JP4506176B2 - Steering column device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering column device, and more particularly to a steering column device for a vehicle having at least one of a telescopic mechanism and a tilting mechanism.

  The telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism are mechanisms for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction and the tilt angle to a position where driving is most comfortable according to the body shape and preference of the driver, respectively.

  The telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism include a column clamp that is clamped / unclamped when adjusting the longitudinal position of the steering wheel, and a tilt head clamp that is clamped / unclamped when adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel. At the time of this adjustment, the clamps for each of them are once released, and in that state, the position in the front-rear direction and the inclination angle are adjusted, and then the clamp state is set again.

  Each clamp device is provided with a spring as means for maintaining the clamp state of the column clamp and tilt head clamp after adjusting the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel. British Patent Application No. 2281375 discloses a steering column device in which the steering wheel front and rear direction position and tilt angle can be adjusted by a single operation lever that can be operated with the hand held on the steering wheel. Yes.

  In the steering column device of the above-mentioned British patent, the operating lever is always retracted to the retracted position away from the steering wheel by the force of the tension spring, preventing accidents where the hand touches the operating lever during driving. Yes. When adjusting the steering wheel, if the operating lever is pulled toward the steering wheel with a finger, the operating lever is pulled toward the steering wheel against the tension spring. The movement of the operation lever is transmitted to a column clamp for position adjustment in the front-rear direction separated from the operation lever via a cable movable in the flexible tube, and the column clamp is unclamped.

  In addition, the movement of the operation lever causes the tilt head clamp for adjusting the tilt angle near the operation lever to act on the unclamp side against the compression spring and the leaf spring. While holding the control lever with your finger, operate the steering wheel with both hands, and after adjusting the front and rear position and tilt angle of the steering wheel, when you release your finger from the control lever, the control lever will become a tension spring, compression spring Then, the column clamp and the tilt head clamp are clamped by returning to the retracted position by the force of the leaf spring.

  In the above-mentioned steering column device of the British patent, it is necessary to operate the operation lever in the unclamping direction against a plurality of springs for the column clamp and tilt head clamp, so that a large force is required to operate the operation lever. Is unfavorable because of poor operability. Further, as the operating lever approaches the unclamping operation end, the spring biasing force gradually increases, so that the force required to operate the operating lever gradually increases and the operability is poor.

  Also, if you try to increase the lever ratio by lengthening the operating lever in order to reduce the force to operate the operating lever, it will interfere with the operation of the switches near the steering wheel, and in the case of a secondary collision, the instrument panel In addition, since the long operation lever interferes, there is a problem that the place where the operation lever is arranged is limited.

  Furthermore, since it is necessary to adjust the steering wheel while holding the operation lever with a finger, it is difficult to adjust the steering wheel.

British Patent Application No. 2281375

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering column device that improves the operability of the operation lever by enabling the operation lever to be operated with a small force. It is another object of the present invention to provide a steering column device in which the force required to operate the operation lever gradually decreases as the operation lever approaches the unclamping operation end.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a steering column device that has a compact operating lever and has a wide range of options for arranging the operating lever. Further, when at least one of the telescopic mechanism or the tilting mechanism is in an unclamped state, even when the operation lever is released, at least one of the telescopic mechanism or the tilting mechanism is maintained in the unclamped state. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a steering column device in which at least one of the front-rear direction position adjustment and the inclination angle adjustment of the steering wheel can be performed with both hands.

  In addition, even if the operation lever is released, it is possible to hold at least one of the clamped or unclamped state of the operating lever, eliminating the problem of the operating lever shifting from the clamped or unclamped state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering column device.

The above problem is solved by the following means. That is, the present invention includes a tilting mechanism for adjusting a tilt angle of a steering wheel, a clamp / unclamp mechanism for clamping / unclamping the tilting mechanism, and a clamp / unclamp of the clamp / unclamp mechanism. An operation lever that can be operated, and two urging springs that urge the operation lever, and when the operation lever is on the clamp side, a moment due to a resultant force of the urging forces of the two urging springs Takes the maximum value, and the engaging portion on the operation lever that engages one end of one of the two urging springs has a fixed portion that fixes the other end of the urging spring; When it is swung toward the unclamping side over the straight line connecting the lever center of the operation lever, it depends on the resultant force of the two urging springs Mento is reduced, the unclamping extremity steering column apparatus characterized in that it comprises a biasing spring which each position on the operating lever at which becomes substantially zero is engaged.

  In the steering column device of the present invention, the force by which the urging member urges the operation lever gradually increases as the operation lever is operated in the unclamping direction to unclamp at least one of the tilt head clamp and the column clamp. Therefore, the force required to operate the operation lever in the unclamping direction is small, and the operability of the operation lever is improved. In addition, since the force required to operate the control lever is small, the control lever is compact, does not obstruct the operation of the switches around the steering hole, and the restriction on the location of the control lever is also eliminated. The

  Furthermore, in the steering column device of the present invention, the unclamped state of the clamp / unclamp mechanism is maintained even if the hand is released from the operation lever. Therefore, the steering wheel can be adjusted with both hands, and the steering wheel can be adjusted easily. There is an effect that can be done.

In the steering column device of the present invention, the unclamped state or the clamped state of the operation lever can be reliably held even when the hand is released from the operation lever.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a steering column device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (1) is a front view showing a state when an operation lever is at a clamp side operation end a. 2) is a right side view of FIG. 1 (1), and FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state when the operation lever is at the unclamping operation end b.

  In the first embodiment, one urging spring is used, and the urging force of the urging spring acting on the operation lever gradually decreases as the operation lever approaches the unclamping operation end. . Further, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when one clamp / unclamp mechanism of the telescopic mechanism or the tilting mechanism is operated by operating the operation lever and the hand is released from the operation lever, the telescopic or This is an embodiment in which one unclamped state of the tilting mechanism is maintained.

  In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the L-shaped operation lever 7 composed of the operation portion 701 and the spring engagement portion 702 is pivotally supported on the lever central shaft 704 so as to be swingable. The right end of the biasing spring 705 is fixed to the fixing portion 706 at the fixing position 707, and the left end of the biasing spring 705 is engaged with the engagement hole 703 at the left end of the spring engaging portion 702.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (2), the operation lever 7 is provided with a tilt head clamp 41, for example, constituted by a cam mechanism, which functions as a clamp end and unclamp end stopper around the lever central axis 704. The clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism can be operated by swinging the operation lever 7. When the operation lever 7 swings to the clamp side operation end a indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1, the tilt / clamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism can be clamped by the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41. When the operation lever 7 swings to the unclamping operation end b shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 can unclamp the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism.

  FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the swing angle of the operation lever 7 and the magnitude of the urging force acting on the operation lever 7. The horizontal axis in FIG. 5 indicates the swing angle of the operation lever 7, and the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the urging force acting on the operation lever 7 by the urging spring 705. In FIG. 5, the one-dot chain line 501 indicates the magnitude of the urging force acting on the operation lever 7 by the conventional urging spring, and the solid line 502 acts on the operation lever 7 by the urging spring 705 of the first embodiment. Indicates the magnitude of the urging force to be performed. As the conventional urging spring, as shown by a one-dot chain line 501 in FIG. 5, the urging force acting on the operation lever 7 gradually increases as the operation lever 7 is operated toward the unclamping operation end b. A large operating force is required to operate the operation lever 7.

  At the clamp-side operation end a in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 705 is swung clockwise around the lever center axis 704 via the engagement hole 703. In order to bias the spring engaging portion 702 to the moving end, a clockwise biasing force (white arrow Fb) always acts on the operation portion 701, and the operation lever 7 is biased to the clockwise swing end. Yes.

  At the clamp-side operation end a, the length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the lever center shaft 704 is the maximum length in the vector of the biasing force (white arrow Fa) of the biasing spring 705 acting on the engagement hole 703. Therefore, the moment of force by the urging spring 705 that causes the operation unit 701 to swing clockwise is the maximum value, and the urging force acting on the operation unit 701 is the maximum value F1. At this time, the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism is in the clamped state by the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 of the operation lever 7.

  When the operation portion 701 is grasped by hand and pulled toward the unclamping operation end b, the center of the engagement hole 703 approaches a straight line connecting the fixed position 707 of the right end of the urging spring 705 and the lever center shaft 704. . Then, the length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the lever central shaft 704 gradually approaches zero in the vector of the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 705 acting on the engagement hole 703. Therefore, the moment of the force acting on the engagement hole 703 by the urging spring 705, which tries to swing the spring engagement portion 702 clockwise, gradually approaches zero.

  Therefore, as indicated by a solid line 502 in FIG. 5, the biasing spring 705 acting on the operation unit 701 is approached as the fixed position 707, the lever center shaft 704, and the center of the engagement hole 703 are aligned. The clockwise urging force (white arrow Fb) gradually approaches zero, and as a result, it is necessary to attract the operating portion 701 toward the unclamping operation end b against the urging force of the urging spring 705. Operation force gradually approaches zero.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the operation unit 701 swings by the swing angle α and reaches the unclamping operation end b, the clockwise biasing force (white coating) by the biasing spring 705 acting on the operation unit 701 is obtained. The arrow Fb) becomes substantially zero, and the operation unit 701 can be operated with a light operation force. At this time, the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 of the operation lever 7 brings the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism into an unclamped state. Further, the operation portion 701 is slightly swung counterclockwise past the unclamping operation end b (the position where the center of the fixed position 707, the lever center shaft 704, and the engagement hole 703 is aligned in a straight line) in FIG. If the position is set to the unclamping operation end b, the urging spring 705 exerts a counterclockwise urging force on the operation portion 701, so that the tilt head clamp 41 is securely held in the unclamped state. Can do.

  As a result, even when the operation unit 701 is released, the operation unit 701 is held at the unclamping operation end b shown in FIG. 2 and the unclamped state of the tilt head clamp 41 is maintained. Therefore, the inclination angle of the steering wheel can be easily adjusted in a state where the steering wheel is grasped with both hands.

  When the adjustment of the tilt angle of the steering wheel is completed, the driver removes one hand from the steering wheel, and pushes the operation unit 701 toward the clamp-side operation end a with the released one hand. Then, the center of the engagement hole 703 is separated from the straight line connecting the fixed position 707 of the right end of the biasing spring 705 and the lever center shaft 704, and the biasing force of the biasing spring 705 acting on the engagement hole 703 (white arrow) The length of the perpendicular line from the center of the lever central axis 704 to the vector Fa) gradually increases.

  Accordingly, the moment of the force acting on the engagement hole 703 by the urging spring 705 which tries to swing the spring engagement portion 702 in the clockwise direction gradually increases, so that the driver can apply a small force to the operation portion 701. 1 is added, the tilting operation of the tilt head clamp 41 is performed, and the state shown in FIG. 1 is restored.

  When the driver releases his hand from the operation unit 701, the operation lever 7 is stopped at the clamp-side operation end a in FIG. 1 because the clockwise biasing force is applied by the biasing spring 705. This clamped state is maintained even if the operation unit 701 is released.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 3 and 4 show the steering column device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 (1) is a front view showing a state when the operation lever 7 is at the clamp side operation end a. (2) is a right side view of FIG. 3 (1), and FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state when the operation lever 7 is at the unclamping operation end b.

  In the second embodiment, two urging springs are used, and the resultant force of the two urging springs acting on the operation lever gradually decreases as the operation lever approaches the unclamping operation end b. This is an embodiment. Further, in the second embodiment of the present invention, when both the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism are operated by operating the operation lever, and the hand is released from the operation lever, the telescopic and tilting operations are performed. It is an embodiment in which both unclamped states of the mechanism are maintained.

  In FIGS. 3 and 4, the L-shaped operation lever 7 including the operation portion 701 and the spring engagement portion 702 is pivotally supported by the lever central shaft 704 so as to be swingable. One urging spring 705 has its right end fixed to one fixing portion 706 at a fixing position 707, and the left end of the urging spring 705 is engaged with the engagement hole 703 at the left end of the spring engagement portion 702. The other urging spring 708 has its left end fixed to the other fixing portion 710, and the right end of the urging spring 708 is engaged with the engagement hole 709 in the intermediate portion of the operation portion 701.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (2), the operation lever 7 is provided with a tilt head clamp 41, for example, constituted by a cam mechanism, which functions as a stopper for the clamp end and the unclamp end around the lever central axis 704. The clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism can be operated by swinging the operation lever 7. A column clamp 21 composed of a wedge mechanism is provided at an intermediate portion of the operation unit 701, and the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the telescopic mechanism can be operated by swinging the operation lever 7.

  When the operation lever 7 swings to the clamp side operation end a shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, the tilting mechanism and the telescopic mechanism clamp / unclamp mechanism are simultaneously operated by the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 and the wedge mechanism of the column clamp 21. Can be clamped. When the operating lever 7 swings to the unclamping side operation end b shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the tilting mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are clamped / unclamped by the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 and the wedge mechanism of the column clamp 21. The mechanism can be unclamped simultaneously.

  FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the swing angle of the operation lever 7 and the magnitude of the urging force acting on the operation lever 7. The horizontal axis in FIG. 6 indicates the swing angle of the operation lever 7, and the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the urging force acting on the operation lever 7 by the urging springs 705 and 708. In FIG. 6, the one-dot chain line 601 indicates the magnitude of the biasing force acting on the operation lever 7 by the biasing spring 708, and the broken line 602 indicates the magnitude of the biasing force acting on the operation lever 7 by the biasing spring 705. The solid line 603 indicates the magnitude of the urging force applied to the operation lever 7 by the resultant force of the urging forces of the urging springs 708 and 705.

  3 (1) and FIG. 6, the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 705 is spring-engaged around the lever center shaft 704 via the engagement hole 703. 702 is urged clockwise. Further, the urging force (white arrow Fd) of the urging spring 708 also urges the operation portion 701 clockwise around the lever center shaft 704 via the engagement hole 709. Therefore, a clockwise urging force (white arrow Fb) always acts on the operation unit 701, and the operation lever 7 is urged to the clockwise swing end.

  At the clamp-side operation end a, the urging force that causes the operation portion 701 to swing clockwise by the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 705 has a maximum value F3. Further, the urging force that causes the operation unit 701 to swing clockwise by the urging force (white arrow Fd) of the urging spring 708 is the minimum value F4.

  As a result, the urging force generated by the resultant force of the urging springs 705 and 708 becomes the maximum value F2 (F2 = F3 + F4), and the urging force of the maximum value F2 causes the operation unit 701 to swing clockwise at the clamp side operation end a. Acts as an urging force. At this time, the tilting mechanism and the telescopic mechanism clamp / unclamp mechanism are in a clamped state by the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 of the operation lever 7 and the wedge mechanism of the column clamp 21.

  When the operation portion 701 is grasped by hand and pulled toward the unclamping operation end b, the center of the engagement hole 703 approaches a straight line connecting the fixed position 707 of the right end of the urging spring 705 and the lever center shaft 704. . Then, the length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the lever central shaft 704 gradually approaches zero in the vector of the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 705 acting on the engagement hole 703. Therefore, the moment of the force acting on the engagement hole 703 by the urging spring 705, which tries to swing the spring engagement portion 702 clockwise, gradually approaches zero. When the operation unit 701 swings by the swing angle β, the center of the engagement hole 703 reaches a straight line connecting the fixed position 707 at the right end of the biasing spring 705 and the lever center shaft 704, and the engagement by the biasing spring 705 is performed. The moment of force acting on the joint hole 703 becomes zero.

  After that, when the operation portion 701 is pulled toward the unclamping operation end b, the center of the engagement hole 703 is moved downward from the straight line connecting the fixed position 707 of the right end of the biasing spring 705 and the lever center shaft 704. . Then, the biasing force for swinging the spring engaging portion 702 is reversed from the clockwise direction to the counterclockwise direction, and the vector of the biasing force (white arrow Fa) of the biasing spring 705 acting on the engagement hole 703 is reversed. In addition, since the length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the lever central shaft 704 is gradually increased, the moment of force that the biasing spring 705 tries to swing the spring engaging portion 702 counterclockwise is gradually increased. growing.

  As shown by the one-dot chain line 601 in FIG. 6, the magnitude of the biasing force of the other biasing spring 708 gradually increases, but the direction of the biasing force acting on the operation unit 701 does not change. As a result, as indicated by a solid line 603 in FIG. 6, as the operation unit 701 approaches the unclan-side operation end b, a clockwise urging force (white coating) due to the resultant force of the urging springs 705 and 708 acting on the operation unit 701 is obtained. The arrow Fb) gradually approaches zero, and as a result, the operation force required to attract the operation portion 701 toward the unclamping operation end b against the urging force of the urging springs 705 and 708 gradually increases. Approaches zero.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the operation unit 701 swings by the swing angle γ and reaches the unclamping operation end b, the clockwise direction is applied by the resultant force of the biasing springs 705 and 708 acting on the operation unit 701. The force (white arrow Fb) is substantially zero, and the operation unit 701 can be operated with a light operation force. At this time, the tilting mechanism and the telescopic mechanism clamp / unclamp mechanism are brought into an unclamped state by the cam mechanism of the tilt head clamp 41 of the operation lever 7 and the wedge mechanism of the column clamp 21.

  As a result, even when the operation unit 701 is released, the operation unit 701 is held at the unclamping operation end b shown in FIG. 4 and the unclamped state of the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21 is maintained. The Therefore, the tilt angle and the front-rear direction position of the steering wheel can be easily adjusted in a state where the steering wheel is grasped with both hands.

  When the adjustment of the tilt angle of the steering wheel is completed, the driver removes one hand from the steering wheel, and pushes the operation unit 701 toward the clamp-side operation end a with the released one hand. Then, the urging force generated by the resultant force of the urging springs 705 and 708 that causes the operation unit 701 to swing clockwise is gradually increased. Therefore, only a small force is applied to the operation unit 701, so that the tilt head clamp 41 and the column The clamping operation of the clamp 21 is performed, and the state returns to the state of FIG.

  When the driver releases his hand from the operation unit 701, the operation lever 7 is applied with a clockwise urging force by the resultant force of the urging forces of the urging springs 705 and 708. The stop state is maintained at the operation end a, and this clamped state is maintained even when the operation unit 701 is released. In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the urging force acting on the operation portion 701 by the resultant force of the urging spring 705 and the urging springs 705 and 708 at the unclamping operation end b is substantially zero. However, it may be set in a range of about ± 10N. Further, the biasing force characteristics 601 and 602 shown in FIG. 6 are not limited to the illustrated characteristics. That is, any characteristic may be used as long as the resultant force 603 gradually decreases as the operation unit 701 approaches the unclamping operation end b and the resultant force becomes substantially zero at the unclamping operation end b. Furthermore, the urging force characteristics indicated by 502 and 603 are not limited to the linear type, and may be non-linear urging force characteristics.

  Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 7 to 18 show a steering column device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is an example in which the second embodiment conceptually shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is embodied in a telescopic mechanism and a tilting mechanism of a tearing column device. The clamp / unclamp mechanism of both the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism can be operated simultaneously by one-way operation, and the unclamped state of both the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism is released when the operation lever is released. This is an embodiment which is held.

* Overall Overview FIG. 7 is an external view of a steering column device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The steering column device 1 includes a fixed column member 2, a moving column member 3, a column head 31, a tilt head 4, a wheel shaft 5, a column clamp 21, a tilt head clamp 41, and an operation lever 7.

  The fixed column member 2 includes vehicle body attachment portions 221 and 222, and the fixed column member 2 is attached to the vehicle body 91 by the vehicle body attachment portions 221 and 222. A movable column member 3 is supported on the fixed column member 2 so as not to rotate around the central axis and to be movable in the central axis direction. A column head 31 is provided on the right end side of the movable column member 3, and a tilt head 4 is supported on the column head 31 so as to be tiltable about a tilt center axis 43. A wheel shaft 5 is rotatably supported on the tilt head 4, and a steering wheel 92 is fixed to the right end thereof.

  The column head 31 is provided with a column clamp shaft 6 that is rotatable about an axis parallel to the central axis of the movable column member 3. The fixed column member 2 is provided with a column clamp 21, which is movable relative to the column clamp shaft 6, and the moving column is rotated by the rotation of the column clamp shaft 6. The member 3 can be clamped / unclamped with respect to the fixed column member 2.

  Further, the column head 31 is provided with a tilt head clamp 41, and the tilt head 4 is clamped / unclamped with respect to the column head 31. A single operating lever 7 is supported on the tilt head 4. The operation lever 7 is disposed at a position separated from the steering wheel 92. Accordingly, when the steering wheel 92 is being operated, the hand contacts the operation lever 7 so that the movable column member 3 or the tilt head 4 is not unclamped. Further, the operation of the switches around the steering wheel 92 is not disturbed.

  When the operating lever 7 is swung in a direction approaching the steering wheel 92, the driven lever 714 (FIG. 10) is swung by following the operating lever 7, and the column clamp shaft 6 is rotated. 21, the movable column member 3 is unclamped. Further, the unclamping of the tilt head 4 is simultaneously performed by the operation of swinging the operation lever 7 in the direction approaching the steering wheel 92.

  The left end of the wheel shaft 5 is connected to the universal joint 931 in the steering column device 1, and further, a pair of upper intermediate shaft 941 and lower intermediate shaft 942 (see FIG. 8) that are splined together, and a lower universal joint 932. And is connected to a mechanism for operating the direction of the front wheels.

* Tilt Head Clamp FIG. 8 is a partially cut-out top view of the steering column device 1 when viewed from above (P direction) in FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 7 with a part of the steering column device 1 cut away. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the steering column device 1 when viewed from the bottom of FIG. 9 (from the Q direction). FIG. 12 is an enlarged side view of the steering column device 1 with a part cut away, and shows a state when adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel. Here, the solid line in FIGS. 7 and 10 indicates a state before the operation lever 7 is pulled, and the two-dot chain line indicates a state in which the operation lever 7 is pulled to the steering wheel 92 side. 11 and 13 are cross-sectional views taken along lines AA and BB in FIG. 9, respectively.

  The tilt head clamp 41 has the following configuration. A segment gear 33 having a center on a tilt center axis 43 is fixed to the column head 31 by bolts 34. A backrest member 341 is provided on the tilt head 4 with a space between the segment gear 33. On the other hand, a gear portion 442 on the left side of the gear arm 44 supported by the tilt head 4 so as to be rotatable about the shaft 441 and a protruding portion 71 enter the space. A lever center shaft 72A (FIGS. 10 and 11) is attached to the tilt head 4, and a driven lever 714 (FIGS. 10 and 11) swinging about the lever center shaft 72A is integrated with the protrusion 71. Is formed.

  In FIG. 9, when the projecting portion 71 is pushed leftward, the projecting portion 71 pushes the gear portion 442 from behind, so that the gear portion 442 is pressed toward the segment gear 33 and the respective teeth mesh with each other. Note that when the gear portion 442 pushes the segment gear 33, the reaction force applied to the protrusion 71 is received by the backrest member 341. Thereby, the tilt head 4 is fixed to the column head 31. The tilt head 4 is fixed at a stepped position at an angular position where the gear portion 442 and the segment gear 33 can mesh with each other. When the protrusion 71 moves in the right direction in FIG. 9, the gear arm 44 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 9 about the shaft 441 due to the gravity of the gear arm 44, so that these teeth are disengaged and the tilt head The clamp 41 enters an unclamped state.

* Universal joint and intermediate shaft As shown in FIG. 8, an upper universal joint 931 is formed between the right end of the upper intermediate shaft 941 and the left end of the wheel shaft 5. Since the center of the universal joint 931 is on the axis of the tilt center axis 43, the tilt head 4 is not affected by the tilt.

  Since the lower intermediate shaft 942 is rotatably supported by the fixed column member 2 and the lower intermediate shaft 942 and the upper intermediate shaft 941 are spline-coupled, the movable column member 3 can move in the left-right direction in FIG. ing. Regardless of the movement position of the moving column member 3, the rotation of the upper intermediate shaft 941 can be transmitted to the lower intermediate shaft 942 by the spline coupling of the lower intermediate shaft 942 and the upper intermediate shaft 941. Even when the direction position is adjusted, the rotation of the steering wheel 92 can be transmitted to the lower intermediate shaft 942.

* Fixed Column Member and Moving Column Member As shown in FIG. 9, a long hole 32 is formed in the cylindrical portion of the moving column member 3 along the axial direction, and the fixed column member 2 is formed in the long hole 32. The provided stopper member 22 is engaged. The movable column member 3 is prevented from coming out of the fixed column member 2 and rotating with respect to the elongated column 32 and the stopper member 22, so that the movable column member 3 can move in the axial direction within the elongated hole 32 within the fixed column member 2. It has become. A buffer stopper 311 provided on the left end surface of the column head 31 is a rubber provided to prevent shock collision between metals when the column head 31 collides with the right end surface of the fixed column member 2 during adjustment. It is a cushioning material made of synthetic resin or the like.

* Column clamp The structure of the column clamp 21 is demonstrated using FIG.14, FIG.15, FIG.16 and FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 9, FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 9, and FIGS. 16 and 17 are partially enlarged views in FIG. The relationship between the clamped / unclamped state is shown. The column clamp 21 is provided on the fixed column member 2 and includes a first wedge 211, a second wedge 212, a clamp bar 213, and reaction force members 2141 and 2142.

  A wedge hole 215 is formed in the fixed column member 2 from the lateral direction, and a part of the wedge hole 215 opens in the cavity of the fixed column member 2. Each of the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 includes inclined surfaces 2111, 1122, and is accommodated in the wedge hole 215 so that the inclined surfaces 2111, 2112 face each other. The inclined surfaces 2111 and 2112 of the two wedges face the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the moving column member 3.

  Clamp bar holes 2113 and 2114 are formed in the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212, respectively, and the clamp bar 213 passes through these holes. At both ends of the clamp bar 213, reaction force members 2141 and 2142 having a larger outer diameter than the clamp bar holes 2113 and 2114 are fixed. A column clamp shaft hole 216 is formed in the clamp bar 213 so as to be in contact with one reaction member 2142, and the column clamp shaft hole 216 has a non-circular cross section that is substantially elliptical to the column clamp shaft 6. The part penetrates.

  A swing arm 61 is fixed to one end of the column clamp shaft 6. The non-circular cross section of the column clamp shaft 6 has a major inclination in the elliptical major axis direction as shown in FIG. 16 during unclamping, and the major axis direction is substantially close to the axial direction of the clamp bar 213 during clamping as shown in FIG. Turn to. With this configuration, when a swinging rotation is applied to the swing arm 61 from the state shown in FIG. 16, the column clamp shaft 6 is rotated to the state shown in FIG. At this time, the clamp bar 213 is pulled leftward by pushing the reaction force member 2142 leftward by one vicinity of the elliptical long diameter portion, and further the reaction force member 2141 pushes the first wedge 211 leftward. Become. On the other hand, the second wedge 212 is pushed rightward by the other vicinity of the elliptical long diameter portion.

  As a result, since the two wedges approach each other, the inclined surfaces 2111 and 2112 press the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the moving column member 3, and the moving column member 3 is clamped against the fixed column member 2. The Since the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 can be moved slightly to the left and right as a unit, there is no unbalance that only one of the wedges strongly presses the moving column member 3.

  When the swing arm 61 is swung and rotated in the opposite direction, the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 are separated by the movement opposite to the above, and the clamp of the movable column member 3 is released.

* Operation of the operation lever Next, the movement of the operation lever 7 and each member interlocked therewith will be described. As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, the operation lever 7 is swingably provided on the left side surface of the tilt head 4. Further, on the lower surface of the tilt head 4, a driven lever 714 that swings in response to an operation of the operating lever 7, a pusher plate 73 that integrally extends to the left from the driven lever 714, and a driven lever 714 are integrated. The formed protrusion 71 is visible. The driven lever 714 and the pusher plate 73 have an inverted L shape as a whole.

  Further, the urging direction reversing mechanism 8 and the operation lever holding mechanism 89 are visible on the side surface of the tilt head 4. In FIG. 10, when the operation lever 7 is operated in order to adjust the entire operation lever 7 and the position and inclination angle in the front-rear direction (that is, when the operation end is attracted toward the steering wheel 92). The two states when the operating end returns in the direction away from the steering wheel 92 are indicated by a two-dot chain line and a solid line. Also in FIG. 7, there are two states when the operation lever 7 is operated (unclamp side operation end b) and when the operation end returns in a direction away from the steering wheel 92 (clamp side operation end a). It is shown with a dotted line and a solid line.

  The operation lever 7 is pivotally supported by a lever central shaft 72 </ b> C screwed into the side surface of the tilt head 4. A biasing direction reversing mechanism 8 is mounted on a central shaft 81 (FIG. 13) screwed into the side surface of the tilt head 4. The urging direction reversing mechanism 8 includes a swing lever 82, an engagement pin 821, a pinion 83, and a segment gear 84. The swing lever 82 is pivotally supported by the central shaft 81 and a pinion 83 is formed on the boss portion of the swing lever 82. The pinion 83 meshes with a segment gear 84 (FIG. 18 (1) to FIG. 18 (3)) formed on the operation lever 7.

  An urging spring 715 is stretched between the engagement pin 821 attached to the swing lever 82 and the engagement pin 471 attached to the bracket 47 formed at the left end of the tilt head 4. A biasing spring 715 constantly biases the operating lever 7 clockwise via the swing lever 82, the pinion 83, and the segment gear 84. This urging spring 715 corresponds to the urging spring 705 of the second embodiment described with reference to FIGS.

  A bifurcated engagement recess 717 (FIGS. 18A to 18C) is formed in the operation lever 7, and an engagement protrusion 718 at the tip of the driven lever 714 is fitted into the engagement recess 717. Accordingly, the driven lever 714 is swung around the lever center shaft 72A in accordance with the operation of the operation lever 7.

  In the state before the operation lever 7 shown by the solid line in FIG. 10 is pulled (clamp side operation end a), the operation lever 7 is at the rocking end in the clockwise direction by the urging force of the urging spring 715, so The protrusion 71 is pushed leftward, and the tilt head 4 is clamped. When the control lever 7 is pulled toward the steering wheel 92 during the adjustment of the tilt position and the telescopic position, the driven lever 714 swings clockwise around the lever center shaft 72A. Therefore, when the operating lever 7 swings to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 (unclamp side operating end b), the protrusion 71 integrated with the driven lever 714 moves to the right, and the tilt head clamp 41 is unclamped. Is done.

  In FIG. 10, when the operating lever 7 is moved from the position indicated by the solid line (clamping side operation end a) to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line (unclamping side operation end b), the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 is moved to the pusher. The rod 77 is pushed in, and the above-described column clamp 21 is unclamped. Accordingly, the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 and the unclamping operation of the column clamp 21 can be performed simultaneously by pulling the single operation lever 7.

  The pusher rod 77 (FIG. 15) is supported by the rib 312 on the left side of the column head 31 and the rib 313 on the right side so as to be slidable in a direction parallel to the tilt center axis 43. The pusher rod 77 passes through a biasing spring 741 that biases the rod 746 in the left direction in FIG. 15, and a small long hole 743 that is long in the perpendicular direction is provided at the right end portion thereof. This urging spring 741 corresponds to the urging spring 708 of the second embodiment described with reference to FIGS. The right end portion of the pusher rod 77 is axially engaged with one end of the swing arm 61 through the elongated hole 743. The long hole 743 is for absorbing the amount of displacement of the position relative to the swing arm 61 when the pusher rod 77 moves in the axial direction.

  The urging spring 741 urges the pusher rod 77 in the left direction (FIG. 15). The swinging arm 61 that is axially engaged at the right end thereof is given a clockwise rotational biasing force. The swing urging force applied to the swing arm 61 maintains the column clamp shaft 6 at the clamp position (FIG. 17, note that the directions are different in FIGS. 17 and 15 so that the left and right are reversed). The position of the swing arm 61 at this time is indicated by a solid line.

* Energizing direction reversing mechanism The configuration and operation of the energizing direction reversing mechanism 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 (1) to 18 (3). FIG. 18 (1) is an operation explanatory view showing a state where the operation lever 7 is at the clamp side operation end a (the state before pulling the operation lever 7) indicated by a solid line in FIGS. 7 and 10, and FIG. FIG. 18 (3) is an operation explanatory view showing a state in which the center of the engaging pin 471, the central shaft 81, and the engaging pin 821 are aligned in the middle of the operation of pulling the operating lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92. These are operation | movement explanatory drawings which show the state in which the operation lever 7 exists in the unclamping side operation end b (state after pulling the operation lever 7) shown by the dashed-two dotted line in FIG. 7, FIG.

In FIG. 18A, at the clamp-side operation end a, the biasing force Fa of the biasing spring 715 swings counterclockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Rc) about the central axis 81 via the engagement pin 821. Since the swing lever 82 is urged to the moving end and the segment gear 84 meshing with the pinion 83 is urged clockwise, the urging force (white arrow Fb) is always applied to the operation lever 7 to operate The lever 7 is biased to the rocking end in the clockwise direction (the direction of the black arrow Rd).

  At this time, the protrusion 71 of the driven lever 714 is pushed leftward, and the tilt head clamp 41 is in a clamped state. Further, since the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 is at the position of the solid line in FIG. 10, the column clamp 21 is also in the clamped state.

  When the operating lever 7 is pulled toward the steering wheel 92, as shown in FIG. 18 (2), the operating lever 7 swings counterclockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Rb) about the lever central shaft 72C, The segment gear 84 rotates the pinion 83 clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra). Accordingly, the swing lever 82 integrated with the pinion 83 also swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra). Here, in FIGS. 18 (1) to 18 (3), the black arrows Ra and Rc indicate the swinging direction of the swing lever 82, and the black arrows Rb and Rd indicate the swing direction of the operation lever 7. . White arrows Fa, Fb, and Fc represent directions of urging forces of the urging springs 715 acting on the swing lever 82 and the operation lever 7.

  When the swing lever 82 swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra), the center of the engagement pin 821 approaches a straight line connecting the engagement pin 471 and the center shaft 81. Then, the length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the central shaft 81 gradually approaches zero to the vector of the urging force (white arrow Fa) of the urging spring 715 acting on the engagement pin 821. Therefore, the moment of the force acting on the engaging pin 821 by the biasing spring 715, which tries to swing the swing lever 82 counterclockwise, gradually approaches zero.

  Therefore, as the engaging pin 471, the center shaft 81, and the center of the engaging pin 821 approach the position where they are aligned in a straight line, the clockwise biasing force (white arrow Fb) by the biasing spring 715 acting on the operation lever 7 is approached. ) Gradually approaches zero, and as a result, the operating force required to attract the operating lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 715 gradually approaches zero. At this time, the driven lever 714 driven by the operating lever 7 swings clockwise about the lever center shaft 72A, and the protrusion 71 integrated with the driven lever 714 moves rightward, so that the tilt head clamp 41 is unclamped. Progresses.

  At the same time, the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 pushes the pusher rod 77 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 741, so that the above-described unclamping operation of the column clamp 21 proceeds. Accordingly, a force for pushing the pusher rod 77 against the urging force of the urging spring 741 is gradually added as a force necessary to attract the operation lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92.

  When the operation lever 7 is further pulled toward the steering wheel 92, the center of the engaging pin 471, the central shaft 81, and the engaging pin 821 are aligned in a straight line as shown in FIG. The moment of the force by the biasing spring 715 that tries to swing the counterclockwise is zero. When the operating lever 7 is further pulled toward the steering wheel 92, the engaging pin 821 swings away from the straight line connecting the engaging pin 471 and the center of the center shaft 81 in the clockwise direction (black arrow Ra direction). .

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 18 (3), the urging force of the urging spring 715 urges the swing lever 82 clockwise about the central axis 81 via the engagement pin 821, and the pinion 83 In order to urge the segment gear 84 meshing with the counterclockwise direction, a counterclockwise urging force (white arrow Fc) is applied to the operation lever 7. That is, the direction of the urging force of the urging spring 715 applied to the operation lever 7 is reversed at the position where the centers of the engaging pin 471, the central shaft 81, and the engaging pin 821 are aligned on a straight line.

  As the swing lever 82 swings clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra), the engagement pin 821, the center shaft 81, and the center of the engagement pin 821 move away from the position aligned on a straight line. The length of the perpendicular drawn from the center of the central shaft 81 to the vector of the biasing force (white arrow Fa) of the biasing spring 715 that acts is gradually increased. Therefore, the moment of the force acting on the engagement pin 821 by the biasing spring 715, which tries to swing the swing lever 82 clockwise (in the direction of the black arrow Ra), gradually increases.

Therefore, the counterclockwise biasing force (white arrow Fc) by the biasing spring 715 acting on the operation lever 7 gradually increases. As a result, the force required to push the pusher plate 77 against the urging force of the urging spring 741 gradually decreases, so that it is necessary to attract the operation lever 7 toward the steering wheel 92. Operating force gradually decreases.

  18 (3), when the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping operation end b, the protrusion 71 integrated with the driven lever 714 moves to the right end, and the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 is completed. At the same time, the pusher plate 73 integrated with the driven lever 714 pushes the pusher rod 77, and the unclamping operation of the column clamp 21 is completed.

  As a result, even if the hand is released from the operation lever 7, the operation lever 7 is kept stopped at the unclamping operation end b shown in FIG. 18 (3), and the unclamped state of the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21 is maintained. Is retained. Therefore, the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 can be easily adjusted while the steering wheel 92 is grasped with both hands.

  When the adjustment of the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 is completed, the driver releases one hand from the steering wheel 92 and pushes the operation lever 7 in the direction away from the steering wheel 92 with the released one hand. Then, the clamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21 is performed in the reverse order to the above operation, and the state returns to the state of FIG.

  When the driver releases his / her hand from the operation lever 7, the operation lever 7 is applied with a clockwise urging force by the urging spring 715. Therefore, the operation lever 7 is at the clamp-side operation end a in FIG. The stopped state is maintained, and this clamped state is maintained even if the operation lever 7 is released.

* Operation Lever Holding Mechanism The configuration and operation of the operation lever holding mechanism 89 will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 (1) to 18 (3). The counterclockwise biasing force (white arrow Fc) acting on the operation lever 7 by the biasing force (white arrow Fa) of the biasing spring 715 at the unclamping operation end b in FIG. It is preferable to set the force almost equal to or slightly larger than the force required to push the pusher rod 77 against the urging force of the urging spring 741 for 21.

That is, if the urging force of the urging spring 715 is made larger than that, a larger operating force is required when the operating lever 7 is pushed from the unclamping operation end b into the clamping side operation end a by the increased urging force. This is because a large operating force is required also when the clamp side operation end a is attracted to the unclamp side operation end b.

In order to avoid this, the urging force of the urging spring 715 is set to be approximately equal to or slightly larger than the force required to push the pusher rod 77. On the other hand, this means that the operation lever 7 is easy to move at the unclamping operation end b. When adjusting the front-rear direction and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92, the inertia during the adjustment operation, that is, the impact or There is a possibility that the operation lever 7 may be displaced due to vibration.

  In order to solve such a problem, the tilt head 4 is provided with an operation lever holding mechanism 89 for holding the operation lever 7 at the unclamping operation end b. 18 (1) to 18 (3), the operation lever holding mechanism 89 includes a support pin 86, a leaf spring 87 having a U-shaped engagement protrusion 871 at the right end, and an arcuate shape of the operation lever 7. The unclamping side engaging groove 882 is formed on the guide surface 881.

  The support pin 86 is fixed to the side surface of the tilt head 4 and has a substantially cylindrical shaft portion having two parallel side surfaces. A rectangular base portion 872 is integrally formed on the left side of the leaf spring 87, and a substantially cylindrical hole portion having two parallel side surfaces is formed in the base portion 872, and a base portion 872 is formed on the substantially cylindrical shaft portion of the support pin 86. The flat spring 87 is fixed to the support pin 86 by tightly fitting the substantially cylindrical hole.

  The support pin 86 and the leaf spring 87 are disposed in a window-shaped notch hole 88 opened in the operation lever 7. An arcuate guide surface 881 is formed on the lower side of the cutout hole 88, and the lower surface of the engagement protrusion 871 at the right end of the leaf spring 87 is in contact with the guide surface 881 by the downward biasing force of the leaf spring 87. . The center of the arc of the guide surface 881 is at the center position of the lever center axis 72 </ b> C of the operation lever 7. Therefore, regardless of the position of the operation lever 7, the lower surface of the engagement protrusion 871 slides while always contacting the guide surface 881.

  An arc-shaped unclamping-side engaging groove 882 is formed on the guide surface 881, and when the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping-side operation end b shown in FIG. The engagement protrusion 871 at the right end of the leaf spring 87 enters the unclamping engagement groove 882. Due to the engagement between the engagement protrusion 871 and the unclamp side engagement groove 882, the operation lever 7 is held at the unclamp side operation end b.

  Therefore, the possibility that the operation lever 7 is displaced from the unclamping operation end b to the clamping operation end a side due to an impact at the time of adjusting the position of the steering wheel 92 is eliminated.

  Another embodiment of the operation lever holding mechanism 89 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is provided with detection means for issuing a warning to the driver by detecting whether or not the operation lever 7 is at the clamp side operation end a, and further, the operation lever 7 is moved from the clamp side operation end a to the unclamp side. In this embodiment, a clamp-side engagement groove 883 is also added to the clamp-side operation end a so as not to shift and swing toward the operation end b.

  A clamp-side engagement groove 883 is formed on the guide surface 881 on the right side of the unclamping-side engagement groove 882. When the operation lever 7 reaches the clamp-side operation end a, the leaf spring 87 is biased by a downward biasing force. The engagement protrusion 871 at the right end of 87 is configured to enter the clamp side engagement groove 883. The operation lever 7 is held at the clamp-side operation end a by the engagement of the engagement protrusion 871 and the clamp-side engagement groove 883.

  Further, the lower surface of the engagement protrusion 871 that has entered the clamp side engagement groove 883 is detected by a roller contact 885 of the limit switch 884 fixed to the tilt head 4. Accordingly, when there is no operation lever at the clamp side operation end a, the driver can be alerted by a red warning display lamp or the like. The holding mechanism is not limited to the leaf spring, but may be a torsion spring, or may be replaced with a ball plunger.

* Steering wheel adjustment operation Hereinafter, the operation for adjusting the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 and the operation of each member will be described.

** Adjustment of tilt angle and front / rear direction position (steering column length) When adjusting the tilt angle and front / rear direction position of the steering wheel 92, the driver removes one hand from the steering wheel 92 and the control lever 7 with one hand released. Is pulled forward (from the clamp side operation end a to the unclamp side operation end b) (in the direction of the black arrow Rb). As a result, the operating lever 7 swings the driven lever 714 clockwise about the lever central shaft 72A as shown in FIG.

  By swinging the driven lever 714, the protrusion 71 moves to the right in FIG. 9, and the gear arm 44 rotates counterclockwise by its own gravity. By the rotation of the gear arm 44, the teeth of the segment gear 33 and the teeth of the gear portion 442 of the gear arm 44 are disengaged, and the tilt angle of the tilt head 4 can be adjusted. Further, the pusher plate 73 swings to the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 and wins against the urging spring 741, and pushes the pusher rod 77 to the right position in FIG.

  The rightward movement of the pusher rod 77 causes the swing arm 61 to swing, and hence the column clamp shaft 6 to rotate counterclockwise. When the column clamp shaft 6 rotates, the column clamp shaft 6 in which the long diameter portion has been approximately horizontal as shown in FIG. 17 is inclined as shown in FIG. As a result, the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 that have been close as shown in FIG. 14 are separated from each other, so that the clamp of the moving column member 3 is released.

  The urging direction reversing mechanism 8 aligns the centers of the engaging pin 471, the center shaft 81, and the engaging pin 821 in a straight line during the unclamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21 (FIG. 18B). Then, the direction in which the biasing spring 715 biases the operation lever 7 is reversed from the clockwise direction (white arrow Fb) to the counterclockwise direction (white arrow Fc).

  Therefore, the urging force of the urging spring 715 is applied to the pusher plate 73 for the column clamp 21 as a force for pushing the pusher rod 77 against the urging force of the urging spring 741, and the operation lever 7 is moved to the steering wheel 92. It is possible to reduce the driver's operation force necessary to attract the vehicle toward the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 18 (3), when the operation lever 7 reaches the unclamping operation end b, the engagement protrusion 871 at the tip of the leaf spring 87 enters the unclamping engagement groove 882. Is securely held at the unclamping operation end b. Accordingly, one hand can be released from the operation lever 7 and the steering wheel 92 can be grasped with both hands, so that the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 can be adjusted easily.

  When the adjustment of the front-rear direction position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 is completed, the driver removes one hand from the steering wheel 92 and pushes the operation lever 7 with the separated one hand. By the clockwise swing of the operation lever 7, the engagement protrusion 871 at the tip of the leaf spring 87 is pushed out from the unclamping engagement groove 882, and the lower surface of the engagement protrusion 871 slides along the guide surface 881.

  In the biasing direction reversing mechanism 8, the center of the engaging pin 471, the center shaft 81, and the engaging pin 821 are aligned in a straight line during the clamping operation of the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21 (FIG. 18 (2)). ) And the direction in which the biasing spring 715 biases the operating lever 7 is reversed from the counterclockwise direction (white arrow Fc) to the clockwise direction (white arrow Fb). The force required to swing clockwise by the urging force and push the operating lever 7 can be reduced.

  Therefore, the operating lever 7 swings the driven lever 714 counterclockwise about the lever center shaft 72A by the biasing force of the biasing spring 715, and the protrusion 71 moves to the left in FIG. And the teeth of the gear portion 442 of the gear arm 44 mesh with each other, and the tilt head 4 is clamped to the column head 31. At the same time, the pusher plate 73 swings to the position of the solid line in FIG. 10, and the pusher rod 77 returns to the left direction in FIG.

  The leftward movement of the pusher rod 77 causes the swing arm 61 to swing, and thus the column clamp shaft 6 to rotate clockwise. When the column clamp shaft 6 rotates, the column diameter of the column clamp shaft 6 that has been inclined as shown in FIG. 16 becomes almost horizontal as shown in FIG.

  As a result, the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 shown in FIG. 14 approach each other, so that the movable column member 3 is clamped. The urging direction reversing mechanism 8 holds the clamp side operation end a of the operation lever 7 by the urging force of the urging spring 715 even when the operation lever 7 is released. The clamped state is maintained.

  When the tilt head clamp 41 is unclamped, a downward force is applied to the tilt head 4 as if a person is stroking its neck due to its weight. For this reason, a stronger spring 45 (FIGS. 9 and 10) for counterbalance is provided. By this spring 45, such a downward force is canceled out, or in order to further facilitate getting on and off, a force is applied to the tilt head 4 to maintain the steering wheel 92 in the uppermost inclined position. Can do.

  According to the third embodiment described above, the biasing spring 715 moves the operation lever 7 during the operation of operating the operation lever 7 in the unclamping direction to unclamp the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21. Since the urging direction is reversed from the clamping direction to the unclamping direction by the urging direction reversing mechanism 8, a force required to operate the operation lever 7 in the unclamping direction is small.

  In addition, when the telescopic mechanism and tilting mechanism are unclamped, the operation lever is securely held at the unclamping operation end b by the operation lever holding mechanism even when the operation lever is released. Due to this impact, the operation lever does not shift from the unclamping operation end b to the clamping operation end a, so that the steering wheel can be adjusted smoothly.

  In the third embodiment described above, an example is shown in which the present invention is applied to a steering column device having both a tilt head clamp and a column clamp. However, in the steering column device having either a tilt head clamp or a column clamp. It may be applied.

1 shows a first embodiment of a steering column device 1 of the present invention, where (1) is a front view showing a state when an operation lever is at a clamp side operation end a, and (2) is a right side view of (1). is there. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the state of the steering column device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention when the operation lever is at the unclamping operation end b. The 2nd Embodiment of the steering column apparatus 1 of this invention is shown, (1) is a front view which shows a state when an operation lever exists in the clamp side operation end a, (2) is a right view of (1). is there. It is a front view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the steering column apparatus 1 of this invention, and shows a state when an operation lever exists in the unclamp side operation end b. It is a graph which shows the relationship of the magnitude | size of the urging | biasing force which acts on the rocking | fluctuation angle of an operation lever and the operation lever of the steering column apparatus 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the rocking | fluctuation angle of an operation lever, and the magnitude | size of the urging | biasing force which acts on an operation lever of the steering column apparatus 1 of 2nd Embodiment. It is an external view of 3rd Embodiment of the steering column apparatus 1 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a top view including a partial cross section when the steering column device 1 is viewed from the direction P of FIG. 9. It is the principal part enlarged view of FIG. 7 which notched a part of steering column apparatus 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the steering column device 1 when viewed from the Q direction of FIG. 9. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway side view of FIG. 7 showing a state when the tilt position of the steering column device 1 is adjusted. It is BB sectional drawing in FIG. It is CC sectional drawing in FIG. It is DD sectional drawing in FIG. FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 14, showing a rotational position of the column clamp shaft 6 in an unclamped state. FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 14 showing a rotational position of the column clamp shaft 6 in a clamped state. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the urging | biasing direction inversion mechanism 8 and the operation lever holding mechanism 89 of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, and shows the state which has the operation lever 7 in the clamp side operation end a. The urging direction reversing mechanism 8 and the operation lever holding mechanism 89 according to the third embodiment of the present invention are shown. During the operation of attracting the operation lever 7, the engagement pin 471, the central shaft 81, and the engagement pin 821 It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the state which the center aligned on a straight line. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the urging | biasing direction inversion mechanism 8 and the operation lever holding mechanism 89 of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, and shows the state which has the operation lever 7 in the unclamping side operation end b. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows other embodiment of the urging | biasing direction inversion mechanism 8 and the operation lever holding mechanism 89 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering column apparatus 2 Fixed column member 21 Column clamp 211 1st wedge 2111,2112 Inclined surface 2113,2114 Clamp bar hole 212 2nd wedge 213 Clamp bar 2141,2142 Reaction force member 215 Wedge hole 216 Column clamp shaft hole 22 Stopper member 221, 222 Car body mounting part 3 Moving column member 31 Column head 311 Buffer stopper 312, 313 Rib 32 Slot 33 Segment gear 34 Bolt 341 Back member 4 Tilt head 41 Tilt head clamp 43 Tilt center shaft 44 Gear arm 441 Shaft 442 Gear portion 45 Spring 47 Bracket 471 Engagement pin 5 Wheel shaft 501 Line indicating the urging force by the conventional urging spring 502 By the urging spring 705 of the first embodiment Line indicating urging force 6 Column clamp shaft 601 Line indicating urging force by the urging spring 708 of the second embodiment 602 Line indicating urging force by the urging spring 705 of the second embodiment 603 Energizing springs 705 and 708 A line indicating the urging force due to the resultant force 61 oscillating arm 7 operating lever 701 operating portion 702 spring engaging portion 703 engaging hole 704 lever central axis 705 urging spring 706 fixing portion 707 fixing position 708 urging spring 709 engaging hole 71 Protruding part 710 Fixed part 714 Drive lever 715 Energizing spring 717 Engaging recess 718 Engaging protrusion 72A, 72C Lever central axis 73 Pusher plate 741 Energizing spring 743 Long hole 746 鍔 77 Pusher rod 8 Energizing direction reversing mechanism 81 Central axis 82 Swing lever 821 Engagement pin 83 Pinion 84 Segment gear 6 support pin 87 leaf spring 871 engagement protrusion 872 base 88 notch hole 881 guide surface 882 unclamp side engagement groove 883 clamp side engagement groove 884 limit switch 885 contact 89 operating lever holding mechanism 91 vehicle body 92 steering wheel 931, 932 Universal joint 941 Upper intermediate shaft 942 Lower intermediate shaft

Claims (1)

A tilting mechanism for adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel,
A clamp / unclamp mechanism for clamping / unclamping the tilting mechanism;
An operation lever capable of operating the clamp / unclamp of the clamp / unclamp mechanism, and
Two urging springs for urging the operation lever, and when the operation lever is on the clamp side, the moment resulting from the resultant force of the urging forces of the two urging springs takes a maximum value, and the two urging springs The engaging portion on the operation lever that engages one end of one urging spring of the spring is a straight line connecting the fixed portion that fixes the other end of the urging spring and the lever center of the operation lever. When it is swung toward the unclamping side, the moment due to the resultant force of the two urging springs decreases, and at the end of the unclamping side, it is at a position on the operation lever where it becomes substantially zero. Each biasing spring engaged
Steering column apparatus characterized by comprising a.

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