JP2011131682A - Support device of steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a structure for being implemented at a low cost by using many parts used in a conventional structure as they are and for facilitating an installation work to a vehicle body. <P>SOLUTION: A hanger bracket 36c with the rear end edges of an upper plate part 37 and a lower plate part 38 connected with each other by a semi-cylindrical connecting plate part 39a and a locking piece 41 arranged on the upper surface of the rear part of the upper plate part 37 is prepared. The hanger bracket 36c is externally fitted to both supporting capsules 16c assembled to the mounting plate part of a supporting bracket supported in a steering column to prevent deviations of both the members 36c and 16c in a longitudinal direction and a width direction. In the middle of the installation work, the locking piece 41 is locked at the rear end edge of a supporting plate fixed to a vehicle body side. Since the steering column, etc. is not required to be supported by a hand in this state, the capsule 16b for support can be easily fixed to the supporting plate with bolts to facilitate the installation work. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in a support device for a steering column that supports a steering column constituting a steering device for an automobile with respect to a vehicle body in a state in which the steering column can be detached forward in a secondary collision. Specifically, the work of supporting the steering column with respect to the vehicle body is facilitated.

  The vehicle steering system is configured as shown in FIG. 10, and transmits the rotation of the steering wheel 1 to the input shaft 3 of the steering gear unit 2, and a pair of left and right tie rods 4 in accordance with the rotation of the input shaft 3. 4 is pushed and pulled to give a steering angle to the front wheels. The steering wheel 1 is supported and fixed at the rear end portion of the steering shaft 5, and the steering shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the steering column 6 with the cylindrical steering column 6 inserted in the axial direction. Has been. Further, the front end portion of the steering shaft 5 is connected to the rear end portion of the intermediate shaft 8 via a universal joint 7, and the front end portion of the intermediate shaft 8 is connected to the input shaft 3 via another universal joint 9. Connected to. In the illustrated example, a tilt mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1, a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the front-rear position, and the electric motor 10 as an auxiliary power source are used to operate the steering wheel 1. It incorporates an electric power steering device that reduces the force required for this. In order to constitute the telescopic mechanism, the steering column 6 has a structure in which the outer column 11 and the inner column 12 are telescopically combined, and the steering shaft 5 includes the outer tube 13 and the inner shaft. 14 is configured to be capable of transmitting torque and expanding and contracting by spline engagement or the like.

  In the event of a collision where a vehicle incorporating the above-described steering device collides with another vehicle or the like, the driver's body collides with the steering wheel 1 following a primary collision that collides with another vehicle or the like. A secondary collision occurs. In order to alleviate the impact applied to the driver's body during this secondary collision, it will drop off when a large forward force is applied to the support plate 15 that fixes the steering column 6 to the vehicle body. The support capsule 16 and the bolt 17 are used for support. The conventional structure of this part has been widely known, for example, as described in Patent Documents 1 to 4. First, an example of the conventional structure of the above part will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The structure shown in FIG. 11 incorporates a tilt mechanism that makes it possible to adjust the height position of the steering wheel 1 (see FIG. 10) fixed to the rear end portion of the steering shaft 5 that protrudes rearward of the steering column 6a. It is out. For this purpose, the intermediate portion of the steering column 6a is supported by a support bracket 18 via a tilt bolt 19, and the support bracket 18 is applied to the support plate 15 (see FIG. 10) with a large force directed forward. I support you to drop off when you join. The support bracket 18 is formed by bending a metal plate such as a steel plate, and a pair of left and right support plate portions 20, 20 provided in the vertical direction, and upper ends of these support plate portions 20, 20. And a pair of mounting plate portions 21 and 21 provided in opposite directions to each other in a state of protruding from both sides of the steering column 6a. The lower end edges of the support plate portions 20 and 20 are connected to each other by a connecting portion 22 (refer to FIGS. 17, 21, and 22 showing a structure according to the prior invention described later), and the support bracket 18 is integrated.

  The mounting plate portions 21 and 21 are provided with notches 23 and 23 in a state of opening at the rear end edges of the mounting plate portions 21 and 21, respectively. The shapes of these notches 23 and 23 are substantially trapezoidal, with the width dimension decreasing toward the front (back side) as shown in FIGS. The supporting capsules 16 and 16 are assembled inside the notches 23 and 23, respectively. These supporting capsules 16 and 16 are made by injection-molding synthetic resin or die-casting a light alloy, and have locking grooves 24 and 24 on the left and right side surfaces, respectively. The distance between the groove bottoms of the pair of locking grooves 24, 24 formed on the left and right side surfaces is made narrower toward the front in accordance with the width of the notches 23, 23. In other words, the locking grooves 24, 24 are made deeper toward the front.

  Such supporting capsules 16 and 16 are engaged by engaging the respective locking grooves 24 and 24 with both side portions of the notches 23 and 23 at a part of the mounting plate portions 21 and 21. These mounting plate portions 21 and 21 are supported. In addition, small holes 25 and 25 (see FIGS. 18 to 20 showing the structure according to the present invention) formed in both side portions of the notches 23 and 23 in a part of both the mounting plate portions 21 and 21 and the both supports. In the state where the small holes 26, 26 formed in the capsules 16, 16 are aligned, locking pins made of synthetic resin or light alloy are installed so as to span the small holes 25, 26 (these (Injection molding or press-fitting into each small through hole 25, 26). In this state, the supporting capsules 16 and 16 are supported in a state of dropping backward only when a large impact load is applied to the mounting plate portions 21 and 21. Various numbers and positions of the small through holes 25 and 26 exist.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the supporting capsules 16 and 16 are supported by bolts 17 inserted from below through the through holes 27 (see FIGS. 12 to 13) provided in the center of the supporting capsules 16 and 16. 16 and 16 are supported and fixed to the support plate 15. For this purpose, the support plate 15 is provided with a screw hole for screwing the bolt 17 directly or by a nut fixed to the upper surface by welding or the like. The supporting capsules 16 and 16 and the mounting plate portions 21 and 21 are engaged with both side portions of the notches 23 and 23 and the locking grooves 24 and 24 and the small through holes. 25 and 26 are coupled with a certain degree of strength and rigidity by a locking pin made of a material that easily breaks, such as a synthetic resin or an aluminum alloy. Therefore, at the normal time, the support bracket 18 is firmly supported with respect to the vehicle body.

  In the event of a collision accident, first, in a state in which the front part of the vehicle body is crushed in a primary collision and the steering column 6a is pushed backward, the both capsules 16 and 16 and the two notches 23 and 23 are engaged. The state is maintained and the steering column 6a is prevented from being displaced rearward. Therefore, the steering wheel 1 is not protruded rearward toward the driver's body due to the primary collision. On the other hand, when a strong force directed forward is applied from the steering wheel 1 to the steering column 6a at the time of a secondary collision, the locking pins hung over the small through holes 25 and 26 are torn. The support capsules 16 and 16 are pulled out rearward from the notches 23 and 23 (actually, both the mounting plate portions 21 are left in the positions where both the support capsules 16 and 16 remain in place). , 21 is displaced forward). And the displacement to the front of the said steering wheel 1 is accept | permitted, and the impact added to the driver | operator's body which collided with this steering wheel 1 is relieve | moderated.

  When the steering apparatus having the above-described structure is assembled, the pair of left and right mounting plate portions 21 and 21 constituting the support bracket 18 are attached to the support plate 15 fixed to the vehicle body by the pair of bolts 17. Need to support. This operation needs to be performed in advance while holding the support bracket 18 combined with the steering shaft 5 and the steering columns 6 and 6a with respect to the support plate 15 in a predetermined position. When such an operation is performed by one worker, the bolt 17 is inserted into the through holes 27, 27 of the supporting capsules 16, 16 with the other hand while supporting a certain amount of weight with one hand. Furthermore, the bolt must be screwed into the screw hole. Such work is cumbersome and burdensome to the workers, so improvement is desired.

  Patent Document 5 describes a structure and an assembling method intended to improve the assembling property of a steering column with respect to a vehicle body. However, the conventional structure described in Patent Document 5 is considered to be complicated in structure and costly, such as requiring a special-shaped fastening bracket. In addition, it cannot be applied to a steering device that has been generally practiced as shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, and the basic structure of the steering device has been newly redesigned, and many of the components are also new. It is disadvantageous in terms of cost reduction, such as the need to make a shape.

As a steering column support device considered in response to such circumstances, there is a structure according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-176121. The present invention is an improvement of the structure according to the previous invention, and is common in many respects to the structure according to the previous invention. Therefore, the structure according to the previous invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, in the case of the first example of the structure according to the invention shown in FIGS. 14 to 19, a pair of mounting plate portions 21 constituting the support bracket 18 at the rear end portions of the pair of support capsules 16 a and 16 a. , 21, the holding groove 28 is formed on the upper surface of the portion protruding rearward from the rear edge of the mounting plate portions 21, 21. Both ends of the holding groove 28 are opened on both side surfaces of the supporting capsules 16a and 16a. In such a state that both the supporting capsules 16a and 16a are assembled inside the notches 23 and 23 (see FIGS. 18 and 19) formed in the both mounting plate portions 21 and 21, The base portions 30 of the energy absorbing members 29 and 29 are locked.

  Each of the energy absorbing members 29 and 29 is formed by bending a plastically deformable wire such as soft steel or stainless steel, and the central portion is the linear base 30. Further, both ends of the base 30 are bent at right angles toward the front, thereby forming a pair of shock absorbing portions 31 and 31. The intermediate portions of both the shock absorbing portions 31 and 31 are folded back into a U-shape, thereby turning back curved portions 32 and 32, respectively. Such energy absorbing members 29 and 29 are assembled between the supporting capsules 16a and 16a and the mounting plate portions 21 and 21 in the state shown in FIGS. That is, the respective base portions 30 of both the energy absorbing members 29 and 29 are engaged with the holding grooves 28 provided on the rear upper surfaces of the supporting capsules 16a and 16a, and between the shock absorbing portions 31 and 31. The both folded-back curved portions 32, 32 provided in the portion are engaged with the front end edges of the mounting plate portions 21, 21, respectively.

  The energy absorbing members 29 and 29 are configured so that both the bent curved portions 32 and 32 are moved to the both shock absorbing portions 31 when the both mounting plate portions 21 and 21 are displaced forward with a secondary collision. , 31 is allowed to move forward (to be handled) while allowing the support bracket 18 including both the mounting plate portions 21 and 21 to move forward. At this time, the impact energy applied to the support bracket 18 due to the secondary collision is absorbed based on the plastic deformation of the both impact absorbing portions 31 and 31, and the impact applied to the driver's body is reduced. In order to effectively absorb such impact energy, in the case of the structure according to the previous invention, the front end edges of both the mounting plate portions 21 and 21 have the inner portions of the two folded curved portions 32 and 32. Handling portions 33 and 33 having a convex curved surface as a front surface are formed in a portion facing the periphery. Further, a small through hole 35 (see FIG. 17) is formed in a part of the hanging plate portion 34 bent downward from the front end edge of the handling portions 33, 33, and both the shock absorptions are absorbed in the small through hole 35. Among the portions 31, 31, a portion closer to the tip than the both folded bent portions 32, 32 is inserted. With this configuration, at the time of a secondary collision, the folded-back curved portions 32, 32 formed at the intermediate portion between the shock absorbing portions 31, 31 are opened (the tips of the shock absorbing portions 31, 31 are displaced downward). These folding-back curved portions 32, 32 can be handled reliably (without being caught) toward the tips of both the impact absorbing portions 31, 31 while suppressing the above.

  Hanger brackets 36 and 36 are assembled to the support capsules 16a and 16a, which are assembled to the mounting plates 21 and 21 together with the energy absorbing members 29 and 29, respectively. Each of these hanger brackets 36, 36 is formed by subjecting a thin metal plate such as a steel plate or stainless steel plate to predetermined punching and bending processes, and includes an upper plate portion 37, a lower plate portion 38, and a connecting plate portion 39. And the latching claw parts 40 and 40 and the latching piece 41 are provided. Among these, the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate portion 38 are provided in parallel with each other in a state of being separated in the vertical direction, and through holes 42 and 42 are formed in portions aligned with each other. Further, the connecting plate portion 39 connects the rear end edge of the upper plate portion 37 and the rear end edge of the lower plate portion 38 to each other. Further, the both locking claws 40, 40 are bent downward from the front edge of the upper plate portion 37. Further, each of the locking pieces 41, 41 has an inverted L shape, rises upward from the rear portion of the upper plate portion 37, and protrudes forward. The positions and the number of the locking pieces 41, 41 are different between the structure shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 and the structure shown in FIGS. The positions and the number of the locking pieces 41, 41 can be determined in design.

  The both hanger brackets 36, 36 as described above are attached to both the supporting capsules 16a, 16a before the supporting capsules 16a, 16a are fixed to the supporting plate 15a fixed to the vehicle body. That is, both the supporting capsules 16a, 16a are sandwiched between the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate portion 38 constituting the both hanger brackets 36, 36, and the locking claws 40, 40 are The support capsules 16a and 16a are locked to the front edge of the upper surface. In this state, the both hanger brackets 36, 36 are locked to the support capsules 16a, 16a so as not to be inadvertently dropped, and through holes 27 formed in the support capsules 16a, 16a, 27 and the through holes 42 and 42 formed in the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate portion 38 are aligned. Further, each of the locking pieces 41, 41 rises upward from the upper surface of the rear part of the supporting capsules 16a, 16a.

  Therefore, from this state, the locking pieces 41 and 41 of the support capsules 16a and 16a are locked to the rear end edge of the support plate 15a. In the case of the first example of the structure according to the previous invention, a pair of positioning notches 43 and 43 (see FIG. 17) are formed on the rear end edge of the support plate 15a so as to have the same pitch as the support capsules 16a and 16a. It is formed with a pitch. Then, in a state where the locking pieces 41, 41 of both the supporting capsules 16a, 16a are engaged with the rear end edges of the positioning notches 43, 43, the both through holes 27, 27 and the The through holes 42 and 42 are aligned with a pair of mounting holes 44 and 44 (see FIG. 17) formed in the support plate 15a. Therefore, in a state in which the both locking pieces 41, 41 are engaged with the rear end edges of the positioning notches 43, 43, the hand that supports the steering column 6b to which the support bracket 18 is assembled. Even if the steering wheel is released, the steering column 6b and the like are supported (temporarily held) by the support plate 15a, and the posture is maintained as it is. Therefore, a bolt is inserted from below into the through holes 27 and 27 and the through holes 42 and 42, which are aligned with each other as described above, and the bolt and a nut (not shown) are screwed together and further tightened. Support capsules 16a and 16b are supported and fixed to the support plate 15a. Since a series of these operations can be performed separately before and after, the assembly operation can be facilitated and the burden on the worker can be reduced.

  Incidentally, when the structure of the first example of the previous invention is implemented, the locking claws 40, 40 for preventing the both hanger brackets 36, 36 from inadvertently coming out of the supporting capsules 16a, 16a. Can be formed at the front edge of the lower plate 38 instead of the front edge of the upper plate 37. That is, as shown in FIG. 20, locking claw portions 40, 40 bent upward are formed on the front end edge of the lower plate portion 38, and both the locking claw portions 40, 40 are connected to the both capsules 16a. , 16a can be engaged with the lower front edge.

  Next, FIG. 21 shows a second example of the structure according to the previous invention. In the case of this example, the positioning notches 43 and 43 (see FIG. 17) are omitted from the rear edge of the support plate 15, and instead, the peripheral portions of the through holes 42 and 42 on the upper surfaces of the hanger brackets 36a and 36a. In addition, short cylindrical folded plate portions 45, 45 are formed. The pair of mounting holes 44a, 44a formed in the support plate 15 are elongated holes that are long in the front-rear direction.

When assembling the second example of the structure according to such a prior invention, the both folded plate portions 45, 45 are inserted into the rear end portions of the mounting holes 44a, 44a from below. At this time, the pair of locking pieces 41, 41 rising from the upper surfaces of the rear end portions of the both hanger brackets 36 a, 36 a do not interfere with the rear end portions of the support plate 15. Next, the support bracket 18 is displaced forward within a range in which the both folded plate portions 45, 45 can move inside the both mounting holes 44 a, 44 a, and the both locking pieces 41, 41 are moved to the support plate 15. Engage with the rear edge.
The configuration and operation of the other parts are the same as those in the first example of the structure according to the above-described invention.

  Further, FIG. 22 shows a third example of the structure according to the previous invention. In this example, the upper ends of the pair of studs 46 are fixed to the lower surface of the support plate 15. As in the case of the second example of the embodiment described above, positioning notches 43 and 43 (see FIG. 17) are not provided at the rear end edge of the support plate 15. Further, the through holes 27a, 27a formed in both the supporting capsules 16b, 16b and the through holes 42a, 42a formed in both the hanger brackets 36b, 36b are respectively long holes in the front-rear direction.

When assembling such a structure of this example, both the studs 46, 46 are inserted into the front end portions of the through holes 27a, 27a and the through holes 42a, 42a from above (in practice, the both The supporting capsules 16b and 16b are raised). At this time, the pair of locking pieces 41, 41 rising from the upper surfaces of the rear end portions of the both hanger brackets 36 b, 36 b do not interfere with the rear end portion of the support plate 15. Next, the support bracket 18 is displaced forward within a range in which the studs 46, 46 can move inside the through holes 27a, 27a and the through holes 42a, 42a, and the locking pieces 41, 41 are moved forward. Is engaged with the rear edge of the support plate 15. Thereafter, the support capsules 16 b and 16 b are fixed to the support plate 15 by screwing nuts to the lower ends of the studs 46 and 46 and further tightening them.
The configuration and operation of the other parts are the same as in the case of the first example of the structure according to the previous invention.

The steering column support device according to the prior invention as described above can be implemented at a low cost by using many parts used in the conventional structure as they are, and can be easily assembled to the vehicle body. There are other advantages. However, in order to further improve the ease of assembly to the vehicle body, it is desirable to improve the following points (1) and (2).
(1) When mounting the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b to the supporting capsules 16a, 16b without increasing the thickness of the metal thin plates constituting the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b, the hanger brackets A part of 36, 36a, 36b is made difficult to distort.
(2) After attaching the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b to the supporting capsules 16a, 16b, the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the through holes 27, 27a and the through holes 42 formed in the supporting capsules 16a, 16b Before inserting the bolts 17 and the studs 46, the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the supporting capsules 16a, 16b are prevented from shifting in the front-rear direction and the width direction.

  First, the point (1) is that, in the case of the structure according to the above-described prior invention, the upper and lower end portions of the connecting plate portion 39 and the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate portion 38 constituting the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b. This is a problem that occurs when the continuous portion with the end portion is bent at a right angle with a large curvature (small curvature radius). When the thickness of the metal thin plate constituting the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b is minimized, the continuous portions of the plate portions 37 to 39 are replaced with other portions during the assembly work at each stage. When hit, the continuous parts of the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b are easily distorted. If the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b are distorted, it may be difficult to assemble the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b to a predetermined portion.

  Next, the point (2) is that after the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the supporting capsules 16a, 16b are combined, the bolts 17 and the studs 46 are inserted into the through holes 27, 27a and the through holes 42, respectively. If the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the supporting capsules 16a, 16b are displaced in the front-rear direction and the width direction before inserting the bolts 17 and the studs 46 into the through holes 27, 27a and the through holes 42, respectively. This is a problem associated with being unable to pass through. In general, the operation of combining the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the supporting capsules 16a, 16b and the operation of inserting the bolts 17 and the studs 46 into the through holes 27, 27a and the through holes 42 are as follows. , Done in different factories. Therefore, it is necessary to transport the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the supporting capsules 16a, 16b combined with each other between these different factories. In the case of the structure according to the above-described prior invention, a structure for preventing displacement in the front-rear direction is provided, but a structure for preventing movement in the width direction is not provided. Therefore, there is a possibility that the hanger brackets 36, 36a, 36b and the supporting capsules 16a, 16b may shift in the width direction during the transportation between the two factories. Work at the assembly plant of the equipment becomes troublesome.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, the present invention has a structure that makes it difficult to distort the hanger bracket without increasing the thickness of the metal thin plate that constitutes the hanger bracket, and the hanger bracket is mounted on the supporting capsule. Later, the present invention was invented to realize a structure capable of preventing the hanger bracket and the supporting capsule from shifting in the width direction.

The steering column support device of the present invention is similar to the steering column support device that constitutes the steering device that has been widely practiced in the past, and includes a steering column, a support bracket, a pair of notches, and a pair of notches. And a supporting capsule.
Of these, the steering column has a cylindrical shape (generally a cylindrical shape, but may be other cylindrical shapes such as a square cylindrical shape), and rotatably supports the steering shaft inserted in the axial direction. .

  The support bracket is supported by a part of the steering column and has a mounting plate portion. For example, when the steering device is provided with a steering wheel position adjusting device such as a tilt mechanism or a telescopic mechanism, the support bracket is fixed to a part of the steering column with respect to the steering column. And a hook-shaped coupling member such as a tilt bolt. On the other hand, when the steering device does not include the position adjusting device, the support bracket is directly fixed to the steering column. In any case, the mounting plate portion is provided in a state of projecting on both sides of the steering column. However, even if the mounting plate portion protrudes on both sides of the steering column independently from each other, both ends of the single mounting plate portion project on both sides of the steering column. Structure).

Further, the both notches are provided in portions of the mounting plate portion protruding to both sides of the steering column so as to open to the rear edge of the mounting plate portion.
Further, the both capsules have a locking groove for engaging both side portions of both notches at a part of the mounting plate portion on both left and right side surfaces, and through holes between the both locking grooves, Each is provided. And each latching groove is latched by this attachment board part by engaging with the both sides of both said notches by a part of said attachment board part.
The support bracket is supported on a support plate provided on the vehicle body side by a pair of hook-shaped members inserted through the through holes of the both support capsules. In general, bolts that pass through the through-holes from below are used as these two hook-like members. However, it is also possible to make these both hook-shaped members into studs fixed to the support plate, and to insert the studs into the through holes from above.

Further, in the case of the steering column support device of the present invention, like the steering column support device according to the previous invention, the both supporting capsules are engaged with the support plate via a pair of hanger brackets. It can be stopped.
Each of the hanger brackets is provided in a state of being separated in the vertical direction, and is formed by connecting the rear end edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion with connecting plate portions, each having a through hole formed in a matching portion. . And the latching piece which stood | started up from this rear part and protruded toward the front is provided in the rear part of the upper board part among these.
Then, in the state in which both the hanger brackets are sandwiched between the supporting capsules and the supporting plate is sandwiched between the upper plate part and the lower plate part from above and below, both the through holes and the through holes are provided. It fits outside until they are aligned. The locking piece is locked to the rear edge of the support plate.

  Further, in the case of the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, the connecting plate portion constituting the both hanger brackets, the both end portions thereof, and the rear end edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion. A semi-cylindrical shape that continues smoothly. In other words, the connecting plate portion has a shape with a constant radius of curvature, and the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion are continuous from both ends of the connecting plate portion in the tangential direction.

  Further, in the case of the invention described in claim 2 of the present invention, at least the front end of at least one of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion constituting the both hanger brackets. A plurality of locking claws are formed on the plurality of end edges including the edges, each of which is bent toward the mating plate. Then, by engaging the respective locking claws and the both supporting capsules, the supporting capsules and the both hanger brackets are prevented from moving in the front-rear direction and the width direction.

  The invention described in claim 1 and the invention described in claim 2 can also be implemented in combination. In this case, as in the invention described in claim 3, the shape of the connecting plate portion constituting both the hanger brackets is smoothly continuous at both ends with the rear end edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion. Semi-cylindrical. And each said latching claw part is one side plate part of the rear side latching claw part bent above from the rear-end edge center part of this lower board part, and this lower board part and said upper board part It is set as the front side latching claw part bent toward the other board part from the front-end edge. In addition, a locking recess is provided in the center portion in the width direction of the rear end faces of both supporting capsules. And, by sandwiching the both supporting capsules from both the front and rear sides by the front side locking claw part and the rear side locking claw part, the both supporting capsules and the both hanger brackets are displaced in the front-rear direction. To prevent. Further, it is possible to prevent the both supporting capsules and the both hanger brackets from shifting in the width direction based on the engagement between the rear locking claw and the locking recess.

  When the steering column supporting device of the present invention as described above is implemented, a pair of energy absorptions, each of which is formed by bending a plastically deformable wire as in the invention described in claim 4. A member is provided. And the base part provided in the center part of both these energy absorption members is latched in the holding groove provided in the rear upper surface of both supporting capsules, and the middle part of the shock absorbing part extending forward from both sides of this base part Each of the folded curved portions provided on the front plate is engaged with the front end edge of the mounting plate portion.

  According to the steering column support device of the present invention configured as described above, the work of assembling the support bracket for supporting the steering column to the vehicle body can be easily performed, as in the steering column support device according to the previous invention. That is, at the time of assembling the steering device, the hanger bracket locking pieces respectively attached to the pair of mounting plate portions constituting the support bracket combined with the steering shaft and the steering column via the supporting capsules are attached to the vehicle body. Lock to the rear edge of the support plate fixed to the side. In this state, even if the hand supporting the steering column or the like is released, the steering column or the like is supported (temporarily held) by the support plate, and the posture is maintained as it is. Therefore, if the both supporting capsules are fixed to the supporting plate by the hook-shaped member inserted through the through holes of the both supporting capsules, the steering column is connected to the supporting plate via the both supporting capsules. It can be supported with the necessary support strength.

Thus, when assembling the steering column support device of the present invention, the operation of supporting (temporarily holding) the steering column or the like on the support plate, and the both capsules on the support plate by the two hook-shaped members. The work of fixing can be performed separately before and after the time, similarly to the structure according to the previous invention. Unlike the conventional structure, it is not necessary to support and fix the supporting capsules with the screw rod member with the other hand while supporting the weight of the steering column or the like with one hand. For this reason, the said assembly | attachment operation | work can be made easy and reduction of a worker's burden can be aimed at.
Moreover, in the case of the steering column support device of the present invention, as with the structure according to the previous invention, it is possible to use many parts used in the conventional structure as they are just by providing both the hanger brackets. it can. Also, both the hanger brackets can be easily manufactured by bending a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate. For this reason, it can implement at low cost.

  According to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, it is difficult to deform the continuous portion of the connecting plate portion, the upper plate portion, and the lower plate portion constituting the both hanger brackets. That is, the continuous portions of these plate portions are smoothly continuous in the tangential direction of the connecting plate portions, and there is no portion where the stress is easily concentrated and the curvature is large (the curvature radius is small). For this reason, in the case where the thickness of the metal thin plates constituting the both hanger brackets is minimized, the continuous portions of the plate portions may collide with other portions during the assembly work at each stage. This continuous part is less likely to be distorted. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that it is difficult to assemble both the hanger brackets to the predetermined part.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, after the hanger bracket and the supporting capsule are combined, the hanger bracket and the supporting capsule are displaced in the front-rear direction and the width direction. Disappears. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the bolts and studs from being inserted into the through holes and through holes provided in the hanger bracket and the supporting capsule, thereby preventing troublesome work at the assembly plant of the steering apparatus for automobiles. it can.
According to the structure of the invention described in claim 3, both the effects of the invention described in claim 1 and the effects of the invention described in claim 2 can be obtained.

  Further, according to the structure of the invention described in claim 4, the impact applied to the steering column due to the secondary collision between the pair of supporting capsules supported by the pair of hook-shaped members and the supporting bracket. A structure for absorbing energy can be provided. For this reason, the limited space can be effectively used to more effectively reduce the impact applied to the driver's body at the time of the secondary collision.

The perspective view which shows the hanger bracket which shows one example of embodiment of this invention in the state seen from back diagonally upward. (A) is a perspective view of a part of the hanger bracket cut out and seen from the same direction as FIG. 1, (B) is a perspective view of the supporting capsule seen from the same direction as FIG. 1, (C) The perspective view which looked at the state which combined the hanger bracket and the capsule for support from the same direction as FIG. The partial side view which shows the state which latched the combined hanger bracket and the capsule for support to a part of vehicle body. Similarly bottom view. The perspective view which shows the capsule for support incorporated in the structure of the reference example regarding this invention in the state seen from the same direction as FIG. The perspective view which shows the state in the middle of the assembly of the structure of a reference example in the state which abbreviate | omitted one part and was seen from back diagonally upward. The perspective view shown in the state which took out some structural members of the front support part used as the tilt center of a steering column, and was seen from the same direction as FIG. The partial side view which shows the state which latched the support capsule incorporated in the structure of a reference example to a part of vehicle body. Similarly bottom view. The partial cutaway side view which shows an example of the steering device for motor vehicles. The side view for demonstrating one example of the support apparatus of the conventional steering column. The top view of the left half part of FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the portion “a” in FIG. 12 as viewed obliquely from above. The perspective view which shows the 1st example of embodiment of a prior invention in the state which excluded the support plate. The B section enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. The perspective view which takes out the principal part of the part corresponded to 2 parts of FIG. 14, and shows with the support plate provided in the vehicle body side. The disassembled perspective view of the part shown in FIG. The disassembled perspective view shown in the state seen from the same different direction. The figure similar to FIG. 19 which shows another example of the installation position of a latching claw part. The figure similar to FIG. 17 which shows the 2nd example of embodiment of prior invention. The figure similar to FIG. 17 which shows the 3rd example.

1-4, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the features of the structure of this example with respect to the structure according to the previous invention are the following two points (1) and (2).
(1) By devising the shape of the connecting plate portion 39a constituting the hanger bracket 36c, the shape of the hanger bracket 36c including the connecting plate portion 39a is made difficult to be distorted.
(2) Locking claw portions 40a and 40b that are bent upward (rise) are formed on the front and rear end edges of the lower plate portion 38 that constitutes the hanger bracket 36c, respectively, and the rear end surface of the supporting capsule 16c A locking recess 47 is provided in the center in the width direction, and the hanger bracket 36c and the support capsule 16c after assembly are displaced in the front-rear direction and the width direction by the locking claws 40a, 40b and the locking recess 47. Prevent moving.
Since the points other than (1) and (2) are the same as the structure according to the above-described prior invention, the illustration and description of the equivalent parts are omitted or simplified, and hereinafter, the characteristic parts of this example are mainly described. Explained.

  In the case of the structure of this example, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2C, and FIG. 3, the connecting plate portion 39a constituting the hanger bracket 36c has a semi-cylindrical shape, and this connecting plate The upper and lower ends of the portion 39a are smoothly connected to the rear end edges of the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate portion 38 constituting the hanger bracket 36c. That is, the connecting plate portion 39a has a shape with a constant radius of curvature, and the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate portion 38 are continuous in the tangential direction from both ends of the connecting plate portion 39a toward the front. In addition, in order to form the latching piece 41 and the latching claw part 40b which is a rear side latching claw part, the rear-end part of the said hanger bracket 36c is (A) (C) of FIG. 4), as shown in FIG. 4, a through hole 48 is provided in the center in the width direction. For this reason, the connecting plate portion 39a is provided at a position sandwiching the through hole portion 48 from both sides in the width direction.

  Further, a pair of locking claw portions 40a, 40a, each of which is a front locking claw portion, is formed in a state of being bent upward at both ends in the width direction of the front edge of the lower plate portion 38. Further, the locking claw portion 40b, which is a rear locking claw portion, is formed in a state of being bent upward at the center portion in the width direction of the rear edge of the lower plate portion 38. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C and FIG. 4, the locking recess 47 is provided at the center in the width direction of the rear end face of the supporting capsule 16c. In the case of this example, convex portions 49, 49 are formed at two positions spaced apart in the width direction of the rear end surface of the supporting capsule 16c, and the locking concave portion is formed between the convex portions 49, 49. 47. The width dimension of the locking recess 47 is slightly larger than the width dimension of the locking claw portion 40b.

  The hanger bracket 36c and the supporting capsule 16c, each having the above-described configuration, include the upper plate portion 37 and the lower plate constituting the hanger bracket 36c, as shown in FIG. The support capsule 16c is combined with the portion 38 so as to be sandwiched from both the upper and lower sides. Further, in this combined state, the both locking claws 40a, 40a, which are front locking claws, are engaged with both widthwise ends of the front edge of the support capsule 16c, and the rear locking claws are engaged. The locking claw portion 40b, which is a portion, is engaged with the locking recess 47 at the center in the width direction of the rear end edge of the supporting capsule 16c. In this state, the supporting capsule 16c and the hanger bracket 36c are moved back and forth by sandwiching the supporting capsules 16c from both the front and rear sides by the locking claws 40a and 40a and the locking claws 40b. Prevents moving in the direction. Further, the support capsule 16c and the hanger bracket 36c are displaced in the width direction based on the engagement between the both end edges in the width direction of the locking claw portion 40b and the both inner side surfaces in the width direction of the locking recess 47. Prevent things.

  As described above (as shown in FIG. 2C), the support capsule 16c and the hanger bracket 36c are combined with the hanger as shown in FIG. By locking the locking piece 41 formed on the bracket 36c to the rear end edge of the support plate 15b provided on the vehicle body side, the support bracket 18 (see FIG. 11) that supports the steering column 6a is connected to the support plate 15b. Temporarily fix to. From this state, the support bracket 18b is fixed to the support plate 15b with screws.

  In the case of this example, there is a portion where the stress is easily concentrated and the curvature is large in the continuous portion of the connecting plate portion 39a, the upper plate portion 37, and the lower plate portion 38 constituting the hanger bracket 36c. do not do. For this reason, even if the thickness of the metal thin plate constituting the hanger bracket 36c is minimized, the continuous portions of the plate portions 39a, 37, and 38 are replaced with other portions during the assembly work at each stage. In the event of a collision, this continuous part is less likely to be distorted. As a result, the hanger bracket 36c can be hardly distorted, and the possibility that it is difficult to assemble the hanger bracket 36c to a predetermined portion can be reduced.

  Further, in the case of this example, after the hanger bracket 36c and the supporting capsule 16c are combined, the hanger bracket 36c and the supporting capsule 16c are not displaced in the front-rear direction and the width direction. Accordingly, the bolts 17 (see FIG. 17 (see FIG. 10)) and the studs 46, 46 (see FIG. 22) are formed in the through holes 42, 42 provided in the hanger bracket 36c and the through holes 27 provided in the supporting capsule 16c. Reference) can be prevented from being inserted, and the work at the assembly plant of the steering apparatus for automobiles can be prevented from being troublesome.

  When practicing the present invention, the engaging claw portions for preventing the hanger bracket and the supporting capsule from shifting in the width direction are arranged at both ends in the width direction of the upper plate portion or the lower plate portion constituting the hanger bracket. It can also be formed on the edge. Further, the locking claw portion for preventing the displacement in the width direction can be formed by being divided into one side edge in the width direction of the upper plate portion and the other side edge in the width direction of the lower plate portion. Furthermore, a part of the locking claw portion for preventing the displacement in the front-rear direction can be formed on the front end portion of the upper plate portion.

  Moreover, as a structure similar to the present invention, a reference example structure as shown in FIGS. In the structure of this reference example, the hanger bracket used when carrying out the present invention is omitted, and instead, the locking piece 41a is directly formed on the upper surface of the supporting capsule 16d. That is, when the supporting capsule 16d is injection-molded, the locking piece 41a is formed integrally with the main body portion of the supporting capsule 16d.

  When the steering column 6b is fixed to the support plate 15a fixed to the vehicle body, as shown in FIG. 6, a pair of supporting capsules 16d, 16d are attached to the support bracket 18 assembled to the intermediate portion of the steering column 6b. Is assembled in advance. From this state, the support capsules 16d and 16d are brought close to the support plate 15a, and the locking pieces 41a and 41a on the upper surfaces of the support capsules 16d and 16d are moved to the support plate 15a as shown in FIGS. Locks to the rear edge of the plate 15a. Instead of omitting the hanger bracket, it is the same as in the case of the above-described invention except that the locking piece 41a is formed directly on the upper surface of the supporting capsule 16d.

  When the present reference example and the above-described prior invention (same as the present invention) are implemented in combination with a tilt type steering column device, the front end portion of the steering column 6b has a swing as shown in FIGS. Via the dynamic support bracket 50, the vehicle body is supported so as to be able to swing and displace. The swing support bracket 50 is supported and fixed to the vehicle body 51 by studs 52 and 52 fixed to the vehicle body 51 side. A plurality of elastic support pieces 54 and 54 are provided on the inner peripheral edge of the holding hole 53 of the swing support bracket 50, and the front end portion of the steering column 6b is provided with the elastic support pieces 54 and 54. It is pushed into the holding hole 53 while being elastically deformed radially outward.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 2 Steering gear unit 3 Input shaft 4 Tie rod 5 Steering shaft 6, 6a, 6b Steering column 7 Universal joint 8 Intermediate shaft 9 Universal joint 10 Electric motor 11 Outer column 12 Inner column 13 Outer tube 14 Inner shaft 15, 15a, 15b Support plate 16, 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d Support capsule 17 Bolt 18 Support bracket 19 Tilt bolt 20 Support plate portion 21 Mounting plate portion 22 Connection portion 23 Notch 24 Locking groove 25 Small hole 26 Small hole 27 27a Through hole 28 Holding groove 29 Energy absorbing member 30 Base 31 Shock absorbing portion 32 Folding curved portion 33 Handling portion 34 Suspended plate portion 35 Small through hole 36, 36a, 36b, 36c Hanger bracket 37 Upper plate portion 38 Lower plate portion 39, 39a Connecting plate portion 40, 40a, 40b Locking claw portion 41, 41a Locking piece 42, 42a Through hole 43 Positioning notch 44, 44a Mounting hole 45 Folding plate portion 46 Stud 47 Locking recess portion 48 Through hole Part 49 Protruding part 50 Oscillating support bracket 51 Car body 52 Stud 53 Holding hole 54 Elastic support piece

JP 2004-182216 A JP 2004-338509 A JP 2005-53349 A JP 2005-96731 A Japanese Patent No. 3931597

Claims (4)

  A cylindrical steering column that rotatably supports a steering shaft that is inserted in the axial direction, and a mounting plate portion that is supported by a part of the steering column and that protrudes on both sides of the steering column. A support bracket, a pair of notches provided in a portion of the mounting plate portion that protrudes on both sides of the steering column and opened to the rear edge of the mounting plate portion, A locking groove that engages both side portions of both notches with a part of the mounting plate portion on both side surfaces, and a through hole between the both locking grooves are provided, and each locking groove is mounted on the both sides. A part of the plate part is engaged with both side portions of the both notches to provide a pair of support capsules locked to the mounting plate part, and the through holes of these support capsules are inserted. In a steering column support device that supports the support bracket by a pair of bowl-shaped members on a support plate provided on the vehicle body side, the support column is provided in a vertically separated state, and through holes are formed in portions that are aligned with each other. The formed rear end edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion are connected by a semi-cylindrical connecting plate portion in which both end portions are smoothly connected to the rear end edges of these two plate portions. A pair of hanger brackets provided on the rear part of the upper plate part with a locking piece rising upward from the rear part and projecting forward, the upper plate part and the lower plate part on the both supporting capsules With these two supporting capsules sandwiched from above and below, the two through holes and the through holes are fitted until they are aligned, and the locking piece is locked to the rear edge of the supporting plate. A steering column support device.   A cylindrical steering column that rotatably supports a steering shaft that is inserted in the axial direction, and a mounting plate portion that is supported by a part of the steering column and that protrudes on both sides of the steering column. A pair of notches provided in a state of opening to the rear end edge of each of the mounting plate portions at the portions of the mounting plate portions protruding to both sides of the steering column, A locking groove that engages both side portions of both notches with a part of the mounting plate portion on both side surfaces, and a through hole between the both locking grooves are provided, and each locking groove is mounted on the both sides. A part of the plate part is engaged with both side portions of the both notches to provide a pair of support capsules locked to the mounting plate part, and the through holes of these support capsules are inserted. In a steering column support device that supports the support bracket by a pair of hook-shaped members on a support plate provided on the vehicle body side, the support column is provided in a vertically separated state, and through holes are formed in portions that are aligned with each other. The formed rear end edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion are connected to each other by a connecting plate portion, and a latch that rises upward from the rear portion and protrudes forward from the rear portion of the upper plate portion. A pair of hanger brackets provided with a piece, the both support holes and the through holes in a state where the support capsules are sandwiched from above and below by the upper plate part and the lower plate part. And the locking piece is locked to the rear edge of the support plate, and at least one of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion constituting both the hanger brackets. At least the front edge of the plate Forming a plurality of locking claws that are bent toward the opposite plate, and engaging each of the locking claws with the supporting capsules. A steering column support device characterized in that the both support capsules and the both hanger brackets are prevented from shifting in the front-rear direction and the width direction.   The shape of the connecting plate portion constituting both hanger brackets is a semi-cylindrical shape in which both end portions are smoothly connected to the rear end edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, and each locking claw portion is the lower plate portion. The rear side latching claw part bent upward from the central part of the rear end edge, and the front side bent from the front end edge of one of the lower plate part and the upper plate part toward the other plate part The locking claw portion is provided with a locking recess in the center portion in the width direction of the rear end face of both supporting capsules, and the front locking claw portion and the rear locking claw portion are used for the both support. By sandwiching the capsule from both front and rear sides, both the supporting capsule and the both hanger brackets are prevented from moving in the front-rear direction, and the engagement between the rear locking claw portion and the locking recess portion is prevented. The two supporting capsules and the two hanger brackets are prevented from shifting in the width direction. The support device of a steering column according to claim 2.   Each has a pair of energy absorbing members formed by bending a plastically deformable wire, and a base provided at the center of both energy absorbing members is provided in a holding groove provided on the rear upper surface of both supporting capsules. The folding curved part provided in the intermediate part of the impact-absorbing part extended forward from the both sides of this base while engaging was each engaged with the front-end edge of the attachment board part. The steering column support device according to any one of the preceding claims.

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