JP3906092B2 - Tilt steering device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tilt steering device.
[0002]
[Background Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
The tilt steering device supports the steering wheel so that the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted, and includes a side plate of a fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body and a side plate of a column bracket provided on the steering column for a tilt lock that holds the steering wheel in the adjusted position. A supporting shaft that penetrates, an operating lever that rotates about the axis of the supporting shaft, and a cam mechanism that achieves tilt lock by pressing the side plates of both brackets with the rotation of the operating lever. There is something to have.
[0003]
This cam mechanism has a cam and a cam follower which are formed in a substantially disc shape, have a support shaft passing through them, and are arranged to face each other. The cam is rotated together with the operation lever, and accordingly, the cam follower is restricted by a groove on the side plate of the bracket so that the cam follower and the cam can be relatively rotated while being in sliding contact with each other.
The cam follower is provided on one side surface of the engaging convex portion for cam-engaging with the cam, and on the other side surface of the insertion convex portion that fits into the groove on the side plate of the bracket to restrict rotation. Part, usually made of a sintered body and expensive. Also, the cam was formed similarly to the cam follower and was expensive.
[0004]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above technical problem and to provide an inexpensive tilt steering device.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
The invention according to claim 1 is a support shaft that passes through a side plate of a fixed bracket that is fixed to the vehicle body and a side plate of the column bracket that is provided in the steering column, an operation lever that is rotated around the axis of the support shaft, In the tilt steering device including a cam mechanism for achieving tilt lock by pressing the side plates of both brackets with the rotation of the operation lever, the cam mechanism is a first member that rotates together with the operation lever. And a second member that is prevented from rotating by the corresponding side plate and relatively rotates while being in contact with the first member. At least the second member is a separate unit from the corresponding side plate. Ri Na are pressed at one member, said second member includes a first surface having a flat contact portion which abuts on the corresponding side plate, the axial direction of the first surface and the support shaft Opposite and second And a second surface that is cam-engaged with the member, and is inserted into the groove of the corresponding side plate on the first surface, and is an insertion protrusion that restricts the rotation of the second member relative to the corresponding side plate. A portion is formed . According to the invention, at least a second member of the first and second members, it is possible to inexpensively form, the cam mechanism can be realized at low cost and hence the tilt steering apparatus.
[0006]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the first member and the operating lever are integrally press-formed with a single member. According to the present invention, since the number of parts can be reduced, the tilt steering device can be realized at a lower cost.
According to a third aspect of the invention, according to claim 1 or 2, in the second surface, the engaging convex portion cam engagement with the first member is formed, and the insertion convex portion and the engaging portion Is characterized in that the positions are shifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the support shaft.
[0007]
According to this invention, even if there are convex portions on both surfaces of the second member, such a second member can be press-formed without difficulty. Therefore, the tilt steering device can be reliably made inexpensive.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the second member has a substantially disc shape, and the second protrusion is formed as the insertion convex portion formed on the first surface of the second member. A pair of insertion convex portions that are adjacent to the outer peripheral portion of the member and are opposed to each other in the radial direction of the second member are provided.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a tilt steering device (hereinafter also simply referred to as a steering device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a steering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The steering device 1 includes a steering shaft 3 that transmits the movement of the steering wheel 2 to steer a wheel (not shown), and a steering column 4 that rotatably supports the steering shaft 3 through the inside. is doing. A steering wheel 2 is connected to one end 5 of the steering shaft 3. When the steering wheel 2 is rotated, the rotation of the steering wheel 3 via an intermediate shaft (not shown) connected to the steering shaft 3 and the other end 6 of the steering shaft 3 so as to be integrally rotatable, etc. Is transmitted to a steering mechanism (not shown) including the steering wheel.
[0009]
In the present steering device 1, the steering wheel 2 is attached to a vehicle body 7 (partly shown by a one-dot chain line) so that the position of the steering wheel 2 can be adjusted in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. For example, when the position of the steering wheel 2 is set to a standard position, the steering wheel 2 is on the upper side, and the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the axial direction) is It is slanted. In the following, the direction will be described based on a state in which the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 at the above-described standard position is horizontal and along the front-rear direction. Moreover, in each figure, the front-back direction and the axial direction (refer arrow S), the left-right direction (refer arrow Y), and the up-down direction (refer arrow Z) are shown as needed.
[0010]
The steering shaft 3 has an upper shaft 8 constituting the rear portion thereof and a lower shaft 9 constituting the front portion. The upper shaft 8 and the lower shaft 9 are coupled to each other by a joint structure such as a spline structure so as to be able to move relative to each other in the direction along the axial direction, and to be steered by a plurality of bearings (not shown). Supported by column 4.
The steering column 4 is a state in which the outer tube 10 serving as a first cylindrical member that is rotatably supported in the axially positioned state while accommodating the upper shaft 8 and the axially positioned while accommodating the lower shaft 9. An inner tube 11 as a second cylindrical member that is rotatably supported by the upper tube 12, an upper bracket 12 fixed to the outer periphery of the outer tube 10, and a lower bracket 13 fixed to the lower portion of the inner tube 11. Yes. Both tubes 10 and 11 are fitted so as to be slidable relative to each other in the axial direction.
[0011]
The outer tube 10 is attached to the vehicle body 7 via the upper bracket 12, the support shaft 14, the upper fixing bracket 15, and the like. The inner tube 11 is attached to the vehicle body 7 via a lower bracket 13, a tilt center shaft 16, a lower fixing bracket 17, and the like.
The tilt center shaft 16 is inserted through the circular hole of the lower fixed bracket 17 and the circular hole of the lower bracket 13 so that the lower bracket 13 and the lower fixed bracket 17 can be rotated relative to each other about the axis of the tilt central shaft 16. Link. As a result, the steering column 4 is supported in a swingable manner.
[0012]
The support shaft 14 includes a horizontally elongated hole 32 formed in the pair of side plates 31 of the upper bracket 12 and extending in the axial direction, and a vertically elongated hole formed in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction formed in the pair of fixed side plates 41 of the upper fixed bracket 15. 42, and the upper bracket 12 and the upper fixing bracket 15 are connected. Thereby, the position of the outer tube 10 of the steering column 4 can be adjusted in the axial direction and the direction orthogonal to the upper fixing bracket 15.
[0013]
With these parts, the present steering device 1 has a telescopic adjustment function for adjusting the position of the steering wheel 2 in the axial direction by relatively sliding the tubes 10 and 11 in the axial direction, and a steering column around the tilt center axis 16. By tilting 4, it has a tilt adjustment function that adjusts the position of the steering wheel 2 along the vertical direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the position of the steering wheel 2 can be adjusted according to the driver's physique, driving posture, etc. Has been. It is also possible to omit the telescopic adjustment function. In addition, a lock mechanism 20 is provided that can be switched by a control lever 21 between a tilt lock state in which the steering column 4 is held so that such an adjusted position can be maintained and a release state in the lock state. Yes.
[0014]
2 and 3, the lock mechanism 20 includes a pair of side plates 31 of the above-described upper bracket 12 as a column bracket provided on the steering column 4 and the above-described upper portion as a fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body 7. A pair of fixed side plates 41 of the fixed bracket 15, the above-described support shaft 14 penetrating the two pairs of side plates 31, 41, an operation lever 21 rotated around the axis C of the support shaft 14; A cam mechanism 22 is provided for achieving tilt lock by pressing the side plates 31 and 41 of the brackets 12 and 15 with each other as the operation lever 21 rotates.
[0015]
The upper fixing bracket 15 has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section, and includes the above-described pair of fixed side plates 41 facing each other and the connection plate 43 that connects the upper end edges of the pair of fixed side plates 41. A pair of mounting seats 44 extending in the width direction of the vehicle body from the upper portion of 41 is provided. The upper bracket 12 is sandwiched between the pair of fixed side plates 41.
The upper bracket 12 has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section, and includes the above-described pair of side plates 31 facing each other and a connection plate 33 that connects the upper end edges of the pair of side plates 31. The lower end edges of the pair of side plates 31 are fixed to the outer periphery of the outer tube 10 by welding or the like.
[0016]
The support shaft 14 is formed in substantially the same shape as the hexagon bolt, and is formed on the head portion 36 at one end thereof, a shaft portion 35 extending from the head portion 36 in the left-right direction, and the other end side of the shaft portion 35. And a male screw 37. A nut 28 is screwed into the male screw 37. Between the nut 28 and the head 36, the cam mechanism 22, one fixed side plate 41 of the upper fixed bracket 15, the pair of side plates 31 of the upper bracket 12, and the other fixed side plate 41 are arranged in this order.
[0017]
The cam mechanism 22 is prevented from rotating by a cam 23 as a first member that rotates together with the operation lever 21 and a fixed side plate 41 as a corresponding side plate, and rotates relative to the cam 23 in contact with each other. And a cam follower 24 as a member.
The cam 23 is regulated by the support shaft 14 in the direction in which the axis C of the support shaft 14 extends. On the other hand, the support shaft 14 is inserted through the insertion hole 50 of the cam follower 24 so as to be rotatable and slidable in the axial direction. The unevenness of the cam surface 47 of the cam 23 and the unevenness of the cam follower 24 facing the unevenness engage with each other. Thus, when the cam 23 and the cam follower 24 are relatively rotated, the cam 23 and the cam follower 24 are also relatively moved in the axial direction.
[0018]
In the present steering device 1, when the operation lever 21 of the lock mechanism 20 is turned in one direction, the cam follower 24 and the head 36 of the support shaft 14 approach each other along the axial direction of the support shaft 14 by the cam mechanism 22. The side plates 31 and 41 of the brackets 12 and 15 can be pressed to be in a locked state. On the other hand, when the operation lever 21 of the lock mechanism 20 is turned in the other direction, the cam follower 24 and the head 36 move away from each other along the axial direction of the support shaft 14, and the side plates 31 and 41 of the brackets 12 and 15 are pressed against each other. Is released.
[0019]
In particular, in the embodiment of the present invention, the cam 23 is press-molded from a sheet metal material, and the cam follower 24 is press-molded from a sheet metal material. As a result, the cam 23 and the cam follower 24 can be formed at a lower cost than the sintered body, so that the cam mechanism 22 and thus the tilt steering device 1 can be realized at a lower cost. Incidentally, in order to obtain a cost reduction effect, as long as at least a cam follower 24 of cam 23 and cam follower 24 is formed by press-forming, less expensive than the case of forming by both sintered body cam 23 and cam follower 24 Can be.
[0020]
In particular, when both the cam 23 and the cam follower 24 are press-molded, it is preferable because a large cost reduction effect can be obtained.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cam 23 and the operation lever 21 are integrally press-formed with a single member to form an integrally formed product 25. In this case, since the cam 23 and the operation lever 21 can be molded together, the processing cost can be reduced. Moreover, since the number of parts can be reduced compared with the case where the cam 23 and the operation lever 21 are formed separately, the assembly cost can be reduced. Therefore, the tilt steering device 1 can be realized at a lower cost.
[0021]
In the integrally formed product 25, a seat 46 that is in contact with the nut 28 and a washer 29 is formed behind a portion that becomes the cam surface 47 of the cam 23. The seat 46 is formed in an annular flat shape. A resin knob 26 is provided at the tip of the operation lever 21 of the integrally formed product 25.
The cam 23 is disposed on a cam surface 47 facing the cam follower 24 between a plurality of, for example, four convex portions 49 projecting toward the cam follower 24 along the axial direction of the support shaft 14 and the adjacent convex portions 49. A plurality of, for example, four recesses 48.
[0022]
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the cam follower 24 is formed separately from the side plate 41 and has a substantially disk shape, and has a first surface 51 and a second surface 52 that face each other. An insertion convex portion 53 for restricting the rotation of the cam follower 24 by being inserted into a vertically long hole 42 as a groove of the fixed side plate 41 and a step portion 54 surrounding the insertion convex portion 53 are formed on the first surface 51. The step portion 54 has a flat contact portion 59 that contacts the corresponding fixed side plate 41 and a recessed portion 60 that is recessed one step deeper from the contact portion 59. At the same time, a plurality of, for example, a plurality of, for example, four engagement protrusions 55 and a plurality of, for example, a plurality of engagement protrusions 55 disposed between adjacent engagement protrusions 55 are provided on the second surface 52 that is the back surface of the first surface 51. And four concave portions 56. Each recess 56 has a flat engagement recess 57 that engages with the protrusion 49 in the released state. The two recesses 56 have a recess 58 that is recessed one step deeper than the engagement recess 57. The recess 58 is formed on the back side corresponding to the insertion protrusion 53.
[0023]
The engaging convex portion 55 is cam-engaged with the cam surface 47 of the cam 23 (see FIG. 8). For example, the engaging convex portion 55 protrudes toward the cam 23, and the distal end portion of the convex portion 49 of the cam 23 and the engaging convex portion 55 are brought into contact with each other, so that the engaging convex portion 55 is locked as described above. To achieve. When the cam follower 24 rotates relative to the cam 23 around the axis of the support shaft 14, the tip of the convex portion 49 of the cam 23 comes into contact with the engagement concave portion 57, and the cam follower 24 is in contact with the cam 23 as described above. In contrast, the shaft 14 is relatively displaced in the axial direction, and the lock is released.
[0024]
A pair of insertion convex portions 53 are provided, and are arranged along the radial direction of the support shaft 14. The cam follower 24 is supported with respect to the fixed side plate 41 of the upper fixing bracket 15 by the side portions of the pair of insertion convex portions 53 coming into contact with the peripheral edge portion of the vertically long hole 42 in the circumferential direction of the support shaft 14. Relative rotation is restricted around the axis of the shaft 14. The pair of insertion convex portions 53 are arranged near the outer peripheral edge of the cam follower 24 facing each other, and can reduce the load received when restricting the rotation so that durability can be ensured even if the cam follower 24 has low strength. Has been.
[0025]
By the way, in the case where there are convex portions on the front and back like the cam follower 24, it may be difficult to apply the press molding method. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cam follower 24 is configured as follows in order to facilitate press molding.
In the cam follower 24, the insertion convex portion 53 and the engaging convex portion 55 are arranged with their positions shifted in the circumferential direction of the support shaft 14. As a result, even if the convex portions 53 and 55 are provided on both surfaces 51 and 52, such a cam follower 24 can be press-formed without difficulty. Therefore, the tilt steering device 1 can be reliably made inexpensive.
[0026]
Moreover, if it is press molding, since the insertion convex part 53 and the engagement convex part 55 which become a back surface can be formed collectively, a processing cost can be reduced. In addition, the relative angular position accuracy between the insertion convex portion 53 and the engagement convex portion 55 can be increased.
Furthermore, the insertion convex part 53 and the engagement convex part 55 are arrange | positioned so that it may not overlap when seeing from the direction where the axis line of the spindle 14 is extended. Further, a substantially flat contact portion 59 and an engagement concave portion 57 are interposed between the insertion convex portion 53 and the engagement convex portion 55. Thereby, the ease of press molding can be further enhanced.
[0027]
In the present embodiment, the back surface of the stepped portion 54 is cam-engaged with the cam 23, but the back surface of the insertion convex portion 53 may be cam-engaged with the cam 23. In this case, the cam mechanism 22 can be downsized in the axial direction.
In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned structure for tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment, In addition, the structure for well-known tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment can be applied. For example, the cam follower 24 is in contact with the fixed side plate 41 of the upper fixed bracket 15, but may be in contact with the side plate 31 of the upper bracket 12. In short, the support shaft 14 that penetrates the side plates of the pair of brackets that can be moved relative to each other for adjusting the position of the steering wheel 2, the operating lever 21 provided on the supporting shaft 14, and the side plates that are operated by the operating lever 21 Any mechanism may be used as long as the cam mechanism 22 has a pair of members 23 and 24 that move relative to each other while abutting each other. In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration of a steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a lock mechanism and a peripheral portion thereof taken along the line AA in FIG. 1;
3 is an exploded perspective view of the lock mechanism of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an integrally formed product.
FIG. 5 is a view in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 6 showing the first surface of the cam follower. FIG. 6 is a view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 5 showing the side of the cam follower. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the operation of the cam mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Tilt steering device 4 Steering column 7 Car body 12 Upper bracket (column bracket)
14 Support shaft 15 Upper fixed bracket (fixed bracket)
21 Operation lever 22 Cam mechanism 23 Cam (first member)
24 cam follower (second member)
25 Integrated product (single member)
Side plates 31 the upper bracket (side plate of the column bracket)
41 Fixed side plate (Fixed bracket side plate , corresponding side plate )
42 Long hole (corresponding side plate groove)
51 1st surface 52 2nd surface 53 Insertion convex part 55 Engagement convex part
59 Abutment C Cylinder axis

Claims (4)

A support shaft that passes through the side plate of the fixed bracket that is fixed to the vehicle body and the side plate of the column bracket that is provided on the steering column, an operation lever that is rotated about the axis of the support shaft, and the rotation of the operation lever In a tilt steering device comprising a cam mechanism for pressing the side plates of both brackets to achieve tilt lock,
The cam mechanism includes a first member that rotates together with the operation lever, and a second member that is prevented from rotating by a corresponding side plate and rotates relative to the first member while being in contact with each other.
At least a second member, Ri Na is pressed at a single member separate from the said corresponding side plate,
The second member has a first surface having a flat contact portion that contacts the corresponding side plate, and is opposed to the first surface in the axial direction of the support shaft, and is cam-engaged with the first member. And a second surface to
A tilt steering device, wherein an insertion convex portion is formed on the first surface to be inserted into a groove of the corresponding side plate and restrict rotation of the second member with respect to the corresponding side plate . The tilt steering apparatus according to claim 1,
A tilt steering device, wherein the first member and the operating lever are integrally press-molded with a single member. In the tilt steering device according to claim 1 or 2,
To the second surface that is formed engaging protrusions which cam engagement with the first member, the above insertion convex portion and the engaging portion are disposed offset from one another to positions in the circumferential direction of the support shaft A tilt steering device. In the tilt steering device according to claim 3,
The second member has a substantially disc shape,
As the insertion convex portion formed on the first surface of the second member, a pair of insertion convex portions adjacent to the outer peripheral portion of the second member and facing the radial direction of the second member are provided. A tilt steering device.

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