JP4586658B2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device, and more particularly to a steering device for a vehicle having a tilt position adjusting mechanism.

  The tilt position adjusting mechanism is a mechanism for adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel to the position where the driver can drive most easily according to the body shape and preference of the driver. At the time of adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel, the column clamp device is once brought into the unclamped state, and after adjusting the tilt angle of the steering wheel in this state, the column is again put into the clamped state.

  In addition, in order to reduce the impact force applied to the driver at the time of the secondary collision, when the column moves away from the vehicle body due to the impact force at the time of the secondary collision and moves to collapse to the front side of the vehicle body, an impact is applied to reduce the impact load. There is an energy absorption mechanism.

  As a steering device having such a tilt position adjusting mechanism and an impact energy absorbing mechanism, there is a steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1. 7 to 10 show a conventional steering apparatus having a tilt position adjusting mechanism and an impact energy absorbing mechanism. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a normal state of a conventional steering device. FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 9 is a right side view of FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state of the secondary collision in FIG.

  An outer column 11 is fitted on the outer periphery of the inner column 10 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. A steering shaft 12 is rotatably supported on the outer column 11, and a steering wheel (not shown) is fixed to the right end (vehicle body rear side) of the steering shaft 12.

  On the left side (front side of the vehicle body) of the outer column 11, an upper bracket (vehicle body mounting bracket) 3 is attached so as to sandwich the outer column 11 from both the left and right sides. The upper bracket 3 is attached to the vehicle body 16 so as to be detachable to the front side of the vehicle body.

  In the outer column 11, when a driver collides with the steering wheel during a secondary collision and a large impact force is applied, the upper bracket 3 is detached from the vehicle body 16 toward the front side of the vehicle body and guided to the front side of the vehicle body by the inner column 10. Moves through collapse and absorbs impact energy. A wire-shaped energy absorbing member 31 is attached to the upper bracket 3 and absorbs the impact energy of this collision by plastic deformation.

  The right end of the housing 21 of the steering assist portion (electric assist mechanism) 20 is fixed to the front side (left side) of the inner column 10 by a bolt. The steering assist unit 20 includes an electric motor 23, a reduction gear box unit 24, an output shaft 25, and the like. In the steering assist unit 20, the pivot pin 22 is pivotally supported on the vehicle body by a lower bracket (not shown).

  When the steering shaft 12 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the output shaft 25 via a torsion bar (not shown), and the torsion bar is twisted due to the resistance on the steering wheel side. The torsion bar detects the torque acting on the torsion bar by detecting the increase or decrease of the magnetic flux as a change in inductance, and the electric motor 23 is driven with a required steering assisting force to reduce the gearbox portion. This is transmitted to the output shaft 25 via the 24 speed reduction mechanism.

  The output shaft 25 is rotated from a cardan joint 27 fixed to the left end of the output shaft 25 with a bolt 26, an intermediate shaft (not shown) connected to the vehicle body front side of the cardan joint 27, via a pinion shaft (not shown). It is transmitted to the gear and the steering angle of the wheel can be changed.

  In the upper bracket (vehicle body mounting bracket) 3, flange portions 36 extending on the left and right sides of the axis of the outer column 11 are formed at the upper portion of the upper bracket 3, and left and right of the notch grooves 37, 37 formed in the flange portion 36. Capsules 38, 38 are fitted on both side edges. The upper bracket 3 has a symmetrical structure with respect to the axis of the outer column 11.

  The upper bracket 3 and the outer column 11 are made of a conductive material such as metal, and the notch grooves 37 and 37 are opened to the rear side of the flange portion 36 in the vehicle body. The notches 37 and 37 are fitted with capsules 38 and 38 made of a conductive material such as metal (light alloy such as aluminum). The capsules 38 and 38 are flanged by four shear pins 382, respectively. Coupled to portion 36. Further, the capsules 38 are fixed to the vehicle body 16 by bolts 383 inserted through long groove-like bolt holes 381 formed in the capsule 38 and nuts 384.

  Therefore, a ground wire of an electric device such as a horn disposed around the steering wheel is connected from the outer column 11 and the flange portion 36 to the vehicle body 16 in contact with the capsule 38. When the driver collides with the steering wheel due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision and a strong impact force is applied to the front side of the vehicle body, the flange portion 36 collapsively moves to the front side of the vehicle body, and the shear pin 382 shears.

  The impact energy absorbing member 31 is composed of a single wire having a circular cross section. The impact energy absorbing member 31 has straight portions 311 and 311 which are bent in a U shape along the rear ends of the capsules 38 and 38 at the middle positions of the capsules 38 and 38 and advance straight toward the front of the vehicle body. is doing.

  The straight portions 311 and 311 pass through the front end of the vehicle body of the flange portion 36, and then form U-shaped portions 312 and 312 that are bent in the U-shaped downward direction in the U-shape, and then go straight toward the rear side of the vehicle body. It extends to the lower surface of the flange portion 36. A U-shaped portion 361 is formed at the front end of the flange portion 36 so as to be bent in a U-shape on the lower side of the vehicle body.

  The upper bracket 3 includes an upper plate 32 and side plates 33 and 34 extending downward from the upper plate 32. A distance bracket 13 is integrally formed on the outer column 11 so as to protrude above the outer column 11. The side plates 14 and 15 of the distance bracket 13 are slidably in contact with the inner side surfaces 331 and 341 of the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3.

  Tilt adjusting long grooves 35 and 35 are formed in the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3. The long grooves 35 and 35 for tilt adjustment are formed in an arc shape centering on the pivot pin 22 provided on the front side of the vehicle body.

  A round rod-shaped fastening rod 5 is inserted from the right side of FIG. 9 through the long slots 35 and 35 for tilt adjustment. A cylindrical head 51 is formed at the right end of the clamping rod 5. A fixed cam 53, a movable cam 54, an operation lever 55, a thrust bearing 56, and a nut 57 are externally fitted in this order on the outer periphery of the left end of the tightening rod 5, and a female screw (not shown) formed on the inner diameter portion of the nut 57. ) Is screwed into a male screw 58 formed at the left end of the tightening rod 5. A rotation preventing portion (not shown) having a rectangular cross section is formed on the outer periphery of the left end of the clamping rod 5, and the fixed cam 53 is prevented from rotating with respect to the clamping rod 5 by this rotation preventing portion.

  Complementary inclined cam surfaces are formed on opposite end surfaces of the fixed cam 53 and the movable cam 54 and mesh with each other. When the operation lever 55 connected to the left side surface of the movable cam 54 is operated by hand, the movable cam 54 rotates with respect to the fixed cam 53. The tightening rod 5, the fixed cam 53, the movable cam 54, the operation lever 55, and the like constitute a clamping device that clamps the outer column 11 to the upper bracket 3 at a desired tilt position.

  When the operating lever 55 is rotated in the clamping direction, the mountain of the inclined cam surface of the movable cam 54 rides on the mountain of the inclined cam surface of the fixed cam 53 and pulls the clamping rod 5 to the left side of FIG. Push to the right in FIG.

  The right side plate 34 is pushed to the left by the left end surface of the head 51 of the clamping rod 5, deforms the side plate 34 inward, and strongly presses the inner side surface 341 of the side plate 34 against the side plate 15 of the distance bracket 13.

  At the same time, the left side plate 33 is pushed to the right by the right end surface of the fixed cam 53, deforms the side plate 33 inward, and strongly presses the inner side surface 331 of the side plate 33 against the side plate 14 of the distance bracket 13. In this way, the distance bracket 13 of the outer column 11 can be firmly fastened to the upper bracket 3. Therefore, the outer column 11 is fixed to the upper bracket 3, and the outer column 11 can be clamped to the upper bracket 3 at a desired tilt position.

  Next, when the driver rotates the operation lever 55 in the tightening release direction, the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3 in which the distance in the free state is set wider than the width of the outside of the side plates 14 and 15 of the distance bracket 13. However, each elastically returns in the direction opposite to the clamping direction.

  Therefore, the outer column 11 is in a free state with respect to the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3. Therefore, the steering wheel 5 is displaced in the tilt direction while being guided by the tilt adjusting long groove 35, thereby steering wheel. The tilt direction can be arbitrarily adjusted.

  A torsion coil spring 39 is provided between the flange portion 36 of the upper bracket 3 and the distance bracket 13 to urge the distance bracket 13 toward the upper side of the vehicle body at all times. A U-shaped portion 392 extending horizontally from the lower side of the coil portions 391 and 391 of the torsion coil spring 39 to the rear side of the vehicle body is formed, and this U-shaped portion 392 is an upper plate that connects the upper side plates 14 and 15 of the distance bracket 13. It is in contact with the lower surface of 131.

  Further, the flange portions 393 and 393 that are horizontally extended from the upper side of the coil portions 391 and 391 to the rear side of the vehicle body and then bent in a hook shape are engaged with the engagement grooves 362 and 362 of the flange portion 36. . Therefore, the torsion coil spring 39 constantly urges the outer column 11 upward of the vehicle body via the distance bracket 13.

  Therefore, in the conventional steering device shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, when the operation lever 55 is rotated in the tightening release direction in order to adjust the tilt direction of the steering wheel, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 39 causes the outer A biasing force is always applied to the column 11 on the upper side of the vehicle body. Therefore, the weight of the outer column 11 is balanced in the tilt direction, and the adjustment of the tilt direction of the steering wheel can be performed with a light force.

  Further, when the outer column 11 and the upper bracket 3 are moved to the front side of the vehicle body due to an impact at the time of the secondary collision, the U-shaped portions 312 and 312 of the impact energy absorbing member 31 have a U-shaped portion at the front end of the vehicle body of the flange portion 36. It is squeezed and plastically deformed by 361 and absorbs impact energy at the time of the secondary collision to ensure the safety of the driver.

  However, in the above-described conventional steering device, when the upper bracket 3 moves to the front side of the vehicle body and is detached from the capsule 38 due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision, the outer column 11 rotates and falls to the lower side of the vehicle body. The collapse movement to the front side of the vehicle body at the time of the next collision is not performed smoothly, and there is a fear that the impact force at the time of the second collision is not sufficiently absorbed.

  Further, when the steering device is assembled to the vehicle body, it is necessary to perform a fastening operation of the steering device to the vehicle body while supporting the steering device by hand.

JP 2004-9796 A

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering device that is excellent in assembling workability to a vehicle body and that can smoothly perform a collapsing movement toward the vehicle body front side at the time of a secondary collision.

The above problem is solved by the following means. That is, the first invention is a vehicle body mounting bracket that can be attached to the vehicle body and can be detached to the front side of the vehicle body at the time of a secondary collision, and the vehicle body mounting bracket is supported with an adjustable tilt position, and a steering wheel is mounted. A column that pivotally supports the steering shaft, a clamp device that clamps the column to the vehicle body mounting bracket at a desired tilt position, and can be connected between the vehicle body and the column. In addition, the steering apparatus includes an urging member that urges the vehicle body rearward.

The second invention is a steering apparatus of the first aspect, the biasing member, the lower end is characterized by a single biasing member coupled to the axial center concentric the column It is a steering device.

Third invention is a steering apparatus of the first aspect, in that said biasing member has its lower end a pair of biasing member coupled to the symmetrical positions across the axis of the column This is a featured steering apparatus.

A fourth invention is the steering device according to the first invention, wherein the biasing member is a tension coil spring.

  In the steering apparatus of the present invention, the urging member that urges the column to the upper side of the vehicle body and to the rear side of the vehicle body is provided between the vehicle body and the column. Therefore, when the steering device is assembled to the vehicle body, the urging force of the urging member acts on the column on the upper side of the vehicle body, so there is no need to manually support the steering device during the assembly. In addition, since the weight of the column is balanced in the tilt direction, the tilt direction of the steering wheel can be adjusted with a light force.

  Further, when the column and the vehicle body mounting bracket are detached from the vehicle body due to an impact at the time of the secondary collision, the urging force acts on the column above the vehicle body by the urging force of the urging member. Therefore, the column does not rotate and drop to the lower side of the vehicle body, and the collapse movement of the column to the front side of the vehicle body is performed smoothly, and the urging force of this urging member absorbs the impact energy at the time of the secondary collision. Therefore, the safety of the driver is ensured.

* 1st Embodiment Hereinafter, the 1st Embodiment of this invention is described based on drawing. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a normal state of the steering apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state of the secondary collision in FIG.

  An outer column 11 is fitted on the outer periphery of the inner column 10 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. A steering shaft 12 is rotatably supported on the outer column 11, and a steering wheel (not shown) is fixed to the right end (vehicle body rear side) of the steering shaft 12.

  On the left side (front side of the vehicle body) of the outer column 11, an upper bracket (vehicle body mounting bracket) 3 is attached so as to sandwich the outer column 11 from both the left and right sides. The upper bracket 3 is attached to the vehicle body 16 so as to be detachable to the front side of the vehicle body.

  In the outer column 11, when a driver collides with the steering wheel during a secondary collision and a large impact force is applied, the upper bracket 3 is detached from the vehicle body 16 toward the front side of the vehicle body and guided to the front side of the vehicle body by the inner column 10. Move the collapse.

  The right end of the housing 21 of the steering assist portion (electric assist mechanism) 20 is fixed to the front side (left side) of the inner column 10 by a bolt. The steering assist unit 20 includes an electric motor 23, a reduction gear box unit 24, an output shaft 25, and the like. In the steering assist unit 20, the pivot pin 22 is pivotally supported on the vehicle body by a lower bracket (not shown).

  When the steering shaft 12 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the output shaft 25 via a torsion bar (not shown), and the torsion bar is twisted due to the resistance on the steering wheel side. The torsion bar detects the torque acting on the torsion bar by detecting the increase or decrease of the magnetic flux as a change in inductance, and the electric motor 23 is driven with a required steering assisting force to reduce the gearbox portion. This is transmitted to the output shaft 25 via the 24 speed reduction mechanism.

  The output shaft 25 is rotated from a cardan joint 27 fixed to the left end of the output shaft 25 with a bolt 26, an intermediate shaft (not shown) connected to the vehicle body front side of the cardan joint 27, via a pinion shaft (not shown). It is transmitted to the gear and the steering angle of the wheel can be changed.

  In the upper bracket (vehicle body mounting bracket) 3, flange portions 36 extending on the left and right sides of the axis of the outer column 11 are formed at the upper portion of the upper bracket 3, and left and right of the notch grooves 37, 37 formed in the flange portion 36. Capsules 38, 38 are fitted on both side edges. The upper bracket 3 has a symmetrical structure with respect to the axis of the outer column 11.

  The upper bracket 3 and the outer column 11 are made of a conductive material such as metal, and the notch grooves 37 and 37 are opened to the rear side of the flange portion 36 in the vehicle body. The notches 37 and 37 are fitted with capsules 38 and 38 made of a conductive material such as metal (light alloy such as aluminum). The capsules 38 and 38 are flanged by four shear pins 382, respectively. Coupled to portion 36. Further, the capsules 38 are fixed to the vehicle body 16 by bolts 383 inserted through long groove-like bolt holes 381 formed in the capsule 38 and nuts 384.

  Therefore, a ground wire of an electric device such as a horn disposed around the steering wheel is connected from the outer column 11 and the flange portion 36 to the vehicle body 16 in contact with the capsule 38. When the driver collides with the steering wheel due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision and a strong impact force is applied to the front side of the vehicle body, the flange portion 36 collapsively moves to the front side of the vehicle body, and the shear pin 382 shears.

  The upper bracket 3 includes an upper plate 32 and side plates 33 and 34 extending downward from the upper plate 32. A distance bracket 13 is integrally formed on the outer column 11 so as to protrude above the outer column 11. The side plates 14 and 15 of the distance bracket 13 are slidably in contact with the inner side surfaces 331 and 341 of the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3.

  Tilt adjusting long grooves 35 and 35 are formed in the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3. The long grooves 35 and 35 for tilt adjustment are formed in an arc shape centering on the pivot pin 22 provided on the front side of the vehicle body.

  A round rod-shaped fastening rod 5 is inserted from the right side of FIG. 3 through the long slots 35 and 35 for tilt adjustment. A cylindrical head 51 is formed at the right end of the clamping rod 5. A fixed cam 53, a movable cam 54, an operation lever 55, a thrust bearing 56, and a nut 57 are externally fitted in this order on the outer periphery of the left end of the tightening rod 5, and a female screw (not shown) formed on the inner diameter portion of the nut 57. ) Is screwed into a male screw 58 formed at the left end of the tightening rod 5. A rotation preventing portion (not shown) having a rectangular cross section is formed on the outer periphery of the left end of the clamping rod 5, and the fixed cam 53 is prevented from rotating with respect to the clamping rod 5 by this rotation preventing portion.

  Complementary inclined cam surfaces are formed on opposite end surfaces of the fixed cam 53 and the movable cam 54 and mesh with each other. When the operation lever 55 connected to the left side surface of the movable cam 54 is operated by hand, the movable cam 54 rotates with respect to the fixed cam 53. The tightening rod 5, the fixed cam 53, the movable cam 54, the operation lever 55, and the like constitute a clamping device that clamps the outer column 11 to the upper bracket 3 at a desired tilt position.

  When the operation lever 55 is rotated in the clamping direction, the mountain of the inclined cam surface of the movable cam 54 rides on the mountain of the inclined cam surface of the fixed cam 53, and at the same time the pulling rod 5 is pulled to the left in FIG. Push to the right in FIG.

  The right side plate 34 is pushed to the left by the left end surface of the head 51 of the clamping rod 5, deforms the side plate 34 inward, and strongly presses the inner side surface 341 of the side plate 34 against the side plate 15 of the distance bracket 13.

  At the same time, the left side plate 33 is pushed to the right by the right end surface of the fixed cam 53, deforms the side plate 33 inward, and strongly presses the inner side surface 331 of the side plate 33 against the side plate 14 of the distance bracket 13. In this way, the distance bracket 13 of the outer column 11 can be firmly fastened to the upper bracket 3. Therefore, the outer column 11 is fixed to the upper bracket 3, and the outer column 11 can be clamped to the upper bracket 3 at a desired tilt position.

  Next, when the driver rotates the operation lever 55 in the tightening release direction, the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3 in which the distance in the free state is set wider than the width of the outside of the side plates 14 and 15 of the distance bracket 13. However, each elastically returns in the direction opposite to the clamping direction.

  Therefore, the outer column 11 is in a free state with respect to the side plates 33 and 34 of the upper bracket 3. Therefore, the steering wheel 5 is displaced in the tilt direction while being guided by the tilt adjusting long groove 35, thereby steering wheel. The tilt direction can be arbitrarily adjusted.

  A rear extension 132 extending to the rear side of the vehicle body is formed on the upper plate 131 connecting the upper side plates 14 and 15 of the distance bracket 13, and a circular engagement hole 133 is formed in the rear extension 132. The center of the engagement hole 133 is formed concentrically with the axis of the outer column 11 when the outer column 11 is viewed from above in FIG. A flange 41 formed at the lower end of the tension coil spring 4 as an urging member is engaged with the engagement hole 133.

  Further, the flange 42 formed at the upper end of the tension coil spring 4 is engaged with a round bar-shaped engagement bar 161 formed on the vehicle body 16. The engagement rod 161 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the circular engagement hole 133. Therefore, the tension coil spring 4 always urges the outer column 11 to the vehicle body upper side and the vehicle body rear side via the distance bracket 13.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, the engagement rod 161 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the circular engagement hole 133, but the positions of the engagement rod 161 and the circular engagement hole 133 in the vehicle longitudinal direction are the same. May be arranged so that the axis connecting the upper flange portion 42 and the lower flange portion 41 of the tension coil spring 4 is orthogonal to the axis of the outer column 11.

  Further, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when the outer column 11 is viewed from above in FIG. 2, the axis connecting the upper flange portion 42 and the lower flange portion 41 of the tension coil spring 4 is the outer column. It is coincident with 11 axes. As another example, the axis connecting the upper flange portion 42 and the lower flange portion 41 of the tension coil spring 4 is parallel to the axis of the outer column 11 and the outer column 11 of the outer column 11 is viewed in FIG. It may be offset upward or downward with respect to the axis. As yet another example, the axis connecting the upper flange 42 and the lower flange 41 of the tension coil spring 4 may be inclined with respect to the axis of the outer column 11.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, when the steering device is assembled to the vehicle body, the assembly is performed in a state in which the flange 42 at the upper end of the tension coil spring 4 is engaged with the engagement rod 161 on the vehicle body 16 side. Can do. Accordingly, since the urging force of the tension coil spring 4 always acts on the outer column 11 on the upper side of the vehicle body, there is no need to support the steering device by hand during the assembly. Become.

  Further, when the operation lever 55 is rotated in the tightening release direction in order to adjust the tilt direction of the steering wheel, the outer column 11 always has a biasing force on the upper side of the vehicle body by the biasing force of the tension coil spring 4. Since the outer column 11 acts, the weight is balanced in the tilt direction, and the tilt direction of the steering wheel can be adjusted with a light force.

  Further, when the driver collides with the steering wheel due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer column 11 and the upper bracket 3 move to the front side of the vehicle body, and the flange portion 36 of the upper bracket 3 is sheared. The pin 382 is sheared and detached from the capsule 38. At this time, because the urging force of the tension coil spring 4 acts on the outer column 11 on the upper side of the vehicle body, the outer column 11 does not rotate and drop on the lower side of the vehicle body. The collapse movement to the front side of the vehicle body is performed smoothly.

  Further, when the outer column 11 and the upper bracket 3 move to the front side of the vehicle body due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision, the tension coil spring 4 is pulled. Therefore, the impact at the time of the secondary collision is caused by the urging force of the tension coil spring 4. Absorbs energy and ensures driver safety. Further, as the amount of movement of the outer column 11 toward the front side of the vehicle body increases, the urging force of the tension coil spring 4 increases accordingly, thereby preventing the occurrence of a peak load at the vehicle body front side moving end of the outer column 11. be able to.

  In the above embodiment, the lower end of one tension coil spring 4 is connected to the axis of the outer column 11, but a pair of tension coil springs are arranged at symmetrical positions across the axis of the outer column 11. Also good.

* 2nd Embodiment Hereinafter, the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is described based on drawing. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a normal state of the steering apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a right side view of FIG. In the following description, only structural parts different from the above embodiment will be described, and redundant description will be omitted. Further, the same parts will be described with the same numbers.

  In the second embodiment, the steering assist portion (electric assist mechanism) 20 of the first embodiment is not provided, and the lower end of the tension coil spring 4 is directly engaged with the outer column 11 instead of the rear extension 132 of the distance bracket 13. I am letting.

  That is, the bracket 28 is fixed by welding so that the inner column 10 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides of the inner column 10 on the vehicle body front side (left side), and the pivot pin 22 attached to the bracket 28 is connected to the lower bracket 29. Is pivotally supported by the vehicle body 16 so as to be pivotable.

  On the outer peripheral upper surface of the outer column 11, a rectangular flat plate-like engagement plate 17 is fixed by welding at a position on the rear side of the vehicle body from the distance bracket 13, and a circular engagement hole 171 is formed in the engagement plate 17. . The center of the engagement hole 171 is formed concentrically with the axis of the outer column 11. A flange 41 formed at the lower end of the tension coil spring 4 as an urging member is engaged with the engagement hole 171.

  Further, the flange portion 42 formed at the upper end of the tension coil spring 4 is engaged with a round bar-shaped engagement bar 161 formed on the vehicle body 16 as in the first embodiment. The engagement rod 161 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the circular engagement hole 171. Therefore, the tension coil spring 4 always urges the outer column 11 toward the vehicle body upper side and the vehicle body rear side.

  In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the urging force of the tension coil spring 4 always exerts the urging force on the outer column 11 on the upper side of the vehicle body. As a result, the outer column 11 can be easily adjusted in the tilt direction and adjusted in the tilt direction of the steering wheel with a light force.

  Further, when the outer column 11 and the upper bracket 3 are separated from the capsule 38 toward the front side of the vehicle body due to an impact at the time of a secondary collision, the urging force of the tension coil spring 4 causes the outer column 11 to be biased toward the upper side of the vehicle body. Because of this action, the outer column 11 does not rotate and drop to the lower side of the vehicle body, and the collapse movement of the outer column 11 to the front side of the vehicle body is performed smoothly.

  Further, when the outer column 11 and the upper bracket 3 move to the front side of the vehicle body due to the impact at the time of the secondary collision, the tension coil spring 4 is pulled. Therefore, the impact at the time of the secondary collision is caused by the urging force of the tension coil spring 4. Absorbs energy and ensures driver safety. Further, as the amount of movement of the outer column 11 toward the front side of the vehicle body increases, the urging force of the tension coil spring 4 increases accordingly, thereby preventing the occurrence of a peak load at the vehicle body front side moving end of the outer column 11. be able to.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a steering apparatus having only a tilt position adjusting mechanism is shown, but the present invention can also be applied to a steering apparatus having both a tilt position adjusting mechanism and a telescopic position adjusting mechanism.

It is a front view which shows the normal state of the steering device of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of FIG. It is a right view of FIG. It is a front view which shows the state at the time of the secondary collision of FIG. It is a front view which shows the normal state of the steering device of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a right side view of FIG. 5. It is a front view which shows the normal state of the conventional steering apparatus. FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a right side view of FIG. 7. It is a front view which shows the state at the time of the secondary collision of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Inner column 11 Outer column 12 Steering shaft 13 Distance bracket 131 Upper plate 132 Back extension part 133 Engagement hole 14, 15 Side plate 16 Car body 161 Engagement rod 17 Engagement plate 171 Engagement hole 20 Steering auxiliary part 21 Housing 22 Pivoting pin 23 Electric motor 24 Reduction gear box section 25 Output shaft 26 Bolt 27 Cardan joint 28 Bracket 29 Lower bracket 3 Upper bracket 31 Energy absorbing member 311 Linear section 312 U-shaped section 32 Upper plate 33, 34 Side plate 331, 341 Inner side surface 35 Tilt adjustment Long groove 36 Flange portion 361 U-shaped portion 362 Engaging groove 37 Notch groove 38 Capsule 381 Bolt hole 382 Shear pin 383 Bolt 384 Nut 39 Torsion coil spring 391 Coil portion 392 U Part 393 hook 4 tension coil spring 41 hook 5 fastening rod 51 the head 53 fixed cam 54 movable cam 55 operating lever 56 thrust bearing 57 nut 58 externally threaded

Claims (4)

A body mounting bracket that can be mounted on the vehicle body and can be detached to the front of the vehicle during a secondary collision.
A column in which the tilt position is supported by the vehicle body mounting bracket so as to be adjustable, and a steering shaft on which a steering wheel is mounted is pivotally supported.
A clamping device for clamping the column to the vehicle body mounting bracket at a desired tilt position;
A steering apparatus comprising a biasing member that is connectable between the vehicle body and the column and biases the column to the vehicle body upper side and the vehicle body rear side. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the urging member is a single urging member having a lower end concentrically connected to an axis of the column. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the urging member is a pair of urging members whose lower ends are coupled to a symmetrical position with the axis of the column interposed therebetween. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a tension coil spring.

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