JPH0132610Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a tilt steering device for an automobile.

(Prior Art) An automobile steering device is equipped with a tilt mechanism, which allows the steering column to be adjusted to a convenient height position according to the sitting height of the driver of the automobile. There is. However, with conventional tilt mechanisms, after adjusting the height of the steering column, the steering column is simply tightened with bolts and nuts, so if it is used in that state for a long time, There was a risk that the above bolts and nuts would become loose and the steering column would suddenly fall. Therefore, in Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-12362,
The tilt mechanism is provided with a gear meshing portion to prevent the steering column from becoming loose after adjusting its position.

(Purpose of the invention) The object of the invention is to provide a tilt steering device for an automobile that is equipped with a mechanism that can prevent the bolts and nuts from loosening using a mechanism different from that of Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-12362. That is.

(Structure of the invention) In the present invention, a vehicle body bracket having two flange portions arranged substantially parallel to each other is fixed to the vehicle body, and these two flanges each have two flange portions extending in the vertical direction and parallel to each other. A long hole is formed, and the two flanges are provided with bolts that pass through the two openings, extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the bracket, and have both ends protruding from the two openings, respectively. A head is provided at one end of the bolt that protrudes from one of the two openings, and a nut is screwed into the other end that protrudes from the other opening, and the bolt, together with the nut, is provided with a head. The steering column is supported with respect to the vehicle body bracket via a support bracket disposed between two flanges, and the steering column is attached to the vehicle body bracket by adjusting the screwing amount of the bolt and nut. An operating lever for locking and unlocking is provided, and the operating lever includes a first portion fixed to either the head of the bolt or the nut, and a first portion that is pivotally supported by the first portion. a second part that is rotatable by a predetermined angle with respect to the first part;
a third portion that is pivotally supported by the second portion and has a claw portion at its tip portion;
A locking member is provided in a non-rotatable manner between one of the head of the bolt and the nut, which is partially fixed, and the vehicle body bracket and the support bracket, and the locking member includes the third bolt. A locking portion is formed in which the claw portion of the third portion engages, and the third portion is biased in a direction in which the claw portion engages with the locking portion of the lock member by the first biasing means. a portion of the second portion that pivotally supports the third portion is urged in a direction approaching the locking member by a second urging means;
When the steering column is locked, the third
The first portion is characterized in that rotation of the first portion is locked by engaging a claw portion of the portion with a locking portion of the locking member.

(Embodiment) Hereinafter, a tilt steering device for an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing the entire steering mechanism, FIG. 2 is a front view of a tilt steering device for an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a line A-- It is a sectional view along A.

In FIG. 1, the reference numeral W indicates a steering wheel, the reference numeral C indicates a steering column and shaft assembly, and the reference numeral L indicates a steering lock. As will be explained in detail later, activation and deactivation of the steering lock L are adjusted by a control lever 7, thereby achieving tilting of the steering column and shaft assembly C. .

In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle body bracket having two flanges fixed to the vehicle body (not shown) (hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, these two flanges will be referred to as two vehicle body brackets).
These two body brackets 1 are arranged parallel to each other, and two long grooves 2 extending in the vertical direction and arranged parallel to each other are formed in these two body brackets 1. There is. A bolt 3 extends through these two long grooves 2 and across the two vehicle body brackets 1. As shown in FIG. 3, this bolt 3 is longer than the distance between the two vehicle body brackets 1, and therefore both ends 3a, 3b protrude from each vehicle body bracket 1. One end 3a is a head with a large diameter (hereinafter this end is referred to as head 3a),
The other end 3b has a smaller diameter and is threaded in the opposite direction to the other parts (hereinafter this end will be referred to as the threaded part 3b). A nut 4 is screwed into this threaded portion 3b. This nut 4 has a narrow foot portion 4a formed on its inner surface, and this foot portion 4a fits into the long groove 2 to prevent the nut 4 from rotating.

A support bracket 5 that supports the steering column and shaft assembly C is attached to the bolt 3.
The above-mentioned long groove 2 is attached to the support bracket 5.
The steering column can be moved up and down along the vertical axis, thereby allowing the height position of the steering column to be adjusted. Head 3 of the bolt 3 above
A and the vehicle body bracket 1 and the support bracket 5 are provided with a lock nut 6 for the purpose explained later.
is arranged in a state where it is screwed onto the bolt 3. A narrow foot portion 6a is formed on the inner surface of the lock nut 6 as well as the nut 4, and this foot portion 6a engages with the long groove 2 to lock the lock nut 6.
prevents it from rotating. This lock nut 6 has a circular shape as a whole, and has a locking groove 6a and a holding groove 6b formed on its outer periphery for the purpose to be explained later.

An operating lever 7 is fixed to the head 3a of the bolt 3, and the driver operates the operating lever 7 to adjust the screwing amount of the bolt 3 and nut 4. This operating lever 7 is designed to be able to take a locking position shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 and an unlocking position shown by a chain line in FIG.
Increase the screwing amount of nut 4 and tighten nut 4.
and the lock nut 6 tightens the vehicle body bracket 1 and the support bracket 5, and fixes the support bracket 5 to the vehicle body bracket 1 at that position.On the other hand, when it is in the unlocked position, the above fixation is released and the support bracket 5 is is movable along the long groove 2 together with the bolt 3, thereby making it possible to adjust the height position of the steering column supported by the support bracket 5.

The operating lever 7 has a first part 8 and a second part 9.
and a third portion 10. The first part 8 is fixed to the lock nut 6.
The second portion 9 has a pivot 11 at its intermediate portion.
It is pivotally connected to the first portion 8 by. The part of this second part 9 that is far from the lock nut 6 (hereinafter, in the explanation of the lever, this part will be referred to as the rear end,
The other end (the opposite side is referred to as the tip) is a grip portion 9a that is held by the driver during operation. The second portion 9 is urged by a spring 12 in a direction in which the tip approaches the lock nut 6. The first portion 8 is provided with first and second stoppers 8a and 8b.
a restricts the clockwise rotation of the second portion 9 by the spring 12, and a second stopper 8
b limits the counterclockwise rotation of the second portion 9 against the force of the spring 12 by a predetermined angle, so that when the second portion 9 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, the first portion 8 This is so that they can be moved together.

The third portion 10 is pivotally connected to the tip of the second portion at its rear end by a pivot 13. This third portion 10 is biased by a spring 14 in a direction in which its tip approaches the lock nut 6, that is, in a clockwise direction.
The clockwise rotation of is restricted by a stopper 15 provided on the second portion 9. Third part 1
A claw portion 10a is formed at the tip of the lever 7, and when the lever 7 is in the lock position, this claw portion 10a is formed at the tip of the lever 7.
0a engages with the lock groove 6a of the lock nut 6 to fix the head 3a of the bolt 3. Therefore, when the lever 7 is in the locked position, the bolts and nuts will not loosen. Note that the holding groove 6b of the lock nut 6 is connected to the lever 7.
When the lock is in the unlocked position, the claw portion 10a engages with the groove 6b and maintains this state.

In the first embodiment, the lock nut 6
Although the overall shape of the lock nut 2 was explained as being circular, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lock nut 2
0 may have a hexagonal shape like a normal nut, and the claw portion 22 of the operating lever 21 may engage with one side of the hexagonal nut to prevent the bolt 23 from rotating. Further, in the above embodiment, the lever 7 is provided on the head of the bolt 3, but it may also be provided on the nut 4. In this case, the lock nut 6 needs to be provided on the nut 4 side.

(Effects of the invention) According to the tilt steering device of the present invention having the structure described above, loosening of bolts and nuts can be reliably prevented with the extremely simple structure described above.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the entire steering mechanism, FIG. 2 is a front view of a tilt steering device for an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a front view of a tilt steering device for an automobile according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. -B is a cross-sectional view along line B. 1... Vehicle body bracket, 2... Long groove, 3... Bolt, 3a... Head, 4... Nut, 5... Support bracket, 6... Lock nut, 6a... Lock groove, 7... Operating lever, 10a...claw portion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A vehicle body bracket having two flanges arranged substantially parallel to each other is fixed to the vehicle body,
These two flanges are formed with two elongated holes extending vertically and parallel to each other, and the two flanges have holes extending through the two openings and extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the bracket. A bolt is provided which extends and has both ends protruding from the two openings, one end of the bolt protruding from one of the two openings is provided with a head, and the other end protruding from the other opening. A nut is screwed into the bolt, and the bolt supports the steering column with respect to the vehicle body bracket through a support bracket disposed between the two flanges, and
An operating lever is provided for locking and unlocking the steering column with respect to the vehicle body bracket by adjusting the screwing amount of the bolt and nut, and the operating lever is attached to either the head of the bolt or the nut. a first portion that is fixed; a second portion that is pivotally supported by the first portion and is rotatable by a predetermined angle with respect to the first portion;
a third part that is pivotally supported by the third part and has a claw part at its tip part, one of the head of the bolt and the nut to which the first part is fixed, and the vehicle body bracket and the support bracket. A locking member is provided in such a manner that it cannot rotate, and a locking portion is formed on the locking member with which the pawl of the third portion engages, and the third portion is , the claw part is biased by a first biasing means in a direction to engage with the locking part of the lock member, and the second part has a part that pivotally supports the third part, It is urged in a direction approaching the locking member by a second urging means, and when the steering column is locked, the claw portion of the third portion engages with the locking portion of the locking member. . A tilt steering device for an automobile, characterized in that rotation of the first portion is locked.