JPH0224366Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a position adjustment device for a tilt/telescopic steering wheel of a vehicle.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as a steering wheel position adjustment device for tilting and telescoping a vehicle, for example,
There are those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

That is, in FIG. 4, a steering shaft 2 with a steering handle (hereinafter referred to as "handle") 1 attached to its upper end passes through a steering column (hereinafter referred to as "column") 3 and is fixed to an upper universal joint 4. ing.
A spline shaft 6 extending from the upper universal joint 4 is fitted into a spline nut fixed to the lower universal joint 5 to form a spline connection. Note that 7 is a steering gear connected to the lower universal joint 5.

The column 3 also has a shaft 2 at its upper end.
is supported by a bearing 8, and a distance bracket 9 fixed to the upper part of the column 3 is attached to the vehicle body part 1.
A shaft 10j inserted through an upper bracket 12 fixed to the upper bracket 1 is fixed by tightening a tilt/telescope and by tightening a release operating lever (hereinafter referred to as "operating lever") 10. Note that the axis 10j is
It is inserted into both a tilting elongated hole 12c drilled in the upper bracket 12 in a direction perpendicular to the column axis direction and a telescoping elongated hole 9t bored in the distance bracket 9 in the column axis direction. On the other hand, telescopic guide plates 13 forming telescopic grooves 13t are fixed to both sides of the lower part of the column 3, and the column 3 is held by a tilt pin 15 which also serves as a bolt screwed into a lower bracket 14 fixed to the vehicle body part 11. has been done. As shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the tilt pin 15 is connected to the hole 1 of the spacer 16 which is fitted into the telescopic groove 13t.
6a, and column 3 is fitted with tilt pin 15.
The telescopic groove 13t can be slid in contact with the spacer 16.

Furthermore, the lower end of the column 3 has a bellows 18 on the top that covers the lower universal joint 5, and is connected to the upper end of a lower cover 17 whose lower end is fixed to the vehicle body part 11.

Since it has the above-mentioned configuration, for example, when tilting the handle 1 downward from the state shown in FIG. 15, the upper part of the column 3 descends as the shaft 10j is guided by the elongated tilt hole 12c, while the lower end of the column 3 conversely moves upward. For this reason, the upper universal joint 4 rises and the distance between the lower universal joint 5 and the upper universal joint 4 changes, but since the two universal joints 4 and 5 are connected by spline fitting, both There is no problem as long as the distance between joints 4 and 5 is extended. Then, the column 3 is fixed by tightening the operating lever 10 with the handle 1 at the desired position C, and the setting of the tilt position is completed.

In addition, when performing telescopic operation, when the operating lever 10 is similarly loosened and, for example, the handle 1 is pulled toward the front side, the distance bracket 9 is connected to the shaft 10j of the operating lever 10 at the upper part of the column 3 through the elongated telescopic hole 9t. sliding in the axial direction,
At the same time, in the lower part, the column 3 slides in the axial direction through the telescopic groove 13t via the spacer 16 with respect to the tilt pin 15 fixed to the lower bracket 14, and furthermore, in the upper universal joint 4, the spline shaft 6 slides against the spline nut. It moves upward by sliding.

Therefore, at the desired position T, the operating lever 10
Tighten to fix column 3 and complete the setting of the telescopic position.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the case of such a conventional tilt/telescopic steering wheel position adjustment device, when considering the function of the tilt/telescopic support part, the lower bracket functions as the rotation center of the tilt during tilting, and , and during telescopic operation, each functions as a guide in the axial direction of the column. Conventionally, tilt-only support was a rotary support, so it was possible to easily reduce backlash due to the tilt operation method, but compared to this, telescopic support is a sliding support, so
In addition, even in the telescopic operation method, the resistance of the telescopic support part directly appears as the operating force, so it is necessary to reduce the operating force, so it is necessary to use a time-consuming fitting with a gap that relies on machining accuracy. . For this reason, there was a problem in that minute play caused by the gap could be felt on the handle.

The purpose of this invention is to obtain at a low cost a position adjustment device for a steering handle that allows tilting and telescoping with a small tilting and telescoping operation force and no looseness.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and includes a steering shaft with a steering handle fixed to its upper end, a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, and
an upper bracket attached to the vehicle body portion for fixing the steering column at the adjusted tilt/telescopic position; and a spherical bearing fitting attached to the vehicle body portion and having a spherical groove on the inner surface to support the tilt fulcrum of the steering column. a lower bracket to support, a convex spherical part that swingably fits into the spherical groove of the spherical bearing, and a through hole that fits into the lower end of the steering column with a tightness so as to be slidable in the axial direction. an annular spherical bearing having a slit at one point in the circumferential direction and forming a circumferential groove on the outer surface of the convex spherical surface portion; the circumferential groove of the spherical bearing and the spherical bearing fitting; The above-mentioned problem is solved by having an annular elastic ring mounted in a pressed state in a spherical groove.

[Effect]

In this invention, a spherical bearing is used as the lower support part of the tilt-telescopic column, and this spherical bearing is provided with a slit that cuts out a part of the circumference, and is fitted onto the column with a tightness. There is. Spherical bearings press the column with a light elastic force, so sliding is smooth during large telescopic operations.
There is no play in this part. Spherical bearings and spherical bearing fittings are pressed by an elastic ring such as an O-ring fitted into a circumferential groove provided on the outer surface of the spherical bearing, and the pressing force of this elastic ring causes the spherical bearing and spherical bearing to There is no play between the ingredients and the ingredients. Spherical bearings and spherical bearing fittings do not move relative to each other during telescopic operation, and swing only when tilting, but the movement is small, and the movement is based on moment force, so even when sliding engagement of elastic rings with high frictional resistance occurs. The operation is not bad. Therefore, since the spherical bearing and the spherical bearing fitting do not have to be precisely fitted, it is possible to have a large tolerance in machining.

〔Example〕

An example of this invention is shown below in Figures 1 to 3.
This will be explained based on the diagram. Note that the same members as in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

First, I will explain the configuration.

A handle 1 is fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft 2. Column 23, at the upper end, is
The shaft 2 is rotatably supported using a column bushing 28, which was published as a utility model application No. 54292. In the upper part, as in the conventional example, the column 23 is adjusted by tightening the shaft 10j, which is inserted through the distance bracket 9 fixed to the column 23 and the upper bracket 12 fixed to the vehicle body part 11, using the operating lever 10. It is fixed in the fixed position. On the other hand, in the lower part of the column 23, an annular spherical bearing 41 having a through hole 41a which has no gap but is slidable in the axial direction is fitted onto the column 23. A spherical bearing 42 having a spherical groove on the inner surface is integrally fixed to the lower bracket 34 attached to the vehicle body part 11. Note that a circumferential groove 41m that goes around the convex spherical surface part of the outer surface of the spherical bearing 41 is carved with a single circumferential groove 41m.
1m is fitted with an annular elastic ring 43 such as an O-ring. Further, at one location in the circumferential direction of the spherical bearing 41, a wide slit 41s extending from the outer surface to the inner surface in the axial direction is provided.
It has also become commonly available for use.
This spherical bearing 41 is fitted into a spherical bearing fitting 42 and supports the column 23 in a swingable manner at its tilt fulcrum.

In addition, the outer diameter of the spherical bearing 41 in a free state without the elastic ring 43 fitted or externally fitted on the column 23 is equal to the inner diameter of the bearing fitting surface of the spherical bearing fitting 42. , or slightly larger than this. In addition, the inner diameter dimension is approximately equal to the outer diameter dimension of the column 23, but the maximum wall thickness of the spherical bearing 41 is the inner diameter dimension of the bearing fitting surface of the spherical bearing fitting 42 minus the outer diameter dimension of the column 23. It is sufficient if the value is set to be less than half of that value.

The elastic ring 43 is connected to the circumferential groove 41 of the spherical bearing 41.
m, and has a portion that protrudes from the convex spherical surface of the spherical bearing 41, and has a wire diameter and a diameter that fills the bearing gap S between the convex spherical surface of the spherical bearing 41 and the spherical groove of the spherical bearing fitting 42. It has inner and outer diameter dimensions. When such a spherical bearing 41 is installed between the column 23 and the spherical bearing fitting 42, the elastic ring 4
3 is press-fitted into the spherical bearing 42 under pressure, a minute gap is created between the fitting surface and the outer surface of the spherical bearing 41, and the elastic ring 43 is pressed against the lower bracket 34. The spherical bearing 41 is elastically supported.

Also, by tightening the elastic ring 43, the bearing gap between the inner diameter of the spherical bearing 41 and the outer diameter of the column 23 is increased.
Since the spherical bearing 41 is provided with the slit 41s, the diameter of S' can be changed, so that the inner surface of the through hole 41a of the spherical bearing is
3 and becomes zero, and the spherical bearing 41 is connected to the column 23.
This results in a fit with an interference margin.

Note that the lower end of the spherical bearing 42 is integrally connected with the tip of a lower cover 36 fixed to the vehicle body portion 11.

Next, the effect will be described.

When tilting, for example, when adjusting the handle 1 from the setting state to the downward position, press the operating lever 1.
Loosen the tightening of 0 and push down the handle 1.
Then, the upper part of the column 23 rotates downward about the center point of the spherical bearing 41. At this time, the elastic ring 4 fitted into the spherical bearing 41
3 slides without play while being in pressure contact with the inner surface of the spherical bearing 42, and the spherical bearing 41 rotates.

At the same time, the upper universal joint 4 rotates upward, but the spline shaft 6 follows and rotates upward, extending the spline fitting. Conversely, when the handle 1 is adjusted to the upper position, the operation direction is the opposite direction, but it is the same as above.

When the handle 1 is at the desired position, the operating lever 10 is tightened to fix the column 23 in that tilt position.

Next, when telescoping, for example when adjusting the handle 1 from the setting state to the near side position, loosen the operating lever 10 once again.
, the telescopic elongated hole 9t of the distance bracket 9 is guided to the shaft 10j of the operating lever 10 in the upper bracket 12, and the spherical bearing 4 is guided in the lower bracket 14.
The column 23 is guided by the through hole 41a of the handle 1 and moves together with the handle 1 without play. When the handle 1 reaches the required position, the operating lever 10 is tightened to fix the telescopic position.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, this invention consists of a steering shaft with a steering handle fixed to its upper end, a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, and a tilt/shaft that is attached to the vehicle body and that adjusts the steering column. an upper bracket that is fixed in a telescopic position; a lower bracket that is attached to the vehicle body and has a spherical groove on its inner surface to support the tilt fulcrum of the steering column; and a lower bracket that supports the tilt fulcrum of the steering column; It has a convex spherical surface that is fitted in a swingable manner, and a through hole that is fitted into the lower end of the steering column with a tightness so as to be able to slide in the axial direction, and is cut at one location in the circumferential direction by a slit. an annular spherical bearing that is split to form a circumferential groove on the outer surface of the convex spherical part; an annular elastic ring that is pressed into the circumferential groove of the spherical bearing and the spherical groove of the spherical bearing bracket; Because of the structure, it is possible to tilt and tilt without any rattling without requiring much machining precision.
A steering handle device capable of telescoping can be provided at a low cost, and the tilting and telescoping operation forces can be kept small.

In addition, the lower cover fixed to the vehicle body and the spherical bearing are integrated, and the assembly is easy, has good sealing performance, and can be done reliably, resulting in a simpler and more compact structure. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve the effect of reducing costs.

Note that the elastic ring is not limited to an O-ring, and may have a cross-sectional shape other than a circle, or may be a coil ring.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the entire structure of the steering handle position adjustment device according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the main parts related to the spherical bearing, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a conventional tilt/telescopic steering wheel position adjustment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Steering handle, 2... Steering shaft, 11... Vehicle body part, 12... Upper bracket, 23... Steering column, 34
...Lower bracket, 41...Spherical bearing, 41a
...Through hole, 41m...Circumferential groove, 41s...Slit, 42...Spherical bearing fitting, 43...Elastic ring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A steering shaft having a steering handle fixed to an upper end thereof, a steering column rotatably supporting the steering shaft, an upper bracket attached to a vehicle body portion and fixing the steering column at an adjusted tilt/telescopic position, and a vehicle body portion. a lower bracket having a spherical bearing fitting attached to the spherical bearing fitting and having a spherical groove on the inner surface to support the tilt fulcrum of the steering column; and a convex spherical part that is swingably fitted into the spherical groove of the spherical bearing fitting. and a through hole which is fitted onto the lower end of the steering column with a tightness so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and one place in the circumferential direction is cut by a slit to form a circle on the outer surface of the convex spherical surface. A steering handle position adjustment device comprising: an annular spherical bearing having a circumferential groove formed therein; and an annular elastic ring attached in a pressed state to the circumferential groove of the spherical bearing and the spherical groove of the spherical bearing fitting.