JPH09207787A - Steering module of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of part items and to improve an assembly property by modularizing related equipment a column periphery. SOLUTION: A steering module A is constituted by storing a control substrate 5, a steering angle sensor 6, a switch unit 3 and a circuit connecting body 8 in a case cover. When it is installed on the back side of a steering wheel 4 and the steering wheel 4 is installed on a steering column B, the control substrate 5 and a vehicle wire harness are connected to each other by the circuit connecting body 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering module for a vehicle, and more particularly to a steering module for a vehicle in which switches around a steering column of the vehicle and related accessories are collectively arranged in a steering section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows a steering switch module disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-95949, in which a switch portion 40 is provided at the center of a steering wheel 4.
Is provided. The switch section 40 includes a resin pad 41, a membrane switch sheet 42 attached to the lower surface of the pad 41, and a wiring board 43 provided under the membrane switch sheet 42. A car radio operation unit 44 and a telephone operation unit 45 are provided on the upper surface of the pad 41, and a wiring board 43 is provided with contacts and switch circuits operated by the operation units 44 and 45.

In this way, a thin steering switch module is constructed by stacking and integrating the membrane switch sheet 42 and the pad 41 on the wiring board 43.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional steering module for a vehicle, the circuit connection body with the vehicle wire harness is not included in the module structure, and therefore, when the steering wheel 4 is attached, the connector with the circuit connection body is attached. Connection is required, assembly work becomes complicated, and since the mounted switches are only radio and telephone systems, and no combination switch is provided, it is not possible to improve the assemblability of the column area and simplify the component configuration. There is a problem that you cannot expect.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle steering module in which related devices around a column are modularized to reduce the number of parts and improve the assembling property. To aim.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a steering module provided on the back side of a steering wheel of a vehicle, wherein the steering module is a multiplex processing of various signals. Circuit, a light, a wiper system control circuit, and a control board on which a steering angle sensor is mounted, a lever-type switch unit connected to the control board, having the function of a combination switch, the control board, and a vehicle wire A circuit connecting body for connecting with a harness is housed in a case cover.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control board, the steering angle sensor, the switch unit, and the circuit connection body are housed in the case cover to form a modular structure, which is attached to the back side of the steering wheel, and the steering wheel is steered. When mounted on the column, the control board and the vehicle wire harness are connected by the circuit connecting body. The light and wiper type control unit is integrated in the steering section, and in particular, the combination switch function is integrated as a module, which simplifies the periphery of the steering column and reduces the number of parts, and the switch unit in the steering wheel section. The switch operability during traveling is improved because of the integrated operation.

The invention according to claim 2 is the steering module for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit is detachably connected to the control board from the side of the case cover. It is a feature.

Therefore, in the first aspect of the invention, the switch unit can be attached and detached without removing the steering wheel.

[0010] The third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect.
The steering module of the vehicle described above is characterized in that a connector for connecting an airbag is provided on a surface of the control board on the steering wheel side.

Therefore, in the invention of claim 3, the airbag can be connected, and the functionality of the steering module is enhanced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering module for a vehicle according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which a positioning pin is provided on a connection plate on a steering column side of the circuit connecting body, and a column cover is provided. Is characterized in that the positioning pin is inserted therein to form a positioning hole for positioning the circuit connection body.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention, the connection plate is positioned when it is inserted into the steering column, and the connection of the connector is ensured.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. The same members and the same functions as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a steering module A for a vehicle according to the present invention. A control board 5 is provided on the steering wheel 4 side, and a steering angle sensor 6 is provided on the control board 5.
And the circuit connection body 8 is provided, and the switch units 3 and 3 are attached to both sides of the control board 5. The control board 5 is connected to the airbag inflator 37. The fixed side of the circuit connecting body 8 is attached to the steering column B side, and the rotating side is fixed to the steering wheel 4 side.

FIG. 3 is an external view of the steering module A according to the present invention. A control board 5 is built in a case cover 1, and switch units 3, 3 are attached to both sides of the case cover 1.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the steering wheel 4, the steering column B and the steering module A. A control unit 2 is configured by mounting a multi-processing circuit for various signals, a light and wiper system control circuit (flasher relay, wiper relay, disconnection detection, lamp auto-cut, etc.) on the control board 5.
A steering angle sensor (signal processing circuit, photo interrupter) 6 including a light transmitting / receiving unit is mounted on the control board 5.

The circuit connecting body 8 is a connecting device in which a central rotating body 10 and a connecting plate 11 which is a fixed body are connected by a flat cable (not shown), and is called a clock spring, a cable reel or the like. It is what Mounting plate 1 fixed to rotating body 10 of this circuit connecting body 8
2 has screw holes 13 formed at four positions.
The circuit connector 8 is attached to the control board 5 by screwing the screw 15 into the screw hole 14 of the control board 5.

One end of the flat cable of the circuit connection body 8 is connected to the connector 26 of the control board 5, and the other end is connected to the connector 7 of the connection plate 11.

On the fixed side (column side) of this circuit connection body 8 is formed a disc-shaped reflecting plate for detecting the steering angle, and the reflecting portion of this reflecting plate corresponds to the steering angle sensor 6 of the control board 5. doing.

A screw hole 16 is formed in the case cover 1, and the case cover 1 is attached to the control board 5 by a screw 18 screwed into the screw hole 16 and the screw hole 17 of the control board 5.

Switch units 3 are attached to both sides of the rear surface (on the side of the steering wheel 4) of the control board 6. The control board 6 is provided with a connector 19 for connecting a switch unit, and the connector 9 of the switch unit 3 is connected to the connector 19. The switch unit 3 is screwed to both sides of the case cover 1 with screws 20, and its operation lever 21 is attached so as to project laterally.

The switch unit 3 includes all the functions of a combination switch currently installed in the steering column section, for example, a light and wiper system control function.

As described above, in the switch unit 3, the connectors 9 and 19 are connected and the screws 20 are attached from the lateral side of the steering module A. During maintenance, the switch unit 3 alone is attached and detached. It is configured to be possible.

The steering module A constructed as described above has the screw hole 2 on the back side of the steering wheel 4.
3 is attached to the steering wheel 4 by screwing a screw 25 through the screw hole 24 of the case cover 1.

The steering column B includes a column cover 28 provided outside the steering shaft 27, a connector 29 for connecting a wire harness provided on the column cover 28, and a vehicle wire provided inside the column cover 28. It consists of a harness 30. As the connector 29, a known movable connector in which a socket portion connected to a mating connector is laterally movable is used.

The tubular portion 31 of the steering wheel 4 to which the steering module A is attached is inserted into the steering shaft 27 and fixed with a nut (not shown), and the connector 7 of the circuit connecting body 8 and the wire harness connector 29 are inserted. And connect. At this time, the positioning pin 35 fixed to the circuit connecting body 8 is inserted into the positioning hole 36 of the column cover 28 to position the connection plate 11.

An air bag connecting connector 32 (see FIG. 3) is provided on the front surface of the control board 5.
The connection connector 34 of the wire harness 33 connected to the airbag inflator 37 is connected to.

When the steering wheel 4 is operated, the control board 5, the rotating body 10 of the circuit connecting body 8 and the case cover 1 rotate, and the connecting plate 11 is kept fixed to the column cover 28 by the positioning pin 35. There is.

FIG. 4 shows a steering wheel portion equipped with the steering module A. Since the switch unit 3 having a combination switch function is integrated as the steering module A,
The configuration around the steering column is simple, and the operation lever 21 of the switch unit 3 is the steering wheel 4.
It is located close to and is easy to operate.

As described above, the vehicle steering module according to the present embodiment has the module structure in which the control board 5, the steering angle sensor 6, the switch unit 3, and the circuit connecting body 8 are housed in the case cover 1. , The light and wiper system control unit 2 is integrated in the steering section, and in particular, the combination switch function is integrated as a module, so that the periphery of the steering column B is simplified and the number of parts is reduced, and the steering wheel 4 Since the switch unit 3 is integrated in the portion, the switch operability during traveling is improved.

Further, the control board 5 and the vehicle wire harness 3
Since the circuit connection body 8 connecting 0 and 0 has been modularized,
It is possible to connect the steering wheel 4 and the wire harness 30 at the same time during the assembling work, which improves the assembling workability and also the wire harness 30 around the steering column.
The arrangement of is simplified.

Further, since the switch unit 3 is carried out from the side of the steering module A, the switch unit 3 can be attached and detached without removing the steering wheel 4 at the time of maintenance, which facilitates maintenance.

[0034]

As described above in detail, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the light, the wiper system control unit and the combination switch function are integrated as a module, so that the periphery of the steering column is simplified. At the same time, the number of parts is reduced, and the switch unit is integrated in the steering wheel portion, which improves the switch operability during traveling.

Further, since the circuit connecting body for connecting the control board and the vehicle wire harness is modularized, it is possible to simultaneously connect the wire harness with the steering wheel at the time of assembling work of the steering wheel, and the assembling workability is improved. The arrangement of the wire harness around the steering column is simplified.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the switch unit is detachably connected to the control board from the side of the case cover, the switch unit can be attached and detached without removing the steering wheel, and the maintainability is improved. .

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the connector for connecting the airbag is provided on the surface on the side of the steering wheel 1, the airbag can be connected and the functionality of the steering module is enhanced.

Further, according to the invention as set forth in claim 4, since the positioning pin and the positioning hole are formed in the connection plate of the circuit connecting body and the column cover, the connection plate is positioned when the steering column is inserted and the connector is connected. It can be performed reliably and easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle steering module of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle steering module of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed steering module of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a steering portion of a vehicle equipped with the steering module of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a steering switch module for a conventional vehicle, in which (a) is a front view of the steering switch;
(B) is an assembly configuration diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Case Cover 3 Switch Unit 4 Steering Wheel 5 Control Board 8 Circuit Connection 28 Column Cover 30 Vehicle Wire Harness 32 Connector 35 Positioning Pin 36 Positioning Hole A Steering Module B Steering Column

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A steering module provided on the back side of a steering wheel of a vehicle, wherein the steering module is a control unit in which a multi-processing circuit for various signals, a light, a wiper system control circuit, and a steering angle sensor are mounted. A board, a lever-type switch unit that has a function of a combination switch and is connected to the control board, and a circuit connecting body that connects the control board and the vehicle wire harness are housed in a case cover. A steering module for vehicles characterized by. 2. The steering module for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit is detachably connected to the control board from a side of the case cover. 3. The steering module for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a connector for connecting an airbag is provided on a surface of the control board on the steering wheel side. 4. A positioning pin is provided on a connection plate of the circuit connection body on the steering column side, and a positioning hole for inserting the positioning pin to position the circuit connection body is formed in the column cover. The steering module for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.