JP2005001562A - Tilt steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To excellently hold a column bracket, in a tilt steering device in which a side plate of a fixing bracket and a side plate of a column bracket are press-contacted with each other to fix the column bracket. <P>SOLUTION: Escape recess portions 49, 50 escaping from the outside faces 26, 42 of the side plates 12, 13 corresponding to the fixing bracket 10 are respectively provided to the shaft head part 25 of a shaft 23 and to the upper parts 51, 54 of the main body part 41 of a cam follower 33 in which a pair of the side plates 12, 13 of the fixing bracket 10 are pressed to side plates 6, 7 corresponding to the column bracket 5. Thereby, partial contact is prevented between the main body part 41 of the cam follower 33 and the upper parts 51, 54 of the shaft head part 25, and the side plates 12, 13 corresponding to the fixing bracket 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There is a tilt steering device that can adjust the position of a steering wheel in the vertical direction according to the physique of the driver. In addition to the tilt adjustment function described above, there is a tilt telescopic steering device to which a so-called telescopic adjustment function that can adjust the position of the steering wheel along the axial direction of the steering shaft is added.
[0003]
Among the tilt steering devices described above, there is one that achieves a tilt lock or the like by sandwiching a column bracket by a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body.
Specifically, a lock bolt as a support shaft is inserted into the pair of side plates of the fixed bracket and the pair of side plates of the column bracket, and the head as a tightening member provided at one end of the lock bolt, and the lock Both brackets are clamped by nuts that are screwed onto the ends of the bolts (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, the tilt adjustment is performed by releasing the pressing of the both brackets by loosening the nut and moving the lock bolt up and down in the vertically long hole formed in the side plate of the fixed bracket.
[0004]
In such a tilt steering device, in order to increase the rigidity of the vehicle body side bracket, the vehicle body side bracket is formed with a substantially M-shaped cross section, and the top V-shaped concave surface and the V-shaped convex surface formed on the vehicle body are formed. What was joined is proposed (for example, refer to patent documents 2).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-322552 A.
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-62624.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the tilt steering device described above, in order to hold the column bracket satisfactorily, it is necessary to sufficiently press the side plate of the fixed bracket and the side plate of the column bracket with a lock bolt or the like. However, as shown in FIG. 7, which is a schematic diagram, the side plate 101 of the fixing bracket 100 usually has an upper end 102 fixed to the vehicle body 103 to be a fixed end, and the lower end 104 is restrained. There is no free end. That is, the side plate 101 of the fixed bracket 100 is cantilevered.
[0007]
Therefore, when the side plate 101 of the fixing bracket 100 is tightened with the lock bolt 105, the distance between the upper end of the large-diameter head 106 of the lock bolt 105 and the upper end portion 102 (fixed end) of the side plate 101 above the upper end. When Y is close, the head 106 of the lock bolt 105 tends to have a so-called one-side contact in which the upper part mainly contacts the side plate 101.
That is, the piece contact portion Z due to the above-mentioned piece contact serves as an action point of the fastening force of the lock bolt 105 to the side plate 101, and the moment arm length (distance Y) of this fastening force with the fixed end of the side plate 101 as a fulcrum. Becomes extremely short. Therefore, the side plate 101 cannot be sufficiently bent in the vicinity of the shaft 109 of the lock bolt 105, and the tightening force of the side plate 101 against the side plate 108 of the column bracket 107 is insufficient, and the column bracket 107 cannot be held well. was there.
[0008]
The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tilt steering device that can satisfactorily hold a column bracket.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
To achieve the above object, the first invention is a tilt for fixing a column bracket by press-contacting a pair of side plates of a fixing bracket fixed to a vehicle body and a corresponding pair of side plates of a column bracket fixed to a steering column. In the steering device, the pair of side plates of the fixed bracket are tightened from the outside to be pressed against the corresponding side plate of the column bracket, and the support for supporting the pair of tightening members through the side plates of both brackets is inserted. And the pair of tightening members includes a non-rotatable member that is restricted from rotating about the support shaft, and the non-rotatable member is an opposing surface that faces an outer surface of a corresponding side plate of the fixed bracket. A contact portion in contact with the outer surface of the corresponding side plate of the fixed bracket is provided at the lower portion of the opposing surface, and a pair of fixing brackets is provided at the upper portion of the opposing surface. And providing a relief recess to escape from the outer surface of the side plates.
[0010]
According to the present invention, by preventing the upper part of the non-rotatable member and the side plate of the fixed bracket from coming into contact with each other, the tightening force by the non-rotatable member is sufficiently increased in the vicinity of the support shaft, and the side plate of the fixed bracket Can be pressed against the side plate of the column bracket, and the column bracket can be held well. Moreover, it is only necessary to provide a recess in the non-rotatable member, and the cost is low.
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the non-rotatable member includes a shaft head formed at one end portion of the support shaft, and a cam member for achieving a tilt lock provided at the other end portion of the support shaft. It contains at least one. According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve the effects of the first invention with a conventionally used member, and the cost is lower.
[0011]
According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the length of the escape recess in the vertical direction is 1/4 to 1/1 of the vertical length of the opposing surface of the non-rotatable member provided with the escape recess. It is set to 2. According to the present invention, by setting the vertical length of the relief recess to ¼ or more, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the upper portion of the non-rotatable member and the side plate of the fixed bracket from coming into contact with each other. The side plates can be sufficiently pressed together. Also, by setting the vertical length of the relief recess to 1/2 or less, it is possible to sufficiently secure the area of the abutting portion of the facing surface of the non-rotatable member and sufficiently press against the side plate of the fixed bracket. .
[0012]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tilt steering device for fixing a column bracket by pressing a pair of side plates of a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body and a corresponding pair of side plates of the column bracket fixed to a steering column. A pair of fastening members that can be pressed against the corresponding side plate of the column bracket and a support shaft that supports the pair of fastening members through the side plates of both brackets. The outer surface of at least one side plate of the bracket includes a contact portion that contacts a lower portion of the opposing surface of the corresponding fastening member, and an escape recess that escapes from an upper portion of the opposing surface of the corresponding fastening member. .
[0013]
According to the present invention, by preventing the upper part of the tightening member and the side plate of the fixing bracket from coming into contact with each other, the tightening force by the tightening member is sufficiently increased in the vicinity of the support shaft, and the side plate of the fixing bracket is placed in the column. It can be pressed against the side plate of the bracket well and can hold the column bracket well. Moreover, it is only necessary to provide a recess in the side plate of the fixed bracket, and the cost is low.
According to a fifth invention, in the fourth invention, the pair of side plates of the fixed bracket has an arc-shaped vertically elongated hole through which the support shaft is inserted, and the relief recess is provided at an upper peripheral edge of the vertically elongated hole. It is characterized by. According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the fourth invention. Furthermore, it is possible to reliably prevent the side plate of the fixed bracket and the upper portion of the tightening member from coming into contact with each other, and the tightening member can be pressed against the side plate of the fixed bracket in the vicinity of the support shaft.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tilt steering device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a tilt steering apparatus 1 includes a steering column 3 that rotatably supports a steering shaft 2 to which a steering wheel (not shown) is fixed at an upper end in an axial direction.
[0015]
The steering column 3 includes an upper jacket 4 made of a tube that rotatably supports the steering shaft 2, and a column bracket 5 having a cross-sectional groove shape is fixed to the upper jacket 4. The column bracket 5 includes a pair of side plates 6 and 7 extending upward from the upper jacket 4 and an upper plate 8 that connects the upper ends of the side plates 6 and 7 to each other. A circular support shaft insertion hole 9 is formed in each of the pair of side plates 6 and 7.
[0016]
The fixing bracket 10 is fixed to the vehicle body 11, and has a pair of side plates 12 and 13 that face each other, an upper plate 14 that connects the upper ends 16 of these side plates 12 and 13, and an upper surface of the upper plate 14. For example, an attachment stay 15 fixed by welding is provided. The pair of side plates 12 and 13 are fixed ends whose upper end portions 16 are fixed to the vehicle body 11, and the lower end portions 18 are free ends that are not restrained. The pair of side plates 12 and 13 are respectively formed with support shaft insertion holes 20 as arcuate vertically long holes.
[0017]
The fixing bracket 10 is fixed to the vehicle body 11 via bolts 21 inserted into the left and right ends of the mounting stay 15, and the pair of side plates 12, 13 of the fixing bracket 10 and the corresponding pair of side plates 6, 7 of the column bracket 5. And the column bracket 5 is fixed to the fixed bracket 10.
A lower jacket 22 made of a tube is fitted to the lower end in the axial direction of the upper jacket 4, and the lower jacket 22 can swing around a pivot shaft (tilt center axis) (not shown) supported by the vehicle body 11. It is supported by.
[0018]
A support shaft 23 disposed above the upper jacket 4 is inserted into the support shaft insertion holes 9 of the pair of side plates 6 and 7 of the column bracket and the support shaft insertion holes 20 of the pair of side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10. ing. A shaft head 25 as a fastening member that can be pressed against the side plate 7 of the column bracket 5 by fastening the side plate 13 of the fixed bracket 10 from the outside is integrally formed at one end 24 of the support shaft 23. The shaft head 25 includes a facing surface 27 that faces the outer surface 26 of the side plate 13 of the fixed bracket 10.
[0019]
Of the one end 24 of the support shaft 23, the portion 17 close to the shaft head 25 has a substantially rectangular shape with a vertically long cross section (actually, the side piece has an arc shape). The rotation of the support shaft 23 is restricted by engaging with the support shaft insertion hole 20. That is, the shaft head 25 serving as a tightening member constitutes a non-rotatable member by restricting the rotation around the support shaft 23.
On the other hand, a screw portion 29 is provided at the other end portion 28 of the support shaft 23, and a nut 30 as a screwing member is screwed to the screw portion 29. A cam mechanism 31 for achieving tilt lock is provided at the other end 28 of the support shaft 23. Specifically, a cam 32 and a cam follower 33 as cam members are interposed between the side plate 12 of the fixed bracket 10 and the nut 30 and are fitted to the other end portion 28 of the support shaft 23.
[0020]
The cam 32 has a disc shape having an insertion hole 34, and the support shaft 23 that supports the cam 32 is inserted into the insertion hole 34. One end of a main body portion 36 of the operation lever 35 is connected to the cam 32, and a grip portion 37 provided on the other end portion of the main body portion 36 of the operation lever 35 is gripped to rotate the operation lever 35. The cam 32 can be rotated around the support shaft 23. A washer 38 is interposed between the cam 32 and the nut 30, and a locking member 39 of the nut 30 is held by the main body 36 of the operation lever 35.
[0021]
The cam follower 33 is a fastening member that can press the side plate 12 of the fixed bracket 10 from the outside and press the side plate 6 of the column bracket 5. The cam follower 33 is interposed between the cam 32 and the side plate 12 of the fixed bracket 10. The support shaft 23 that supports the cam follower 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 40 of the cam follower 33.
The cam follower 33 has a disc-shaped main body 41, and an insertion convex portion 44 projects from an opposing surface 43 of the main body 41 that faces the outer surface 42 of the side plate 12 of the fixed bracket 10.
[0022]
The insertion convex portion 44 has a substantially rectangular shape with a vertically long cross section (actually, the side piece has an arc shape). The insertion convex portion 44 is fitted into the support shaft insertion hole 20 to support the support shaft of the cam follower 33. The rotation around 23 is restricted. Thereby, the cam follower 33 as a fastening member constitutes a non-rotatable member.
The cam surfaces 32 and 46 of the cam 32 and the cam follower 33 which are opposed to each other are provided with irregularities having shapes corresponding to each other, and the cam follower 33 is attached to the cam 32 by rotating the cam 32. On the other hand, it can move in the axial direction A of the support shaft 23. Thereby, the cam follower 33 can be pressed against the side plate 12 of the fixed bracket 10 or can be released.
[0023]
The feature of this embodiment is that the outer surface 26 of the side plate 12, 13 corresponding to the fixed bracket 10 is formed on the lower surface 56, 57 of the main surface 41 of the shaft head 25 and the cam follower 33. , 42 are provided on the upper surfaces 51, 54 of the opposing surfaces 27, 43, respectively, and the relief recesses 49 that escape from the outer surfaces 26, 42 of the corresponding side plates 12, 13 of the fixing bracket 10 are provided. , 50 are provided.
[0024]
The cam follower 33 will be described with reference to FIG. 2, which is an enlarged view around the cam mechanism 31 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3, which is a front view of the cam follower 33.
The relief recess 49 of the opposing surface 43 of the main body 41 of the cam follower 33 is formed in, for example, a half-moon shape so as to cut out a part of the main body 41, and the upper portion 51 of the main body 41 contacts the side plate 12 of the fixing bracket 10. It is supposed not to. A step portion 52 formed, for example, near the upper end in the vertical direction C of the main body portion 41 extends substantially parallel to the lower surface 53 of the upper plate 14 of the fixing bracket 10, and defines the lower end of the escape recess 49.
[0025]
With respect to the vertical direction C passing through the center B of the cam follower 33, the length D of the relief recess 49 is, for example, 1/4 to 1/2 of the vertical length E (diameter) of the opposing surface 43 of the main body 41 of the cam follower 33. (In this embodiment, it is set to 1/4). The depth F of the relief recess 49 is set to, for example, 1/50 to 1/2 of the thickness G of the main body 41 of the cam follower 33.
With the above configuration, the distance H in the vertical direction C between the upper end of the contact portion 47 of the main body portion 41 of the cam follower 33 and the lower surface 53 of the upper plate 14 of the fixing bracket 10 is the main body of the cam follower when no escape recess is provided. It is much longer than the distance J between the upper end of the abutting portion and the lower surface 53.
[0026]
That is, the moment arm length (distance H) of the tightening force of the cam follower 33 with the upper end portion 16 (fixed end) of the side plate 12 of the fixed bracket 10 as a fulcrum is the tightening force of the cam follower when no relief recess is provided. It is much longer than the moment arm length (distance J).
Next, the shaft head 25 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 which is an enlarged view around the shaft head 25 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 which is a front view of the shaft head 25.
[0027]
The relief recess 50 of the facing surface 27 of the shaft head 25 is formed in, for example, a half-moon shape so as to cut out a part of the shaft head 25, and the upper portion 54 of the shaft head 25 is formed on the side plate 13 of the fixing bracket 10. It is designed not to touch. A step portion 55 formed near, for example, the upper end of the axial head portion 25 in the vertical direction C extends substantially parallel to the lower surface 53 of the upper plate 14 of the fixing bracket 10, and defines the lower end of the escape recess 50.
With respect to the vertical direction C passing through the center K of the shaft head 25, the length M of the relief recess 50 is, for example, 1/4 to 1/2 of the length N (diameter) of the facing surface 27 of the shaft head 25 in the vertical direction. (In this embodiment, it is set to 1/4). The depth P of the relief recess 50 is set to, for example, 1/50 to 1/2 of the thickness Q of the shaft head 25.
[0028]
With the above configuration, the distance R in the vertical direction C between the upper end of the contact portion 48 of the shaft head 25 and the lower surface 53 of the upper plate 14 of the fixing bracket 10 is the contact of the shaft head when no relief recess is provided. The distance S is much longer than the distance S between the upper end of the contact portion and the lower surface 53.
That is, the moment arm length (distance R) of the tightening force of the shaft head 25 with the upper end portion 16 (fixed end) of the side plate 13 of the fixed bracket 10 as a fulcrum is that of the shaft head when no relief recess is provided. It is much longer than the moment arm length (distance S) of the tightening force.
[0029]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the main portion 41 of the cam follower 33 and the upper portions 51 and 54 of the shaft head portion 25 and the corresponding side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10 from coming into contact with each other. The corresponding side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10 can be pressed on the lower side of the main body portion 41 and the shaft head portion 25.
Thereby, the moment arm length of the tightening force of the cam follower 33 and the shaft head 25 with the upper ends 16 (fixed ends) of the side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10 as fulcrums can be made longer. Therefore, in the vicinity of the support shaft 23, the side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10 can be sufficiently bent so that they can be pressed against the corresponding side plates 6 and 7 of the column bracket 5 and the column bracket 5 can be held well. Further, the cam follower 33 and the shaft head 25 which are conventionally used parts need only be provided with a recess, and the cost is low.
[0030]
Further, by setting the lengths D and M in the vertical direction C of the relief recesses 49 and 50 to be equal to or more than 1/4 of the diameters E and N of the corresponding facing surfaces 27 and 43, the main portion 41 and the shaft of the cam follower 33 are arranged. It is possible to satisfactorily prevent one side contact between the upper parts 51 and 54 of the head 25 and the corresponding side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10, so that the corresponding side plates of both the brackets 5 and 10 can be sufficiently pressed together.
Further, by setting the lengths D and M in the vertical direction C of the relief recesses 49 and 50 to be equal to or less than ½ of the diameters E and N of the corresponding facing surfaces 27 and 43, the main portion 41 and the shaft of the cam follower 33 are arranged. The abutting portions 47 and 48 of the opposed surfaces 27 and 43 of the head 25 can be sufficiently secured to sufficiently press-contact the corresponding side plates 12 and 13 of the fixing bracket 10.
[0031]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, relief recesses 49 and 50 may be provided on the outer surfaces 26 and 42 of the side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10. In this case, the outer side surfaces 26 and 42 of the pair of side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10 are in contact with the main portion 41 of the cam follower 33 and the lower portions 56 and 57 of the corresponding facing surfaces 27 and 43 of the shaft head 25, respectively. Formed on the upper peripheral edge 62 of the support shaft insertion hole 20 of the side plates 12 and 13, respectively, from the main portion 41 of the cam follower 33 and the upper portions 51 and 54 of the corresponding opposing surfaces 27 and 43 of the shaft head 25, respectively. The escape recesses 49 and 50 that escape are included.
[0032]
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the relief recesses 49, 50 and the corresponding opposing surfaces 27, 43 of the main body 41 and the shaft head 25 of the cam follower 33 are such that the support shaft 23 is the upper end of the support shaft insertion hole 20. When the cam follower 33 and the shaft head portion 25 are positioned on the upper end side of the support shaft insertion hole 20, they are opposed to each other.
At this time, the lengths S and T in the vertical direction C of the portions facing the corresponding escape recesses 49 and 50 among the facing surfaces 27 and 43 of the main body 41 and the shaft head 25 of the cam follower 33 are the respective facing surfaces. The diameters E and N of 27 and 43 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 5) are set to, for example, 1/4 to 1/2 (in this embodiment, 1/4). Also in this embodiment, the same effect as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 can be obtained.
[0033]
Moreover, it is only necessary to provide a recess in the pair of side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10, and the cost is low. Further, it is possible to reliably prevent the pair of side plates 12 and 13 of the fixing bracket 10 and the main portions 41 of the cam follower 33 and the corresponding upper portions 51 and 54 of the shaft head 25 from coming into contact with each other. 33 and the shaft head 25 can be in good pressure contact with the corresponding side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10.
[0034]
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the relief recesses 49 and 50 may be provided only in either the cam follower 33 or the shaft head 25. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the relief recesses 49 and 50 may be provided only on one of the pair of side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10.
Further, in each of the above embodiments, the cam 32 and the cam follower 33 are eliminated, and the main body portion 36 of the operation lever 35 and the nut 30 are connected so as to be integrally rotatable. The configuration may be such that the side plates 12 and 13 of the fixed bracket 10 are pressed against the corresponding side plates 6 and 7 of the column bracket 5 by movement in the axial direction A of 35.
[0035]
In addition, the present invention can be variously modified within the scope of the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tilt steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view around the cam mechanism of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the cam follower.
4 is an enlarged view around the shaft head of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a shaft head.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tilt steering device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic partial longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional example of a tilt steering device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tilt steering apparatus 3 Steering column 5 Column bracket 6, 7 Side plate 10 Fixed bracket 11 Vehicle body 12, 13 Side plate 20 Support shaft insertion hole (vertically long hole)
23 Support shaft 24 One end 25 Shaft head (clamping member, non-rotatable member)
26 outer surface 27 opposite surface 28 other end 33 cam follower (clamping member, non-rotatable member, cam member)
42 Outer surface 43 Opposing surfaces 47, 48 Abutting portions 49, 50 Escape concave portions 51, 54 Upper portions 56, 57 Lower portions 60, 61 Abutting portions 62 Upper peripheral edge C Vertical direction D, M Length E, N Length

Claims (5)

In a tilt steering device for fixing a column bracket by pressing a pair of side plates of a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body and a corresponding pair of side plates of a column bracket fixed to a steering column,
A pair of fastening members capable of pressing the pair of side plates of the fixed bracket from the outside and pressing the corresponding side plates of the column bracket;
A support shaft that supports the pair of fastening members by inserting the side plates of both brackets;
The pair of tightening members includes a non-rotatable member that is restricted from rotating around the support shaft,
The non-rotatable member includes a facing surface that faces the outer surface of the corresponding side plate of the fixed bracket,
A contact portion that contacts the outer side surface of the corresponding side plate of the fixing bracket is provided at the lower portion of the facing surface, and a relief recess that escapes from the outer surface of the corresponding side plate of the fixing bracket is provided at the upper portion of the facing surface. Tilt steering device. 2. The non-rotatable member according to claim 1, including at least one of a shaft head formed at one end portion of the support shaft and a cam member for achieving a tilt lock provided at the other end portion of the support shaft. A tilt steering device. 3. The length in the vertical direction of the relief recess according to claim 1 or 2, is set to 1/4 to 1/2 of the length in the vertical direction of the opposing surface of the non-rotatable member provided with the relief recess. A tilt steering device. In a tilt steering device for fixing a column bracket by pressing a pair of side plates of a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body and a corresponding pair of side plates of a column bracket fixed to a steering column,
A pair of fastening members capable of pressing the pair of side plates of the fixed bracket from the outside and pressing the corresponding side plates of the column bracket;
A support shaft that supports the pair of fastening members by inserting the side plates of both brackets;
The outer surface of at least one side plate of the fixing bracket includes a contact portion that contacts a lower portion of the opposing surface of the corresponding fastening member, and an escape recess that escapes from an upper portion of the opposing surface of the corresponding fastening member. Tilt steering device. 5. The tilt according to claim 4, wherein the pair of side plates of the fixed bracket has an arcuate vertically long hole through which the support shaft is inserted, and the relief recess is provided at an upper peripheral edge of the vertically elongated hole. Steering device.

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