JPH0125737Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tilt column in an automobile, and more particularly to a tilt position memory device thereof.

A tilt column is an upper column that rotatably supports an upper steering shaft to which a handle wheel is fixed, and a lower column that rotatably supports a lower steering shaft connected to a steering gear shaft. It is possible to tilt around the center. The tilt-type steering device allows the handle wheel to be tilted together with the Atsupa steering shaft and Atsupa column, etc. When the driver gets out of the vehicle, the tilt-type steering device can be flipped upwards, improving the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle.
In addition, after getting into the vehicle, it can be lowered and fixed in any driving position, so the position when the handle wheel is lowered can be changed depending on the physique or preference of the driver, so that it can be adjusted to suit each driver. It is possible to ensure optimal operating conditions at all times.

By the way, with a tilt-type steering device that can be tilted to any position, even if the steering wheel is set to the optimal position, if the steering wheel is flipped upwards when getting off the vehicle, it will be set to the optimal position again when getting back on the vehicle. The disadvantage is that the tilt adjustment must be made. In order to eliminate these drawbacks, a memory device is attached to the tilt column so that even if the handle wheel is flipped upwards, the original tilt position can be reproduced by lowering it downwards to a predetermined position (memorized position). That is what is being attempted. However, conventionally known tilt column tilt position memory devices generally have complicated structures and high manufacturing costs, and are not suitable for general use.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, that is, to provide a tilt column tilt position memory device that has a simple structure and can be manufactured at low cost.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes an upper bracket 28 and a lower column 26 that are integrally fixed to the lower end of the upper column 24.
A support shaft 48 extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column is attached to either one of the lower brackets 30, which are integrally fixed to the upper end and rotatably supported with respect to the upper bracket by the tilt rotation shaft 14. A cam member 50 is provided which is rotatable around the cam member and whose distance from the center of rotation to the outer circumferential surface gradually changes as it rotates, and a contact member 42 which can abut on the outer circumferential surface of the cam member is provided on the other side. An operating member 56 is provided which is operated to change the contact position with the contact member by rotating the upper column, and further, when the upper column is rotated to a desired tilt angle with respect to the lower column,
A tightening means 36 is provided for tightening and fixing the upper column to the lower column.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, which is an overall view of the tilt column according to the present invention, a handle wheel 12 is attached to a top steering shaft 10, and this top steering shaft 10 is connected to a tilt shaft 14 by a universal joint (not shown) for lower steering. It is connected to the shaft 16. The lower steering shaft 16 is connected to a steering gear 22 via a universal joint 20.

The upper steering shaft 10 is rotatably supported by the upper column 24, and the lower steering shaft 16 is rotatably supported by the lower column 26. Both columns 24 and 26 are integrally formed with an upper bracket 28 and a lower bracket 30, respectively, and the lower bracket 30 has an instrument panel 32 fixed thereto. Both brackets 2
8 and 30 partially overlap, and a tension spring 17 is disposed between them, so that the former 28 can be tilted with respect to the latter 30 around the tilt axis 14.

A tilt tightening/releasing shaft 34 is further provided at the overlapping portion of both brackets 28, 30, and is operated by a tilt lever 36. Therefore,
Tilt tightening/releasing shaft 34 by tilt lever 36
When the tightening is released, the handle 12, the upper steering shaft 10, the upper column 24, and the upper bracket 28 can be tilted together around the tilt axis 14, and the handle 12 is shown as a solid line and a two-dot chain line in FIG. Various tilt positions can be taken as shown in .

As shown enlarged in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pin 42 as an abutting member is provided on the lower bracket 30 by a nut 40, and a pin 42 is provided on the upper bracket 24 at a position corresponding to the pin 42. , pin 42
A hole 46 is drilled with an inner diameter considerably larger than the outer diameter. Therefore, the pin 42 and the upper bracket 24 do not come into contact with each other. Further, a pin 48 is erected on the attachment bracket 24 by welding or the like.
A cam member 50 is mounted on this pin 48 with a wave washer 52. The pin 4 is attached to the cam member 50.
A cam portion 54 whose diameter from the center of 8 gradually changes in a spiral shape and contacts the pin 42 to form an abutting portion.
and a knob portion 56 that serves as an operating means for the driver to change the phase by pinching with his or her fingers.

The shape of the cam portion 54 is such that the angle between the normal line passing through the contact point between the cam portion 54 and the pin 42 and the straight line drawn from the contact point to the center of rotation (pin 48) is smaller than the friction angle. Selected. In this way, even if the cam portion 54 comes into contact with the pin 42 and a shock is applied, the cam member 50, once the phase has been adjusted, is prevented from rotating against intention. Further, in order to prevent the cam member 50 from rotating due to the above-mentioned causes, a click stop or the like may be appropriately employed.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. The driver places the steering wheel 1 in the position that is most suitable for him/her.
2, rotate the cam member 50 in either direction by pinching the knob portion 56 with your fingers. Then, the position of the cam portion 54 that contacts the pin 42 changes, and the lower position of the handle wheel 12 is adjusted. That is, in FIG. 2, when the cam member 50 is rotated to the right, the diameter of the cam portion 54 increases, so that the lower position of the handle wheel 12 becomes higher; when the cam member 50 is rotated to the left, the diameter of the cam portion 54 decreases, so that the lower position of the handle wheel 12 becomes higher. 12 is lower. When the driver gets out of the vehicle, the tilt lock is released by turning the tilt lever 36 downward by hand, and by the action of the tension spring 17, the top bracket 28 and top column 2 are moved around the tilt shaft 14.
4. The steering shaft 10 integrally rotates to the left (as shown in FIG. 1) to facilitate the driver's exit from the vehicle. If the handle wheel 12 is kept flipped upward, it will be easier to ride the vehicle next time. After getting on the vehicle, when the handle wheel 12 is held in the hand and pushed down, the upper column 24 and the like rotate to the right around the tilt shaft 14 (see FIG. 1), and this right rotation causes the cam portion 54 of the cam member 50 and the lower bracket to rotate to the right. It is stopped by the contact with the pin 42 of 30. Here, since the phase of the cam member 50 is adjusted and memorized before getting off the vehicle, there is no need to perform tilt adjustment again when getting on the vehicle again, and the initial steering wheel adjustment position can be easily returned by simply lowering the handle wheel 12. Reproduced.

In the above embodiment, the shape of the cam portion 54 is formed into a continuous spiral, but the rate of change in diameter can be changed arbitrarily. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, six arcuate surfaces 60a with different radii from the center are provided.
If a cam portion 60 having a radius of .about.60f and connecting each arcuate surface with a curved surface is used, the cam member 50 will be removed by the shock when the handle wheel 12 is lowered.
This eliminates the problem of rotating. Further, if the pin 42 is an eccentric pin, the tilt range can be finely adjusted depending on the vehicle type by rotating the pin. Further, a cam portion may be provided on the lower bracket 30 side and a contact portion thereof may be provided on the upper bracket 28 side, and the operating means for changing the phase of the cam member 50 may be provided as a member separate from the cam member. It may also be composed of For example, the plate cam may be fixed to a synthetic resin knob, or a separate member may be brought near the wheel and connected to the cam with a link in order to bring the operation closer to the driver.

As described above, according to the present invention, the tilt position is set by the contact between the cam member and its contact portion, so the tilt position can be easily adjusted by simply displacing the cam member. Once you set the tilt position, that position will be memorized and reproduced, so after you get off the vehicle by flipping up the handle wheel, you can set the tilt position by pushing the handle wheel down when you get back on the vehicle.
There is no need to readjust the tilt position. Moreover, in the present invention, the above-mentioned points can be easily and easily achieved by arranging the cam member and its abutting part without changing the structure of the conventional tilt column. The effect is that a steering device can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall front view showing an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view (partially sectional view) of the main part in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a - sectional view in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the main part showing another embodiment of the present invention. . Explanation of symbols of main parts, 10...Atsupa steering shaft, 12...Handle wheel, 14...
Tilt axis, 16...Lower steering axis, 24
...Atsupa column, 26...Lower column, 28
...Atsupa bracket, 30...Lower bracket, 42...Pin, 50...Cam member, 54...
Cam part, 56...knob part.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] The Atsupa column that rotatably supports the Atsupa steering shaft is capable of tilting around the tilt rotation axis with respect to the lower column that rotatably supports the lower steering shaft, so that the desired tilt position can be achieved. In the tilt column, which can be fixed to the tilt position and can be released from the tilt position, an upper bracket is integrally fixed to the lower end of the upper column, and an upper bracket is integrally fixed to the upper end of the lower column. Either one of the lower brackets is rotatably supported with respect to the upper bracket by a tilt rotation shaft, and is rotatable around a support shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column, and as it rotates, the center of rotation changes. A cam member whose distance from the cam member to the outer circumferential surface gradually changes is provided, and the other is provided with an abutting member that can come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cam member, and the cam member is rotated to engage the abutting member. An operating member is provided that is operated to change the contact position, and further, when the upper column is rotated to a desired tilt angle with respect to the lower column, the upper column is tightened and fixed to the lower column. A tilt position memory device for a tilt column, characterized in that a tightening means is provided.