JP2563559Y2 - Steering column support device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A steering column support device according to the present invention is capable of adjusting a vertical position and a front-rear position of a steering wheel of a cab-over type vehicle.
It is incorporated into a steering wheel position adjustment device and is used to support the lower part of the steering column so that it can swing and move up and down.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a position adjusting device for a steering wheel of a cab-over type vehicle such as a truck, the structure of which is adjustable as shown in FIG. ing.

A steering shaft 2 having a steering wheel 1 fixed to an upper end portion is rotatably supported inside a steering column 3 only for rotation. A lower support bracket 4 is fixed to the lower front side surface (the left side surface in FIG. 5) of the steering column 3 so as to protrude from the front side surface. The lower support bracket 4 is formed with a long hole 5 which is long in the axial direction of the steering column 3 (in the oblique vertical direction in FIG. 5). On the other hand, a pair of left and right lower support arms 6 is fixed to a part of the vehicle body, and the lower support arms 6
The lower support bracket 4 is sandwiched from left and right. Then, a bolt-shaped pivot 7 spanned over the pair of lower support arms 6 is loosely engaged with the elongated hole 5. Accordingly, the lower portion of the steering column 3 is supported by the pair of lower support arms 6 so as to freely swing about the pivot shaft 7 and slightly move up and down.

An upper support bracket 8 is fixed to an upper front side surface of the steering column 3 so as to protrude from the front side surface. The upper support bracket 8 has an elongated hole 9 long in the axial direction of the steering column 3.
Is formed. On the other hand, the upper support arm 1 is fixed to a part of the vehicle body while holding the upper support bracket 8 therebetween.
At 0, a long hole 11 orthogonal to the long hole 9 is formed. Then, the tightening bolt 13 inserted through both the long holes 9 and 11 is made rotatable by the lever 12 so that the tightening bolt 13 is rotated with respect to a nut (not shown), and the upper support bracket 8 is moved to the upper support arm 10. To fix or release the fixation.

When the position of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted by the steering wheel position adjusting device constructed as described above, the tightening bolt 13 and the nut are loosened by operating the lever 12, and the upper support bracket is adjusted. The steering wheel 1 is moved to a desired position in a state where the steering wheel 8 is displaceable with respect to the upper support arm 10. The height position of the steering wheel 1 is adjustable within a range in which the pivot 7 can be displaced inside the long hole 5 and the tightening bolt 13 can be displaced inside the long hole 9. The front and rear positions of the steering wheel 1 are adjustable within a range in which the tightening bolt 13 can be displaced inside the elongated hole 11.

When the position of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted within the above range, the lever 12 is operated in the opposite direction to tighten the tightening bolt 13 and the nut, and the upper support bracket 8 is moved to the upper support arm. Fix to 10 As a result, the steering wheel 1 is fixed at the adjusted position.

Meanwhile, a steering column support device in which the long hole 5 of the lower support bracket 4 is engaged with the pivot 7 is conventionally constructed as shown in FIGS. The generation of abnormal noise based on the above is prevented (for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-117575).

The supporting device includes a metal collar 1 attached to the lower support bracket 4, the lower support arms 6, 6 and the pivot 7.
4 and a pair of synthetic resin bushes 15, 15. The outer peripheral surface of the collar 14 has an oval cross-sectional shape including a pair of flat surfaces 16, 16 parallel to each other.
0 and 20 are formed. And this collar 14
Each flat surface 16, 16 is connected to the inner edge 5 a, 5
In a state where the long holes 5 and 5 are opposed to each other, they are inserted into the long holes 5 and 5.

On the other hand, the bush 15, 15 has an outer diameter which can fit inside the end of the collar 14 on one side of the flange portion 17, 17 having a size that cannot pass through the long hole 5, 5. Cylindrical portions 18 having an inner diameter through which the pivot 7 can be inserted;
Are formed at two positions on the outer peripheral surface of each of the cylindrical portions 18, 18.
Protrusions 19, 19 extending in the axial direction are formed. And
The cylindrical portions 18 are fitted and fixed to both ends of the collar 14 while the projections 19 are engaged with the notches 20. In this state, the pair of lower support arms 6, 6 and the lower support bracket 4 are sandwiched by a pair of flanges 17, 17, as shown in FIG.

The pivot 7 is provided with a collar 14 mounted inside the elongated holes 5, 5 of the lower support bracket 4 as described above.
And the inside of the bushes 15, 15 and the circular holes 21, 21 formed in the pair of lower support arms 6, 6. The nut 23 is screwed into the male screw part 22 at the tip to prevent the nut from coming off.

When the supporting device for the steering column is constructed as described above, when adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 1 (FIG. 5), the flat surfaces 16, 1
When one of the bushes 15 slides on one of the inner edges 5a, 5a of the elongated hole 5 and also adjusts the front-rear position, the pair of bushes 15, 15 rotate around the pivot 7.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the case of a conventional steering column support device constructed and operated as described above,
In order to smoothly displace the collar 14 inside the elongated hole 5, a slight gap 34 (FIG. 7) is provided between the flat surface 16 of the collar 14 and the inner edge 5a of the elongated hole 5. Must be interposed. For this reason, the collar 14 swings in the width direction of the elongated hole 5 (the left-right direction in FIG. 7) with the vibration during the running of the automobile, and abnormal noise is likely to be generated in the support device.
In order to reduce the size δ (FIG. 7) of the gap 34 so as to make the noise less likely to occur, the flat surfaces 16, 1
It is necessary to improve the processing accuracy of the hole 6 and the long hole 5, and the manufacturing cost of the collar 14 and the lower support bracket 4 increases.

After the collar 14 and the bushings 15, 15 are mounted inside the elongated holes 5, 5, these members 1
It is necessary to prevent these members 14 and 15 from falling off from the inside of the long holes 5 and 5 until the pivot 7 is inserted into the inside of the slots 4 and 15. In the case of the structure described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-117575, bushes 15, 1 are provided inside notches 20, 20 formed at both ends of the collar 14.
The protrusions 19, 19 formed in the 5 are press-fitted to prevent the members 14, 15 from falling off. In such a structure, the notches 20, 20 and the protrusions 19, 19 are used. Dimensional accuracy is required, which also causes an increase in manufacturing cost.

Further, in order to ensure the above-mentioned falling-off prevention function,
In order to secure the fitting strength between the ridges 19, 19 and the notches 20, 20, the thickness of the collar 14 is increased, and the length L (FIG. 7) of each of the notches 20, 20 is reduced. Need to be bigger. However, increasing the thickness of the metal collar 14 is not preferable because it leads to an increase in weight.

The steering column support device of the present invention eliminates any of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0016]

A supporting device for a steering column according to the present invention comprises a supporting bracket fixed to a side surface of a steering column so as to protrude from the side surface, similarly to the above-described conventional device, and a supporting bracket. A long hole formed in the axial direction of the steering column, a pair of support arms fixed to the vehicle body and holding the support bracket from right and left, and a cylindrical collar inserted through the long hole, respectively. A pair of bushings having a through hole at the center of
A pivot is provided between the pair of support arms with the through holes of the pair of bushes and the collar inserted therethrough.

Further, in the steering column supporting device according to the present invention, the collar is made of a spring material, and is arranged in a circumferential direction.
It is characterized in that it has elasticity in a direction in which a part of the outer peripheral surface is pressed against the inner edge of the long hole when the bush is internally fitted at least at both ends at discontinuous portions.

[0018]

According to the steering column support device of the present invention constructed as described above, in order to adjust the position of the steering wheel, the steering column can be displaced in the axial direction, or can be moved around the pivot axis. The operation itself when the swing of the steering column is permitted is the same as that of the conventional steering column support device described above.

In particular, in the case of the steering column support device according to the present invention, the dimensional accuracy of the collar is particularly improved by elastically abutting a part of the outer peripheral surface of the spring material collar to the inner edge of the elongated hole. Even if not strictly regulated, it is possible to prevent the collar from rattling inside the elongated hole due to vibrations during running of the vehicle.

Even if the thickness of the collar made of a spring material is not particularly increased, or the dimensional accuracy between the collar and the bush is not strictly regulated, the fitting strength between the collar and the bush is sufficient. Can be secured.

[0021]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. The lower support bracket 4 is fixed to the front side surface of the steering column 3 (FIG. 5) so as to protrude from the front side surface. The lower support bracket 4 is formed with a pair of long holes 5 that are long in the axial direction of the steering column 3 (vertical direction in FIGS. 1 and 2). A pair of left and right lower support arms 6 and 6 are fixed to a part of the vehicle body, and the lower support bracket 4 is sandwiched by the lower support arms 6 and 6 from the left and right.

Inside the long hole 5, a cylindrical collar 24 is provided.
Is inserted. The collar 24 is formed by roll-forming a metal spring plate, has a slit 25 at one location in the circumferential direction, and has elasticity in the direction of increasing the outer diameter. Further, flat surfaces 26, 26 are formed at two positions on the outer peripheral surface of the collar 24, and the cross section is formed in an oval shape, but the flat surfaces 26, 26 in the free state of the collar 24 are formed.
Is larger than the width w (FIG. 2) of the long hole 5 (W> w). The flat surfaces 26, 2
6 are provided with through holes 27 at both ends.

On the other hand, a pair of right and left bushes 28, 28
It is made by injection molding of a synthetic resin, and has flanges 29 and 29 having a size that cannot pass through the long hole 5 and cylindrical portions 30 and 30 formed on one surface of the flanges 29 and 29. . The outer peripheral cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical portions 30, 30 is an oval shape, and the respective cylindrical portions 30, 30 can be pushed into the openings at both ends of the collar 24. Further, slits 31, 31 are formed in a part of each flange 29, 29 and the cylindrical part 30, 30 in the circumferential direction.
Is formed, and the outer diameter of each of the cylindrical portions 30 is elastically contractible. Further, circular holes 32, 32, which are through holes, are formed at the central portions of the cylindrical portions 30, 30, and the circular holes 32,
The pivot 7 can be inserted through 32. Further, the outer surface of each of the cylindrical portions 30, 30 has a through hole 2 at the end of the collar 24.
Protrusions 33, 33 which can be engaged with 7, 27 are formed.

When assembling the steering column support device of the present invention comprising the above-described members, first, the collar 24 is inserted into the elongated hole 5 while the interval between the flat surfaces 26, 26 is elastically reduced. I do. In this state, this color 24
Is a flat surface 26 on one side (left side in FIG. 2) as shown in FIG.
Is brought into contact with one inner edge 5a, and the end of the other flat surface 26 (right side in the figure) is elastically pressed against the other inner edge 5a.

Next, at both ends of the collar 24,
The cylindrical portions 30, 30 of the pair of bushes 28, 28 are pushed in while elastically reducing the outer diameter of each of the cylindrical portions 30, 30, and the through holes 27, 27 at the end of the collar 24 and the outer surfaces of the cylindrical portions 30, 30 are formed. The projections 33 are engaged with each other. As a result, the pair of bushes 28, 28 is firmly connected and held to the end of the collar 24. And, the flange 29 of each bush 28, 28,
29 holds the lower support bracket 4 from both sides so that the collar 24 and the bushes 28, 28 do not fall off from the inside of the elongated hole 5. In addition, one bush 28 is
Before inserting the collar 24 into the slot 5,
4 may be attached to one end.

Next, the lower support bracket 4 is inserted between the pair of lower support arms 6, 6, and the outer surfaces of the flanges 29, 29 forming the bushes 28, 28,
The inner surfaces of the lower support arms 6, 6 are opposed to each other, and the circular holes 32, 32 at the centers of the bushes 28, 28 are aligned with the circular holes 21, 21 at the tips of the lower support arms 6, 6.

In this state, the bolt-shaped pivot 7 is moved from the circular hole 21 at the tip of one lower support arm 6 to the circular hole 21 at the tip of the other lower support arm 6, and the pair of bushes 28,
28 and the collar 24 are inserted, and the male screw portion 22 at the tip of the pivot 7 is projected from the outer surface of the other lower support arm 6. Then, the nut 23 is screwed into the male screw portion 22 and tightened to complete the assembly work of the steering column support device of the present invention.

In the case of the steering column support device of the present invention, which is configured as described above, the steering wheel 1
In order to adjust the vertical position of the steering column 3 (FIG. 5) and the front-rear position, displacement of the steering column 3 in the axial direction (oblique vertical direction in FIG. 5) is allowed, or the steering column 3 is The operation itself when the swing is permitted is the same as that of the conventional steering column support device described above.

In particular, in the case of the steering column support device according to the present invention, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the spring material collar 24 is elastically brought into contact with both inner edges 5a, 5a of the elongated hole 5 to thereby achieve this. Since the collar 24 is prevented from being displaced in the width direction of the long hole 5, even if the dimensional accuracy of the collar 24 and the long hole 5 is not particularly strictly regulated, the vibration during the driving of the automobile causes The collar 24 can be prevented from rattling inside the elongated hole 5.

Each of the bushes 28, 28 is provided at both ends of the collar 24 with the elastic and through holes 2 of the two members 28, 24.
7 and 27 and the projections 33 and 33 are firmly connected and held, so that the thickness of the collar 24 is particularly increased or the thickness of the collar 24 is increased as in the above-described conventional device.
Even if the dimensional accuracy of the bushs 28, 28 is not particularly strictly regulated, the coupling strength between the collar 24 and the bushes 28, 28 is sufficiently ensured, and each member 24, 28 can be reliably prevented from falling off.

Incidentally, the collar 2 constituting the support device of the present invention.
The cross-sectional shape of 4 is not limited to the shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 described above, and for example, the shapes as shown in FIGS. Among them, the one shown in (A) is one in which one side is curved outward and convex, the one shown in (B) is one in which a part of one side is projected, (C) Is one in which one side surface is convexly curved inward. The one shown in (C) has elasticity in the direction of reducing the outer diameter in a free state, but in a state where the bushes 28, 28 (FIG. 1) are fitted in both ends, both side surfaces are It is elastically pressed against both inner edges 5a, 5a of the long hole 5. Further, in the case shown in (D), the outer diameter is elastically expanded by overlapping the discontinuous portions in the circumferential direction with each other.

[0032]

[Effects of the Invention] The steering column support device of the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, so that the support device which does not rattle due to vibration during traveling and which is lightweight can be used.
Can be provided at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an engagement state between a long hole and a collar as viewed from a direction of an arrow A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a collar.

FIG. 4 is an end view showing four examples of different shapes of a collar cross section.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the steering device incorporating the steering column support device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing one example of a conventional device with some parts omitted.

FIG. 7 is a view of the engagement state between the elongated hole and the collar as viewed from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 6 in an assembled state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 2 Steering shaft 3 Steering column 4 Lower support bracket 5 Long hole 5a Inside edge 6 Lower support arm 7 Axis 8 Upper support bracket 9 Long hole 10 Upper support arm 11 Long hole 12 Lever 13 Tightening bolt 14 Collar 15 Bush 16 Flat Surface 17 Flange 18 Cylindrical portion 19 Ridge 20 Notch 21 Circular hole 22 Male screw 23 Nut 24 Collar 25 Slit 26 Flat surface 27 Through hole 28 Bush 29 Flange 30 Cylindrical portion 31 Slit 32 Circular hole 33 Projection 34 Gap

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A support bracket fixed to a side surface of the steering column so as to protrude from the side surface; a long hole formed in the support bracket in the axial direction of the steering column; fixed to a vehicle body; A pair of support arms for sandwiching the support bracket from the left and right, a cylindrical collar inserted through the elongated hole, and a through hole at the center of each of the arms, and the collar is internally fitted and supported at both ends of the collar. In a steering column support device comprising: a pair of bushes; and a pivot shaft extended between the pair of support arms while the through holes of the pair of bushes and the collar are inserted. The collar is made of a spring material, has one discontinuity in the circumferential direction, and has elasticity in a direction of pressing a part of the outer peripheral surface against the inner edge of the long hole with at least both ends fitted with bushes. A steering column support device characterized by the following features: