JPH0435260Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial field of application] This invention prevents the rotation of the universal joint even if the tension spring falls off due to some excessive force acting on it.
That is, the present invention relates to a structure of a fulcrum shaft in a tilt steering wheel device for a vehicle, which can reliably avoid unexpected situations related to steering wheel rotation, and at the same time can reinforce a U-shaped upper rotation bracket.

[Conventional technology and its problems, etc.]

Conventionally, various tilt steering wheel devices for vehicles have been developed to adjust the angle of the steering wheel according to the body of the driver of a vehicle (automobile, etc.) to enable safer driving.

Among these, the U that supports the steering shaft
The upper rotating bracket and the lower fixing bracket are made rotatable about a fulcrum shaft and fixed at an appropriate angle, and the universal joint connecting the upper side and the lower side of the steering shaft is formed into a U-shape. There are also vehicle tilt handle devices that are housed within an upper pivot bracket.

Then, the tension spring installed between the U-shaped upper rotating bracket and the lower fixed bracket, which tries to lift the handle side, may be damaged by some excessive force acting on it while driving the vehicle. If it falls off and falls onto a universal joint, it will get caught in the universal joint stored in this location, and in extreme cases, the universal joint will no longer be able to rotate, that is, the handle will not be able to rotate, resulting in an unexpected serious accident. Because it will also occur,
In particular, improvements and proposals have been made to prevent the tension springs (especially tension coil springs) from falling off.

However, all of the improvements to prevent the tension spring from falling off use a separate member to achieve this one purpose, and there is a problem in that the vehicle tilt handle device member is relatively expensive.

[Means for solving the problems] Therefore, as a result of intensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor has developed the present invention with a U-shaped upper rotation bracket that supports the upper steering column. , the lower fixing bracket supporting the lower steering column can be rotated around the fulcrum axis and can be fixed at an appropriate angle, and the universal joint connecting the lower end of the upper steering shaft and the upper end of the lower steering shaft is formed into a U-shape. In a tilt steering wheel device for a vehicle housed in a U-shaped upper rotating bracket, a reinforcing connecting rod is fixed between the upper ends of both sides of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket, and the leading end of the reinforcing connecting rod is connected to the end of the lower steering column. The structure of the fulcrum point in the vehicle tilt handle device is made to protrude so as to approach the height of the lever, and a tension spring is stretched between the tip of the reinforcing connecting rod and the lower fixing bracket. Even if the spring were to fall off, it is possible to reliably avoid unexpected situations related to the rotation of the universal joint, that is, the rotation of the handle, and at the same time, the U-shaped upper rotation bracket can be reinforced, which solves the above problems. This is what I did.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

1 is an upper steering column that holds the upper steering shaft _A1 , 2 is a U-shaped upper rotation bracket that supports the upper steering column 1, and 3 is a lower steering column that holds the lower steering shaft _A2 . ,
4 is a lower fixing bracket that supports the lower steering column 3. This lower fixing bracket 4 has its attachment parts 4a, 4a fixed to the frame of the front chassis section of the vehicle, and the upper end of the lower fixing bracket 4 is connected to the lower end of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 by a fulcrum shaft 5. A U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 is rotatably mounted on a vertical plane about a fulcrum shaft 5 with respect to a lower fixed bracket 4, and the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 can be rotated as appropriate. It is configured so that it can be fixed at an inclination angle of . Regarding the rotation angle, as shown in Figure 1, the lower steering shaft
The maximum angle θ ₁ is above the axial direction of A ₂ ,
The maximum angle θ ₂ is configured to be rotatable on the lower side. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the U-shaped upper rotation bracket is inserted into the enlarged hole H drilled in the lower fixing bracket 4 so that the rotation stops at this maximum rotation angle. A stopper S is provided at the tip of 2. Further, the structure for rotating and fixing the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 will be described later. A universal joint 6 connecting the lower end of the upper steering shaft A ₁ and the upper end of the lower steering shaft A ₂ is housed in the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 to constitute a vehicle tilt handle device.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a reinforcing connecting rod, which is made of a metal plate and is formed into a substantially U-shape when viewed from above. Both U-shaped pieces of the reinforcing connecting rod 7 are formed as mounting seats 7a, 7a, and the piece connecting the mounting seats 7a, 7a is formed as a spring seat 7b.

The reinforcing connecting rod 7 has a substantially U-shape, but is not limited to this shape as long as it is possible to assemble the universal joint 6 by tightening, etc., and may have a substantially V-shape in plan view. Furthermore, the universal joint 6
Provided that holes are formed for assembly such as tightening, it may simply be a rectangular plate piece, and is not limited to the embodiment.

The tip of the spring seat 7b of the reinforcing connecting rod 7 is positioned close to the upper end of the lower steering column 3, and both mounting seats 7a, 7a are attached to both pieces 2a of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2. ,2
It is fixed to the upper end of a by welding or the like.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a tension spring, one end of which is locked to the spring seat 7b of the reinforcing connecting rod 7, and the other end is locked to an appropriate location of the lower fixing bracket 4 and stretched. As a result, a tensile force is constantly acting to lift the handle W side. The tension spring 8 has a coil shape in the embodiment.

The vehicle tilt handle device in this embodiment is designed so that when the three gears mesh with each other, the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 can be fixed at an appropriate inclination angle with respect to the lower fixing bracket 4. It is configured. Regarding this vehicle tilt handle device, the first gear _G1 and the second gear
Consisting of G ₂ and third gear G ₃ , the first gear G ₁ is
It is fixed to the side of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 about the fulcrum shaft 5. 2nd gear
G ₂ and the third gear G ₃ are attached to the free end side (see FIG. 2) of a link 9 whose base end (the left end in FIG. (right side) at the intermediate position and tip position, respectively, and the second gear G ₂ and the third gear
It is always in mesh with G ₃ and is rotatable in opposite directions. The second gear G ₂ and the third gear G ₃ provided on the link 9 are
is rotated and pressed toward the first gear G ₁ in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2, the first gear G ₁
or link 9 to the second
When rotated clockwise in the figure, it is configured to separate from the first gear _G1 . especially,
Second gear G ₂ and third gear G ₃ provided on link 9
At least the third gear G ₃ is configured such that even the tips of the teeth are separated from the first gear G ₁ . One end (upper end) of an operating lever 11 is pivoted at an appropriate location on the lower fixing bracket 4. This operation lever 11 is formed with a long hole cam portion 11a, and the third
On the condition that the shaft of the gear G ₃ is loosely fitted, and the shaft of the third gear G ₃ is loosely fitted in the enlarged mounting hole of the link 9, the third gear G ₃ shown in FIG.
so that the shaft of is always pressed toward the first gear _G1 side,
A tension coil spring 12 is stretched between the end of the operating lever 11 and the lower surface of the lower fixing bracket 4. 11b is a knob of the operating lever 11.

[Effect of idea]

In the present invention, a U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 supporting an upper steering column 1 is used.
and a lower fixing bracket 4 that supports the lower steering column 3 are rotatable about the fulcrum shaft 5 and can be fixed at an appropriate angle, and the lower end of the upper steering shaft A ₁ and the upper end of the lower steering shaft A ₂ In the vehicle tilt handle device in which a universal joint 6 connected to the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 is housed in the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2, both pieces 2a, 2 of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2
a A reinforcing connecting rod 7 is fixed between the upper ends, the leading end side of the reinforcing connecting rod 7 is made to protrude so as to approach the end of the lower steering column 3, and a reinforcing connecting rod 7 is fixed between the leading end of the reinforcing connecting rod 7 and the lower fixing bracket 4. By adopting the structure of the fulcrum shaft in the vehicle tilt handle device in which the tension spring 8 is tensioned, the first
Even if the tension spring 8 should fall off, it can be handled safely, secondly, the structure can be simplified, and thirdly, the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2 can be reinforced.

To explain these effects in detail, when the tension spring 8 falls off at the six universal joints due to some excessive force being applied while driving the vehicle,
If this gets caught in the six universal joints, etc., and in severe cases, the rotation of the universal joint 6, that is, the handle w
However, in the present invention, the tip of the reinforcing connecting rod 7 that protrudes so as to approach the end of the lower steering column 3 and the lower fixing bracket. 4
Since the tension spring 8 is tensioned between the universal joint 6 and the tension spring 8, even if the tension spring 8 were to fall off, it would fall on the lower steering column 3 and not on the 6 universal joints or the steering shaft. Therefore, it is possible to provide an extremely safe fulcrum shaft structure in a vehicle tilt steering wheel device that does not pose any hindrance to the rotation of the vehicle.

Moreover, such a safe structure is only provided with the reinforcing connecting rod 7, and has the advantage that the purpose can be achieved with an extremely simple structure.

Furthermore, in the present invention, by fixing the reinforcing connecting rod 7 between the upper ends of both pieces 2a, 2a of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket 2, the cantilevered U-shaped upper rotating bracket becomes weaker in strength. The two pieces 2a, 2a are fixed together, increasing the section modulus and making it stronger.

As described above, in the present invention, the reinforcing connecting rod 7
In this way, all unexpected situations related to rotation of the universal joint 6 or the steering shaft can be avoided, safety can be ensured, and at the same time, the structure can be made simple and inexpensive.
Furthermore, it is a useful device that can satisfy the reinforcing effect at once.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle tilt handle device equipped with the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of main parts of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the main part of Fig. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the main part of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main part of the present invention. A ₁ ... Atsupa steering shaft, A ₂ ...
... lower steering shaft, 1 ... upper steering column, 2 ... U-shaped upper rotation bracket, 3 ... lower steering column,
2a... piece, 4... lower fixing bracket, 5...
...Fulcrum shaft, 6...Universal joint, 7...Reinforcement connecting rod,
8...Tension spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A U-shaped upper rotating bracket that supports the upper steering column and a lower fixed bracket that supports the lower steering column are rotatable about a fulcrum shaft and fixed at an appropriate angle, and the upper steering shaft is A tilt steering wheel device for a vehicle in which a universal joint connecting a lower end and an upper end of a lower steering shaft is housed in a U-shaped upper rotating bracket,
A reinforcing connecting rod is fixed between the upper ends of both sides of the U-shaped upper rotating bracket, the leading end of the reinforcing connecting rod is projected so as to approach the end of the lower steering column, and is fixed to the lower end of the reinforcing connecting rod. A structure of a fulcrum shaft in a tilt handle device for a vehicle, characterized in that a tension spring is stretched between the bracket and the bracket.