JP7409137B2 - steering column device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering column device mounted on a vehicle.

Conventionally, a steering column device mounted on a vehicle includes a plurality of electrical components such as turn signal switches in addition to members for steering steered wheels such as a steering shaft. In addition, there is also a steering column device that has a structure in which electrical wires such as signal lines or power lines are connected to each of the plurality of electrical components, and that holds a wire harness (hereinafter also simply referred to as "harness") that is a bundle of these electrical wires. exist. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a steering column device including a harness bracket attached to a support member supported by a vehicle body, and a first clip for attaching the harness to the harness bracket.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-131059

When a harness bracket, which is a special part for holding a harness, is provided as in the conventional steering column device described above, the number of parts constituting the steering column device increases or the manufacturing cost increases. Furthermore, some steering column devices include a mechanism for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction, and in this case, electrical components such as a turn signal switch also move as the steering wheel moves. Therefore, when the harness bracket is attached to a support member that does not move in the longitudinal direction, as in the conventional steering column device described above, problems such as damage to the electric wires included in the harness are likely to occur due to movement of the electrical components.

The present invention was made by the inventors of the present invention paying new attention to the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steering column device that can appropriately hold electric wires with a simple configuration.

In order to achieve the above object, a steering column device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a steering shaft connected to an operating member, an inner tube rotatably holding the steering shaft, and a steering column device fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle. an outer tube that holds the inner tube disposed radially inward so as to be movable in the axial direction of the steering shaft; a protruding member fixed to the wall of the outer tube and penetrating through an axially elongated through hole provided in the wall of the outer tube, the protruding member for holding one or more electric wires; It has a wire holding part.

According to the steering column device according to one aspect of the present invention, electric wires can be appropriately held with a simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a steering column device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a steering column device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a protrusion member according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the steering column device in a state where the inner tube according to the embodiment is located at the front end. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structural relationship between the steering column device and the cover member according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, assembly order, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention.

Further, the drawings are schematic diagrams that have been appropriately emphasized, omitted, or adjusted in proportion to illustrate the present invention, and may differ from the actual shapes, positional relationships, and proportions. Furthermore, in the following embodiments and claims, expressions indicating relative directions or postures such as parallel and orthogonal may be used, but strictly speaking, these expressions do not mean the direction or posture. Including cases where it is not. For example, two directions being parallel does not only mean that the two directions are completely parallel, but also that they are substantially parallel, that is, including a difference of, for example, a few percent. also means

(Embodiment)
[1. General configuration of steering column device]
First, the general configuration of a steering column device 10 according to an embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a steering column device 10 according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, an operating member 100, which is a steering wheel, and a steering shaft 20 are illustrated in a simplified manner. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the steering column device 10 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 2, illustration of the steering shaft 20 is omitted. In addition, also in the figures after FIG. 3, various members such as the operating member 100 and the steering shaft 20 are omitted from illustration or illustrated in a simplified manner as appropriate.

Further, in the following, when the term "axial direction" is simply used, it means a direction parallel to the central axis Ax (see FIG. 1) of the steering shaft 20 (in this embodiment, the Y-axis direction). Further, for example, "front" refers to the front side (Y-axis positive side) of the vehicle in which the steering column device 10 is mounted, and, for example, "rear" refers to the opposite direction (Y-axis minus side). means. For example, the operating member 100 is expressed as being attached to the rear end (rear end) of the steering shaft 20.

The steering column device 10 according to the present embodiment is a device mounted on a vehicle, and the vehicle is, for example, a regular passenger car, a bus, a truck, or the like. Note that the vehicle is not limited to a passenger car, and may be, for example, a construction machine, an agricultural machine, or the like.

The steering column device 10 includes a steering shaft 20, an inner tube 30, and an outer tube 40, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. An operating member 100 operated by a driver is connected to the rear end of the steering shaft 20. The operating member 100 is, for example, an annular steering wheel. The steering shaft 20 is rotatably held by an inner tube 30 and an outer tube 40. An intermediate shaft is connected to the front end of the steering shaft 20 via a universal joint (not shown), so that the rotation of the operating member 100 is controlled by a steering mechanism (not shown) via the steering shaft 20 and the intermediate shaft. transmitted to.

The inner tube 30 is held movably in the axial direction by the outer tube 40, and the outer tube 40 is fixed to the vehicle body by a mounting member 95. The attachment member 95 is fixed to the vehicle body while holding the outer tube 40 inside, and has a clamp mechanism that tightens the outer tube 40 in the radial direction. The clamp mechanism is provided with an operating lever 90 that switches between applying and releasing a clamping force to the outer tube 40. By rotating the operating lever 90 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), the clamping force can be increased. can be switched between granting and canceling. For example, when the operation lever 90 in the lowered state is raised, the outer tube 40 is tightened in the radial direction by the clamp mechanism, thereby reducing the diameter of the outer tube 40 and tightening the inner inner tube 30 in the radial direction. . As a result, the movement of the inner tube 30 in the axial direction with respect to the outer tube 40 during normal times is restricted.
In other words, the axial position of the operating member 100 is fixed. Furthermore, by lowering the raised operation lever 90, the tightening force by the clamp mechanism is released, and the inner tube 30 becomes movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer tube 40. In this case, for example, when the driver pushes or pulls the operating member 100 in the axial direction, the steering shaft 20 and the inner tube 30 holding the steering shaft 20 move in the axial direction with respect to the outer tube 40. That is, the position of the operating member 100 in the axial direction is adjusted by the driver. Thereafter, by raising the operating lever 90, the position of the inner tube 30 relative to the outer tube 40 is fixed, and thereby the axial position of the operating member 100 is fixed.

The range of axial position adjustment of the operating member 100 is regulated by the mechanical engagement between the inner tube 30 and the outer tube 40. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a protrusion member 50 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 30a of the inner tube 30, and the protrusion member 50 is an axially elongated member provided on the wall 40a of the outer tube 40. It is arranged so as to penetrate through the through hole 41 . More specifically, the screw 60 inserted into the screw hole 53 provided in the protrusion member 50 is screwed into the female threaded portion 31 provided on the outer peripheral surface 30a of the inner tube 30, so that the protrusion member 50 is inserted into the inner tube. It is fixed to the tube 30. Further, in this state, a convex portion (described later with reference to FIG. 3) of the protruding member 50 is inserted into the opening 32 provided in the outer peripheral surface 30a of the inner tube 30.

The protruding member 50 fixed to the inner tube 30 in this manner comes into contact with both ends of the peripheral edge of the through hole 41 in the axial direction, thereby restricting movement of the inner tube 30 in the axial direction. Specifically, the outer tube 40 comes into contact with the protruding member 50 when the inner tube 30 moves to the rear end of the through hole 41 (in the direction in which the inner tube 30 protrudes from the outer tube 40 in the axial direction). It has a drawer regulating part 42. In other words, the portion of the peripheral edge of the through hole 41 located at the rear end of the through hole 41 functions as the drawer restricting portion 42 that comes into contact with the protruding member 50 in the axial direction. In the state in which the protruding member 50 is in contact with the pull-out restricting portion 42, the inner tube 30 cannot be pulled out any further from the outer tube 40. It will be located in a nearby location). Further, the outer tube 40 further includes a front end regulating portion 43 at the front end of the through hole 41, which comes into contact with the protruding member 50 when the inner tube 30 moves. That is, a portion of the peripheral edge of the through hole 41 located at the front end of the through hole 41 functions as the front end regulating portion 43 that abuts the protruding member 50 in the axial direction. When the protruding member 50 comes into contact with the front end regulating portion 43 in the axial direction, the operating member 100 is located at the frontmost end (the farthest position from the driver) in the axial direction.

In this way, the steering column device 10 has a structure that allows the axial position adjustment of the operating member 100 (that is, the longitudinal position adjustment), and the protruding member 50 It functions as a member that regulates the position adjustment range (movable range).

Furthermore, electrical components such as a turn signal switch, a wiper switch, and a light switch (not shown) are attached to the steering column device 10. Specifically, these electrical components are attached to a position between the operating member 100 and the outer tube 40 in the inner tube 30 via a bracket or the like, and move as the operating member 100 moves. In this embodiment, the protruding member 50 can hold various electric wires connected to each of these electrical components. Thereby, the configuration of the steering column device 10 is simplified and the electric wires are properly held. Details of this protruding member 50 will be explained below with further reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[2. Regarding protruding members]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the protrusion member 50 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 3, the harness 72 is shown in a partially cut state, and other members such as the outer tube 40 are not shown. The harness 72 is a wire harness in which a plurality of electric wires 70, each of which is a covered electric wire, are covered with an insulating member, and each of the plurality of electric wires 70 is a power line or a signal line connected to an electrical component. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the steering column device 10 in a state where the inner tube 30 according to the embodiment is located at the front end. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structural relationship between the steering column device 10 and the cover member 120 according to the embodiment.

The protrusion member 50 is a member made of resin, for example, and has a protrusion main body part 51 and a wire holding part 52 provided at the front end of the protrusion main body part 51, as shown in FIG. The protruding member 50 is disposed in the inner tube 30 inserted into the outer tube 40 through the through hole 41 of the outer tube 40, and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 30a of the inner tube 30 with a screw 60, which is an example of a fastening member. (See Figure 2). Thereby, when the inner tube 30 moves in the axial direction with respect to the outer tube 40, the movement range of the inner tube 30 is limited by the protruding member 50.

Specifically, the protruding member 50 has two contact parts (a first contact part 51a on the rear side and a second contact part 51a on the front side) that come into contact with the peripheral edge of the through hole 41 when the inner tube 30 moves in the axial direction. It has a contact portion 51b). When adjusting the position of the operating member 100 in the axial direction, the first contact portion 51a comes into contact with the pull-out restriction portion 42 (see FIG. 4) located at the rear end of the through hole 41 of the outer tube 40. , withdrawal of the inner tube 30 is restricted. In this state, the operating member 100 is located at the rearmost end of the position adjustment range in the axial direction. Further, the second contact portion 51b contacts the front end regulating portion 43 (see FIG. 4) located at the front end of the through hole 41 of the outer tube 40, thereby restricting the pushing of the inner tube 30. In this state, the operating member 100 is located at the front end of the position adjustment range in the axial direction.

Furthermore, as described above, the protruding member 50 is movable within the through hole 41 in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the through hole 41, but in the lateral direction (X-axis direction) of the through hole 41. There is almost no gap between the through hole 41 and the peripheral edge thereof, and movement in the lateral direction is substantially impossible. Therefore, when the inner tube 30 attempts to rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer tube 40, the protruding member 50 engages with the peripheral edge of the through hole 41, thereby restricting the rotation of the inner tube 30.

The protruding member 50 according to the present embodiment further includes a wire holding portion 52, and the wire holding portion 52 has a mounting hole 52a formed therein. The fixing member 80 attached to the harness 72 is, for example, a member called a push tie, and has a protrusion 81 with a large diameter portion (retainer) formed at the tip. By inserting the protrusion 81 of the fixing member 80 into the attachment hole 52a, the harness 72 is held by the wire holding portion 52.

As described above, the steering column device 10 according to the present embodiment includes the steering shaft 20 connected to the operating member 100, the inner tube 30, the outer tube 40, and the protruding member 50. Inner tube 30 rotatably holds steering shaft 20. The outer tube 40 is fixed to the vehicle body and holds the inner tube 30 disposed radially inside so as to be movable in the axial direction of the steering shaft 20. The protruding member 50 is fixed to the inner tube 30 in a state of protruding from the outer circumferential surface 30a of the inner tube 30, and penetrates into an elongated through hole 41 in the axial direction provided in the wall 40a of the outer tube 40. Placed. The protruding member 50 has a wire holding portion 52 for holding one or more electric wires 70.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the protruding member 50 fixed to the inner tube 30 is disposed so as to pass through the elongated through hole 41 of the outer tube 40 in the axial direction. Therefore, the protruding member 50 functions as a stopper that restricts the movement of the inner tube 30 in the axial direction with respect to the outer tube 40, and also functions as a stopper for the inner tube 30 to rotate.

Furthermore, the protruding member 50 that moves together with the inner tube 30 can also hold one or more electric wires 70. Therefore, for example, it is also possible to collectively hold a plurality of electric wires 70 extending from electrical components such as a turn signal switch and a light switch that move together with the inner tube 30 on the protruding member 50. In the present embodiment, a fixing member 80 is attached to a harness 72 that includes a plurality of electric wires 70, and by fixing the fixing member 80 to the wire holding section 52, the harness 72 is held by the electric wire holding section 52. state. Accordingly, when the electrical component moves due to the inner tube 30 moving in the axial direction, the end of the electric wire 70 connected to the electrical component also moves in the same direction. Therefore, bending stress or tensile stress is less likely to occur at the end of the electric wire 70, and occurrence of biting of the electric wire 70 is also suppressed. As a result, the possibility of disconnection of the electric wire 70 due to movement of the inner tube 30 is reduced.

As described above, in the steering column device 10 according to the present embodiment, the protruding member 50, which moves together with the inner tube 30 and functions as a stopper for regulating the movement and rotation of the inner tube 30, connects one or more electric wires 70. It can function as a holding member. Therefore, there is no need to separately arrange a bracket or the like for holding one or more electric wires 70 in the steering column device 10. Therefore, according to the steering column device 10 according to this embodiment, the electric wire 70 can be appropriately held with a simple configuration.

More specifically, in the outer tube 40 according to the present embodiment, the inner tube 30 is moved to the rear end of the through hole 41 in the direction in which the inner tube 30 protrudes from the outer tube 40 in the axial direction. It has a drawer restricting portion 42 that comes into contact with the protruding member 50 when the drawer is closed.

Therefore, when the protruding member 50 moves along the longitudinal direction of the through hole 41 and comes into contact with the pull-out restricting portion 42, the pull-out of the inner tube 30 from the outer tube 40 is restricted. That is, in the steering column device 10, the position of the operating member 100 in the longitudinal direction can be adjusted telescopically, and the distance that the operating member 100 is pulled out can be regulated by the protruding member 50. More specifically, in this embodiment, the through hole 41 is a hole that does not have an open part (interrupted part) at the peripheral edge, that is, it is a hole that engages with the protruding member 50 over the entire peripheral edge. . Therefore, the protruding member 50 can function as a stopper that stops the inner tube 30 from moving to both sides in the axial direction and rotating in the circumferential direction.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the protruding member 50 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface 30a of the inner tube 30 by a screw 60, and is attached to the inner tube 30 at a position aligned with the screw 60 in the axial direction. It has a convex portion 54 that is convex toward the surface. The inner tube 30 has an opening 32 on the outer peripheral surface 30a into which the convex portion 54 is inserted.

In other words, the protrusion member 50 is fastened to the inner tube 30 with the screw 60 with the protrusion 54 inserted into the opening 32, and the protrusion 54 and the screw 60 are arranged side by side in the axial direction. ing. Therefore, even if a relatively large force is applied to the protruding member 50 due to the protruding member 50 colliding with the pull-out regulating portion 42 when adjusting the position of the operating member 100 in the axial direction, the fastening by the screw 60 will not be possible. The convex portion 54 functions to reinforce. This makes it difficult for the protruding member 50 to shift, and as a result, the protruding member 50 becomes more effective as a stopper that restricts the movement and rotation of the inner tube 30 and as a member that holds one or more electric wires 70. will improve. Further, since the protrusion 54 and the screw 60 are arranged side by side in the axial direction, the protrusion member 50 can be prevented from rotating about the protrusion 54 or the screw 60 with respect to the inner tube 30.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the wire holding portion 52 is located outside the wall portion 40a of the outer tube 40 in the radial direction. An insertion space 58 is formed inside the wire holding portion 52 in the radial direction, in which the wall portion 40a can freely move in and out in the axial direction.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the wire holding portion 52 is provided in the protruding member 50 with a shift toward the outside in the radial direction. There is an insertion space 58 in which the portion 40a can move in and out. That is, even when the inner tube 30 is moved in the axial direction, the wire holding part 52 does not come into contact with the peripheral edge of the through hole 41, which is a part of the wall part 40a. Therefore, since the protruding member 50 has the wire holding portion 52, the movement range of the inner tube 30, that is, the movement range of the operating member 100 is not narrowed. Further, in the present embodiment, the radial position of the wire holding portion 52 is located several mm outside the wall portion 40a of the outer tube 40 as shown in FIG. 4, but it may be located further outside. It is possible. As described above, in the present embodiment, the wire holding portion 52 of the protruding member 50 is arranged at a position that does not affect the range of position adjustment in the longitudinal direction of the operating member 100, and the degree of freedom in its arrangement position is also increased. expensive. Therefore, the steering column device 10 can be provided with the protruding member 50 having a highly useful size or shape depending on required specifications and the like.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a cover member 120 that covers a part of the steering column device 10 can be attached to the steering column device 10 from below. The protruding member 50 is used as a member for attaching the cover member 120. That is, in this embodiment, the protruding member 50 further includes a cover attachment portion 55 to which the cover member 120 that covers at least a portion of the steering column device 10 is attached.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the protrusion member 50 is fixed to the inner tube 30 with the screw 60, and the mounting pin 121 of the cover member 120 is fitted into the hole of the cover attachment part 55 of the protrusion member 50. . In this manner, in this embodiment, the cover member 120 can be attached to the inner tube 30 via the protruding member 50. Thereby, the cover member 120 that moves as the operating member 100 moves in the axial direction can be attached to the steering column device 10 without separately arranging a bracket or the like for holding the cover member 120. Further, for example, the cover member 120 can be fixed at a position relatively close to the inner tube 30. Therefore, when the inner tube 30 moves, the cover member 120 can be moved stably. Further, since the torque generated due to inertia or the like at the position of the cover attachment portion 55 is relatively small, deterioration of the protruding member 50 and the cover member 120 is suppressed.

(Other embodiments)
The steering column device according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Unless departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications that can be thought of by those skilled in the art to the above-described embodiments, or forms constructed by combining a plurality of the above-described components are within the scope of the present invention. include.

For example, the through hole 41 of the outer tube 40 may extend to one end of the outer tube 40 in the axial direction. That is, the through hole 41 may be a groove formed in the shape of a notch from one end in the axial direction in the wall portion 40a of the outer tube 40. For example, the outer tube 40 may have the pull-out restricting portion 42 located at the rear end of the through hole 41 and may not have the front end restricting portion 43 located at the front end of the through hole 41. In this case, forward movement of the inner tube 30 may be restricted by, for example, a portion of the outer tube 40 coming into contact with the front end surface of the inner tube 30.

Further, in the present embodiment, the protruding member 50 has an elongated shape in the axial direction, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, but the shape of the protruding member 50 is not limited to this. For example, a cylindrical or prismatic protruding member may be fixed to the outer peripheral surface 30a of the inner tube 30. In this case, a wire holding portion can be provided at the tip of the protruding member that protrudes outward from the through hole 41. Further, since the root portion of the protruding member comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the through hole 41, the protruding member can function as a stopper that restricts the movement of the inner tube 30 in the axial direction and the rotation in the circumferential direction.

Further, in the protrusion member 50, the radial position of the wire holding portion 52 does not have to be outside the wall portion 40a of the outer tube 40. For example, a radial hole may be provided in a portion of the protruding member 50 that is located inside the through hole 41 (a portion that does not protrude from the through hole 41), and the protrusion 81 of the fixing member 80 may be fitted into the hole. The harness 72 may be held by the protruding member 50. Such a configuration is advantageous, for example, when there is no space below the steering column device 10. In addition, in this case, the wire holding part, which is the part having the hole, is brought into contact with the pull-out regulating part 42 or the front end regulating part 43 (first abutting part 51a or second abutting part 51b in FIG. 3). It can also function as

Further, there is no particular limitation on the manner in which the one or more electric wires 70 are held by the electric wire holding portion 52 of the protruding member 50. For example, the wire holding portion 52 may hold the harness 72 by providing a cut-out groove in the wire holding portion 52 and holding the harness 72 in the groove. In this case, there is no need to attach a fixing member 80 such as a push tie to the harness 72.

Furthermore, the protruding member 50 may have a shock absorbing portion such as a slit in a portion that contacts the peripheral edge of the through hole 41 of the outer tube 40, or may have a shock absorbing member such as rubber. For example, the durability of the protruding member 50 can be improved by making the protruding member 50 from a metal such as stainless steel and arranging a cushioning member such as rubber at the portion that contacts the peripheral edge of the through hole 41. can. Further, a buffer member such as rubber may be arranged around the periphery of the through hole 41 of the outer tube 40, thereby suppressing the hitting sound caused by contact with the protruding member 50 or suppressing the impact of the protruding member 50 and the through hole 41. The peripheral edge is protected.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The steering column device according to the present invention is useful as a steering column device that is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile and is capable of adjusting the position of an operating member.

10: Steering column device, 20: Steering shaft, 30: Inner tube, 30a: Outer circumference, 31: Female thread, 32: Opening, 40: Outer tube, 40a: Wall, 41: Through hole, 42: Drawer Regulation part, 43: Front end regulation part, 50: Projection member, 51: Projection main body part, 51a: First contact part, 51b: Second contact part, 52: Wire holding part, 52a: Mounting hole, 53: Screw Hole, 54: Convex portion, 55: Cover mounting portion, 58: Insertion space, 60: Screw, 70: Electric wire, 72: Harness, 80: Fixing member, 81: Projection, 90: Operation lever, 95: Mounting member, 100 : Operation member, 120: Cover member, 121: Mounting pin

Claims (5)

A steering column device mounted on a vehicle,
a steering shaft connected to the operating member;
an inner tube rotatably holding the steering shaft;
an outer tube fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle, the outer tube holding the inner tube disposed radially inward so as to be movable in the axial direction of the steering shaft;
a protruding member fixed to the inner tube in a state protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the inner tube, and disposed in a state penetrating an elongated through hole in the axial direction provided in a wall of the outer tube; Prepare,
The protruding member has an electric wire holding part for holding one or more electric wires,
The protruding member protrudes to the outside of the wall through the through hole.
Steering column device. The outer tube includes a pull-out regulating portion that comes into contact with the protruding member when the inner tube moves, at a rear end of the through hole in the axial direction in the direction in which the inner tube protrudes from the outer tube. has,
A steering column device according to claim 1. The protruding member is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube by a fastening member, and has a convex portion protruding toward the inner tube at a position aligned with the fastening member in the axial direction,
The inner tube has an opening on the outer peripheral surface into which the convex portion is inserted.
A steering column device according to claim 2. The wire holding portion is located outside the wall portion of the outer tube in the radial direction,
An insertion space in which the wall portion can move in and out in the axial direction is formed inside the wire holding portion in the radial direction;
A steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The protruding member further includes a cover attachment portion to which a cover member that covers at least a portion of the steering column device is attached.
A steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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