JP2019147537A - Steering column device and method of manufacturing steering column device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a steering column device and a method of manufacturing the steering column device which facilitate assembling of a stopper.SOLUTION: A steering column device comprises: a column shaft that can axially telescope; and a column jacket having a cylindrical lower jacket 16 supported by a vehicle body, the column jacket also having a cylindrical upper jacket 14 inserted into a rear end portion of the lower jacket 16, a front end portion 112 being inserted first, so that the upper jacket can axially move relative to the lower jacket 16. At an inner periphery of the lower jacket 16, there is formed a groove portion 111 extending axially. A stopper 17 includes: an insertion portion 121 inserted into the groove portion 111; and a fitting portion 122 which protrudes radially inward of the lower jacket 16 from the groove portion 111, and which can be fitted to the front end portion 112 of the upper jacket 14 using recesses and protrusions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column device and a method for manufacturing a steering column device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a steering column device that has a telescopic adjustment function that adjusts the front-rear position (telescopic position) of a steering wheel in accordance with the physique of a driver.
For example, in a steering column device described in Patent Document 1, a steering wheel is fixed and a column shaft that can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction, a cylindrical lower jacket supported by a vehicle body, and a relative relative to the lower jacket in the axial direction. And a column jacket having a cylindrical upper jacket that is movably fitted. Accordingly, the telescopic position of the steering wheel can be adjusted by moving the lower jacket and the upper jacket relative to each other in the axial direction while expanding and contracting the column shaft. Further, the lower jacket is formed with a long hole penetrating inward and outward and extending in the axial direction, and a stopper inserted into the long hole is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket. And the position where a stopper contact | abuts the inner periphery of the vehicle front side in a long hole is prescribed | regulated as the rearmost end of the adjustable telescopic position.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-182614

  By the way, in the above-described conventional configuration, when the stopper is assembled to the upper jacket, the stopper is placed at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket from the outside of the lower jacket through a long hole with the upper jacket inserted. Will be fixed. Therefore, it is difficult to say that the stopper is easy to assemble, and there is still room for improvement in this respect.

  The objective of this invention is providing the manufacturing method of a steering column apparatus and a steering column apparatus which can assemble | attach a stopper easily.

  A steering column device that solves the above problems includes a column shaft that has a steering wheel fixed and that can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction, a cylindrical lower jacket that is supported by a vehicle body, and an inner periphery of the lower jacket that is relative to the axial direction. A column jacket that has a cylindrical upper jacket inserted from the front end portion with respect to the rear end portion of the lower jacket so as to be movable, and that rotatably supports the column shaft; and a stopper fixed to the upper jacket; A groove portion extending in the axial direction is formed on an inner periphery of the lower jacket, and the stopper protrudes inward in the radial direction of the lower jacket from the groove portion and an insertion portion inserted into the groove portion. The fitting portion, and the fitting portion is inserted from the rear end portion of the lower jacket in a state where the insertion portion is inserted into the groove portion. There by being inserted, are front and projection fitting allows the formation of the inner jacket.

  A method for manufacturing a steering column device that solves the above-described problem includes a column shaft having a steering wheel fixed and extendable in the axial direction, a cylindrical lower jacket supported by a vehicle body, and an inner periphery of the lower jacket. A cylindrical upper jacket that is inserted from the front end portion relative to the rear end portion of the lower jacket so as to be relatively movable in a direction, and is fixed to the upper jacket, and a column jacket that rotatably supports the column shaft. A groove portion extending in the axial direction is formed on the inner periphery of the lower jacket, and the stopper is inserted in the groove portion, and the radial direction of the lower jacket is greater than the groove portion. A steering column device that protrudes inward and has a front end portion of the upper jacket and a fitting portion that can be concavo-convexly fitted. In a state where the insertion portion is inserted into the groove, it said inserting said inner jacket from the rear end side of the lower jacket, fitted irregularities of the fitting portion in the front end portion of the inner jacket.

  According to each of the above configurations, with the stopper insertion portion inserted into the groove portion, the upper jacket is inserted into the lower jacket from the rear end portion, so that the stopper is fixed to the upper jacket in an uneven manner, The stopper can be assembled easily.

  In the steering column device, a notch that opens forward is formed at a front end portion of the upper jacket, and the fitting portion extends in the axial direction and is fitted into an inner edge portion of the notch. A groove is preferably formed.

According to the said structure, since the inner edge part of a notch is press-fit in the fitting groove extended in an axial direction, a stopper can be firmly fixed to an upper jacket.
In the steering column device, the opening end of the notch is preferably formed such that the width of the notch is wider than the width of the stopper along the circumferential direction of the upper jacket.

  According to the above configuration, since the width of the front end of the notch is formed wider than the width of the stopper, when the upper jacket is inserted into the lower jacket, the stopper is easily guided into the notch of the upper jacket. The stopper can be assembled more easily.

  According to the present invention, the stopper can be easily assembled.

Sectional drawing along the axial direction of the steering column apparatus of one Embodiment. Sectional drawing orthogonal to the axial direction in the fastening shaft | axis part in the steering column apparatus of one Embodiment (II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 1). Sectional drawing orthogonal to the axial direction in the support shaft part in the steering column apparatus of one Embodiment (III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 1). (A) is sectional drawing along the axial direction of the locking mechanism vicinity in a locked state, (b) is sectional drawing along the axial direction of the locking mechanism vicinity in an unlocked state. The expanded sectional view along the axial direction of the stopper vicinity in the steering column apparatus of one Embodiment. The enlarged plan view of the upper jacket to which the stopper of one Embodiment was fixed. (A)-(c) Action | operation explanatory drawing which shows the assembly | attachment of the stopper to the upper jacket of one Embodiment. The enlarged plan view of the upper jacket to which the stopper of the modification was fixed. The expanded sectional view along the axial direction of the stopper vicinity in the steering column apparatus of a modification.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a steering column device will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the steering column device 1 includes a column jacket 2 supported by the vehicle body S, and a column shaft 4 that is rotatably supported in the column jacket 2 and to which the steering wheel 3 is fixed. Yes. In the following description, the side (right side in FIG. 1) on which the steering wheel 3 is fixed with respect to the column shaft 4 is the rear side, and the opposite side (left side in FIG. 1) is the front side. The steering column device 1 of the present embodiment is mounted such that the front and rear thereof are substantially coincident with the front and rear of the vehicle.

  The steering wheel 3 is fixed to the rear end portion of the column shaft 4. A steering mechanism (both not shown) such as a rack and pinion mechanism is connected to the front end portion of the column shaft 4 via an intermediate shaft. Then, the rotation of the column shaft 4 accompanying the steering operation is transmitted to the steering mechanism, whereby the steering angle of the steered wheels (not shown) is changed.

  The steering column device 1 also has a tilt function for adjusting the height position (tilt position) of the steering wheel 3 and a telescopic function for adjusting the front-rear position (telescopic position) of the steering wheel 3.

  Specifically, the column shaft 4 is movable relative to the upper shaft 11 in the axial direction by being spline-fitted to the cylindrical upper shaft 11 to which the steering wheel 3 is coupled and the inner periphery of the upper shaft 11. And a shaft-shaped lower shaft 12. That is, the column shaft 4 can extend and contract in the axial direction.

  The column jacket 2 includes a cylindrical upper jacket 14 that rotatably supports the upper shaft 11 via a rolling bearing 13, and a cylindrical lower jacket 16 that rotatably supports the lower shaft 12 via a rolling bearing 15. It has. The upper jacket 14 is fitted to the inner periphery of the lower jacket 16 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and the column jacket 2 can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction. Accordingly, the telescopic position can be adjusted by moving the upper jacket 14 and the upper shaft 11 relative to the lower jacket 16 and the lower shaft 12 and changing the position of the steering wheel 3 in the axial direction of the column shaft 4. It has become. A stopper 17 is provided between the upper jacket 14 and the lower jacket 16 for restricting the steering wheel 3 from coming out rearward when the telescopic position of the steering wheel 3 is adjusted. The configuration near the stopper 17 will be described later.

  A support portion 21 that protrudes upward from the vehicle is formed at the front end portion of the lower jacket 16, and a shaft hole 22 that penetrates in the vehicle width direction (the direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 1) is formed in the support portion 21. . The lower jacket 16 is supported so as to be tiltable about a tilt support shaft 32 inserted through the shaft hole 22 via a lower bracket 31 fixed to the vehicle front side of the vehicle body S. Accordingly, the tilt position can be adjusted by changing the position of the steering wheel 3 in the tilt direction (strictly speaking, the tilt direction about the tilt support shaft 32), which is the substantially vertical direction of the vehicle. Yes. Further, the lower jacket 16 is supported via an upper bracket 33 fixed to the rear side of the vehicle body S so as to be tiltable about the tilt support shaft 32 within a predetermined range. The upper bracket 33 is provided with a lock mechanism 34 that holds the tilt position and the telescopic position of the steering wheel 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lock mechanism 34 includes a tightening shaft 42 that rotates integrally with an operation lever 41 that is operated by a driver, and an upper bracket according to the rotation operation of the operation lever 41. The tilt position and the telescopic position are maintained by the frictional force acting between 33 and the lower jacket 16 and between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14.

  Specifically, the upper bracket 33 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in the axial direction, and has a flat top plate portion 43 fixed to the vehicle body S and a pair of side plate portions extending from the top plate portion 43 to the vehicle lower side. 44a and 44b. The upper bracket 33 is fixed by fastening the top plate portion 43 to the vehicle body S with fastening bolts (not shown). The side plate portions 44a and 44b are fixed to the top plate portion 43 with an interval in the vehicle width direction, and the lower jacket 16 is sandwiched therebetween. Further, tilt long holes 45a and 45b extending in the tilt direction are formed in the side plate portions 44a and 44b at positions facing each other in the vehicle width direction.

  A rear side portion of the lower jacket 16 protrudes downward from the vehicle and is positioned between the arm portions 46a and 46b and the arm portions 46a and 46b, which are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction, and inside and outside. A wide slit 47 penetrating therethrough is formed. In the arm portions 46a and 46b, through holes 48a and 48b penetrating in the vehicle width direction are formed at positions facing the tilt elongated holes 45a and 45b in the same direction, respectively.

  The fastening shaft 42 is made of a metal material and includes a head 51 and a shaft-shaped main body 52 extending from the head 51 in the vehicle width direction. The fastening shaft 42 has a head 51 protruding toward one end side in the vehicle width direction (left side in FIG. 2) with respect to the side plate portion 44a, and a tip end portion of the main body portion 52 with respect to the side plate portion 44b. In a state of projecting to the right (in FIG. 2, right side), it is inserted into the tilt long holes 45a and 45b and the through holes 48a and 48b. As a result, the upper jacket 14 (column jacket 2) can tilt in the tilt direction within the range in which the tilt long holes 45a and 45b are formed.

  Disk-shaped first and second cam plates 53 and 54 are interposed between the head portion 51 of the main body portion 52 and the arm portion 46 a of the lower jacket 16. Cam protrusions (not shown) are formed on the opposing surfaces of the first and second cam plates 53 and 54, respectively. The first cam plate 53 is fitted to the main body 52 so as to be rotatable integrally with the operation lever 41 and the fastening shaft 42 by the turning operation of the operation lever 41, and the second cam plate 54 is relatively moved around the fastening shaft 42. The main body 52 is rotatably fitted. A disc-shaped collar 55, a part of which is inserted into the tilt elongated hole 45 b, is attached to the front end side of the main body 52. In addition, a nut 57 is fixed to the tip of the main body 52 with a thrust bearing 56 interposed between the collar 55.

  Thereby, through the turning operation of the operation lever 41, the state is switched between the state where the respective cam protrusions of the first and second cam plates 53 and 54 are riding on each other and the state where the riding is released. In the locked state in which the cam projections of the first and second cam plates 53 and 54 ride on each other, the arm portions 46a and 46b are pressed against the side plate portions 44a and 44b so that the distance therebetween is reduced. Tightened. Along with this, the inner peripheral portion of the lower jacket 16 is elastically deformed in such a manner that the diameter is reduced, and the inner periphery of the lower jacket 16 is pressed against the outer periphery of the upper jacket 14. In the locked state, the upper bracket 33 and the lower jacket are caused by the frictional force acting between the arm portions 46a, 46b and the side plate portions 44a, 44b and the frictional force acting between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14. 16 and relative movement between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14 are restricted. Thereby, the tilt position and telescopic position of the steering wheel 3 are maintained.

  On the other hand, in the unlocked state in which the cam protrusion of the first and second cam plates 53 and 54 is released, the arm portions 46a and 46b are not pressed by the side plate portions 44a and 44b, and the arm portions 46a and 46b are tightened. Is released. Along with this, the press contact of the lower jacket 16 with the upper jacket 14 is also released. Thus, in the unlocked state, the frictional force acting between the arm portions 46a, 46b and the side plate portions 44a, 44b and the frictional force acting between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14 become sufficiently small. Relative movement between the upper bracket 33 and the lower jacket 16 and relative movement between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14 are allowed. Thereby, the tilt position and the telescopic position of the steering wheel 3 can be adjusted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the lock mechanism 34 includes a lock plate 61, a cam member 62 fitted to the tightening shaft 42, and a support shaft provided in front of the tightening shaft 42. 63, a lock member 65 fitted to the support shaft 63, and a biasing member 66 that biases the lock member 65.

  The lock plate 61 is formed in a curved plate shape that extends in the axial direction of the upper jacket 14 and is curved along the circumferential direction thereof. The lock plate 61 is fixed to a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket 14 exposed from the slit 47 of the lower jacket 16 by welding or the like.

  A plurality of holes 71 are formed in the lock plate 61 at equal intervals in the axial direction, and a partition 72 is formed between adjacent holes 71. Each hole 71 is formed in a substantially square hole shape that penetrates in the plate thickness direction of the lock plate 61 and extends in the circumferential direction of the upper jacket 14. In addition, a plate portion 73 that does not have the hole 71 is formed at the vehicle rear side end portion of the lock plate 61, and the vehicle rear side end of the plate portion 73 is bent downward in the vehicle. Is formed. A substantially rectangular parallelepiped damper 75 made of an elastic body such as an elastomer is fixed to the outer surface of the plate portion 73. The thickness of the damper 75 is set substantially equal to the height of the refracting portion 74.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cam member 62 is fitted to a portion of the fastening shaft 42 exposed in the slit 47 so as to be integrally rotatable. The cam member 62 has a cylindrical portion 76 fitted to the fastening shaft 42 and a cam portion 77 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 76. The cam portion 77 is formed in a substantially triangular shape that narrows toward the outside in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 76 as viewed in the vehicle width direction (viewed in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 76). It is set approximately equal to the diameter. The cam portion 77 is located in a region opposite to the lower jacket 16 with respect to the cylindrical portion 76.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support shaft 63 is made of a resin material and is formed in a stepped columnar shape extending in the vehicle width direction. The support shaft 63 includes a first shaft portion 81 disposed on one end side in the vehicle width direction and a second shaft portion 82 disposed on the other end side in the vehicle width direction. The first shaft portion 81 is formed in a columnar shape having a constant outer diameter over its entire length, and the second shaft portion 82 has a constant outer diameter over its entire length and is more external than the first shaft portion 81. It has a cylindrical shape with a large diameter.

  First and second insertion holes 91 and 92 into which the support shaft 63 is inserted are formed in the arm portions 46 a and 46 b of the lower jacket 16. The first and second insertion holes 91 and 92 penetrate the arm portions 46a and 46b in the vehicle width direction. A first diameter-increased portion 93 having a diameter larger than that of the other end side is formed on one end side in the vehicle width direction of the first insertion hole 91, and one end side on the other end side in the vehicle width direction of the second insertion hole 92. A second enlarged-diameter portion 95 having a larger diameter is formed. The support shaft 63 is inserted into the first and second insertion holes 91 and 92 from the other end side in the vehicle width direction (the right side in FIG. 3) of the arm portion 46 b. A push nut 96 is fitted in a portion protruding into the diameter portion 93.

  The lock member 65 includes a cylindrical cylindrical portion 101, a lock portion 102 that extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 101, and an abutment portion 103, and the outer periphery of the first shaft portion 81. Is fitted. The lock portion 102 extends substantially linearly along the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 101, and a claw portion 104 that can be engaged with the hole portion 71 is formed at the tip of the lock portion 102. The abutting portion 103 extends substantially linearly along the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 101 from a position on the vehicle lower side than the lock portion 102 and faces the cam member 62 in the axial direction of the column jacket 2. The tip of the abutting portion 103 is formed in an arc shape that abuts against the cam member 62 and is pushed downward when the cam member 62 rotates clockwise as viewed in the vehicle width direction.

  A torsion coil spring is employed for the biasing member 66 of the present embodiment. The urging member 66 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the lock member 65 so that the lock member 65 rotates in the direction in which the lock portion 102 approaches the lock plate 61 side (counterclockwise in FIG. 4). Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the operation lever 41 is operated so that the lock mechanism 34 is in the locked state, as described above, between the side plate portions 44a, 44b and the arm portions 46a, 46b, and the lower A frictional force is generated between the jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14 to maintain the tilt position and the telescopic position. At this time, the cam member 62 and the lock member 65 do not come into contact with each other, and the lock member 65 is urged by the urging member 66 in the direction in which the lock portion 102 approaches the lock plate 61 side, so that the claw portion 104 is Engage with any of the plurality of holes 71. Note that the frictional force between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14 accompanying the tightening of the pair of arm portions 46a and 46b is sufficient to restrict the telescopic operation and the tilting operation by the driver.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, when the operation lever 41 is operated so that the lock mechanism 34 is unlocked, the tightening of the arm portions 46a and 46b by the side plate portions 44a and 44b is released as described above. The At this time, as the fastening shaft 42 that rotates integrally with the operation lever 41 rotates, the cam member 62 pushes down the contact portion 103 of the lock member 65 downward, and the claw portion 104 moves away from the lock plate 61. Then, the lock member 65 rotates. Thereby, the engagement with the hole 71 of the claw portion 104 is released, and the telescopic operation and the tilt operation are allowed. The position where the damper 75 abuts on the lock portion 102 is the foremost end of the adjustable telescopic position.

  In the lock mechanism 34 configured as described above, when a collision load due to a so-called secondary collision acts on the column shaft 4 and the column jacket 2 during a vehicle collision, the upper jacket 14 and the upper shaft 11 tend to contract. Accordingly, a collision load from the steering wheel 3 side acts on the lock member 65 engaged with the hole 71 of the lock plate 61 via the claw 104. Depending on the adjusted telescopic position (relative position of the upper jacket 14 with respect to the lower jacket 16), the claw portion 104 may not be engaged with the hole portion 71 and may be in contact with the partition portion 72. As the upper jacket 14 moves in the axial direction, the claw 104 is immediately engaged with the hole 71.

  Then, when an impact load greater than a predetermined load set in advance is applied to the support shaft 63 due to the secondary collision, the other end surface in the vehicle width direction of the lock member 65 functions as a shearing blade, and becomes a fragile portion of the support shaft 63. The boundary portion between the shaft portion 81 and the second shaft portion 82 is broken. At this time, since the first shaft portion 81 is a weaker portion than the second shaft portion 82, one end surface in the vehicle width direction of the lock member 65 functions as a cutting blade, and the first insertion in the first shaft portion 81 is performed. The opening portion of the hole 91 is broken. As a result, the engagement of the lock member 65 (claw 104) with respect to the hole 71 is released, so that the column jacket 2 can contract against the frictional force generated between the lower jacket 16 and the upper jacket 14. The impact load is absorbed.

Next, a structure for restricting the steering wheel 3 from coming out rearward by the stopper 17 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a groove 111 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lower jacket 16, and the stopper 17 is fixed to the upper jacket 14 by concave and convex fitting and inserted into the groove 111. . The groove portion 111 is formed in a straight groove shape extending in the axial direction, and has a non-penetrating shape that does not penetrate the inside and outside of the lower jacket 16. The length along the axial direction of the groove portion 111 is set to be longer than the length capable of adjusting the telescopic position of the steering wheel 3, and the damper 75 abuts on the lock portion 102 as described above and can be adjusted. The stopper 17 does not come into contact with the front end portion of the groove 111 in a state where it is the front end of the telescopic position. Moreover, the axial direction both ends of the groove part 111 of this embodiment are not opening, but are obstruct | occluded.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a notch 113 opening forward is formed in the vehicle upper side portion of the front end portion 112 of the upper jacket 14. The notch 113 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction. A chamfered portion 115 is formed at the opening end of the inner edge portion 114 of the notch 113 so as to be cut substantially linearly so as to widen the width of the notch 113 along the circumferential direction of the upper jacket 14.

  The stopper 17 is made of a metal material and has a substantially rectangular plate shape. The stopper 17 includes an insertion part 121 inserted into the groove part 111 and a fitting part 122 protruding from the groove part 111 to the inner peripheral side of the lower jacket 16. That is, the thickness of the stopper 17 is formed to be thicker than the depth of the groove 111 (the length along the radial direction of the upper jacket 14). The length of the stopper 17 along the axial direction of the upper jacket 14 is set to be substantially equal to the length of the notch 113 along the axial direction of the upper jacket 14, and is along the circumferential direction of the upper jacket 14 at the stopper 17. The width is set to be slightly wider than the width of the notch 113. On the other hand, since the chamfered portion 115 is formed at the opening end of the notch 113 as described above, the width in the vehicle width direction of the front end (opening end) of the notch 113 is wider than the width of the stopper 17. It is formed as follows.

  Fitting grooves 123 that extend along the axial direction and open on both axial sides are formed on the side surfaces of the fitting portion 122 on both sides in the circumferential direction of the upper jacket 14. The width in the plate thickness direction of each fitting groove 123 is set to be approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the plate thickness at the inner edge 114 of the notch 113 in the upper jacket 14. The stopper 17 is fixed to the upper jacket 14 by pressing the inner edge portion 114 into the fitting groove 123. As a result, the position where the stopper 17 abuts on the rear end of the groove 111 becomes the rearmost end of the adjustable telescopic position, and the steering wheel 3 is restricted from coming out rearward.

Next, the manufacture of the steering column device 1 will be described focusing on the assembly of the stopper 17 to the upper jacket 14.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the insertion portion 121 of the stopper 17 is inserted into the groove portion 111 of the lower jacket 16 in a state before assembling each component member (the fastening shaft 42 and the like) of the lock mechanism 34. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7B, the front end of the upper jacket 14 is adjusted with the circumferential position of the upper jacket 14 relative to the lower jacket 16 adjusted so that the notch 113 faces the stopper 17 in the axial direction. Part is inserted from the rear end of the lower jacket 16. Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the upper jacket 14 is further pushed into the lower jacket 16, so that the inner edge 114 of the notch 113 is pressed into the fitting groove 123 while being pressed against the front end of the groove 111. The stopper 17 is fixed to the upper jacket 14. Then, the steering column apparatus 1 is manufactured by assembling the constituent members of the lock mechanism 34 and the column shaft 4.

The operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The groove portion 111 is formed on the inner periphery of the lower jacket 16, the insertion portion 121 inserted into the groove portion 111 in the stopper 17, and the front end portion of the upper jacket 14 protrudes radially inward of the lower jacket 16 from the groove portion 111. The fitting part 122 which can be concavo-convex fitted was provided. Therefore, by inserting the upper jacket 14 from the rear end portion into the lower jacket 16 with the insertion portion 121 of the stopper 17 inserted in the groove 111, the stopper 17 is fitted into the upper jacket 14 in an uneven manner and fixed. Therefore, the stopper 17 can be easily assembled.

  (2) Since the notch 113 is formed in the front end portion of the upper jacket 14 and the fitting groove 123 into which the inner edge portion 114 of the notch 113 is press-fitted is formed in the fitting portion 122, the stopper 17 is firmly attached to the upper jacket 14. Can be fixed.

  (3) The chamfered portion 115 is formed on the front end side of the notch 113 so that the front end of the notch 113 is wider than the width of the stopper 17 along the circumferential direction of the upper jacket 14. Therefore, when the upper jacket 14 is inserted into the lower jacket 16, the stopper 17 can be easily guided into the notch 113 of the upper jacket 14, and the stopper 17 can be assembled more easily.

  (4) Since the groove portion 111 has a non-penetrating shape that does not penetrate the inside and outside of the lower jacket 16, for example, the stopper 17 can be prevented from jumping out of the lower jacket 16 at the time of a vehicle collision.

This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
In the above-described embodiment, the groove portion 111 has a non-penetrating shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the groove portion 111 may have a shape in which at least part of the groove portion 111 penetrates the lower jacket 16.

  In the above embodiment, the groove portion 111 has a shape in which both ends in the axial direction are closed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the groove portion 111 has a shape opened to the front side, and the front end portion of the groove portion 111 is formed when the stopper 17 is assembled. It may be closed with a jig or the like.

In the above embodiment, the chamfered portion 115 may not be formed in the notch 113.
-In the said embodiment, you may form the width | variety of the rear-end part of the fitting groove 123 wider than the front-end side by forming a chamfering part, for example.

In the above embodiment, the fitting groove 123 is formed so as to open at both ends in the axial direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the fitting groove 123 may be formed so as to open only in either one.
In the above-described embodiment, the stopper 17 is formed in the stopper 17 by the concave and convex fitting by forming the fitting groove 123 serving as the concave portion and press-fitting the inner edge portion 114 of the notch 113 serving as the convex portion into the fitting groove 123. 14 was fixed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the manner of concave-convex fitting for fixing the stopper 17 to the upper jacket 14 can be changed as appropriate.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a convex portion 131 that protrudes inward in the circumferential direction is formed in the central portion of the upper jacket 14 in the notch 113, and the convex portion 131 is fitted in the central portion of the stopper 17 in the axial direction. The stopper 17 may be fixed by forming the concave portion 132 to be formed and fitting the concave portion and the concave portion. In this case, the width of the stopper 17 is set substantially equal to the width of the notch 113. Further, a recess may be formed in the notch 113 and a protrusion may be formed in the stopper 17.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the notch 113 may not be formed in the upper jacket 14. In the example shown in the figure, an arc-shaped arc groove 133 corresponding to the front end of the upper jacket 14 is formed on the rear end surface of the stopper 17, and the front end portion 112 of the upper jacket 14 is press-fitted into the arc groove 133. Thus, the stopper 17 is fixed. In this case, the front end portion 112 of the upper jacket 14 becomes a convex portion, and the arc groove 133 becomes a concave portion.

  In the above embodiment, the position where the damper 75 abuts on the lock portion 102 of the lock member 65 is the foremost end of the adjustable telescopic position, but is not limited thereto, for example, the cam member 62 is connected to the cylindrical portion 76. A protrusion located in the region on the lower jacket 16 side may be formed, and the position at which the damper 75 abuts against the protrusion may be the foremost end of the telescopic position.

  In the above embodiment, the steering column device 1 is configured to include the tilt function and the telescopic function. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the function may not include both functions or one of the functions. In the configuration without the telescopic function, for example, the lock mechanism 34 can be configured such that the damper 75 contacts the lock portion 102 in a state where the stopper 17 contacts the rear end portion of the groove portion 111. Thereby, it is possible to absorb the impact at the time of a secondary collision.

Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiments and other examples will be described below together with their effects.
(A) A steering column device in which the concave portion has a non-penetrating shape that does not penetrate through the lower jacket. According to the above configuration, the stopper can be prevented from jumping out of the lower jacket.

  S: Car body, 1 ... Steering column device, 2 ... Column jacket, 3 ... Steering wheel, 4 ... Column shaft, 11 ... Upper shaft, 12 ... Lower shaft, 14 ... Upper jacket, 16 ... Lower jacket, 17 ... Stopper, 111 ... groove part, 112 ... front end part, 113 ... notch, 114 ... inner edge part, 115 ... chamfered part, 121 ... insertion part, 122 ... fitting part, 123 ... fitting groove, 131 ... convex part, 132 ... concave part, 133 ... arc groove.

Claims (4)

A steering wheel is fixed and the column shaft can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction;
A cylindrical lower jacket supported by the vehicle body, and a cylindrical upper jacket inserted from the front end to the rear end of the lower jacket so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction on the inner periphery of the lower jacket. A column jacket that rotatably supports the column shaft;
A stopper fixed to the upper jacket,
A groove portion extending in the axial direction is formed on the inner periphery of the lower jacket,
The stopper has an insertion part inserted into the groove part, and a fitting part protruding inward in the radial direction of the lower jacket from the groove part,
The fitting portion is formed so as to be concavo-convexly fitted to the front end portion of the upper jacket by inserting the upper jacket from the rear end portion of the lower jacket in a state where the insertion portion is inserted into the groove portion. Steering column device. In the steering column device according to claim 1,
A notch opening forward is formed at the front end of the upper jacket,
A steering column device in which the fitting portion is formed with a fitting groove that extends in the axial direction and into which an inner edge portion of the notch is press-fitted. The steering column device according to claim 2,
The steering column device, wherein the opening end of the notch is formed such that the width of the notch is wider than the width of the stopper along the circumferential direction of the upper jacket. A steering wheel is fixed and the column shaft can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction;
A cylindrical lower jacket supported by the vehicle body, and a cylindrical upper jacket inserted from the front end to the rear end of the lower jacket so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction on the inner periphery of the lower jacket. A column jacket that rotatably supports the column shaft;
A stopper fixed to the upper jacket,
A groove portion extending in the axial direction is formed on the inner periphery of the lower jacket,
The stopper includes an insertion portion that is inserted into the groove portion, and a steering column device that protrudes radially inward of the lower jacket from the groove portion and has a fitting portion that can be engaged with the front end portion of the upper jacket. A manufacturing method of
A method of manufacturing a steering column apparatus, wherein the upper jacket is inserted from the rear end side of the lower jacket in a state where the insertion portion is inserted into the groove portion, and the fitting portion is unevenly fitted to the front end portion of the upper jacket. .