JP2006056430A - Steering system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering system capable of improving supporting rigidity of a housing by a first bracket and a pivotal shaft in a simple constitution and reducing a contact area of first and second connecting plate parts. <P>SOLUTION: This steering system is furnished with the first bracket 3 attached on a lower end part of the housing 2 supporting a steering shaft and having the first connecting plate parts 3a, 3a, a second bracket 5 having the second connecting plate parts 5a, 5a facing against the first connecting plate parts 3a, 3a and the pivotal shafts 4, 4 to pivotally support the second connecting plate parts 5a, 5a on the first connecting plate parts 3a, 3a. On one of the first connecting plate parts 3a, 3a and the second connecting plate parts 5a, 5a, first protruded parts 32, 32 and second protruded parts 33, 33 to make contact with the other of the first connecting plate parts 3a, 3a and the second connecting plate parts 5a, 5a are provided around the pivotal shafts 4, 4 and at a position separated from the pivotal shafts 4, 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device that pivotally supports a housing on a vehicle body with a lower end portion of a housing supporting a steering shaft as a center of swinging.

  As a steering apparatus for an automobile, for example, a tilt type having a tilt mechanism that can adjust a vertical position of a steering wheel with respect to a driver's seat is known.

  The tilt-type steering device has two first connecting plate portions that are spaced apart in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the housing at the lower end portion of a cylindrical housing that rotatably accommodates and supports a steering shaft connected to a steered wheel. A first bracket is attached, a second bracket is pivotally supported on the first bracket via a pivot, and a third bracket and an adjustment lever for tilt adjustment are provided at the longitudinal center of the housing. Is provided. The second bracket is attached to the vehicle body, has a second connecting plate portion facing the first connecting plate portion, and has a through hole penetrating the first and second connecting plate portions. It is pivotally supported by the 1st bracket by inserting the pivot (for example, patent documents 1).

By the way, in the steering device in which the first bracket is pivotally supported by the second bracket, the first and second connecting plate portions are in contact with each other, and the swing resistance when performing the tilt adjustment is increased. In Document 1, a convex portion that contacts the first connecting plate portion is provided around the pivot axis of the second connecting plate portion so as to reduce the rocking resistance when tilt adjustment is performed.
No. 7-6059

  However, in the configuration in which the convex portion is provided around the pivot axis of the second connecting plate portion as in the feature document 1, the contact area of the first and second connecting plate portions is small, and the second bracket is not connected. There is a problem that the first bracket easily swings in the axial direction of the pivot, and the support rigidity of the housing by the first bracket and the pivot is lowered, and tilt adjustment is performed when the contact area around the pivot is increased. At that time, the oscillation resistance increased, the operability of tilt adjustment deteriorated, and an improvement measure was desired.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and can improve the support rigidity of the housing by a 1st bracket and a pivot with a simple structure, and also the contact area of the 1st and 2nd connection board part can be increased. An object of the present invention is to provide a steering device that can be made relatively small.

  A steering device according to a first invention is attached to a lower end portion of a housing that supports a steering shaft, and includes a first bracket having a first connecting plate portion, and a second connecting plate portion facing the first connecting plate portion. A steering device including a second bracket having a pivot and pivotally supporting the second connecting plate portion on the first connecting plate portion, wherein at least one of the first and second connecting plate portions includes the pivot It has the 1st convex part which contacts the other of the 1st and 2nd connecting plate part in the spaced apart position, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In the first invention, since the first and second connecting plate portions are in contact with each other at the position separated from the pivot, the first bracket swings in the axial length direction of the pivot with respect to the second bracket. Can be suppressed, and the support rigidity of the housing by the first bracket and the pivot can be increased. In addition, the contact areas of the first and second connecting plate portions are compared with each other in order to provide a convex portion at a position separated from the pivot without increasing the contact area around the pivot axis of the first and second connecting plate portions. Therefore, the rocking resistance when adjusting the tilt can be reduced.

  In the steering device according to the second aspect of the invention, at least one of the first and second connecting plate portions has a second convex portion that contacts the other of the first and second connecting plate portions around the pivot. It is characterized by.

  In the second invention, since the first and second connecting plate portions are in contact with each other by the convex portion around the pivot and at a position separated from the pivot, the first bracket is pivoted with respect to the second bracket. It is possible to prevent the shaft from swinging in the axial direction, and to further increase the support rigidity of the housing by the first bracket and the pivot.

  According to the first invention, it is possible to suppress the first bracket from swinging in the axial length direction of the pivot with respect to the second bracket with a simple configuration in which the convex portion is protruded at a position separated from the pivot. Further, the support rigidity of the housing by the pivot can be increased. And since the convex part protrudes in the position spaced apart from the pivot, the contact area of the 1st and 2nd connection board part can be reduced, and the operativity of tilt adjustment can be improved.

  According to the second invention, the first bracket can be prevented from swinging in the axial direction of the pivot relative to the second bracket, and the support rigidity of the housing by the first bracket and the pivot can be further increased.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of the steering device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the configuration of the lower end portion of the steering device, FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view showing the configuration of only the first bracket and the second bracket portion, and FIG. Is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of only the first bracket and the second bracket portion, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG.

  The tilt type steering device is attached to a steering shaft 1 connected to a steering wheel for steering, a cylindrical housing 2 that houses the steering shaft 1 and rotatably supports it, and a lower end portion of the housing 2. The first bracket 3, the second bracket 5 pivotally supported on the first bracket 3 by the pivot 4, and an adjustment lever for tilt adjustment pivotally supported at the center in the longitudinal direction of the housing 2 via the lever base 6. 7 and a third bracket 8 supported by the support bracket 6 so as to be capable of relative movement in the swinging direction of the housing 2. A steering assisting electric motor 9 is attached to the lower end of the housing 2, and a reduction gear mechanism (not shown) for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor 9 to the steering shaft 1 is provided in the housing 2. Contained and supported.

  The housing 2 has a small-diameter cylindrical portion 2a that accommodates the steering shaft 1, and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 2b that accommodates the reduction gear mechanism and the torque sensor. The first bracket 3 is provided at the lower end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 2b. It is attached. The torque sensor detects steering torque applied to the steered wheels, and is configured such that the electric motor 9 is driven and controlled based on the torque detected by the torque sensor.

  The first bracket 3 is spaced apart in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the housing 2 at the lower end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 2b, and is parallel to two first connecting plate portions 3a and 3a and a first connecting plate portion. 3a, 3a are connected, and a plate portion 3b to be attached to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 2b is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section, and three penetrations are formed in the plate portion 3b. A bolt inserted into the hole is attached to the end surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 2b.

  The first connecting plate portions 3a, 3a have end portions, i.e., shaft holes 31, 31 penetrating in the thickness direction on the opposite side of the attachment plate portion 3b, and around the shaft holes 31, 31. Projecting in the plate thickness direction, annular first convex portions 32, 32 that contact second connecting plate portions 5a, 5a described later of the second bracket 5 are provided, and further, the first connecting plate portion Between the shaft holes 31 and 31 of the 3a and 3a and the to-be-attached plate part 3b, in other words, between the shaft holes 31 and 31 and the housing 2, it protrudes in the plate | board thickness direction, and 2nd connection board part 5a. , 5a are provided in contact with the second protrusions 33, 33. The tips of the first and second convex portions 32 and 33 are flat.

  The second bracket 5 includes two second connecting plate portions 5a and 5a facing the first connecting plate portions 3a and 3a, and a third connecting plate portion 5b connecting the second connecting plate portions 5a and 5a. And an attachment plate portion 5c that is connected to the vehicle body and is attached to the vehicle body, and is inserted into the concave holes 51, 51 formed in the attachment plate portion 5c. It is configured to be attached to the vehicle body by bolts.

  The second connecting plate portions 5a, 5a are provided with shaft holes 52, 52 penetrating in the plate thickness direction, and the second bracket 5 is fitted by inserting the two pivot shafts 4, 4 into the shaft holes 31, 52. Is pivotally supported on the first bracket 3. Further, one connecting plate portion 5a is provided with a stopper 53 that protrudes toward the first connecting plate portion 3a at a position spaced from the shaft hole 52, and the second bracket 5 is rocked with respect to the first bracket 3. The movement range is limited.

  The support bracket 6 is formed in a substantially U shape, and both end portions thereof are fixed to the lower surface of the outer peripheral portion of the housing 2 by welding. A shaft hole (not shown) is provided in two opposing side pieces of the support bracket 6, and a lever shaft 10 connected to the adjustment lever 7 is inserted and supported in this shaft hole.

  In the tilt type steering apparatus configured as described above, the second bracket 5 and the third bracket 8 are attached to the vehicle body A by attaching means such as bolts.

  In the steering device attached to the vehicle body A, the lower end portion of the housing 2 is supported by the second bracket 5 by the first bracket 3 and the pivot 4, and the support bracket 6, the lever shaft 10 and the third bracket are at the center portion of the housing 2. 8 is supported by the vehicle body A.

  When tilt adjustment is performed, the adjustment lever 7 is operated to release the fixing of the housing 2 to the third bracket 8, and accordingly, the housing 2 can be swung up and down in the tilt adjustment range with the pivot 4 as a fulcrum. Tilt adjustment can be performed. In this case, the first connecting plate portions 3 a and 3 a of the first bracket 3 are provided with first convex portions 32 and 32 at positions separated from the pivot 4, and the second convex portion around the pivot 4. 33 and 33 are provided, and the first and second convex portions 32 and 33 are in contact with the second coupling plate portions 5a and 5a of the second bracket 5, so that the first and second coupling plates are provided. The contact area of the portions 3a and 5a can be reduced, tilt adjustment can be easily performed, and the first bracket 3 can be prevented from swinging in the axial length direction of the pivot 4 with respect to the second bracket 5, and the first The support rigidity of the housing 2 by the bracket 3 and the pivot 4 can be increased. Further, by increasing the distance between the first protrusions 32 and 32 with respect to the pivot 4, the swing of the first bracket 3 with respect to the second bracket 5 can be further suppressed, and the housing 2 is supported by the first bracket 3 and the pivot 4. The rigidity can be further increased.

  In the embodiment described above, the first connecting plate portions 3a, 3a of the first bracket 3 are provided with the first projecting portions 32, 32 and the second projecting portions 33, 33. The 1st and 2nd convex parts 32 and 33 are good also as a structure provided so that the 2nd connection board part 5a and 5a of the 2nd bracket 5 might contact with the 1st connection board part 3a and 3a. The first and second connecting plate portions 3a, 3a, 5a, 5a may be provided so as to contact each other. When the first and second convex portions 32 and 33 are provided on the second connecting plate portions 5a and 5a, the second convex portions 33 and 33 are provided around the pivot 4, and the first convex portions 32 and 32 are Provided at a position separated from the pivot 4 toward the housing 2.

  In the embodiment described above, the first and second convex portions 32 and 33 are provided around the pivot 4 and at a position separated from the pivot 4, but in addition, the second convex portions 33 and 33 are provided. And a plate body is provided between the first and second connecting plate portions 3a, 3a, 5a, and 5a around the pivot shaft 4, and the first convex portion 32 is spaced from the pivot shaft 4 and the housing 2 side. , 32 may be provided. Moreover, the 1st convex part 32 is good also as a structure provided with multiple in addition to the structure provided in the 1st connection board part 3a or the 2nd connection board part 5a.

  The embodiment is an electric power steering apparatus provided with an electric motor for assisting steering, but may be a manual type steering apparatus.

It is a front view which shows the structure of the steering device which concerns on this invention. It is an enlarged plan view showing the configuration of the lower end portion of the steering apparatus according to the present invention. It is an enlarged front view which shows the structure of only the 1st bracket and 2nd bracket part of the steering device which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of only the first bracket and the second bracket portion of the steering device according to the present invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the VV line of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering shaft 2 Housing 3 1st bracket 3a 1st connection board part 32 1st convex part 33 2nd convex part 4 Axis 5 2nd bracket 5a 2nd connection board part

Claims (2)

  A first bracket attached to the lower end of the housing that supports the steering shaft and having a first connecting plate portion; a second bracket having a second connecting plate portion facing the first connecting plate portion; In the steering device including the pivot that pivotally supports the two coupling plates on the first coupling plate, at least one of the first and second coupling plates is separated from the pivot by the first and first. A steering device having a first convex portion that contacts the other of the two connecting plate portions.   2. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second connecting plate portions includes a second convex portion that contacts the other of the first and second connecting plate portions around the pivot.

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