JPH05124517A - Steering telescopic lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a steering telescopic lock mechanism which is compactly constituted and can perform correct lock by an optimum lock load. CONSTITUTION:A steering telescopic lock mechanism is equipped with a lock belt 21 which is arranged so as to enfold a sliding tube 16 installed in slidable manner in the axial direction on a bracket 12 fixed at a part of a car body and is connected through a position adjusting means 22 on the bracket 12 at the basic edge. Further, the lock mechanism is equipped with a lock lever 23 which is assembled in turnable manner on the bracket 12 and connected with the free edge of the lock belt 21 at the swing edge and loosens the lock belt 21 at an unlock position and applies a prescribed tension on the lock belt 21 at the lock position exceeding the dead point crossing at right angle in the sliding direction of the sliding tube 16, and an operating lever 24 which is connected with the lock lever 23 and turns the lock lever 23 within a range from the unlock position to the lock position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lock mechanism of a telescopic device which allows a steering wheel to be axially positionally adjusted in a vehicle, that is, a steering telescopic lock mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a steering telescopic lock mechanism, a pole and rack type proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-34771 and a screw and wedge type mechanism described in the same publication as a conventional example. The pole and rack type has a rack fixed to a sliding tube that is axially slidably attached to a bracket that is fixed to a part of the vehicle body, and is rotatably attached to the bracket. The operation lever, a pole that is integrally attached to the operation lever and can mesh with the rack, and a spring that is retained by the operation lever to hold the rack and the pole in engagement with each other. The and wedge type is operated by an operating lever, a screw that moves forward and backward when it is rotated, and is pushed by the screw. A wedge lock that is constituted by a second wedge lock or the like provided between the wedge lock and sliding tube.

[0003]

The pole-and-rack type locking mechanism described above requires a rack having a length corresponding to the sliding amount of the sliding tube, and a space for allowing the movement of the long rack. It is difficult to make it compact. Also, because the engagement between the rack and the pole is held by the spring that is locked to the operation lever, if the acting force of the spring is weak, the engagement between the rack and the pole will be great when a large axial force acts on the sliding tube. There is a problem that the sliding tube comes off and the sliding tube moves in the axial direction, and if the acting force of the spring is increased to cope with this, a large operating force is required when the operating lever is released and the operability is poor. On the other hand, in the screw-and-wedge type lock mechanism described above, the lock load is determined by the moving amount of the screw that is determined by the rotation operation amount of the operation lever, and the operation load rises rapidly near the lock. If the sliding tube is not rotated, a sufficient lock load cannot be obtained and the sliding tube may move in the axial direction when a large axial force is applied to the sliding tube. If operated, an unreasonable load may act on each part, resulting in deformation or damage. The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a steering telescopic lock mechanism that is compact and can be accurately locked with an optimum lock load.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the steering telescopic lock mechanism is axially slidably mounted on a bracket fixed to a part of the vehicle body. And a lock belt arranged so as to embrace the sliding tube and connected to the bracket through a position adjusting means at the base end, and the lock belt rotatably assembled to the bracket at the swing end. A lock lever connected to the free end of the lock lever to loosen the lock belt at the unlock position and to apply a predetermined tension to the lock belt at the lock position beyond the dead center orthogonal to the sliding direction of the sliding tube; An operating lever that is connected to the lock lever and rotates the lock lever in the range from the unlock position to the lock position is provided. It has a configuration that.

[0005]

In the steering telescopic lock mechanism according to the present invention, when the lock lever is rotated by the operation lever to the lock position beyond the dead point, the lock belt is given a predetermined tension which is maximum at the dead point. It is possible to generate a frictional engagement force that regulates the sliding movement of the sliding tube in the axial direction between the sliding tube and the lock belt and between the sliding tube and the bracket. A self-locking function, such as holding the in the locked position, is obtained. Further, when the lock lever is rotated to the unlock position by the operation lever, the tension of the lock belt can be reduced (including zero), and the above friction engagement force can be reduced. It is possible to allow sliding in the axial direction. By the way, since the position of the base end of the lock belt with respect to the bracket can be adjusted by the position adjusting means, the tension of the lock belt obtained at the lock position of the lock lever can be adjusted to a desired value.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a steering telescopic lock mechanism according to the present invention, which is mounted on a bracket 12 fixed to a part 11 of a vehicle body through a pair of bushes 13 and 14 and a guide pin 15 in the axial direction. Sliding tube 1 slidably mounted
6 is for fixing (locking) 6 to the bracket 12, and is composed of a lock belt 21, an eccentric shaft 22, a lock lever 23, an operation lever 24, and the like. The guide pin 15 is assembled to the bracket 12 and has a sliding tube 16 at the upper end.
It is fitted in the axially long hole 16a of a predetermined length provided in the above, and allows the sliding tube 16 to move by a predetermined length in the axial direction. Further, the sliding tube 16 rotatably supports a steering main shaft 17 which is capable of expanding and contracting in the axial direction by a predetermined amount, and a steering wheel (not shown) is attached to the upper end of the steering main shaft 17. Has become.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the lock belt 21 comprises a steel belt main body 21a having two base ends and a pair of belt main body 21a fixed to the base end. It comprises support fittings (hooks) 21b, 21c and a connecting fitting 21d fixed to the free end of the belt body 21a. The belt body 21a is arranged so as to embrace the sliding tube 16 which constitutes a steering column, The bracket 1 via the eccentric shaft 22 as a position adjusting means by the support fittings 21b and 21c.
Arc-shaped long hole 2 connected to 2 and provided on the connecting fitting 21d
At 1d1, the rocking end pin portion 23a1 of the lock lever 23 is connected via a roller 25.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the eccentric shaft 22 is formed between three shaft portions 22a, 22b, 22c fitted to the bracket 12 and between these shaft portions. Each support bracket 21b, 21c of the lock belt 21
Is a pair of eccentric shaft portions 22d and 22e that are engaged with each other. The serration 22 for non-rotatably fitting the eccentric shaft to the bracket 12 is attached to the shaft portion 22a at one end.
a1 is formed, and when the eccentric shaft is non-rotatably fitted to the bracket 12, a pair of eccentric shaft portions 22 is formed.
A hexagonal hole 22a2 for attaching a tool (not shown) for rotating the d and 22e to a desired position (a position where the tension of the lock belt 21 in the locked state is constant) is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the lock lever 23 includes a swing arm 23a having the above-described swing end pin portion 23a1 and one end which supports the swing arm 23a and which is operated at the other end. The shaft portion 23b has serrations 23b1 for integrally mounting the lever 24.
3b is rotatably assembled to the bracket 12 via the pair of bushes 26 and 27, and the swing end pin portion 23a is also provided.
1 is fitted into the arc-shaped long hole 21d1 provided in the connecting fitting 21d of the lock belt 21 via the roller 25, and is in the unlock position (the swing end pin portion 23a1) shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. The roller 25 fitted to the
The lock belt 21 is loosened at the position on the right end in the figure of d1), and the lock position beyond the dead point orthogonal to the sliding direction of the sliding tube 16 (the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The roller 25 fitted to the moving end pin portion 23a1 applies a predetermined tension to the lock belt 21 at the position at the left end of the arc-shaped elongated hole 21d1 in the figure).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation lever 24 includes an arm 24a several times longer than the swing arm 23a of the lock lever 23 and a handle 24b integrally provided at the tip of the arm 24a. It has a serration fit at the base to the serration 23b1 of the lock lever 23 and is integrally connected by a connecting bolt 28, and the lock lever 23 has a small operating force in the range from the unlock position to the lock position. It can be rotated with.

In the present embodiment constructed as described above, when the operating lever 24 rotates the lock lever 23 to the lock position beyond the dead center, the lock belt 21 has a predetermined maximum value at the dead center. Of the sliding tube 16 and the lock belt 21 and between the sliding tube 16 and the bushes 13 and 14 of the bracket 12,
It is possible to generate a frictional engagement force that restricts the sliding of the lock lever 23 in the axial direction, and to obtain a self-locking function of holding the lock lever 23 in the lock position by the tension acting on the lock belt 21. Further, if the lock lever 23 is rotated to the unlock position by the operation lever 24, the tension of the lock belt 21 can be reduced,
The frictional engagement force described above can be reduced, and sliding of the sliding tube 16 in the axial direction can be permitted. By the way, since the position of the base end of the lock belt 21 with respect to the bracket 12 can be adjusted in advance by the eccentric shaft 22, the tension of the lock belt 21 obtained at the lock position of the lock lever 23 can be adjusted to a desired value. .

In the above embodiment, the connecting metal fitting 21d of the lock belt 21 is provided with the arcuate elongated hole 21d1 of the upper chord so that the lock belt 21 has the maximum tension at the dead point. Even if the long hole is a horizontally long straight hole, the maximum tension is generated at the dead point in the lock belt 21. Therefore, the shape can be changed as described above to implement the present invention. In the above embodiment, the lock position and the unlock position are defined by the end of the arc-shaped elongated hole 21d1 to define the rotation range of the lock lever 23. It is also possible to implement the present invention by defining the rotation range of the lock lever 23 by the stopper. Further, in the above embodiment, the position of the base end of the lock belt 21 with respect to the bracket 12 can be adjusted by the eccentric shaft 22, but the present invention can also be carried out so that the position can be adjusted by other position adjusting means. It is possible.

[0013]

In summary, according to the present invention, since the steering telescopic lock mechanism is composed of a small number of parts such as the position adjusting means, the lock belt, the lock lever and the operating lever, it can be implemented compactly and at low cost. Also, since the lock belt is connected to the bracket at its base end via the position adjusting means so that a predetermined tension is generated in the lock belt at the lock position, the sliding tube can be loaded with an optimum lock load. It can be locked accurately. Also, since the lock lever is fixed at the lock position beyond the dead point, the self-locking function is obtained and the safety is improved. A certain amount of tension can be given, so it changes during operation (moderation)
It is possible to improve the operation feeling.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a lock belt.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an eccentric shaft.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a lock lever.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Part of vehicle body, 12 ... Bracket, 16 ... Sliding tube, 21 ... Lock belt, 22 ... Eccentric shaft (position adjusting means), 23 ... Lock lever, 24 ... Operation lever.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sliding tube that is axially slidably mounted on a bracket fixed to a part of a vehicle body is arranged so as to embrace and is connected to the bracket at a base end through position adjusting means. And a lock belt that is rotatably assembled to the bracket and is connected to a free end of the lock belt at a swing end and loosens the lock belt at an unlocked position and in a sliding direction of the sliding tube. A lock lever that applies a predetermined tension to the lock belt at a lock position that crosses an orthogonal dead point, and an operation lever that is connected to the lock lever and that rotates the lock lever within a range from the unlock position to the lock position. A steering telescopic lock mechanism that includes and.