JP6458457B2 - Cam device and steering wheel position adjusting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a cam device incorporated in and used in a position adjusting device for a steering wheel, which can adjust the height position of a steering wheel for steering an automobile, for example.

  The automobile steering device is configured as shown in FIG. 9, and transmits the rotation of the steering wheel 1 to the input shaft 3 of the steering gear unit 2, and a pair of left and right tie rods 4 according to the rotation of the input shaft 3, 4 is pushed and pulled to give a steering angle to the front wheels. The steering wheel 1 is supported and fixed at the rear end portion of the steering shaft 5, and the steering shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the steering column 6 with the cylindrical steering column 6 inserted in the axial direction. Has been. Further, the front end portion of the steering shaft 5 is connected to the rear end portion of the intermediate shaft 8 via a universal joint 7, and the front end portion of the intermediate shaft 8 is connected to the input shaft 3 via another universal joint 9. Connected to.

  In the illustrated example, an electric power steering device is incorporated. For this purpose, an electric motor 10 serving as a power source for applying auxiliary force is provided at the front end of the steering column 6 by supporting it on a housing 11 fixed to the front end of the steering column 6. The output torque (auxiliary force) of the electric motor 10 is applied to the steering shaft 5 through a gear unit or the like provided in the housing 11.

  A tilt mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1 and a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the front-rear position according to the driver's physique and driving posture have been widely known. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). In order to constitute the tilt mechanism, the upper front end portion of the housing 11 is in the width direction with respect to the vehicle body 12 (the width direction is the width direction of the vehicle body and coincides with the left-right direction. The same is applied to the entire scope of the claims. A displacement bracket 14 is provided on the lower surface of the intermediate portion of the steering column 6 in the axial direction. The support bracket 15 is provided with the displacement bracket 14 being sandwiched from both sides in the width direction. The support bracket 15 includes a mounting plate portion 16 provided at an upper portion and a pair of left and right support plate portions 17 hanging downward from the mounting plate portion 16. It is supported.

  Further, the tilting long holes 18 that are arc-shaped around the tilt shaft 13 and that are long in the vertical direction are formed in both the support plate portions 17 in a part of the two tilting long holes 18 in the displacement bracket 14. Through holes 19 are respectively formed in the matching portions. The structure shown in FIG. 9 incorporates a tilt / telescopic mechanism that can adjust the front / rear position in addition to the vertical position of the steering wheel 1, so that the through-hole 19 is connected to the steering shaft 5 and the steering column 6. The long hole is in the axial direction. In accordance with this, the steering shaft 5 and the steering column 6 have a structure that can be expanded and contracted. A more specific structure of the tilt type steering apparatus incorporating such a telescopic mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The steering column 6 is slidably fitted to the front part of the outer column 20 arranged on the rear side and the rear part of the inner column 21 arranged on the front side, so that the entire length can be expanded and contracted. Among these, for example, a slit 22 is provided in the front part of the outer column 20 made by die-casting a light alloy so that the inner diameter of the front part can be elastically expanded and reduced. Further, a pair of left and right sandwiched plate portions 23, 23 are provided at a portion sandwiching the slit 22 from both the left and right sides, and the displacement bracket 14 is configured by the both sandwiched plate portions 23, 23. Through-holes 19 and 19 that are long in the front-rear direction are formed in both the sandwiched plate portions 23 and 23. In addition, a pair of left and right support plate portions 17 and 17 provided on the support bracket 15 are disposed in a portion where the displacement bracket 14 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides, and the tilt shaft 13 ( Tilt oblong holes 18 and 18 are formed which are partially arc-shaped centered on (see FIG. 9) and are long in the vertical direction. A flange-shaped member 24 is inserted in the width direction into the long holes for tilt 18 and 18 and the through holes 19 and 19.

  Further, an adjustment lever 25 is provided at one axial end of the hook-shaped member 24, an anchor part 26 is provided at the other axial end, and a cam device 27 is provided at a portion near one end of the axial intermediate part. A tilt lock mechanism is configured to expand and contract the distance between the inner side surfaces of the support plate portions 17 and 17 based on the swing. The anchor portion 26 has a shape such as a head portion of a bolt provided at the other axial end portion of the flange-shaped member 24, and the first engaging convex portions 28 formed on the inner side surface are connected to the both ends. Among the support plate portions 17, 17, the tilt long hole 18 formed in the other support plate portion 17 (on the right side in FIG. 11) facing the inner surface of the anchor portion 26 is formed in the tilt long hole 18. Only the displacement along is possible. Accordingly, the flange-like member 24 can be moved up and down along the long holes 18 and 18 for tilting, but does not rotate around its own axis.

  The tilt type steering device as described above incorporates a cam device 27 having a conventional structure configured by combining a driving side cam 29 and a driven side cam 30 as shown in FIG. The driving side cam 29 and the driven side cam 30 have center holes 31 and 32 for inserting the flange-shaped member 24, respectively, and the whole is formed into an annular plate shape. Further, a driving cam surface 33 and a driven cam surface 34, each of which is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction, are formed on the surfaces of the cams 29 and 30 facing each other. Of these, the drive-side cam surface 33 includes a flat drive-side reference surface 35 and drive-side convex portions 36 protruding inward in the width direction from a plurality of circumferentially equidistant portions of the drive-side reference surface 35. 36. The driven cam surface 34 includes a flat driven side reference surface 37 and a driven side projecting outward in the width direction from a plurality of circumferentially equidistant portions of the driven side reference surface 37. Convex portions 38 and 38 are provided. Further, a second engagement convex portion 39 is formed on the inner side surface of the driven cam 30.

  The driven cam 30 has the second engagement convex portion 39 on one of the support plate portions 17 and 17 facing the inner surface of the driven cam 30 (left side in FIG. 11). Only the displacement along the tilt long hole 18 is engaged with the tilt long hole 18 formed in the support plate portion 17. Therefore, the driven cam 30 can also move up and down along the tilting slot 18 but does not rotate around its own axis. Further, by connecting and fixing the base end portion of the adjustment lever 25 to the drive side cam 29, the drive side cam 29 is moved around the flange-shaped member 24 as the adjustment lever 25 reciprocally swings. It is designed to reciprocate. In addition, a thrust bearing 41 is provided between the nut 40 screwed to one axial end portion of the bowl-shaped member 24 and the outer surface of the base end portion of the adjusting lever 25, so that the thrust load acting on the drive side cam 29 is provided. The drive-side cam 29 can be reciprocally swung. The nut 40 is prevented from loosening by caulking or the like.

  When adjusting the position of the steering wheel 1, the adjusting lever 25 is swung in a predetermined direction (generally downward), and the drive cam 29 is rotated in the unlocking direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 13C, the drive-side convex portions 36, 36 and the driven-side convex portions 38, 38 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction (unlocked state). As a result, the axial dimension of the cam device 27 is reduced, and the distance between the driven cam 30 and the anchor portion 26 corresponding to the pressing portion described in the claims is widened. As a result, the surface pressure of the contact portion between the inner side surfaces of the both support plate portions 17 and 17 and the outer side surfaces of the both sandwiched plate portions 23 and 23 is reduced or lost, and at the same time, the front end portion of the outer column 20 The inner diameter of the outer column 20 is elastically expanded, and the contact pressure between the inner peripheral surface of the front end portion of the outer column 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inner column 21 is reduced. In this state, the vertical position and the front / rear position of the steering wheel 1 can be adjusted within a range in which the flange-shaped member 24 can move within the long holes for tilt 18 and 18 and the through holes 19 and 19.

  In order to hold the steering wheel 1 in a desired position, after the steering wheel 1 is moved to the desired position, the adjusting lever 25 is swung in the reverse direction (generally upward). And as shown to (A) of FIG. 13, the state which the front end surface of each said drive side convex part 36 and 36 and the front end surface of each said driven side convex part 38 and 38 mutually abut (lock state) Thus, the axial dimension of the cam device 27 is expanded, and the distance between the inner side surfaces of the support plate portions 17 and 17 is reduced. In this state, the surface pressure of the abutting portion between the inner side surfaces of the two support plate portions 17 and 17 and the outer side surfaces of the both sandwiched plate portions 23 and 23 rises, and at the same time, the inner diameter of the front end portion of the outer column 20 Is elastically contracted, and the surface pressure of the abutting portion between the inner peripheral surface of the front end portion of the outer column 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inner column 21 rises to bring the steering wheel 1 to the adjusted position. Can hold.

In the case of a steering apparatus incorporating a cam device having a conventional structure having the above-described configuration, when the adjustment lever 25 is operated to adjust the position of the steering wheel 1, the adjustment lever 25 rotates vigorously. There is a possibility that problems such as hitting the fingers of the driver vigorously or generating an abnormal sound (release sound).
That is, in order to adjust the position of the steering wheel 1, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13B, when the adjusting lever 25 is rotated to some extent from the locked state, the driving cam surface Of the circumferential side surfaces of the drive-side convex portion 36 formed on the drive-side convex portion 36, a drive-side guide slope 42 located on the rear side in the unlocking direction is formed on the driven-side cam surface 34. Of the both side surfaces in the circumferential direction of the portion 38, the guided side is guided by the driven-side guide slope 43 positioned on the front side in the unlocking direction. At this time, not only an inertial force acts on the drive side cam 29, but also the elastic restoring force of the both sandwiched plate portions 23 and 23 and the own weight of the adjusting lever 25 act on the drive side cam 29 to apply it in the rotational direction. It will be in a state of power. For this reason, the driving cam 29 rotates vigorously, the leading end surface of each driving side convex portion 36 collides with the driven side reference surface 37, and the leading end surface of each driven side convex portion 38 It collides with the drive side reference plane 35. Further, among the circumferential side opposite surfaces of each driving side convex portion 36, the driving side stopper surface 44 positioned on the front side with respect to the unlocking direction is the circumferential side both sides of the driven side convex portion 38. It collides with the driven stopper surface 45 located rearward with respect to the unlocking direction. As a result, an abnormal noise based on a collision between metals may be generated, which may cause discomfort to a passenger such as a driver. Further, the driving side stopper surface 44 may ride on the driven side stopper surface 45, and the driving side cam 29 and the driven side cam 30 may be separated from each other in the width direction.

  Further, when the driving side stopper surface 44 collides with the driven side stopper surface 45 vigorously, the driven side cam 30 tends to rotate around the hook-shaped member 24. As a result, the second engaging convex portion 39 swings and displaces inside the other tilting slot 18 as shown by the arrows in FIG. There is a possibility that both inner edges collide with both upper and lower end portions of the front and rear side surfaces of the second engagement convex portion 39, and generate abnormal noise. Further, when the adjusting lever 25 is rotated to some extent from the locked state, the adjusting lever 25 is energized, so that the adjusting lever 25 rotates at a speed different from the driver's intention. In other words, hitting the driver's finger may cause discomfort.

JP 2009-227181 A

  In view of the circumstances as described above, the present invention is a structure of a cam device that can prevent the driving cam from rotating vigorously and prevent the generation of abnormal noise when switching from the locked state to the unlocked state. Invented to realize the above.

Of the cam device and the steering wheel position adjusting device of the present invention, the invention relating to the cam device includes a drive side cam and a driven side cam.
Of these, the drive side cam is, for example, in the shape of an annular plate, and is provided with a drive side cam surface, which is a concavo-convex surface in the circumferential direction, on one side surface in the axial direction. The
The driven cam is, for example, in the shape of an annular plate, and a driven cam surface that is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction is provided on the other side surface in the axial direction facing the driving side cam surface. On one side surface in the axial direction, there is provided an engaging convex portion that engages with a long hole formed in a counterpart member (for example, a support bracket) facing in the axial direction.
The drive-side cam surface includes a flat drive-side reference surface and a plurality of drives provided in a state of projecting toward one side in the axial direction from a plurality of circumferentially equidistant positions on the drive-side reference surface. It has a side convex part.
The driven cam surface is provided in a state of projecting toward the other side in the axial direction from a flat driven side reference surface and a plurality of circumferentially equidistant positions on the driven side reference surface. And a plurality of driven side convex portions (the same number as the driving side convex portions).
Then, the cam device of the present invention rotates the driving side cam relative to the driven cam so that the leading end surface of each driving side convex portion and the leading end surface of each driven side convex portion are The abutted locked state and the unlocked state in which the drive-side convex portions and the driven-side convex portions are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction can be switched, and the axial dimension is enlarged or reduced.

Particularly, in the case of the cam device of the present invention, among the circumferential side surfaces of each drive-side convex portion, it is positioned forward with respect to the unlocking direction, which is the rotation direction of the drive-side cam when switching to the unlocked state. The driven-side stopper surface located on the rear side with respect to the unlocking direction among the circumferentially opposite side surfaces of the driven-side convex portion between the driving-side stopper surface and the driving-side reference surface And at least one of the portions between the driven-side reference surface and each driven-side stopper surface or each driven-side stopper surface that is continuously provided in the circumferential direction at a lower angle than the driven-side reference surface. This forms a slow slope part (small inclination angle).
And when switching to an unlocked state, before each said drive side stopper surface and each said driven side stopper surface contact | abut, among each said drive side convex part and each said driven side convex part At least one of the convex portions is made to ride on each of the deceleration slope portions.
Each of the deceleration inclined surface portions may be a linearly inclined flat surface, or a curved curved surface (smooth concave curved surface or convex curved surface having a large curvature radius R).

Further, in the cam device according to the present invention, the drive-side convex portions and the driven portions provided on one of the drive-side cams and the driven-side cams on which the respective deceleration slope portions are formed. Of the side convex portions, one of the circumferential side surfaces of the convex portion, on the side surface opposite to the stopper surfaces, the guide slope whose inclination direction with respect to the circumferential direction is opposite to the deceleration slope portions Is forming. In addition, the guide slopes and the deceleration slopes are opposed to each other in the circumferential direction between the one convex portions adjacent in the circumferential direction.

When implementing the cam device of the present invention as described above, for example, as in the second aspect of the present invention, each of the guides provided in a state facing the one cam in the circumferential direction. Between the slope and each deceleration slope part, the other convex part of the drive side convex parts and the driven side convex parts provided on the other cam is sandwiched in an unlocked state.
Then, gaps are formed between the front end surface of each driven-side convex portion and each of the driving-side reference surfaces, and between the front end surface of each driving-side convex portion and the driven-side reference surface. At the same time, a gap is formed between each driving-side stopper surface and each driven-side stopper surface.

Further, when the cam device of the present invention is implemented, for example, as in the third aspect of the present invention, the urging member that elastically presses the driving side cam and the driven side cam toward each other. Is provided.
In this case, for example, as in the invention described in claim 4 , the urging member is integrally formed by injection molding a synthetic resin. Further, an elastic pressing portion for pressing the driven cam toward the driving cam is provided on a part of the biasing member.
Further, when the invention described in claim 4 is carried out, as in the invention described in claim 5 , for example, the biasing member includes a hollow cylindrical sleeve and an outer peripheral surface of one end in the axial direction of the sleeve. It is comprised from the disk spring which is the said press part protruded toward radial direction outward.
Alternatively, when the invention described in claim 3 is carried out, the urging member is a coil spring as in the invention described in claim 6 , for example. And this coil spring is arrange | positioned in the long hole formed in the said other member (support bracket).

In contrast, the steering wheel position adjusting device of the present invention includes a steering column, a steering shaft, a displacement bracket, a support bracket, a pair of tilt long holes, a pair of through holes, and a bowl-shaped member. And an anchor portion, a pressing portion, and a cam device.
Among these, the steering column is oscillated and displaced about a tilt axis arranged in the width direction.
The steering shaft is rotatably supported on the inside of the steering column, and fixes the steering wheel to a portion protruding from the end opening of the steering column.
The displacement bracket is provided at an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the steering column.
The support bracket has a mounting plate portion provided at an upper portion and a pair of support plate portions hanging downward from the mounting plate portion, and the support bracket portions sandwich the displacement bracket from both sides in the width direction. The mounting plate portion supports the vehicle body.
The long holes for tilting are, for example, a partial arc shape centered on the tilt axis or a straight line long in the tangential direction of such an arc and long in the vertical direction. Is provided.
The two through holes are, for example, a circular hole or a long hole that is long in the front-rear direction, and are formed in a state of penetrating in the width direction in a portion of the displacement bracket that is aligned with a part of the long holes for both tilts. ing.
The saddle-shaped member is inserted through both the long holes for tilting and the both through holes in the width direction.
The said press part is provided in the part protruded from the outer surface of one support plate part of the said both support plate parts in the one end part of the said hook-shaped member.
The anchor portion is provided at a portion protruding from the outer surface of the other support plate portion of the two support plate portions at the other end portion of the bowl-shaped member.
Furthermore, the said cam apparatus expands / contracts the space | interval of the said anchor part and the said press part.

In particular, in the case of the steering wheel position adjusting device of the present invention, any one of the cam devices described in claims 1 to 6 is used as the cam device.
Then, the driven cam constituting the cam device is caused to function as the pressing portion. In addition, the engagement convex portion of the driven cam can be displaced along the tilt long hole formed in the one support plate portion, and the hook-shaped member can be displaced. Engage with the center rotation suppressed. Further, the driving cam constituting the cam device can be rotated around one end of the hook-shaped member, and the displacement of the hook-shaped member toward one end is suppressed. Support in the state that was made.
The drive side cam may be fitted on the hook-like member so as to be rotatable relative to the hook-like member, or may be fitted on the hook-like member so as to be able to rotate in synchronization with the hook-like member.

According to the cam device and the steering wheel position adjusting device of the present invention configured as described above, when switching from the locked state to the unlocked state, it is possible to prevent the driving cam from rotating vigorously, and noise is generated. It can be prevented from occurring.
That is, in the case of the present invention, when the drive side cam rotates in the unlocking direction, on the both sides in the circumferential direction of the drive side convex portion provided on the drive side cam, The driven-side stopper surface located on the driven-side cam and the driven-side stopper surface located on the rear side in the unlocking direction out of both circumferential surfaces of the driven-side convex portion provided on the driven-side cam come into contact with each other. First, at least one of the driving-side convex portions and the driven-side convex portion can run on the deceleration slope portion.
Therefore, according to the present invention, when switching to the unlocked state, at least one of the driving-side convex portions and the driven-side convex portions, and the deceleration slope portions, Since a frictional force (braking force) can be generated between them, the rotational speed of the drive side cam can be slowed to prevent the drive side cam from rotating vigorously.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the driving-side stopper surfaces and the driven-side stopper surfaces from colliding with each other, and to suppress the generation of noise due to the collision. Further, when the driven cam is rotated, both front and rear side surfaces of the engaging convex portion provided on the driven cam and a long hole (tilting long hole) in which the engaging convex portion is engaged. It is possible to prevent the front and rear inner edges from colliding vigorously, and to suppress the generation of abnormal noise associated with the collision. Further, the adjusting lever can be prevented from rotating at a speed different from the driver's intention, and the occurrence of a situation in which the adjusting lever hits the driver's finger and causes discomfort can be suppressed.

According to the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent the front end surface of the drive side convex portion and the driven side reference surface from colliding with each other, and the front end surface of the driven side convex portion and the drive side reference surface Can be prevented from colliding. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the noise resulting from these each surface colliding can be prevented.
According to the invention described in claim 3 , when switching to the unlocked state, at least one of the driving-side convex portions and the driven-side convex portions, and the respective convex portions The frictional force acting on the contact portion can be increased by reliably contacting the deceleration slope portion. For this reason, the deceleration action (brake effect) of the driving cam can be obtained more reliably by providing these deceleration slope portions.

Sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 11 which shows the 1st example of embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which similarly takes out and shows a cam apparatus. The perspective view which similarly takes out and shows a driven side cam. The schematic diagram (A) which looked at the drive side cam which similarly comprises a cam apparatus from the front, the schematic diagram (B) which looked at the driven side cam from the front, and the schematic diagram (C) seen from the back. The enlarged view equivalent to the A section of FIG. It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 5 which similarly represented the urging | biasing member in the cross-sectional state, (A) has shown the unlocked state, (B) has each shown the locked state. The cross-sectional schematic diagram shown in order to demonstrate the mode of the contact state of cam surfaces when similarly switching from a locked state to an unlocked state. Sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 5 which shows the 2nd example of embodiment of this invention. The partial side view which shows one example of the steering device for motor vehicles incorporating the steering device used as the object of this invention. The partial side view which shows the more specific structure of a steering device similarly. BB sectional drawing of FIG. The schematic diagram (A) which looked at the drive side cam which comprises the cam apparatus of conventional structure from the front, the schematic diagram (B) which looked at the driven side cam from the front, and the schematic diagram (C) seen from the back. The cross-sectional schematic diagram shown in order to demonstrate the change of the contact state of the cam surfaces at the time of switching from a locked state to an unlocked state similarly. Similarly CC sectional drawing of FIG.

[First example of embodiment]
A first example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Also in the case of the steering device of this example, a tilt mechanism is provided for adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1 (see FIG. 9) according to the driver's physique and driving posture.

  A steering shaft 5a having the steering wheel 1 fixed to the rear end portion thereof is rotatably supported inside the steering column 6a, and the front end portion of the steering column 6a is fixed to the vehicle body 12 in a state of being arranged in the width direction. The tilt shaft 13 (see FIG. 9) supports the swing displacement. On the other hand, the intermediate portion of the steering column 6a supports the support bracket 15a fixed to the vehicle body 12 so that the height position (vertical position) can be adjusted.

  The support bracket 15a is formed by bending a metal plate having sufficient rigidity, and has a mounting plate portion 16a provided at the upper portion and a pair of parallel supports that hang downward from the mounting plate portion 16a. Plate portions 17a and 17a are provided. Further, tilting long holes 18a, 18a which are arc-shaped around the tilt shaft 13 and which are long in the vertical direction are formed at positions where these support plate portions 17a, 17a are aligned with each other. Further, a displacement having a substantially U-shaped cross section is formed by bending a metal plate having sufficient rigidity at a portion sandwiched between the support plate portions 17a and 17a at an intermediate portion of the steering column 6a. The bracket 14a is fixed by welding or the like.

The displacement bracket 14a includes a pair of sandwiched plate portions 23a, 23a that overlap the support plate portions 17a, 17a in the width direction and are parallel to each other, and of the sandwiched plate portions 23a, 23a, Concentric through holes 19a and 19a are formed in portions aligned with a part of the tilt long holes 18a and 18a, respectively. A flange-shaped member 24a is inserted in the width direction through each of the through holes 19a and 19a and the long holes for tilt 18a and 18a.
In the case of the steering device of this example, since the telescopic mechanism for adjusting the front-rear position of the steering wheel 1 is not provided, the through holes 19a and 19a are simply circular holes. When equipped, it is a long hole that is long in the front-rear direction.

  Further, the lever 25a has an adjustment lever 25a at one end in the axial direction (left end in FIG. 1), an anchor portion 26a at the other end in the axial direction (right end in FIG. 1), and a portion closer to one end in the axial direction. Are provided with cam devices 27a, respectively, to constitute a tilt lock mechanism that expands and contracts the distance between the inner surfaces of the support plate portions 17a and 17a based on the swing of the adjusting lever 25a.

  In the case of this example, a nut 40a is screwed to the other axial end of the flange-shaped member 24a, and the nut 40a among the inner side surface of the nut 40a and the support plate portions 17a and 17a. A thrust bearing 41a and an annular spacer 46 are disposed between the inner side surface of the second support plate portion 17a and the outer side surface of the other support plate portion 17a. Thus, the nut 40a can be rotated relative to the other support plate portion 17a. In the case of this example, the nut 40a functions as the anchor portion 26a. A balance spring 47, which is a tension spring, is provided between the spacer 46 and the support bracket 15a. Thus, the weight of the portion that moves up and down together with the steering column 6a is supported by the balance spring 47 to reduce the burden on the driver when adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1.

In the case of this example, the cam device 27a is configured by combining the drive side cam 29a and the driven side cam 30a, and closes to one end in the axial direction of the hook-like member 24a via the biasing member 48. It is arranged around the part.

  Of these, the drive side cam 29a is made of sintered metal, has a center hole 31a through which the flange-like member 24a (and the urging member 48) is inserted, and has an annular plate shape as a whole. Further, on the inner side surface (right side surface in FIG. 1) of the drive side cam 29a, a drive side cam surface 33a, which is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction, is formed.

  The drive-side cam surface 33a is directed inward in the width direction from a flat drive-side reference surface 35a and a plurality of equally spaced circumferential positions (four in the illustrated example) of the drive-side reference surface 35a. Protruding drive side convex portions 36a and 36a having a substantially trapezoidal cross section are provided. Of the both circumferential side surfaces of each drive-side convex portion 36a, on the front side with respect to the unlocking direction, which is the rotational direction of the drive-side cam 29a when switching to the unlocked state, a drive-side stopper surface 44a is provided. Similarly, drive-side guide slopes 42a are formed on the rear side. The drive-side guide slope 42a and the drive-side stopper face 44a have opposite inclination directions with respect to the circumferential direction, and the drive-side guide slope 42a has a tilt angle of 30 to 50 degrees with respect to the drive-side reference face 35a. The drive-side stopper surface 44a is about 70 to 85 degrees. The inclination angle of the drive side stopper surface 44a corresponds to the draft required for taking out the drive side cam 29a from the mold. In the example shown in the figure, the driving side guide slope 42a and the driving side stopper surface 44a are each linearly inclined planes. However, in the case of implementing the present invention, curved curved surfaces (curvatures) It may be a smooth concave curved surface or convex curved surface having a large radius R).

  Such a drive-side cam 29a is coupled and fixed to the base end portion of the adjusting lever 25a so as to reciprocate as the adjusting lever 25a reciprocates. Further, in the case of this example, the base end portion of the adjusting lever 25a and the one axial end portion of the flange-like member 24a are engaged with each other so as not to rotate relative to each other by an uneven fitting or the like (not shown). Thereby, in the case of this example, the said drive side cam 29a is comprised so that rotation synchronizing with the said hook-shaped member 24a is possible. However, when carrying out the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the drive side cam is externally fitted to the flange-like member so as to be capable of relative rotation as in the structure shown in FIG.

  The driven cam 30a is made of sintered metal, like the driving cam 29a, and has a center hole 32a through which the flange member 24a (and the biasing member 48) is inserted. Is in the shape of a ring plate. Further, on the outer side surface (left side surface in FIG. 1) of the driven cam 30a, a driven cam surface 34a that is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction is formed.

  In particular, in the case of this example, the driven cam surface 34a is moved outward in the width direction from a flat driven side reference surface 37a and a plurality of circumferentially equidistant positions on the driven side reference surface 37a. It has a substantially trapezoidal cross section projecting toward the head, and is composed of the same number of driven side convex portions 38a, 38a as the drive side convex portions 36a, 36a, and deceleration slope portions 49, 49. In addition, among the circumferential side surfaces of each driven-side convex portion 38a, a driven-side guide inclined surface 43a is provided on the front side with respect to the unlocking direction, and a driven-side stopper surface 45a is also provided on the rear side. Each is formed. The driven-side guide slope 43a and the driven-side stopper face 45a have opposite inclination angles with respect to the circumferential direction, and the magnitude of the inclination angle with respect to the driven-side reference face 37a is determined by the driven-side guide slope 43a. It is about 30 to 50 degrees, and the driven-side stopper surface 45a is about 70 to 85 degrees. In addition, the inclination angles of the driven side guide slope 43a and the driven side stopper face 45a are substantially the same as the inclination angles of the drive side guide slope 42a and the drive side stopper face 44a except for manufacturing errors. . As in the case of the driving side stopper surface 44a, the inclination angle of the driven side stopper surface 45a corresponds to the draft required for taking out the driven side cam 30a from the mold. In the illustrated example, the driven side guide slope 43a and the driven side stopper surface 45a are each linearly inclined planes. However, when the present invention is implemented, curved curved surfaces are provided. (Smooth concave curved surface or convex curved surface having a large curvature radius R) may be used.

  In the case of this example, among the both circumferential side surfaces of each driven-side convex portion 38a, between the driven-side stopper surface 45a located on the rear side with respect to the unlocking direction and the driven-side reference surface 37a. In each portion, the deceleration slope portions 49 having a gentler inclination angle than the driven stopper surfaces 45a provided continuously in the circumferential direction are formed. The inclination direction of each deceleration slope portion 49 is the same as the inclination direction of each driven-side stopper surface 45a, and is opposite to the inclination angle of each driven-side guide slope 43a. In addition, the inclination angle of each deceleration slope portion 49 is specifically about 30 to 50 degrees. In the case of this example, the length dimension (formation range in the circumferential direction) of each deceleration slope portion 49 is set to the circumference of each driven-side convex portion 38a (the base end portion). The length dimension in the width direction (axial direction) of each deceleration slope 49 is set to the width direction (axial direction) of each driven-side convex portion 38a. ) About 1/5 to 2/5 of the length dimension. Incidentally, the dimensions (circumferential dimension and axial dimension) and the inclination angle of each deceleration ramp 49 are in the unlocked state (unlock completed state) as described later, and the driven cam surface 34a. The drive-side convex portions 36a provided on the drive-side cam 29a are regulated so as to be sandwiched between the driven-side guide slopes 43a and the speed-reducing slope portions 49 constituting the drive side. In the illustrated example, each of the deceleration slope portions 49 is a linearly inclined flat surface. However, when the present invention is implemented, a curved curved surface (smooth concave curved surface having a large curvature radius R) is used. Or a convex curved surface).

  Further, an engagement convex portion 50 is provided on the inner side surface of the driven cam 30a so as to protrude inward in the width direction. The front surface in the front-rear direction of the engagement convex portion 50 has a shape along the front-rear direction inner surface of the tilt long hole 18a formed in one support plate portion 17a facing the inner surface of the driven cam 30a. ing.

  Such a driven cam 30a is externally fitted to the hook-like member 24a so as to be capable of relative rotation with respect to the hook-like member 24a and relative displacement in the axial direction of the hook-like member 24a, and the engagement. The convex portion 50 is engaged with the long slot 18a for tilting of the one support plate 17a so that only displacement along the long slot 18a for tilting is possible. Therefore, the driven cam 30a can be moved up and down along the tilt long hole 18a, but the front and rear inner side surface of the tilt long hole 18a of the one support plate portion 17a and the engagement convex portion 50 can be moved. It does not rotate about its own axis except for the rotation of the gap existing between the front and rear outer surfaces.

  In the case of this example, in order to elastically press the driven cam 30a constituting the cam device 27a as described above toward the driving cam 29a, the axial direction of the hook-like member 24a The urging member 48 is provided so as to be fitted to a portion near one end. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the biasing member 48 is integrally formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin, and includes a hollow cylindrical sleeve 51 and an outer peripheral surface of one end in the width direction of the sleeve 51. And a disc spring portion 52 provided in a state of projecting radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the other axial end portion of the sleeve 51. .

  The sleeve 51 has an outer diameter that can be loosely fitted inside the center hole 31a of the driving cam 29a and the center hole 32a of the driven cam 30a, and the flange-like member 24a is inside thereof. It has an inner diameter dimension that can be inserted loosely. In addition, slits 54 are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction of the sleeve 51 in a range extending from the other end in the width direction to the intermediate portion in the axial direction. Thus, by reducing the width dimension of each of the slits 54 in the circumferential direction, the outer diameter dimension of the sleeve 51 can be reduced, and the biasing member 48 is moved to the driving side cam 29a and the driven side cam. 30a (the sleeve 51 can be inserted through the center holes 31a and 32a).

  The disc spring portion 52 is divided into two in the circumferential direction by the slits 54, and each disc spring portion 52 is composed of a pair of disc spring pieces 55 and 55 each formed in a thin semicircular ring shape. . Each of the disc spring pieces 55, 55 is disposed in a tilting long hole 18a formed in the one support plate portion 17a, and in the free state, the width direction is increased toward the outer side in the radial direction of the sleeve 51. It is inclined in a direction toward the one end side, and can be elastically deformed so as to increase (stand up) the inclination angle. The diameter of the circumscribed circle of the disc spring pieces 55, 55 is sufficiently larger than the inner diameter of the center hole 32a of the driven cam 30a. Thereby, the inner peripheral surface of the driven cam 30 is elastically pressed toward the outer side in the width direction (one end side) by the outer peripheral edge portions of the disc spring pieces 55 and 55. On the other hand, the retaining portion 53 has an annular shape that is continuous in the circumferential direction, and its outer diameter is sufficiently larger than the inner diameter of the center hole 31a of the drive cam 29a. This prevents the drive side cam 29a from slipping out in the width direction.

  The length in the free state between the outer peripheral edge of each of the disc spring pieces 55 and 55 and the inner side surface of the retaining portion 53 is determined in the axial direction when the cam device 27a is unlocked. It is set smaller than the dimension (dimension when the dimension in the axial direction is the smallest). For this reason, the urging member 48 always urges the driven cam 30a toward the driving cam 29a (in either the locked state or the unlocked state).

  Also in the case of this example having the above-described configuration, in order to make the height position of the steering wheel 1 adjustable, the adjustment lever 25a is swung in a predetermined direction (generally downward). Then, the drive cam 29a is rotated in the unlocking direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 7E, the drive-side convex portions 36a, 36a and the driven-side convex portions 38a, 38a are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction (unlocked state). Thus, the axial dimension of the cam device 27a is shortened, and the distance between the driven cam 30a and the anchor portion 26a (nut 40a) corresponding to the pressing portion described in the claims is widened. As a result, the surface pressure of the contact portion between the inner side surfaces of the both support plate portions 17a and 17a and the outer side surfaces of the both sandwiched plate portions 23a and 23a is reduced or lost. In this state, the vertical position of the steering wheel 1 can be adjusted within a range in which the flange-shaped member 24a can move within the long tilt holes 18a and 18a.

  On the other hand, in order to hold the steering wheel 1 at the adjusted height position, the steering wheel 1 is moved to a desired height position, and then the adjustment lever 25a is moved in the reverse direction (generally upward). ). And as shown to (A) of FIG. 7, the state which abuts the front end surface of each said drive side convex part 36a, 36a and the front end surface of each said driven side convex part 38a, 38a mutually (lock state) Thus, the axial dimension of the cam device 27a is expanded, and the distance between the inner side surfaces of the support plate portions 17a and 17a is reduced. In this state, the surface pressure of the abutting portion between the inner side surfaces of the two support plate portions 17a and 17a and the outer side surfaces of the both sandwiched plate portions 23a and 23a increases, and the steering wheel 1 is adjusted to a high level after adjustment. Can be held in position.

In particular, according to the steering device of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7E, the driving cam 29a can be prevented from rotating vigorously when switching from the locked state to the unlocked state. Thus, it is possible to prevent the adjusting lever 25a from striking the driver's fingers and generating abnormal noise.
That is, in the case of this example, when the driving cam 29a rotates in the unlocking direction, as shown in FIG. 7C, the driving side protrusions provided on the driving cam 29a. Out of both circumferential surfaces of the portion 36a, both the circumferential side of the driven-side convex portion 38a provided on the driven-side cam 30a and the driven-side stopper surface 44a positioned on the front side in the unlocking direction Each drive-side convex portion 36a can be ridden on each deceleration slope portion 49 before the driven-side stopper surface 45a located on the rear side in the unlocking direction of the surface comes into contact. For this reason, when switching to the unlocked state, a frictional force is generated between each drive-side convex portion 36a and each deceleration slope portion 49, so that the rotational speed of the drive-side cam 29a is reduced. The drive side cam 29a can be prevented from rotating vigorously. Accordingly, since it is possible to prevent the driving-side stopper surfaces 44a and the driven-side stopper surfaces 45a from colliding with each other vigorously, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise due to the collision. Further, when the driven cam 30a rotates, the front and rear outer surfaces of the engaging convex portion 50 provided on the driven cam 30a and the engaging convex portion 50 are engaged with each other for the tilt. Since it is possible to prevent the front and rear inner edges of the long hole 18a from colliding with vigor, it is possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise associated with this collision.

  Moreover, in the case of this example, as shown in FIG. 7E, each driven-side guide slope 43a constituting the driven-side cam surface 34a in the unlocked state (unlocked complete state). And the respective deceleration slope portions 49, the dimensions of the respective portions are regulated so that the respective drive-side convex portions 36a provided on the drive-side cam 29a can be sandwiched. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7C, when each drive-side convex portion 36 abuts on each deceleration slope portion 49, the tip surface of each drive-side convex portion 36a and the driven surface A gap 56a can be formed between the side reference surface 37a and a gap 56b can be formed between each drive-side stopper surface 44a and each driven-side stopper surface 45a. Further, a gap 56c can be formed between the tip surface of each driven-side convex portion 38a and the driving-side reference surface 35a. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the front end surface of each drive-side convex portion 36a from colliding with the driven-side reference surface 37a, and the front end surface of each driven-side convex portion 38a and the drive-side reference surface 35a. Collisions can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise caused by the collision of these surfaces. Further, in the case of this example, since the adjusting lever 25a can be prevented from rotating at a speed different from the driver's intention, the occurrence of a situation in which the adjusting lever 25a hits the driver's finger and causes discomfort is suppressed. it can.

  Further, in the case of this example, the driven-side cam 30a is elastically pressed toward the driving-side cam 29a by the biasing member 48. The drive-side convex portion 36a and the respective deceleration slope portions 49 can be reliably brought into contact with each other, and the frictional force acting on the contact portion can be increased. For this reason, the speed reducing action (braking effect) of the drive side cam 29a due to the provision of the speed reducing slope portions 49 can be obtained more reliably.

[Second Example of Embodiment]
A second example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The feature of this example is that a metal coil spring is used as the biasing member 48a instead of the synthetic resin biasing member 48 used in the first example of the embodiment described above. In the case of this example, the urging member 48a is arranged in the elongated slot 18a formed in the one support plate portion 17a constituting the support bracket 15a, and the inner side of the driven cam 30a. It is elastically clamped between the side surface and the clamped plate portion 23a constituting the displacement bracket 14a.

In the case of the present example having the above-described configuration, a coil spring that is a general-purpose product can be used as the biasing member 48a. Therefore, the cost can be reduced compared to the case of the first example of the embodiment. .
About another structure and an effect, it is the same as that of the case of the 1st example of the said embodiment.

  In the structure of each example of the embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a structure having only a tilt adjusting mechanism is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to the tilt adjusting mechanism and the telescopic mechanism as shown in FIGS. It can be implemented with a structure that has both an adjustment mechanism and a mechanism. In particular, as in the structure shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, when the outer column is made of an aluminum alloy die-cast, the elastic restoring force by the pair of sandwiched plate portions constituting the displacement bracket is increased, and the drive side cam Therefore, the effect of the combination of the cam apparatus of the present invention is increased. Moreover, the biasing member made of a synthetic resin as used in the first example of the embodiment described above and the biasing member made of a coil spring as used in the second example can also be combined. .

  In each example of the above-described embodiment, an example in which the deceleration slope portion is formed only on the driven cam surface is shown, but when the present invention is implemented, instead of the driven cam surface, It can be formed only on the driving side cam surface, or can be formed on both the driven side cam surface and the driving side cam surface. In addition, when forming a deceleration slope part in a drive side cam surface, it forms in the part between the drive side stopper surface of the drive side convex part which comprises a drive side cam surface, and a drive side reference surface.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 2 Steering gear unit 3 Input shaft 4 Tie rod 5, 5a Steering shaft 6, 6a Steering column 7 Universal joint 8 Intermediate shaft 9 Universal joint 10 Electric motor 11 Housing 12 Car body 13 Tilt shaft 14, 14a Displacement bracket 15, 15a Support Bracket 16, 16a Mounting plate part 17, 17a Support plate part 18, 18a Tilt slot 19, 19a Through hole 20 Outer column 21 Inner column 22 Slit 23, 23a Clamping plate part 24, 24a Hook-like member 25, 25a Adjustment Lever 26, 26a Anchor portion 27, 27a Cam device 28 First engagement convex portion 29, 29a Drive side cam 30, 30a Driven side cam 31, 31a Center hole 32, 32a Center hole 33, 33a Drive side cam surface 34, 34a Driving side cam surface 35, 35a Driving side reference surface 36, 36a Driving side convex portion 37, 37a Driven side reference surface 38, 38a Driven side convex portion 39 Second engaging convex portion 40, 40a Nut 41, 41a Thrust bearing 42, 42a Drive-side guide slope 43, 43a Drive-side guide slope 44, 44a Drive-side stopper face 45, 45a Drive-side stopper face 46 Spacer 47 Balance spring 48, 48a Energizing member 49 Deceleration slope part 50 Engagement convex Portion 51 Sleeve 52 Disc spring portion 53 Retaining portion 54 Slit 55 Disc spring pieces 56a, 56b, 56c Clearance

Claims (7)

A drive side cam surface, which is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction, is provided on one side surface in the axial direction. The drive side cam is rotatably supported, and the other side surface in the axial direction is opposed to the drive side cam surface in the axial direction. A driven cam surface, which is a concavo-convex surface in the circumferential direction, is provided, and an engagement convex portion is provided on one side surface in the axial direction to engage with a long hole formed in a counterpart member facing in the axial direction. A driven side cam,
The drive-side cam surface has a flat drive-side reference surface and a plurality of drive-side convex portions provided in a state of projecting toward one side in the axial direction from a plurality of circumferential directions of the drive-side reference surface. Have
A plurality of driven side cam surfaces provided in a state in which the driven side cam surface protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction from a plurality of circumferentially driven portions of the driven side reference surface. Side protrusions,
By rotating the driving cam relative to the driven cam, a locked state in which the leading end surface of each driving side convex portion and the leading end surface of each driven side convex portion abut each other, A cam device capable of switching between an unlocked state in which driving-side convex portions and driven-side convex portions are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and expanding and reducing the axial dimension,
A drive-side stopper surface located on the front side with respect to the unlocking direction, which is the rotation direction of the drive-side cam when switching to the unlocked state, on both sides in the circumferential direction of each drive-side convex portion, and the drive-side reference Between the driven-side stopper surface located on the rear side with respect to the unlocking direction and the driven-side reference surface, of the portion between the surface and the circumferential both sides of each driven-side convex portion At least one of the portions is formed with a deceleration slope portion having a gentler inclination angle than each of the driving side stopper surfaces or each driven side stopper surface continuously provided in the circumferential direction,
When switching to the unlock state, the are those rides on the convex portion of at least either one is the respective deceleration slope portion of said respective driven-side protrusion and the drive-side protrusions,
One of the driving-side convex portions and the driven-side convex portions provided on one of the driving-side cams and the driven-side cams on which the deceleration slope portions are formed. A guide slope inclined in a direction opposite to each of the deceleration slope portions with respect to the circumferential direction is formed on a side surface opposite to each of the stopper surfaces of both side faces in the circumferential direction of the convex portion of A cam device characterized in that the guide slopes and the deceleration slopes face each other in the circumferential direction between the one convex portions adjacent to each other in the direction . Each drive-side convex portion provided on the other cam in an unlocked state between each of the guide slopes and each of the deceleration slope portions provided in a state facing the one cam in the circumferential direction. And the other convex portions of the driven-side convex portions are sandwiched between the leading end surface of each of the driven-side convex portions and the driven-side reference surface, and each of the driven-side convex portions. with each gap between the front end surface and the drive-side reference surface is formed, a gap is formed between the respective drive-side stopper surface and each of the driven-side stopper surface, according to claim 1 Cam device. The cam device according to any one of claims 1 and 2 , further comprising an urging member that elastically presses the driving cam and the driven cam toward each other. The urging member is integrally formed by injection molding synthetic resin, and an elastic pressing portion for pressing the driven cam toward the driving cam on a part of the urging member The cam device according to claim 3 , wherein the cam device is provided. The cam apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the biasing member includes a hollow cylindrical sleeve and a disc spring protruding outward in the radial direction from an outer peripheral surface of one axial end portion of the sleeve. The cam apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the biasing member is a coil spring and is disposed in a long hole formed in the counterpart member. A steering column that swings and displaces around a tilt axis arranged in the width direction;
A steering shaft that is rotatably supported inside the steering column and fixes a steering wheel to a portion protruding from the end opening of the steering column;
A displacement bracket provided at an axially intermediate portion of the steering column;
A mounting plate portion provided on the upper portion and a pair of support plate portions hanging downward from the mounting plate portion, the mounting plate portion being sandwiched from both sides in the width direction by the both support plate portions. A support bracket supported by the vehicle body by
A pair of long slots for tilt provided in the parts of the two support plates that are aligned with each other;
A through hole formed in a state of penetrating in the width direction in a portion of the displacement bracket that is aligned with a part of the long holes for both tilts;
The two elongated holes for tilting, and a bowl-shaped member inserted through the two through holes in the width direction;
A pressing portion provided in a portion protruding from the outer surface of one of the support plate portions at one end portion of the hook-shaped member;
An anchor portion provided at a portion protruding from the outer surface of the other support plate portion of the two support plate portions at the other end portion of the flange-shaped member,
A cam device for expanding and reducing the distance between the anchor portion and the pressing portion;
In the steering wheel position adjustment device,
The cam device is the cam device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The driven cam constituting the cam device functions as the pressing portion, and the engaging convex portion of the driven cam is in the tilt long hole formed in the one support plate portion. Engagement is possible in a state where displacement along the elongated hole is possible and rotation around the hook-shaped member is suppressed, and the driving cam constituting the cam device is one end of the hook-shaped member. The part is supported in a state that allows rotation around the bowl-shaped member and that suppresses displacement to one end side of the bowl-shaped member.
Steering wheel position adjustment device characterized by things.

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