JPS6217331Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a steering column tilt device.

Conventionally, as this type of steering column tilt device, there is a so-called overlapping portion fixed type.

This is done by disposing a bolt so as to pass through both brackets at the overlapping part of the fixed bracket and the tilt bracket (movable side), and forming the bolt penetration part of one of these brackets into an elongated hole. A nut integrated with an operating lever is screwed onto the bolt, and by rotating the operating lever and loosening the nut, the fixed bracket can be tilted within the range of the elongated hole. On the other hand, when the nut is tightened, the tilt bracket is held at the desired position, that is, the optimum driving position, by the frictional force between the fixed bracket and the tilt bracket.

However, with such conventional tilt devices, while being able to set the tilt bracket and, by extension, the driving position of the steering wheel to any desired position, is extremely beneficial in terms of steering performance, it also depends on the steering wheel position. This may become an obstacle when the occupants move up and down. In this case, rotate the steering wheel to the maximum position by operating the tilt device mentioned above.
However, at this time, the previously set optimal driving position will be canceled, so when returning the steering wheel to its original state, a new readjustment will be made to determine the optimal driving position again. Therefore, there is a problem of lack of reproducibility and operability.

This idea was made in consideration of the above points, and includes a so-called flip-up mechanism in addition to the tilt mechanism. Even when the steering wheel (tilt bracket) is lifted up, the original driving position is mechanically memorized, and when the steering wheel (tilt bracket) is returned to its original position, it can immediately reproduce the state before it was raised. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tilt device that is rich in functionality.

Note that the flip-up mechanism or flip-up state referred to here means, as mentioned above, that depending on the position of the steering wheel, for example, it may become an obstacle when the occupant is going up or down. This refers to the mechanism or state of the mechanism for rotating and raising the vehicle to the desired position, and includes the mechanism or state of the mechanism that memorizes the original optimal driving position. .

Next, an embodiment of this invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

1 to 5 show an embodiment of this invention, and in particular, FIG. 1 shows its overall structure, in which 1 is a lower tube, 2 is a fixed bracket formed integrally with the lower tube 1, and 3 is a lower tube. 4 is an upper tube, and 4 is a substantially U-shaped tilt bracket formed integrally with the upper tube 3. The fixed bracket 2 and the tilt bracket 4 are rotatably connected by a shaft 5, and the fixed bracket 2 is fixed to a part of the vehicle body B by a fixing means such as a bolt (not shown). In addition, a lower shaft 6 is located inside the lower tube 1 including the fixed bracket 2.
a, an upper shaft 6b is inserted into the upper shaft 3, and these lower shaft 6a and upper shaft 6b are connected to each other via a universal joint 7 (FIG. 2) to form a steering shaft. 6. A steering wheel 8 is connected to one end of the steering shaft 6, and a universal joint 9 is connected to the other end.

2 to 5, a tilt bracket 4 is pivotally supported on the fixed bracket 2 by the aforementioned shaft 5.
is always biased counterclockwise in FIG. 3 with the shaft 5 as the center of rotation by a coil spring 10 stretched between it and the hook portion 9 of the fixed bracket 2. Letter-shaped engaging portion 11
has been formed.

On the other hand, an operating lever 12 and a ratchet 13 as a connecting member are coaxially attached to the fixed bracket 2. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an elongated hole 14 is formed in the fixing bracket 2, and a left-handed threaded bolt 17 integrated with the lock plate 15 is inserted into the elongated hole 14 via an E-ring 16. has been inserted. This lock plate 15
A pair of upright pieces 18 are formed on the bolt 17, and as a result of the upright pieces 18 engaging with the elongated hole 14, the bolt 17 as a whole can move along the elongated hole 14. A nut 19, which can rotate relative to the ratchet 13, is screwed onto the bolt 17 to rotatably support the ratchet 13 that engages the engaging portion 11. This nut 19 is integrally formed with a flange portion 19a and an oval shaped portion 19b.
operation lever 12 and washer 20 for b.
By fitting the bolt 21 into the nut 19, the bolt 21 is prevented from coming off. Also,
The operating lever 12 has a shaft hole 22 as well as the shaft hole 2.
2 is formed with a slit 23 that opens and communicates with the irregularly shaped portion 19b and can be engaged with the irregularly shaped portion 19b, thereby allowing the operation lever 12 to move in its longitudinal direction using the irregularly shaped portion 19b as a guide. In other words, when the irregularly shaped portion 19b is located in the shaft hole 22 as shown in FIG. 3, the nut 19 and the operating lever 12 can rotate relative to each other. When the irregularly shaped portion 19b and the slit 23 are aligned with each other by sliding in the direction, the operating lever 12 and the nut 19 rotate together.

In FIG. 3, 24 is located between the hook portion 25 of the tilt bracket 4 and the ratchet 13 in order to constantly bias the ratchet 13 in the counterclockwise direction so as to engage the engaging portion 11 and the claw portion 13a of the ratchet. The tensioned coil spring 26 is also a coil spring that is tensioned between the end of the operating lever 12 and the washer 20 and always biases the operating lever 12 in the direction of arrow B.

Next, the operation of the tilt device having the above configuration will be explained.

First, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the tilt bracket 4 rotates around the shaft 5, and the coil spring 10
Although the latch 13 is biased in the counterclockwise direction by
Since the tilt bracket 4 is in contact with and prevented from rotating counterclockwise, the tilt bracket 4 remains stationary in the state shown in FIG.

On the other hand, for tilt operation, when the operating lever 12 is pushed in the direction of arrow A in FIG.
The upright piece 28 formed on a part of the ratchet 13
At the same time, the slit 23 fits into the irregularly shaped part 19b of the nut 19, and the operating lever 1
2 and the nut 19 are prevented from rotating relative to each other. When the operating lever 12 is pushed down in the clockwise direction in this state, the nut 19 rotates together with the operating lever 12, which loosens the nut 19 and allows the nut 1 to tighten.
9, bolt 17 and ratchet 13 are in slotted hole 14
It is possible to slide along the elongated hole 14 within the length range. In other words, since the ratchet 13 can be slid by loosening the nut 19, the tilt bracket 4 can slide between the engaging portion 11 and the ratchet 13.
The lock plate 15 is rotated and raised counterclockwise by the action of the coil spring 10 until the upright piece 18 of the lock plate 15 comes into contact with the end face of the elongated hole 14 while the lock plate 15 remains engaged with the claw portion 13a.

Next, when tilt bracket 4 is pushed down clockwise to a desired position in order to determine the optimum driving position of steering wheel 8, bolt 17, nut 19 and The operating lever 12 slides together along the elongated hole 14. Then, when the operating lever 12 is pushed in the direction of arrow A and rotated counterclockwise until it contacts the stopper 27, the nut 19 is tightened against the bolt 17 again, so that the tilt bracket is tightened. 4 is again fixed to the fixed bracket 2. Subsequently, when the pushing operation force of the operating lever 12 is released, the operating lever 12 is moved in the direction of arrow B by the coil spring 26, and the slit 23 is disengaged from the irregularly shaped portion 19b, so that the operating lever 12 returns to the state shown in FIG. 3. do.

In addition, when stepping on the steering wheel 8 and furthermore the tilt bracket 4 when raising or lowering the passenger, the following operation is performed. First, when the operating lever 12 is pushed up in the clockwise direction from the state shown in FIG. It rotates clockwise as follows. Then Ratchet 1
3 and the engaging portion 11 of the tilt bracket 4 is released, and the tilt bracket 4 is raised and rotated counterclockwise by the action of the coil spring 10 until the stopper 30 comes into contact with the end of the fixed bracket 2. It will jump up. At this time, the ratchet 13 is in contact with the end surface of the tilt bracket 4 other than the engaging portion 11, and in this state, the previous flipped-up state is maintained.

Furthermore, in order to return to the original optimal driving position from the above-mentioned flip-up state, if the tilt bracket 4 is pushed down clockwise without operating the operating lever 12, the ratchet 1
3 engages with the engaging portion 11 again, and the original optimal driving position is thereby reproduced.

In other words, according to this embodiment, even if the flip-up operation is performed, the nut 19 is not loosened, so the original optimal driving position is mechanically memorized, and the flip-up state is released. In this way, the original optimal driving position can be immediately reproduced, and there is no need for any readjustment.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of this invention, and the main difference from the first embodiment is that a friction plate 31 is interposed between the fixed bracket 2 and the operating lever 12. , tilt bracket 4 with respect to this friction plate 31
A ratchet 35 pivotally supported on the side is engaged with the ratchet 35.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, parts common to those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and will be explained as follows.
A bolt 17 integrated with a locking plate 15 as a retainer and a rotation stopper is inserted into the elongated hole 14 of the fixing bracket 2, and the bolt 17 has a protrusion 33 that engages with the elongated hole 14 as a connecting member. A friction plate 31 is rotatably supported and tightened with a nut 19. This nut 19 has an irregularly shaped part 19b as in the previous embodiment, and the operating lever 12 is attached to this irregularly shaped part 19b.
The elongated holes 34 on the sides are fitted, and the washers 20 and bolts 21 are used to prevent them from coming off. On the other hand, a ratchet 35 as a connecting member is rotatably supported on the tilt bracket 4 by a pin 36, and the claw portion 35a of the ratchet 35 engages with the engaging portion 31a of the friction plate 31, and The ratchet 35 has an operating lever 12.
A pin 38 is provided in a protruding manner opposite to the bent step surface 37 .

Therefore, when performing the tilt operation in this embodiment, the operation lever 12 must be moved from the state shown in FIG.
When you push down clockwise, the nut 19 will move into the irregularly shaped part 1
9b and the elongated hole 34 rotate together, thereby releasing the tightening of the bolt 17. As a result, friction plate 3
1 is slidable within the length of the elongated hole 14 because its protrusion 33 engages with the elongated hole 14. Then, the tilt bracket 4 is rotated and raised counterclockwise to the upper limit position by the action of the coil spring 10, and from that position, the tilt bracket 4 is rotated clockwise to the desired position to determine the optimum driving position of the steering wheel 8. make it move. At this time, the claw portion 35a of the ratchet 35
Since the lock plate 55, bolt 17, friction plate 31, and nut 1 are engaged with each other, the lock plate 55, bolt 17, friction plate 31, and nut 1 are engaged with each other.
9 and the operating lever 12 move along the elongated hole 14. Thereafter, when the operating lever 12 is rotated counterclockwise, the nut 19 is tightened and the tilt bracket 4 is fixed by the frictional force between it and the friction plate 31, and the optimum driving position is maintained.

Furthermore, in the flip-up operation, when the operating lever 12 is pulled in the direction of arrow C from the state shown in FIG. As a result, the engagement between the claw portion 35a of the ratchet 35 and the engagement portion 31a of the friction plate 31 is released. As a result, the tilt bracket 4 is rotated and raised to the upper limit position in the counterclockwise direction by the action of the coil spring 10, and is in a raised state.
If the tilt bracket 4 is reversely rotated clockwise, the ratchet 35 and the friction plate 31 will engage again, and the original state before the flip-up will be immediately restored.

This embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

Figures 8 to 10 show a third embodiment of this invention.The main difference between this embodiment is that in both the first and second embodiments, the operation lever is used for tilt operation and for flip-up operation. While it is also used as
A tilt lever 12 and a flip-up lever 40 are provided separately. In other words, Figure 8~
In FIG. 10, only the parts that are different from the first embodiment will be explained. The nut 19 and the operating lever 12 dedicated to tilt operation are integrally constructed by fixing means such as serrations 41, and the nut 19 and the operating lever 12 dedicated to tilt operation are integrally constructed, and the nut 19 and the operating lever 12 for tilt operation are integrally formed by fixing means such as a serration 41. A flip-up lever 40 is integrally formed with the ratchet 13.

In the case of this embodiment, if the operating lever 12 is pushed down in a clockwise direction, the tilt operation as described above can be performed, and if the flip-up lever 40 is pushed down in a clockwise direction, the tilt bracket 4 can be flipped independently in the same manner as described above. It is in a raised state. At this time, the optimum driving position before the flip-up operation is mechanically stored, which is exactly the same as in the first and second embodiments.

In addition, in the first and third embodiments, the engaging portion 1
1 may be provided on the fixed bracket 2 side, and the ratchet 13 and the operating lever 12 may be provided on the tilt bracket 4 side.
to the fixed bracket 2 side, and the friction plate 31 and the operating lever 12 to the tilt bracket 4 side.
It may be placed on the side.

As is clear from the above explanation, according to this invention, the so-called friction-type tilt device is equipped with a flip-up mechanism and has a memory function, making it possible to adjust the tilt position steplessly in a relatively simple manner. Of course, it can be adjusted,
When returning to the original state after performing a flip-up operation, the original position before the flip-up operation can be immediately reproduced without the need for readjustment work as in conventional methods, resulting in excellent reproducibility and operability. effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory view showing one embodiment of the steering column tilt device according to this invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of only the main parts of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 The figure is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a front view of main parts showing another embodiment of this invention, and Fig. 7 is a - line sectional view of Fig. 6.
8 is a front view of essential parts showing still another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 9. 1...Lower tube, 2...Fixed bracket,
3... Upper tube, 4... Tilt bracket, 5... Axis, 8... Steering wheel, 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Engagement part, 12... Operating lever, 13... Ratchet (connecting member), 14... Long hole, 17...
Bolt, 19... nut, 31... friction plate (connection member), 35... ratchet (connection member), 40... operating lever (flipping lever).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a fixed bracket that is integrally connected to the lower tube and fixed to the vehicle body; a tilt bracket that is integrally connected to the upper tube and rotatably supported with respect to the fixed bracket; an elongated hole formed in either one of the fixed bracket and the tilt bracket and whose center of curvature is the pivot point of the tilt bracket; a bolt inserted through the elongated hole and movable along the elongated hole; a connecting member that connects the other bracket and a nut, which will be described later, in a manner that allows them to engage and disengage at a constant distance; and a connecting member that is screwed into the bolt by sandwiching the one bracket; a nut that clamps the tilt bracket in cooperation with the bolt and holds the tilt bracket at a desired position by its frictional force, and an operating lever attached to the nut, and the nut is loosened by operating the operating lever. At times, the tilt bracket is allowed to rotate while maintaining the connection state by the connection member, and when the connection by the connection member is removed by external operation, the tilt bracket is allowed to rotate while remembering the position before separation. A steering column tilt device characterized by having a configuration in which: