JPH0220141Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a tilt-type steering device that can adjust the mounting angle of the steering wheel, and in particular, the steering wheel can be moved to a pre-memorized driving position at a predetermined tilt angle by simply lowering the steering wheel from the flip-up position. The present invention relates to a tilt type steering device which has a memory mechanism for setting the steering wheel and further employs an engagement method such as a gear or ratchet method to fix the steering wheel at a predetermined driving position.

Traditionally, there has been a strong need to include a memory mechanism in tilt-type steering devices.
Various types of tilt steering devices with memory mechanisms have been proposed.

However, with these devices, while retaining the memory function, it is complicated to operate the steering wheel when flipping it up from a predetermined driving position to the flip-up position, or when lowering it from the flip-up position to a pre-memorized driving position. In addition, the memory mechanism has many constituent members, which poses problems in terms of ease of assembly and operational reliability.

Therefore, in order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a system that not only flips up the steering wheel to the flip-up position but also makes it extremely easy to reset the steering wheel to the memorized position, has a simple structure, and is easy to assemble. It is equipped with a memory mechanism that has a structure that is easy to combine with the steering wheel fixed type, which has excellent stability and operational reliability, and is excellent in terms of steering handle support and steering handle support rigidity. To provide a tilt type steering device in which selection or selection operation of a new tilt angle to a driving position is extremely easy as well as release operation.

In order to achieve this purpose, the tilt type steering device of the present invention includes an upper column that rotatably supports a steering shaft with a steering handle fixed to the upper end, and a column that is fixed to the vehicle body and that rotates the upper column relative to the column axis. a fixed bracket rotatably supported by two tilt shafts spaced apart in a perpendicular direction; a flip-up spring stretched between the fixed bracket and the upper column and biasing the upper column in the flip-up direction; A fixed gear member fixed to a lower surface of the upper column in a direction perpendicular to the tilt axis with respect to the column axis of the upper column and at an intermediate portion between both tilt axes, and a tooth portion meshing with the fixed gear member. a movable gear member having a movable gear support shaft at one end and movable gear supporting shaft that freely fits into a guide surface provided on the fixed bracket at the other end; A movable gear member holding means that engages with the slope portion, and a substantially L-shaped elongated hole that is pivotally connected to the fixed bracket and loosely fitted to the movable gear support shaft, and is biased in one rotation direction by a preload spring. When the hole plate is rotated in one direction, the hole plate is rotated against the preload spring through the interlocking means, and when the hole plate is rotated in the other direction, the movable gear member is rotated against the preload spring. The device is characterized by comprising a tilt lever that is released from the fixed gear member.

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

FIG. 1 is an overall side view showing the state in which the first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. In the figure, an upper steering shaft 2 to which a steering handle 1 is attached is rotatably supported by an upper column 3, and is freely attached to a steering gear 4. A lower steering shaft 6 connected via a joint 5 is rotatably supported by an upper column 7. The lower column 7 is attached and fixed to an instrument panel 9 on the vehicle body side by a fixing bracket 8 fixed to the upper part of the lower column 7. The upper steering shaft 2 and the lower steering shaft 6 are tiltably connected by a universal joint 10, a portion of which is shown in FIG.

The upper column 3 has a cylindrical part 11 at its lower part, and this cylindrical part 11 is connected to the fixed bracket 8 as follows.

2, which is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of the main part of FIG. 1;
In the figure, the fixed bracket 8 has a left bent part 15 and a right bent part 16 extending parallel to each other from both sides of the base 14, and the cylindrical part 11 of the upper column 3 contacts between both bent parts 15 and 16. (See FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2).
The cylindrical portion 11 is connected to the fixed bracket 8 at the contact portion by a pair of tilt shafts 17 and 18 having axes perpendicular to the left and right bent portions 15 and 16 and passing through the center of the universal joint 10. Tilt shafts 17, 1 forming a pair of tilt fulcrums
The upper column 3 is tiltable around a tilt axis determined by 8.

Hook portion 8a of fixed bracket 8 and cylindrical portion 1
A flip-up spring 19 is stretched between the pin 11a of the upper column 3 and the upper column 3 in the upward tilting direction.
In other words, it is biased in the upward direction. Cylindrical part 1
A stopper pin 21 is installed in the right-turning part 1.
The tilting range of the upper column 3 is regulated by fitting into a stroke regulating elongated hole 22 drilled in the upper column 6. A fixed gear member 23 is provided on the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 11 below the intermediate portion of the two tilt shafts 17 and 18.
are fixed, and on the other hand, elongated holes 15 that serve as guide surfaces are formed on both bent portions 15 and 16 of the fixed bracket 8.
The movable gear support shaft 24, which is fitted into the holes 15a and 16a and movably installed along the elongated holes 15a and 16a, includes a
A movable gear member 25 having teeth that engage with the teeth of the fixed gear member 23 at one protruding end thereof is rotatably supported (see FIG. 4, which is a view in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2). The elongated holes 15a and 16a are formed approximately along an arc centered on the tilt axis, and the central angle θ ₁ thereof is the same as the maximum tilt angle of the upper column 3 from the lowest position to the upward position. Fixed gear member 2
3, a large number of teeth are formed along the surface of an arc centered on the tilt axes 17 and 18.

A tilt shaft 17, 1 is provided on the outside of the fixed bracket 8.
A pair of support hangers 27 and 28 are attached to the rollers 8 and swingably about tilt shafts 17 and 18, respectively, and their lower ends are connected by a roller support shaft 26. A roller 30 is rotatably fitted to the roller support shaft 26 so as to be able to contact a slope 29 formed on the back surface of the movable gear member 25 .
The roller support shaft 26, support hangers 27, 28, and roller 30 constitute movable gear member holding means.

A tilt lever 31 is supported by a tilt shaft 17 and is swingably attached between the left bending portion 15 and the cylindrical portion 11 . The tilt lever 31 has an arm to which a knob 32 is attached, an arm 33 extending downward so as to be able to engage with the roller support shaft 26, and an upwardly protruding portion 34. A guide cam surface 36 for a guide pin 35 extending from the movable gear member 25 is formed in the lower part of the arm 33 . support hanger 27,
The other end of a roller preload spring 38, one end of which is attached to the bracket 8, is hooked to the spring hook portion 37 of 28. The other end of this roller preload spring 38 may be fixed to the roller support shaft 26.

The roller preload spring 38 biases the support hangers 27 and 28 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 so as to press the roller 30 against the sloped surface 29 on the back surface of the movable gear member 25. In addition, the arm 33 and the roller support shaft 2
6 and the guide pin 35 are in the above-mentioned relationship, the tilt lever 31 is connected to the roller preload spring 3.
When the roller 30 is turned to the left against the force of 8, the movable gear member 25 is forced from the meshing position with the fixed gear member 23 due to the engagement of the cam surface 36 and the guide pin 35 at the same time as the roller 30 separates from the slope portion 29 on the back surface. be forced to leave. On the other hand, even if the tilt lever 31 turns right from the position shown in FIG. 2, the movable gear member 25 and the roller 30 are not directly affected.

Next, on the support shaft 40 installed between the left and right bent portions 15 and 16, a hole plate 41 having a U-shaped longitudinal section is provided.
is rotatably supported. Hole plate 4
1 has a pair of substantially L-shaped elongated holes 42 and 43 (see FIG. 4), and rotation of the hole plate 41 causes the movable gear support shaft 24 to move within the elongated holes 15a and 16a. This hole plate 41 has a flexible wire 4 stretched between a wire hooking part 44 of the hole plate 41 and an upper protruding part 34 of the tilt lever 31.
5 to the tilt lever 31 to form an interlocking means, and the connecting portion 46 of the hole plate 41 and the pins 47, 48 on the fixed bracket 8 side.
It is biased in the counterclockwise rotation direction in FIG. 2 by preload springs 49, 50 (see FIG. 4) bridged between the two.

By rotating the hole plate 41 at an angle θ ₂ corresponding to the maximum tilt angle θ ₁ around the support shaft 40,
The movable gear support shaft 24 is inserted into the elongated holes 15a, 1 from a position sandwiched between the upper left end of the elongated holes 15a, 16a and the coupling hole 51 of the L-shaped elongated holes 42, 43 without play.
6a, to the lower right end.

The hole plate 41 and the long holes 15a and 16a constitute movable gear support shaft moving means.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of spacers 55 and 56 fitted onto both ends of the movable gear support shaft 24 prevent the movable gear member 25 and the hole plate 41 from shifting from side to side on the movable gear support shaft 24. Prevented.

In addition, the movable gear member 25 is as shown in FIG.
The base portion is formed wider than the gear portion.

The operation of the first embodiment having the above configuration will be explained.

As shown in Figure 2, the upper column 3 is attached to a fixed bracket 8.
When you want to adjust the position of the steering wheel 1 from a state where it is fixed at a certain tilt angle to a desired new tilt angle, put your hand on the knob 32 and move it in the direction of arrow A as shown in FIG. Rotate the tilt lever 31 from the neutral position. Then, the lower arm 33 also rotates to the left, moves the roller support shaft 26 to the right against the roller preload spring 38, and moves the roller 30 away from the slope portion 29 on the back side of the movable gear member 25, and as described above, moves the roller support shaft 26 to the right against the roller preload spring 38. The guide pin 35 engages with and is guided by the cam surface 36 of the lower arm 33, and the movable gear member 25 rotates to the right around the movable gear support shaft 24 and separates from the fixed gear member 23. At this time,
If you hold the steering wheel 1 with your hand, move the steering wheel 1 to the desired tilt position and release your hand from the tilt lever 31. The force of the preload spring 38 will move the support hanger 2.
7, 28, tilt lever 31, movable gear member 25
The movable gear member 25 is interlocked and rotated in the opposite direction to the above, and the movable gear member 25 engages the fixed gear portion 23 again at a different position, thereby firmly fixing the upper column 3 to the fixed bracket 8. That is, while the support hangers 27 and 28 and the tilt lever 31 are rotated to the right by the force of the roller preload spring 38, the roller 30 pushes the slope portion 29 on the back side of the movable gear member 25, thereby moving the movable gear member 25 and the fixed gear portion 23. and bring them into mesh.

In the above selection operation, even if the tilt lever 31 turns to the left, the wire 45 only bends, so the movement of the tilt lever 31 is not transmitted to the hole plate 41, and the hole plate 41 It remains in its normal position as shown in Figure 2.
At this time, the movable gear member 25 is in a normal state in which the movable gear support shaft 24 is supported without play by the upper left ends of the elongated holes 15a and 16a and the coupling hole portions 51 of the L-shaped elongated holes 42 and 43. In this normal state, the movable gear member 25 is movable between the engagement position where it engages with the fixed gear member 23 and the disengagement position where it disengages therefrom, as described above.

In order to support the movable gear support shaft 24 without play, the coupling hole 51 should not be a single radius groove half the diameter of the movable gear support shaft 24, as shown in FIG. It is preferable to form the bottom of the hole so as to transition from _{the 2-} radius portion to the r _1- radius portion (r ₁ <r ₂ ). A preload spring 49 biasing the hole plate 41,
50 is also helping to maintain steady support.

Next, the release operation will be explained. In this case, the second
Tilt lever 3 in the direction of arrow B from the neutral position in the figure.
Turn 1. Then, the clockwise rotation of the tilt lever 31 is controlled by the hole plate 41 by the wire 45.
, which causes it to rotate to the right against the preload springs 49 and 50. As a result, the movable gear support shaft 24 is
The upper column 3, the fixed gear member 23, and the movable gear member 25 are rotated to the left as a unit by the spring force of the spring 19 that enters the upper side of the elongated hole 42, and the elongated hole 15 is rotated to the left.
a, move to the lower right inside 16a. On the other hand, since the right side of the cam surface 36 of the arm 33 of the tilt lever 31 is open, even if the tilt lever 31 turns to the right, the movable gear member 25 and the roller 30 are not affected in any way and maintain the same state. . Therefore, the flip-up spring 19
Due to this action, the meshing parts of the fixed gear member 23 fixed to the upper column and the movable gear member 25 rotate together without changing the meshing position, and the movable gear support shaft 24 moves to the lower right as described above. go. In this way, the upper column 3 finally reaches the flip-up position where the stopper pin 21 hits one end of the stroke regulating elongated hole 22 and is tilted upwardly. At this time, how far the movable gear support shaft 24 moves to the lower right in the elongated holes 15a and 16a before the upper column 3 reaches the flip-up position depends on the magnitude of the tilt angle at the tilt position where the release operation is started. Dependent. For example, if a release operation is performed at the lowest position and the lowest position is memorized and the jump is made, the flip-up angle will be θ ₁ and the hole plate 41 will rotate to the right by θ ₂ and move the movable gear support shaft 24. is the elongated hole 15 as shown in Figure 7.
The flip-up operation is completed when it reaches the lower right end of a, 16a.

From the flip-up position brought about by the release operation, the upper column 3 returns to its original tilted position by simply placing a hand on the steering handle 1 and pushing it downward. That is, when the upper column 3 is lowered against the spring 19, the movable gear support shaft 24
rotates the hole plate 41 to the left while opening the elongated hole 15.
a, 16a to the upper left, the hole plate 41 is further rotated to the left by the preload springs 49, 50, and the coupling hole 51 of the L-shaped elongated hole 42 engages with the movable gear support shaft 24. Movable gear support shaft 2
4 is fixed and returns to the state shown in FIG. As the hole plate 41 rotates to the left, the tilt lever 31 receives force from the wire 45 and returns to its original neutral position.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the invention. In the second embodiment, the tilt lever 71
is pivotally supported on the fixed bracket 8 side by a pin 72 at a position different from the tilt axis defined by the tilt axes 17 and 18. Further, the tilt lever 71 and the hole plate 73 are not connected by the wire 45 as in the first embodiment. Instead, interlocking means is formed by the hole plate hooking part 74 and the release operation part 75. When rotating the tilt lever 71 from the neutral position in FIG. 8 in the release direction indicated by arrow B', the release operation section 75 engages with the hole plate hook section 74 to interlock and rotate the hole plate 73 to the right. When the tilt lever 71 is rotated in the selection direction A', it does not engage the hole plate hook 74 and does not act on the hole plate 73.
The other configurations are substantially the same as the first embodiment, and the operation is also the same. Corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

In the above embodiment, since the gear meshing portion is located below the middle of the left and right tilt shafts 17 and 18,
Both tilt pins 17 and 18 receive force evenly, increasing the handle support rigidity. In other words, the steering wheel does not vibrate at idle or when driving at high speeds, and it feels rigid.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, if not only the upper part of the upper column 3 but also the lower cylindrical part 11 is made into a cylindrical shape, the conventional structure in which brackets with left and right side plates are fixed to the upper column It has higher rigidity and can be made smaller and lighter than the previous model. Furthermore, the dimensions can be shortened in the longitudinal direction and the tilt range can be widened.

In the above embodiment, the movable gear member is separated from the meshing position by the engagement method between the guide pin of the movable gear member and the cam surface of the arm of the tilt lever, but the movable gear member is simply moved in the direction of the non-meshing part position. The same purpose can be achieved by biasing with a weak spring or by reversing the members that provide the guide pin and the cam surface.

Further, in the above embodiment, the roller that presses the movable gear member is made long to reinforce the support shaft, but this may be simply a roller whose movement is restricted by a retaining ring or the like.

The upper column also has an integral structure in the above embodiment, but it is also possible to make the side where the tilt shaft is mounted made of aluminum die-cast and the upper side made of iron column and fix both by press-fitting or the like. Although a certain upper column portion is cylindrical, it may be semi-cylindrical, elliptical, square, etc. In short, any shape may be used as long as the fixed gear member is provided in the middle portion in the tilt axis direction.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, it is also possible to connect the tilt lever 83 and the hole plate 84 using a link plate 82 provided with an elongated hole 81 instead of the wire 45 in the first embodiment. The escape hole of bracket 8 does not necessarily have to be a long hole,
As shown in FIG. 9, for example, the guide surface 85 may be open at the bottom.

As described above, according to the present invention, the fixed gear member is fixed to the lower surface of the upper column in the direction perpendicular to the tilt axis with respect to the column axis of the upper column, and is fixed to the middle part of both tilt axes; A movable gear member having a meshing tooth portion at one end and a movable gear support shaft that freely fits into a guide surface provided on a fixed bracket at the other end, and a back surface of the tooth portion of the movable gear member. By having a movable gear member holding means that engages with the sloped portion formed in the movable gear member, highly rigid handle support can be realized. Further, a hole plate pivotally attached to the fixed bracket and having a substantially L-shaped elongated hole that loosely fits into the movable gear support shaft and is biased in one rotation direction by a preload spring;
and a tilt lever that rotates the hole plate against the preload spring via an interlocking means only when rotating in one direction, and disengages the movable gear member from the fixed gear member when rotating in the other direction. Therefore, it is possible to realize a tilt-type steering device with a memory mechanism that has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and is excellent in terms of ease of assembly, operational reliability, and steering handle rigidity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall view of the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the main part thereof, and Fig. 3 is a -
4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the movable gear member, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the coupling groove of the relief hole, and FIG. 7 is the operation of the first embodiment. The explanatory diagram, FIG. 8, is a partially sectional side view of the main part of the second embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modification. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 1... Steering handle, 2... Upper steering shaft, 3... Upper column, 8... Fixed bracket, 15a, 16a
...Elongated hole, 23...Fixed gear member, 25...Movable gear member, 26...Roller support shaft, 27, 28...
...Support hanger, 30...Roller.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An upper column rotatably supports a steering shaft with a steering handle fixed to the upper end, and two tilt shafts fixed to the vehicle body and rotatably support the upper column spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the column axis. a fixed bracket; a flip-up spring that is stretched between the fixed bracket and the upper column and biases the upper column in a flip-up direction; and a flip-up spring that is perpendicular to the column axis of the upper column from the tilt axis. a fixed gear member fixed to the lower surface of the upper column and to the middle part of both tilt shafts; one end having a toothed part that meshes with the fixed gear member; and the other end provided with a toothed part on the fixed bracket. a movable gear member having a movable gear support shaft that freely fits into the guide surface of the movable gear member; a movable gear member holding means that engages with a slope portion formed on the back surface of the teeth of the movable gear member; A hole plate is pivotally mounted and has a substantially L-shaped elongated hole that loosely fits into the movable gear support shaft, and is biased in one direction of rotation by a preload spring. A tilt type steering device comprising: a tilt lever that rotates a plate against the preload spring via an interlocking means and disengages the movable gear member from the fixed gear member when the plate is rotated in the other direction.