JP2020172206A - Electric steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electric steering column having a novel improved configuration such that the size is reduced or the number of components is reduced.SOLUTION: An electric steering column 10 includes a main housing 11 which is supported by a vehicle body so that a tilt angle can be changed, a steering shaft 13 penetrating through the main housing 11, a first electric motor 110 fixed to the main housing 11, a circuit board 151 which is supported by the main housing 11, faces the first electric motor 110 and is mounted with a first control part for controlling operation of the first electric motor 110, a first rotation and direct-acting mechanism 160 having a first rotary member 161 which is rotated in response to rotation of a first shaft of the first electric motor 110 and a first direct-acting member 162 which is directly acted in response to rotation of the first rotary member 161, and a tilt mechanism 20 which changes a tilt angle of the main housing 11 to the vehicle body in response to direct acting of the first linear-acting member 162.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an electric steering column.

Conventionally, an electric steering column in which the tilt angle and length of the steering column can be changed by an electric actuator is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2013/131608

In the conventional electric steering column, since the electric motor of the electric actuator and the control circuit for controlling the electric motor are provided apart from each other, the wiring exists between the electric motor and the control circuit. There was a risk that the overall size would increase and the number of parts would increase.

Therefore, one of the problems of the present invention is to obtain an electric steering column having a new and improved configuration, for example, the size can be made smaller and the number of parts can be made smaller. ,.

The electric steering column of the present invention includes, for example, a main housing supported by a vehicle body so that the tilt angle can be changed, a steering shaft penetrating the inside of the main housing, a first electric motor fixed to the main housing, and the above. A circuit board that is supported by the main housing and faces the first electric motor and has a first control unit that controls the operation of the first electric motor, and rotates according to the rotation of the first shaft of the first electric motor. A first rotation linear motion conversion mechanism having a first rotary member and a first linear motion member that linearly moves in response to the rotation of the first rotary member, and the first rotary motion member according to the linear motion of the first linear motion member. It is provided with a tilt mechanism that changes the tilt angle of the main housing with respect to the vehicle body.

According to such a configuration, the first electric motor and the circuit board are close to each other, and the wiring between the first electric motor and the circuit board can be shortened or eliminated. Therefore, for example, electric motor The effect is that the size of the steering column can be made smaller and the number of parts can be reduced.

In the electric steering column, for example, the first motor terminal provided on the first electric motor and the first board terminal provided on the circuit board are electrically connected by contacting each other.

With such a configuration, the wiring between the first electric motor and the circuit board can be eliminated, so that, for example, the size of the electric steering column can be made smaller or the number of parts can be reduced. You can get the effect of being able to do it.

In the electric steering column, for example, an input unit that rotates around an input rotation axis and an output that rotates around an output rotation axis are transmitted between the first shaft and the first rotation member. A flexible rotation transmission mechanism is provided, which has a portion and can change the angle between the input rotation shaft and the output rotation shaft.

According to such a configuration, for example, since the flexible rotation transmission mechanism is provided, even if the angle of the first rotating member with respect to the main housing changes with the change of the tilt angle, the first electric motor Since it is not necessary to change the angle of the motor, the support structure of the first electric motor can be further simplified. Further, due to the deformation of the flexible rotation transmission mechanism, it is possible to suppress the force from the first rotating member whose angle has changed from being transmitted to the first electric motor and the circuit board.

The electric steering column includes, for example, a unit housing that is attached to the main housing and rotatably supports the input portion in a state where the angle of the input rotation shaft does not change.

According to such a configuration, for example, since the unit housing can receive the force from the first rotating member whose angle has changed, the force from the first rotating member is transmitted to the first electric motor and the circuit board. It can be further suppressed.

The electric steering column includes, for example, a movable housing that is housed in the main housing so as to be linearly movable along the longitudinal direction of the steering shaft and through which the steering shaft penetrates, and a second electric motor fixed to the main housing. , Second rotation linear motion conversion having a second rotating member that rotates according to the rotation of the second shaft of the second electric motor and a second linear motion member that rotates linearly according to the rotation of the second rotating member. The circuit board includes a mechanism and a telescopic mechanism that changes the position of the movable housing in the longitudinal direction with respect to the main housing in response to the linear motion of the second linear motion member, and the circuit board faces the second electric motor. A second control unit that controls the second electric motor is mounted on the circuit board.

According to such a configuration, the second electric motor and the circuit board are close to each other, and the wiring between the second electric motor and the circuit board can be shortened or eliminated. Therefore, for example, electric motor The effect is that the size of the steering column can be made smaller and the number of parts can be reduced.

In the electric steering column, for example, the first electric motor and the second electric motor are arranged in the first direction intersecting the radial direction of the central axis of the steering shaft, and the circuit board extends in the first direction.

According to such a configuration, for example, the first electric motor, the second electric motor, and the circuit board can be arranged more compactly, and thus the size of the electric steering column can be further reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic and exemplary side view of the electric steering column of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic and exemplary plan view of the electric steering column of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic and exemplary perspective view of a part of the electric actuator included in the electric steering column of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic and exemplary exploded perspective view of the electric steering column of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic and exemplary exploded perspective view of the electric steering column of the embodiment as viewed in a direction different from that of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the ECU of the electric steering column of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed. The configurations of the embodiments shown below, as well as the actions and results (effects) brought about by the configurations, are examples. The present invention can also be realized by configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain at least one of various effects (including derivative effects) obtained by the configuration.

In this specification, the ordinal number is used only for distinguishing parts, members, parts, positions, directions, etc., and does not indicate the order or priority.

Further, in the following drawings, the arrow X indicates the direction away from the steering wheel (not shown) in the longitudinal direction of the steering shaft 13 (hereinafter referred to as the direction X), and the arrow Y indicates the direction X of the electric steering column 10. It indicates the right side (hereinafter referred to as the direction Y) in the vehicle-mounted state when facing the front of the vehicle, and the arrow Z indicates a direction orthogonal to the direction X and the direction Y and toward the upper side of the vehicle. Direction X, direction Y, and direction Z are orthogonal to each other. Normally, in the vehicle-mounted state of the electric steering column 10, the direction X is tilted with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction, and the direction Z is tilted with respect to the vehicle vertical direction. In the following, for convenience, unless otherwise specified, the direction X is simply referred to as the front, the opposite direction of the direction X is simply referred to as the rear, the direction Y is simply referred to as the right, and the opposite direction of the direction Y is simply referred to as the left. The direction Z is simply referred to as upward, the direction opposite to the direction Z is simply referred to as downward, the direction X and its opposite direction are simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, the direction Y and its opposite direction are simply referred to as the width direction, and the directions Z and The opposite direction is simply called the height direction.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the electric steering column 10, FIG. 2 is a plan view seen above the electric steering column 10, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electric actuator 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric steering column 10 is attached to a bracket 1 fixed to a vehicle body component such as a cross member, and has a main housing 11, a movable housing 12, a steering shaft 13, and a steering shaft 13. It includes an electric actuator 100.

The main housing 11 is swingably supported by the bracket 1 so that the angle in the longitudinal direction with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction, that is, the tilt angle can be changed. Specifically, the front end of the main housing 11 is rotatably supported around the first rotation center Ax1 which is located at the front end of the bracket 1 and extends in the width direction. Further, the rear end of the main housing 11 is rotatably supported by the rear ends of the swing arms 21L and 21R around the second rotation center Ax2 extending in the width direction, and the swing arms 21L and 21R are supported. The front end is rotatably supported at the rear end of the bracket 1 around a third rotation center Ax3 extending in the width direction. Therefore, the main housing 11 rotates about the first rotation center Ax1 with respect to the bracket 1, and the swing arms 21L and 21R rotate about the third rotation center Ax3 with respect to the bracket 1, and the main housing As the 11 rotates around the second rotation center Ax2 with respect to the swing arms 21L and 21R, the main housing 11 and thus the electric steering column 10 rotate with respect to the bracket 1. In such a configuration, when the swing arms 21L and 21R rotate around the second rotation center Ax2 with respect to the main housing 11, the electric steering column 10 rotates with respect to the bracket 1 and thus to the vehicle body. In this embodiment, the swing arms 21L and 21R form a part of the tilt mechanism 20. The tilt mechanism 20 is an example of the first variable mechanism.

The main housing 11 extends in the longitudinal direction and has a pair of upper and lower upper walls 11a and lower walls 11b, and a pair of left and right left walls 11c and right walls 11d. The upper wall 11a and the lower wall 11b have a rectangular and plate-like shape, extend in the longitudinal direction at a constant height, and are substantially parallel to each other. The left wall 11c and the right wall 11d have a rectangular and plate-like shape, extend in the longitudinal direction with a constant width, and are substantially parallel to each other. The upper wall 11a, the lower wall 11b, the left wall 11c, and the right wall 11d provide a hollow portion 11e (space) having a quadrangular cross section and extending in the longitudinal direction in the main housing 11. ..

The movable housing 12 extends in the longitudinal direction and is housed in the hollow portion 11e of the main housing 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the left wall 11c of the main housing 11 is provided with a through hole 11c1 extending in the longitudinal direction at a substantially constant height, and a slider 32 provided in the movable housing 12 is provided. It is guided so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction along the through hole 11c1. That is, the upper and lower edges of the through hole 11c1 function as rails 31 that guide the slider 32 in the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, as the slider 32 moves along the rail 31, the movable housing 12 and the steering shaft 13 move in the longitudinal direction with respect to the main housing 11, and the electric steering column 10 expands and contracts. That is, the rail 31 and the slider 32 form a part of the telescopic mechanism 30. The telescopic mechanism 30 is an example of a second variable mechanism.

Further, the movable housing 12 is provided with a hollow portion 12a extending in the longitudinal direction. The steering shaft 13 penetrates the hollow portion 12a of the movable housing 12 in the longitudinal direction. The steering shaft 13 can rotate around the center of rotation C0 according to the operation of the steering wheel (not shown). The center of rotation C0 is an example of the central axis.

The tilt mechanism 20 and the telescopic mechanism 30 are electrically driven by the electric actuator 100. FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the electric actuator 100, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electric steering column 10, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the electric steering column 10 viewed in a direction different from that of FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG.

The electric actuator 100 has a unit housing 101 as shown in FIG. The unit housing 101 has a first gear housing 101a, a second gear housing 101b, and a cover 101c. The first gear housing 101a, the second gear housing 101b, and the cover 101c are integrated by a fitting 101d such as a screw. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the first electric motor 110, the second electric motor 120, the first deceleration mechanism 130, the second deceleration mechanism 140, and the electronic control unit 150 (ECU 150) are contained in the unit housing 101. , Is housed. In the present embodiment, the subassembly 100a shown in FIG. 3 in which the unit housing 101, the first electric motor 110, the second electric motor 120, the first deceleration mechanism 130, the second deceleration mechanism 140, and the ECU 150 are integrated is It is approached from below to the lower wall 11b of the main housing 11 and attached to the main housing 11 by a screw-like fitting 100b (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The first gear housing 101a, the second gear housing 101b, and the cover 101c are made of a synthetic resin material such as plastic. The unit housing 101 may also be referred to as a casing.

The electric actuator 100 has a first electric motor 110 and a first deceleration mechanism 130 as a drive mechanism for driving the tilt mechanism 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the first electric motor 110 is located below the lower wall 11b when assembled to the electric steering column 10, and has a gap from the lower wall 11b of the main housing 11. Facing. The rotation center C11 of the first electric motor 110 extends in the width direction.

The rotation of the first shaft 111 (see FIG. 6) of the first electric motor 110 is decelerated by the first deceleration mechanism 130. As shown in FIG. 5, the first deceleration mechanism 130 is located on the right side of the right wall 11d of the main housing 11. As shown in FIG. 6, the first reduction mechanism 130 has a worm gear 131 and a worm wheel 132. The first shaft 111 of the first electric motor 110 extends into the first gear housing 101a and is coupled to the worm gear 131 of the first reduction mechanism 130. The worm gear 131 meshes with the worm wheel 132. Therefore, the worm gear 131 rotates together with the first shaft 111, and the worm wheel 132 rotates in conjunction with the worm gear 131. The rotation center of the worm gear 131 is the same as the rotation center C11 of the first shaft 111, and the rotation center C12 of the worm wheel 132 is in a twisted position with the rotation center C11 of the first shaft 111 and the worm gear 131 in the longitudinal direction. It is extending. The rotation speed of the worm wheel 132 is lower than the rotation speed of the first shaft 111. The first reduction mechanism 130 may also be referred to as a first gear mechanism, a first rotation transmission mechanism, or a first rotation direction conversion mechanism.

The electric actuator 100 has a second electric motor 120 and a second deceleration mechanism 140 as a drive mechanism for driving the telescopic mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the second electric motor 120 is located below the lower wall 11b when assembled to the electric steering column 10, and has a gap from the lower wall 11b of the main housing 11. Facing. The rotation center C21 of the second electric motor 120 extends in the width direction.

The rotation of the second shaft 121 of the second electric motor 120 is decelerated by the second deceleration mechanism 140. As shown in FIG. 4, the second speed reduction mechanism 140 is located on the left side of the left wall 11c of the main housing 11.

Since the second deceleration mechanism 140 has substantially the same configuration as the first deceleration mechanism 130, the configuration of the second deceleration mechanism 140 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the second speed reduction mechanism 140 has a worm gear 141 and a worm wheel 142. The second shaft 121 of the second electric motor 120 extends into the second gear housing 101b and is coupled to the worm gear 141 of the second reduction mechanism 140. The worm gear 141 meshes with the worm wheel 142. Therefore, the worm gear 141 rotates together with the second shaft 121, and the worm wheel 142 rotates in conjunction with the worm gear 141. The rotation center of the worm gear 141 is the same as the rotation center C21 of the second shaft 121, and the rotation center C22 of the worm wheel 142 is in a twisted position with the rotation center C21 of the second shaft 121 and the worm gear 141 in the longitudinal direction. It is extending. The rotation speed of the worm wheel 142 is lower than the rotation speed of the second shaft 121. The second reduction mechanism 140 may also be referred to as a first gear mechanism, a first rotation transmission mechanism, or a first rotation direction conversion mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120 are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction, and the rotation center C11 of the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120 are arranged. It is parallel to the rotation center C21 of the motor 120. Further, the first shaft 111 and the first gear housing 101a of the first electric motor 110 and the second shaft 121 and the second gear housing 101b of the second electric motor 120 are opposite to each other with the main housing 11 in the width direction. Located on the side. The longitudinal direction is an example of the first direction intersecting the radial direction of the rotation center C0 of the steering shaft 13.

The electric actuator 100 has an ECU 150 that controls the operation of the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120. The ECU 150 includes a circuit board 151 and an electric component 152 mounted on the circuit board 151, and may also be referred to as a board assembly.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ECU 150. As shown in FIG. 7, the ECU 150 includes a control unit 150a, a storage unit 150b, a first switch 150c1, a second switch 150c2, and a connector 150d as electric components 152 mounted on the circuit board 151.

The control unit 150a is a controller such as a microprocessor unit (MPU), and has a first control unit 150a1 and a second control unit 150a2.

The first control unit 150a1 switches between power supply and cutoff to the first electric motor 110 by switching between an on state and an off state of the first switch 150c1. Further, the first control unit 150a1 switches the rotation direction of the first electric motor 110 by switching the connection state between the two input terminals and the two output terminals in the first switch 150c1. The first electric motor 110 is, for example, a DC motor, which rotates by the electric power supplied in the on state of the first switch 150c1, stops the rotation when the electric power is cut off in the off state, and has terminal polarity. The direction of rotation is switched by switching. The first control unit 150a1 controls the operation of the tilt mechanism 20.

The second control unit 150a2 switches between power supply and cutoff to the second electric motor 120 by switching between the on state and the off state of the second switch 150c2. Further, the second control unit 150a2 switches the rotation direction of the second electric motor 120 by switching the connection state between the two input terminals and the two output terminals of the second switch 150c2. The second electric motor 120 is, for example, a DC motor that rotates by the electric power supplied in the on state of the second switch 150c2, stops the rotation by cutting off the electric power in the off state, and has the polarity of the terminal. The direction of rotation is switched by switching. The second control unit 150a2 controls the operation of the telescopic mechanism 30.

The arithmetic processing and control of the controller (control unit 150a) may be executed by software or hardware. In the case of software processing, the controller is composed of a computer. A computer has at least a processor (circuit), RAM, ROM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and the processor reads and executes a program (application) stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device. .. The processor operates as a first control unit 150a1 and a second control unit 150a2 by operating according to the program. In this case, the program includes a program module corresponding to each of the above functional blocks.

The program is pre-installed in ROM or the like. Further, the program can be introduced into the ECU 150 by being stored in a storage unit of a computer connected to the communication network and downloaded via the network.

When at least a part of the controller (control unit 150a) is configured by hardware, the controller may include, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like.

The storage unit 150b is a rewritable non-volatile memory, and stores data and the like used for control by the first control unit 150a1 and the second control unit 150a2. The data stored in the storage unit 150b is, for example, a value detected by the first Hall sensor 154a, first data based on the detected value, a value detected by the second Hall sensor 154b, second data based on the detected value, and the like. The first Hall sensor 154a is an example of the first sensor, and the second Hall sensor 154b is an example of the second sensor.

The first switch 150c1 switches between an on state and an off state by an instruction signal output by the first control unit 150a1, and the second switch 150c2 switches between an on state and an off state by an instruction signal output by the second control unit 150a2. Switch. The first switch 150c1 and the second switch 150c2 are semiconductor switches such as MOS-FETs. The first switch 150c1 and the second switch 150c2 may also be referred to as switching elements.

The connector 150d is electrically connected to an electronic device different from the ECU 150 such as another ECU, or a power source such as a battery, and has a power supply terminal, a common ground terminal, and a signal line. Includes terminals, etc. Sending and receiving signals to and from other ECUs and the like can be executed according to, for example, a controller area network (CAN) and the like.

The ECU 150 has a control circuit as shown in FIG. 7, which is composed of a circuit board 151, a conductor provided in the circuit board 151, and an electric component 152 mounted on the circuit board 151.

The circuit board 151 is, for example, a rigid board and a printed wiring board. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the circuit board 151 is provided substantially parallel to the lower wall 11b of the main housing 11. The circuit board 151 is located on the side opposite to the lower wall 11b of the main housing 11 with respect to the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120. Further, the circuit board 151 extends in the direction in which the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120 are arranged, that is, in the longitudinal direction (first direction), and extends substantially parallel to the rotation center C11 and the rotation center C21. It faces both sides of the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120. In the present embodiment, the circuit board 151 extends in the longitudinal direction and the left-right direction, and the thickness direction of the circuit board 151 is along the height direction. The circuit board 151 has a first surface 151a facing the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120, and a second surface 151b on the opposite side thereof. The electrical component 152 may be mounted on at least one of the first surface 151a and the second surface 151b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the worm gear 131 of the first reduction mechanism 130 is provided with an annular magnet 134a, and the worm gear 141 of the second reduction mechanism 140 is provided with an annular magnet 134b having the same specifications as the magnet 134a. Is provided. The central axes of the annular magnets 134a and 134b are rotation centers C11 and C21, and the magnets 134a and 134b also rotate with the rotation of the first shaft 111 and the worm gear 131 or the rotation of the second shaft 121 and the worm gear 141. .. The magnets 134a and 134b are magnetized so that the magnetic poles change along the circumferential direction. The magnet 134a is an example of the first magnet, and the magnet 134b is an example of the second magnet.

The first hole sensor 154a and the second hole sensor 154b are provided on the first surface 151a of the circuit board 151 at positions separated from the magnets 134a and 134b in the radial direction of the rotation centers C11 and C21. That is, the magnet 134a and the first Hall sensor 154a are aligned in the radial direction of the rotation center C11, and the magnet 134b and the second Hall sensor 154b are aligned in the radial direction of the rotation center C21. As shown in FIG. 7, the detection signal of the first Hall sensor 154a is input to the first control unit 150a1, and the detection signal of the second Hall sensor 154b is input to the second control unit 150a2.

The storage unit 150b can store the detected values of the first hall sensor 154a and the second hall sensor 154b, or the calculated values calculated by the first control unit 150a1 or the second control unit 150a2 based on the detected values. ..

The first control unit 150a1 can calculate a value corresponding to the tilt angle as the first calculated value based on the first detected value by the first Hall sensor 154a. Further, the second control unit 150a2 has a value corresponding to the distance from the initial position of the slider 32 (the length of the electric steering column 10) as the second calculated value based on the second detection value of the second Hall sensor 154b. Can be calculated. Further, the first control unit 150a1 and the second control unit 150a2 can execute the writing of the detected value or the calculated value to the storage unit 150b and the reading of the detected value or the calculated value from the storage unit 150b. As a result, the first control unit 150a1 has the same tilt angle as the tilt angle set in the past based on the first detected value or the first calculated value stored in the storage unit 150b, so that the first switch 150c1 The operation of the first electric motor 110 can be controlled by switching between the on state and the off state. Further, the second control unit 150a2 has the same distance as the distance from the initial position of the slider 32 set in the past based on the second detected value or the second calculated value stored in the storage unit 150b (electric steering column). The operation of the second electric motor 120 can be controlled by switching between the on state and the off state of the second switch 150c2 so as to have a length of 10).

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, a first board terminal 153a as an electric component 152 is mounted on the first surface 151a of the circuit board 151. The first substrate terminal 153a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. At the rear end of the first substrate terminal 153a, that is, at the right end in FIG. 8, a first terminal 153a1 extending in a direction intersecting the first surface 151a and upward in the present embodiment is provided. Further, at the front end of the first substrate terminal 153a, that is, the left end in FIG. 8, the second terminal extending in the direction intersecting the first surface 151a is spaced apart from the first terminal 153a1 in the direction along the first surface 151a. 153a2 is provided. An insulating portion 153a3 extending in a direction intersecting the first surface 151a is interposed between the first terminal 153a1 and the second terminal 153a2. The protruding direction of the first board terminal 153a and the positions of the first terminal 153a1 and the second terminal 153a2 can be appropriately changed according to the positions and layout of the circuit board 151 and the first electric motor 110.

The first terminal 153a1 and the second terminal 153a2 can be made of a conductive metal material such as a copper alloy. Further, the insulating portion 153a3 can be made of a synthetic resin material such as plastic. The first substrate terminal 153a can be made by insert molding.

On the other hand, the side surface 110a of the first electric motor 110 is provided with a first recess 110b into which the first substrate terminal 153a is inserted. In the first recess 110b, a first contact 110b1 having elasticity and coming into contact with the first terminal 153a1 is provided, and a second contact 110b2 having elasticity and coming into contact with the second terminal 153a2 is provided. The first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2 are so-called spring terminals. The first contact 110b1 comes into contact with the first terminal 153a1 in a pressed state in which an elastic pressing force (repulsive force) is applied by being pressed by the first terminal 153a1 from a free state and elastically deforming, and the first contact 110b1 and the first terminal 153a1. It is electrically connected. Further, the second contact 110b2 comes into contact with the second terminal 153a2 in a pressed state in which an elastic pressing force (repulsive force) is applied by being pressed by the second terminal 153a2 from a free state and elastically deforming, and the second terminal 110b2 is said. It is electrically connected to 153a2. The free state can be referred to as a pre-mounting state, and the pressed state can be referred to as an urging state or a mounting state. The first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2 can be made of a conductive metal material such as a copper alloy. The first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2 are examples of first motor terminals.

Here, in the present embodiment, the first contact 110b1 elastically presses the first terminal 153a1 in the direction in which the second contact 110b2 exists, and the second contact 110b2 presses the second terminal 153a2 on the first contact. It elastically presses in the direction in which 110b1 exists. In such a configuration, the insulating portion 153a3 is made of a relatively hard synthetic resin material because it opposes the compressive force from the first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2 between the first terminal 153a1 and the second terminal 153a2. Made of.

Further, in the present embodiment, regarding the electrical connection between the second electric motor 120 and the conductor portion of the circuit board 151, the second substrate terminal 153b (first terminal 153b1, second terminal 153b2, insulating portion) as the electric component 152 The 153b3) has the same configuration as the first substrate terminal 153a (first terminal 153a1, second terminal 153a2, insulating portion 153a3), and the second recess 120b provided on the side surface 120a is the same as the first recess 110b. The first contact 120b1 and the second contact 120b2 have substantially the same configuration as the first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2. Therefore, with respect to the electrical connection between the second electric motor 120 and the circuit board 151, reference numerals are given to the respective parts in FIG. 8, and duplicate description is omitted. The first contact 120b1 and the second contact 120b2 are examples of the second motor terminal.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the first gear housing 101a, the cover 101c, and the circuit board 151 of the unit housing 101 have the first surface 151a of the circuit board 151 and the circuit board 151 by the positioning pin 101c1 provided on the cover 101c. It is positioned along the second surface 151b. The cover 101c has a mounting surface 101c2 in contact with the second surface 151b of the circuit board 151, and the pin 101c1 projects from the mounting surface 101c2 in the thickness direction of the circuit board 151. The circuit board 151 is provided with an opening 151c through which the pin 101c1 is passed, such as a notch or a through hole. Further, the first gear housing 101a is provided with an opening 101a1 for accommodating the pin 101c1.

Further, in the present embodiment, the second gear housing 101b has the same configuration as the first gear housing 101a, and the second gear housing 101b, the cover 101c, and the circuit board 151 are different from the pin 101c1. The pin 101c1 having a similar configuration provided at the position of is positioned along the first surface 151a and the second surface 151b of the circuit board 151. Therefore, reference numerals are given to each part in FIG. 9, and duplicate description is omitted. The second gear housing 101b is provided with an opening 101b1 for accommodating the pin 101c1.

Further, the circuit board 151 is not rigidly fastened to the unit housing 101, but is mounted on the mounting surface 101c2, and the first board terminal 153a is in elastic contact with the first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2. A so-called floating state that allows a slight change in the position and orientation of the circuit board 151 with respect to the unit housing 101 due to friction caused by the friction caused by the second substrate terminal 153b and elastic contact between the first contact 120b1 and the second contact 120b2. It is supported by.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the first electric motor 110 is coupled to the first gear housing 101a by a coupler such as a screw, and the second electric motor 120 is coupled to the second gear housing 101b, for example. It is connected by a fitting such as a screw. The first gear housing 101a to which the first electric motor 110 is attached and accommodates the first reduction mechanism 130, the second gear housing 101b to which the second electric motor 120 is attached and accommodates the second reduction mechanism 140, and the circuit board 151. The unit housing 101, the first electric motor 110, the second electric motor 120, the first deceleration mechanism 130, and the second deceleration mechanism 140 are integrated by integrating the cover 101c supporting the above with the coupler 101d. The subassembly 100a of the electric actuator 100 is assembled.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the torque wire 163 projects rearward from the first gear housing 101a along the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 6, in the first gear housing 101a, the worm wheel 132 and the torque wire 163 are concentrically arranged and connected via a rotation transmission unit 133. In the rotation transmission unit 133, the pressing surface provided on the worm wheel 132 that intersects the circumferential direction of the rotation center C12 and the pressure receiving surface provided on the torque wire 163 that intersects the circumferential direction face the circumferential direction. ing. Therefore, the torque wire 163 rotates around the rotation center C12 together with the worm wheel 132.

The torque wire 163 is a rotation transmission member having flexibility, and can transmit rotation in a bent state as shown in FIG. The torque wire 163 is an example of a flexible rotation transmission mechanism. The front end 163a of the torque wire 163 is rotatably supported around the rotation center C12 whose posture (tilt) does not change along the longitudinal direction by the bearing portion of the first gear housing 101a. That is, the posture of the rotation center C12 of the front end 163a does not change. The front end 163a is an example of an input unit, and the rotation center C12 is an example of an input rotation axis.

The main housing 11 swingably supports the repeater 164 around the rotation center C31 along the width direction. The rear end 163b of the torque wire 163 is rotatably supported around the rotation center C32 by the bearing portion of the repeater 164. The rotation center C32 is orthogonal to the rotation center C31 and is orthogonal to the width direction. As the repeater 164 swings, the angle of the rear end 163b with respect to the longitudinal direction of the rotation center C32 changes. In the repeater 164, the rear end 163b and the shaft 161 are concentrically arranged in the axial direction and connected via a rotation transmission unit (not shown). In the rotation transmission unit (not shown), a pressing surface provided on the torque wire 163 that intersects the circumferential direction of the rotation center C32 and a pressure receiving surface provided on the shaft 161 that intersects the circumferential direction are formed in the circumferential direction. Facing. Therefore, the shaft 161 rotates around the rotation center C32 together with the torque wire 163. The rear end 163b is an example of an output unit, and the rotation center C32 is an example of an output rotation shaft.

The first rotation linear motion conversion mechanism 160 corresponding to the tilt mechanism 20 is provided on the swing arm 21R, and has a shaft 161 and a nut 162. A male screw such as a trapezoidal screw is provided on the outer circumference of the shaft 161. Further, the nut 162 is provided with a female screw that meshes with the male screw. The nut 162 is supported at the lower end of the swing arm 21R so as to be rotatably around the rotation center C33 along the width direction while being restricted from rotating around the rotation center C32 of the shaft 161. With such a configuration, in the first rotation linear motion conversion mechanism 160, the rotation of the shaft 161 around the rotation center C32 is the linear motion of the nut 162 along the axial direction of the rotation center C32, that is, the longitudinal direction of the shaft 161. It is converted to a linear motion along. The shaft 161 is an example of a first rotating member, and the nut 162 is an example of a first linear motion member. The first rotary linear motion conversion mechanism 160 is a rotary linear motion conversion mechanism by a screw mechanism.

The tilt mechanism 20 has swing arms 21L and 21R that rotate around the second rotation center Ax2. The swing arms 21L and 21R are integrally connected via the shaft 21a and are rotatably supported around the third rotation center Ax3 by the bearing portion 11f provided on the upper wall 11a at the rear end of the main housing 11. Has been done.

In such a configuration, when the position of the nut 162 in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 161 changes with the rotation of the shaft 161, the distance between the repeater 164 and the nut 162 changes, and the swing arm changes according to this distance. The 21R and the swing arm 21L rotate around the third rotation center Ax3 with respect to the bracket 1. Specifically, when the nut 162 moves linearly in the direction approaching the repeater 164, the swing arms 21R and 21L rotate around the third rotation center Ax3 with respect to the bracket 1 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. As a result, the main housing 11 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5 around the first rotation center Ax1 with respect to the bracket 1, and the tilt angle, that is, the tilt angle of the electric steering column 10 with respect to the horizontal direction in the vehicle-mounted state is small. Become. On the other hand, when the nut 162 moves linearly in the direction away from the repeater 164, the swing arms 21R and 21L rotate clockwise with respect to the bracket 1 around the third rotation center Ax3 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 5, and the main rotation is accompanied by this rotation. The housing 11 rotates clockwise with respect to the bracket 1 around the first rotation center Ax1 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 5, and the tilt angle becomes large. The tilt-up and tilt-down in the tilt mechanism 20 are switched according to the rotation direction of the first electric motor 110.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second rotation linear motion conversion mechanism 170 corresponding to the telescopic mechanism 30 is provided in the second gear housing 101b. At the center of the worm wheel 142, a through hole 142a provided with a female screw such as a trapezoidal screw is provided on the inner peripheral surface, and the shaft 171 provided with a male screw that meshes with the female screw on the outer circumference of the through hole 142a is provided. It penetrates. As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft 171 penetrates the second gear housing 101b in the longitudinal direction, and the rear end 171a of the shaft 171 is coupled to the slider 32. The slider 32 supported by the rail 31 limits the rotation of the shaft 171 around the rotation center C22 of the worm wheel 142. With such a configuration, in the second rotation linear motion conversion mechanism 170, the rotation of the worm wheel 142 around the rotation center C22 is linear along the axial direction of the rotation center C22 of the shaft 171, that is, the longitudinal direction of the shaft 171. It is converted into motion. The worm wheel 142 is an example of a second rotating member, and the shaft 171 is an example of a second linear motion member. The second rotary linear motion conversion mechanism 170 is a rotary linear motion conversion mechanism by a screw mechanism.

In such a configuration, when the position of the shaft 171 with respect to the second gear housing 101b changes with the rotation of the worm wheel 142, the position of the slider 32 coupled to the shaft 171 in the longitudinal direction on the rail 31 changes, thereby changing the position in the longitudinal direction. The position of the movable housing 12 in the longitudinal direction with respect to the main housing 11 changes, and the distance (the length of the electric steering column 10) from the initial position of the slider 32 changes. The moving direction of the slider 32, that is, the extension and shortening in the telescopic mechanism 30, is switched according to the rotation direction of the second electric motor 120.

As described above, in the present embodiment, for example, the first electric motor 110 for driving the tilt mechanism 20 and the circuit board 151 of the ECU 150 face each other. According to such a configuration, the wiring between the first electric motor 110 and the circuit board 151 can be shortened or eliminated, so that the size of the electric steering column 10 can be made smaller, for example. It is possible to obtain effects such as being able to do so and reducing the number of parts.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the first contact 110b1 and the second contact 110b2 (first motor terminal) of the first electric motor 110 and the first board terminal 153a of the circuit board 151 come into contact with each other. It is electrically connected. According to such a configuration, the wiring between the first electric motor 110 and the circuit board 151 can be eliminated, so that the size of the electric steering column 10 can be made smaller or the number of parts can be reduced, for example. The effect can be obtained, such as being able to reduce the number.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the electric steering column 10 includes a torque wire 163 (flexible rotation transmission mechanism). According to such a configuration, since the torque wire 163 is provided, even if the angle of the shaft 161 (first rotating member) with respect to the main housing 11 changes with the change of the tilt angle, the first Since it is not necessary to change the angle of the electric motor 110, for example, the support structure of the first electric motor 110 can be further simplified. Further, due to the deformation of the torque wire 163, it is possible to suppress the force from the shaft 161 whose angle has changed from being transmitted to the first electric motor 110 and the circuit board 151.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the first gear housing 101a of the unit housing 101 rotatably supports the front end 163a (input portion) of the torque wire 163 in a state where the angle of the rotation center C12 does not change. .. According to such a configuration, the force from the shaft 161 whose angle has changed can be received by the first gear housing 101a of the unit housing 101, so that the force from the shaft 161 is applied to the first electric motor 110 and the circuit board 151. It is possible to further suppress the transmission.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the second electric motor 120 for driving the telescopic mechanism 30 and the circuit board 151 of the ECU 150 face each other. According to such a configuration, the wiring between the second electric motor 120 and the circuit board 151 can be shortened or eliminated, so that the size of the electric steering column 10 can be made smaller, for example. It is possible to obtain effects such as being able to do so and reducing the number of parts.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the first electric motor 110 and the second electric motor 120 are arranged in the longitudinal direction (first direction) intersecting the radial direction of the rotation center C0 (central axis) of the steering shaft 13 to form a circuit. The substrate extends in the longitudinal direction. According to such a configuration, for example, the first electric motor 110, the second electric motor 120, and the circuit board 151 can be arranged more compactly, and thus the size of the electric steering column 10 is further reduced. be able to.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the unit housing 101 has a first gear housing 101a, a second gear housing 101b, and a cover 101c. According to such a configuration, for example, the subassembly 100a of the electric actuator 100 can be assembled more easily than when the unit housing 101 is composed of one component.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been exemplified above, the above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited. The above-described embodiments and modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, specifications such as each configuration and shape (structure, type, direction, type, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) are changed as appropriate. Can be carried out.

For example, the electric actuator may be provided on the peripheral wall (side wall) of the main housing, and the position of the electric actuator is not limited to below the lower wall of the main housing.

Further, for example, the first electric motor and the second electric motor may have different specifications, and the first deceleration mechanism and the second deceleration mechanism may have different specifications. Further, the first electric motor and the second electric motor may be motors different from the DC motor such as a three-phase AC motor, and the ECU has a drive circuit for driving a motor different from the DC motor. The first control unit and the second control unit may control the drive circuit. Further, the first reduction mechanism and the second reduction mechanism may have a plurality of gears different from those in the above embodiment.

Further, for example, the flexible rotation transmission mechanism may be different from the torque wire such as a flexible joint.

Further, for example, the direction in which the first electric motor and the second electric motor are lined up may be a direction different from the longitudinal direction, for example, the width direction.

10 ... Electric steering column, 11 ... Main housing, 12 ... Movable housing, 13 ... Steering shaft, 20 ... Tilt mechanism, 30 ... Telescopic mechanism, 101 ... Unit housing, 110 ... First electric motor, 110b1 ... First contact (No. 1) 1 motor terminal), 110b2 ... 2nd contact (1st motor terminal), 111 ... 1st shaft, 120 ... 2nd electric motor, 121 ... 2nd shaft, 142 ... worm wheel (2nd rotating member), 150a1 ... 1 control unit, 150a2 ... second control unit, 151 ... circuit board, 153a ... first board terminal, 153b ... second board terminal, 160 ... first rotation linear motion conversion mechanism, 161 ... shaft (first rotation member), 162 ... Nut (first linear motion member), 163 ... Torque wire (flexible rotation transmission mechanism), 163a ... Front end (input section), 163b ... Rear end (output section), 170 ... Second rotation linear motion conversion mechanism, 171 ... Shaft (second linear motion member), C12 ... Rotation center (input rotation axis), C32 ... Rotation center (output rotation axis), X ... direction (first direction).

Claims (6)

The main housing, which is supported by the body so that the tilt angle can be changed,
A steering shaft that penetrates the main housing and
The first electric motor fixed to the main housing and
A circuit board supported by the main housing, facing the first electric motor, and mounted with a first control unit for controlling the operation of the first electric motor.
A first rotation linear motion conversion mechanism having a first rotary member that rotates according to the rotation of the first shaft of the first electric motor and a first linear motion member that linearly rotates according to the rotation of the first rotary member. When,
A tilt mechanism that changes the tilt angle of the main housing with respect to the vehicle body in response to the linear motion of the first linear motion member.
An electric steering column equipped with. The electric steering column according to claim 1, wherein the first motor terminal provided on the first electric motor and the first board terminal provided on the circuit board are electrically connected by contacting each other. .. Between the first shaft and the first rotating member, there is an input unit that rotates around an input rotation axis and an output unit that transmits rotation from the input unit and rotates around an output rotation axis. The electric steering column according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a flexible rotation transmission mechanism capable of changing the angle between the rotation shaft and the output rotation shaft. The electric steering column according to claim 3, further comprising a unit housing attached to the main housing and rotatably supporting the input portion without changing the angle of the input rotation shaft. A movable housing that is housed in the main housing so as to be linearly movable along the longitudinal direction of the steering shaft and through which the steering shaft penetrates.
The second electric motor fixed to the main housing and
A second rotation linear motion conversion mechanism having a second rotary member that rotates according to the rotation of the second shaft of the second electric motor and a second linear motion member that linearly rotates according to the rotation of the second rotary member. When,
A telescopic mechanism that changes the position of the movable housing in the longitudinal direction with respect to the main housing in response to the linear motion of the second linear motion member.
With
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the circuit board faces the second electric motor, and the circuit board is equipped with a second control unit for controlling the second electric motor. Electric steering column. The first electric motor and the second electric motor are arranged in the first direction intersecting the radial direction of the central axis of the steering shaft.
The electric steering column according to claim 5, wherein the circuit board extends in the first direction.

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