JP2008168828A - Electric steering column device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric steering column device capable of reducing its space, weight, and cost without wasting motor capacity at the time of adjusting a tilt position or a telescopic position. <P>SOLUTION: The electric steering column device, wherein either of the tilt position or the telescopic position is selected for control by controlling a rotating direction of a plurality of motors 15A, 15B, is characterized in that either of the tilt position or the telescopic position is controlled by activating a plurality of motors 15A, 15B simultaneously. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric steering column device that adjusts the position of a steering wheel, and more particularly to an electric steering column device that drives a plurality of motors to control a tilt position or a telescopic position.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known an electric steering column device that can adjust the height and angle of a steering wheel so that an appropriate driving position can be taken in accordance with a driver's physique. FIG. 5 schematically shows a conventional electric steering column apparatus.

  A steering shaft 300 extending from the steering wheel 200 is rotatably held by an upper column 400, a middle column 500, and a lower column 600. The upper column 400 is attached to a fork portion 510 formed at the rear end of the middle column 500 so as to be tiltable via a tilt hinge pin 510a, and by swinging the upper column 400 appropriately using the tilt hinge pin 510a as a fulcrum, The tilt position (angle) of the steering wheel 200 can be adjusted.

  The middle column 500 is inserted in the lower column 600 and is slidable in the axial direction together with the upper column 400. Therefore, the telescopic position (height) of the steering wheel 200 can be adjusted by sliding the middle column 500 with respect to the lower column 600 fixed to the vehicle body side.

  The tilt position of the steering wheel 200 is adjusted by the electric tilt actuator 700. When the electric motor 710 of the electric tilt actuator 700 rotates, the electric tilt actuator 700 expands and contracts, and the upper column 400 swings about the tilt hinge pin 510a.

  The telescopic position of the steering wheel 200 is adjusted by an electric telescopic actuator 800 having the same structure as the electric tilt actuator 700. When the electric motor of the electric telescopic actuator 800 rotates, the electric telescopic actuator 800 expands and contracts, and the middle column 500 slides with respect to the lower column 600 around the pin 63 that is the connecting portion with the lower column 600.

Therefore, the tilt position is adjusted by controlling the electric tilt actuator 700, and the telescopic position is adjusted by controlling the electric telescopic actuator 800.
JP 2005-153879 A

  In order to adjust the tilt position and the telescopic position of the steering wheel 2 as described above, two degrees of freedom in the driving direction are necessary. Therefore, the electric steering column device of Patent Document 1 has a tilt position and a telescopic position. Each is driven by an independent actuator. However, in practice, the tilt position and the telescopic position are rarely adjusted at the same time, and the electric tilt actuator 7 and the electric telescopic actuator 8 are often operated exclusively (the electric tilt actuator is used when adjusting the tilt position). Only 700 is driven, and when adjusting the telescopic position, only the electric telescopic actuator 800 is driven).

  Therefore, the driving force of the electric telescopic actuator 800 is not used while the electric tilt actuator 700 is driven, and the driving force of the electric telescopic actuator 700 is not used while the electric tilt actuator 800 is driven. Therefore, there is a problem that the ability of any one of the motors on standby is wasted. In other words, two motors having the same ability even though only one of them is driven at a time causes extra space, weight and cost.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric steering column apparatus that can reduce space, weight, and cost without causing waste in motor capacity when adjusting a tilt position or a telescopic position.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an electric steering column device that selects and controls one of a tilt position and a telescopic position by controlling the rotation directions of a plurality of motors, and simultaneously rotates the plurality of motors. By controlling, one of the tilt position and the telescopic position is controlled.

  Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, only when a plurality of motors are rotated at the same time, a rotational drive force conversion mechanism (for example, worm gears 18A, 18B and worm wheel 28A) that can control one of the tilt position and the telescopic position. , 28B, screws 14A and 14B, nuts 16A and 16B, arms 17A and 17B, and tilt support point 20).

  According to the present invention, since a plurality of motors rotate at the same time, an output necessary for the motor for tilt position control or telescopic position control (for example, 1.0) can be reduced to about 0.5. By reducing the size, space, weight and cost can be reduced.

  It is possible to provide an electric steering column apparatus that can reduce space, weight, and cost without causing waste in motor capacity when adjusting a tilt position or a telescopic position.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an electric steering column apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, a substantially right half from the bracket 13A shows a cross-sectional view.

  The main shaft 11 that is rotatably supported by the tube 21 protrudes from the rear side of the main shaft 11 to the driver's seat, and a steering wheel 9 is attached to an end portion thereof so as to be integrally rotatable. The main shaft 11 is connected to the lower shaft on the front side of the vehicle so that it can extend and contract and transmit torque, and the lower shaft is connected to the intermediate shaft via a universal joint.

  The lower shaft is provided with a guide groove 8 that is long in the axial direction for guiding the end portion of the tube 21. The tube 21 rotates the guide groove 8 around the guided end portion to slide the tilt position. Each telescopic position can be adjusted by moving.

  The bracket 13A has a plate shape or a cylindrical shape that supports the tube 21 on the vehicle body so that the tilt position and telescopic position of the electric steering column device 1 can be adjusted, and the tube 21 is formed into a dash panel via the vehicle body attachment portion 12. Join. The inner wall 23 (in the case of a cylinder) of the dash panel or bracket 13A and the tube 21 have a predetermined space, and this space is used to adjust the tilt position.

  A bracket 13B is rigidly joined to the tube 21, and the actuator 10 is disposed on the bracket 13B. The actuator 10 has a pair of configurations having the same motor and the same speed reduction mechanism in the vertical direction of the tube and is driven simultaneously to selectively adjust the tilt position or the telescopic position.

  The actuator 10 holds, on the vehicle rear side, a screw 14B having an axis in the axial direction of the tube 21 by a pair of fixed seats 26 extending vertically from the bracket 13B, and a nut 16B is attached to the screw 14B. It is screwed.

  The screw 14 </ b> B includes a worm wheel 28 </ b> B that rotates integrally with the rear fixed seat 26, and is rotatably supported by a bearing 21 </ b> B embedded in the pair of fixed seats 26. When the worm wheel 28B is provided on the right side of the screw 14B in the vehicle width direction, the worm wheel 28B meshes with a worm gear 18B that is rotationally driven by the motor 15B to form a reduction gear.

  With the above configuration, the output of the motor 15B is decelerated by the worm gear 18B and the worm wheel 28B, and then the screw 14B is rotationally driven. Move to.

  Similarly, the actuator 10 holds a screw 14A having an axis in the axial direction of the tube 21 on the vehicle front side by a pair of fixed seats 27 extending vertically from the bracket 13B. A nut 16A is screwed. The fixed seat 27 is located on the right side in the vehicle width direction from the right end of the fixed seat 26 by the thickness of the arms 17A and 17B when viewed from the axial direction of the screws 14A and 14B.

  The screw 14 </ b> A includes a worm wheel 28 </ b> A that rotates integrally with the front fixed seat 27, and is rotatably supported by a bearing 21 </ b> A embedded in the pair of fixed seats 27. The worm wheel 28A meshes with a worm gear 18A that is rotationally driven by a motor 15A provided on the left side in the vehicle width direction of the screw 14A to constitute a reduction gear. Note that the directions of the motors 15A and 15B are reversed in order to reduce the length in the axial direction, but they may be installed in the same direction, and in this case, the width of the actuator 10 can be reduced.

  With the above configuration, the output of the motor 15A is decelerated by the worm gear 18A and the worm wheel 28A, and then the screw 14A is rotationally driven. Move to.

  One end of the arm 17B is pivotally connected to the right side of the nut 16B in the vehicle width direction, and one end of the arm 17A is pivotally connected to the left side of the nut 16A in the vehicle width direction. The other end of the arm 17B and the other end of the arm 17A are pin-connected to each other by a pin penetrating the bracket 13A. The arm 17B, 17A and the bracket 13A are pin-connected to form a tilt support point 20, and the tilt support point 20 serves as a fulcrum for adjusting the tilt position while supporting the tube 21 together with the guide groove 8. In the figure, the arm 17A is reinforced by a reinforcing material 25A, and the arm 17B is reinforced by a reinforcing material 25B.

  The upper and lower elements of the actuator 10 can use the same structure, for example, the screws 14A and 14B, the arms 17A and 17B have substantially the same length, motors 15A and 15B, worm gears 18A and 18B, worm wheel 28A. And 28B are the same.

  Then, the effect | action of the above electric steering column apparatuses 10 is demonstrated. The electric steering column device 10 is controlled by the control unit 30. The control unit 30 is a drive circuit or a computer connected to the motors 15A and 15B, and drives the motors 15A and 15B as follows according to the operation of the switch 31. For example, the switch 31 is a momentary switch in which a tilt switch and a telescopic switch are provided separately and can be operated UP and DOWN, respectively.

  FIG. 2 is a table showing the relationship between the tilt position and telescopic position control and the rotation directions of the motors 15A and 15B. When the control unit 30 controls the rotation direction of the motors 15A and 15B, the tilt position can be increased and decreased, and the telescopic position can be increased and decreased.

(Tilt position control)
In the tilt position control, the rotation of the motor 15A and the motor 15B is controlled so that the nut 16A and the nut 16B simultaneously move in the opposite directions. The motors 15A and 15B are normally rotated clockwise when viewed from the paper surface direction of FIG.

・ When tilting up (raising the tilt position)
In the case of tilt UP, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (forward rotation) and the motor 15B (reverse rotation) so as to move the nut 16A rightward and the nut 16B leftward simultaneously. As a result of this control, when the distance between the nut 16A and the nut 16B is shortened, the arm 17A rotates clockwise around the tilt support point 20 and the arm 17B rotates counterclockwise, so the arm 17A and arm 17B And the angle between the tube 21 and the axis of the tube 21 increase, and as a result, the tube 21 rotates counterclockwise around the end of the tube 21 in the guide groove 8. Therefore, the tilt position becomes high.

・ When tilting down (lowering the tilt position)
In the case of tilt DOWN, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (reverse rotation) and the motor 15B (forward rotation) so as to simultaneously move the nut 16A in the left direction and the nut 16B in the right direction. As a result of this control, when the distance between the nut 16A and the nut 16B increases, the arm 17A rotates counterclockwise around the tilt support point 20 and the arm 17B rotates clockwise, so the arm 17A and arm 17B And the angle between the tube 21 and the axis of the tube 21 are reduced, and as a result, the tube 21 rotates clockwise around the end of the tube 21 in the guide groove 8. Therefore, the tilt position is lowered.

[Telescopic position control]
In the telescopic position control, the rotation of the motor 15A and the motor 15B is controlled so that the nut 16A and the nut 16B simultaneously move in the same direction.

・ When telescopic contraction (telescopic short)
In the case of a telescopic short, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (forward rotation) and the motor 15B (forward rotation) so as to simultaneously move the nut 16A and the nut 16B in the right direction.

  By the way, when both the motor 15A and the motor 15B are rotated forward, the nuts 16A and 16B try to move to the right, but the movement of the nuts 16A and 16B is restricted by the arms 17A and 17B pin-supported at the tilt support point 20. Therefore, the screws 14A and 14B move in the left direction with the positions of the nuts 16A and 16B as they are (fixed to the vehicle body). As a result, since the tube 21 guided by the guide groove 8 slides leftward, the telescopic position is lowered.

・ When telescoping (telesco long)
In the case of telescopic long, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (reverse rotation) and the motor 15B (reverse rotation) so as to move the nut 16A and the nut 16B simultaneously in the left direction.

  By the way, when both the motor 15A and the motor 15B are reversed, the nuts 16A and 16B try to move to the left, but the movement of the nuts 16A and 16B is restricted by the arms 17A and 17B pin-supported at the tilt support point 20. Therefore, the screws 14A and 14B move rightward with the positions of the nuts 16A and 16B as they are (fixed to the vehicle body). As a result, since the tube 21 guided by the guide groove 8 slides in the right direction, the telescopic position becomes high.

  As described above, in the electric steering column apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the two motors 15A and 15B always rotate at the same time regardless of the tilt position control or the telescopic position control. The necessary output can be taken out as a resultant force of the two motors 15A and 15B. Therefore, the output required for tilt position control or telescopic position control (assuming this is 1.0, for example), the outputs of the motors 15A and 15B may be 0.5, and conventional tilt position control and telescopic position control can be performed. The motors 15A and 15B can be made smaller (approximately half) than when controlled by separate motors, and space, weight, and cost can be reduced. Further, since the motors 15A, 15B and the like constituting the actuator 10 can be constituted by the same parts, the cost can be reduced due to the mass production effect.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the electric steering column apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. 3, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The bracket 13 </ b> A has a plate shape or a cylindrical shape that is supported on the vehicle body so that the tilt position and telescopic position of the electric steering column device 1 can be adjusted, and is joined to the dash panel via the vehicle body attachment portion 12. The space above and below the tube 21 is used to adjust the tilt position.

  A bracket 13B is rigidly joined to the tube 21, and the actuator 10 is disposed on the bracket 13B. The actuator 10 has a pair of configurations in the vertical direction of the tube and is driven simultaneously to adjust the tilt position and the telescopic position.

  The actuator 10 holds, on the vehicle rear side, a screw 14B having an axis in the axial direction of the tube 21 by a pair of fixed seats 26 extending vertically from the bracket 13B, and a nut 16B is attached to the screw 14B. It is screwed.

  The screw 14 </ b> B includes a worm wheel 28 </ b> B that rotates integrally with the rear fixed seat 26, and is rotatably supported by a bearing 21 </ b> B embedded in the pair of fixed seats 26. The worm wheel 28B is provided on the right side in the vehicle width direction of the screw 14B and meshes with a worm gear 18B that is rotationally driven by the motor 15B to constitute a reduction gear.

  With the above configuration, the output of the motor 15B is decelerated by the worm gear 18B and the worm wheel 28B, and then the screw 14B is rotationally driven. Move to.

  Similarly, the actuator 10 holds a screw 14A having an axis in the axial direction of the tube 21 on the vehicle front side by a pair of fixed seats 27 extending vertically from the bracket 13B. A nut 16A is screwed. The fixed seat 27 is located on the right side in the vehicle width direction from the right end of the fixed seat 26 by the thickness of the arm 17B when viewed from the axial direction of the screws 14A and 14B.

  The screw 14 </ b> A includes a worm wheel 28 </ b> A that rotates integrally with the front fixed seat 27, and is rotatably supported by a bearing 21 </ b> A embedded in the pair of fixed seats 27. The worm wheel 28A meshes with a worm gear 18A that is rotationally driven by a motor 15A provided on the left side in the vehicle width direction of the screw 14A to constitute a reduction gear.

  With the above configuration, the output of the motor 15A is decelerated by the worm gear 18A and the worm wheel 28A, and then the screw 14A is rotationally driven. Move to.

  One end of the arm 17B is pivotally connected to the left side of the nut 16B in the vehicle width direction, and one end of the arm 17A is pivotally connected to the left side of the nut 16A in the vehicle width direction. The arm 17A and the arm 17B are at a rotation angle at which the other ends thereof intersect above the nuts 16A and 16B, that is, the other end of the arm 17B and the other end of the arm 17A are above the screws 14A and 14B. At the position, the bracket 13 </ b> A and the pin 13 penetrate each other and are pivotally connected. A tilt support point 20 is configured by pin connection of the arms 17B and 17A and the bracket 13A, and the tilt support point 20 serves as a fulcrum for adjusting the tilt position while supporting the tube 21 together with the guide groove 8.

  The upper and lower elements of the actuator 10 can use the same structure. For example, the screws 14A and 14B and the arms 17A and 17B have substantially the same length, and the motors 15A and 15B, the worm gears 18A and 18B, and the worm wheel 28A. And 28B are the same.

  Then, the effect | action of the above electric steering column apparatuses 1 is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a table showing the relationship between the tilt position and telescopic position control and the rotation directions of the motors 15A and 15B. When the control unit 30 controls the rotation direction of the motors 15A and 15B, the tilt position can be increased and decreased, and the telescopic position can be increased and decreased. In FIG. 4, the rotation directions of the motors 15A and 15B are opposite to those in FIG.

(Tilt position control)
In the tilt position control, the motor 15A and the motor 15B are rotated so that the nut 16A and the nut 16B simultaneously move in opposite directions. In FIG. 3, the motors 15A and 15B are normally rotated clockwise.
In the case of tilt UP at the time of tilt up, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (reverse rotation) and the motor 15B (forward rotation) so that the nut 16A is moved leftward and the nut 16B is moved rightward simultaneously. As a result of this control, when the distance between the nut 16A and the nut 16B increases, the arm 17A rotates clockwise around the tilt support point 20 and the arm 17B rotates counterclockwise. The angle formed with the axis of the tube 21 is reduced, and as a result, the tube 21 rotates counterclockwise around the end of the tube 21 in the guide groove 8. Therefore, the tilt position becomes high.

In the case of tilt DOWN at the time of tilt DOWN, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (forward rotation) and the motor 15B (reverse rotation) so that the nut 16A is moved rightward and the nut 16B is moved leftward simultaneously. As a result of this control, when the distance between the nut 16A and the nut 16B is shortened, the arm 17A rotates counterclockwise around the tilt support point 20 and the arm 17B rotates clockwise, so the arm 17A and arm 17B And the angle between the tube 21 and the axis of the tube 21 increase, and as a result, the tube 21 rotates clockwise around the end of the tube 21 in the guide groove 8. Therefore, the tilt position is lowered.

[Telescopic position control]
In the telescopic position control, the motor 15A and the motor 15B are rotated so that the nut 16A and the nut 16B simultaneously move in the same direction.

In the case of a telescopic short during telescopic contraction, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (forward rotation) and the motor 15B (forward rotation) so as to move the nut 16A and the nut 16B simultaneously in the right direction.

  When both the motor 15A and the motor 15B are rotated forward, the nuts 16A and 16B try to move to the right, but the movement of the nuts 16A and 16B is restricted by the arms 17A and 17B pin-supported at the tilt support point 20. The screws 14A and 14B move to the left while the positions of the nuts 16A and 16B remain unchanged (fixed to the vehicle body). As a result, since the tube 21 guided by the guide groove 8 moves leftward, the telescopic position is lowered.

In the case of telescopic extension during telescopic extension, the control unit 30 controls the motor 15A (reverse rotation) and the motor 15B (reverse rotation) so that the nut 16A and the nut 16B are simultaneously moved in the left direction.

  When both the motor 15A and the motor 15B are reversed, the nuts 16A and 16B try to move to the left, but the nuts 16A and 16B are restricted by the arms 17A and 17B pin-supported at the tilt support point 20, The screws 14A and 14B move to the right with the positions of the nuts 16A and 16B as they are (fixed to the vehicle body). As a result, since the tube 21 guided by the guide groove 8 moves in the right direction, the telescopic position becomes high.

  The electric steering column apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment. Further, unlike the first embodiment, by providing the tilt support point 20 above the screws 14A and 14B, the arms 17A and 17B do not protrude downward, so that the space below the tube 21 can be saved.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electric steering column device (Example 1). FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the control of a tilt position and a telescopic position, and the rotation direction of two motors as a table | surface. (Example 2) which is a schematic block diagram of an electric steering column apparatus. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the control of a tilt position and a telescopic position, and the rotation direction of two motors as a table | surface. It is a figure which shows the outline of the conventional electric steering column apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric steering column apparatus 8 Guide groove 9 Steering wheel 10 Actuator 11 Main shaft 12 Car body attaching part 13A, 13B Bracket 14A, 14B Screw 15A, 15B Motor 16A, 16B Nut 17A, 17B Arm 18A, 18B Warm gear 20 Tilt support point 21 Tube 23 Inner wall 25A, 25B Reinforcement material 26, 27 Fixed seat 28A, 28B Worm wheel 30 Control unit 31 Switch

Claims (3)

An electric steering column device that selects and controls one of a tilt position or a telescopic position by controlling the rotation directions of a plurality of motors,
By controlling multiple motors at the same time, one of the tilt position and telescopic position is controlled.
The electric steering column apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A rotational drive force conversion mechanism that allows control of either the tilt position or the telescopic position only when a plurality of motors are rotated simultaneously,
The electric steering column device according to claim 1, comprising: A pair of screws disposed in the axial direction of the steering column, a pair of nuts screwed on the screws, and one end pivotally supported by the nuts and the other end pivotable relative to each other. A tilt support point for pin-supporting, and a speed reducer for rotating the screws by decelerating the rotation of the plurality of motors,
The tilt position is changed when the pair of nuts simultaneously moves in the opposite direction due to the rotation of the plurality of motors, and the telescopic position when the pair of nuts simultaneously moves in the same direction due to the rotation of the plurality of motors. Is changed,
The electric steering column apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.

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