JP2021075083A - Steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a steering device that can expand a front space from a driver and improve collision safety.SOLUTION: A steering device 10 includes a housing 50, an intermediate tube 40, an inner tube 30, and a contact member 61. The intermediate tube 40 is axially movably held by the housing 50. The inner tube 30 holds a steering shaft 20 such that the steering shaft to which an operation member 25 is attached is rotatable. The contact member 61 is arranged radially outward of the intermediate tube 40. The intermediate tube 40 shifts an axial position of the operation member 25 between a normal position and a retracted position at a front side in a vehicle. The intermediate tube 40 includes an insertion hole 41, which is formed in a size that allows insertion of the contact member 61, in a circumferential wall surface 40a. When the operation member 25 is in the retracted position, the contact member 61 is inserted in the insertion hole 41 and brought into contact with the inner tube 30 at least at the time of a secondary collision.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a steering device mounted on a vehicle.

Conventionally, there is known a steering device mounted on a vehicle and having a structure for absorbing the impact of a collision (secondary collision) with a driver's steering wheel caused by a collision of the vehicle. For example, in the steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inner tube has a groove formed over a predetermined distance in the axial direction, and a fixing member is fixed to the outer tube. As for the fixing member, the tip portion having a diameter larger than the width of the groove portion is inserted into the inner tube, and the base end portion is fixed to the outer tube. When the inner tube moves relative to the outer tube, the fixing member moves axially while widening the groove portion, and energy is absorbed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-49923

In the steering device, an operating member such as a steering wheel is operated between a position relatively close to the driver (normal position) and a position relatively far from the driver (evacuation position). Some have a moving mechanism that allows them to move. For example, in a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving system, in a state where the driver does not have to be responsible for the operation of the vehicle, the operating member can be moved from the normal position to the retracted position by the moving mechanism unit even while driving. .. As a result, the space in front of the driver can be expanded.

However, a collision may inevitably occur when the vehicle is traveling under the control of an autonomous driving system. When the operating member is in the retracted position at the time of a collision accident, the inner tube that holds the steering shaft connected to the operating member also moves forward along with the operating member, so that the inner tube moves forward. The possible distance is relatively short. Therefore, when a collision with a driver's operating member (secondary collision) occurs due to a collision accident, an inner tube for absorbing the impact energy of the secondary collision (hereinafter, also referred to as "impact absorption"). Due to the short movement amount of, a situation may occur in which the shock absorption amount is not sufficient.

The present invention has been made by the inventors of the present application paying new attention to the above problems, and provides a steering device capable of expanding the space in front of the driver and improving collision safety. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, the steering device according to one aspect of the present invention is a steering device for steering a vehicle, which is arranged in a tubular housing and the radial inside of the housing. In addition, a tubular intermediate tube that is movably held in the axial direction of the housing and a tubular inner tube that is arranged inside the intermediate tube in the radial direction and rotatably holds a steering shaft to which an operating member is attached. And an abutting member arranged on the radial outer side of the intermediate tube, and the intermediate tube can change the axial position of the operating member with respect to the housing to change the axial position of the operating member. , It is moved between the first position and the second position in front of the first position in the vehicle, and the peripheral wall portion has an insertion hole having a size capable of inserting the contact member. When the operating member is in the second position, the contact member is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole and comes into contact with the inner tube at least during a secondary collision.

According to the steering device according to one aspect of the present invention, the space in front of the driver can be widened and the collision safety can be improved.

It is a side view which shows the structural outline of the steering apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural outline of the steering apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 1st shock absorption operation in the steering apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which the operation member moved to the retracted position of the steering apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 2nd shock absorption operation in the steering apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the shape example of the opening of the inner tube which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state example after shock absorption of the inner tube shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the shape example of the opening of the inner tube which concerns on the modification 1 of embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the inner tube which concerns on the modification 2 of embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural outline of the steering apparatus which concerns on modification 3 of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which the operation member moved to the retracted position of the steering apparatus which concerns on the modification 3 of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications thereof will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments and modifications described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments and modifications are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention.

In addition, the drawings are schematic views in which emphasis, omission, ratio adjustment, etc. are appropriately performed to show the present invention, and may differ from the actual shape, positional relationship, and ratio. Further, in the following embodiments and claims, expressions indicating relative directions or orientations such as parallel and orthogonal may be used, but these expressions are strictly speaking the directions or orientations. Including cases where it is not. For example, the fact that two directions are parallel not only means that the two directions are completely parallel, but also that they are substantially parallel, that is, that they include a difference of, for example, about several percent. Also means.

(Embodiment)
[1. Outline of steering device configuration]
First, the general configuration of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of the configuration of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. In the drawings after FIG. 1, the one-point chain line represents the steering axis A, which is the rotation axis of the steering shaft 20 and is a virtual axis, and the direction parallel to the steering axis A is the X-axis direction. Further, the width direction of the vehicle on which the steering device 10 is mounted is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction and the direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction are defined as the Z-axis direction. FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the steering device 10 in the XZ plane passing through the steering shaft A. In FIG. 2, the side surface of the moving mechanism portion 80, the contact member 61, and the operating member 25 is shown instead of the cross section.

Further, in the following, the term "axial direction" simply means a direction parallel to the steering axis A (in the present embodiment, the X-axis direction). Further, in the present embodiment, the steering shaft A is parallel to the axial direction of each of the housing 50, the intermediate tube 40, and the inner tube 30.

Further, "front" means the direction on the front side of the vehicle on which the steering device 10 is mounted, and "rear" means the direction on the opposite side. For example, "the inner tube 30 moves forward in the axial direction" means a direction parallel to the axial direction and toward the front side of the vehicle (in the present embodiment, the direction on the minus side of the X axis).

The steering device 10 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a device mounted on a vehicle capable of switching between manual driving and automatic driving. The vehicle is, for example, an ordinary passenger car, a car such as a bus or a truck. The vehicle is not limited to a passenger car, and may be, for example, a construction machine or an agricultural machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the steering device 10 includes a housing 50, an intermediate tube 40, and an inner tube 30, each of which is tubular. The housing 50 is a member that holds each member constituting the steering device 10, and is fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle via a bracket or the like (not shown). The intermediate tube 40 is arranged radially inside the housing 50 and is held in the housing 50 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The inner tube 30 is arranged inside the intermediate tube 40 in the radial direction, and rotatably holds the steering shaft 20 to which the operating member 25 is attached. The front end of the inner tube 30 is inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate tube 40 and is held so as to move integrally with the intermediate tube 40.

In the present embodiment, the inner tube 30 is fixed to the intermediate tube 40 by being press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate tube 40. The inner tube 30 can be fixed to the intermediate tube 40 in various ways. For example, the inner tube 30 is fixed to the intermediate tube 40 by press-fitting the inner tube 30 into the inner tube 40 provided with a plurality of convex portions (not shown) on the inner peripheral surface. Further, for example, by crimping the intermediate tube 40 into which the inner tube 30 is inserted inward in the radial direction, a plurality of convex portions are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate tube 40, and the inner tube 30 is formed by these plurality of convex portions. It is fixed. Further, for example, the inner tube 30 is fixed to the intermediate tube 40 by press-fitting the inner tube 30 inward of the intermediate tube 40 having no convex portion formed on the inner peripheral surface. That is, it is not essential that the intermediate tube 40 is provided with a convex portion on the inner peripheral surface for fixing the inner tube 30. By fixing the inner tube 30 to the intermediate tube 40 as described above, the inner tube 30 moves axially forward with respect to the intermediate tube 40 against the fixing force of the intermediate tube 40 at the time of a secondary collision. As a result, the inner tube 30 can exhibit a shock absorbing function.

The steering shaft 20 includes an upper shaft 21 to which the operating member 25 is attached to the rear end portion, and a lower shaft 22 which is attached so as to be movable in the axial direction and non-rotatable around the upper shaft 21 by, for example, spline fitting. And have. The upper shaft 21 is held so as not to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the inner tube 30 and rotatably around the axis. When the inner tube 30 moves in the axial direction, the upper shaft 21 is moved with respect to the lower shaft 22. Move in the axial direction. As a result, the steering shaft 20 expands and contracts in the axial direction.

By the operation of the operating member 25 by the driver, the steering shaft 20 rotates around the steering shaft A, and one or more tires of the vehicle are steered based on the amount of rotation or the like. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the steering device 10 is a device incorporated in a so-called steer-by-wire system, and the operating member 25 and the tire (steering wheel) are not mechanically connected. In the steering device 10, the steering motor steers one or more tires based on the information indicating the steering angle of the operating member 25 and the like. The steering device 10 also includes, for example, a steering angle sensor that detects a steering angle, a reaction force device that applies torque contrary to the driver's force to the operating member 25, and the like, but the illustration and description thereof are omitted. To do.

The steering device 10 according to the present embodiment further includes a moving mechanism unit 80. When the intermediate tube 40 is moved in the axial direction by the moving mechanism unit 80, the steering shaft 20 held by the inner tube 30 that moves together with the intermediate tube 40 expands and contracts in the axial direction.

The moving mechanism unit 80 is a device that moves the operating member 25 between a normal position for driving by the driver and a retracted position ahead of the normal position. The normal position is an example of the first position, and the retracted position is an example of the second position. In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism unit 80 has an electric motor 81 as a drive source, and the moving member 83 having a nut portion screwed to the screw shaft 82 rotationally driven by the electric motor 81 is the shaft of the screw shaft 82. Move in the direction. The axial direction of the screw shaft 82 is parallel to the steering shaft A, and the moving member 83 is fixed to the intermediate tube 40 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the screw shaft 82 is a sliding screw. The moving member 83 is exposed to the outside of the housing 50 through a moving opening 51 provided in the housing 50, and the exposed portion is screwed into a screw shaft 82 located outside the housing 50. The moving mechanism unit 80 moves the moving member 83 in the axial direction by the rotation of the screw shaft 82, thereby moving the intermediate tube 40 located inside the housing 50 in the axial direction. As a result, the inner tube 30 moves in the axial direction, and the operating member 25 moves between the normal position and the retracted position as the inner tube 30 moves. The steering device 10 may have a tilt mechanism unit (not shown) that changes the position of the operating member 25 in the vertical direction by tilting the housing 50 up and down, for example.

1 and 2 show a state in which the operating member 25 is in a normal position in the steering device 10. Specifically, the moving mechanism unit 80 can change the position of the operating member 25 when the driver performs an operation (manual operation), for example, according to a driver's instruction. That is, the moving mechanism unit 80 can change the position of the operating member 25 in the front-rear direction during manual operation according to the driver's preference. The moving mechanism unit 80 can change the position of the operating member 25 by about several cm to 10 cm in the front-rear direction around the position of the operating member 25 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example. In this case, the operating member 25 is in the "normal position" at any position.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vehicle equipped with the steering device 10 is provided with an automatic driving system (not shown) having various sensors, a wireless communication unit, a control unit, and the like. The control unit of the automatic driving system can make the steering device 10 move in and out of the operating member 25 according to a driver's instruction or an automatic driving level acquired from the outside via wireless communication. For example, when the control unit of the automatic driving system detects that the automatic driving level has been changed from a level that requires monitoring by the driver to a level that does not require monitoring by the driver while the vehicle is running, the operating member 25 can be moved from the normal position to the retracted position ahead of the normal position. As a result, the driver is freed from manual driving and the space in front is expanded.

In the steering device 10 configured in this way, shock absorption at the time of a secondary collision is basically performed by moving the inner tube 30 with respect to the intermediate tube 40 as described above. However, when the operating member 25 is in the retracted position, the movable distance of the inner tube 30 becomes short, which may result in insufficient shock absorbing function. Therefore, in the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment, the contact member 61 that comes into contact with the inner tube 30 under predetermined conditions so that a sufficient shock absorbing function can be exhibited without depending on the position of the operating member 25. It has.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the holding portion 53 provided in the housing 50 accommodates the abutting member 61 together with the urging member 62, and the urging member 62 and the abutting member 61 together. An auxiliary EA (Energy Absorption) unit 60 is configured. In the auxiliary EA portion 60, when the contact member 61 is inserted into the insertion hole 41 provided in the peripheral wall portion 40a of the intermediate tube 40, the contact member 61 can come into contact with the inner tube 30, thereby impacting the inner tube 30. The absorption function can be improved. The steering device 10 includes a pull-out mechanism (for example, a solenoid) (not shown) for pulling out the contact member 61 from the insertion hole 41 when the operation member 25 is returned from the retracted position to the normal position.

[2. Shock absorption function of steering device]
Next, the shock absorbing function of the steering device 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first shock absorbing operation in the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the operating member 25 of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment has moved to the retracted position. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second shock absorbing operation in the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a shape example of the opening 31 of the inner tube 30 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a state of the inner tube 30 shown in FIG. 6 after shock absorption.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner tube 30 is movable until, for example, the front end surface 35 of the inner tube 30 comes into contact with the front wall portion 55 of the housing 50. That is, when the operating member 25 is in the normal position shown in FIG. 2 at the time of the secondary collision, the distance between the front end surface 35 of the inner tube 30 and the front wall portion 55 of the housing 50 is La. The inner tube 30 can absorb an impact while moving by a maximum distance of La.

That is, when a secondary collision occurs, the inner tube 30 that receives the impact force via the operating member 25 and the upper shaft 21 can move against the caulking force of the intermediate tube 40. Specifically, the intermediate tube 40 is fixed to the moving member 83, and the moving member 83 is screwed onto the screw shaft 82. Therefore, the axial movement of the intermediate tube 40 with respect to the housing 50 is substantially prohibited, and as a result, the inner tube 30 fixed to the intermediate tube 40 by the caulking force moves forward in the axial direction while rubbing against the intermediate tube 40. Moving. The maximum distance of the movement is La. That is, the inner tube 30 can absorb an impact while traveling a relatively long distance, which improves collision safety.

Further, in this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact member 61 of the auxiliary EA portion 60 is in a state of being fastened by the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate tube 40, and therefore, the operation for shock absorption by the inner tube 30 is performed. Does not affect.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the operating member 25 is in the retracted position, the distance between the front end surface 35 of the inner tube 30 and the front wall portion 55 of the housing 50 is Lb (Lb <La). Specifically, the moving member 83 moves forward by operating the moving mechanism unit 80, whereby the intermediate tube 40 is at a position where the front end surface 45 abuts on the front wall portion 55 of the housing 50, or the front wall. It moves to a position near the portion 55. As a result, the upper shaft 21 of the steering shaft 20 moves forward in the axial direction, and the operating member 25 attached to the upper shaft 21 reaches the retracted position. In this way, when the operating member 25 moves to the retracted position, Lb, which is the forward movable distance of the inner tube 30, becomes a relatively short value. If a secondary collision occurs in this state, it is possible that shock absorption by the frictional force (sliding load) between the inner tube 30 and the intermediate tube 40 is not sufficient.

However, in the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, when the operating member 25 is in the retracted position, the contact member 61 is inserted into the insertion hole 41 provided in the peripheral wall portion 40a of the intermediate tube 40. By being inserted into, it is placed in a state where it can come into contact with the inner tube 30. Specifically, in the present embodiment, when the operating member 25 moves to the retracted position, the contact member 61 is inserted into the insertion hole 41 by the urging force of the urging member 62. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, when the inner tube 30 tries to move forward in the axial direction with respect to the intermediate tube 40 due to a secondary collision, the contact member 61 is an inner that is a contact partner. It acts to regulate the movement of the tube 30.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the inner tube 30 is formed with an opening 31 having a tapered shape rearward in the axial direction as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and the opening 31 is shown in FIG. As described above, the contact member 61 inserted into the insertion hole 41 of the intermediate tube 40 is inserted. In this state, when the inner tube 30 moves forward in the axial direction, the contact member 61 whose movement is restricted by the peripheral edge of the insertion hole 41 or the holding portion 53 of the housing 50 is an opening which is a peripheral edge of the opening 31. It interferes with the peripheral edge portion 31a. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the opening peripheral edge portion 31a is deformed or damaged. That is, at least a part of the impact energy due to the secondary collision is consumed due to the deformation or damage of the opening peripheral edge portion 31a. That is, in the steering device 10, the inner tube 30 and the intermediate tube 40 rub against each other, and the inner tube 30 and the contact member 61 come into contact with each other to deform or damage the inner tube 30, resulting in a secondary collision. It enables shock absorption at times.

As described above, the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment is a steering device 10 for steering a vehicle, and is a tubular housing 50, a tubular intermediate tube 40, and a tubular inner. A tube 30 and a contact member 61 are provided. The intermediate tube 40 is arranged radially inside the housing 50 and is held in the housing 50 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the housing 50. The inner tube 30 is arranged inside the intermediate tube 40 in the radial direction, and rotatably holds the steering shaft 20 to which the operating member 25 is attached. The abutting member 61 is arranged on the outer side in the radial direction of the intermediate tube 40. By changing the axial position of the intermediate tube 40 with respect to the housing 50, the axial position of the operating member 25 is moved between the normal position and the retracted position in front of the vehicle from the normal position. The intermediate tube 40 has an insertion hole 41 in the peripheral wall portion 40a having a size into which the contact member 61 can be inserted. The contact member 61 is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole 41 when the operation member 25 is in the retracted position, and comes into contact with the inner tube 30 at least during a secondary collision.

According to this configuration, when the operating member 25 is in the retracted position which is an example of the second position, the intermediate tube 40 is located in front of the case where the operating member 25 is in the normal position which is an example of the first position. .. As a result, the movable distance of the inner tube 30 becomes shorter when a secondary collision occurs. However, in this case, since the contact member 61 comes into contact with the inner tube 30, the inner tube 30 can absorb the impact due to the frictional force between the inner tube 30 and the intermediate tube 40, and further, the contact member 61 comes into contact with the inner tube 30. It can also absorb impact due to friction, deformation, damage, etc. That is, it is possible to compensate for the decrease in the shock absorbing function due to the shortened movable distance of the inner tube 30 by the contact between the inner tube 30 and the contact member 61. Therefore, for example, during automatic driving, the effectiveness of the shock absorbing function by the steering device 10 at the time of a secondary collision is ensured even when the operating member 25 is moved to a retracted position away from the driver. To. As described above, according to the steering device 10 according to the present aspect, the space in front of the driver can be widened and the collision safety can be improved.

Further, the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a moving mechanism unit 80 that moves the intermediate tube 40 with respect to the housing 50. The moving mechanism unit 80 includes an electric motor 81 and a moving member 83 that moves in the axial direction by the driving force of the electric motor 81. Since the moving member 83 is fixed to the intermediate tube 40, the intermediate tube 40 moves in the axial direction as the moving member 83 moves.

According to this configuration, the movement of the intermediate tube 40, that is, the movement of the operating member 25 in the axial direction is performed by the moving mechanism unit 80 having the electric motor 81. Therefore, the intermediate tube 40 is efficiently moved without bothering the driver. Therefore, for example, when switching from manual operation to automatic operation during traveling, the possibility that the driver erroneously operates the operation member 25 or the like is reduced. Further, in the moving mechanism unit 80 according to the present embodiment, a structure is adopted in which the moving member 83 screwed to the screw shaft 82 is moved in the axial direction by rotating the screw shaft 82 arranged in parallel in the axial direction. Has been done. According to this structure, the moving member 83 functions as a fixing member for fixing the position of the intermediate tube 40 with respect to the housing 50 at the time of a secondary collision. As a result, the possibility that the shock absorbing function due to the inner tube 30 rubbing or engaging with the intermediate tube 40 and the abutting member 61 is exhibited as designed is improved. These effects contribute to the improvement of collision safety.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inner tube 30 includes an opening 31 into which the contact member 61 inserted into the insertion hole 41 of the intermediate tube 40 is inserted. The opening 31 is formed in a size and shape that interferes with the opening peripheral edge 31a when the inner tube 30 moves axially and forward with respect to the intermediate tube 40 with the contact member 61 inserted. There is.

According to this configuration, the contact member 61 is inserted into the opening 31, so that when the inner tube 30 moves in the axial direction with respect to the intermediate tube 40, the inner tube 30 and the contact member 61 are brought together. Can be strongly engaged. Therefore, the impact energy at the time of the secondary collision can be more reliably absorbed by the deformation or damage of the inner tube 30. That is, the certainty of shock absorption by the steering device 10 at the time of a secondary collision is improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the contact member 61 is arranged in a state of being pressed against the peripheral wall portion 40a of the intermediate tube 40 by the urging member 62. The insertion hole 41 is arranged in the peripheral wall portion 40a at a position where the contact member 61 is inserted when the operation member 25 is in the retracted position.

According to this configuration, the contact between the inner tube 30 and the contact member 61 is realized with a simple structure when the operation member 25 is in the retracted position. That is, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the steering device 10 having a shock absorbing function at the time of a secondary collision.

Although the steering device 10 according to the embodiment has been described above, the steering device 10 may have a structure different from the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 as a structure for shock absorption. Therefore, a modified example of the structure for shock absorption will be described below, focusing on the difference from the above embodiment.

(Modification example 1)
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a shape example of the opening 31 of the inner tube 30a according to the first modification of the embodiment. The inner tube 30a shown in FIG. 8 has an opening 31 into which the contact member 61 inserted into the insertion hole 41 (see, for example, FIG. 5) of the intermediate tube 40 is inserted, and the opening peripheral edge portion 31a has an opening 31a. , Located at the tip of the tongue piece 32.

Specifically, the inner tube 30a has a pair of slits extending in the axial direction from both ends of the opening 31 in the circumferential direction, and the tongue piece portion 32 is formed between these two slits. .. Therefore, the axially forward end surface of the tongue piece portion 32 functions as an opening peripheral edge portion 31a which is a portion that comes into contact with the abutting member 61. That is, when the inner tube 30a moves forward in the axial direction at the time of the secondary collision, the contact member 61 interferes with the opening peripheral edge portion 31a, whereby the length of the tongue piece portion 32 in the axial direction is shortened. Deformed or damaged. More specifically, the abutting member 61 moves in the axial direction relative to the inner tube 30a while pressing the tongue piece portion 32 at the position between the two slits. That is, it moves in the axial direction relative to the inner tube 30a while being guided by the two slits. Therefore, the certainty of deformation or damage of the tongue piece portion 32 at the time of the secondary collision is improved.

As described above, in the steering device 10 provided with the inner tube 30a according to the present modification, at least a part of the impact energy is consumed by the deformation or damage of the tongue piece portion 32, thereby improving the collision safety.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the inner tube 30b according to the second modification of the embodiment. The inner tube 30b shown in FIG. 9 has a tubular tube body 30c and a shock absorbing member 33 fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 30c. The contact member 61 is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole 41 when the operation member 25 is in the retracted position, and comes into contact with the shock absorbing member 33 at least at the time of a secondary collision.

Specifically, the inner tube 30b has an axially long shock absorbing member 33 fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 30c by a predetermined method such as welding. The shock absorbing member 33 is arranged in the space between the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 30c and the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate tube 40. More specifically, the intermediate tube 40 has a plurality of protrusions (not shown) for fixing the tube body 30c of the inner tube 30b. Therefore, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 30c and the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate tube 40 are separated from each other by these plurality of convex portions. As a result, a space in which the shock absorbing member 33 can be arranged is formed between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, and the shock absorbing member 33 can be arranged in this space. By changing the outer shape of the inner tube 30b, a space for arranging the shock absorbing member 33 may be secured. For example, a space for arranging the shock absorbing member 33 may be secured by forming the outer shape of the cross section of the tube body 30c of the inner tube 30b orthogonal to the axial direction into a substantially D shape having a straight line portion.

When the inner tube 30b configured in this way moves forward in the axial direction, the contact member 61 abuts on the shock absorbing member 33 which is a part of the inner tube 30b, thereby deforming or damaging the shock absorbing member 33. Can be made to. That is, at least a part of the impact energy at the time of the secondary collision is consumed by the deformation or damage of the impact absorbing member 33, which improves the collision safety.

Further, in this modification, since the tube body 30c of the inner tube 30b does not have a groove or an opening for engaging with the contact member 61, deformation due to the caulking force received from the intermediate tube 40 is unlikely to occur. .. That is, the tube body 30c of the inner tube 30b does not have a portion lacking a wall portion, which is a portion deformed so as to release the caulking force. Therefore, for example, the caulking force received by the tube body 30c can be made uniform in the circumferential direction. As a result, for example, the inner tube 30b slides axially forward with respect to the intermediate tube 40 under the load as designed. That is, the possibility that the shock absorbing operation in the steering device 10 is executed as designed is increased. This contributes to the improvement of collision safety by the steering device 10.

(Modification example 3)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the steering device 10a according to the third modification of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the operating member 25 of the steering device 10a according to the third modification of the embodiment has been moved to the retracted position.

The steering device 10a shown in FIG. 10 includes an auxiliary EA portion 60a having a contact member 61. The auxiliary EA portion 60a has a contact mechanism portion 68 that movably supports the contact member 61. In this modified example, in the contact mechanism portion 68, each of a plurality of members (linear motion arm 63, rotating arms 64 to 66, and connecting arm 67) rotates in conjunction with the connected adjacent members. Or it is composed of a moving link mechanism. The rotating arm 64 rotates about the rotating shaft 64a, the rotating arm 65 rotates about the rotating shaft 65a, and the rotating arm 66 rotates about the rotating shaft 66a. When the linear motion arm 63 moves forward in the axial direction, the contact mechanism portion 68 can move the connecting arm 67 having the contact member 61 fixed to the tip toward the intermediate tube 40.

In the steering device 10 including the contact mechanism portion 68 configured in this way, as shown in FIG. 11, when the operating member 25 moves to the retracted position, the front end surface 45 of the intermediate tube 40 causes the linear motion arm 63 to move. Move forward in the axial direction. As a result, each of the rotating arms 64 to 66 rotates, and the connecting arm 67 axially supported at the end of the rotating arm 66 moves toward the intermediate tube 40. As a result, the contact member 61 fixed to the tip of the connecting arm 67 moves toward the intermediate tube 40, and as shown in FIG. 11, enters the insertion hole 41 of the intermediate tube 40 and the opening 31 of the inner tube 30. Will be inserted. That is, the positional relationship between the contact member 61 and the inner tube 30 is the same as the positional relationship between the contact member 61 and the inner tube 30 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, when a secondary collision occurs in this state, the inner tube 30 can absorb the impact due to the frictional force between the inner tube 30 and the intermediate tube 40, and further, the contact member 61 comes into contact with the inner tube 40 to cause friction. It can also absorb impact due to deformation, damage, etc.

Further, when the operating member 25 is returned to the normal position without causing a secondary collision after the operating member 25 has moved to the retracted position, the linear motion is urged backward in the axial direction by the urging member 63a. The arm 63 is returned to the position shown in FIG. As a result, the rotating arms 64 to 66 and the connecting arm 67 connected to the linear motion arm 63 are returned to the posture or position (initial state) shown in FIG. It is not necessary to apply the urging force for returning the linear motion arm 63 or the like from the posture or position shown in FIG. 11 to the linear motion arm 63, and the linear motion arm among the components of the contact mechanism portion 68. It may be given to a component other than 63. In addition, each of the plurality of components may be provided with an urging force to return to the initial state.

As described above, in the steering device 10a according to the present modification, the contact member 61 is arranged at a position separated from the intermediate tube 40 by the contact mechanism portion 68 that movably supports the contact member 61. When the operating member 25 moves to the retracted position, the contact mechanism portion 68 moves the contact member 61 toward the intermediate tube 40 by the force received from the intermediate tube 40. The contact member 61 is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole 41 by being moved by the contact mechanism portion 68, and comes into contact with the inner tube 30 at least during a secondary collision.

According to this configuration, the contact mechanism portion 68 can contact the contact member 61 located at a position away from the intermediate tube 40 with the inner tube 30 by utilizing the force received by the movement of the intermediate tube 40. Can be moved to any position. That is, when the operating member 25 is not in the retracted position, the contact member 61 can be separated from the intermediate tube 40. Therefore, for example, when adjusting the position of the operating member 25 during manual operation, the intermediate tube 40 can be moved in the axial direction without coming into contact with the abutting member 61. That is, in the normal state, the intermediate tube 40 can be efficiently moved, and abnormal noise or wear due to rubbing against the contact member 61 and the intermediate tube 40 does not occur.

The configuration of the contact mechanism portion 68 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The contact mechanism portion 68 may be any mechanism portion that can move the contact member 61 by utilizing the force received by the movement of the intermediate tube 40. That is, the contact mechanism portion 68 may be configured by arbitrarily combining movable members such as an arm, a gear, and a belt. Further, as a drive source for moving the contact member 61, a drive device using electric power, pneumatic pressure, hydraulic pressure, or the like may be used. In this case, the drive device may be operated by triggering the switch to be turned on by the force received from the intermediate tube 40.

(Other embodiments)
The steering device according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments and modifications thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. As long as the gist of the present invention is not deviated, various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art are applied to the above-described embodiment or modification, or a form constructed by combining the plurality of components described above is also the present invention. Is included in the range of.

For example, at the time of a secondary collision, it is not essential that the contact member 61 engages with the opening 31 of the inner tube 30. For example, when the contact member 61 inserted into the insertion hole 41 of the intermediate tube 40 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 30, a frictional force that resists the axial forward movement of the inner tube 30 is applied. It may be generated. In this case, it is preferable that the contact member 61 is separated from the intermediate tube 40 when the operation member 25 is not in the retracted position, such as the contact mechanism portion 68 according to the modified example 3. Specifically, the intermediate tube 40 is moved with respect to the housing 50 not only when the operating member 25 is moved to the retracted position but also when the position of the operating member 25 is adjusted. Therefore, it is preferable to keep the contact member 61 and the intermediate tube 40 apart from each other during this movement from the viewpoint of efficient movement of the intermediate tube 40 and the like.

Further, the contact member 61 may come into contact with the inner tube 30 by being inserted into the insertion hole 41 of the intermediate tube 40. Further, the contact member 61 is not in contact with the inner tube 30 when it is inserted into the insertion hole 41 of the intermediate tube 40, and the inner tube 30 moves forward in the axial direction at the time of a secondary collision, so that the inner tube 30 It may be made to come into contact with. In either case, the abutting member 61 can deform or damage the inner tube 30 during a secondary collision, thereby absorbing at least a portion of the impact energy.

Further, when the contact member 61 abuts on the inner tube 30 to absorb impact energy, the contact member 61 may be deformed or damaged in place of or in addition to the inner tube 30. For example, at the time of a secondary collision, the contact member 61 may be deformed by the force received from the inner tube 30, whereby at least a part of the impact energy may be absorbed. In this case, the contact member 61 may be made of a material having a lower rigidity than the inner tube 30 so as to be easily deformed.

Further, the materials of the members constituting the steering device 10, such as the housing 50, the intermediate tube 40, the inner tube 30, and the contact member 61, are not particularly limited. Each of these members is produced from, for example, a metal material made of iron, aluminum, or the like, or a resin material such as a fiber reinforced plastic, using a material arbitrarily selected according to the specifications required for the steering device 10. You may.

Further, the second position, which is the position of the operating member 25 at the time when the contact member 61 is arranged at a position where it can contact the inner tube 30, is an operation for expanding the space in front of the driver during automatic operation. It does not have to be the retracted position, which is the position of the member 25. The first position and the second position may satisfy the relationship that the second position is farther from the driver (driver's seat) than the first position when viewed from the driver (driver's seat). Therefore, for example, the front end in the range of the position adjustment of the operating member 25 in the normal state may be the "second position", and an arbitrary position behind the second position may be the "first position". In this case, the operating member 25 can be operated by the driver while the contact member 61 has moved to a position where it can contact the inner tube 30, but the position of the contact member 61 is used to operate the operating member 25. There is no problem because it has no effect. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the operation member 25 is located at the front end of the movable range of the operation member 25, that is, when the operation member is in the second position (evacuation position), the operation by the driver is performed. The member 25 may be operable. In other words, the front end position in the range of the axial position adjustment of the operating member 25 in the normal state may be the position shown in FIG.

Further, the urging member 62 does not have to be a spring such as a coil spring, and may be an elastic body such as rubber. Further, a weight such as a metal body may be used to apply an urging force for the intermediate tube 40 to the abutting member 61, and the abutting member 61 is urged to the intermediate tube 40 by its own weight of the abutting member 61. May be good. That is, the gravity acting on the abutting member 61 or another member may be used as an urging force for urging the abutting member 61 toward the intermediate tube 40.

Further, the moving mechanism unit 80 has a structure in which the moving member 83 is moved by the driving force of the electric motor 81, but the moving member 83 may be moved manually by, for example, the driver. That is, the operation member 25 may be moved in the front-rear direction by a manual movement mechanism unit instead of an electric type. Even in this case, the shock absorbing function due to the contact between the contact member 61 and the inner tube 30 is exhibited.

Further, the steering device 10 does not have to be a device incorporated in the steer-by-wire system. The steering device 10 may be incorporated into a steering system in which an operating member 25 and a tire (steering wheel) are mechanically connected. Further, in this case, the steering device 10 may be a power steering device including a motor for power assist.

Further, in the steering device 10 according to the embodiment, the inner tube 30, the intermediate tube 40, and the housing 50 are cylindrical, but their shapes are not limited to the cylindrical shape. For example, the shape of the cross section of the inner tube 30, the intermediate tube 40, and the housing 50 orthogonal to the axial direction may be polygonal, elliptical, oval, or the like. Further, the cross sections of the inner tube 30, the intermediate tube 40, and the housing 50 that are orthogonal to the axial direction do not have to be completely annular in the entire axial direction. It may be a missing C-shape.

Further, for example, each of the inner tubes 30a and 30b according to the modified examples 1 and 2 may be provided in the steering device 10a according to the modified example 3.

In addition, each of the various supplementary items regarding the steering device 10 according to the embodiment described above may be applied to the steering device 10 or 10a according to the modifications 1 to 3.

The steering device according to the present invention is useful as a steering device capable of adjusting the position of the steering wheel provided in a vehicle such as an automobile.

10, 10a ... Steering device, 20 ... Steering shaft, 21 ... Upper shaft, 22 ... Lower shaft, 25 ... Operating member, 30, 30a, 30b ... Inner tube, 30c ... Tube body, 31 ... Opening, 31a ... Opening periphery Part, 32 ... Tongue piece, 33 ... Shock absorbing member, 35, 45 ... Front end face, 40 ... Intermediate tube, 40a ... Peripheral wall, 41 ... Insert hole, 50 ... Housing, 51 ... Moving opening, 53 ... Holding Part, 55 ... Front wall part, 60, 60a ... Auxiliary EA part, 61 ... Contact member, 62, 63a ... Biasing member, 63 ... Linear arm, 64, 65, 66 ... Rotating arm, 64a, 65a, 66a ... Rotating shaft, 67 ... Connecting arm, 68 ... Contact mechanism, 80 ... Moving mechanism, 81 ... Electric motor, 82 ... Screw shaft, 83 ... Moving member

Claims (6)

A steering device for steering a vehicle.
With a tubular housing
A tubular intermediate tube arranged radially inside the housing and held in the housing so as to be movable in the axial direction of the housing.
A tubular inner tube that is arranged radially inside the intermediate tube and rotatably holds the steering shaft to which the operating member is attached.
A contact member arranged on the radial outer side of the intermediate tube is provided.
By changing the axial position of the intermediate tube with respect to the housing, the axial position of the operating member can be changed to the first position and the second position in front of the first position in the vehicle. The peripheral wall portion has an insertion hole having a size that allows the contact member to be inserted while being moved between the two.
When the operating member is in the second position, the contact member is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole and comes into contact with the inner tube at least during a secondary collision.
Steering device. Further, a moving mechanism portion for moving the intermediate tube with respect to the housing is provided.
The moving mechanism unit includes an electric motor and a moving member that moves in the axial direction by a driving force of the electric motor.
Since the moving member is fixed to the intermediate tube, the intermediate tube moves in the axial direction with the movement of the moving member.
The steering device according to claim 1. The inner tube includes an opening into which the abutting member inserted into the insertion hole of the intermediate tube is inserted.
The opening has a size and shape that interferes with the peripheral edge of the opening when the inner tube moves axially and forward with respect to the intermediate tube with the contact member inserted. Is formed,
The steering device according to claim 1 or 2. The abutting member is arranged in a state of being pressed against the peripheral wall portion of the intermediate tube by the urging member.
The insertion hole is arranged at a position where the contact member is inserted when the operation member is at the second position on the peripheral wall portion.
The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The contact member is arranged at a position separated from the intermediate tube by a contact mechanism portion that movably supports the contact member.
When the operating member moves to the second position, the contact mechanism portion moves the contact member toward the intermediate tube by a force received from the intermediate tube.
The contact member is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole by being moved by the contact mechanism portion, and comes into contact with the inner tube at least at the time of a secondary collision.
The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The inner tube has a tubular tube body and a shock absorbing member fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tube body.
When the operating member is in the second position, the contact member is in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole, and comes into contact with the shock absorbing member at least during a secondary collision.
The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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