type steering apparatus equipped with a lever,
A tilt type steering apparatus, wherein the lifting bracket is formed by a convex portion formed integrally with the steering column by expanding an intermediate portion of the steering column.