JP2023032830A - Support bracket for steering device and steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a support bracket for a steering device in which operability when adjusting a position of a steering wheel is easy to be secured even when accuracy of a vehicle body side attachment part is not preferable, and a steering device.SOLUTION: A support bracket 2 includes: an upper bracket 16 including an intermediate plate part 18, two inclined plate parts 19, and two attachment plate parts 20 attached to a vehicle side attachment part; and a lower bracket 17 including a coupling plate part 21 and two support plate parts 22 arranged at positions sandwiching a steering column from both sides in a width direction, the lower bracket 17 being coupled to the upper bracket 16. A target plate part that is at least one of the two support plate parts 22 is not coupled to any of the two inclined plate parts 19 and the two attachment plate parts 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a steering device support bracket and a steering device provided with the steering device support bracket.

FIG. 17 shows an example of a conventionally known automotive steering system. In the steering device 100 , a steering wheel 101 operated by the driver is attached to the rear end of a steering shaft 102 . The steering shaft 102 is rotatably supported inside a steering column 103 supported by the vehicle body. Rotational motion of steering wheel 101 is transmitted to pinion shaft 107 constituting steering gear unit 106 via steering shaft 102, universal joint 104a, intermediate shaft 105, and universal joint 104b. Rotational motion of the pinion shaft 107 is converted into linear motion of a rack shaft (not shown) that constitutes the steering gear unit 106 . As a result, the pair of tie rods 108 is pushed and pulled, and a steering angle corresponding to the amount of operation of the steering wheel 101 is applied to the pair of left and right steered wheels.

A steering device usually includes a tilt mechanism for adjusting the height position of a steering wheel according to the physique and driving posture of a driver.

In the steering device 100 shown in FIG. 17, the steering column 103 is supported to the vehicle body so as to be swingable around a tilt shaft 109 extending in the width direction in order to constitute a tilt mechanism. A middle portion of the steering column 103 is supported by a support bracket 111 attached to a vehicle body side attachment portion 110 . Here, the vehicle body side attachment portion 110 is configured by a part of the vehicle body or a member fixed to the vehicle body. The steering device 100 includes a switching mechanism for switching between a locked state in which the steering column 103 is non-pivotally supported by the support bracket 111 and an unlocked state in which the steering column 103 is pivotally supported. When the height position of the steering wheel 101 is adjusted, it is in the unlocked state, and when the steering wheel 101 is held at the adjusted height position, it is in the locked state.

The support bracket has a structure as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, for example. The illustrated support bracket 111 a comprises an upper bracket 112 and a lower bracket 113 . 18 is a view of the support bracket 111a viewed from the rear in the axial direction of the steering column 103 (see FIG. 17), and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the support bracket 111a viewed from the rear and bottom. be.

The upper bracket 112 has an intermediate plate portion 114 , two inclined plate portions 115 and two mounting plate portions 116 . The intermediate plate portion 114 is positioned at an intermediate portion in the width direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 18) of the upper bracket 112 and extends in the width direction. The two inclined plate portions 115 are connected to both ends in the width direction of the intermediate plate portion 114 and extend downward from the ends toward the outside in the width direction. The two mounting plate portions 116 are connected to both widthwise outer end portions of the two inclined plate portions 115 and extend outward in the widthwise direction from the end portions.

The lower bracket 113 is arranged below the upper bracket 112 and has two support plate portions 117 . In the illustrated example, the two support plate portions 117 are configured as components separated from each other. The two support plate portions 117 are spaced apart in the width direction and arranged substantially parallel to each other, and their upper ends are coupled to the upper bracket 112 .

In the illustrated example, the upper ends of the two support plate portions 117 are the same as the structure described in WO2018/193657 (Patent Document 1), the width of the two mounting plate portions 116 constituting the upper bracket 112. It is joined by a weld bead portion 118 at the directionally inner end.

The support bracket 111a is attached to the vehicle body side attachment portion 110 (see FIG. 17) using two attachment plate portions 116 that constitute the upper bracket 112. As shown in FIG. For this purpose, specifically, the two mounting plate portions 116 are attached to the vehicle body side mounting portion 110 with bolts or the like in a state in which the upper surfaces of the two mounting plate portions 116 are superimposed on the lower surface of the vehicle body side mounting portion 110. Attach using a connecting member. A middle portion of the steering column 103 is arranged between the two support plate portions 117 .

The switching mechanism presses the two support plate portions 117 inward in the width direction as indicated by arrow F in FIG. By strongly holding both sides, the steering column 103 is in a locked state in which the support bracket 111a supports the steering column 103 so as not to swing. By releasing the pressing force indicated by the arrow F in FIG. 18, the switching mechanism brings the steering column 103 into the unlocked state in which the support bracket 111a pivotally supports the steering column 103. As shown in FIG.

In the support bracket 111b of another structure shown in FIG. 20, the upper ends of the two support plate portions 117 constituting the lower bracket 113a are connected to the connecting plate portion 119 like the structure described in CN203544097 (Patent Document 2). are connected by

A support bracket 111c having a different structure shown in FIG. 21 has two mounting plate portions 116 forming an upper bracket 112 and two support plate portions 117 forming a lower bracket 113a. , are coupled using a coupling plate 120. As shown in FIG. That is, in the illustrated example, the upper end portion of the coupling plate 120, which is inclined inward in the width direction toward the lower side, is coupled to the lower surface of the mounting plate portion 116 by the weld bead portion 118, and the coupling plate 120 is joined to the widthwise outer surface of the support plate portion 117 by a weld bead portion 118 .

WO2018/193657 CN203544097

In the conventional support brackets 111a, 111b, and 111c, each of the two support plate portions 117 forming the lower brackets 113 and 113a is attached to the mounting plate portion 116 forming the upper bracket 112 by the weld bead portion 118 and the coupling plate 120. Combined. Therefore, if the accuracy of the lower surface of the vehicle body side mounting portion 110 is poor, the influence of this accuracy may affect the attitudes of the two support plate portions 117 in the unlocked state.

That is, if the lower surface of the vehicle body side mounting portion 110 is inclined downward toward the width direction outer side as indicated by the two-dot chain line α in FIG. Two mounting plate portions 116 attached so as to overlap the lower surface of 110 are also inclined as indicated by a two-dot chain line α. Accordingly, in the free state, the two support plate portions 117 tend to tilt inward in the width direction toward the lower side, as indicated by a two-dot chain line β in FIG. 18 . As a result, even in the unlocked state, the widthwise inner side surfaces of the two support plate portions 117 tend to be pressed against the widthwise side surfaces of the axially intermediate portion of the steering column 103 . Therefore, the conventional support brackets 111a, 111b, and 111c have room for improvement from the viewpoint of ensuring operability when adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 101. FIG.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a support bracket for a steering device and a steering device that facilitates ensuring operability when adjusting the position of the steering wheel even when the accuracy of the mounting portion on the vehicle body side is poor.

A steering device support bracket according to one aspect of the present invention includes an upper bracket and a lower bracket.

The upper bracket is connected to an intermediate plate portion extending in the width direction and both ends in the width direction of the intermediate plate portion, and extends downward from the end portions toward the outside in the width direction. two inclined plate portions, and two mounting plates connected to both widthwise outer end portions of the two inclined plate portions, extending outward from the end portions in the width direction, and attached to the vehicle body side mounting portion. and

The lower bracket is connected to a connecting plate portion whose upper surface is superimposed on the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion, and to both ends in the width direction of the connecting plate portion, and extends downward from the ends. and two support plate portions arranged at positions sandwiching the steering column from both sides in the width direction, and are coupled to the upper bracket.

The target plate portion, which is the support plate portion of at least one of the two support plate portions, is not coupled to any of the two inclined plate portions and the two mounting plate portions.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion are coupled by a weld bead portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, end portions of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion on the same side in the front-rear direction are joined by the weld bead portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, one of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion has a through hole penetrating in its plate thickness direction, and The inner peripheral edge portion of the through hole and the other plate portion of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion are coupled by the weld bead portion.

In the steering device support bracket according to one aspect of the present invention, the upper bracket is attached to a portion of the widthwise end portion of the intermediate plate portion to which at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected. A stacking plate portion is connected to a portion deviated in the front-rear direction, extends downward from the portion, and has its own widthwise inner surface overlapping the widthwise outer surface of the target plate portion. The overlapped plate portion and the target plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the overlapping plate portion is connected to an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of width direction end portions of the intermediate plate portion, and At least one of has a window hole penetrating in its plate thickness direction in the middle part in the front-rear direction, and two connecting plate parts at positions sandwiching the window holes from both sides in the front-rear direction. The widthwise inner end of the plate portion is connected to the widthwise end portions of the intermediate plate portion on both sides in the front-rear direction.

In the steering device support bracket according to one aspect of the present invention, the intermediate plate portion is connected to at least one of the two inclined plate portions and a portion of the widthwise end portion to which the overlapping plate portion is connected. It has a slit that extends inward in the width direction from a portion located between the portion that is positioned between the two portions.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the object plate portion has a spring portion in a vertically intermediate portion that is more susceptible to bending deformation than vertically adjacent portions.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, only one of the two support plate portions is the target plate portion, and the other of the two support plate portions is supported. The plate portion and the mounting plate portion located on the same side in the width direction as the other support plate portion of the two mounting plate portions are connected using a connecting plate.

A steering device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a support bracket and a steering column arranged between two support plate portions that constitute the support bracket, and the support bracket is the steering device support bracket of the present invention. is.

According to the steering device support bracket and the steering device of one aspect of the present invention, it is easy to ensure operability when adjusting the position of the steering wheel even when the accuracy of the vehicle body side mounting portion is poor.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the steering device of the first example. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the steering device and the vehicle body-side mounting portion of the first example as seen from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the support bracket of the first example. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the first example as seen from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the first example as seen from the rear and bottom sides. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the second example of the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a support bracket of a modified example of the second example as seen from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a third embodiment of the invention, viewed from the rear and bottom. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 12 is a rear view of the support bracket of the fourth example. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 12. FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear and bottom. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the sixth example of the embodiment of the invention, viewed from the rear and upper sides. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the sixth example as seen from the rear and bottom sides. FIG. 17 is a partially cutaway side view showing an example of a conventionally known steering device. FIG. 18 is a rear view of the support bracket of the first example of the conventional structure. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the first example of the conventional structure as seen from the rear and lower sides. FIG. 20 is a rear view of a support bracket of a second example of conventional structure. FIG. 21 is a view of the support bracket of the third example of the conventional structure as seen from the rear side.

[First example]
A first example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

A steering device 1 of this example includes a support bracket 2 attached to a vehicle body side attachment portion, and a steering column 3 disposed between two support plate portions 22 that constitute the support bracket 2 .

The steering column 3 is configured in a tubular shape. The steering column 3 rotatably supports a steering shaft 4 inside thereof via rolling bearings (not shown). A steering wheel 101 (see FIG. 17) operated by the driver is attached to the rear end of the steering shaft 4 protruding from the rear end of the steering column 3 in the axial direction.

Regarding the steering device 1, the front-rear direction, width direction, and vertical direction are the front-rear direction, width direction, and vertical direction of the vehicle body to which the steering device is assembled.

In this example, a housing 6 that constitutes an electric assist device 5 is fixed to the front end of the steering column 3 . The electric assist device 5 applies the output torque of the electric motor 7 supported by the housing 6 to the steering shaft 4 via a worm reduction gear (not shown) arranged in the housing 6 so that the driver can move the steering wheel 101 . reduce the force required to operate the Housing 6 is supported by the vehicle body via lower bracket 8 .

The steering apparatus of this example includes a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the front-rear position of the steering wheel 101 and a tilt mechanism for adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 101 according to the physique and driving posture of the driver. .

In this example, in order to constitute a telescopic mechanism, the steering column 3 has a rear portion of an outer column 9 arranged on the front side, and a front portion of an inner column 10 arranged on the rear side is moved relative to the axial direction. It becomes possible to inset. In this example, the outer column 9 includes a tubular body portion 11 and a projecting portion 12 projecting downward from the rear side portion of the body portion 11 . The protruding portion 12 has an insertion hole 13 penetrating in the width direction. The steering shaft 4 is a combination of a lower shaft (not shown) arranged on the front side and an upper shaft 14 arranged on the rear side by means of spline engagement or the like so that torque can be transmitted and relative displacement in the axial direction is possible. It becomes The lower shaft is supported inside the outer column 9 so that it can only rotate, and the upper shaft 14 is supported inside the inner column 10 so that it can only rotate.

In order to configure the tilt mechanism, the steering column 3 is supported by the vehicle body so as to be capable of swinging displacement about a tilt axis 15, which is an axis in the width direction. In this example, the tilt shafts 15 connect the housing 6 to the lower bracket 8 so as to swing, and are arranged at two positions separated in the width direction.

The support bracket 2 has an upper bracket 16 and a lower bracket 17 .

The upper bracket 16 is made of a metal plate such as steel or aluminum alloy. The upper bracket 16 has an intermediate plate portion 18 , two inclined plate portions 19 and two mounting plate portions 20 . The intermediate plate portion 18 is positioned in the widthwise intermediate portion of the upper bracket 16 and extends in the widthwise direction. The two inclined plate portions 19 are connected to both ends in the width direction of the intermediate plate portion 18 and extend downward from the ends toward the outside in the width direction. The two mounting plate portions 20 are connected to both widthwise outer end portions of the two inclined plate portions 19 and extend outward in the widthwise direction from the end portions.

The lower bracket 17 is made of a metal plate such as steel or aluminum alloy. The lower bracket 17 is arranged below the upper bracket 16 and is joined to the upper bracket 16 by a weld bead portion 23 . The lower bracket 17 has a connecting plate portion 21 and two support plate portions 22 . The connecting plate portion 21 overlaps its upper surface with the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion 18 . The two support plate portions 22 are connected to both ends in the width direction of the connecting plate portion 21 and extend downward from the ends. The two support plate portions 22 are arranged at positions sandwiching the rear side portion of the outer column 9, that is, the rear side portion of the main body portion 11 and the projecting portion 12 from both sides in the width direction. The two support plate portions 22 are arranged parallel to each other in the free state. The widthwise distance between the inner surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 is substantially the same as the widthwise dimension of the rear side portion of the outer column 9 in the free state, or slightly larger than this widthwise dimension. The two support plate portions 22 are aligned with each other in the width direction and have tilt slots 24 extending vertically at locations aligned with the insertion holes 13 of the outer column 9 . Each tilt slot 24 has an arc shape centered on the tilt axis 15 .

In this example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the front-rear width of the connecting plate portion 21 of the lower bracket 17 is slightly smaller than the front-rear width of the intermediate plate portion 18 of the upper bracket 16 . When the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 21 is superimposed on the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion 18, the rear edge of the intermediate plate portion 18 protrudes rearward from the rear edge of the connecting plate portion 21. In addition, the front edge of the intermediate plate portion 18 protrudes further forward than the front edge of the connecting plate portion 21 .

In this example, the connection plate portion 21 and the intermediate plate portion 18 are joined by the weld bead portion 23 in this state. Specifically, the end portions of the connecting plate portion 21 and the intermediate plate portion 18 on the same side in the front-rear direction are joined by the weld bead portion 23 . More specifically, the rear end surface of the connecting plate portion 21 and the lower surface of the rear end portion of the intermediate plate portion 18 are joined in the width direction by a weld bead portion 23 . In addition, the front end surface of the connecting plate portion 21 and the lower surface of the front end portion of the intermediate plate portion 18 are joined in the width direction by a weld bead portion 23 . When implementing the structure of this example, the longer the widthwise length of the weld bead portion 23, that is, the widthwise bonding range of the weld bead portion 23, the greater the bonding strength. , can be set to any length as long as the required bond strength is obtained.

In this example, none of the two support plate portions 22 forming the lower bracket 17 are coupled to any of the two inclined plate portions 19 and the two mounting plate portions 20 forming the upper bracket 16 . That is, in this example, both of the two support plate portions 22 correspond to the object plate portion in the present invention.

The support bracket 2 is attached to the vehicle body side attachment portion using two attachment plate portions 20 that constitute the upper bracket 16 . The vehicle body side attachment portion is configured by a part of the vehicle body or a member fixed to the vehicle body. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle-body-side mounting portion 25 is made up of parts of two mounting brackets 26 that are spaced apart in the width direction. Each of the two mounting brackets 26 has a flat plate-shaped vehicle body side mounting portion 25 extending in the longitudinal direction, and a flat plate-shaped front side plate portion 27 bent upward from the front end of the vehicle body side mounting portion 25 at an obtuse angle. and A front end portion of the front side plate portion 27, that is, an upper end portion thereof, is fixed to a hanger beam 28 extending in the width direction, which is a part of the vehicle body.

In this example, the support bracket 2 is configured such that the upper surfaces of the two mounting plate portions 20 are superimposed on the lower surfaces of the two vehicle body side mounting portions 25, and the two mounting plate portions 20 are attached to the two vehicle body side mounting portions 25. are attached to the two vehicle-body-side attachment portions 25 by connecting the .

In this example, the two mounting plate portions 20 are supported by the two vehicle body side mounting portions 25 so as to be able to move forward due to the impact of the secondary collision. For this reason, in this example, each of the two mounting plate portions 20 has a notch 29 in the middle portion in the width direction that opens to the edge on the rear side. A locking capsule 30 fixed to the vehicle body side mounting portion 25 by a mounting member such as a mounting bolt is locked to these notches 29 . As a result, the support bracket 2 is normally supported by the two vehicle-body-side mounting portions 25, and is allowed to detach forward due to the impact of a secondary collision in the event of a collision.

A switching mechanism 31 is assembled to the support bracket 2 . The switching mechanism 31 includes a switching rod 32, a nut 33, a cam device 34, a switching lever 35, and a thrust bearing 36, as shown in FIG.

The switching rod 32 is inserted through the two tilt slots 24 and the insertion hole 13 in the width direction. The switching rod 32 has a head portion 37 at its proximal end (left end in FIG. 4) and a male threaded portion 38 at its distal end (right end in FIG. 4). The nut 33 is screwed onto the male threaded portion 38 .

The cam device 34 is arranged between the head portion 37 and the support plate portion 22 on one side (the left side in FIG. 4). The cam device 34 has a drive cam 39 located on the outside in the width direction and a driven cam 40 located on the inside in the width direction. The drive cam 39 is fitted onto the switching rod 32 so as to prevent rotation and axial displacement. The driven cam 40 is engaged with the tilt elongated hole 24 of one of the support plate portions 22 so as not to be relatively rotatable. The driven cam 40 is fitted over the switching rod 32 so as to be rotatable and axially displaceable. The switching lever 35 is fixed to the drive cam 39 at its proximal end.

When the driving cam 39 and the driven cam 40 are rotated relative to each other by swinging the switching lever 35 about the switching rod 32, the cam surfaces of the driving cam 39 and the driven cam 40, which are side surfaces facing each other, are changed. The axial dimension of the cam device 34 expands and contracts based on the pressing. In this example, the axial dimension of the cam device 34 decreases when the switching lever 35 is swung in a predetermined direction, and the axial dimension of the cam device 34 decreases when the switching lever 35 is swung in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. Increase in size. The thrust bearing 36 is arranged between the nut 33 and the other support plate portion 22 (on the right side in FIG. 4).

When adjusting the front-rear position and height position of the steering wheel 101, by swinging the switching lever 35 in a predetermined direction (for example, downward), the axial dimension of the cam device 34 is reduced, thereby adjusting the driven cam. The distance between 40 and thrust bearing 36 is increased. As a result, the frictional force acting between the widthwise inner side surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 and the widthwise both side surfaces of the rear portion of the outer column 9 is reduced or eliminated, and the inner circumference of the outer column 9 is reduced. The frictional force acting between the surface and the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 10 is reduced or lost. In this state, the longitudinal position of the steering wheel 101 can be adjusted by axially displacing the inner column 10 relative to the outer column 9 . Further, by swinging the steering column 3 around the tilt shaft 15, the height position of the steering wheel 101 can be adjusted within a range in which the switching rod 32 can move inside the two tilt slots 24. FIG.

After the longitudinal position and height position of the steering wheel 101 are adjusted, the switching lever 35 is swung in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (for example, upward), thereby increasing the axial dimension of the cam device 34, thereby increasing the driven position. The distance between the cam 40 and the thrust bearing 36 is reduced. As a result, the frictional force acting between the widthwise inner side surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 and the widthwise both side surfaces of the rear side portion of the outer column 9 is increased, and the rear side portion of the outer column 9 is By pressing from both sides in the width direction, the frictional force acting between the inner peripheral surface of the outer column 9 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 10 is increased. As a result, the steering wheel 101 is adjusted by preventing the inner column 10 from being axially displaced relative to the outer column 9 and by preventing the steering column 3 from swinging about the tilt shaft 15. Hold in posterior fore-aft and height positions.

According to the steering device 1 of this example, even when the accuracy of the vehicle body side mounting portion 25 is poor, it is easy to ensure operability when adjusting the position of the steering wheel 101 .

That is, in this example, the intermediate plate portion 18 of the upper bracket 16 and the connecting plate portion 21 of the lower bracket 17 are welded together by the weld bead portion 23 in order to join the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17 that constitute the support bracket 2 . Combined. Further, none of the two support plate portions 22 forming the lower bracket 17 are connected to any of the two inclined plate portions 19 and the two mounting plate portions 20 forming the upper bracket 16 .

Therefore, the arrangement accuracy of the two vehicle body side mounting portions 25 is poor, and the lower surfaces of the two vehicle body side mounting portions 25 move downward toward the outside in the width direction as indicated by the two-dot chain line α in FIG. In other words, even if the two mounting plate portions 20 mounted so that their upper surfaces overlap with the lower surface of the vehicle body side mounting portion 25 are inclined as indicated by the two-dot chain line α. , and the influence thereof can be sufficiently suppressed from affecting the postures of the two support plate portions 22 in the free state. Specifically, in the free state, the two support plate portions 22 are sufficiently prevented from tilting toward the inner side in the width direction toward the lower side, as indicated by the two-dot chain line β in FIG. be able to.

That is, in the structure of this example, the upper bracket 16 includes two inclined plate portions 19 that connect the intermediate plate portion 18 and the two mounting plate portions 20, and the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion 18 and the two Since the opening angle between the respective lower surfaces of the inclined plate portions 19 is larger than 90°, the respective inclined plate portions 19 and the support plate portion 22 on the same side in the width direction do not come into contact with each other. , a gap exists between the inclined plate portion 19 and the support plate portion 22 . Also, there is no member that connects the inclined plate portion 19 and the mounting plate portion 20 with the support plate portion 22 . Therefore, even if the mounting plate portion 20 is tilted as indicated by the two-dot chain line α, the influence of the inclination is due to changes in the bending angle of the tilting plate portion 19 with respect to the intermediate plate portion 18 and the mounting plate portion 20, and to the tilting plate portion. It can be absorbed by bending 19 . Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the support plate portion 22 from tilting as indicated by the two-dot chain line β.

As a result, when the position of the steering wheel 101 is adjusted, the frictional force acting between the widthwise inner side surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 and the widthwise both side surfaces of the rear side portion of the outer column 9 is sufficiently reduced. In addition, the frictional force acting between the inner peripheral surface of the outer column 9 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 10 can be sufficiently reduced or eliminated. This makes it easy to ensure operability when adjusting the front-rear position and height position of the steering wheel 101 .

[Second example]
A second example of the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this example, the connecting structure between the upper bracket 16a and the lower bracket 17 that constitute the support bracket 2a is different from that in the first example. That is, in this example, the intermediate plate portion 18a that constitutes the upper bracket 16a has a through hole 41 passing through itself in the plate thickness direction. The upper bracket 16a and the lower bracket 17 are connected by connecting the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 41 and the connecting plate portion 21 forming the lower bracket 17 with the weld bead portion 23a.

When carrying out the present invention, the shape of the through-hole, the position of the weld bead, etc. can be arbitrarily determined as long as the inner peripheral edge of the through-hole of the intermediate plate and the connecting plate can be properly connected by the weld bead. can be done. In this example, the through hole 41 has a rectangular shape extending in the width direction when viewed from the plate thickness direction of the intermediate plate portion 18a. In this example, two width direction linear portions 42 located on both sides in the front-rear direction of the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 41 and extending in the width direction are each arranged widthwise with respect to the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 21 . It is connected by the weld bead portion 23a over the direction.

When carrying out the present invention, like a support bracket 2b shown in FIG. Each of the two front-rear linear portions 43 extending in the longitudinal direction can be connected to the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 21 by the weld bead portion 23b in the front-rear direction.

In this example and the modified example of this example, the support brackets 2a and 2b can be lightened by the amount corresponding to the through holes 41 formed in the intermediate plate portion 18a.
Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first example.

[Third example]
A third example of the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this example, the connecting structure between the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17a that constitute the support bracket 2c is different from that in the first example. That is, in this example, the connecting plate portion 21a that constitutes the lower bracket 17a has a through hole 44 passing through itself in the plate thickness direction. The upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17a are joined by joining the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 44 and the intermediate plate portion 18 forming the upper bracket 16 by welding bead portions 23c and 23d.

When carrying out the present invention, the shape of the through-hole, the position of the weld bead, etc. can be arbitrarily determined as long as the inner peripheral edge of the through-hole of the connecting plate and the intermediate plate can be appropriately connected by the weld bead. can be done. In this example, the through hole 44 has a rectangular shape extending in the width direction when viewed from the plate thickness direction of the connecting plate portion 21a. In this example, two width-direction linear portions 45 located on both sides in the front-rear direction of the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 44 and extending in the width direction are arranged widthwise with respect to the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion 18 . It is connected by the weld bead portion 23c over the direction. In addition, two front-rear linear portions 46 located on both sides in the width direction of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 44 and extending in the front-rear direction are each extended in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion 18 . They are connected by a weld bead portion 23d.

In the structure of this example, the weight of the support bracket 2c can be reduced by the amount of the through holes 44 formed in the connecting plate portion 21a. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first example.

[Fourth example]
A fourth example of the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. FIG.

In this example, in addition to the connection structure by the weld bead portion 23 of the first example, another connection structure is provided as the connection structure between the upper bracket 16b and the lower bracket 17 that constitute the support bracket 2d.

In this example, the upper bracket 16b has two overlapped plate portions 47 in which the widthwise inner side surface of the upper bracket 17 is overlapped with the widthwise outer side surface of the upper ends of the two support plate portions 22 constituting the lower bracket 17b. The two overlapping plate portions 47 are connected to the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the widthwise both end portions of the intermediate plate portion 18b, and extend downward from the portion. In this example, each of the two overlapping plate portions 47 has a rectangular shape when viewed from its thickness direction.

In this example, each of the two inclined plate portions 19a that constitute the upper bracket 16b has a window hole 48 penetrating in the plate thickness direction at an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction, and a position sandwiching the window hole 48 from both sides in the front-rear direction. has two connecting plate portions 49 at the . In this example, the window hole 48 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the plate thickness direction of the inclined plate portion 19a. Width direction inner end portions of the two connecting plate portions 49 are connected to both end portions in the front-rear direction of the width direction end portions of the intermediate plate portion 18b.

In this example, the widthwise formation range of the window hole 48 does not extend to the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion 19a. That is, the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion 19a is connected to the widthwise inner end of the mounting plate portion 20 over the entire length in the front-rear direction. This secures the rigidity of the connecting portion between the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion 19a and the widthwise inner end of the mounting plate portion 20 . However, when carrying out the present invention, the range of formation of the window hole in the width direction should extend to the outer end portion in the width direction of the inclined plate portion. It is also possible to connect only the widthwise outer end of one connecting plate portion to the widthwise inner end of the mounting plate portion.

In this example, the intermediate plate portion 18b is positioned between a portion of the width direction both ends to which the overlapping plate portion 47 is connected and a portion of the inclined plate portion 19a to which the two connecting plate portions 49 are connected. It has a slit 50 extending inward in the width direction from the two portions where the slit 50 extends.

In this example, when forming the intermediate plate portion 18b, the inclined plate portion 19a, and the mounting plate portion 20, which constitute the upper bracket 16b, by press-working a metal plate material, the width direction of the metal plate material is By bending downward at a right angle the widthwise outer portion, which is the tip side of the inner portion of the U-shaped through hole that opens inwardly in the widthwise direction, formed in the end portion of the laminated plate Portions 47, windows 48, and slits 50 can be formed simultaneously.

In this example, the widthwise inner side surfaces of the two overlapping plate portions 47 constituting the upper bracket 16b are overlapped with the widthwise outer side surfaces of the upper end portions of the two support plate portions 22 constituting the lower bracket 17. The two overlapping plate portions 47 and the two supporting plate portions 22, both of which are the target plate portions, are joined by the weld bead portion 23e. Specifically, in this example, the front end surface, that is, the lower end surface of the overlapping plate portion 47, which is a part of the peripheral edge portion of the overlapping plate portion 47, and the widthwise outer surface of the support plate portion 22 extend in the front-rear direction. They are connected by a weld bead portion 23e.

The structure of this example can provide the following effects.

The upper end portion of the lower bracket 17 is sandwiched from both sides in the width direction by two overlapping plate portions 47 that constitute the upper bracket 16b. Therefore, the support rigidity in the width direction of the lower bracket 17 with respect to the upper bracket 16b can be improved.

The two overlapping plate portions 47 and the two support plate portions 22 are joined by the weld bead portion 23e. Therefore, the bonding strength of the lower bracket 17 to the upper bracket 16b can be improved. When carrying out the present invention, if the required amount of bonding strength of the lower bracket 17 to the upper bracket 16b can be ensured by the bonding structure of the weld bead portion 23e, the weld bead portion of the first example can be changed from the structure of this example. 23 may be omitted.

The lower end surfaces of the two overlapping plate portions 47 and the widthwise outer surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 are joined by a weld bead portion 23e. That is, the two overlapping plate portions 47 are joined to the two support plate portions 22 by the weld bead portions 23e at positions close to the outer column 9 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the rigidity of supporting the outer column 9 from both sides in the width direction by the two support plate portions 22 can be sufficiently improved.

The widthwise inner surfaces of the two overlapping plate portions 47 are superimposed on the widthwise outer surfaces of the upper ends of the two supporting plate portions 22, and the two overlapping plate portions 47 and the two supporting plate portions 22 are welded together. They are connected by a bead portion 23e. Thereby, the holding force of the bending angle of the two support plate portions 22 with respect to the connection plate portion 21 is improved. Therefore, it is possible to make the postures of the two support plate portions 22 less likely to be affected when the two mounting plate portions 20 are inclined as indicated by the two-dot chain line α (see FIG. 4).

Each of the two inclined plate portions 19a has a window hole 48 in the middle portion in the front-rear direction, and two connecting plate portions 49 at positions sandwiching the window hole 48 from both sides in the front-rear direction. The widthwise inner end is connected to the widthwise end of the intermediate plate portion 18b. Therefore, the rigidity of each of the two inclined plate portions 19a and the rigidity of the connecting portion between each of the two inclined plate portions 19a and the intermediate plate portion 18b can be reduced. As a result, when the two mounting plate portions 20 are tilted as indicated by the two-dot chain line α (see FIG. 4), the influence of the angle of bending of the tilt plate portion 19a with respect to the intermediate plate portion 18b changes and the tilt plate portion Absorption capacity can be improved by flexing or the like of 19a.

The intermediate plate portion 18b has two portions located between the portion where the overlapping plate portion 47 is connected and the portion where the two connecting plate portions 49 of the inclined plate portion 19a are connected among the end portions on both sides in the width direction. It has a slit 50 extending inward in the width direction. Therefore, the slit 50 can reliably separate the overlapping plate portion 47 and the connecting plate portion 49 from each other. As a result, when the angle of bending of the connecting plate portion 49 with respect to the intermediate plate portion 18b changes as the two mounting plate portions 20 incline as indicated by the two-dot chain line α (see FIG. 4), the effect However, it is possible to further suppress the influence of the postures of the two support plate portions 22 . Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first example.

In carrying out the present invention, the overlapping plate portion that constitutes the upper bracket is connected to both ends in the front-rear direction of the width direction ends of the intermediate plate portion, and the inclined plate portion is: It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which it is connected to an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the width direction end portions of the intermediate plate portion.

[Fifth example]
A fifth example of the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this example, each of the two support plate portions 22a, which constitute the lower bracket 17b of the support bracket 2f and which are both the target plate portions, is tilted in the vertical direction middle portion, more specifically, in the vertical direction. A spring portion 51, which is more prone to bending deformation than vertically adjacent portions, is provided between the elongated hole 24 and the overlapping plate portion 47 of the upper bracket 16b. That is, the spring portion 51 includes the lower portion of each support plate portion 22a that is pressed inward in the width direction when the steering wheel is held in the adjusted position, and the overlapping plate portion 47. It is placed in the part located between In this example, the spring portion 51 is provided in the vertical middle portion of the support plate portion 22a over the entire length in the front-rear direction. It is composed of a bent portion of When carrying out the present invention, the spring portion may employ a structure different from that of the present example, such as a thin portion having a thickness thinner than that of vertically adjacent portions.

In this example, as in the structure of the fourth example, although the structure is capable of sufficiently securing the bending angle holding force of the two support plate portions 22a with respect to the connecting plate portion 21, the two support plate portions 22a are not vertically aligned. It has a spring portion 51 which is easily bent and deformed in the middle portion of the direction. For this reason, in order to hold the steering wheel in the adjusted fore-and-aft and height positions, two supports are provided on the basis of swinging the switching lever 35 (see FIGS. 1 to 4) in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction. When the lower portion of the plate portion 22a is pressed inward in the width direction, the lower portions of the two support plate portions 22a are easily swung inward in the width direction with the spring portion 51 as a starting point. can be made Therefore, it becomes easy to strongly press the outer column 9 from both sides in the width direction by the lower side portions of the two support plate portions 22a, and it is easy to hold the steering wheel 101 at the longitudinal position and the height position after adjustment. becomes. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the fourth example.

[Sixth example]
A sixth example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG.

In the support bracket 2e of this example, the support plate portion 22 located on one side (in this example, the right side in FIGS. 15 and 16) in the width direction of the two support plate portions 22 and 22b that constitute the lower bracket 17c. only is the target plate portion. That is, even if only the support plate portion 22 positioned on one side is inclined as the mounting plate portion 20 positioned on the same side in the width direction is inclined as indicated by the two-dot chain line α (see FIG. 4), the effect of It is a support plate part that does not easily reach the posture of For this reason, in this example, the upper bracket 16c is provided with the overlapping plate portion 47, the window hole 48, and the slit 50 only on one side in the width direction, and the overlapping plate portion 47 and the support plate located on one side. 22 are joined by a weld bead portion 23e.

In this example, of the two support plate portions 22 and 22b forming the lower bracket 17c, the support plate portion 22b positioned on the other side in the width direction (in this example, the left side in FIGS. 15 and 16) is a connecting plate. 52 to the mounting plate portion 20 located on the other widthwise side. Specifically, in this example, the coupling plate 52 extends outward in the width direction from the front edge portion of the vertical intermediate portion of the support plate portion 22b located on the other side, and The upper end of its rear side surface abuts the front end surface of the mounting plate portion 20 located on the other side. In this state, the rear side surface of the connecting plate 52 and the lower surface of the mounting plate portion 20 positioned on the other side are connected by the weld bead portion 23f across the width direction.

In the case of carrying out the present invention, when the support plate portion and the mounting plate portion located on the same side in the width direction are connected using a connecting plate, the shape, number, support plate portion, and mounting of the connecting plate must be considered. The connection position, connection method, and the like with respect to the plate portion can be arbitrarily determined.

In this example, since the support plate portion 22b and the mounting plate portion 20, which are positioned on the other side, are connected using the connection plate 52, it is easy to ensure the rigidity of the support bracket 2e. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the fourth example.

The present invention can be practiced by appropriately combining the configurations of the above-described embodiments within a range that does not cause contradiction.

Reference Signs List 1 steering device 2, 2a to 2e support bracket 3 steering column 4 steering shaft 5 electric assist device 6 housing 7 electric motor 8 lower bracket 9 outer column 10 inner column 11 body portion 12 projecting portion 13 insertion hole 14 upper shaft 15 tilt shaft 16, 16a, 16b upper bracket 17, 17a, 17b, 17c lower bracket 18, 18a, 18b intermediate plate portion 19, 19a inclined plate portion 20 mounting plate portion 21, 21a connecting plate portion 22, 22a, 22b support plate portion 23, 23a to 23f weld bead portion 24 tilt slot 25 vehicle body side mounting portion 26 mounting bracket 27 front side plate portion 28 hanger beam 29 notch 30 locking capsule 31 switching mechanism 32 switching rod 33 nut 34 cam device 35 switching lever 36 thrust bearing 37 Head 38 Externally threaded portion 39 Drive cam 40 Driven cam 41 Through hole 42 Width direction straight portion 43 Front-back direction straight portion 44 Through hole 45 Width direction straight portion 46 Front-back direction straight portion 47 Stacked plate portion 48 Window hole 49 Connecting plate portion 50 slit 51 spring portion 52 coupling plate 100 steering device 101 steering wheel 102 steering shaft 103 steering column 104a, 104b universal joint 105 intermediate shaft 106 steering gear unit 107 pinion shaft 108 tie rod 109 tilt shaft 110 vehicle body side mounting portion 111, 111a, 111b, 111c support bracket 112 upper bracket 113, 113a lower bracket 114 intermediate plate portion 115 inclined plate portion 116 mounting plate portion 117 support plate portion 118 weld bead portion 119 connecting plate portion 120 coupling plate

Claims (10)

an intermediate plate portion that extends in the width direction; and two inclined plate portions that are connected to both ends in the width direction of the intermediate plate portion and extend in a downward direction toward the outside in the width direction from the ends. and two mounting plate portions connected to both widthwise outer end portions of the two inclined plate portions, extending from the end portions toward the widthwise outer side, and attached to the vehicle body side mounting portion. a bracket;
a connecting plate portion having its upper surface superimposed on the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion; and a steering column connected to both ends in the width direction of the connecting plate portion and extending downward from the ends. a lower bracket having two support plate portions arranged at positions sandwiching from both sides in the width direction and coupled to the upper bracket;
with
The target plate portion, which is the support plate portion of at least one of the two support plate portions, is not coupled to any of the two inclined plate portions and the two mounting plate portions.
Support bracket for steering device. 2. The steering device support bracket according to claim 1, wherein said connecting plate portion and said intermediate plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion. 3. The steering device support bracket according to claim 2, wherein the end portions of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion on the same side in the front-rear direction are joined by the weld bead portion. one of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion has a through hole penetrating in its plate thickness direction;
The inner peripheral edge portion of the through hole and the other plate portion of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion are coupled by the weld bead portion,
The steering device support bracket according to claim 2 or 3. The upper bracket is connected to a portion of the widthwise end portion of the intermediate plate portion that is deviated in the front-rear direction from a portion to which at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected, and is separated from the portion. It has a stacked plate portion extending downward and having its own widthwise inner surface overlapped with the widthwise outer surface of the target plate portion,
The overlapping plate portion and the target plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion,
The steering device support bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The overlapping plate portion is connected to an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the width direction end portions of the intermediate plate portion,
At least one of the two inclined plate portions has a window hole penetrating in its plate thickness direction in the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction, and two connecting plate portions sandwiching the window hole from both sides in the front-rear direction. and the inner ends in the width direction of the two connecting plate portions are connected to the ends on both sides in the front-rear direction of the end portions in the width direction of the intermediate plate portion.
The support bracket for a steering device according to claim 5. The intermediate plate portion extends in the width direction from a portion of the width direction end portion located between a portion to which the overlapping plate portion is connected and a portion to which at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected. 7. A support bracket for a steering device according to claim 5 or 6, having an inwardly extending slit. The support bracket for a steering device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the target plate portion has a spring portion at a vertically intermediate portion thereof, the spring portion being more susceptible to bending deformation than vertically adjacent portions. . only one of the two support plate portions is the target plate portion;
The other of the two support plate portions and the mounting plate portion positioned on the same side in the width direction as the other support plate portion of the two mounting plate portions use a coupling plate. are combined with
The steering device support bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 8. a support bracket;
a steering column arranged between two support plate portions that constitute the support bracket;
The support bracket is the steering device support bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
steering device.

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