JP6819332B2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering device having a steering wheel position adjusting function and switching whether or not the steering wheel position adjustment is possible by rotating an adjusting lever.

Some steering devices for automobiles have a position adjusting function that can adjust the vertical position and the front-rear position of the steering wheel according to the physique and driving posture of the driver.

For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a steering device having such a position adjusting function, in which the possibility of adjusting the position of the steering wheel can be switched by rotating the adjusting lever. .. This adjustment lever is provided so as to be able to rotate around an adjustment rod arranged in the width direction of the vehicle body. Then, based on rotating the adjustment lever in one direction, a holding force for disabling the position adjustment of the steering wheel is generated. On the contrary, based on rotating the adjustment lever in the other direction, the holding force is released so that the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.

Further, in the case of the steering device described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the force for rotating the adjusting lever in one direction is applied to the adjusting rod by a screw device (Patent Document 1) or a cam device (Patent Document 2). It is converted into a pulling force in the axial direction to cause elastic axial elongation in this adjusting rod, and at the same time, an axial force which is an elastic restoring force corresponding to this elongation is generated, and this axial force is used. The holding power is secured.

Japanese Patent No. 4178318 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-194959

In the case of the above-mentioned conventional structure, when the adjusting lever is rotated in the other direction in order to release the holding force, the adjusting lever is vigorously rotated in the other direction by the urging based on the axial force of the adjusting rod. there's a possibility that. If the adjustment lever rotates vigorously in the other direction in this way, it gives a sense of discomfort to the driver who operates the adjustment lever, which is not preferable.

In view of the above circumstances, in the present invention, the adjusting lever rotates vigorously when switching from the locked state in which the position of the steering wheel cannot be adjusted to the unlocked state in which the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted. It was invented to realize a structure that can suppress things.

The steering device of the present invention includes a steering column, a column side bracket, a column side through hole, a vehicle body side bracket, a pair of vehicle body side through holes, an adjusting rod, and a scaling device.
Of these, the steering column rotatably supports the steering shaft that supports the steering wheel at the rear end on the inner diameter side.
Further, the column side bracket is provided in a part of the steering column in the axial direction.
Further, the column-side through hole is provided so as to penetrate the column-side bracket in the width direction.
Further, the vehicle body side bracket has a pair of support plate portions arranged at positions sandwiching the column side bracket from both sides in the width direction, and is supported by the vehicle body.
Further, the pair of vehicle body side through holes are provided so as to penetrate the pair of support plate portions in the width direction.
Further, the adjusting rod inserts the column side through hole and the pair of vehicle body side through holes in the width direction.
Further, in the expansion / contraction device, a hysteresis is generated in the characteristics of the reaction force with respect to the compression amount and the adjustment lever provided so as to be able to rotate around the adjustment rod, and the reaction force with respect to the compression amount is the pair. The elastic member acting in the direction of shortening the distance between the support plate portions and the operation of rotating the adjusting lever in one direction are converted into the operation of increasing the compression amount of the elastic member, and the adjusting lever is moved in the other direction. It includes a conversion device that converts the rotating motion into an motion of reducing the amount of compression of the elastic member. Then, the expansion / contraction device reduces the distance between the pair of support plate portions by increasing the amount of compression of the elastic member as the adjustment lever is rotated in one direction, and the adjustment lever is changed to another. By reducing the amount of compression of the elastic member as it is rotated in the direction, the distance between the pair of support plate portions is widened.
It should be noted that the occurrence of hysteresis in the characteristics of the reaction force with respect to the amount of compression means that the characteristics of the reaction force with respect to the amount of compression are generated at the time of decompression rather than the reaction force generated at the time of pressurization, for example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. It means that the reaction force becomes smaller.
Further, at least one of the column side through hole and the pair of vehicle body side through holes is an elongated hole extending in a direction in which the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.
Further, the expansion / contraction device reduces the distance between the pair of support plates, thereby increasing the distance between the pair of support plates and the locked state in which the position of the steering wheel cannot be adjusted. Based on the above, it is possible to switch between the unlocked state in which the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.

When the present invention is carried out, for example, the elastic member can be configured by superimposing a plurality of disc springs in the axial direction. In this case, the method of superimposing the plurality of disc springs may be parallel stacking in which they are superposed in the same direction in the axial direction, serial combination in which they are superposed in opposite directions in the axial direction, or parallel stacking and series combination. It may be used in combination (for example, a series combination of those stacked in parallel).

When carrying out the present invention, for example, a configuration is adopted in which the amount of compression (deflection amount) of the elastic member does not reach the total amount of deflection (= free height-adhesion height) even in the locked state. Can do things.

When carrying out the present invention, for example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the amount of compression of the elastic member does not become zero even in the unlocked state.

When carrying out the present invention, for example, the conversion device can be a cam device.
The cam device is provided with a drive-side cam surface which is a concave-convex surface in the circumferential direction on the width direction side surface, and the drive-side cam which rotates together with the adjustment lever and the width-direction side surface which faces the drive-side cam surface. The driven side cam surface, which is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction that engages with the driving side cam surface, is provided, and the driven side cam is prevented from rotating with respect to the vehicle body side bracket. By rotating with respect to the driven side cam, the width direction dimension can be expanded / contracted, and in the unlocked state, a plurality of drive side convex portions provided on the drive side cam surface and the driven side. A plurality of driven side convex portions provided on the cam surface are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and in the locked state, the tip surface of each driven side convex portion and the driven side convex portions are It is in a state where the tip surface is abutted against each other.
Then, by rotating the adjusting lever in one direction, the amount of compression of the elastic member is increased based on expanding the width direction dimension of the cam device, and the adjusting lever is rotated in the other direction. Thereby, the amount of compression of the elastic member is reduced based on the reduction of the width direction dimension of the cam device.

In the case of carrying out the present invention, for example, when switching from the unlocked state to the locked state by rotating the adjusting lever in one direction, the drive-side convex portions are guided by sliding contact with each other. A shape in which the circumferential side surface and the circumferential side surface of the driven side convex portion are smaller than the inclination angle of the portion that is first slid and guided by sliding contact with each other. It is possible to adopt a configuration such as having.

In the case of carrying out the present invention, for example, when switching from the locked state to the unlocked state by rotating the adjusting lever in another direction, the drive-side convex portions are guided by sliding contact with each other. A shape in which the circumferential side surface and the circumferential side surface of the driven side convex portion are smaller than the inclination angle of the portion that is first slid and guided by sliding contact with each other. It is possible to adopt a configuration such as having.

When the present invention is carried out, for example, it is provided with an urging spring that urges the driven side cam in a direction to rotate in one direction with respect to the driven side cam in the unlocked state. It is possible to adopt such a configuration.

In the case of carrying out the present invention, for example, it is arranged between a pair of surfaces that are displaced relative to each other as the steering column is displaced with respect to the vehicle body side bracket, and the reaction force of the elastic member. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the synthetic resin material is compressed between the pair of faces based on the above.

In the case of the steering device of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the adjustment lever is set when switching from the locked state in which the position of the steering wheel cannot be adjusted to the unlocked state in which the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted. It is possible to suppress the vigorous rotation.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a partial cut of a steering device according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention. Similarly, an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. Similarly, an enlarged view showing a part B of FIG. 2 with a part omitted. Similarly, a front view (a) of the drive side cam surface and a front view (b) of the driven side cam surface. Similarly, a schematic cross-sectional view is shown for explaining the change in the contact state between the cam surfaces when switching from the unlocked state to the locked state. Similarly, an enlarged view showing an unlocked state (a) and a locked state (b) with a part of part C in FIG. 2 omitted. Similarly, a view (a) of a single disc spring viewed from the axial direction, and a DD sectional view (b) of (a). Similarly, a diagram conceptually showing the relationship between the amount of compression of a single disc spring and the reaction force. Similarly, a cross-sectional view of an elastic member which is a stacked disc spring. Similarly, a diagram conceptually showing the relationship between the amount of compression and the reaction force of an elastic member that is a stacked disc spring. The enlarged view corresponding to the part C of FIG. 2 regarding the 2nd example of the Embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view corresponding to the part B of FIG. 2 regarding the 3rd example of the Embodiment of this invention. The same figure as FIG. 2 which shows the 4th example of the Embodiment of this invention. The same figure as FIG. 3 regarding the 5th example of the Embodiment of this invention. Similarly, the same figure as in FIG. Similarly, the same figure as in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sixth example of the embodiment of the present invention for explaining a change in a contact state between cam surfaces when switching from a locked state to an unlocked state. The enlarged view corresponding to the part B of FIG. 2 regarding the 7th example of the Embodiment of this invention. Similarly, a schematic cross-sectional view showing a contact state between cam surfaces in an unlocked state. The same figure as FIG. 3 regarding the 8th example of the Embodiment of this invention. Similarly, a schematic cross-sectional view showing two examples of a contact state between cam surfaces in an unlocked state. The cross-sectional view which shows the 1st example of another example of an elastic member. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of another example of the elastic member. A view (a) seen from the axial direction and a view (b) seen from below of (a) showing a third example of another example of the elastic member.

[First Example of Embodiment]
The first example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.
In the present specification and claims, the front-rear direction, the width direction, and the up-down direction refer to the front-rear direction, the width direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle unless otherwise specified.

The steering device of this example is configured as shown in FIG. 1, 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 accompanies the rotation of the input shaft 3. 4 is pushed and pulled to give a steering angle to the front wheels, which are the steering wheels. The steering wheel 1 is supported and fixed to the rear end portion of the steering shaft 5, and the steering shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the steering column 6 with the tubular steering column 6 inserted in the axial direction. ing. The front end of the steering shaft 5 is connected to the rear end of the intermediate shaft 8 via a universal joint 7, and the front end of the intermediate shaft 8 is connected to the input shaft 3 via another universal joint 9. There is.

The steering device of this example includes 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 physique and driving posture of the driver.

In order to form a telescopic mechanism, the steering column 6 is slidably fitted to the front end of the tubular outer column 10 arranged on the rear side and the rear end of the tubular inner column 11 arranged on the front side. By combining, the total length can be expanded and contracted. Further, the outer column 10 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the vehicle body side bracket 13 supported by the vehicle body 12. Further, the steering shaft 5 is rotatably supported inside the steering column 6 and the steering wheel 1 is fixed to the rear end portion, and the outer shaft 14 and the inner shaft 15 can be torque-transmitted by spline engagement or the like. The structure is a combination that can be expanded and contracted. The outer column 10, the inner column 11, the outer shaft 14, and the inner shaft 15 are each made of a metal such as an iron alloy or an aluminum alloy.

In order to form the tilt mechanism, the steering column 6 is supported with respect to the vehicle body 12 so as to be able to swing and displace around the tilt shaft 16 installed in the width direction, and the outer column 10 is attached to the vehicle body side bracket 13. On the other hand, it is supported so that it can be moved in the vertical direction.

Further, by forming slits 17a and 17b (shown only in FIG. 2) in the lower part and the upper part of the front end portion of the outer column 10 in a state of extending in the axial direction, the inner diameter of the front end portion of the outer column 10 is elastically expanded and contracted. It is possible. Then, a pair of sandwiched portions 18 and 18 are provided integrally with the outer column 10 on the lower surface of the front end portion of the outer column 10 at a portion where the slits 17a are sandwiched from both sides in the width direction, and the columns are formed by both sandwiched portions 18 and 18. The side bracket 19 is configured. The pair of sandwiched portions 18 and 18 form elongated holes 20 and 20 for telesco corresponding to the column side through holes described in the claims in a state of extending in the axial direction of the outer column 10.

On the other hand, the vehicle body side bracket 13 is made of a metal plate such as an iron alloy or an aluminum alloy, and is composed of a mounting plate portion 21 and a pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b. Of these, the mounting plate portion 21 has a flat plate shape and is normally supported by the vehicle body 12, but in the event of a collision, it separates forward based on the impact of a secondary collision and is in front of the outer column 10. It is designed to allow displacement to. Further, the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b are provided in parallel with each other in a state of hanging from the mounting plate portion 21. Of these support plate portions 22a and 22b, the elongated tilt holes 23 and 23 corresponding to the vehicle body side through holes described in the claims are provided at positions facing each other in the width direction while extending in the vertical direction, respectively. Is forming. Then, a columnar adjusting rod 24 is inserted into the telescopic elongated holes 20 and 20 and the tilt elongated holes 23 and 23 in the width direction. The adjusting rod 24 is made of a high-strength material such as a metal such as an iron alloy or an aluminum alloy, or a synthetic resin mixed with reinforcing fibers.

Then, the expansion / contraction device assembled to the adjusting rod 24 makes it possible to expand / contract the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b.

In order to form such an expansion / contraction device, one end of the adjustment rod 24 in the axial direction (left end in FIG. 2) supports one of the pair of support plates 22a and 22b (left in FIG. 2). An outward flange-shaped head 25 is integrally provided on a portion of the plate portion 22a protruding from the outer surface. Then, among the axial end portions of the adjusting rod 24, between the inner side surface of the head 25 and the outer surface of one support plate portion 22a, the base end portion of the adjusting lever 26 is sequentially arranged from the head 25 side. And the cam device 27 are fitted on the outside.

The cam device 27 expands or contracts the axial dimension, which is the width direction dimension, based on the relative displacement between the drive side cam 28 and the driven side cam 29. Of these, the driven side cam 29 is supported by one of the support plates. The tilt elongated hole 23 formed in the portion 22a is engaged with the tilt elongated hole 23 in a state where the displacement along the tilt elongated hole 23 is possible and the rotation is blocked. Further, the driven side cam 29 is externally fitted to the adjusting rod 24 so as to be able to rotate relative to each other and to be displaced relative to the axial direction. Further, the drive-side cam 28 is fitted onto the adjusting rod 24 in a state where relative rotation and relative displacement in the axial direction are prevented. Further, the base end portion of the adjusting lever 26 is coupled to the drive side cam 28 in a state where relative rotation is blocked. Therefore, in the case of this example, the drive side cam 28 and the adjustment rod 24 rotate around the adjustment rod 24 together with the adjustment lever 26.

Further, in the case of this example, the axial dimension of the cam device 27 is expanded by rotating the adjusting lever 26 in one direction, and the cam is rotated by rotating the adjusting lever 26 in the other direction. The axial dimension of the device 27 is reduced.

For this reason, of the outer surface of the driven side cam 29 and the inner surface of the driven side cam 28 facing each other, the outer surface of the driven side cam 29 is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction, that is, the driven side. The cam surface 30 is formed. As shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 5, the driven side cam surface 30 has a flat surface-shaped driven side reference surface 31 orthogonal to the width direction and the circumferential direction of the driven side reference surface 31. It has driven-side convex portions 32 and 32 that protrude outward in the width direction from a plurality of equidistant locations (4 locations in the illustrated example), respectively. Of these side surfaces of the driven side convex portion 32 in the circumferential direction, the side surface on the one-way side with respect to the rotation direction of the adjusting lever 26 is the driven side stopper surface 33, which relates to the rotating direction of the adjusting lever 26. The side surface on the other direction is the driven side guide slope 34. The driven side stopper surface 33 is a stepped surface that is substantially perpendicular to the driven side reference surface 31 and faces one direction in the rotation direction. The driven side guide slope 34 is inclined in a direction toward one direction in the rotation direction toward the outside in the width direction. In the case of this example, the inclination angle of the driven side guide slope 34 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31 is constant over the entire width in the circumferential direction.

Further, a drive-side cam surface 35, which is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction, is formed on the inner surface of the drive-side cam 28. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A, the drive-side cam surface 35 has a flat drive-side reference surface 36 orthogonal to the width direction and the drive-side reference surface 36 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. It has the same number of driven side convex portions 37, 37 as the driven side convex portions 32, 32, which protrude inward in the width direction from the plurality of locations. Of these both sides of the drive-side convex portion 37 in the circumferential direction, the side surface on the one-way side regarding the rotation direction of the adjustment lever 26 is the drive-side guide slope 38, and the other direction regarding the rotation direction of the adjustment lever 26. The side surface on the side is a drive side stopper surface 39. The drive-side guide slope 38 is inclined inward in the width direction toward the other side in the rotation direction. In the case of this example, the inclination angle of the drive side guide slope 38 with respect to the drive side reference surface 36 is constant over the entire width in the circumferential direction. The drive-side stopper surface 39 is a stepped surface that is substantially perpendicular to the drive-side reference surface 36 and faces the other direction in the rotation direction.

Further, the inclination angle of the drive side guide slope 38 with respect to the drive side reference surface 36 is equal to the inclination angle of the driven side guide slope 34 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31. Further, the inclination angle of the drive side stopper surface 39 with respect to the drive side reference surface 36 is equal to the inclination angle of the driven side stopper surface 33 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, the adjusting lever 26 is rotated in one direction in an unlocked state in which the driven side convex portion 37 and the driven side convex portion 32 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. As a result, when the drive-side cam 28 is rotated in one direction, the drive-side guide slope 38 slides in contact with the driven-side guide slope 34 and is guided as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5B. , The axial dimension of the cam device 27 is expanded. Then, as shown in FIGS. 5 (b) to 5 (c), the axial dimension of the cam device 27 is in a state where the tip surface 61 of the drive-side convex portion 37 abuts on the tip surface 60 of the driven-side convex portion 32. Is maximized and locked.

On the contrary, in the locked state shown in FIG. 5 (c), when the drive side cam 28 is rotated in the other direction by rotating the adjusting lever 26 in the other direction, the drive side cam 28 is rotated in the other direction. ), The axial dimension of the cam device 27 is reduced while the drive side guide slope 38 is in sliding contact with the driven side guide slope 34 to be guided. Then, as shown in (b) → (a) of FIG. 5, the tip surface 61 of the driven side convex portion 37 abuts on the driven side reference surface 31, and the tip surface 60 of the driven side convex portion 32 is on the driving side. When the cam device 27 is in contact with the reference surface 36, the axial dimension of the cam device 27 is minimized, and the cam device 27 is unlocked.

Further, at the other end of the adjusting rod 24 in the axial direction (right end in FIG. 2), the other (right end in FIG. 2) of the pair of support plates 22a and 22b protrudes from the outer surface of the support plate 22b. The nut 40 is fixed to the portion where the nut 40 is formed. Then, among the other ends of the adjusting rod 24 in the axial direction, the elastic member 41 and the thrust bearing 42 are placed between the inner surface of the nut 40 and the outer surface of the other support plate 22b in order from the nut 40 side. And the pressing plate 43 are externally fitted so as to be able to rotate relative to the adjusting rod 24 and to be displaced relative to the axial direction, respectively.

In this state, the inner surface of the pressing plate 43 is frictionally engaged with the outer surface of the other support plate portion 22b. Further, the elastic member 41 can rotate relative to the pressing plate 43 by the thrust bearing 42. At the same time, the elastic member 41 is elastically compressed in the axial direction between the thrust bearing 42 and the nut 40. Further, in the case of this example, in this state, the reaction force generated by the compression of the elastic member 41 acts in the direction of shortening the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b.

Further, in the case of this example, the elastic member 41 causes hysteresis in the characteristics of the reaction force with respect to the amount of compression. Specifically, a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) disc springs 44, 44 are used. It is a stacking disc spring configured by stacking in parallel, that is, stacking in the same direction with respect to the axial direction which is the compression direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the disc spring 44 is made of a metal plate such as an elastic steel plate into a partial conical cylinder having a large apex angle. In such a disc spring 44, when the amount of compression in the axial direction changes, a frictional force is generated due to rubbing at the contact portion with the mating member, and the direction of this frictional force is the time of pressurization to increase the amount of compression. And, the direction is opposite to that at the time of decompression, which reduces the amount of compression. As a result, as shown in the conceptual diagram in FIG. 8, the disc spring 44 causes hysteresis that the reaction force generated at the time of decompression is smaller than the reaction force generated at the time of pressurization.

Such hysteresis, that is, the difference between the reaction force generated during pressurization and the reaction force generated during decompression increases as the frictional force generated when the amount of compression changes increases. On the other hand, in the case of the elastic member 41 of this example, as shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 9, the side surfaces of the adjacent disc springs 44, 44 are in surface contact with each other. Then, when the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 changes, a frictional force is generated due to rubbing between the side surfaces of the disc springs 44, 44 adjacent to each other in the axial direction. Therefore, as shown in the conceptual diagram in FIG. 10, the hysteresis of the laminated disc spring, which is the elastic member 41 of this example, is larger than the hysteresis of the single disc spring 44 shown in FIG.

Further, in the case of this example, of the both ends in the axial direction of the elastic member 41 which is such a stacked disc spring, the small diameter side end is brought into contact with the inner side surface of the nut 40, and the large diameter side end is thrust. It is in contact with the outer surface of the bearing 42. However, the direction of installation of the elastic member 41 in the axial direction can be reversed from the case of this example.

When the position of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted by the steering device of this example, the adjustment lever 26 is rotated in the other direction. As a result, the drive side cam 28 is rotated in the other direction together with the adjustment lever 26. Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, the cam device 27 is in an unlocked state in which the driven side convex portion 37 and the driven side convex portion 32 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. Shrink the axial dimension of. Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, the distance between the thrust bearing 42 and the nut 40 is widened, and the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 is reduced. That is, the reaction force of the elastic member 41 acting in the direction of shortening the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b is reduced. Therefore, along with this, the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b is widened. As a result, the surface pressure of the contact portion between the inner side surface of the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b and the outer surface of the pair of sandwiched portions 18 and 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the front end portion of the outer column 10 and the inner column. The surface pressure of the contact portion with the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of 11 is reduced or lost. As a result, the frictional force of each of the contact portions, which is the holding force for preventing the displacement of the steering column 6 with respect to the vehicle body side bracket 13, is reduced or lost. In this state, the vertical position and the front-rear position of the steering wheel 1 can be adjusted within the range in which the adjusting rod 24 can move within the elongated holes 23 and 23 for tilting and the elongated holes 20 and 20 for telesco.

In the case of this example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the adjusting lever 26 rotates in the other direction only to the position where the driven side stopper surface 39 and the driven side stopper surface 33 come into contact with each other. It is designed so that it cannot be made to do.

Further, after moving the steering wheel 1 to a desired position as described above, by rotating the adjusting lever 26 in one direction, the drive side cam 28 is rotated in one direction together with the adjusting lever 26. Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, the tip surface 61 of the drive-side convex portion 37 and the tip surface 60 of the driven-side convex portion 32 are brought into contact with each other in a locked state. Expand the axial dimension of the cam device 27. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, the distance between the thrust bearing 42 and the nut 40 is shortened, and the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 is increased. That is, the reaction force of the elastic member 41 acting in the direction of shortening the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b increases. Therefore, the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b is shortened accordingly. As a result, as the surface pressure of each of the contact portions increases, the frictional force of each of the contact portions, which is the holding force, increases. As a result, the steering wheel 1 can be held in the adjusted position.

Further, in the case of this example, when switching from the locked state to the unlocked state, it is possible to prevent the adjusting lever 26 from vigorously rotating in the other direction.

That is, in the case of this example, when the drive side cam 28 is rotated in the other direction by rotating the adjusting lever 26 in the other direction in the locked state, as shown in (c) → (b) of FIG. The drive-side guide slope 38 is guided by sliding on the driven-side guide slope 34. At this time, not only the inertial force and the weight of the adjusting lever 26 act on the drive side cam 28, but also the reaction force generated by the compression of the elastic member 41 acts on the cam 28, and the cam 28 is urged in the other direction. Become. However, at this time, the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 changes in a decreasing direction as shown in (b) → (a) of FIG. That is, at this time, the reaction force of the elastic member 41 becomes the reaction force at the time of depressurization as shown in FIG. 10, which is significantly smaller than the reaction force at the time of pressurization. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the urging of the drive-side cam 28 in the other direction, and to prevent the adjusting lever 26 from rotating vigorously in the other direction.

Further, in the case of this example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 does not reach the total amount of deflection even in the locked state. In other words, the disc springs 44, 44 constituting the elastic member 41 are prevented from bottoming out. Then, by adopting such a configuration, when switching from the locked state to the unlocked state, the reaction force of the elastic member 41 is immediately greatly reduced, and the adjusting lever 26 is suppressed from rotating vigorously in the other direction. I am trying to do it. Further, the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 in the locked state becomes excessively large, which prevents the elastic member 41 from becoming easily worn. When implementing the structure of this example, it is preferable that the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 in the locked state is 80% or less of the total amount of deflection.

When carrying out the present invention, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 reaches the total amount of deflection in the locked state.
For example, if the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 reaches the total amount of deflection while the adjusting lever 26 is being rotated in one direction from the unlocked state to the position of switching to the locked state, the elastic member 41 will be in the locked state. The generated axial force can be maximized, and the holding force can be sufficiently increased by utilizing this axial force. When such a configuration is adopted, the state as shown in FIG. 6B, that is, the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 does not reach the total amount of deflection from the middle of the operation of releasing the locked state. , Belleville springs 44, 44 are not bottomed out.

Further, in the case of this example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the compression amount of the elastic member 41 is prevented from becoming zero even in the unlocked state. As a result, even in the unlocked state, the reaction force of the elastic member 41 is applied as a preload to each member such as the cam device 27 externally fitted to the adjusting rod 24, so that rattling occurs between these members. I am trying to suppress things. Incidentally, when carrying out the structure of the present embodiment, the compression amount of the elastic member 41 in the unlocked state, preferably in such a total deflection of 20% or more. That is, when implementing the structure of this example, it is preferable that the amount of compression of the elastic member 41 is within the range of 20% to 80% of the total amount of deflection in any state.

[Second Example of Embodiment]
A second example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the case of this example, in order to increase the spring rigidity and hysteresis of the elastic member 41a, the number of disc springs 44a and 44a constituting the elastic member 41a is set to 3, and the outer diameter dimension of the elastic member 41a is increased. That is, the outer diameter of the disc springs 44a and 44a is made larger than the outer diameter of the thrust bearing 42. Along with this, in the case of this example, the outer diameter dimension between the outer surface of the thrust bearing 42 and the elastic member 41a is larger than the outer diameter dimension of the thrust bearing 42, and the outside of the elastic member 41. A ring-shaped seat plate 45, which is larger than the diameter dimension, is sandwiched. Then, the large-diameter side end portion of the elastic member 41a is brought into contact with the outer surface of the seat plate 45.
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the case of the first example of the above-described embodiment.

[Third example of the embodiment]
A third example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the case of this example, in addition to the configurations of the first and second examples of the above-described embodiment, the elastic member 41b is elastically provided between the inner surface of the head 25 and the outer surface of the adjusting lever 26 in the axial direction. It is provided in a compressed state. Then, the reaction force generated by compressing the elastic member 41b acts in the direction of shortening the distance between the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b (see FIG. 2). Therefore, in the case of this example, the drive side cam 28 is fitted on the adjustment rod 24 in a state where the relative displacement in the axial direction is possible. Further, even for the elastic member 41b, the amount of compression in the locked state is prevented from reaching the total amount of deflection, and the amount of compression in the unlocked state is prevented from becoming zero.
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the first and second examples of the above-described embodiment.

When carrying out the present invention, instead of providing the elastic member 41b shown in FIG. 12, a structure in which the elastic members 41 and 41a of the first and second examples of the embodiment are omitted can be adopted.

[Fourth Example of Embodiment]
A fourth example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the case of this example, when adjusting the position of the steering wheel 1 (see FIG. 1), a pair of relative displacements occur as the steering column 6 (outer column 10) is displaced with respect to the vehicle body side bracket 13. A synthetic resin material is arranged between the surfaces of the above to reduce the friction caused by the relative displacement of the pair of surfaces.

Specifically, it is separated in the width direction between the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inner column 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the front end portion of the outer column 10, which are displaced relative to each other when adjusting the front-rear position of the steering wheel 1. , A pair of synthetic resin materials 46a and 46a, each of which is formed to be thin, are arranged. Then, in the locked state and the unlocked state, these synthetic resin materials 46a and 46a are applied to the reaction force of the elastic members 41a and 41b between the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inner column 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the front end portion of the outer column 10. It is compressed based on.

Further, the front end portion of the outer column 10 and both side surfaces in the width direction of the column side bracket 19 and the inner surface surfaces of the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b, which are displaced relative to each other when adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1. Synthetic resin materials 46b and 46b, each of which is formed to be thin, are arranged between them. Then, in the locked state and the unlocked state, these synthetic resin materials 46b and 46b are used with the front end portion of the outer column 10 and both side surfaces in the width direction of the column side bracket 19 and the inner surface surfaces of the pair of support plate portions 22a and 22b. It is compressed based on the reaction force of the elastic members 41a and 41b.

Further, the synthetic resin material 46c formed thinly between the outer surface of one of the support plate portions 22a and the inner surface of the driven side cam 29, which are displaced relative to each other when adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1. Is placed. Then, in the locked state and the unlocked state, the synthetic resin material 46c is placed between the outer surface of one of the support plate portions 22a and the inner surface of the driven side cam 29 based on the reaction forces of the elastic members 41a and 41b. And compressed.

Further, a thin synthetic resin material 46d is arranged between the outer surface of the other support plate portion 22b and the inner surface of the pressing plate 43, which are displaced relative to each other when adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel 1. doing. Then, in the locked and unlocked states, the synthetic resin material 46d is compressed between the outer surface of the other support plate portion 22b and the inner surface of the pressing plate 43 based on the reaction forces of the elastic members 41a and 41b. doing.
As the synthetic resin constituting the synthetic resin materials 46a to 46d, various synthetic resins such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyacetal (POM), and polyamide (PA) can be adopted. Further, various reinforcing fibers such as glass fiber, polyethylene fiber, carbon fiber and aramid fiber can be mixed with these synthetic resins, if necessary.

In the case of this example having the above-described configuration, when the position of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted, the pair of surfaces on which the synthetic resin materials 46a to 46d are arranged are formed on the synthetic resin materials 46a to 46d. It can be slid with a small sliding resistance via. Therefore, the workability of adjusting the position of the steering wheel 1 can be improved.

Further, in the case of the steering device of this example, a configuration is adopted in which the holding force in the locked state is secured by utilizing the reaction force of the elastic members 41a and 41b, which have lower spring rigidity than the adjusting rod 24. There is. Therefore, even if the dimensions of each part have large variations from the beginning, or if the dimensions of the synthetic resin materials 46a to 46d change due to wear or creep caused by long-term use, these dimensional variations And changes can be absorbed based on the low spring rigidity of the elastic members 41a and 41b. That is, the elastic members 41a and 41b (the same applies to the elastic member 41), which have lower spring rigidity than the adjusting rod 24, have a difference or change in the amount of compression in the locked state due to the variation or change in dimensions as described above. Since there is no big difference or change in the generated reaction force even when the above occurs, the holding force in the locked state can be made stable. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately switch between the unlocked state and the locked state and maintain the locked state.
In the case of carrying out the present invention, not all of the portions between the pair of surfaces that are displaced relative to each other as the position of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted, but a part (between at least one pair of surfaces). It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the synthetic resin material is arranged only in the portion).
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the case of the third example of the above-described embodiment.

[Fifth Example of Embodiment]
A fifth example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16.
In the case of this example, the configurations of the driven side cam surface 35a and the driven side cam surface 30a constituting the cam device 27a are slightly different from the case of the first example of the above-described embodiment.

In the case of this example, the inclination angle of the driven side guide slope 34a constituting the driven side cam surface 30a with respect to the driven side reference surface 31 changes stepwise with respect to the circumferential direction. That is, the driven side guide slope 34a is such that the driven side high gradient portion 47 provided on the one-way side in the rotation direction and the driven side low-gradient portion 48 provided on the other direction side in the rotation direction. It is constructed by making the edges in the circumferential direction continuous. The inclination angle of the driven side low gradient portion 48 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31 is smaller than the inclination angle of the driven side high gradient portion 47 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31.

Further, the inclination angle of the drive side guide slope 38a constituting the drive side cam surface 35a with respect to the drive side reference surface 36 is gradually changed with respect to the circumferential direction. That is, the drive-side guide slope 38a is the circumference of the drive-side high-gradient portion 49 provided on the one-way side in the rotation direction and the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 provided on the other-direction side in the rotation direction. It is configured by making the directional edges continuous. The inclination angle of the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 with respect to the drive-side reference surface 36 is smaller than the inclination angle of the drive-side high-gradient portion 49 with respect to the drive-side reference surface 36. Further, the inclination angle of the drive-side high-gradient portion 49 with respect to the drive-side reference surface 36 is equal to the inclination angle of the driven-side high-gradient portion 47 with respect to the driven-side reference surface 31. Further, the inclination angle of the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 and the inclination angle of the driven-side low-gradient portion 48 are equal to each other. Further, the circumferential length of the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 is smaller than the circumferential length of the driven-side low-gradient portion 48.

In the case of this example having such a configuration, the drive side cam 28a is moved in one direction by rotating the adjusting lever 26 (see FIG. 2) in one direction in the unlocked state shown in FIG. 16A. When rotated, first, as shown in FIGS. 16A → 16B, the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 slides in contact with the driven-side low-gradient portion 48 and is guided in the axial direction of the cam device 27a. The dimensions expand. Next, as shown in FIGS. 16 (b) to 16 (c), the axial dimension of the cam device 27 is expanded while the drive-side high-gradient portion 49 is guided by sliding contact with the driven-side high-gradient portion 47. It becomes locked.

As described above, in the case of this example, when the unlocked state is switched to the locked state, the drive side guide slope 38a and the driven side guide slope 34a suddenly have a large inclination angle, that is, the drive side high gradient. The portion 49 and the driven side high slope portion 47 do not abut each other, but before that, the portions having a small inclination angle, that is, the drive side low slope portion 50 and the driven side low slope portion 48 come into contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a sudden change in the rotational resistance force acting on the adjusting lever 26 from the cam device 27a, and it is possible to further improve the operability of the adjusting lever 26.
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the case of the first example of the above-described embodiment.

[6th Example of Embodiment]
A sixth example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the case of this example, the configuration of the driven side cam surface 30b constituting the cam device 27b is slightly different from the case of the first example of the above-described embodiment.

In the case of this example, of the driven side guide slope 34b constituting the driven side cam surface 30b, the second driven side low is located at the end of the driven side high gradient portion 47 on the one-way side in the rotation direction. A slope portion 51 is provided. The inclination angle of the second driven side low gradient portion 51 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31 is equal to the inclination angle of the driven side low gradient portion 48 with respect to the driven side reference surface 31.

In the case of this example having such a configuration, the drive side cam 28a is rotated in the other direction by rotating the adjusting lever 26 (see FIG. 2) in the other direction in the locked state shown in FIG. 17 (a). When it is moved, first, as shown in FIGS. 17A to 17B, the shaft of the cam device 27b is guided while the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 is in sliding contact with the second driven-side low-gradient portion 51. Directional dimensions shrink. Next, as shown in (b) → (c) of FIG. 17, after the axial dimension of the cam device 27b is reduced while the driven side high gradient portion 49 is in sliding contact with the driven side high gradient portion 47 and guided. While the drive-side low-gradient portion 50 is in sliding contact with the driven-side low-gradient portion 48 and guided, the axial dimension of the cam device 27b is reduced and the cam device 27b is locked.

As described above, in the case of this example, when the locked state is switched to the unlocked state, the driving side guide slope 38a is suddenly guided by sliding contact with the portion having a large inclination angle, that is, the driven side high slope portion 47. Instead, it is guided by sliding on a portion having a small inclination angle, that is, a second driven side low gradient portion 51. Therefore, when the locked state is switched to the unlocked state, it is possible to prevent the driving side guide slope 38a from sliding down vigorously along the driven side guide slope 34b from the initial stage. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the adjustment lever 26 from rotating vigorously in the other direction.
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the case of the fifth example of the above-described embodiment.

In the fifth to sixth examples of the above-described embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the inclination angles of the driven side guide slopes 34a and 34b and the drive side guide slope 38a change stepwise with respect to the circumferential direction. In the case of carrying out the above, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inclination angles of the driven side guide slope and the drive side guide slope change continuously (that is, gradually) with respect to the circumferential direction.

[7th example of the embodiment]
A seventh example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 19.
In the case of this example, the configuration of the drive-side cam surface 35b constituting the cam device 27c is slightly different from that of the first example of the above-described embodiment.

That is, in the case of this example, the locking convex portion 52 is provided at the end portion of the tip surface 60 of the driven side convex portion 32a constituting the driven side cam surface 30c on the other direction side in the rotation direction. There is. Then, in the locked state, the locking convex portion 52 is engaged with the end edge portion of the tip portion of the driving side convex portion 37 on the other side in the rotation direction, whereby the driving side cam 28 and the adjusting lever 26 (FIG. 2), but it is possible to prevent unintentional rotation in the other direction, that is, the release of the locked state.

Further, in the case of this example, an urging spring 53 such as a coil spring is provided between the adjusting lever 26 and the vehicle body side bracket 13, and the adjusting lever 26 is unlocked by the elasticity of the urging spring 53. It is urged in one direction, and the drive-side guide slope 38 of the drive-side cam 28 is slightly mounted on the driven-side guide slope 34 of the driven-side cam 29b. As a result, the rotation position of the adjusting lever 26 can be stopped in the unlocked state, and the rattling feeling when operating the adjusting lever 26 can be eliminated.
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the case of the first example of the above-described embodiment.

[8th example of the embodiment]
An eighth example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 21.
In the case of this example, the configurations of the driven side cam surface 30d and the driving side cam surface 35b constituting the cam device 27d are slightly different from the case of the seventh example of the above-described embodiment.

In the case of this example, the driven side guide slope 34a constituting the driven side cam surface 30d and the driven side guide slope 38a forming the driven side cam surface 35b are the first of the embodiments shown in FIG. 16 above. It has the same configuration as in the case of 5 cases.

Further, the driven side reference surface 31a forming the driven side cam surface 30d and the tip surface 60a of the driven side convex portion 32a are directed outward in the width direction toward one direction in the rotation direction, that is, driven. It is inclined in the same direction as the side guide slope 34a at an inclination angle smaller than that of the driven side guide slope 34a.
Further, the drive-side reference surface 36a constituting the drive-side cam surface 35b and the tip surface 61a of the drive-side convex portion 37a are directed outward in the width direction toward one direction in the rotation direction, that is, the drive-side guide slope 38a. It is inclined in the same direction as the drive side guide slope 38a at an inclination angle smaller than that of the drive side guide slope 38a.
Further, the inclination angle of the tip surface 60a of the driven side reference surface 31a and the driven side convex portion 32a forming the driven side cam surface 30d, and the driving side reference surface 36a and the driving side convex forming the driving side cam surface 35b. The inclination angle of the portion 37a with respect to the tip surface 61a is the same.

Then, in the case of this example, in the unlocked state, as shown in FIG. 21 (b), the tip surface 61a of the drive side convex portion 37a is moved to the driven side due to the elasticity of the urging spring 53 (see FIG. 18). It is possible to prevent the cam device 27d and the adjusting lever 26 from rattling by riding up to the middle portion in the circumferential direction of the reference surface 31a. In FIG. 20A, when switching from the unlocked state to the locked state, the drive side cam 28b rotates in one direction together with the adjustment lever 26, and the drive side low gradient portion 50 is the driven side low gradient portion. It shows the state of being in contact with 48.

In the case of this example, the tip surface 61a of the drive-side convex portion 37a rides on the driven-side reference surface 31a, which has a smaller inclination angle than the driven-side guide slope 34a, instead of the driven-side guide slope 34a. Since the elasticity of the spring 53 is sufficient, it is not necessary to increase the elasticity of the urging spring 53 too much. Therefore, the strength of the portion over which the urging spring 53 is hung can be suppressed to a low level.
Other configurations and operations are the same as in the case of the seventh example of the above-described embodiment.

When carrying out the present invention, various elastic members that cause hysteresis in the characteristics of the reaction force with respect to the amount of compression can be adopted.
For example, as the elastic member, a single disc spring 44 (FIG. 7) can be adopted.

Further, as an elastic member, for example, as shown in FIG. 22, a pair of Belleville springs, each of which is formed by stacking a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) disc springs in parallel, are connected in series with each other. It is also possible to adopt a combination of layers.

Further, as the elastic member, for example, a ring spring 54 as shown in FIG. 23 can be adopted. The ring spring 54 includes a plurality of inner rings 55 and outer rings 56, each of which is made of a material such as an elastic metal. Of these, the inner ring 55 is formed in an annular shape in which the entire circumference is connected, and a partial conical inner ring side friction surface having a large diameter side in the axial center side of the inner ring 55 on both axial half portions of the outer peripheral surface. Has 57. Further, the outer ring 56 is formed in an annular shape in which the entire circumference is connected, and a partial conical outer ring side friction surface 58 having a small diameter side on the axial center side of the outer ring 56 on both half portions in the axial direction of the inner peripheral surface. have. Then, such inner ring 55 and outer ring 56 are alternately arranged with respect to the axial direction which is the compression direction, and the inner ring side friction surface 57 and the outer ring of the inner ring 55 and the outer ring 56 adjacent to each other in the axial direction are arranged alternately. It is in surface contact with the side friction surface 58.

Further, as the elastic member, for example, as shown in FIG. 24, a leaf spring 59 having a substantially cylindrical shape can be adopted as a single spring or as a laminated spring configured by stacking a plurality of leaf springs 59.
Further, as the elastic member, in addition to a spring material (belleville spring, ring spring, leaf spring, etc.), for example, a rubber material can be adopted. Further, the spring material is not limited to the metal one, and may be made of, for example, a synthetic resin.

Further, when the present invention is carried out, the conversion device constituting the expansion / contraction device for expanding / contracting the distance between the pair of support plate portions may be a screw device. This screwing device is configured by, for example, screwing an adjusting nut into a male screw portion formed at one end of an adjusting rod, and adjusting the screwing amount (screw position in the axial direction) of the adjusting nut with an adjusting lever. It is changed by rotating it. In this case as well, the expansion / contraction device changes the screwing amount of the adjusting nut by rotating the adjusting lever in one direction, and increases the compression amount of the elastic member to increase the compression amount of the pair of support plates. By shortening the interval and rotating the adjusting lever in the other direction to change the screwing amount of the adjusting nut, the compression amount of the elastic member is reduced to widen the interval between the pair of support plate portions.

The present invention can also be applied to a steering device having only one of a tilt mechanism and a telescopic mechanism.

1 Steering wheel 2 Steering gear unit 3 Input shaft 4 Tie rod 5 Steering shaft 6 Steering column 7 Universal joint 8 Intermediate shaft 9 Universal joint 10 Outer column 11 Inner column 12 Car body 13 Car body side bracket 14 Outer shaft 15 Inner shaft 16 Tilt shaft 17a, 17b Slit 18 Holded part 19 Column side bracket 20 Telesco long hole 21 Mounting plate part 22a, 22b Support plate part 23 Tilt long hole 24 Adjustment rod 25 Head 26 Adjustment lever 27, 27a to 27d Cam device 28, 28a, 28b Driven side cams 29, 29a, 29c Driven side cams 30, 30a to 30d Driven side cam surfaces 31, 31a Driven side reference surfaces 32, 32a Driven side convex parts 33 Driven side stopper surfaces 34, 34a to 34b Driven side guide slope 35, 35a, 35b Drive side cam surface 36, 36a Drive side reference surface 37, 37a Drive side convex part 38, 38a Drive side guide slope 39 Drive side stopper surface 40 Nut 41, 41a, 41b Elastic member 42 Thrust bearing 43 Press plate 44, 44a Countersunk spring 45 Seat plate 46a to 46d Synthetic resin material 47 Driven side high slope part 48 Driven side low slope part 49 Drive side high slope part 50 Drive side low slope part 51 Second driven side Side low slope part 52 Locking convex part 53 Bounce spring 54 Wheel spring 55 Inner ring 56 Outer ring 57 Inner ring side friction surface 58 Outer ring side friction surface 59 Leaf spring 60, 60a Tip surface 61, 61a Tip surface

Claims (8)

A steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft that supports the steering wheel at the rear end toward the inner diameter side,
The column side bracket provided in a part of the steering column in the axial direction and
A column-side through hole provided so as to penetrate the column-side bracket in the width direction,
A vehicle body side bracket having a pair of support plate portions arranged so as to sandwich the column side bracket from both sides in the width direction and supported by the vehicle body,
A pair of vehicle body side through holes provided so as to penetrate the pair of support plate portions in the width direction,
An adjustment rod through which the column side through hole and the pair of vehicle body side through holes are inserted in the width direction, and
Hysteresis occurs in the characteristics of the reaction force with respect to the amount of compression and the adjustment lever provided so as to be able to rotate around the adjustment rod, and the reaction force with respect to the amount of compression is the distance between the pair of support plates. The elastic member acting in the contracting direction and the action of rotating the adjusting lever in one direction are converted into the action of increasing the amount of compression of the elastic member, and the action of rotating the adjusting lever in the other direction is the elasticity. A scaling device including a conversion device that converts an operation that reduces the amount of compression of the member is provided.
At least one of the column side through hole and the pair of vehicle body side through holes is an elongated hole extending in a direction in which the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted.
Based on the locked state in which the position of the steering wheel cannot be adjusted based on reducing the distance between the pair of support plate portions by the expansion / contraction device, and expanding the distance between the pair of support plate portions. It is possible to switch between the unlocked state that enables the position adjustment of the steering wheel .
A steering device in which the elastic member is formed by stacking a plurality of disc springs in the same direction with respect to the axial direction . Also in the locked state, steering system compression amount of the elastic member according to claim 1 which does not reach the total amount of deflection. The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 2 , wherein the amount of compression of the elastic member does not become zero even in the unlocked state. The conversion device is a cam device.
The cam device is provided with a drive-side cam surface which is a concave-convex surface in the circumferential direction on the width direction side surface, and the drive-side cam which rotates together with the adjustment lever and the width-direction side surface which faces the drive-side cam surface. The driven side cam surface, which is an uneven surface in the circumferential direction that engages with the driving side cam surface, is provided, and the driven side cam is prevented from rotating with respect to the vehicle body side bracket. By rotating with respect to the driven side cam, the width direction dimension can be expanded / contracted, and in the unlocked state, a plurality of drive side convex portions provided on the drive side cam surface and the driven side. A plurality of driven side convex portions provided on the cam surface are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and in the locked state, the tip surface of each driven side convex portion and the driven side convex portions are It is in a state where the tip surface is butted against each other.
By rotating the adjusting lever in one direction, the compression amount of the elastic member is increased based on expanding the width direction dimension of the cam device, and by rotating the adjusting lever in the other direction, the cam The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the amount of compression of the elastic member is reduced based on reducing the width direction dimension of the device. When switching from the unlocked state to the locked state by rotating the adjusting lever in one direction, the circumferential side surface of the driven side convex portion and the driven side convex portion are guided by sliding contact with each other. 4. The aspect of claim 4 has a shape in which the side surface in the circumferential direction of the above has a shape in which the inclination angle of the portion that is first slid and guided is smaller than the inclination angle of the portion that is subsequently slid and guided. Steering device. When switching from the locked state to the unlocked state by rotating the adjusting lever in the other direction, the circumferential side surface of the driven side convex portion and the driven side convex portion are guided by sliding contact with each other. of the circumferential side surface, first the angle of inclination of the portion to be guided in sliding contact, then sliding contact with part inclination angle of the claims 4-5 having a smaller shape than the guided The steering device according to any one of the items. Any one of claims 4 to 6 provided with an urging spring that urges the driving side cam in a direction of rotating the driven side cam in one direction with respect to the driven side cam in the unlocked state. The steering device described in. It is arranged between a pair of surfaces that are displaced relative to each other as the steering column is displaced with respect to the vehicle body side bracket, and between the pair of surfaces based on the reaction force of the elastic member. Has a synthetic resin material that is compressed with,
The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .

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