JP2012166750A - Steering device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering device for a vehicle capable of improving a degree of freedom of a layout of a steering column.SOLUTION: In the steering device 11 for the vehicle, a fixing bracket 25 is constituted of a first bracket 31 having a fixing plate 32 to an installation stay and a second bracket 41 integrated with the first bracket 31 and bearing a tilt function by supporting the steering column 14 so as to be tiltable. In the fixing bracket 25, a connecting plate 33 of the first bracket 31 and a connecting plate 46 of the second bracket 41 are juxtaposed by being divided into two parts in the axial direction of the steering column 14 so as to be positioned on the same plane in a part of straddling the steering column 14 in the vehicle width direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle steering apparatus in which a steering column that rotatably supports a steering shaft is tiltably supported by a fixing bracket fixed to a vehicle-side fixing portion and has a steering shaft tilt function.

  In a vehicle steering apparatus, a steering shaft to which a steering wheel is coupled is rotatably supported by a steering column. Further, the vehicle steering device can adjust the position of the steering wheel in the vertical direction of the vehicle according to the body shape and driving posture of the driver by a tilt mechanism. In order to adjust the position of the steering wheel, the steering column can be tilted to the vehicle by a first fixing portion fixed to the vehicle rear side and a second fixing portion fixed to the vehicle front side. It is supported (for example, refer patent document 1).

  As shown in FIG. 5, in Patent Document 1, the first fixing portion 90 is fixed to a vehicle body side bracket 91 (fixed bracket) fixed to a vehicle side fixing portion (not shown) and a steering column 92. A column side bracket 93 and a fixing mechanism 94 for fixing the column side bracket 93 to the vehicle body side bracket 91 are provided. The vehicle body side bracket 91 includes an upper plate part 95 (first bracket) provided with fixing parts to the vehicle side fixing part at both ends, and a pair of side plates 96 (second bracket) extending downward from the upper plate part 95. The pair of side plates 96 are connected by a plate material 97 at the upper end edge, and the side plate 96 extends downward from the upper plate portion 95 by joining the plate material 97 to the lower surface of the upper plate portion 95. The column side bracket 93 is formed by a pair of side plate portions 93a fixed to the outer surface of the steering column 92 and a bottom plate portion 93b that connects the lower end edges of the side plate portions 93a.

  The fastening shaft 98 is inserted into the side plate portion 93a and the side plate 96 in a state where the inner surface of the side plate 96 of the vehicle body side bracket 91 is in contact with the outer side surface of each side plate portion 93a of the column side bracket 93. A steering column 92 is supported by the vehicle body side bracket 91 so as to be tiltable about the fastening shaft 98.

JP 2008-94203 A

  By the way, the layout (particularly the inclination angle) of the steering column 92 with respect to the vehicle varies depending on conditions such as the vehicle type. However, in the vehicle body side bracket 91, the upper plate part 95 and the plate member 97 are joined in an up and down direction, and the thickness of the vehicle body side bracket 91 in the up and down direction is increased. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, the clearance between the vehicle body side bracket 91 and the vehicle side fixing portion and between the vehicle body side bracket 91 and the steering column 92 is limited, and the layout of the steering column 92 is limited.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle steering apparatus that can improve the degree of freedom of the layout of the steering column.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a steering column for rotatably supporting a steering shaft is supported by a fixing bracket fixed to a vehicle-side fixing portion so as to be tiltable, and the steering shaft A steering apparatus for a vehicle having a tilt function, wherein the fixing bracket is disposed at a position straddling the steering column from above in the vehicle width direction, and fixing plates to the vehicle side fixing portion on both sides in the vehicle width direction. A first bracket having a portion, and being integrated with the first bracket so as to cover the steering column from above to both sides in the vehicle width direction, and tilting the steering column with side plate portions on both sides in the vehicle width direction A second bracket that supports the tilt function and supports the tilt function. The site straddles the steering column in the vehicle width direction, and summarized in that the first bracket and the second bracket are arranged by dividing the axial direction of the steering column so as to be positioned on the same plane.

  According to the above-described invention, in the fixed bracket, at the portion straddling the steering column in the vehicle width direction, the two plates of the first bracket and the second bracket are present, but there is only one thickness. That is, only the thickness of one of the first and second brackets exists between the vehicle-side fixing portion and the steering column in the vehicle vertical direction. For this reason, in the vehicle up-and-down direction, compared with the case where there are two plate thicknesses of the first and second brackets between the vehicle-side fixing portion and the steering column, there is a gap between the vehicle-side fixing portion and the fixing bracket. A large clearance and a clearance between the steering column and the fixed bracket can be secured.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle steering apparatus according to the first aspect, the first bracket is formed of a pair of fixed plate portions and a connecting plate portion connecting the fixed plate portions, The second bracket is formed from the pair of side plate portions and a connecting plate portion that connects the side plate portions, and the two connecting plate portions are joined so as to be positioned on the same plane. To do.

According to the said invention, compared with the case where the 1st bracket and the 2nd bracket are joined in the whole edge which opposes, the joining operation | work can be performed easily.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle steering apparatus according to the second aspect, the two connecting plate portions project from one of the end edges facing in the axial direction toward the other. The gist of the present invention is that the joined projection is joined to the other edge and integrated.

  According to the above-described invention, since it is only necessary to join a part of the joint protrusions rather than the entire opposing edges of both connecting plate parts, both connecting plates are used to join the entire opposing edges of both connecting plate parts. It is not necessary to increase the processing accuracy of both brackets so that the end edges of the portions have the same shape, and the productivity of the fixed bracket can be improved.

  According to the present invention, the degree of freedom in the layout of the steering column can be improved.

The partial perspective view which shows the steering device for vehicles of embodiment. The front view which shows the steering device for vehicles. The top view which shows the steering device for vehicles. The AA sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 3 which shows the steering apparatus for vehicles. Sectional drawing which shows background art.

Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the vehicle steering apparatus 11, the steering shaft 13 is inserted into the steering column 14 and is rotatably supported by the steering column 14. The steering wheel 12 is connected to the projecting end (one axial end) of the steering shaft 13 from the one axial end (the rear end in the vehicle longitudinal direction) of the steering column 14.

  The other end of the steering shaft 13 in the axial direction is connected to an intermediate shaft (not shown), and rotation and steering torque based on the steering operation is applied to a steering wheel (not shown) such as a steering gear (rack and pinion mechanism). It is transmitted to a steering mechanism that changes the rudder angle.

  Further, a housing 17 of the speed reduction mechanism S is integrally provided at the other axial end of the steering column 14 (front end in the vehicle longitudinal direction), and this housing 17 assists the steering system to assist the steering operation. A motor M (EPS actuator) that applies force is integrated.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a bracket 18 for fixing the steering column 14 to the vehicle is fixed to the housing 17. The vehicle front side of the steering column 14 is supported by the vehicle by a support bracket (so-called lower bracket) 15 fixed to the vehicle. Specifically, on the vehicle front side of the steering column 14, a bracket 18 integrated with the steering column 14 and a support bracket 15 are rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 19. A steering column 14 is supported by the vehicle as a center so as to be tiltable.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle rear side of the steering column 14 is supported by a fixing bracket 25, and the fixing bracket 25 is fixed to an attachment stay 20 as a vehicle side fixing portion which is a part of the vehicle. ing. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing bracket 25 includes a first bracket 31 fixed to the mounting stay 20, and a second bracket 41 that is integrated with the first bracket 31 and performs a tilt function. It is configured.

  The first bracket 31 is formed by shaping a single metal plate, and is disposed so as to straddle the steering column 14 from above (in the vehicle-mounted state, the same applies hereinafter) from the vehicle width direction. The first bracket 31 is located on both sides in the vehicle width direction and connects a pair of fixed plate portions 32 fixed to the mounting stay 20 and the two fixed plate portions 32 and a connecting plate portion 33 straddling the steering column 14 from above. And is formed from. Reinforcing plates 34 suspended from the respective fixed plate portions 32 are bent at the vehicle front side edge of each fixed plate portion 32, and the rigidity of the fixed plate portion 32 is enhanced by the reinforcing plates 34. Further, in each of the fixed plate portions 32, a joining piece 32 c for joining (welding) the fixed plate portion 32 to the second bracket 41 protrudes from the inner end edge on the connecting plate portion 33 side.

  Further, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 3, each fixing plate portion 32 is formed with a fastening hole 32 a that opens to the vehicle rear side of the fixing plate portion 32. Each fixed plate portion 32 is connected with a capsule 35 made of a metal material, and this capsule 35 sandwiches a portion sandwiching the fastening hole 32a from above and below in the vehicle width direction. The capsule 35 and the fixed plate portion 32 are integrated by injection molding a plurality of resin pins 36. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a bolt 26 protruding from the mounting stay 20 is inserted into the capsule 35 connected to each fixed plate portion 32, and a nut 27 is fastened to the bolt 26. The fixed plate portion 32 is fixed to the mounting stay 20. That is, the fixed bracket 25 is fixed to the mounting stay 20 via the first bracket 31, and the capsule 35, the resin pin 36, the bolt 26, and the nut 27 are formed between the fixed bracket 25 and the mounting stay 20. A release mechanism is provided.

  For example, when an impact load acts on the steering wheel 12 due to a secondary collision or the like, and a load ahead of the vehicle that exceeds a predetermined load acts on the fixed bracket 25, the resin pin 36 is sheared. Then, with the capsule 35 left on the mounting stay 20, the fixing bracket 25 is detached from the mounting stay 20 toward the front side of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the first bracket 31, the connecting plate portion 33 that connects the two fixing plate portions 32 has a thin plate shape, and is curved so as to bulge upward from the two fixing plate portions 32. It is formed into a shape. In the upper part of the connecting plate part 33, a joining projection 33a for joining (welding) the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 is projected toward the rear of the vehicle at an edge on the vehicle rear side. . The joint protrusion 33a is not provided so as to protrude from the entire edge of the connecting plate 33 on the vehicle rear side, but is provided so as to protrude from a part of the entire edge in the vehicle width direction.

  On the other hand, the second bracket 41 in the fixed bracket 25 is formed by shaping a single metal plate into a U shape, and a pair of side plate portions 44 disposed inside each fixed plate portion 32 of the first bracket 31. The both side plate portions 44 are connected to each other at the upper end edge, and the connecting column portion 46 is formed to straddle the steering column 14 from above in the vehicle width direction. The second bracket 41 is disposed such that the connecting plate portion 46 straddles the steering column 14 from above and the pair of side plate portions 44 covers the steering column 14 from both sides in the vehicle width direction. In each side plate portion 44, a tilt long hole 44a is formed so as to extend along the vertical direction (tilting direction) of the steering column 14. Further, the connecting plate portion 46 is formed in a curved shape that bulges upward from the both side plate portions 44.

  A column bracket 52 fixed to the lower side of the steering column 14 is disposed inside the second bracket 41. The column bracket 52 is formed by shaping a single metal plate into a U shape, and connects a pair of support plate portions 53 arranged on the inner side of each side plate portion 44 to the lower end edges of both support plate portions 53. The connecting plate portion 54 is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, an insertion hole 53 a is formed in each support plate portion 53, and the steering column 14 is joined to the tips (upper ends) of both support plate portions 53.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spindles are inserted into the tilt elongated holes 44 a formed in the side plate portions 44 of the second bracket 41 and the insertion holes 53 a formed in the support plate portions 53 of the column bracket 52. 58 is inserted, and a nut 55 is screwed onto the protruding end of the support shaft 58 from the side plate portion 44. As a result, the column bracket 52 is connected to the second bracket 41, and the steering column 14 is supported by the second bracket 41 via the column bracket 52.

  Further, an operation lever 59 is coupled to the support shaft 58 so as to be integrally rotatable, and between the nut 55 and the side plate portion 44, the steering column 14 is locked or unlocked according to the operation of the operation lever 59. A lock mechanism 60 that performs locking is provided.

  By making the lock mechanism 60 unlocked and tilting the column bracket 52 and the steering column 14 with respect to the second bracket 41, the position of the steering wheel 12 in the vehicle vertical direction can be adjusted within the range of the tilt long hole 44a. It has become. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the second bracket 41 has a tilt function of the steering wheel 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the second bracket 41 and the first bracket 31 having the above-described configuration are the connection plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41 and the connection plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31. 14 are joined (welded) in the axial direction and integrated. Specifically, the joint protrusion 33 a of the connection plate portion 33 in the first bracket 31 is joined to the front end edge of the connection plate portion 46 in the second bracket 41. In other words, the opposing edges of both the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 are joined together only in a part in the vehicle width direction using the joint protrusion 33a. For this reason, a clearance is formed between the opposing edges of both the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 except for the joint portion of the joint protrusion 33a. Further, the second bracket 41 and the first bracket 31 are integrated by joining (welding) the joining pieces 32c of the fixed plate portion 32 of the first bracket 31 to the outer surface of the side plate portion 44 of the second bracket 41. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, in the fixed bracket 25, the upper and lower surfaces of both connecting plate portions 33, 46 are located on the same plane, and the region spans the steering column 14 from above in the vehicle width direction. Are arranged in two in the axial direction of the steering column 14. In the present embodiment, the connecting plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31 is disposed on the vehicle front side with respect to the connecting plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a clearance CL1 is secured between the upper surface of each connecting plate portion 33, 46 and the lower surface of the mounting stay 20 facing the upper surface, and each connecting plate portion 33, A clearance CL <b> 2 is also secured between the lower surface of 46 and the upper surface of the steering column 14.

Next, the operation of the vehicle steering device 11 will be described.
As in the prior art, if the lower surface of the connecting plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31 is joined to the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41, the space between the mounting stay 20 and the steering column 14 is as shown in FIG. As shown by the two-dot chain line, there is a thickness of two sheets, and the clearance CL1 becomes small (narrow). Depending on the thickness of each plate material, CL1 may not be secured. Further, if the connecting plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41 is joined to the lower surface of the connecting plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31, there is a thickness equivalent to two plates between the mounting stay 20 and the steering column 14. However, the clearance CL2 also becomes smaller (narrower). However, in the present embodiment, the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 are joined in a state where the two connecting plate portions 33 and 46 are divided into two in the axial direction of the steering column 14 (vehicle longitudinal direction). For this reason, compared with the case where the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 are overlapped and joined in the vehicle vertical direction, the clearances CL1 and CL2 are increased by one plate material.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the fixed bracket 25 that fixes the steering column 14 to the mounting stay 20, the connecting plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31 and the connecting plate of the second bracket 41 are located at a portion straddling the steering column 14 from above in the vehicle width direction. The portion 46 is joined in a state of being divided into two in the axial direction of the steering column 14. For this reason, only the thickness of one of the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 exists between the mounting stay 20 and the steering column 14. Therefore, compared with the case where there is a thickness corresponding to two plate members, the clearance CL1 between the mounting stay 20 and the two connecting plate portions 33 and 46 and the steering column 14 and the two connecting plate portions 33 and 46 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A large clearance CL2 can be secured. As a result, the degree of freedom in layout of the steering column 14 is increased by the amount of the clearances CL1 and CL2, and the steering column 14 can be laid out according to various conditions such as the vehicle type.

  (2) A large clearance CL1 can be ensured between the mounting stay 20 and the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 of the fixed bracket 25. For this reason, when a load more than a predetermined load is applied to the fixing bracket 25 due to a secondary collision or the like, the fixing bracket 25 does not come into contact with the mounting stay 20, and the fixing bracket 25 is smoothly detached from the mounting stay 20. be able to.

  (3) A large clearance CL <b> 2 can be secured between the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 in the fixed bracket 25 and the steering column 14. For this reason, when the tilt adjustment of the steering column 14 is performed, the tilt range can be increased.

  (4) The fixing bracket 25 is divided into a first bracket 31 that bears a fixing function to the mounting stay 20 and a second bracket 41 that bears a tilt function, and the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 are It joined in the state divided into 2 in the front-back direction. The second bracket 41 was formed by forming a pair of side plate portions 44 and a connecting plate portion 46 by shaping a single metal plate into a substantially U shape. Therefore, for example, compared to the case where the pair of side plate portions 44 are connected by separate connection plate portions to form the second bracket 41, the tilt elongated holes 44a formed in the pair of side plate portions 44 are vertically and horizontally It is possible to prevent the tilt function performed along the tilt long hole 44a from deteriorating with high accuracy without being displaced.

  (5) In the connection plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31, a joint protrusion 33 a is protruded from a part of the edge facing the connection plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41. The first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 are integrated by joining a part in the vehicle width direction instead of the entire opposing edges of the connecting plate parts 33 and 46 by the joint protrusion 33a. . Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the processing accuracy of the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 as in the case where the entire opposing edges of the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 are joined and integrated, and the productivity of the fixing bracket 25 is increased. Can be improved.

  (6) For example, when the fixing bracket 25 is formed by joining a fixing plate member to the mounting stay 20 on each of the outer surfaces of the both side plate portions 44 of the second bracket 41 instead of the first bracket 31, the mounting stay 20 There is only one connecting plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41 between the steering column 14 and the clearances CL1 and CL2. However, in this case, the accuracy of the vertical position of the pair of fixing plate members decreases, and it becomes difficult to perform the fixing operation of the fixing plate member to the mounting stay 20. In the present embodiment, the fixing plate portions 32 used for fixing to the mounting stay 20 are provided on both sides of the first bracket 31 formed by shaping one metal plate. For this reason, the vertical positions of the pair of fixing plate portions 32 can be accurately matched while ensuring the clearances CL1 and CL2, and workability when fixing the fixing bracket 25 to the mounting stay 20 can be improved. .

  (7) The first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 are integrated by joining the joint protrusion 33 a formed on the connection plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31 to the connection plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41. Yes. In addition to this, the joining pieces 32 c formed on the two fixed plate portions 32 are joined to the side plate portions 44 of the second bracket 41. For this reason, the 1st bracket 31 and the 2nd bracket 41 are joined at three places, and the 1st bracket 31 and the 2nd bracket 41 can be joined firmly.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the embodiment, the joint protrusion 33 a that protrudes from the connection plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31 is joined to the connection plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41, but protrudes from the connection plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41. The provided joint protrusion may be joined to the connecting plate part 33 of the first bracket 31.

  In the embodiment, the pair of fixing plate portions 32 in the first bracket 31 are joined to the side plate portion 44 of the second bracket 41 via each joining piece 32c, so that the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 are integrated. However, the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 may be integrated only by joining the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 without joining the fixed plate portion 32 to the side plate portion 44.

  In the embodiment, the joint protrusion 33 a that protrudes from the end edge of the connection plate portion 33 is bonded to the connection plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41 out of the entire opposite edges of the connection plate portions 33 and 46. However, you may join the whole edge which the both connection board parts 33 and 46 oppose.

  In the embodiment, the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 are joined at a total of three places: one place between the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 and two places between the fixed plate portion 32 and the side plate portion 44. However, the connecting plate portions 33 and 46 may not be joined together, and may be joined at only two locations between the fixed plate portions 32 and the side plate portions 44.

  In the embodiment, in the fixed bracket 25, the portion straddling the steering column 14 is divided into two in the axial direction of the steering column 14, but may be divided into three or more. For example, a fitting groove is formed in the connecting plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41, the connecting plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31 is fitted into the fitting groove, and the second bracket is formed along the axial direction of the steering column 14. The connecting plate portion 46 of 41, the connecting plate portion 33 of the first bracket 31, and the connecting plate portion 46 of the second bracket 41 may be arranged in this order.

  In the embodiment, in the fixed bracket 25, the front and rear arrangement of the first bracket 31 and the second bracket 41 across the steering column 14 includes the first bracket 31 on the vehicle front side and the second bracket 41 on the vehicle rear side. However, this front-rear arrangement may be reversed.

  In the embodiment, a separation mechanism is provided on the fixed plate portion 32 of the first bracket 31, and when a load ahead of the vehicle more than a predetermined load acts on the fixed bracket 25, the fixed bracket 25 is moved from the mounting stay 20 to the vehicle front side. However, there is no need for a separation mechanism.

Next, the technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment and other examples will be described below.
(B) The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the pair of fixed plate portions are joined to an outer surface of the side plate portion.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Steering device for vehicles, 13 ... Steering shaft, 14 ... Steering column, 20 ... Mounting stay as vehicle side fixing | fixed part, 25 ... Fixed bracket, 31 ... 1st bracket, 32 ... Fixed plate part, 33, 46 ... Connection Plate part, 33a ... Joining protrusion, 41 ... Second bracket, 44 ... Side plate part.

Claims (3)

A steering column for rotatably supporting a steering shaft is a vehicle steering device that is tiltably supported by a fixing bracket fixed to a vehicle-side fixing portion and has a tilt function of the steering shaft,
A first bracket disposed at a position straddling the steering column from above in the vehicle width direction and having a fixing plate portion to the vehicle side fixing portion on both sides in the vehicle width direction;
The tilt function is integrated with the first bracket and is disposed so as to cover the steering column from above to both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the tilt function is supported by the side plates of the both sides in the vehicle width direction so as to be tiltable. A second bracket that bears
In the portion of the fixed bracket that spans the steering column in the vehicle width direction, the first bracket and the second bracket are divided and arranged in parallel in the axial direction of the steering column so as to be positioned on the same plane. A vehicle steering device.   The first bracket is formed of a pair of fixing plate portions and a connecting plate portion connecting the fixing plate portions, and the second bracket is a connecting plate portion connecting the pair of side plate portions and the side plate portion. The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two connecting plate portions are joined so as to be positioned on the same plane.   The two connecting plate portions are integrated by joining a joint protrusion protruding from one of the end edges facing in the axial direction toward the other end to the other end edge. Item 3. The vehicle steering device according to Item 2.

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