JP2014133547A - Steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering device capable of stably maintaining a column jacket at a tilt center position when a lock is released and capable of improving operability with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A steering device 1 comprises: a steering shaft 4; a column jacket 5 capable of telescopic and tilting adjustment; a movable bracket 19 fixed to an outer jacket 11 of the column jacket 5; a fixed bracket 18 fixed at a vehicle body 100; a facing part 29 provided at the fixed bracket 18 and facing the movable bracket 19 from below; and an energization member 30 for energizing the column jacket 5 upward. The energization member 30 has: a fixed part 31 fixed at the movable bracket 19; and a slide part 32 being in contact with the facing part 29 from above, and slidable against the facing part 29 according to the telescopic amount of the column jacket 5.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device.

  For example, the steering column device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a steering column tube. The steering column tube has an outer tube and an inner tube that rotatably support the steering shaft. As the outer tube slides in the axial direction with respect to the inner tube, the steering column tube can expand and contract in the axial direction (so-called telescopic adjustment). Further, the entire steering column tube can be rotated around the tilt axis (so-called tilt adjustment).

  The steering column device includes an upper clamp fixed to the vehicle body, a distance bracket fixed to the outer tube and disposed inside the upper clamp, a clamp bolt, an operation lever connected to the clamp bolt, and an operation And a cam body that rotates with the clamp bolt in accordance with the operation of the lever and presses the inner tube against the outer tube.

  The upper clamp has a pair of side plates each formed with a long slot for tilting. The distance bracket has a pair of side plates each having a telescopic slot formed therein. The clamp bolt includes a head portion and a shaft portion that is inserted into the tilt long hole and the telescopic long hole and has a nut assembled at the tip. The posture of the steering column tube is locked by clamping the upper clamp and the distance bracket between the nut and the head. When the clamp lever is loosened by operating the operation lever, the steering column tube is unlocked, so that telescopic adjustment and tilt adjustment are possible. The cam body includes an eccentric cam provided on the shaft portion of the clamp bolt, and a ring that is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the eccentric cam.

  The upper clamp is provided with a balance spring for biasing the distance bracket upward. The balance spring has a pair of coil springs arranged symmetrically. In each coil spring, the contact portion on one end side is in contact with the outer periphery of the ring of the cam body from below, and the locking portion on the other end side is engaged with the notch portion formed on each side plate of the upper clamp. It has been stopped. When the steering column tube is unlocked, the contact portion of the balance spring biases the distance bracket and the outer tube upward via the ring and the clamping bolt. Thereby, it can suppress to some extent that a steering column tube falls freely by gravity.

JP 2010-30579 A

  In the steering column device of Patent Document 1, when the steering column tube is unlocked, the steering column tube is moved to a predetermined position (“tilt” so that the shaft portion of the clamp bolt is disposed at the center in the longitudinal direction of the long slot for tilting. It is convenient in terms of operation if it can be maintained at the “center position”. For example, if the steering column tube is always in the tilt center position when the steering column tube is unlocked, the position of the steering column tube when the steering column tube is unlocked (in other words, the position of the steering member). ) Is easy to understand.

In the steering column device of Patent Document 1, the balance spring urges the outer tube upward at the contact portion in a state where the balance spring is fixed to the upper clamp on the vehicle body side at the locking portion.
In this configuration, when the outer tube is moved in the axial direction for telescopic adjustment and the steering column tube is expanded and contracted, the outer tube moves in accordance with the movement of the outer tube (in other words, the change in the axial length of the steering column tube). Since the relative relationship between the tube and the contact portion changes, the magnitude of the moment acting on the contact portion from the outer tube varies. This makes it difficult for the balance spring to urge the outer tube upward at the abutment so that the steering column tube can always be maintained at the tilt center position regardless of changes in the axial length of the steering column tube. is there. Therefore, even if the steering column tube is at the tilt center position when the outer tube is at a position, if the outer tube is moved in the axial direction from the position, the steering column tube may be displaced from the tilt center position. .

Furthermore, since the balance spring has a complicated shape, it is difficult to manufacture or adjust the balance spring so as to exhibit a stable urging force.
Further, the urging force of the balance spring acts on the clamping bolt via the ring of the cam body. In this case, the operability of the operation lever connected to the clamp bolt becomes heavy and the operability of the operation lever is lowered, and the smooth movement of the clamp bolt is hindered, so that the operability related to telescopic adjustment and tilt adjustment is reduced. May decrease.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a steering device that can maintain a column jacket stably at a tilt center position when the lock is released with a simple configuration and can improve operability.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a steering shaft (4) having a steering member (2) attached at one end, a hollow inner jacket (12), and the inner jacket are inserted, and the steering is inserted into the inner jacket. A column jacket (5) including a hollow outer jacket (11) relatively movable in the axial direction (X) of the shaft, accommodating the steering shaft and rotatably supporting it, and capable of adjusting telescopic and tilting ), A lock / release mechanism (17) for locking or unlocking the posture of the column jacket, a movable bracket (19) fixed to the outer jacket, and a vehicle body (100). When the column jacket is tilted, a tilt guide groove (25) for guiding the movement of the movable bracket is formed. A bracket (18), an opposing portion (29) provided on the fixed bracket and facing the movable bracket from below, a fixed portion (31) fixed to the movable bracket, and the opposing portion from above are contacted. And a slidable portion (32) slidable on the opposing portion in accordance with the telescopic of the column jacket, and a biasing member (30) for biasing the column jacket upward. The steering device (1) is a feature.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the movable bracket is formed with a telescopic guide groove (36) that guides the movement of the outer jacket when the column jacket telescopically, A fastening shaft (40) that is inserted through both the tilt guide groove and the telescopic guide groove and can be rotated around the shaft by being operated, and the movable bracket and the fixed bracket according to the rotation of the fastening shaft. A pressure contact / release member (41) for pressing the members together and releasing the pressure contact, wherein the fixing portion of the biasing member is directly fixed to the movable bracket. The steering device according to Item 1.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the first gear (111) provided on the fixed bracket, the second gear (113) meshing with the first gear, and the third gear (121) meshing with the second gear are provided. A gear unit (110) provided and having a moving member (114) which is movable relative to the movable bracket in the axial direction with the opposed portion facing from above. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion of the biasing member is fixed to the moving member.

The invention according to claim 4 is the steering device according to claim 3, wherein the first gear and the third gear include a rack gear extending in the axial direction, and the second gear includes a pinion gear. It is.
The invention according to claim 5 is the steering apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the gear unit is movable in a direction in which the second gear approaches the first gear.

The invention according to claim 6 is the steering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the biasing member includes a coil spring extending from the fixed portion toward the sliding portion. is there.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a friction reducing member (80, 81) provided on at least one of the sliding portion and the facing portion of the urging member and reducing friction between the sliding portion and the facing portion. , 83), the steering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

  In addition, in the above, the numbers in parentheses represent reference numerals of corresponding components in the embodiments described later, but the scope of the claims is not limited by these reference numerals.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the urging member urges the column jacket upward. Thus, when the column jacket is unlocked, the column jacket can be maintained at a predetermined tilt center position so that the portion of the movable bracket that is guided by the tilt guide groove is disposed at the center of the tilt guide groove.
Here, in the urging member, the fixed part is fixed to the movable bracket fixed to the outer jacket that moves with the telescopic of the column jacket, and the sliding part is fixed to the opposite part of the fixed bracket with the telescopic. Can slide. In this case, the relative relationship between the urging member and the outer jacket is always constant. As a result, the moment that acts on the biasing member from the outer jacket when the biasing member biases the column jacket is the same regardless of the movement of the outer jacket (change in the axial length of the column jacket) due to telescopic movement. It is constant.

Therefore, the column jacket can be stably maintained at the tilt center position when the lock is released regardless of the change in the axial length of the column jacket.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the fixing portion of the urging member is directly fixed to the movable bracket, the urging force of the urging member is operated for adjusting telescopic and tilting. It does not act directly on. Therefore, since the operation of the tightening shaft is not easily inhibited by the biasing force of the biasing member, the operability of the tightening shaft can be improved. Further, as the operability of the fastening shaft is improved, the operability related to telescopic adjustment and tilt adjustment can be improved.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, during the telescopic adjustment, the moving member, to which the fixed portion of the urging member is fixed in the gear unit, can be moved relative to the movable bracket together with the urging member. As a result, the ratio of the amount of movement of the urging member to the amount of movement of the outer jacket (telescopic movement amount) during telescopic adjustment (in other words, the relative relationship between the urging member and the outer jacket) can be varied within a certain range. It can be adjusted (tuned). Therefore, by the variable adjustment here, the column jacket when the lock is released can be maintained at the tilt center position without variation.

As in the fourth aspect of the invention, the first gear and the third gear can be constituted by a rack gear, and the second gear can be constituted by a pinion gear.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the gear unit can move in the direction in which the second gear approaches the first gear, so that the state in which the first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are engaged with each other is always maintained. be able to.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the urging member can be simply constituted by the coil spring.
According to the invention of claim 7, when telescopic adjustment of the column jacket, by reducing the friction between the sliding portion and the opposing portion of the urging member, smooth telescopic adjustment becomes possible, The operability related to telescopic adjustment can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration of a steering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fixed bracket, in which the fixed bracket is viewed from different directions in (a) and (b). FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the movable bracket. FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views of the schematic configuration of the steering device, where FIG. 5A shows a case where the column jacket is contracted, and FIG. 5B shows a case where the column jacket is extended. 6A is a perspective view of a guide plate, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a linear guide. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fixed bracket and a gear unit according to a modification. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an essential part to which the gear unit is applied in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan sectional view around the gear unit in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram in which the gear unit is applied in FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration of a steering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the left side of the drawing is the front side of the vehicle body 100 on which the steering device 1 is provided, and the right side of the drawing is the rear side of the vehicle body 100. In FIG. 1, the upper side of the drawing is the upper side of the steering device 1, and the lower side of the drawing is the lower side of the steering device 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a steering apparatus 1 includes a steering member 2 such as a steering wheel, a steering mechanism 3 that steers steered wheels (not shown) in conjunction with steering of the steering member 2, and a steering shaft 4. And a cylindrical column jacket 5 are mainly included. For example, a rack and pinion mechanism is used as the steering mechanism 3.
The steering member 2 and the steering mechanism 3 are mechanically connected via a steering shaft 4, an intermediate shaft 6, and the like. The rotation of the steering member 2 is transmitted to the steering mechanism 3 via the steering shaft 4 and the intermediate shaft 6. Further, the rotation transmitted to the steering mechanism 3 is converted into an axial movement of a rack shaft (not shown). Thereby, a steered wheel is steered.

  The steering shaft 4 extends so as to incline to the rear upper side with respect to the horizontal direction. The direction in which the steering shaft 4 extends is the axial direction X of the steering shaft 4. The steering shaft 4 includes an upper shaft 7 and a lower shaft 8 that are fitted so as to be capable of relative sliding in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, the upper shaft 7 is cylindrical, and the lower shaft 8 is inserted into the upper shaft 7 from the front lower side (see also FIG. 2 described later), and the upper shaft 7 and the lower shaft 8 are For example, spline fitting or serration fitting.

  The steering member 2 is attached to the upper tip 7A (corresponding to one end of the steering shaft 4) of the upper shaft 7. Further, the steering shaft 4 can expand and contract along the axial direction X by the relative sliding of the upper shaft 7 and the lower shaft 8. Note that the upper shaft 7 actually moves on the steering shaft 4. The steering shaft 4 is accommodated coaxially in the column jacket 5 and is rotatably supported by the column jacket 5 via a plurality of bearings 9 and 10.

  The column jacket 5 includes an outer jacket 11 that is an upper jacket and an inner jacket 12 that is a lower jacket. The outer jacket 11 and the inner jacket 12 are hollow, and in this embodiment, are tubular. The inner jacket 12 has a smaller diameter than the outer jacket 11 and is coaxially inserted into the hollow portion of the outer jacket 11 from the lower front side. Accordingly, the outer jacket 11 and the inner jacket 12 are fitted so as to be capable of relative sliding in the axial direction X of the steering shaft 4.

The outer jacket 11 rotatably supports the upper shaft 7 via a bearing 9 at the upper end portion thereof. Further, the outer jacket 11 is connected to the upper shaft 7 via the bearing 9 and can move integrally with the upper shaft 7.
The inner jacket 12 rotatably supports the lower shaft 8 via a bearing 10 at the lower end thereof. A lower column bracket 13 extending upward is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the inner jacket 12. The lower column bracket 13 is rotatably supported via a tilt center shaft 15 by a lower fixing bracket 14 fixed to the vehicle body 100. As a result, the entire column jacket 5 (including the steering shaft 4) can be rotated around the tilt center shaft 15. Hereinafter, the rotation of the column jacket 5 may be expressed as “tilt”.

The entire column jacket 5 is rotated (tilted) about the tilt center axis 15 to adjust the inclination of the entire column jacket 5 with respect to the horizontal direction. By such adjustment (tilt adjustment), the position of the steering member 2 in the height direction Z (corresponding to the tilt direction of the column jacket 5) can be adjusted.
In the column jacket 5, the position of the inner jacket 12 (in the axial direction X) supported by the lower fixing bracket 14 is fixed, and the outer jacket 11 is axially moved with respect to the inner jacket 12 with the upper shaft 7. It can move relative to X (slidable). By the relative movement of the outer jacket 11, each of the column jacket 5 and the steering shaft 4 can expand and contract in the axial direction X. Hereinafter, this expansion and contraction may be expressed as “telescopic”. Telescopic adjustment (telescopic adjustment) is possible by adjusting the amount of expansion and contraction of the column jacket 5 (including the steering shaft 4). By the telescopic adjustment, the position in the axial direction X and the position in the height direction Z of the steering member 2 can be adjusted.

Thus, the column jacket 5 can be adjusted for telescopic and tilt.
The steering device 1 includes a fixed bracket 18 fixed to the vehicle body 100 and a movable bracket 19 fixed to the outer jacket 11 by welding or the like.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fixing bracket 18, in which the fixing bracket 18 is viewed from different directions in (a) and (b). FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the movable bracket 19.

Here, FIG. 2 is a diagram when viewed from the user operating the steering member 2. The vertical direction (height direction Z) in FIG. 1 is the same as the vertical direction in FIG. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions in FIG. 2 will be used as a reference in addition to the vertical and backward directions in FIG.
Referring to FIG. 2, the fixing bracket 18 is also called an adjustment bracket, and has a substantially rectangular frame-shaped cross section in which only the lower left portion is cut. The fixed bracket 18 integrally includes a first side plate 21, a second side plate 22, a connecting plate 23, a mounting stay 24, and a facing portion 29 (see also FIG. 3).

  The first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 are plate-like shapes that are thin and extend vertically in the left-right direction Y, and are disposed to face each other with an interval in the left-right direction Y. In this embodiment, the first side plate 21 is disposed on the left side of the second side plate 22. Each of the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 is formed with a vertically long groove 25 (tilt guide groove) penetrating in the left-right direction Y. The vertically long groove 25 has an arc shape along the rotation trajectory of the column jacket 5 (see FIG. 1), but may be a straight line close to the rotation trajectory. When viewed from the left-right direction Y, the longitudinal groove 25 of the first side plate 21 and the longitudinal groove 25 of the second side plate 22 completely coincide.

The connecting plate 23 extends in the left-right direction Y and connects the upper end portions of the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22. A pair of left and right insertion holes 87 and a holding hole 88 are formed in the connecting plate 23 so as to penetrate the connecting plate 23 in the thickness direction. Each of the insertion holes 87 and the holding holes 88 are round holes. One holding hole 88 is provided between the pair of left and right insertion holes 87.
The mounting stay 24 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction Y, and is opposed to the upper surface of the connecting plate 23 from above. In the mounting stay 24, for example, both end portions in the left-right direction Y are fixed to the vehicle body 100 from below via bolts 89. Further, in the mounting stay 24, the central portion in the left-right direction Y is recessed one step downward. In the center portion, a pair of left and right long holes 90 and a round hole 91 are formed so as to penetrate the center portion in the thickness direction. Each long hole 90 is long in the axial direction X (see FIG. 1). One round hole 91 is provided between a pair of left and right elongated holes 90. When viewed from the facing direction of the connecting plate 23 and the mounting stay 24, the holding hole 88 and the round hole 91 of the connecting plate 23 overlap with each other and are on the same side in the left-right direction Y as each insertion hole 87 of the connecting plate 23. Part of the long hole 90 (part in the axial direction X) overlaps. One breakable synthetic resin pin 94 is fitted in the holding hole 88 and the round hole 91. On both the left and right sides, a bolt 92 is inserted from above into a portion where the long hole 90 and the insertion hole 87 overlap, and a nut 93 is provided at the tip of the bolt 92 (a portion protruding downward from the insertion hole 87). Is assembled.

The facing portion 29 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction Y and extends continuously from the lower end of the second side plate 22 to the left side. The left end of the facing portion 29 is not connected to the first side plate 21 and is separated from the lower end of the first side plate 21 to the lower right. The facing portion 29 faces the connecting plate 23 from below with an interval corresponding to the vertical dimension of the second side plate 22. The upper surface 29A of the facing portion 29 is a flat surface.
As described above, the fixing bracket 18 is fixed to the vehicle body 100 via the mounting stay 24, and a portion other than the mounting stay 24 in the fixing bracket 18 and the mounting stay 24 are connected by the pin 94. The pin 94 is broken at the time of the secondary collision, and the fixing bracket 18 (excluding the mounting stay 24) is relative to the mounting stay 24 on the vehicle body 100 side in the axial direction X by the bolt 92 being guided by the elongated hole 90. Moving. Thereby, the impact by a secondary collision is relieved.

The movable bracket 19, also called a distance bracket, is a groove-shaped member (a U-shaped cross section) that opens upward, and is formed symmetrically. The movable bracket 19 is integrally provided with a third side plate 33, a fourth side plate 34, and a connecting plate 35 (see also FIG. 4).
The third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34 are plate-like shapes that are thin and extend vertically in the left-right direction Y, and are opposed to each other with a gap in the left-right direction Y. Each of the third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34 is formed with a horizontally long groove 36 (telescopic guide groove) extending in the left-right direction Y in the axial direction X (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2). (See also FIG. 1). When viewed from the left-right direction Y, the horizontally long groove 36 of the third side plate 33 and the horizontally long groove 36 of the fourth side plate 34 are completely coincident with each other.

  The third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34 are disposed between the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 of the fixed bracket 18. Specifically, the third side plate 33 is along the inner side surface (right side surface) 21A of the first side plate 21, and the fourth side plate 34 is along the inner side surface (left side surface) 22A of the second side plate 22 of the fixing bracket 18. ing. The vertically long groove 25 of the first side plate 21 and the horizontally long groove 36 of the third side plate 33 intersect and partially overlap when viewed from the left-right direction Y (see also FIG. 1). Similarly, the vertically long groove 25 of the second side plate 22 and the horizontally long groove 36 of the fourth side plate 34 intersect and partially overlap when viewed from the left-right direction Y.

The outer jacket 11 of the column jacket 5 is disposed between the third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34. The upper ends of the third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34 are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the outer jacket 11 by welding or the like.
The connecting plate 35 extends in the left-right direction Y and connects the lower ends of the third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34 to each other. The connecting plate 35 is disposed between the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 of the fixed bracket 18 and above the facing portion 29. Therefore, the facing portion 29 faces the connecting plate 35 of the movable bracket 19 from below with a predetermined interval.

  Here, a biasing member 30 is provided on the movable bracket 19. The urging member 30 has a fixing portion 31 that is directly fixed to the lower surface 35A of the connecting plate 35 by screwing or the like, and a sliding portion 32 that comes into contact with the upper surface 29A of the facing portion 29 from above. The sliding portion 32 is only in contact with the upper surface 29 </ b> A of the facing portion 29 and is not fixed to the facing portion 29. In this embodiment, the biasing member 30 is a coil spring that extends downward from the fixed portion 31 toward the sliding portion 32, and the upper end portion of the biasing member 30 is the fixed portion 31, and the lower end of the biasing member 30. The part is the sliding part 32. A ball (sphere) 80 is attached to the sliding portion 32 so as to be able to roll, and is a part of the sliding portion 32. The urging member 30 is compressed from above and below between the connecting plate 35 and the facing portion 29. Thereby, the urging member 30 urges the entire column jacket 5 upward via the movable bracket 19 by pressing the connecting plate 35 from below.

Further, the steering device 1 includes a lock / release mechanism 17. The lock / release mechanism 17 locks the posture of the column jacket 5 in order to fix the adjusted position of the steering member 2 or releases the lock of the column jacket 5 in order to adjust the position of the steering member 2. .
The lock / release mechanism 17 includes a tightening shaft 40, a pressure contact / release member 41, and a nut 42.

The fastening shaft 40 has a bolt shape integrally including a shaft portion 40A extending in the left-right direction Y and a head portion 40B provided at the left end portion of the shaft portion 40A.
The shaft portion 40 </ b> A is a portion where the vertically long groove 25 of the first side plate 21 and the horizontally long groove 36 of the third side plate 33 overlap (intersection K, see also FIG. 1), the third side plate 33 and the fourth side plate 34. And the space between the outer jacket 11 and the connecting plate 35 and the portion where the laterally long groove 36 of the fourth side plate 34 and the longitudinally long groove 25 of the second side plate 22 overlap (intersection K) in this order. It is inserted from the left. That is, the fastening shaft 40 is inserted into both the longitudinal groove 25 and the lateral groove 36 on the left side (first side plate 21 and third side plate 33 side) and on the right side (second side plate 22 and fourth side plate 34 side). ) Are inserted through both the vertically long grooves 25 and the horizontally long grooves 36.

  The right end portion of the shaft portion 40 </ b> A protrudes on the right side of the longitudinal groove 25 of the second side plate 22. A screw portion (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the right end portion, and a nut 42 is assembled to the screw portion. An operation lever 43 is connected to the head 40B. By grasping the operation lever 43 and twisting it up and down, the fastening shaft 40 can be rotated around its axis C (around the axis). That is, the fastening shaft 40 can be rotated around the shaft by being indirectly operated through the operation lever 43 in a state where the fastening shaft 40 is inserted into both the left and right vertically long grooves 25 and the horizontally long grooves 36.

The pressure contact / release member 41 includes a cam 44 fixed to the head 40B of the fastening shaft 40 from the right side, a cam follower 45 engaged with the cam 44 from the right side, and a right end portion of the shaft portion 40A of the fastening shaft 40. And a pressing member 46 attached to the.
The cam 44 and the cam follower 45 are ring-shaped and are externally fitted to the shaft portion 40 </ b> A of the fastening shaft 40.

The cam 44 is disposed on the outer side (left side) of the first side plate 21 of the fixed bracket 18.
The cam follower 45 integrally includes a plate portion 47 and a boss 48. The plate portion 47 has a thin plate shape in the left-right direction Y. The plate portion 47 is formed with a round hole 47A penetrating in the thickness direction (left-right direction Y). The boss 48 has a cylindrical shape that extends to the right side while surrounding the round hole 47A. Therefore, the round hole 47A and the hollow portion 48A of the boss 48 are continuous in the left-right direction Y. The left side portion of the shaft portion 40A of the fastening shaft 40 is inserted through the round hole 47A and the hollow portion 48A.

The boss 48 is fitted from the left into each of the vertically long groove 25 of the first side plate 21 and the horizontally long groove 36 of the third side plate 33, and is movable along the longitudinal direction of each of the vertically long groove 25 and the horizontally long groove 36. .
A portion of the boss 48 that fits into the longitudinal groove 25 of the first side plate 21 has a two-sided width or the like. As a result, idling of the cam follower 45 (co-rotation with the fastening shaft 40) is prevented by the vertically long groove 25. On the other hand, the fastening shaft 40 inserted through the cam follower 45 can rotate relative to the cam follower 45. Further, the cam follower 45 can be moved (slid) relative to the fastening shaft 40 in the left-right direction Y in a state of being externally fitted to the fastening shaft 40.

Cam protrusions 49 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the cam 44 and the cam follower 45 (the right side surface of the cam 44 and the left side surface of the cam follower 45). The cam protrusion 49 of the cam 44 protrudes rightward toward the cam follower 45, and the cam protrusion 49 of the cam follower 45 protrudes leftward toward the cam 44.
The pressing member 46 is disposed on the left side of the nut 42. The pressing member 46 integrally includes a plate portion 54 and a boss 55. The plate portion 54 has a thin plate shape in the left-right direction Y. The plate portion 54 is formed with a round hole 54A penetrating in the thickness direction (left-right direction Y). The boss 55 has a cylindrical shape extending to the left while surrounding the round hole 54A. Therefore, the round hole 54A and the hollow portion 55A of the boss 55 are continuous in the left-right direction Y. The right side portion of the shaft portion 40A of the fastening shaft 40 is inserted through the round hole 54A and the hollow portion 55A.

  The boss 55 is fitted from the right side with respect to each of the vertically long groove 25 of the second side plate 22 and the horizontally long groove 36 of the fourth side plate 34, and is movable along the longitudinal direction of each of the vertically long groove 25 and the horizontally long groove 36. It is. As described above, the boss 48 of the cam follower 45 is movable along the longitudinal directions of the longitudinal groove 25 of the first side plate 21 and the lateral groove 36 of the third side plate 33. Therefore, the fastening shafts 40 inserted into the respective hollow portions of the cam follower 45 and the pressing member 46 maintain the posture extending in the left-right direction Y, and the longitudinal directions of the longitudinal grooves 25 and the lateral grooves 36 on both the left and right sides. It can move along.

A portion of the boss 55 that fits into the longitudinal groove 25 of the second side plate 22 has a two-sided width or the like. Thereby, the idling of the pressing member 46 (co-rotation with the fastening shaft 40) is prevented by the vertically long groove 25. On the other hand, the fastening shaft 40 inserted through the pressing member 46 can rotate relative to the pressing member 46.
A thrust bearing 56 is interposed between the nut 42 and the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46. The thrust bearing 56 includes a thrust washer 57 that contacts the nut 42 from the left side, and a thrust needle roller bearing 58 that is interposed between the thrust washer 57 and the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46. When the needle roller bearing 58 rolls with respect to the pressing member 46, the nut 42 can smoothly rotate relative to the pressing member 46 together with the fastening shaft 40.

  Further, at least one telescopic friction plate 60 is arranged between the plate portion 47 of the cam follower 45 and the first side plate 21 of the fixed bracket 18. In this embodiment, four telescopic friction plates 60 are laminated in the left-right direction Y, and a gap is secured between adjacent telescopic friction plates 60. The telescopic friction plate 60 arranged on the outermost side (left side) is along the inner side surface (right side surface) of the plate portion 47 of the cam follower 45. The telescopic friction plate 60 arranged on the innermost side (right side) is along the outer side surface (left side surface) of the first side plate 21.

  Each telescopic friction plate 60 is formed with a horizontally elongated groove 61 having substantially the same shape as the horizontally elongated groove 36. The shaft portion 40 </ b> A of the fastening shaft 40 is inserted into the laterally long groove 61 of each telescopic friction plate 60. A plurality of telescopic friction plates 60 are inserted with first fixing pins (not shown), and the plurality of telescopic friction plates 60 are fixed to the third side plate 33 of the movable bracket 19 by the first fixing pins. Yes. The first fixing pin is connected to the third side plate 33 at a position avoiding the vertically long groove 25 of the first side plate 21 and in a non-contact state with the first side plate 21. One first washer 62 is interposed between adjacent telescopic friction plates 60. In this embodiment, three first washers 62 are alternately arranged with respect to four telescopic friction plates 60. Each first washer 62 is formed with a circular hole 63 through which the shaft portion 40A of the fastening shaft 40 is inserted.

  Further, at least one tilt friction plate 64 is disposed between the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46 and the second side plate 22 of the fixed bracket 18. In this embodiment, two tilt friction plates 64 are stacked in the left-right direction Y, and a gap is secured between adjacent tilt friction plates 64. Note that the telescopic friction plate 60 and the tilt friction plate 64 (including related members) are not shown in the drawings other than FIG. 2 for convenience of explanation.

  Each of the tilting friction plates 64 is formed with a vertically long groove 65 having substantially the same shape as the vertically long groove 25. The shaft portion 40 </ b> A of the fastening shaft 40 is inserted into the vertically long groove 65 of each tilting friction plate 64. The plurality of tilting friction plates 64 are inserted with second fixing pins 66 extending rightward from the second side plate 22, and the plurality of tilting friction plates 64 are fixed to the second side plate 22 by the second fixing pins 66. ing. One second washer 67 is interposed between the tilt friction plate 64 and the second side plate 22 or the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46 and between two adjacent friction plates 64 for tilt. Yes. In this embodiment, three second washers 67 are alternately arranged with respect to two tilting friction plates 64. The second washer 67 arranged on the outermost side (right side) is along the inner side surface (left side surface) of the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46. The second washer 67 disposed on the innermost side (left side) is along the outer side surface (right side surface) of the second side plate 22. Each second washer 67 is formed with a circular hole 68 through which the shaft portion 40A of the fastening shaft 40 is inserted.

  In the state in which the column jacket 5 is locked, the cam projections 49 of the cam 44 and the cam follower 45 are opposed to each other in the left-right direction Y as shown in FIG. 2, and the cam follower 45 is separated from the cam 44 to the right. Thereby, the space | interval of the board part 47 of the cam follower 45 and the board part 54 of the press member 46 in the left-right direction Y is narrowing. In this state, the plate portion 47 and the plate portion 54 sandwich the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 of the fixed bracket 18 from the left-right direction Y via the telescopic friction plate 60 and the tilt friction plate 64. Therefore, the first side plate 21 is pressed against the third side plate 33 of the movable bracket 19 from the left side, and the second side plate 22 is pressed against the fourth side plate 34 of the movable bracket 19 from the right side. Then, the inner side surface of the plate portion 47 of the cam follower 45 presses the telescopic friction plate 60 arranged on the outermost side, whereby the telescopic friction plates 60 and the first washer 62 (adjacent) strongly rub against each other. Engage. Further, the inner surface of the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46 presses the tilt friction plate 64 disposed on the outermost side, whereby the tilt friction plate 64 and the (adjacent) second washer 67 rub strongly. Engage. As a result, since the fixed bracket 18 and the movable bracket 19 are pressed against each other so as not to move relative to each other, both the telescopic adjustment and the tilt adjustment described above are prohibited, and the posture of the column jacket 5 is locked.

  A sleeve 70 is connected to the outer periphery of the intermediate portion in the left-right direction Y of the fastening shaft 40 (also the axial direction of the fastening shaft 40) so as to be integrally rotatable by spline fitting. On the outer periphery of the intermediate portion of the sleeve 70 in the left-right direction Y, a pressing portion 71 formed of a cam-like protrusion is provided so as to be integrally rotatable. The pressing portion 71 pushes up the inner jacket 12 through an opening 11 </ b> A provided in the outer jacket 11. Thereby, since the inner jacket 12 is pressed against the outer jacket 11 from the radial direction, the radial play of the inner jacket 12 with respect to the outer jacket 11 is suppressed, and the relative movement of the outer jacket 11 with respect to the inner jacket 12 is suppressed. Is prohibited.

  If the operating lever 43 is operated in this state to rotate the fastening shaft 40 in one direction, the cam projections 49 of the cam 44 and the cam follower 45 do not face each other in the left-right direction Y, unlike the case of FIG. The cam follower 45 is shifted to the left so as to approach the cam 44. Thereby, since the space | interval of the board part 47 of the cam follower 45 and the board part 54 of the press member 46 in the left-right direction Y spreads, the press-contact of the fixed bracket 18 and the movable bracket 19 is cancelled | released. Further, each telescopic friction plate 60 and the first washer 62 adjacent to the left and right are not frictionally engaged, and each friction plate 64 for tilt and the second washer 67 adjacent to the left and right are not frictionally engaged. Accordingly, the fastening shaft 40 inserted through the hollow portions of the cam follower 45 and the pressing member 46 is allowed to move along the longitudinal directions of the longitudinal grooves 25 and the lateral grooves 36 on both the left and right sides. Further, since the sleeve 70 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the fastening shaft 40, the pressing portion 71 is displaced downward and the inner jacket 12 is not pressed against the outer jacket 11. Therefore, the outer jacket 11 is also relatively moved with respect to the inner jacket 12. Permissible. As described above, the lock of the column jacket 5 is released.

  When the fastening shaft 40 moves along the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal groove 25 in a state in which the column jacket 5 is unlocked, the movable bracket 19 and the outer jacket 11 move together with the fastening shaft 40 to move the entire column jacket 5. Tilts. Thereby, the tilt adjustment described above can be performed. When the column jacket 5 is tilted, the longitudinal groove 25 guides the movement of the movable bracket 19 and the outer jacket 11. The longitudinal dimension of the longitudinal groove 25 is within a range in which the column jacket 5 can be tilted.

  Here, as described above, the urging member 30 urges the column jacket 5 upward. As a result, when the column jacket 5 is unlocked, the portion (clamping shaft 40) guided by the longitudinal groove 25 in the movable bracket 19 is the center (strictly the center) of the longitudinal groove 25 in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction). The column jacket 5 can be maintained at a predetermined tilt center position. Each of FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 illustrates the column jacket 5 in the tilt center position. In this case, as soon as the operation lever 43 is operated to unlock the column jacket 5, the column jacket 5 does not tilt downward until the fastening shaft 40 reaches the lower end of the longitudinal groove 25.

  When the fastening shaft 40 moves relative to the movable bracket 19 along the longitudinal direction of the laterally long groove 36 (same as the axial direction X), the fastening shaft 40 is actually stationary and the movable bracket 19 is moved. The outer jacket 11 moves along the longitudinal direction of the laterally long groove 36. As a result, the entire column jacket 5 telescopically enables the telescopic adjustment described above. When the column jacket 5 telescopically, the laterally long groove 36 guides the movement of the movable bracket 19 and the outer jacket 11. The longitudinal dimension of the laterally long groove 36 is within a range where the column jacket 5 can be telescopic.

  In the urging member 30 described above, the fixing portion 31 is fixed to the connecting plate 35 of the movable bracket 19 fixed to the outer jacket 11 that moves with the telescopic operation of the column jacket 5. In the urging member 30, the sliding portion 32 is in contact with the upper surface 29 </ b> A of the facing portion 29 of the fixed bracket 18 from above. 29 slides on the upper surface 29A.

  In this case, the relative relationship between the urging member 30 and the outer jacket 11 is always constant. As an example of the relative relationship, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the tip 7 </ b> A of the upper shaft 7 supported by the outer jacket 11 (where the steering member 2 is connected) and the urging member 30 against the outer jacket 11. The linear distance L in the axial direction X with respect to the location (fixed portion 31) where the urging force is applied is mentioned. FIG. 5A shows a state in which the outer jacket 11 is contracted, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the outer jacket 11 is extended. As can be seen by comparing the respective linear distances L in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the linear distance L is constant regardless of the movement of the outer jacket 11 (extension and contraction of the column jacket 5) accompanying the telescope. is there. Thereby, when the urging member 30 is urging the column jacket 5, the moment acting on the urging member 30 from the outer jacket 11 is caused by the movement of the outer jacket 11 accompanying telescopic (the column jacket 5 in the axial direction X). It is constant regardless of the change in length.

Therefore, regardless of the change in the length of the column jacket 5 in the axial direction X, the column jacket 5 when the lock is released can be stably maintained at the tilt center position.
Here, since the fixing portion 31 of the urging member 30 is directly fixed to the movable bracket 19, the urging force of the urging member 30 is directly applied to the tightening shaft 40 operated for telescopic and tilt adjustment. It does not work. Therefore, since the operation of the tightening shaft 40 (strictly, the operation of the operation lever 43 described above) is less likely to be hindered by the biasing force of the biasing member 30, the operability of the tightening shaft 40 (the operation lever 43). Can be improved. Further, as the operability of the tightening shaft 40 is improved, the operability related to telescopic adjustment and tilt adjustment can be improved. Further, the urging member 30 can be configured simply (simple shape) with a coil spring. Thereby, manufacture of the urging member 30, assembly of the urging member 30 to the steering device 1, and adjustment (tuning) of the magnitude of the urging force generated by the urging member 30 are facilitated.

  When the operation lever 43 is operated to rotate the fastening shaft 40 in the direction opposite to the one direction, the cam protrusions 49 of the cam 44 and the cam follower 45 face each other in the left-right direction Y as shown in FIG. Then, the cam follower 45 moves away from the cam 44 to the right side. This narrows the distance between the plate portion 47 of the cam follower 45 and the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46 in the left-right direction Y, so that the fixed bracket 18 and the movable bracket 19 are pressed against each other, and the posture of the column jacket 5 is locked again.

As described above, the press contact / release member 41 including the cam 44, the cam follower 45, and the pressing member 46 presses the fixed bracket 18 and the movable bracket 19 with each other according to the rotation of the fastening shaft 40, and releases these press contacts. Or
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the ball 80 is provided on the sliding portion 32 of the biasing member 30 and the ball 80 is slid (or rolled) on the facing portion 29 of the fixed bracket 18, thereby causing the sliding portion 32. And the friction between the facing portion 29 is reduced. That is, the ball 80 is a friction reducing member that reduces the friction between the sliding portion 32 and the facing portion 29. When the column jacket 5 is telescopically adjusted, the friction between the sliding portion 32 of the urging member 30 and the facing portion 29 is reduced by the friction reducing member, thereby enabling smooth telescopic adjustment. The operability related to the adjustment can be improved.

As a modification, a friction reducing member other than the ball 80 can be provided on at least one of the sliding portion 32 and the facing portion 29.
For example, the friction reducing member shown in FIG. 6A is a guide plate 81 formed of a material (for example, metal) having a low friction coefficient. The guide plate 81 has a size that just covers the upper surface 29A (see FIG. 3) of the facing portion 29, and is set on the upper surface 29A from above. Further, since the guide plate 81 is provided with the claw 82 that is hooked on the facing portion 29, the position of the guide plate 81 set on the facing portion 29 is fixed. By sliding the sliding portion 32 on the guide plate 81 provided on the facing portion 29, the friction between the sliding portion 32 and the facing portion 29 is reduced, and smooth telescopic adjustment becomes possible.

Instead of providing the guide plate 81, the upper surface 29A of the facing portion 29 and the sliding portion 32 (including the ball 80) may be coated with a material having a low friction coefficient (for example, a lubricant such as fluororesin or grease). .
Further, the friction reducing member shown in FIG. 6B is a linear guide 83 provided on the upper surface 29 </ b> A of the facing portion 29. The linear guide 83 includes a rail 84 that extends linearly along the telescopic direction (the axial direction X described above), and a slider 85 that is connected to the rail 84 so as to straddle from above. The slider 85 can smoothly slide on the rail 84. The sliding portion 32 comes into contact with the slider 85 and slides to the facing portion 29 via the slider 85, so that friction between the sliding portion 32 and the facing portion 29 is reduced and smooth telescopic adjustment is possible. It becomes.

If the friction between the sliding portion 32 and the facing portion 29 is reduced, the sliding portion 32 may be slid directly on the facing portion 29 without providing a friction reducing member.
Further, although the biasing member 30 is a coil spring, a plate spring, a rubber block, or the like can be used as the biasing member 30.
Further, the position of the fastening shaft 40 when the column jacket 5 is at the tilt center position does not necessarily have to be the center in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) of the longitudinal groove 25, and is at an arbitrary position slightly shifted from the center. There may be. In short, it is sufficient if the steering member 2 is easy for the user to operate when the column jacket 5 is at the tilt center position.

Further, the friction plate for tilt 64 and the second washer 67, the friction plate for telescopic 60 and the first washer 62 (see FIG. 2) are omitted, and the plate portion 47 of the cam follower 45 and the plate portion 54 of the pressing member 46 are fixed. The first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 of the bracket 18 may be directly sandwiched.
Next, the steering device 1 to which the gear unit 110 described below is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, members similar to those described so far are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the fixing portion 31 of the urging member 30 is directly fixed to the connecting plate 35 of the movable bracket 19 fixed to the outer jacket 11 (see FIG. 2), the urging member 30 and the outer The relative relationship with the jacket 11 is always constant (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the movement amount (telescopic movement amount) of the outer jacket 11 (in the axial direction X) at the time of telescopic and the movement amount of the urging member 30 are always the same. Thereby, the column jacket 5 when the lock is released can be stably maintained at the tilt center position.

  However, even in this case, a change (deviation) in the lever ratio due to the ratio between the mounting size of the steering device 1 to the vehicle body 100 and the telescopic stroke amount (telescopic movement amount) in the steering device 1, and the tilt center axis 15 ( It is assumed that the column jacket 5 cannot always be disposed at the tilt center position when the lock is released due to the influence of the variation in friction in FIG.

Therefore, in consideration of the change in the lever ratio and the variation in friction described above, the column jacket 5 is attached to the tilt center position at any telescopic position (the position of the outer jacket 11 in the axial direction X). In order to arrange the biasing member 30 at an optimal position, the gear unit 110 may be used in the steering device 1.
Referring to FIG. 7, in relation to the gear unit 110, the lower end portion (region below the longitudinal groove 25) of the inner side surface 21 </ b> A of the first side plate 21 of the fixing bracket 18 extends over the entire region in the axial direction X. A first gear 111 is provided. The first gear 111 is a rack gear extending in the axial direction X. Specifically, the first gear 111 is configured by a plurality of vertically extending rack teeth arranged in the axial direction X.

The gear unit 110 mainly includes a main body 112, a second gear 113 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and a moving member 114 (see FIGS. 8 and 9).
The main body 112 has a thin plate shape in the vertical direction (the same as the plate thickness direction of the facing portion 29 and the connecting plate 35 described above). The main body 112 integrally includes a first portion 112A on the first side plate 21 side (left side) and a second portion 112B on the second side plate 22 side (right side). The first portion 112 </ b> A and the second portion 112 </ b> B have a rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction X in a plan view viewed from the up-down direction.

  The first portion 112A is larger (longer) in the axial direction X than the second portion 112B. Further, a guide hole 115 is formed inside the outline of the first portion 112A in plan view. The guide hole 115 is elongated in the axial direction X and penetrates the first portion 112A in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction). The dimension (width) in the left-right direction Y of the guide hole 115 is slightly larger than the dimension (thickness) in the left-right direction Y at the lower end portion of the first side plate 21.

  Referring to FIG. 8, the second portion 112B is a hollow body. In connection with the hollow portion 116 of the second portion 112B, the first portion 112A is formed with a communication space 117 that extends in the left-right direction Y and connects the guide hole 115 and the hollow portion 116. An opening 118 that exposes a part of the hollow portion 116 downward is formed on the bottom surface of the second portion 112B. The opening 118 extends in the axial direction X (see also FIG. 9). A frustum portion 119 that is tapered upward is integrally provided on the upper surface of the second portion 112B.

  In such a main body 112, the frustum portion 119 on the upper surface of the second portion 112B is coupled to the lower surface 35A of the coupling plate 35 of the movable bracket 19 from below. As a result, the entire gear unit 110 is coupled to the movable bracket 19 and positioned in the axial direction X with respect to the movable bracket 19. Therefore, the entire gear unit 110 can move integrally with the movable bracket 19 in the axial direction X. However, when the frustum portion 119 is guided in the left-right direction Y by a guide rail (not shown) provided on the lower surface 35A, the gear unit 110 moves relative to the movable bracket 19 in the left-right direction Y. I can. In this state where the gear unit 110 is coupled to the movable bracket 19, the lower end portion of the first side plate 21 of the fixed bracket 18 is free to play in the axial direction X with respect to the guide hole 115 in the first portion 112 </ b> A of the main body 112. It is fitted from above. The first gear 111 at the lower end of the first side plate 21 faces the above-described communication space 117 from the left-right direction Y (left side in FIG. 8) in the guide hole 115. Further, the bottom surface of the main body 112 faces the top surface 29 </ b> A of the facing portion 29 of the fixed bracket 18 from above with a gap.

  The second gear 113 is a so-called pinion gear, and its rotation center (also a circle center) extends in the vertical direction. The second gear 113 is disposed in the communication space 117 (including the hollow portion 116). A rotation shaft 120 supported by the main body 112 and extending vertically is inserted through the rotation center of the second gear 113 (see also FIG. 9). Accordingly, the second gear 113 is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 120. In addition, there are two second gears 113 arranged in the left-right direction Y in this embodiment, the second gear 113A on the first gear 111 side (left side), and the side away from the first gear 111 (right side). It is distinguished from the second gear 113B. The left portion of the second gear 113A meshes with the first gear 111, and the right portion of the second gear 113A and the left portion of the second gear 113B mesh with each other.

  Here, with the first gear 111 at the lower end of the first side plate 21 meshing with the second gear 113A, the first side plate 21 in the guide hole 115 has almost no play in the left-right direction Y. On the other hand, as described above, the gear unit 110 is relatively movable in the left-right direction Y with respect to the movable bracket 19. Therefore, as described above, even if the first side plate 21 moves away from the second side plate 22 in the left-right direction Y (left side) in order to unlock the posture of the column jacket 5, the gear unit 110 The second gear 113 </ b> A can move in the direction (left side) approaching the first gear 111 so as to follow the first side plate 21. Therefore, it is possible to always maintain a state in which the first gear 111, the second gear 113, and the third gear 121 (described later) are engaged.

  The moving member 114 is a block-shaped piece that is thin in the vertical direction, and is accommodated in the hollow portion 116 of the second portion 112B with play in the axial direction X. A guide member that guides the movement of the moving member 114 in the axial direction X may be provided in the hollow portion 116. For example, a peripheral edge 118A (see FIG. 9) extending in the axial direction X in the opening 118 may function as the guide member. The lower surface 114A of the moving member 114 is exposed downward from the opening 118 of the second portion 112B and faces the upper surface 29A of the facing portion 29 of the fixing bracket 18 from above. Note that the opening 118 has such a size that the moving member 114 does not fall out of the opening 118. The fixing portion 31 of the biasing member 30 is directly fixed to the lower surface 114A of the moving member 114 by screwing or the like. The biasing member 30 extends downward from the lower surface 114A of the moving member 114, and is in contact with the upper surface 29A of the facing portion 29 from above in the sliding portion 32 (ball 80).

  The first gear 111, the second gear 113 (the second gear 113A and the second gear 113B), and the moving member 114 are arranged in the left-right direction Y, and the second gear 113 is located between the first gear 111 and the moving member 114. The gear 113A and the second gear 113B are positioned as idle gears. Of the two second gears 113, the second gear 113B is adjacent to the moving member 114 from the left side. A third gear 121 is provided over the entire region in the axial direction X on the side surface (left side surface) of the moving member 114 facing the second gear 113B (see also FIG. 9). The third gear 121 is a rack gear extending in the axial direction X. Specifically, the third gear 121 is configured by a plurality of vertically extending rack teeth arranged in the axial direction X. The third gear 121 and the second gear 113B are engaged with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the first gear 111 and the second gear 113A constitute a rack and pinion mechanism, the third gear 121 and the second gear 113B constitute a rack and pinion mechanism, and the second gear 113A and The second gear 113B is engaged. Therefore, when the gear unit 110 moves in the axial direction X together with the movable bracket 19 during telescopic, the second gear 113A rotates while moving relative to the first gear 111 in the axial direction X, and the second gear 113B moves. It rotates in the opposite direction to the second gear 113A. Thereby, the moving member 114 having the second gear 113B moves in the axial direction X within the hollow portion 116 of the second portion 112B. At this time (that is, when telescopic), the moving member 114 is opposed to the upper surface 29A of the facing portion 29 of the fixed bracket 18 from above with the biasing member 30 in the axial direction X with respect to the movable bracket 19. (See also FIG. 8).

  As described above, by using the gear unit 110, the moving member 114 in which the fixing portion 31 of the urging member 30 is fixed to the movable bracket 19 together with the urging member 30 at the time of telescopic adjustment. Can be moved relative to each other. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, the ratio of the moving amount L2 of the urging member 30 to the moving amount (telescopic moving amount) L1 of the outer jacket 11 during telescopic adjustment (in other words, the urging member 30 and the outer jacket). 11 can be variably adjusted (tuned) within a certain range. That is, L1 and L2 are not always made the same (L1 = L2), but L1 and L2 can be made different (L1 <L2, L1> L2) as necessary. In particular, the ratio of L2 to L1 can be set as a target value by arbitrarily setting the gear ratio of the first gear 111, the second gear 113, and the third gear 121. Therefore, in the steering device 1, by the variable adjustment here, it is possible to set the optimum load of the urging member 30 at each telescopic position when the lock is released, and further, the column jacket 5 does not vary, The tilt center position can be maintained with high accuracy.

  The number of second gears 113 can be arbitrarily changed. The moving direction of the moving member 114 can be reversed between the case where the second gear 113 is an odd number (including one) and the case where the second gear 113 is an even number. Incidentally, when there are an even number (two) of second gears 113 as in this embodiment (see FIG. 9), the moving member 114 moves in the direction opposite to that of the movable bracket 19. Further, the ratio of L2 to L1 described above can be finely adjusted by the number of second gears 113.

  Also in the configuration using the gear unit 110, the modification shown in FIG. 6 can be applied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering device, 2 ... Steering member, 4 ... Steering shaft, 5 ... Column jacket, 11 ... Outer jacket, 12 ... Inner jacket, 17 ... Lock / release mechanism, 18 ... Fixed bracket, 19 ... Movable bracket, 25 ... Longitudinal Groove, 29 ... opposing portion, 30 ... urging member, 31 ... fixing portion, 32 ... sliding portion, 36 ... horizontally long groove, 40 ... clamping shaft, 41 ... pressure contact / release member, 80 ... ball, 81 ... guide plate , 83 ... Linear guide, 100 ... Car body, 110 ... Gear unit, 111 ... First gear, 113 ... Second gear, 114 ... Moving member, 121 ... Third gear, X ... Axial direction

Claims (7)

A steering shaft with a steering member attached to one end;
A hollow inner jacket; and a hollow outer jacket through which the inner jacket is inserted and movable relative to the inner jacket in the axial direction of the steering shaft. The steering shaft is accommodated and rotatably supported. A column jacket with adjustable telescopic and tilt,
A lock / release mechanism that locks the posture of the column jacket or releases the lock;
A movable bracket fixed to the outer jacket;
A fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body and formed with a tilt guide groove for guiding the movement of the movable bracket when the column jacket is tilted;
An opposing portion provided on the fixed bracket and facing the movable bracket from below;
A fixed portion fixed to the movable bracket; and a sliding portion that is in contact with the facing portion from above and is slidable on the facing portion along with the telescopic of the column jacket. And a biasing member biasing upward. The movable bracket is formed with a telescopic guide groove for guiding the movement of the outer jacket when the column jacket is telescopic.
The lock / release mechanism is inserted through both the tilt guide groove and the telescopic guide groove, and can be rotated around an axis when operated, and according to the rotation of the tightening shaft, Including a pressure contact / release member that presses the movable bracket and the fixed bracket against each other and releases the pressure contact;
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion of the urging member is directly fixed to the movable bracket. A first gear provided on the fixed bracket;
A moving member that is provided with a second gear that meshes with the first gear and a third gear that meshes with the second gear and is relatively movable in the axial direction with respect to the movable bracket in a state of facing the facing portion from above. And a gear unit coupled to the movable bracket;
Including
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion of the urging member is fixed to the moving member.   The steering apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first gear and the third gear include a rack gear extending in the axial direction, and the second gear includes a pinion gear.   The steering apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the gear unit is movable in a direction in which the second gear approaches the first gear.   The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the biasing member includes a coil spring extending from the fixed portion toward the sliding portion.   The friction reducing member is provided on at least one of the sliding portion and the facing portion of the urging member and reduces friction between the sliding portion and the facing portion. The steering device according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

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