JP2007314083A - Steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering device which can hold at least one of the clamping state and the unclamping state of an operating lever even if taking a hand off from the operating lever when at least one of a telescopic mechanism and a tilting mechanism is brought into the unclamping state by improving steering feeling and durability. <P>SOLUTION: When the operating lever 7 arrives at an operation end (b) at an unclamping side shown in Fig.14 (2), a crest of a gentle slope 861 passes the crest of a chevron of an engaging projection 871 of an oscillating lever holding spring 87, and the crest of the chevron of the engaging projection 871 is engaged with a steep slope 862. Therefore, since the oscillating lever 82 is prevented from being oscillated in the counterclockwise direction, the operating lever 7 is held at the operation end (b) at the unclamping side. Therefore, the operating lever 7 cannot be shifted from the operation end (b) at the unclamping side to the operation end (a) at the clamping side by a shock at the time of a position adjustment operation of a steering wheel 92. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering apparatus, and more particularly to a steering apparatus for a vehicle including at least one of a telescopic mechanism and a tilting mechanism.

  The telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism are mechanisms for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction and the tilt angle to a position where driving is most comfortable according to the body shape and preference of the driver, respectively.

  The telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism include a column clamp that is clamped / unclamped when adjusting the longitudinal position of the steering wheel, and a tilt head clamp that is clamped / unclamped when adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel. Is provided. Then, when adjusting the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism, the clamps for each of them are once released, and after adjusting the position in the front-rear direction and the inclination angle in this state, the clamped state is set again.

  There is a steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a steering device that can operate an operation lever for performing such a clamping / unclamping operation with a small force to improve the operability of the operation lever.

  In the steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when at least one of the telescopic mechanism or the tilting mechanism is in an unclamped state, at least one of the clamped state or the unclamped state of the operating lever even if the hand is released from the operating lever. Makes it possible to hold In addition, the problem that the operating lever deviates from the clamped state or the unclamped state is solved, and at least one of the front-rear direction position adjustment and the tilt angle adjustment of the steering wheel can be performed with both hands.

  In Patent Document 1, the engagement protrusion of the leaf spring is engaged with an engagement groove formed on the operation lever so that the operation lever does not deviate from the clamped state or the unclamped state. However, the operation lever is formed by pressing a plate material, and a plate spring is pressed against a cross-sectional portion of the pressed operation lever.

  Since it is difficult to improve the surface roughness of the press-operated cross section of the operating lever, there is a feeling of operation when the operating lever is operated due to the unevenness of the cross section of the operating lever and the contact sliding of the leaf spring. Unfortunately, there is also a problem with the durability of the leaf spring.

JP 2005-178414 A

  The present invention improves the operational feeling and durability, and when at least one of the telescopic mechanism or the tilting mechanism is in an unclamped state, the operation lever is clamped or unclamped even if the hand is released from the operation lever. It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering device that can hold at least one of the states.

  The above problem is solved by the following means. That is, the first invention is a clamp / clamp for clamping / unclamping a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body or a tilting mechanism for adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel. One end of the unclamp mechanism, the operation lever capable of clamping / unclamping the clamp / unclamp mechanism, and the support side supporting the operation lever so as to be swingable, and urge the operation lever A biasing direction reversing mechanism for reversing the direction in which the biasing member biases the operation lever during the operation of the biasing member and the operation lever, wherein the biasing direction reversal mechanism is A rocking lever that rocks in conjunction with the operation and that engages the position where the other end of the biasing member is spaced from the rocking center, It is a steering device according to claim which has a rocking lever holding mechanism for holding the rocking position of the rocking lever at least one of the clamp-side operation end or unclamping the end position of the serial operation lever.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the steering apparatus according to the first aspect, the swing lever holding mechanism includes a swing lever holding spring provided on a support side that supports the swing lever so as to be swingable; A steering wheel provided on a rocking lever, and having an engaging protrusion that engages with the rocking lever holding spring at at least one of a clamp side operation end and an unclamp side operation end of the operation lever. Device.

  According to a third aspect, in the steering apparatus of the second aspect, the swing lever is formed with a plurality of engagement protrusions, and the plurality of engagement protrusions are simultaneously engaged with the swing lever holding spring. This is a steering device.

  According to a fourth aspect, in the steering device according to the second aspect, a plurality of engagement protrusions are formed on the swing lever, and some of the plurality of engagement protrusions are The unclamp side operation end of the lever is engaged with the swing lever holding spring, and the remaining engagement projections of the plurality of engagement projections are connected to the clamp side operation end from the unclamp side operation end. A steering device that engages with the swing lever holding spring when moved to the position.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the steering apparatus according to the first aspect, the swing lever holding mechanism includes a swing lever holding spring provided on a support side that supports the swing lever so as to be swingable; A steering wheel provided on a rocking lever and having an engagement groove that engages with the rocking lever holding spring in at least one of a clamp side operation end and an unclamp side operation end of the operation lever. Device.

  A sixth invention is a steering device according to any one of the first to fifth inventions, wherein the operation lever is formed of a sintered material.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the steering device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the one end of the urging member and the swing center of the swing lever are in the middle of the operation of the control lever. A steering device characterized in that the direction of the urging force of the urging member against the operation lever is reversed by moving the other end of the urging member from one side to the other side across a straight line connecting is there.

  According to an eighth invention, in the steering device according to any one of the first to fifth inventions, a segment gear is provided in the operation lever, and a pinion provided in the swing lever is provided in the segment gear. By being engaged, the swing lever swings in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever.

  In the steering device of the present invention, the swing lever holding mechanism that holds the swing position of the swing lever is provided on the swing lever that swings in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever. Therefore, the swing lever, which can be made smaller than the operation lever, can easily improve the surface roughness. Therefore, the friction resistance of the swing lever holding mechanism is small and the operation feeling of the operation lever is improved. In addition, the durability of the swing lever holding mechanism is also improved. In addition, by forming a plurality of engaging protrusions that simultaneously engage with the swing lever holding spring on the swing lever, the load acting on each of the engagement protrusions is reduced. The wear of the spring is reduced and the durability can be further improved.

  Embodiments 1 to 4 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIGS. 1 to 14 show a steering apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention so that both the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism can be operated simultaneously by one-way operation of a single operating lever. In addition, when the hand is released from the operation lever, the unclamped state of both the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism is maintained.

* Overall Overview FIG. 1 is an external view of a steering device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view when the steering device 1 is viewed from the direction P in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view when viewed from the Q direction, FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the main part of the steering device 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view of the main part of FIG.

  The steering device 1 includes a fixed column member 2, a movable column member 3, a tilt head 4, a steering shaft 5, a column clamp 6, a tilt head clamp 41, and an operation lever 7.

  The fixed column member 2 includes a vehicle body attachment portion 21 on the front side of the vehicle body and a vehicle body attachment portion 22 on the rear side of the vehicle body, and the fixed column member 2 is attached to the vehicle body 91 by the vehicle body attachment portions 21 and 22. A movable column member 3 is supported on the fixed column member 2 so as not to rotate around the central axis of the fixed column member 2 and to be movable parallel to the central axis of the fixed column member 2. A tilt head 4 is supported on the right end side of the movable column member 3 so as to be tiltable about a tilt center axis 43. A steering shaft 5 is rotatably supported on the tilt head 4, and a steering wheel 92 is fixed to the right end thereof.

  The moving column member 3 is provided with a column clamp 6, and the column clamp 6 is provided with a column clamp shaft 61 parallel to the central axis of the moving column member 3. The column clamp 6 is fixed to the movable column member 3 and is movable relative to the fixed column member 2. By the operation of the column clamp 6, the movable column member 3 is moved relative to the fixed column member 2. Can be clamped / unclamped.

  The moving column member 3 is provided with a tilt head clamp 41 for clamping / unclamping the tilt head 4 with respect to the moving column member 3. A single operating lever 7 is supported on the tilt head 4. The operation lever 7 is disposed at a position separated from the steering wheel 92. Accordingly, when the steering wheel 92 is being operated, the hand contacts the operation lever 7 so that the movable column member 3 or the tilt head 4 is not unclamped. Further, the operation of the switches around the steering wheel 92 is not disturbed.

  When the operation lever 7 is swung in a direction approaching the steering wheel 92, the driven lever 714 (FIGS. 3 and 5) is swung by following the operation lever 7, and the column clamp 6 is swung by the swing of the driven lever 714. The unclamping of the movable column member 3 is performed. Further, the unclamping of the tilt head 4 is simultaneously performed by the operation of swinging the operation lever 7 in the direction approaching the steering wheel 92.

  The left end of the steering shaft 5 is connected to an upper universal joint (not shown) in the steering device 1. Since the center of the upper universal joint is on the axis of the tilt center axis 43, the tilt head 4 is not affected by tilting.

  Further, since the upper universal joint and the lower universal joint 93 are connected to a spline shaft (not shown) including a male spline shaft and a female spline shaft, the movable column member 3 is shown in FIGS. It can move left and right. Regardless of the movement position of the movable column member 3, even if the front-rear direction position of the steering wheel 92 is adjusted by spline coupling of the spline shaft, the rotation of the steering wheel 92 is caused to rotate through the lower universal joint 93 to the front wheel. This is transmitted to the steering gear that controls the direction of the.

* Tilt Head Clamp Here, the solid line in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 indicates the state before the operation lever 7 is pulled, and the two-dot chain line indicates the state in which the operation lever 7 is pulled toward the steering wheel 92. Yes. 6 and 7 are an AA sectional view and a BB sectional view in FIG. 1, respectively.

  The tilt head clamp 41 has the following configuration. A segment gear 33 having a center on a tilt center shaft 43 is fixed to the movable column member 3 by bolts 34. A backrest member 341 is provided on the tilt head 4 with a space between the segment gear 33.

  On the other hand, a gear portion 442 on the left side of the gear arm 44 supported by the tilt head 4 so as to be rotatable about the shaft 441 and a protruding portion 71 enter the space. The tilt head 4 is provided with a driven lever central shaft 72A (FIGS. 3, 5, 6, and 7), and a driven lever 714 that swings about the driven lever central shaft 72A (FIGS. 3, 5, and 7). 6) is formed integrally with the protrusion 71.

  The gear arm 44 has an L-shape consisting of two legs, and the gear portion 442 is formed on one leg. A spring 711 is interposed between the other leg 443 of the gear arm 44 and the back portion of the protruding portion 71, and an urging force is applied so as to increase the distance between the back portion of the protruding portion 71 and the leg 443.

  3 and 4, when the projecting portion 71 is pushed leftward, the projecting portion 71 pushes the gear portion 442 from behind, so that the gear portion 442 is pushed toward the segment gear 33, and the respective teeth are mutually connected. Mesh. Note that when the gear portion 442 pushes the segment gear 33, the reaction force applied to the protrusion 71 is received by the backrest member 341. Thereby, the tilt head 4 is fixed to the moving column member 3. The tilt head 4 is fixed at a stepped position at an angular position where the gear portion 442 and the segment gear 33 can mesh with each other.

  When the protrusion 71 moves to the right in FIGS. 3 and 4, the gear arm 44 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 4 due to the pressing force of the spring 711, so that the teeth of the gear portion 442 and the segment gear 33 are disengaged. The tilt head clamp 41 is in an unclamped state. Therefore, when the tilt position is adjusted (the telescopic position can also be adjusted at this time), the protrusion 71 moves to the right by the operation of the operation lever 7.

* Fixed column member and moving column member As shown in FIG. 2, an elongated hole 32 is formed along the axial direction on the upper surface of the movable column member 3, and the fixed column member 2 is provided in the elongated hole 32. The stopper member 23 thus engaged is engaged. Since the movable column member 3 is prevented from coming out of the fixed column member 2 and rotating with respect to the elongated column 32 and the stopper member 23, the movable column member 3 can move in the axial direction within the range of the elongated column 32.

* Column clamp The structure of the column clamp 6 is demonstrated using FIGS. 8-11. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the main part of the column clamp, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 5 showing the column clamp, FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing the sub-assembly state of the column clamp, and FIG. It is -D sectional drawing.

  The column clamp 6 is provided on the movable column member 3, and from the right side of FIG. 8, the column clamp shaft 61, thrust bearing 612, washer 613, swing arm 62, first wedge 63, biasing spring 614, second The wedge 64 and the nut 615 are assembled in this order.

  A wedge hole 31 is formed in the movable column member 3 from below, and an upper portion of the wedge hole 31 opens to an outer periphery 241 of a cylindrical guide tube 24 formed on the rear side of the vehicle body of the fixed column member 2. ing. The outer periphery 241 of the guide tube 24 is fitted into the guide hole 35 of the movable column member 3 to guide the movable column member 3 in the axial direction.

  The lower portion of the wedge hole 31 is closed by a third wedge 65 fixed to the moving column member 3 by two bolts 651. The first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 are inserted into the wedge hole 31 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in FIGS.

  On the upper portions of the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64, substantially arc-shaped clamp surfaces 631 and 641 are formed facing the outer periphery 241 of the guide tube 24. The clamp surfaces 631 and 641 face the outer periphery 241 of the guide cylinder 24 and contact the outer periphery 241 of the guide cylinder 24 when the movable column member 3 is clamped, thereby clamping the movable column member 3 to the fixed column member 2.

  The first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 are arranged at positions separated in the axial direction of the movable column member 3, and clamp shaft holes 632 and 642 are opened in the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64, respectively. The column clamp shaft 61 passes through this hole. A nut 615 is screwed into the male screw 611 formed at the left end of the column clamp shaft 61, and the nut 615 presses the second wedge 64.

  An urging spring 614 is externally fitted to the column clamp shaft 61 between the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 to apply an urging force in a direction in which the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 are always separated from each other. A cam surface 633 is formed around the clamp shaft hole 632 on the right end surface of the first wedge 63, and is always in contact with the cam surface 621 formed on the left end surface of the swing arm 62 to constitute a cam mechanism. ing. A rolling member such as a roller may be interposed between the cam surface 633 and the cam surface 621 for rolling contact, and the frictional resistance of the contact surface where the cam surface 633 and the cam surface 621 are in contact may be reduced.

  The third wedge 65 is formed with inclined surfaces 652 and 653 that descend toward the outside in the axial direction, and the inclined surfaces 634 and 644 formed at the lower ends of the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 are inclined. The surfaces 652 and 653 are in contact with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 10, by configuring the third wedge 65 separately from the moving column member 3, the column clamp 6 includes the column clamp shaft 61, the thrust bearing 612, the washer 613, the swing arm 62, The wedge 63, the urging spring 614, the second wedge 64, and the nut 615 can be assembled in advance as a subassembly on the subline.

  After the subassembly is inserted into the wedge hole 31 on the lower surface of the movable column member 3, the third wedge 65 is fixed to the movable column member 3 by the two bolts 651, and the assembly work of the column clamp 6 is completed. Therefore, the assembly time of the column clamp 6 in the main line is shortened, and it can be assembled as a subassembly in a wide assembly space, so that the assembling work is facilitated.

  In order to change the clamped state of FIGS. 8, 9, and 11 to the unclamped state, when a swinging rotation (clockwise swinging rotation of FIG. 11) is applied to the swinging arm 62, a cam of the swinging arm 62 is obtained. The mountain of the surface 621 moves to the valley side of the cam surface 633 of the first wedge 63.

  Then, the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 are forcibly separated by the urging force of the urging spring 614, and the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 are lowered and clamped from the outer periphery 241 of the guide tube 24. 631 and 641 are separated, and the clamp of the moving column member 3 is released. In this way, the release of the clamp is forcibly performed by the biasing force of the biasing spring 614, so that the clamp can be reliably released.

  When the swing arm 62 swings and rotates in the opposite direction (counterclockwise swing rotation in FIG. 11), the peak of the cam surface 621 of the swing arm 62 rides on the peak of the cam surface 633 of the first wedge 63, and the column In order to pull the clamp shaft 61 rightward in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second wedge 64 is pushed rightward by the nut 615, and the first wedge 63 is pushed leftward by the swing arm 62, thereby Two wedges approach each other.

  As a result, the respective inclined surfaces 634 and 644 move along the inclined surfaces 652 and 653 of the third wedge 65, and the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 rise, and the outer periphery 241 of the guide tube 24 is The clamp surface 631 of the first wedge 63 and the clamp surface 641 of the second wedge 64 are pressed, and the movable column member 3 is clamped with respect to the fixed column member 2.

* Operation of the operation lever Next, the movement of the operation lever 7 and each member interlocked therewith will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the operation lever 7 is swingably provided on the left side surface of the tilt head 4. Further, on the lower surface of the tilt head 4, a driven lever 714 that swings in response to the operation of the operation lever 7, a pusher plate 73 that extends integrally from the driven lever 714 to the left (vehicle body front side), and a driven lever A protrusion 71 formed integrally with 714 is visible. The driven lever 714 and the pusher plate 73 have an inverted L shape as a whole.

  Further, the biasing direction reversing mechanism 81 and the swing lever holding mechanism 85 are visible on the side surface of the tilt head 4. In FIG. 3, when the operation lever 7 is operated to adjust the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle (that is, when the operation end is attracted toward the steering wheel 92), the direction away from the steering wheel 92 is shown. Two states when the operating end is returned to are shown by a two-dot chain line and a solid line, respectively.

  Also in FIG. 1, there are two cases when the operation lever 7 is operated (referred to as an unclamping operation end b) and when the operation end returns in a direction away from the steering wheel 92 (referred to as a clamp side operation end a). The states are indicated by a two-dot chain line and a solid line, respectively.

  The operation lever 7 is pivotally supported by a lever central shaft 72 </ b> C screwed into the side surface of the tilt head 4. An urging direction reversing mechanism 81 is attached to a central shaft 811 (FIG. 7) screwed into the side surface of the tilt head 4. The urging direction reversing mechanism 81 includes a swing lever 82, an engagement pin 821, a pinion 83, and a segment gear 84.

  The swing lever 82 is formed of a sintered material and is pivotally supported by a central shaft 811 screwed into the side surface of the tilt head 4 so as to be swingable. A pinion 83 is formed on a boss portion of the swing lever 82. . The pinion 83 meshes with a segment gear 84 (FIGS. 4, 14 (1) to 14 (2)) formed on the operation lever 7.

  Further, an urging spring (urging member) 715 is stretched between the engaging pin 821 attached to the swing lever 82 and the engaging recess 471 of the bracket 47 attached to the left end of the tilt head 4. The urging spring 715 urges the operating lever 7 clockwise through the swing lever 82, the pinion 83, and the segment gear 84 when the operating lever 7 is in the vicinity of the clamp side operation end a.

  The driven lever 714 is formed with a bifurcated engagement recess 717 (FIGS. 3 and 5), and an engagement protrusion 718 at the tip of the operation lever 7 is fitted into the engagement recess 717. Accordingly, the driven lever 714 swings around the driven lever central axis 72A following the operation of the operating lever 7.

  In the state before the operation lever 7 shown by the solid line in FIG. 3 is pulled (clamp side operation end a), the operation lever 7 is at the rocking end in the clockwise direction by the urging force of the urging spring 715. The protrusion 71 is pushed leftward, and the tilt head 4 is clamped.

  When the control lever 7 is pulled toward the steering wheel 92 during the adjustment of the tilt position and the telescopic position, the driven lever 714 swings clockwise around the driven lever central axis 72A. Therefore, when the operating lever 7 swings to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 (unclamp side operating end b), the protrusion 71 integrated with the driven lever 714 moves to the right, and the tilt head clamp 41 is unclamped. Is done.

  In FIG. 3, when the operating lever 7 is moved from the position indicated by the solid line (clamping side operation end a) to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line (unclamping side operation end b), the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 is moved to the pusher. The right head 771 at the right end of the rod 77 is pushed in, and the column clamp 6 described above is unclamped. Accordingly, the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 and the unclamping operation of the column clamp 6 can be performed simultaneously by pulling the single operation lever 7.

  The pusher rod 77 (FIGS. 9 and 11) is pivotally supported by a lower end of the swing arm 62 and a pin 743 at a substantially intermediate position in the horizontal direction of FIG. 5 and 11, the moving column member 3 is formed with a rib 36 projecting downward, and the right head 771 at the right end of the pusher rod 77 is inserted into the rectangular guide groove 361 formed in the rib 36. The pusher rod 77 is movably guided in the left-right direction in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, two urging springs 741 and 741 are stretched between the rib 36 and the flange 772 of the pusher rod 77, and the pusher rod 77 is moved in the right direction (FIG. 11). Energized. Therefore, a counterclockwise rotational urging force is applied to the swing arm 62 connected by the pusher rod 77 and the pin 743. The swing urging force applied to the swing arm 62 maintains the swing arm 62 in the clamp position (FIG. 11). The position of the swing arm 62 at this time is indicated by a solid line.

* Positive column clamp The configuration of the positive column clamp 66 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 11, and 12. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. The positive column clamp 66 includes a swing lever 67, a biasing spring 671, a swing center shaft 672, a fixed side engaging tooth 68, and a moving side engaging tooth 69, and includes a moving column member 3 and a fixed column member 2. It is provided in between.

  The round bar-shaped fixed side engaging teeth 68 are inserted into a cylindrical hole 221 (FIG. 4) formed on the side surface of the vehicle body mounting portion 22 of the fixed column member 2 and fixed to the vehicle body mounting portion 22 by a pin 222. Yes. The fixed side engaging teeth 68 extend long in the rear side of the vehicle body in parallel to the central axis of the fixed column member 2, and a plurality of serrated engaging teeth 681 are arranged at an equal pitch over almost the entire length of the fixed side engaging teeth 68. Is formed.

  A round bar-like rocking center shaft 672 is screwed and fixed to the boss portion 37 formed to protrude from the side surface of the movable column member 3, and the rocking center shaft 672 is connected to the above-described fixed-side engagement teeth 68. Parallel to the front side of the vehicle. The swing lever 67 is pivotally supported so as to be swingable around the swing center shaft 672 and to be slidable along the central axis of the swing center shaft 672.

  A moving side engaging tooth 69 is fixed to the swing lever 67 by a clip 692. The moving side engaging tooth 69 faces the engaging tooth 681 of the fixed side engaging tooth 68, and has a plurality of saw-tooth shaped teeth. The engagement teeth 691 are formed at the same pitch as the engagement teeth 681 of the fixed side engagement teeth 68.

  A biasing spring 671 is stretched between the flange 772 of the pusher rod 77 and the swing lever 67. By the urging force of the urging spring 671, the swing lever 67 is urged in a direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 11) in contact with the left head 773 at the left end of the pusher rod 77, and the engaging teeth of the moving side engaging teeth 69. 691 meshes with the engagement teeth 681 of the fixed-side engagement teeth 68.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a slight gap is formed between the ribs 38, 39 on the side surface of the moving column member 3 and the vehicle body rear end 693 and the vehicle body front end 694 of the moving side engagement tooth 69. That is, when the engagement teeth 691 and the engagement teeth 681 are engaged with each other, the swing lever 67 slides in the axial direction along the swing center shaft 672, and the moving side engagement teeth 69 are fixed to the fixed side engagement teeth 68. It moves slightly in the axial direction so as to mesh. As a result, regardless of the telescopic clamp position of the column clamp 6 by the wedge, the moving side engaging teeth 69 can mesh with the fixed side engaging teeth 68.

  When the driver collides with the steering wheel 92 during the secondary collision, an impact force to the front side of the vehicle body acts on the moving column member 3. When this impact force becomes larger than the clamping force of the column clamp 6 using the wedge, the clamp surfaces 631 and 641 of the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 slide out along the outer periphery 241 of the guide tube 24, and the moving column member 3 Slightly moves to the front side of the vehicle body.

  However, since the engaging tooth 691 of the moving side engaging tooth 69 meshes with the engaging tooth 681 of the fixed side engaging tooth 68, the reaction force acting on the moving side engaging tooth 69 from the fixed side engaging tooth 68. Thus, the moving side engaging teeth 69 slightly move to the rear side of the vehicle body (the right side in FIG. 12). (When viewed from the vehicle body side, the movable column member 3 moves to the left in FIG. 12 with respect to the movable engagement tooth 69.) The vehicle body rear end 693 of the movable engagement tooth 69 has a rib 38 on the side surface of the movable column member 3. Since the moving side engaging teeth 69 cannot move further to the rear side of the vehicle body (when viewed from the side of the vehicle body, the moving column member 3 is located on the left side of FIG. The movement column member 3 is prevented from moving forward of the vehicle body.

  In order to perform the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 and the unclamping operation of the column clamp 6, in FIG. 3, from the position indicated by the solid line (clamp side operating end a), the position indicated by the two-dot chain line (unclamped). When moving to the clamp side operation end b), the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 pushes the right head 771 at the right end of the pusher rod 77. Then, the left head 773 at the left end of the pusher rod 77 swings the swing lever 67 (clockwise in FIG. 11).

  As a result, the engagement between the engagement tooth 691 of the moving side engagement tooth 69 and the engagement tooth 681 of the fixed side engagement tooth 68 is released. Accordingly, one hand can be released from the operation lever 7 and the steering wheel 92 can be gripped with both hands to adjust the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 (the operation of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 will be described later).

  When the adjustment of the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 is completed, the driver removes one hand from the steering wheel 92 and pushes the operation lever 7 with the separated one hand. Therefore, the operation lever 7 swings the driven lever 714 counterclockwise about the driven lever central axis 72A, and the tilt head 4 is clamped to the moving column member 3. At the same time, the pusher plate 73 swings to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3, and the pusher rod 77 returns to the right position in FIG.

  The rightward movement of the pusher rod 77 causes the swing arm 62 to swing counterclockwise, and the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 of the column clamp 6 approach each other. Is done.

  When the pusher rod 77 moves to the right, the oscillating lever 67 oscillates counterclockwise by the urging force of the urging spring 671, and the engaging teeth of the moving side engaging teeth 69 attached to the oscillating lever 67. 691 starts to mesh with the engagement teeth 681 of the fixed-side engagement teeth 68.

  Since the column clamp 6 described above is clamped by a wedge, the clamp position of the movable column member 3 can be adjusted steplessly. Since the positive column clamp 66 by the moving side engaging teeth 69 and the fixed side engaging teeth 68 is a clamp for each pitch interval between the engaging teeth 681 and 691, the engaging teeth 691 of the moving side engaging teeth 69 and the fixed side are fixed. The engagement teeth 681 of the engagement teeth 68 may be displaced from the meshing position.

  However, the swing lever 67 to which the moving side engagement tooth 69 is attached is guided by the swing center shaft 672 and slides in parallel with the center axis of the fixed side engagement tooth 68 by the amount of shifting of the meshing position. To do. Therefore, the engaging teeth 691 of the moving side engaging teeth 69 can be properly engaged with the engaging teeth 681 of the fixed side engaging teeth 68.

* Energizing direction reversing mechanism The configuration and operation of the energizing direction reversing mechanism 81 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 (1) to 14 (2). FIG. 14A is an operation explanatory diagram showing a state where the operation lever 7 is at the clamp side operation end a (a state before the operation lever 7 is pulled) indicated by a solid line in FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 14 (2) is an operation explanatory view showing a state in which the operation lever 7 is at the unclamping-side operation end b (the state after the operation lever 7 is pulled) indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. is there.

  In FIG. 14A, at the clamp-side operation end a, the biasing force Fa of the biasing spring 715 swings counterclockwise (black arrow Rc direction) about the central axis 811 via the engagement pin 821. The swing lever 82 is urged to the moving end. Therefore, in order to urge the segment gear 84 meshing with the pinion 83 in the clockwise direction, the urging force in the clockwise direction (white arrow Fb) acts on the operation lever 7, and the operation lever 7 is in the clockwise direction (in the direction of the black arrow Rd). ).

  At this time, the protrusion 71 of the driven lever 714 is pushed leftward, and the tilt head clamp 41 is in a clamped state. Further, since the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 is in the position of the solid line in FIG. 3, the column clamp 6 is also in the clamped state.

  When the operating lever 7 is pulled toward the steering wheel 92, as shown in FIG. 14 (2), the operating lever 7 swings counterclockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Rb) about the lever central shaft 72C, The segment gear 84 rotates the pinion 83 clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra). Accordingly, the swing lever 82 integrated with the pinion 83 also swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra).

  Here, in FIGS. 14 (1) to 14 (2), the black arrows Ra and Rc represent the swinging direction of the swing lever 82, and the black arrows Rb and Rd represent the swinging direction of the operation lever 7. . White arrows Fa, Fb, and Fc represent directions of urging forces of the urging springs 715 acting on the swing lever 82 and the operation lever 7.

  When the swing lever 82 swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra), the center of the engagement pin 821 approaches a straight line connecting the engagement recess 471 and the center shaft 811. Then, the length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the central axis 811 gradually approaches zero in the vector of the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 715 acting on the engagement pin 821. Therefore, the moment of the force acting on the engaging pin 821 by the biasing spring 715, which tries to swing the swing lever 82 counterclockwise, gradually approaches zero.

  Accordingly, the clockwise biasing force (white arrow Fb) by the biasing spring 715 acting on the operation lever 7 as the center of the engaging recess 471, the center shaft 811 and the engaging pin 821 approaches a straight line. ) Gradually approaches zero, and as a result, the operating force required to attract the operating lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 715 gradually approaches zero. At this time, the driven lever 714 that follows the operating lever 7 swings clockwise around the driven lever central axis 72A, and the protrusion 71 integrated with the driven lever 714 moves to the right, so that the tilt head clamp 41 is unclamped. Operation proceeds.

  At the same time, the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 pushes the right head 771 of the pusher rod 77 against the urging force of the urging springs 741 and 741. The unclamping operation proceeds. Accordingly, as a force necessary to attract the operation lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92, a force for pushing the pusher rod 77 against the urging force of the urging springs 741 and 741 is gradually added.

  When the operation lever 7 is further pulled toward the steering wheel 92, the engagement concave portion 471, the center shaft 811 and the center of the engagement pin 821 are aligned in a straight line, and the swing lever 82 is swung counterclockwise. The moment of force by the biasing spring 715 becomes zero. When the operating lever 7 is further pulled toward the steering wheel 92, the engaging pin 821 is further swung in the clockwise direction (in the direction of the black arrow Ra) away from the straight line connecting the engaging recess 471 and the center of the central shaft 811. To do.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 14 (2), the urging force of the urging spring 715 urges the swing lever 82 clockwise about the central axis 811 via the engagement pin 821, and the pinion 83 In order to urge the segment gear 84 meshing with the counterclockwise direction, a counterclockwise urging force (white arrow Fc) is applied to the operation lever 7. That is, the direction of the urging force of the urging spring 715 applied to the operation lever 7 is reversed at a position where the centers of the engaging recess 471, the central shaft 811 and the engaging pin 821 are aligned.

  As the swing lever 82 swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra), the engagement recess 471, the center shaft 811, and the center of the engagement pin 821 move away from the position aligned on a straight line. The length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the central axis 811 to the vector of the biasing force (white arrow Fa) of the biasing spring 715 that acts is gradually increased. Therefore, the moment of the force acting on the engagement pin 821 by the biasing spring 715, which tries to swing the swing lever 82 clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra), gradually increases.

  Therefore, the counterclockwise biasing force (white arrow Fc) by the biasing spring 715 acting on the operation lever 7 gradually increases. As a result, the force required to push the pusher plate 77 against the urging force of the urging springs 741 and 741 gradually decreases, so that the operating lever 7 is pulled toward the steering wheel 92. The operation force required for the operation is gradually reduced.

  When the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping operation end b in FIG. 14B, the protrusion 71 integrated with the driven lever 714 moves to the right end, and the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 is completed. At the same time, the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 pushes the right head 771 of the pusher rod 77, and the unclamping operation of the column clamp 6 and the positive column clamp 66 is completed.

  As a result, even if the hand is released from the operation lever 7, the operation lever 7 is kept stopped at the unclamping operation end b shown in FIG. 14B (the operation of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 will be described later). ), The unclamped state of the tilt head clamp 41, the column clamp 6, and the positive column clamp 66 is maintained. Therefore, the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 can be easily adjusted while the steering wheel 92 is grasped with both hands.

  When the adjustment of the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 is completed, the driver releases one hand from the steering wheel 92 and pushes the operation lever 7 in the direction away from the steering wheel 92 with the released one hand. Then, the clamping operations of the tilt head clamp 41, the column clamp 6, and the positive column clamp 66 are performed in the reverse order to the above-described operation, and the state returns to the state of FIG.

  When the driver releases his / her hand from the operation lever 7, the operation lever 7 is given a clockwise urging force by the urging spring 715. Therefore, the operation lever 7 is at the clamp-side operation end a in FIG. The stopped state is maintained, and this clamped state is maintained even if the operation lever 7 is released.

* Oscillating lever holding mechanism The configuration and operation of the oscillating lever holding mechanism 85 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 13, 14 (1) to 14 (2). FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the swing lever and the swing lever holding spring. The counterclockwise biasing force (white arrow Fc) acting on the operation lever 7 by the biasing force (white arrow Fa) of the bias spring 715 at the unclamping operation end b in FIG. 6 and the biasing springs 741 and 741 for the positive column clamp 66 are preferably set substantially equal to or slightly larger than the force required to push the pusher rod 77 against the biasing force of the biasing springs 741 and 741.

  That is, if the urging force of the urging spring 715 is made larger than that, a larger operating force is required when the operating lever 7 is pushed from the unclamping operation end b to the clamping position a by the increased urging force. This is also because a large operating force is required when pulling from the clamp side operation end a to the unclamp side operation end b (until the center axis of the biasing spring 715 exceeds the center axis 811).

  In order to avoid this, the urging force of the urging spring 715 is set to be approximately equal to or slightly larger than the force required to push the pusher rod 77. On the other hand, this means that the operation lever 7 is easy to move at the unclamping operation end b. When adjusting the front-rear direction and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92, the inertia during the adjustment operation, that is, the impact or There is a possibility that the operation lever 7 may be displaced due to vibration.

  In order to solve such a problem, the tilt head 4 is provided with a swing lever holding mechanism 85 for holding the operation lever 7 at the unclamping operation end b. As shown in FIGS. 7, 13, and 14 (1) to 14 (2), the swing lever holding mechanism 85 includes an engagement protrusion 86 and an engagement protrusion 871 formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82. The rocking lever holding spring 87 is provided.

  The swing lever holding spring 87 is attached to the side surface of the tilt head 4 together with the swing lever 82 by a central shaft 811 screwed into the tilt head 4. Since the locking projections 873 and 874 formed on the swing lever holding spring 87 are in tight contact with the outer periphery of the boss portion 48 on the side surface of the tilt head 4, even if the swing lever 82 swings, the swing lever The holding spring 87 does not swing and is fixedly attached to the side surface of the tilt head 4.

  The engaging protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 is bent into a mountain shape, and the peak of the mountain shape is formed toward the center side of the swing lever 82. The engaging protrusion 86 formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82 has a generally arcuate gentle slope 861 whose diameter gradually increases toward the steep slope 862, and the apex of the gentle slope 861 toward the center of the swing lever 82. Is formed in a sawtooth shape by a steep slope 862 (substantially toward the center of the swing lever 82). The apex of the gentle slope 861 is formed on the outer side in the radial direction from the center of the swing lever 82 than the peak of the angle of the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 at the time of assembly.

  Accordingly, when the operation lever 7 is operated from the clamp side operation end a in FIG. 14 (1) toward the unclamp side operation end b in FIG. 14 (2), the gentle slope 861 of the engagement protrusion 86 holds the swing lever. The swing lever 82 swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra) while elastically deforming the engagement protrusion 871 of the spring 87 radially outward.

  When the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping-side operation end b shown in FIG. 14 (2), the top of the gentle slope 861 passes through the top of the chevron of the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87, and the steep slope 862. The apex of the chevron of the engaging protrusion 871 engages. Therefore, since the swing lever 82 is prevented from swinging counterclockwise, the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamping operation end b. Therefore, the possibility that the operation lever 7 is displaced from the unclamping operation end b to the clamping operation end a side due to an impact at the time of adjusting the position of the steering wheel 92 is eliminated.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, the gentle protrusion 861 is formed on the engaging protrusion 86, and when the operating lever 7 is operated toward the unclamping operation end b and the swing lever 82 is swung, The slope 861 gradually elastically deforms the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 outward in the radial direction, so that the operation feeling of the operation lever 7 is improved.

  Further, since the swing lever 82 is formed of a sintered material, the surface roughness of the swing lever 82 is good, and the engagement protrusion 86 of the swing lever 82 and the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 Therefore, the operating feeling of the operating lever 7 is good, the wear of the swing lever 82 and the swing lever holding spring 87 is reduced, and the durability is improved.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 15A and 15B are operation explanatory views of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15A shows a state where the operation lever 7 is provided at the clamp side operation end a, and FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the state in which the operation lever 7 exists in the end b. In the following description, only structural portions and operations different from those of the first embodiment will be described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. Further, the same parts will be described with the same numbers.

  The second embodiment is an example in which two engaging protrusions are formed on the swing lever holding spring 87 to reduce the load applied to the engaging protrusions. As shown in FIGS. 15 (1) to 15 (2), the swing lever holding spring 87 is further provided with another engagement protrusion 872 in addition to the engagement protrusion 871 of the first embodiment. Yes.

  The added engagement protrusion 872 is bent into a mountain shape like the engagement protrusion 871 of the first embodiment, and the peak of the mountain shape is formed toward the center side of the swing lever 82. Further, the added engagement protrusion 872 is formed by shifting the angle phase by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction with respect to the engagement protrusion 871. In the second embodiment, the angle between the added engagement protrusion 872 and the engagement protrusion 871 is not limited to 90 degrees, and can be set to an arbitrary angle.

  In addition to the engagement protrusion 86 of the first embodiment, another engagement protrusion 88 is formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82. Similar to the engagement protrusion 86 of the first embodiment, the added engagement protrusion 88 includes a substantially arc-shaped gentle slope 881 whose diameter gradually increases toward the steep slope 882, and a swing lever from the apex of the gentle slope 881. It is formed in a sawtooth shape by a steep slope 882 (substantially the surface toward the center of the swing lever 82) formed toward the center of 82. The apex of the gentle slope 881 is formed on the outer side in the radial direction from the center of the rocking lever 82 than the peak of the mountain of the engaging protrusion 872 of the rocking lever holding spring 87 at the time of assembly.

  Further, the added engagement protrusion 88 is formed by shifting the angle phase by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction with respect to the engagement protrusion 86. Further, a substantially arc-shaped engagement groove 822 is formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82 at a position shifted by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction with respect to the added engagement protrusion 88.

  Accordingly, at the clamp-side operation end a in FIG. 15A, the engagement protrusion 872 of the swing lever holding spring 87 is engaged with the engagement groove 822 of the swing lever 82, and the swing lever 82 is clockwise. Therefore, the operation lever 7 is held at the clamp side operation end a so that the operation lever 7 does not move to the unclamp side operation end b side.

  When the operation lever 7 is operated from the clamp side operation end a in FIG. 15 (1) toward the unclamp side operation end b in FIG. 15 (2), the gentle slopes 861 and 881 of the engagement protrusions 86 and 88 are moved. While the engagement protrusions 871 and 872 of the swing lever holding spring 87 are elastically deformed radially outward, the swing lever 82 swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra).

  When the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping operation end b shown in FIG. 15 (2), the vertices of the gentle slopes 861 and 881 pass through the mountain-shaped vertices of the engagement protrusions 871 and 872 of the swing lever holding spring 87. The apexes of the chevron of the engaging projections 871 and 872 engage with the steep slopes 862 and 882, respectively. Therefore, since the swing lever 82 is prevented from swinging counterclockwise, the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamping operation end b.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, since the two engaging protrusions 871 and 872 are formed on the swing lever holding spring 87, the load acting on each of the engagement protrusions is reduced. Wear of the swing lever holding spring 87 is reduced, and durability is further improved. In the second embodiment, two engagement protrusions are formed on the swing lever holding spring 87, but the number is not limited to two, and a plurality of engagement protrusions may be formed on the swing lever holding spring 87. .

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory view of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. (1) shows a state in which the operation lever 7 is located at the clamp side operation end a, It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the state in which the operation lever 7 exists in the unclamping side operation end b. In the following description, only structural portions and operations different from the above embodiment will be described, and redundant description will be omitted. Further, the same parts will be described with the same numbers.

  The third embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment, in which two engaging protrusions are formed on each of the swing lever holding spring 87 and the swing lever 82, and the engaging protrusions are engaged at different timings. In this example, even if one engagement protrusion is worn, the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamping operation end b by the other engagement protrusion. As shown in FIGS. 16 (1) to 16 (3), the rocking lever holding spring 87 is formed with an engaging protrusion 871 and an engaging protrusion 872 as in the second embodiment. The engaging projection 871 is formed by shifting the phase by 90 degrees clockwise. In the third embodiment, the angle between the engagement protrusion 872 and the engagement protrusion 871 is not limited to 90 degrees, and can be set to an arbitrary angle.

  Further, similarly to the second embodiment, an engagement protrusion 86 and an engagement protrusion 88 are formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82. The engagement protrusion 88 is 90 degrees clockwise with respect to the engagement protrusion 86. The phase is shifted by a slightly larger angle. Further, a substantially arc-shaped engagement groove 822 is formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82 at a position shifted by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction with respect to the engagement protrusion 88 as in the second embodiment. Yes.

  Accordingly, at the clamp-side operation end a in FIG. 16A, the engagement protrusion 872 of the swing lever holding spring 87 is engaged with the engagement groove 822 of the swing lever 82, and the swing lever 82 is clockwise. Therefore, the operation lever 7 is held at the clamp side operation end a.

  Further, when the operation lever 7 is operated from the clamp side operation end a in FIG. 16 (1) toward the unclamp side operation end b in FIG. 16 (2), the gentle slopes 861 and 881 of the engagement protrusions 86 and 88 are moved. The swing lever 82 swings clockwise while elastically deforming the engagement protrusions 871 and 872 of the swing lever holding spring 87 radially outward.

  When the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping-side operation end b shown in FIG. 16 (2), one steep slope 882 slightly passes the peak of the mountain shape of one engagement protrusion 872, and the other steep slope 862 engages the other. The peaks of the protrusions 871 engage. Therefore, since the swing lever 82 is prevented from swinging counterclockwise by the engagement of the other steep slope 862 and the other engagement protrusion 871, the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamping operation end b. Is done.

  When the other steep slope 862 and the other engagement protrusion 871 are worn, the swing lever 82 swings counterclockwise, and the other steep slope 862 tends to be disengaged from the other engagement protrusion 871. However, when the swing lever 82 is slightly swung in the counterclockwise direction, one steep slope 882 engages with one engagement protrusion 872, so that the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamp side operation end b.

  In the third embodiment of the present invention, two engaging protrusions are formed on the swing lever holding spring 87 and the swing lever 82 to engage with each other. Even so, since the other is engaged, the reliability of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 is improved.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 17A and 17B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17A shows a state in which the operation lever 7 is at the clamp side operation end a, and FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the state in which the operation lever 7 exists in the end b. In the following description, only structural portions and operations different from the above embodiment will be described, and redundant description will be omitted. Further, the same parts will be described with the same numbers.

  In the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, one engaging protrusion is formed on the swing lever holding spring 87, and an engaging groove is formed on the swing lever 82 to engage the engaging protrusion. is there. As shown in FIGS. 17A to 17B, the swing lever holding spring 87 is formed with one engagement protrusion 871 having the same shape as the engagement protrusion 871 of the first embodiment.

  A cylindrical outer periphery 823 centering on the center of the swing lever 82 is formed on the outer periphery of the swing lever 82, and a mountain-shaped apex of the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 is formed on the cylindrical outer periphery 823. , Elastically deformed and in contact. In addition, a mountain-shaped engagement groove 824 that is recessed toward the center of the swing lever 82 is formed in the cylindrical outer periphery 823.

  17 (1), the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 comes into contact with the cylindrical outer periphery 823 of the swing lever 82, and due to the elastic force of the engagement protrusion 871, Since the swing lever 82 is prevented from swinging in the clockwise direction, the operation lever 7 is held by the clamp side operation end a, so that the operation lever 7 is not shifted and moved to the unclamp side operation end b.

  When the operation lever 7 is operated from the clamp side operation end a in FIG. 17 (1) toward the unclamp side operation end b in FIG. 17 (2), the cylindrical outer periphery 823 of the swing lever 82 is moved to the swing lever. The swing lever 82 swings clockwise while contacting the engagement protrusion 871 of the holding spring 87.

  When the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping operation end b shown in FIG. 17B, the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding spring 87 is elastically restored to engage with the engagement groove 824 of the swing lever 82. To do. Therefore, since the swing lever 82 is prevented from swinging counterclockwise, the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamping operation end b.

  In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the clamp-side operation end a and the unclamp are formed by one engagement protrusion 871 formed on the swing lever holding spring 87 and one engagement groove 824 formed on the swing lever 82. Since the operation lever 7 can be prevented from shifting and moving at both positions of the side operation end b, the shapes of the swing lever holding spring 87 and the swing lever 82 are simplified, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

* Steering wheel adjustment operation Hereinafter, the operation for adjusting the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 and the operation of each member will be described.

  In the following description, the case of the swing lever holding mechanism 85 of the first embodiment will be described. That is, when adjusting the tilt angle and the front-rear direction position of the steering wheel 92, the driver releases one hand from the steering wheel 92, and with the one hand released, the operator moves the operation lever 7 forward (from the clamp side operation end a to the unclamp side operation end b). Toward (in the direction of the black arrow Rb). As a result, the operating lever 7 swings the driven lever 714 clockwise about the driven lever central shaft 72A as shown in FIG.

  By swinging the driven lever 714, the projecting portion 71 moves to the right side in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the gear arm 44 rotates counterclockwise by the biasing force of the spring 711. By the rotation of the gear arm 44, the teeth of the segment gear 33 and the teeth of the gear portion 442 of the gear arm 44 are disengaged, and the tilt angle of the tilt head 4 can be adjusted. Further, the pusher plate 73 swings to the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 and overcomes the urging springs 741 and 741, and pushes the pusher rod 77 to the left in FIG.

  The leftward movement of the pusher rod 77 causes the swing arm 62 and the swing lever 67 to swing clockwise. As a result, the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 that are approaching each other as shown in FIGS. Further, since the engagement between the engagement tooth 691 of the moving side engagement tooth 69 and the engagement tooth 681 of the fixed side engagement tooth 68 is disengaged, the positive column clamp 66 is released.

  The urging direction reversing mechanism 81 is in the middle of the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41, the column clamp 6 and the positive column clamp 66, and the centers of the engaging recess 471, the central shaft 811 and the engaging pin 821 are aligned on a straight line. The direction in which the biasing spring 715 biases the operation lever 7 is reversed from the clockwise direction (white arrow Fb) to the counterclockwise direction (white arrow Fc).

  Therefore, the urging force of the urging spring 715 is applied as a force for pushing the pusher rod 77 against the urging force of the urging springs 741 and 741 for the pusher plate 73 for the column clamp 6 and the positive column clamp 66. It is possible to reduce a driver's operation force necessary to attract the operation lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92.

  As shown in FIG. 14 (2), when the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping operation end b, the engagement protrusion 871 at the tip of the swing lever holding plate spring 87 engages with the engagement protrusion 86 of the swing lever 82. Therefore, the position of the operation lever 7 is securely held at the unclamping operation end b. Accordingly, one hand can be released from the operation lever 7 and the steering wheel 92 can be grasped with both hands, so that the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 can be adjusted easily.

  When the adjustment of the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 is completed, the driver removes one hand from the steering wheel 92 and pushes the operation lever 7 with the separated one hand. Due to the clockwise swing of the operation lever 7, the steep slope 862 of the engagement protrusion 86 of the swing lever 82 climbs over the peak of the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding plate spring 87, and the engagement protrusion 86 is loosened. The slope 861 slides along the engagement protrusion 871 of the swing lever holding plate spring 87.

  When the center of the engaging recess 471, the center shaft 811, and the engaging pin 821 is aligned in the middle of the clamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41, the column clamp 6, and the positive column clamp 66, the urging direction reversing mechanism 81 Since the direction in which the biasing spring 715 biases the operation lever 7 is reversed from the counterclockwise direction (white arrow Fc) to the clockwise direction (white arrow Fb), the operation lever 7 is driven by the biasing force of the biasing spring 715. The force required to swing clockwise and push the operating lever 7 can be reduced.

  Therefore, the operating lever 7 swings the driven lever 714 counterclockwise around the driven lever central shaft 72A by the biasing force of the biasing spring 715, and the projecting portion 71 moves to the left in FIG. The teeth of 33 and the teeth of the gear portion 442 of the gear arm 44 mesh with each other, and the tilt head 4 is clamped to the moving column member 3. At the same time, the pusher plate 73 swings to the position indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 3 and 11, and the pusher rod 77 returns to the right position in FIG. 11 and to the position indicated by the solid line by the urging force of the urging springs 741 and 741.

  The rightward movement of the pusher rod 77 causes the swing arm 62 to swing counterclockwise. As a result, the first wedge 63 and the second wedge 64 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 approach each other, so that the movable column member 3 is clamped. Further, the swing lever 67 swings counterclockwise, and the engagement tooth 691 of the moving side engagement tooth 69 attached to the swing lever 67 meshes with the engagement tooth 681 of the fixed side engagement tooth 68. Therefore, the clamping operation of the positive column clamp 66 is completed.

  The urging direction reversing mechanism 81 holds the clamp side operation end a of the operation lever 7 by the urging force of the urging spring 715 even when the operation lever 7 is released. The clamped state of the tilt head clamp 41 is maintained.

  When the tilt head clamp 41 is unclamped, a downward force is applied to the tilt head 4 as if a person is stroking its neck due to its weight. For this reason, a stronger spring 45 (FIGS. 3 to 5) for counter balance is provided. By this spring 45, such a downward force is canceled out, or in order to further facilitate getting on and off, a force is applied to the tilt head 4 to maintain the steering wheel 92 in the uppermost inclined position. Can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a steering apparatus having both a tilt head clamp and a column clamp has been shown, but the present invention may be applied to a steering apparatus having either a tilt head clamp or a column clamp.

1 is an external view of a steering apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view when the steering apparatus 1 is seen from the P direction of FIG. It is a bottom view when the steering apparatus 1 is seen from the Q direction of FIG. It is a principal part enlarged side view of the steering apparatus 1 of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged bottom view of a main part in which a part of FIG. 3 is cut. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a side view which shows the principal part of a column clamp. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. 5 which shows a column clamp. It is an exploded view which shows the subassembly state of a column clamp. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of a rocking lever and a rocking lever holding spring. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the urging | biasing direction inversion mechanism 81 and the rocking lever holding mechanism 85 of Example 1 of this invention, (1) shows the state with the operation lever 7 in the clamp side operation end a, (2 ) Is an operation explanatory view showing a state in which the operation lever 7 is at the unclamping operation end b. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the rocking lever holding | maintenance mechanism 85 of Example 2 of this invention, (1) shows the state which has the operation lever 7 in the clamp side operation end a, (2) shows in the unclamp side operation end b. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows a state with the operation lever. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the rocking lever holding mechanism 85 of Example 3 of this invention, (1) shows the state with the operation lever 7 in the clamp side operation end a, (2) and (3) are the unclamp side. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the state in which the operation lever 7 exists in the operation end b. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the rocking lever holding | maintenance mechanism 85 of Example 4 of this invention, (1) shows the state which has the operation lever 7 in the clamp side operation end a, (2) shows in the unclamp side operation end b. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows a state with the operation lever.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering device 2 Fixed column member 21, 22 Car body attaching part 221 Cylindrical hole 222 Pin 23 Stopper member 24 Guide cylinder 241 Outer periphery 3 Moving column member 31 Wedge hole 32 Elongated hole 33 Segment gear 34 Bolt 341 Backing member 35 Guide hole 36 Rib 361 Guide groove 37 Boss portion 38, 39 Rib 4 Tilt head 41 Tilt head clamp 43 Tilt center shaft 44 Gear arm 441 Shaft 442 Gear portion 443 Leg 45 Spring 47 Bracket 471 Engaging recess 48 Boss portion 5 Steering shaft 6 Column clamp 61 Column clamp Shaft 611 Male thread 612 Thrust bearing 613 Washer 614 Biasing spring 615 Nut 62 Swing arm 621 Cam surface 63 First wedge 631 Clamp surface 632 Clamp shuff Hole 633 cam surface 634 inclined surface 64 second wedge 641 clamp surface 642 clamp shaft hole 644 inclined surface 65 third wedge 651 bolt 652, 653 inclined surface 66 positive column clamp 67 swing lever 671 bias spring 672 swing center shaft 68 Fixed engagement teeth 681 Engagement teeth 69 Moving engagement teeth 691 Engagement teeth 692 Clip 693 Rear end of vehicle body 694 Front end of vehicle body 7 Operation lever 71 Protruding portion 711 Spring 714 Follower lever 715 Energizing spring 717 Engaging recess 718 Engaging projection 72A Follower lever center shaft 72C Lever center shaft 73 Pusher plate 741 Biasing spring 743 Pin 77 Pusher rod 771 Right head 772 Flange 773 Left head 81 Biasing direction reversing mechanism 811 Center shaft 82 Swing lever 821 Engagement Pin 22 engaging groove 823 cylindrical outer periphery 824 engaging groove 83 pinion 84 segment gear 85 rocking lever holding mechanism 86 engaging protrusion 861 gentle slope 862 steep slope 87 rocking lever holding spring 871 engaging protrusion 872 engaging protrusion 873,874 Stop projection 88 Engagement projection 881 Slow slope 882 Steep slope 91 Car body 92 Steering wheel 93 Universal joint

Claims (8)

A telescopic mechanism for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, or a clamp / unclamp mechanism for clamping / unclamping the tilting mechanism for adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel,
An operation lever capable of clamping / unclamping the clamp / unclamp mechanism;
A biasing member having one end engaged with a support side that supports the operation lever so as to be swingable, and biases the operation lever;
A biasing direction reversing mechanism that reverses the direction in which the biasing member biases the operation lever during the operation of the operation lever,
The biasing direction reversing mechanism is
A swing lever that swings in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever, and that engages a position where the other end of the biasing member is spaced from the swing center;
A steering apparatus, comprising: a swing lever holding mechanism that holds a swing position of the swing lever at at least one of a clamp side operation end and an unclamp side operation end of the operation lever. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The swing lever holding mechanism is
A swing lever holding spring provided on the support side for swingably supporting the swing lever;
It is provided in the rocking lever, and has an engaging protrusion that engages with the rocking lever holding spring at at least one of the clamp side operation end and the unclamp side operation end of the operation lever. Steering device. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
A plurality of engaging protrusions are formed on the swing lever,
The steering device, wherein the plurality of engaging protrusions simultaneously engage with the swing lever holding spring. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
A plurality of engaging protrusions are formed on the swing lever,
A part of the plurality of engaging protrusions engages with the swing lever holding spring at the unclamping operation end of the operation lever,
The remaining engagement protrusions of the plurality of engagement protrusions engage with the swing lever holding spring when the operation lever moves from the unclamping operation end to the clamping operation end. apparatus. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The swing lever holding mechanism is
A swing lever holding spring provided on the support side for swingably supporting the swing lever;
It is provided in the rocking lever, and has an engagement groove that engages with the rocking lever holding spring in at least one of the clamp side operation end and the unclamp side operation end of the operation lever. Steering device. In the steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever is formed of a sintered material. In the steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
During the operation of the operation lever, the other end of the urging member moves from one side to the other side across a straight line connecting one end of the urging member and the swing center of the swing lever. The direction of the urging | biasing force with respect to the operation lever by the said urging | biasing member reverses by, The steering apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The operating lever is provided with a segment gear,
A steering device, wherein a pinion provided on the swing lever meshes with the segment gear, whereby the swing lever swings in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever.

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