JP2015189259A - Steering column device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering column device capable of stabilizing both of holding force for holding an upper jacket, and impact energy absorbed upon a secondary collision.SOLUTION: A steering column device is provided with an installation bracket 2 which has a pair of installation side walls 21 oppositely disposed, a lower jacket 31L supported between the pair of the installation side wall 21, an upper jacket 31U which has a supporting wall 61 extended in parallel with a lower vertical wall 32, interval member 73 disposed between the pair of the lower vertical wall 32 and the supporting wall 61; and a lock bolt 71 penetrating the pair of the installation side wall 21, a pair of the lower vertical walls 32; and a separation slit 62. While the lock bolt 71 is fastened in, when a load in a telescopic direction which is a set value or more is applied on the upper jacket 31U, the upper jacket 31U is moved to the lower jacket 31L in the telescopic direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column device that can reduce an impact load that a driver receives during a secondary collision.

  As this type of steering column device, a lower jacket supported on a mounting bracket provided on the vehicle body side so as to be swingable in the vertical direction around a tilt axis, and an upper slidably fitted in the lower jacket so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Patent Documents 1 and 2 include a jacket and a lock mechanism that locks the lower jacket with respect to the mounting jacket at a desired tilt position and locks the upper jacket with respect to the lower jacket at a desired telescopic position. Proposed.

  In the steering column device 101 of Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper jacket 111 is disposed inside the lower jacket 112, and between a pair of side walls (not shown) of the mounting bracket (not shown). A lower jacket 112 is disposed. Then, by rotating a lock bolt (not shown) penetrating the mounting bracket and the lower jacket 112, the distance between the pair of side walls is reduced to press the pair of side walls and the lower jacket 112, and the lower jacket 112 is The diameter is reduced, and the upper jacket 111 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the lower jacket 112 to hold the upper jacket 111 at a desired telescopic position. Further, an impact absorbing portion 116 is provided between the upper jacket 111 and the lower jacket 112, and the impact absorbing portion 116 is moved while the upper jacket 111 slides in the axial direction of the lower jacket 112 at the time of a secondary collision. Deforms and absorbs impact energy.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the steering column device 201 of Patent Document 2 is provided with an impact absorbing portion 211 having both a function of adjusting the telescopic position and a function of absorbing impact energy. The shock absorbing portion 211 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame member by bending a strip-shaped metal piece 212 in the thickness direction. A rectangular hole in the frame is set as a telescopic elongated hole 213, and a lock bolt 214 is inserted therethrough. When adjusting the telescopic position, the lock bolt 214 moves in the telescopic elongated hole 213 in the longitudinal direction. Further, at the time of a secondary collision, the lock bolt 214 moves in the telescopic elongated hole 213, and further, the metal piece 212 is expanded while being plastically deformed, thereby absorbing impact energy.

International Publication No. 2008/083811 JP 2012-40949 A

  By the way, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the holding force for holding the upper jacket 111 at a desired telescopic position is increased, the contraction load in the telescopic direction is increased, so that the secondary collision absorbed by the entire apparatus. It has the problem of affecting the impact energy of time.

  In the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the impact energy due to the secondary collision is input to the upper jacket, the impact energy is reduced while the upper jacket is moving within the telescopic adjustment range. It is not absorbed and the impact energy is absorbed after the telescopic adjustment range is exceeded.

  In such a configuration, there is a problem that it is difficult to secure a telescopic adjustment range and a stroke for absorbing impact energy because the space in the vehicle is limited.

  Further, during the movement of the upper jacket in the axial direction, the contraction load increases rapidly, and there is a possibility that the impact acts on the occupant.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering column device that can achieve both the stability of the holding force for holding the upper jacket and the stability of the impact energy absorbed during the secondary collision.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting bracket having a pair of mounting side walls fixed to the vehicle body side and extending along the vertical direction, and a pair of lowers disposed to face the mounting side walls in parallel. A lower jacket having a vertical wall and supported between the pair of mounting side walls so as to be swingable with respect to a tilt direction along a vehicle vertical direction about a tilt axis set on the vehicle body side; and An upper jacket having a support wall extending in parallel with the wall and arranged to be movable between the pair of lower vertical walls in a telescopic direction along the axial direction of the steering shaft; and the pair of lower vertical walls A spacing member disposed between the wall and the support wall, a tilt long hole formed in the pair of mounting side walls, a through hole formed in the pair of lower vertical walls, and a telescopic formed in the support wall Telesco slot extending along the direction The lock mechanism having a lock bolt penetrating through and the telescopic elongated hole are formed longer on the vehicle rear side than the predetermined telescopic adjustment range, and restrict the lock bolt within the telescopic adjustment range when adjusting the telescopic position. Restricting means, and the lock mechanism tightens the pair of mounting side walls so that the distance between the pair of mounting side walls is narrowed, and the pair of lower vertical walls are pressed against and fixed between the pair of lower vertical walls. The support wall is pressed and fixed via the spacing member and the restricting means, and the restricting means is in a locked state in which the lock mechanism tightens the pair of attachment side walls, and is not less than a set value with respect to the upper jacket. When the load in the telescopic direction is applied, the upper jacket is separated from the support wall, and the upper jacket is telescopic with respect to the lower jacket and the regulating means. It is characterized in that the movable beyond the adjustment range to the vehicle front side of the telescopic direction.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the steering column device according to claim 1, wherein the restricting means is fixed to the support wall via the support means, and the lock bolt penetrates along the telescopic direction. Fastening force improving means comprising a moving side member having a telescopic elongated hole for setting a telescopic adjustment range and a fixed side member provided on the lock bolt so as to face the moving side member. When the lock mechanism is in a locked state in which the pair of mounting side walls are tightened and a load in the telescopic direction equal to or greater than a set value is applied to the upper jacket, the support means separates and the fastening force When the improvement means is detached from the support wall, the upper jacket can move in the forward direction of the vehicle along the telescopic elongated hole with respect to the lower jacket.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the steering column device according to the second aspect, wherein the support means includes a shear pin that connects the support wall and the moving side member, and a load equal to or higher than a set value is applied to the upper jacket. When this occurs, the shear pin breaks and separates.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the steering column device according to the second or third aspect, wherein the fastening force improving means includes the moving side member made of a substantially rectangular thin plate and a substantially rectangular thin plate. The stationary side member is composed of at least one set alternately arranged in order of the stationary side member and the moving side member from the support wall, and the static friction generated between the stationary side member and the moving side member The force is set to be larger than the load resistance of the support means.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is the steering column apparatus according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the fastening force improving means is provided on the moving side member constituting the fastening force improving means. It is characterized by comprising an impact absorbing member capable of absorbing impact energy acting on the upper jacket by engaging and plastically deforming a portion that moves together with the upper jacket when it is detached from the support wall.

  In the first aspect of the invention, the lock mechanism tightens the pair of mounting side walls of the mounting bracket, thereby pressing the mounting side wall of the mounting bracket, the lower vertical wall of the lower jacket, and the support wall of the upper jacket in the lock bolt axial direction. Therefore, the variation in the tightening amount for tightening the pair of attachment side walls can be reduced, so that the holding force for holding the upper jacket can be stabilized.

  In the invention of claim 2, the fastening strength improving means is arranged between the support wall and the spacing member, whereby the fastening strength of the upper jacket in the telescopic direction can be improved and the size of the device in the lock bolt axial direction can be increased. The fastening force improving means can be arranged without any problem.

  Further, since the fastening force improving means is detached from the support wall at the time of the secondary collision, the energy absorption load when the upper jacket moves in the telescopic direction with respect to the fastening force can be reduced.

  In the invention of claim 3, since the supporting means comprises a shear pin that connects the supporting wall and the moving side member, the separation load can be stabilized, and the supporting means can be provided without making the entire apparatus complicated. It can be arranged compactly.

  In the invention of claim 4, by using the friction plate as the fastening force improving means, the fastening strength of the upper jacket in the telescopic direction can be improved.

  Moreover, since it is the structure which arrange | positions a friction board between a space | interval member and a support wall, a friction board can be arrange | positioned, without increasing the dimension of the apparatus in a lock bolt axial direction. In addition, the number of sets of friction plates can be increased without changing the overall dimensions of the device in the lock bolt axis direction, and the fastening strength in the telescopic direction can be easily adjusted, further improving the fastening strength in the telescopic direction. be able to. Even in this case, the energy absorption load does not increase because the fastening force improving means is detached from the support wall and moves between the support wall and the fastening force improving means.

  In the invention of claim 5, since the impact-absorbing member that engages with the portion that moves together with the upper jacket and is plastically deformed is provided on the moving side member that constitutes the fastening force improving means, the setting of the impact absorbing load can be easily changed. In addition, the impact absorbing means can be arranged in a compact manner.

1 is a perspective view of a steering column device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the steering column device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a steering column device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of an absorption friction board which shows another mode of a 1st embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded plan view of a lock mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an upper jacket according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of a movement side tooth part which shows a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which showed 2nd Embodiment of this invention and followed the VIII-VIII line of FIG. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention and shows a fixed side tooth | gear part, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view. FIG. 10 shows a second embodiment of the present invention and is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention and shows the meshing state of a fixed side tooth | gear part and a movable side tooth part. It is sectional drawing which shows the 1st prior art example of a steering column apparatus. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of an impact absorbing portion, showing a second conventional example of a steering column device.

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

<First Embodiment>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the steering column apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a mounting bracket 2 that supports the apparatus on a vehicle body (not shown), a jacket 3 that is supported by the mounting bracket 2, A steering shaft 11 having a steering wheel (not shown) fixed to the upper end in the axial direction is rotatably supported by the jacket 3.

  In addition, the steering column device 1 of the present embodiment includes a tilt adjusting unit 5 for moving and setting the steering wheel to a position desired by the driver in the tilt direction (the vehicle vertical direction, the vertical direction in FIG. 2), and the steering wheel. And a lock mechanism 7 for holding the steering wheel at the position where the driver has moved. .

  The mounting bracket 2 extends in parallel along the vehicle front-rear direction, and includes a pair of mounting side walls 21 that hang downward and a mounting top plate portion 22 that connects the upper edges of the pair of mounting side walls 21. It is formed in a substantially U shape when viewed from the rear. Further, the mounting top plate portion 22 is fixed to the vehicle body by a bolt (not shown) or the like through a flat mounting member 23. Further, a tilt shaft 24 is set along the vehicle left-right direction at the vehicle front side (lower right side in FIG. 1, upper left side in FIG. 2) ends of both mounting side walls 21 to support a lower jacket 31L described later. ing.

  The jacket 3 includes a lower jacket 31L positioned on the vehicle front side and an upper jacket 31U positioned on the vehicle rear side.

  The lower jacket 31L is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section by a pair of lower vertical walls 32 arranged oppositely in parallel with the mounting side wall 21 and a lower top plate portion 33 connecting the upper edges of the pair of lower vertical walls 32. Has been. A vehicle front side end portion of the lower vertical wall 32 is supported on a vehicle front side end portion of the pair of mounting side walls 21 by a tilt shaft 24. As a result, the lower jacket 31L is disposed between the pair of mounting side walls 21 so as to be swingable along the tilt direction about the tilt shaft 24. A shaft hanging portion 34 that hangs downward is formed at the vehicle front side end portion of the lower top plate portion 33 so as to be orthogonal to the axial direction of the steering shaft 11. A bearing (not shown) is disposed in the shaft hanging portion 34, and the lower jacket 31 </ b> L supports the steering shaft 11 so that the steering shaft 11 can rotate freely. The lower jacket 31L is provided with guide members 35A integrally with the inner surfaces of the lower vertical walls 32 by welding or the like.

  The guide member 35A has a prismatic shape with a substantially right-angled cross section, and the inclined surface facing the upper jacket 31U is set on the guide surface 36A, and is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to contact the upper jacket 31U from obliquely below. In this state, the other surface is fixed to the inner surface of the lower vertical wall 32 along the telescopic direction. When the pair of mounting side walls 21 are tightened by a lock mechanism 7 having a lock bolt 71 to be described later, the distance between the pair of mounting side walls 21 is narrowed, so that the lower vertical wall 32 is narrowed, and the upper jacket 31U is guided by the guide surface 36A. Is pushed upward, and the upper jacket 31U is pressed against the lower top plate portion 33. As a result, the backlash between the upper jacket 31U and the lower jacket 31L is eliminated.

  The upper jacket 31U has a substantially rectangular tube shape with a substantially octagonal cross section, and includes a bearing (not shown) in the tube. The steering shaft 11 passes through the bearing so that the steering shaft 11 is rotatably supported. doing. The upper jacket 31U is disposed so as to be movable in the telescopic direction with respect to the lower jacket 31L.

  The steering shaft 11 includes a lower shaft 11L disposed on the vehicle front side and supported by the lower jacket 31L, and an upper shaft 11U disposed on the vehicle rear side and supported by the upper jacket 31U. Further, the lower side shaft 11L and the upper side shaft 11U are spline-fitted so as to be contractible in the axial direction and so as to be integrally rotatable in the direction around the axis.

  The tilt adjustment unit 5 is set between the mounting bracket 2 and the lower jacket 31L. Both the mounting side walls 21 constituting the mounting bracket 2 are provided with a tilt long hole 51 that is formed by an arc-shaped long hole that passes through the mounting side wall 21 and that is centered on the tilt shaft 24. Further, the lower vertical walls 32 constituting the lower jacket 31L are provided with lower through-holes 52 each formed of a round hole through which a lock bolt 71 described later passes. Then, the lock bolt 71 passes through the tilt long hole 51 and the lower through hole 52, and the lock bolt 71 moves in the tilt long hole 51, so that the vehicle rear side of the lower jacket 31L is centered on the tilt shaft 24. It swings in the tilt direction within the range of the dimension of the tilt long hole 51.

  The telescopic adjustment unit 6 is set between the lower jacket 31L and the upper jacket 31U. In the upper jacket 31U, a support wall 61 extends in the center of the lower surface in parallel with the lower vertical wall 32 and along the telescopic direction. Further, the support wall 61 is provided with a detaching slit 62 as a telescopic elongated hole that extends along the telescopic direction and is open at the vehicle rear side end. And since the lock bolt 71 penetrates the lower through-hole 52 which comprises the lower jacket 31L, and is being fixed with respect to the telescopic direction, the separation slit 62 and fastening force improvement means (friction plate) 74A described later. The upper jacket 31U moves in the telescopic direction within the range of the dimension of the telescopic long hole 74d with respect to the lock bolt 71 penetrating the telescopic long hole 74d.

  The lock mechanism 7 includes a lock cam 72 disposed on the shaft of the lock bolt 71, a spacing member 73, and a friction plate (fastening force improving means) 74A.

  The lock bolt 71 is provided with a round bar-shaped shaft portion 71a, a flange-shaped head portion 71b at one end, and a male screw portion 71c at the other end. As shown in FIG. 3, the lock bolt 71 has a lock cam 72 and an operation lever 71d inserted into a male thread 71c penetrating the mounting bracket 2, the lower jacket 31L, and the support wall 61 from the right side of the figure, and a lock nut 71e. Is screwed.

  The lock cam 72 is composed of a rotation side cam 72a and a fixed cam 72b that are arranged to face each other. The rotation-side cam 72a is disposed integrally with the operation lever 71d, and rotates around the axis of the lock bolt 71 together with the operation lever 71d. Further, the fixed cam 72b is fitted in the tilt long hole 51 so as to be movable in the tilt long hole 51, and the rotation of the lock bolt 71 around the axis is restricted.

  The spacing member 73 has a cylindrical shape, and is disposed between the lower vertical walls 32 and the support wall 61 in a state where the lock bolt 71 passes through the cylinder. Further, a friction plate (fastening force) comprising a plurality of sets of fixed friction plates (fixed side members) 74a and moving friction plates (moving side members) 74b through which the lock bolts 71 pass is provided between the spacing members 73 and the support wall 61. (Improvement means) 74A are stacked and arranged. Further, a damper member 75 is inserted between the two spacing members 73 of the lock bolt 71, that is, in a portion of the lock bolt 71 that penetrates both the friction plates 74 </ b> A and the support wall 61.

  The fixed friction plate 74a is a flat washer-like thin plate having a substantially square shape with a friction through hole (through hole) 74c formed in the center.

  The moving friction plate 74b is formed of a substantially rectangular thin plate, and a telescopic elongated hole 74d having the same width as the separation slit 62 is opened along the longitudinal direction. The moving friction plate 74b is pivotally supported so as to be movable in the thickness direction in a state where the shear pin 81A passes through a pin hole 74e provided at the front end portion thereof and is stacked on the support wall 61. The fixed friction plates 74a and the moving friction plates 74b are alternately stacked in the order of the fixed friction plates 74a and the moving friction plates 74b from the support wall 61.

  The damper member 75 is made of a synthetic resin cylindrical member having an outer dimension capable of moving in the telescopic elongated hole 74d, and prevents the lock bolt 71 from directly colliding with the inner surface of the telescopic elongated hole 74d and the separation slit 62. , To prevent the generation of metal sound due to collision.

  The lock mechanism 7 rotates the operation lever 71d to the lock position (lock operation), so that the rotation side cam 72a and the fixed cam 72b are convexly and convexly engaged, and the fixed cam 72b and the lock bolt 71 are engaged. Since the space between the heads 71b is narrowed, the pair of mounting side walls 21 of the mounting bracket 2 are tightened in the direction approaching each other, so that the space between the mounting bracket 2 and the lower jacket 31L and between the lower jacket 31L and the upper jacket 31U are reduced. A pressure contact force is applied between them to fix the lower jacket 31L and the upper jacket 31U to the mounting bracket 2 (in a locked state).

  The support means 81 is set between the upper jacket 31U and the lower jacket 31L, and normally restricts the upper jacket 31U from moving in the telescopic direction with respect to the lower jacket 31L. Further, when a load (impact energy) exceeding a set value is applied to the upper jacket 31U in the telescopic direction due to a secondary collision or the like, the support means 81 is applied to the lower jacket 31L in the telescopic direction of the upper jacket 31U. Allow movement to.

  In the present embodiment, the support unit 81 includes a first support unit and a second support unit. As the first support means, a static friction force by a static friction coefficient acting between the fixed friction plate 74a facing the support wall 61 in the locked state and the support wall 61 functions. Further, the shear pin 81A functions as the second support means. That is, the shear pin 81A shears when a load (collision energy) greater than a set value is applied in the telescopic direction, and allows the upper jacket 31U to move in the telescopic direction with respect to the lower jacket 31L.

  The impact absorbing means absorbs impact energy applied to the upper jacket 31U when the upper jacket 31U moves in the telescopic direction.

  As the impact absorbing means, when the upper jacket 31U moves to the front side of the vehicle in the telescopic direction, a dynamic friction force by a dynamic friction coefficient acting between the fixed friction plate 74a facing the support wall 61 and the support wall 61 functions. Absorb energy.

  In this embodiment, the dynamic friction force acting between the fixed friction plate 74a and the support wall 61 functions as the impact absorbing means. However, fluororesin is used on the mating surface of the fixed friction plate 74a and the support wall 61. It is good also as a structure which performs the process which reduces friction coefficients, such as apply | coating, and makes the influence by friction force small.

  With the above configuration, when the operation lever 71d is unlocked, the crest of the rotation side cam 72a enters the cam trough of the fixed cam 72b and engages with the concave and convex portions, and the lock cam 72 is in the axial direction of the lock bolt 71. The dimension of becomes smaller. And the space | interval of a pair of attachment side wall 21 spreads because the dimension of the axial direction of the lock bolt 71 of the lock cam 72 becomes small. As a result, the press-fixing of the mounting side wall 21 and the lower vertical wall 32 is released, and the position of the jacket 3 (lower jacket 31L) in the tilt direction can be adjusted, and the support wall 61 and the lower vertical wall 32 are pressed and fixed. Is released, and the position of the upper jacket 31U in the telescopic direction can be adjusted (unlocked state).

  When the operation lever 71d is locked, the cam crest of the rotating cam 72a rides on the cam crest of the fixed cam 72b and is convex and convex, and the lock cam 72 is in the axial direction of the lock bolt 71. The dimension of becomes larger. Then, as the axial dimension of the lock bolt 71 of the lock cam 72 increases, the lock bolt 71 is tightened so as to be pulled to the left in FIG. As a result, the distance between the pair of mounting side walls 21 is reduced, the mounting side wall 21 and the lower vertical wall 32 are pressed and fixed, and both the spacing members 73 hold the support wall 61 via the friction plates 74A, thereby supporting the support wall. 61 is pressed against the lower vertical wall 32 (locked state).

  With respect to the upper jacket 31U in a locked state (a state in which the lock mechanism 7 tightens the pair of mounting side walls 21), a set value (withstand load of the shear pin 81A, the fixed friction plate 74a, and the support is supported in the telescopic direction by a secondary collision. When a load (collision energy) greater than or equal to the value of the static frictional force acting between the walls 61 is applied, the shear pin 81A shears and the upper jacket 31U moves in the telescopic direction relative to the lower jacket 31L. To do. Since the telescopic holding force by the friction plate 74A is set to be larger than this set value, the friction plate 74A is detached from the support wall 61 while being held on the lock bolt 71 and does not move in the telescopic direction. . The upper jacket 31U absorbs the collision energy by the dynamic friction force acting between the fixed friction plate 74a and the support wall 61 while moving in the telescopic direction.

  In the above configuration, in the locked state, since the mounting side wall 21 of the mounting bracket 2, the lower vertical wall 32 of the lower jacket 31L, and the support wall 61 of the upper jacket 31U are pressed and locked in the lock bolt axial direction, The variation in the tightening amount for tightening the pair of attachment side walls 21 can be reduced, and the operation force for operating the operation lever 71d can be stabilized. Further, since the surface orthogonal to the lock bolt 71 is tightened, the holding force for holding the upper jacket 31U can be stabilized.

  Furthermore, since the lower jacket 31L and the upper jacket 31U are locked against the mounting bracket 2 by being pressed in the lock bolt axial direction, the backlash between the upper jacket 31U and the lower jacket 31L can be eliminated, The fastening strength in the tilt direction and the telescopic direction can be improved and stabilized.

  When the lock mechanism 7 tightens the pair of attachment side walls 21, the guide member 35A and the upper jacket 31U are pushed up, and the upper jacket 31U is pressed against the lower top plate portion 33, so that the upper jacket 31U and the lower jacket 31L It is possible to eliminate the gap between the upper jacket 31U and the lower jacket 31L.

  Since the guide member 35A is provided integrally with the lower vertical wall 32, the guide member 35A functions as a rail for guiding the upper jacket 31U in the telescopic direction, so that the sliding property in the telescopic direction can be improved and at the time of locking. The backlash between the upper jacket 31U and the lower jacket 31L can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, by using the friction plate 74A, the fastening strength of the upper jacket 31U in the telescopic direction can be improved as compared with the configuration in which the support wall 61 is directly held by the pair of spacing members 73. Also in this case, since the friction plate 74A is integrally detached from the support wall 61, the energy absorption load when the upper jacket 31U moves in the telescopic direction does not change during the secondary collision.

  Since the friction plate 74A is disposed between the spacing member 73 and the support wall 61, the friction plate 74A can be mounted without increasing the size of the device in the lock bolt axial direction (the distance between the pair of mounting side walls 21). Can be placed. Further, the number of sets of friction plates 74A can be increased while maintaining the overall dimensions of the device in the lock bolt axial direction, and the fastening strength in the telescopic direction can be easily adjusted, further improving the fastening strength in the telescopic direction. Can be made.

  In addition, since the support means 81 includes the shear pin 81A that connects the moving friction plate 74b and the support wall 61, the support means 81 and the shock absorbing means are arranged in a compact manner without complicating the whole apparatus or increasing the size. be able to.

  Since the friction plate 74A does not move at the time of the secondary collision, the load due to the telescopic elongated hole 74d hitting the lock bolt 71 does not increase, so that the impact energy to be absorbed can be stabilized.

<Another aspect of the first embodiment>
In another aspect of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the configuration of the second shock absorbing means is added as the shock absorbing means as compared with the first embodiment described above. Other configurations are basically the same as those of the first embodiment described above. In addition, in this aspect, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure similar to 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The second shock absorbing means 82A ′ of this aspect is constituted by a guide column 63 disposed close to the support wall 61 and an absorbing friction plate 76 replaced with one of the moving friction plates 74b.

  The guide pillar 63 extends downward from the lower surface of the upper jacket 31U along the surface of the support wall 61 opposite to the surface on which the absorbing friction plate 76 is disposed.

  The absorbing friction plate 76 includes a friction portion 76a having the function of the moving friction plate 74b and an energy absorbing portion 76b that absorbs impact energy. The friction portion 76a has a long hole 76c similar to the telescopic long hole 74d of the moving friction plate 74b and a pin hole 76d similar to the pin hole 74e. The energy absorbing portion 76b is made of a plate-like member having one end extending from the front end of the friction portion 76a, and is formed in a substantially U shape. The energy absorbing portion 76b has the U-shaped bottom portion 76e in contact with the front end portion 61a of the support wall 61, the support wall 61 is positioned in the U-shape, and the other end side of the energy absorbing portion 76b is the support wall. One of the moving friction plates 74b is replaced so as to be positioned between 61 and the guide pillar 63.

  With the above configuration, when the support wall 61 moves in the telescopic direction due to the secondary collision, the front end portion 61a of the support wall 61 continuously bends and stretches the energy absorbing portion 76b while hitting the bottom portion 76e. Absorbs impact energy.

  In the above configuration, in addition to the operational effects obtained in the first embodiment described above, one of the moving friction plates 74b is replaced with the absorption friction plate 76, and the guide pillar 63 is provided, so that the impact is achieved. The setting of the absorption load can be easily changed, and the second shock absorbing means 82A 'can be arranged compactly.

  In the first embodiment, the separation slit 62 is formed as a closed long hole. However, as another aspect, a shape in which an end portion on the vehicle rear side is opened may be used. Further, in another aspect of the first embodiment, the energy absorbing portion 76b is provided in the moving friction plate 74b. However, the energy absorbing portion may be provided in the fixed friction plate 74a. In this case, the energy absorbing portion is configured to abut against the support wall at a position beyond the telescopic range and to be plastically deformed.

Second Embodiment
The steering column device of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 12 differs from the first embodiment described above in the configuration of the fastening force improving means 74B and the configuration of the support means 81. Other configurations are basically the same as those of the first embodiment described above. Note that in the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the fastening force improving means 74 </ b> B of the present embodiment is disposed between the support wall 61 and the spacing member 73, and includes a rack plate (moving side member) 92 and a meshing piece (fixed side member). ) 96 and the meshing member 91.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rack plate 92 includes a rack body portion 93, a holding plate 94, and a shear pin 95.

  The rack body portion 93 is made of a plate-shaped resin material having a substantially rectangular shape, and a telescopic elongated hole 93 b having a length dimension equivalent to the telescopic movement dimension of the upper jacket 31 </ b> U is inserted into the support wall 61. It is provided to face the separation slit 62. The rack body 93 has a plurality of tooth-like protrusions extending in the vehicle vertical direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the jacket 3 on the surface side thereof, and the moving-side teeth arranged in a rack shape along the telescopic direction. The portions 93a are arranged in parallel with the telescopic elongated hole 93b interposed therebetween.

  The holding plate 94 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a telescopic elongated hole 93 b that is the same as the rack body 93 is opened. In addition, at the four corners of the holding plate 94, holding plate-side connection holes 94a into which the distal end portions of the shear pins 95 are inserted are opened.

  The share pins 95 constitute the support means 81 of the present embodiment, and are integrally formed with the rack main body 93 at the four corners on the back side of the rack main body 93 by the same resin material as the rack main body 93. Each shear pin 95 is inserted into a holding plate side connecting hole 94 a provided in the holding plate 94 while passing through a separation hole 62 a formed of a through hole opening in the support wall 61. Thereby, the rack plate 92 is installed on the support wall 61.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the meshing piece 96 is provided with a piece through hole (through hole) 96 a through which the rack main body 93 and the lock bolt 71 are rotatably inserted around the axis. Further, on the surface side of the engagement piece 96, a fixed-side tooth portion 96b in which a plurality of tooth-like protrusions are arranged in a rack shape so as to be able to engage with the moving-side tooth portion 93a is formed. The engagement piece 96 is mounted between the rack main body 93 on the support wall 61 and the spacing member 73 so that the fixed side tooth 96b faces the moving side tooth 93a of the rack main body 93. . Further, the meshing piece 96 is provided with a pair of spring members 96 d having an arm portion 96 c that protrudes toward the support wall 61 and has a tip abutting against the support wall 61. The pair of spring members 96d urge the engagement piece 96 away from the rack plate 92.

  With the above configuration, when the operation lever 71d is locked, as shown in FIG. 11, the distance between the pair of mounting side walls 21 is narrowed, the mounting side wall 21 and the lower vertical wall 32 are pressed and fixed, and the meshing piece 96 is Both spacing members 73 sandwich the support wall 61 via the fastening force improving means 74B engaged with the rack plate 92, and the support wall 61 is pressed and fixed to the lower vertical wall 32. Thereby, the movement of the steering shaft 11 and the jacket 3 in the vertical direction (tilt) and the axial direction (telescopic) is restricted.

  Further, when the operation lever 71d is unlocked, the distance between the pair of mounting side walls 21 is widened, the press-fixing of the mounting side wall 21 and the lower vertical wall 32 is released, and the meshing piece 96 and the rack plate 92 are meshed. Is released, and the engagement piece 96 is urged away from the rack plate 92 by the spring force of the pair of spring members 96d. Thereby, the movement restriction | limiting of the up-down direction (tilt direction) and the axial direction (telescopic direction) of the steering shaft 11 and the jacket 3 is cancelled | released.

  With respect to the upper jacket 31U in a locked state (a state in which the lock mechanism 7 tightens the pair of mounting side walls 21), a set value (load resistance of the shear pin 95, the rack plate 92, and the support wall is set in the telescopic direction by a secondary collision. When a load (collision energy) equal to or greater than the value of the static frictional force acting between 61 and 61 is applied, the shear pin 95 shears and the upper jacket 31U moves in the telescopic direction with respect to the lower jacket 31L. . Note that, similarly to the first embodiment, the telescopic holding force by the lock mechanism 7 is set to be larger than this set value, so that the friction plate 74A is held on the lock bolt 71 while the support wall 61 is being held. Leaves and does not move in the telescopic direction. As in the first embodiment, the upper jacket 31U absorbs the collision energy by the dynamic friction force acting between the rack plate 92 serving as the impact absorbing means and the support wall 61 while moving in the telescopic direction.

  In the above configuration, in addition to the operational effects obtained in the first embodiment described above, the support means 81 includes the shear pin 95 that connects the rack body portion 93 and the support wall 61, thereby complicating the entire apparatus or increasing the size. The supporting means 81 and the shock absorbing means 82 can be arranged in a compact manner without being changed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering column apparatus 2 ... Mounting bracket 7 ... Locking mechanism 11 ... Steering shaft 21 ... Mounting side wall 24 ... Tilt shaft 31L ... Lower jacket 31U ... Upper jacket 32 ... Lower vertical wall 61 ... Support wall 62 ... Separation slit (telescopic long hole) )
71 ... Rock bolt 73 ... Spacing member 74A, 74B ... Fastening force improving means 74a ... Fixed friction plate (fixed side member)
74b ... Moving friction plate (moving side member)
74c ... Friction through hole (through hole)
74d ... Telescopic slot 76 ... Absorbing friction plate (impact absorbing means)
81A ... Shear pin (support means)
82A ... Ripping plate (impact absorbing means)
93b ... Telescopic slot 95 ... Shear pin (supporting means)
96a ... Piece through hole (through hole)

Claims (5)

A mounting bracket having a pair of mounting side walls which are fixed to the vehicle body side and extended along the vertical direction, and arranged to face each other;
There is a pair of lower vertical walls disposed in parallel to the mounting side wall, and the pair of mounting side walls swings with respect to a tilt direction along the vehicle vertical direction about a tilt axis set on the vehicle body side. A lower jacket supported movably,
An upper jacket having a support wall extending in parallel with the lower vertical wall and being movable between the pair of lower vertical walls in a telescopic direction along the axial direction of the steering shaft;
A spacing member disposed between the pair of lower vertical walls and the support wall;
A lock penetrating through a tilt elongated hole formed in the pair of attachment side walls, a through hole formed in the pair of lower vertical walls, and a telescopic elongated hole formed in the telescopic direction formed in the support wall. A locking mechanism having a bolt;
The telescopic elongated hole is formed longer on the vehicle rear side than a predetermined telescopic adjustment range, and includes a regulating means for regulating the lock bolt within the telescopic adjustment range at the time of telescopic position adjustment.
When the locking mechanism tightens the pair of mounting side walls, the distance between the pair of mounting side walls is narrowed, and the pair of lower vertical walls are press-fixed and fixed between the pair of lower vertical walls. The support wall is pressure-fixed via a regulating means,
The restricting means is separated from the support wall when the lock mechanism is locked with the pair of mounting side walls tightened and a load in a telescopic direction equal to or greater than a set value is applied to the upper jacket. A steering column device, wherein the upper jacket can move to the vehicle front side in the telescopic direction beyond the telescopic adjustment range with respect to the lower jacket and the regulating means. The steering column device according to claim 1,
The regulating means is
A moving side member having a telescopic elongated hole that is fixed to the supporting wall via a supporting means, and the lock bolt penetrates along the telescopic direction to set a telescopic adjustment range;
Fastening force improving means comprising a fixed side member provided on the lock bolt so as to face the moving side member,
When the lock mechanism is in a locked state in which the pair of mounting side walls are tightened, a load in the telescopic direction greater than a set value is applied to the upper jacket. Detaching from the support wall allows the upper jacket to move forward in the direction of the vehicle along the telescopic slot with respect to the lower jacket. A steering column device according to claim 2,
The support means comprises a shear pin that connects the support wall and the moving side member,
A steering column device, wherein when a load equal to or higher than a set value is applied to the upper jacket, the shear pin breaks and separates. A steering column device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein
The fastening force improving means includes
The moving side member made of a substantially rectangular thin plate and the fixed side member made of a substantially rectangular thin plate are alternately stacked in the order of the fixed side member and the moving side member from the support wall. And
A steering column device, wherein a static frictional force generated between the fixed side member and the moving side member is set to be larger than a load resistance of the support means. The steering column device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The moving-side member constituting the fastening force improving means engages with a portion that moves together with the upper jacket when the fastening force improving means is detached from the support wall, and is plastically deformed. A steering column device comprising an impact absorbing member capable of absorbing impact energy acting on the vehicle.