JP2562186Y2 - Steering column - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering column for an automobile, especially a vehicle having a high driver's seat such as a walk-through van.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a steering column of an automobile is a so-called tilt type in which a steering wheel is tilted in a vertical direction or a column is movable in an axial direction of a column so as to secure an optimum driving posture of a driver and drive safely. A telescopic configuration in which the steering shaft expands and contracts is employed alone or in combination. The tilt type structure includes a foot tilt mechanism that tilts up and down around the lower end of the steering column, and a hand tilt mechanism that tilts up and down around the upper end of the steering column.

By the way, in the case of a vehicle such as a walk-through van used for home delivery or the like, since the driver delivers home alone, the driver's seat is formed high in consideration of getting on and off. The dashboard is also located high. In addition, it is necessary to secure a sufficient foot space, so that the dashboard projects greatly toward the driver. Therefore, the steering column is attached to a vehicle body-side column support member such as a support pipe extending to a lower portion of the dashboard with one end fixed to a vehicle body portion such as a front panel.

[0004]

Therefore, it is needless to say that it is desirable to provide a tilt and a telescopic mechanism in a steering column for a waist high driver's seat. In addition to the complicated structure of the upper end of the steering column and the increase in weight, in addition to the long overall length, the swing of the upper end increases, and it is not suitable unless the rigidity of the upper end of the vehicle body is further increased. is there.

Therefore, even if a foot tilt mechanism is adopted, a column jacket is divided into an upper part and a lower part in order to take a sufficient foot space and a knee space (knee space) and to avoid a dashboard. It is conceivable that the accommodated steering shaft is configured to be able to bend and rotate via a joint. However, in this case, it is needless to say that the rigidity of the steering column itself is required to be high.

Even if a telescopic mechanism is employed, the total length of the steering column is long. Therefore, if the length is further increased, unless the rigidity of the telescopic mechanism is increased, the swing of the steering wheel becomes large. Since the bending moment applied to the column during operation increases, the rigidity of the steering column itself and the rigidity of the vehicle body mounting of the steering column become a problem.

In any case, in order to employ a tilt and telescopic mechanism for a steering column of a vehicle such as a walk-through van, a high rigidity of the steering column itself is required.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made for the purpose of a highly rigid steering column employing a tilt and telescopic structure for a high driver's seat.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A steering column according to the present invention has an upper side that is sandwiched between a distance bracket having a U-shaped cross section and an inverted U-shaped cross section that engages with a support bracket fixed to a vehicle body-side column support member. The jacket and the lower jacket are connected in an inverted shape, the upper shaft is inserted into the upper jacket, and the lower shaft is inserted freely into the lower jacket around the axis, and connected by the universal joint in the distance bracket. A long hole is provided in the support bracket and the distance bracket to make them orthogonal to each other, and a tightening bolt is inserted into the long hole so that the support bracket can be tightened to the distance bracket, and a vehicle body column support is provided near the lower end of the lower jacket. A tilt bracket that slidably engages with the Characterized in that it comprises Te.

[0010]

[Function] Rotate the tightening bolt to release the support bracket from tightening the distance bracket, hold the steering wheel and push or pull the steering column in the front-rear direction to set the telescopic setting, and rotate it up and down. When this is done, the tilt can be set, and the inverted C-shaped column slides in the front-rear direction as a whole in front of the driver, or tilts up and down.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a clamp 2 is attached to a support pipe 1 which is a vehicle body-side column support member fixed to a front panel or the like.
The steering column 4 is supported through the support bracket 3 and the support bracket 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the support pipe 1 is bent and formed so that both ends thereof are parallel in steps in the same plane and inclined in the same vertical plane in order to match the shape of the lower surface of the dashboard. A clamp 2 and a support bracket 3 are respectively provided near both ends, and a mounting bracket 5 is fixed to a lower end by welding or the like. Clamps 2 are bolt insertion holes 2a and 2 for fixing to a vehicle body portion such as a lower surface of a dashboard.
a is provided at both ends.

As shown in FIG. 2, a support bracket 6 is connected to the clamp 2 at a predetermined inclination angle by welding or the like. The support bracket 6 is a bent metal body having a U-shaped cross section. As shown in FIG. 1, the support bracket 6 has long holes 7 on both side walls at one end. A distance bracket 8 having a U-shaped cross section and a side surface shape bent in a reverse U-shape, which is fitted to face the support bracket 6, is provided with an upper jacket 9 via a spacer 8a.
And an end of the lower jacket 10 with a screw 11. Accordingly, the steering column 4 has a substantially elliptical overall side shape around the distance bracket 8. The distance bracket 8 has an upper portion with a predetermined distance from the support bracket 6 and is formed to bend from a portion centered on the universal joint 12 toward the end.

As shown in FIG. 5, the distance bracket 8 has a bolt insertion hole 8a at one end for connecting the upper jacket 9, and a lower jacket 1 at the other end.
A bolt insertion hole 8b for connecting 0 is appropriately formed,
The width of the substantially central portion is increased to form the joint accommodating portion 8c, and the side wall portions 14, 14 provided with the elongated holes 13 substantially orthogonal to the elongated holes 7 of the support bracket 6 are integrally formed facing each other. Tightening bolts 15 are inserted into the long holes 7 and 13. The outer surface is smooth without protrusions and the like, and its bottom surface faces the driver's occupant's knee and the like. Further, FIG.
As shown in (b), the side walls 14 are parallel and the parallelism is easy to form together with the side wall of the support bracket 6 facing them, so that the operability of tilt and telescopic setting is improved. .

The tightening bolt 15 is, as shown in FIG.
An adjusting stopper 16 provided with a projection engaging with the elongated hole 7 of the support bracket 6 on the screw side of the bolt, and a tightening block 17 having a projection engaged with the elongated hole 7 on the head side.
Are respectively inserted, and a nut 18 is screwed into the screw portion, and the tightening lever 20 is integrated with the nut 18.
The washer 19 includes the adjustment stopper 16 and the nut 1
8 is set. The fastening bolt 15 passes through the collar 21 interposed between the side walls of the distance bracket 8. When the operation lever 20 is turned downward, the nut 18 tightens the support bracket 6 to the distance bracket 8, and when the operation lever 20 is turned upward, the nut 18 separates from the support bracket 6 and Release the tightening.

A steering shaft 22 is inserted into the upper jacket 9 and the lower jacket 10 so as to be rotatable about the axis. The steering shaft 22 includes an upper shaft 23 housed in the upper jacket 9.
And a lower shaft 24 housed in the lower jacket 10 and a universal joint 12 connecting the two.
Consists of An intermediate shaft (not shown) is connected to a lower end of the lower shaft 24 via a universal joint. A steering wheel (not shown) is connected to the upper end of the upper shaft 23. The intermediate shaft is connected to a shaft projecting from a steering gear box (not shown) via a universal joint.

As shown in FIG. 4, a tilt bracket 25 having a U-shaped cross section is connected and fixed near the lower end of the lower jacket 10, and as shown in FIG. An elongated hole 26 located in parallel with the hole 13 is opened in the width direction. A tilt bolt 28 that penetrates the support bracket 3 and the tilt bracket 25 that penetrates the top 27 that engages with the elongated hole 26 is tightly held by a nut 29.

The operation of the above embodiment will now be described. To set the tilt, the operation lever 20 is turned upward to release the tightening of the support bracket 6 and the distance bracket 8, so that the distance bracket 8 can be set. Is released from the support bracket 6,
While holding the steering wheel, the steering column 4 is turned around the tilt bolt 28 in a desired direction, either up or down, and the operation lever 20 is turned downward at a desired portion to fasten the support bracket 8 to the distance bracket 8. And its position is fixedly held.

Further, when the telescoping setting is performed, the operation lever 20 is rotated upward to release the tightening of the support bracket 6 and the distance bracket 8, so that the distance bracket 8 is supported by the support bracket 6.
When the steering column 4 is pushed or pulled toward the desired direction either forward or backward while holding the steering wheel, the long hole 1 of the distance bracket 8 is removed.
3 and the long holes 26 of the tilt bracket 25 move along the tightening bolts 15 and the tilt bolts 28, respectively. When the operation lever 20 is rotated downward at a desired position to tighten the support bracket 8 to the distance bracket 8, The position is held fixed.

Therefore, if the steering wheel is rotated after setting the tilt and / or telescopic setting, the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 24 rotate via the universal joint 12, and torque is applied to the steering gear box via the intermediate shaft. Is transmitted.

[0020]

According to the invention described above, the upper bracket and the lower jacket are connected to the distance bracket that engages with the support bracket, and the entire steering column is formed in an inverted shape. When there is an obstacle, it can be bypassed, and the entire steering column can be tilted to set the tilt, and it can be slid to set the telescopic setting. The rigidity of itself can be kept high.
Therefore, it is possible to provide an optimum steering column for a vehicle such as a walk-through van equipped with a tall seat and a dashboard that is proportionally higher.

Further, since the distance bracket is formed of a member having a U-shaped cross section and can form the smoothness of both side surfaces and the bottom surface with high precision, the operability of tilt and telescopic setting is improved.

Further, since the joints are covered, foreign objects can be prevented from being caught, and furthermore, the knees and the like of the driver can be prevented from being hit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1;

5A and 5B are a side view and a plan view of a distance bracket.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a vehicle body-side column support member.

[Description of Signs] 1 ... Support pipe (column support member on vehicle body side) 2 ... Clamp 3 ... Support bracket 4 ... Steering column 6 ... Support bracket 7,13,26 ... Long hole 8 ... Distance bracket 9 ... Upper jacket 10 ... Lower Jacket 12 Universal joint 15 Tightening bolt 23 Upper shaft 24 Lower shaft 25 Tilt bracket 28 Tilt bolt

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An upper jacket and a lower jacket are connected in an inverted shape with a distance bracket engaged with a support bracket fixed to a vehicle body-side column support member interposed therebetween, and an upper shaft is provided in the upper jacket, and a lower shaft is provided in the lower jacket. The lower shaft is rotatably inserted around the center of each shaft and connected by a universal joint in the distance bracket, and the support bracket and the distance bracket are provided with the long holes orthogonal to each other, and the tightening bolt is inserted into the long holes A steering bracket, wherein the support bracket can be fastened to the distance bracket, and a tilt bracket is provided near the lower end of the lower jacket so as to slidably engage with the vehicle body-side column support member. 2. The steering column according to claim 1, wherein the distance bracket has an inverted U-shaped side surface and a U-shaped cross section.