JPS6225969Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention is a tail steering device for a vehicle, in particular, once the driver adjusts the tail angle to an arbitrary optimal position, the driver can flip up the steering wheel for convenience when getting on and off. This invention relates to a so-called tail steering device with a memory mechanism that returns the steering wheel to its original position simply by pulling down the steering wheel when re-riding the vehicle.

Generally, tail steering devices can be broadly divided into two types depending on the adjustment method. One is
One type allows stepless adjustment, and the other type features stepless adjustment. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, and it cannot be generalized, but the former allows fine adjustment in principle, but in reality, when the lock is released for adjustment, the steering wheel immediately returns from its initial position. Because of the movement, it is virtually difficult to make fine adjustments when one wishes to adjust a certain amount upward or downward from a certain setting position, and even if one wishes to make subtle adjustments, it is inconvenient. In order to solve these problems, the latter type of tail steering device was devised in order to make the adjustment stepwise, giving a sense of moderation to each stage and making the adjustment extremely easy, and it has long been well received by users. It has been used for. Furthermore, many drivers choose to avoid the hassle of getting in and out of a vehicle due to interference between the lower end of the grip of the steering wheel and the driver's knees, or to avoid the hassle of getting in and out of a vehicle by being careful to avoid interference. When the driver gets off the vehicle, the driver flips up the steering wheel by operating the manual lever (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "tilt away"), then gets back in the vehicle and adjusts it to the desired position of the driver's preference. Ease of adjustment was also very important. In other words, rather than having the same driver frequently make different position adjustments, the driver may make the tail adjustment several times a day in order to find the same adjustment position. Therefore, although the above-mentioned device is easy to adjust, it is still inconvenient because it requires readjustment.

Therefore, in order to eliminate this inconvenience,
Once the driver adjusts the steering wheel to the specified position, even if the driver flips up the steering wheel to get in and out of the vehicle, when getting back on the vehicle, the driver can simply pull the steering wheel down and it will automatically return to the specified position. There is a demand for a tail steering device with a so-called memory mechanism that can be reliably locked at the same time as returning to the original state, and in order to meet this demand, the present applicant has developed a tail steering device with a memory mechanism that has the above-mentioned functions. The device was proposed in Utility Application No. 115954/1983.

The tail steering device includes a fixed bracket fixed to a part of the vehicle body below an instrument panel, and a column tube that rotatably supports a tiltable steering shaft and a steering wheel. a pivoting bracket connected to the pivoting bracket so as to be rotatable up and down by a required angle, and a first spring means interposed between the pivoting bracket and the fixed bracket for biasing the pivoting bracket upwardly. a first pole that is attached to one side of the fixed bracket so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and releasably meshes with a sector gear formed at the free end of the rotary bracket; a manual lever that is integrally attached to the manual lever and that is releasably engaged with the back of the first pole;
a stopper for regulating the swinging of the first pawl to maintain engagement between the teeth of the first pawl and the sector gear; and a stopper for urging the manual lever to engage the stopper with the back of the first pawl. A second spring means is interposed between the manual lever and the first pawl, and when the manual lever is swung at a set angle against the second spring means, the first pawl is swung. A first cam means is provided for disengaging the tooth portion from the sector gear, so that when the manual lever is swung to a set angle, the rotating bracket is moved upward by the action of the first spring means. In a vehicle tail steering device that can be flipped up, a plate is attached to one side of the manual lever so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and coaxial with the pivots of both the brackets; a second pawl that is rotatably assembled to and removably meshes with the sector gear; and a second pawl interposed between the second pawl and the plate that engages the teeth of the second pawl with the sector gear. a third spring means interposed between the plate and the manual lever, which cooperates with the first cam means to restrict rotation of the plate and to bias the manual lever; When the manual lever is operated to swing to a set angle, the plate becomes rotatable, and when the manual lever is operated to swing beyond the set angle while the rotating bracket is held, the plate is fixed relative to the fixed bracket. a second cam means interposed between the second pawl and the manual lever, the second cam means being interposed between the second pawl and the manual lever, and when the manual lever is swung beyond a set angle, the second cam is swung to cause the teeth of the second pawl to engage with the sector gear; A third cam means is provided for releasing the engagement of the rotary bracket, and when the manual lever is swung beyond a set angle while the rotary bracket is held, the rotary bracket is moved against the fixed bracket and the plate. It is characterized by being rotatable. However, the said tail steering device has the above-mentioned configuration,
- For the reasons specified in the specification of No. 115954 and the reasons described later, after adjusting the steering wheel to a predetermined position, the steering wheel may be flipped upward with a single touch operation of the manual lever for ease of getting on and off. By simply pulling the steering wheel down, it can be easily returned to its previous position by flipping it upwards, and it can be securely fixed in that position, making it possible to adjust the steering wheel to any desired position. There is.

By the way, in the tail steering device, the first cam means and the second cam means are partially connected to the first cam hole provided in the manual lever and the first cam hole provided in the plate. The first pawl, the manual lever, and the plate are configured by a second cam hole that overlaps with each other, and a release pin provided in the first pawl and inserted into and engaged with both the cam holes, and the first pawl, the manual lever, and the plate. operatively linked so that when the manual lever is operated to swing at a set angle, the first cam hole of the manual lever pushes the release pin to move the release pin by a predetermined amount within the second cam hole of the plate, and When the manual lever is swung beyond a set angle, the first cam hole further pushes the release pin to further move the release pin by a predetermined amount within the second cam hole. It has the advantage of being able to perform tilt-away operations and tilt angle adjustment operations using a lever. however,
In this way, when performing tilt-away operation and tilt adjustment operation with a single manual lever,
A required rotational stroke is required for each operation of the manual lever, but in order to ensure the required rotational stroke of the manual lever, both of the cam holes are
It is necessary to make the cam holes 92d' and 96b' long as shown in the figure, so when the manual lever is swung beyond the set angle to adjust the tilt angle, a release pin is required as shown at 108 in the figure. The cam holes 92 d' and 96 b' move more than the cam holes 92 d' and 96 b', and are strongly clamped therebetween, causing the cam hole 92 d' to be pushed with respect to the release pin 108 less efficiently when the manual lever 92 returns. , there is a risk that the manual lever 92 will return incorrectly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to improve the vehicle tail steering system according to the prior application without impairing its function or increasing its component parts. The object of the present invention is to improve the operability of the manual lever and to prevent the manual lever from returning incorrectly.

Therefore, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a first cam means and a second cam means of the vehicle tail steering device that are connected to the first cam hole provided in the manual lever and the plate. a second cam hole provided in the first pole and partially overlapping the first cam hole; and a release pin provided in the first pole and inserted into and engaged with both of the cam holes. , the first cam hole is connected to the first cam hole.
an inclined part that extends a predetermined length from the original position of the release pin in a direction away from the pivot axes of both the brackets from the original position of the release pin when the teeth of the pawl engage with the sector gear; a circular arc portion centered on the pivot of the bracket, and a first circular arc portion centered on the swing center of the first pawl that extends the second cam hole a predetermined length from the original position of the release pin; and a second arcuate portion extending upward from an intermediate portion of the first arcuate portion and centered on the pivots of both brackets.

Therefore, in the present invention, the first manual lever
Push the release pin at the inclined part of the cam hole of the plate to move the necessary amount within the first circular arc part of the second cam hole of the plate, and then move the release pin of the first cam hole without pushing the release pin. Since the release pin is guided within the arcuate portion, a predetermined rotational stroke necessary for the operability of the manual lever can be secured in the arcuate portion without moving the release pin more than necessary. Therefore, according to the present invention, the release pin does not move more than necessary and is not strongly clamped between the tips of both cam holes, and the first cam hole does not move more than necessary, and the first cam hole does not move more than necessary. The pushing efficiency is good, and by simply considering the shape of both cam holes, the operability of the manual lever can be improved without impairing the function of the tail steering device, and the problem of manual lever return failure can be improved. can be prevented.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, the first steering shaft 10 and the second steering shaft 12 are connected to each other on the same axis so that they can swing only in the axial direction, and the second steering shaft The shaft 12 is connected to a third steering shaft 16 to constitute the entire steering shaft. First steering shaft 10
is the toe board 1 that forms the front lower part of the passenger compartment.
8, its lower end is connected to a steering gear (not shown) via a flexible coupling ring 20, and its upper end has a substantially rectangular cross section, and is connected to the second steering shaft 12.
It is connected to the lower end of the shaft so that it can transmit torque and can be slid in the axial direction. Note that a steering wheel 22 is provided at the upper end of the third steering shaft 16.
is fixed.

The column tube is composed of a first column tube 24, a second column tube 26, and a third column tube (upper bracket) 28. The first column tube 24 accommodates the first steering shaft 10 therein, and
It is assembled by fixing its lower end to the toe board 18 and connecting its upper part to the second column tube 26 via a known energy absorbing member (not shown). The second column tube 26 is
It is assembled to a pedal bracket 36 fixed to the toe board 18 below the instrument panel 34 by means of a fixing bracket 32 fixed to its upper outer periphery with bolts 30-30. The third column tube 28 is fixed at its lower end to the base of a rotating bracket 38 connected to a fixed bracket 32 by bolts (not shown), and allows the third steering shaft 16 to freely rotate via a pair of bearings 40 and 42. It is pivoted on. Note that the third column tube 28 of the third steering shaft 16
A key lock holder 44 is fixed to the inner portion, with which a key lock bar (not shown) is engaged by key operation. Further, the axial positions of the third steering shaft 16 and the third column tube 28 are determined by a step 44a provided on the key lock holder 44 and a compression spring 46.
The snap spring 48 and the bearings 40 and 42 ensure no play.

The fixed bracket 32 includes a U-shaped main body and a pair of left and right arm parts 32 extending upward from the main body.
L, 32R, and capsules 50, 50 are fixed to both flanges provided at the upper end of the main body. Further, on the left arm 32L of the fixing bracket 32, an arc-shaped pole 52, which is a component of a fixing device C to be described later, is fixed in the vertical direction by a pin 54, nuts 56, 56, and washers 58, 58. The right arm 32R is rotatably supported on the right arm 32R.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an arc-shaped elongated hole 32a is bored therein. Therefore, the fixing bracket 32 has its capsule parts 50, 50
It is attached to the pedal bracket 36 by a bolt 60 and a nut (not shown) so that it can be removed only forwardly, and the second
It supports column tube 26. (See Figure 1).

As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation bracket 38 is bent into a U shape, and has a through hole 38a and locking holes 38b, 38b ( (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and annular spacers 6 are provided in both arm portions 38R and 38L, respectively.
2, 62 are fixed, and each of these spacers 62, 6
Connecting holes 38c, 38c are bored corresponding to the holes No. 2, respectively. Also, this rotating bracket 3
At the free end of the left arm 38L of 8 is the sector gear 3.
8d, and a stopper bolt 64 is fixed to the free end of the right arm 38R, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This stopper bolt 64 engages with both ends of a long hole 32a provided in the fixed bracket 32 to regulate the tilting angle of the rotating bracket 38 to a required angle. After that, it is fixed to the rotating bracket 38 with a nut 66 and a washer 68. A cushion rubber 70 is attached to the tip of the stopper bolt 64 to reduce the noise and impact generated when the stopper bolt 64 contacts the elongated hole 32a formed in the fixing bracket 32. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotating bracket 38 has both arm portions 38L and 38R superimposed on both arm portions 32L and 32R of the fixed bracket 32 from the outside, and then Both arm portions 38L and 38R are connected to both arm portions 32L and 32R of the fixing bracket 32 by both connecting means A and B, respectively, so as to be freely rotatable in the vertical direction, and the fixing bracket 32 is connected to the fixing bracket 32 by a fixing device C.
is fixed. Further, between the fixed bracket 32 and the rotating bracket 38, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one end is engaged with a spring retainer 33 fixed to the fixed bracket 32, and the other end is connected via a wire 35. Locking hole 38b of rotation bracket 38
A pair of left and right tension springs 37 latched to the
is interposed and always pulls the rotating bracket 38 so as to rotate it in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1 (so as to flip it upward). Note that the wire 35 is guided by a spring retainer 39 fixed to the fixed bracket 32.

The connecting means A connects the right arm 32R of the fixed bracket 32 and the right arm 38 of the rotating bracket 38.
As shown in FIG. 3, a bolt 72, a nut 74, a washer 7
6. Consists of a sintered bush 78 having a drum-shaped outer peripheral surface and a spacer 80 made of spring steel. In this connecting means A, by tightening the nut 74 to the bolt 72, the washer 76,
The bush 78 and the spacer 80 are fixed to the arm 32R of the fixed bracket 32, and the connecting hole 38c of the arm 38R of the rotating bracket 38 is connected to the bush 78.
Contact with the outer circumferential surface of. The connecting means B connects the left arm 32L of the fixed bracket 32 and the rotating bracket 3.
As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 7, and 8, a serration bolt 82, a nut 84,
It is composed of a washer 86 and a sintered bush 88 having a drum-shaped outer peripheral surface and a pair of bearings.
In this connecting means B, by tightening the nut 84 to the bolt 82, a washer 86, a reinforcing plate 90, which will be described later, and a bush 88 are fixed to the arm portion 32L of the fixed bracket 32, and the rotating bracket 3
The connecting hole 38c of the arm portion 38L of No. 8 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the bush 88. In addition, in this connecting means B, a manual lever 92 which is a component of a fixing device C to be described later, a reinforcing plate 94 and a plate 96 of this lever, and a reinforcing plate 98 of this plate 96 are attached to both bearing portions of the bush 88. is assembled so that it can rotate vertically. In both the connecting means A and B constructed in this way, each of the bolts 72 and 82
Although the axes of the bolts 78 and 82 are set to coincide with the connection center of the universal joint 14, even when the axes of the bolts 72 and 82 are deviated from each other, both the bushes 78 and 8
By the action of the drum-shaped outer peripheral surface of 8, both brackets 3
2,38 connections are possible.

The fixing device C is equipped with a storage mechanism D, which will be described later, and as shown clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in FIG.
2, 38, and includes the aforementioned pawl 52, a sector gear 38d provided at the free end of the left arm 38L of the rotating bracket 38, and a manual lever 92. The manual lever 92 is
It has a shape as shown in FIG. 9, and is pivotally supported on the outer bearing portion of the bush 88 as described above at its approximate center so as to be able to swing in the vertical direction, and has a return spring mounting arm portion at its lower end. 92a, and a mounting hole 92b provided in the arm portion 92a.
A tension coil spring (return spring) 1 whose one end is locked to a fixed bracket 32 at
00 in the clockwise direction in FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, the operation knob 92c provided at the upper end of the manual lever 92 is bent outward and the arc-shaped elongated hole 102a (the first
(shown in phantom lines in the figure).
A roller 106 rotatably supported by a pin 104 inside the lower end of the manual lever 92 moves the pawl 52 by the action of a return spring 100 when the manual lever 92 is in its locked position (the position shown in FIG. 2). The tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 38d of the rotating bracket 38 are kept in mesh by being releasably pressed against the back of the pawl 52. In addition,
The inner end of the pin 104 is pivotally supported by a reinforcing plate 94, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9.

A cam hole 92d constituting a first cam means is provided at the lower end of the manual lever 92. A release pin 108 constituting a first cam means and a second cam means implanted outward at the lower end of the pawl 52 is inserted into and engaged with the cam hole 92d, and the manual lever 92 is set. When the angular swing operation is performed, the release pin 108 is pushed, and the pawl 52 is rotated clockwise so that the tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 is connected to the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38.
(See Figure 10). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 to 12, the cam hole 92d is formed between the teeth 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 3.
The axis of both brackets 32, 38 (bolt 7
2, 82), an inclined portion 92d ₁ that extends for a predetermined length while being inclined upward in a direction away from the slanted portion 92d ₁ , and an arcuate portion 92d 2 centered on the pivot shafts 72 , 82 that extends upward from the upper end of the inclined portion 92d ₁ . . As a result, the cam hole 92d pushes the release pin 108 by the required amount at the inclined portion _92d1 when the manual lever 92 is operated to swing beyond the set angle, and further when the manual lever 92 is operated to swing beyond the set angle. Release pin 108
is further pushed and guided into the circular arc portion _92d2 .

Further, a third
A cam groove 92e constituting a cam means is provided. This cam groove 92e is formed on the cam surface 92e when the manual lever 92 is swung beyond the set angle.
At e ₁ , the pawl 110 is rotated counterclockwise by engaging with a second release pin 112 implanted outward at the tip of the second pawl 110, which will be described later. 110a to the rotating bracket 38
from the sector gear 38d (see Fig. 11). Note that this cam groove 92e is connected to the manual lever 9.
In the rocking operation up to the above-mentioned set angle in step 2,
A circular arc portion 9 centered on the swing center of the manual lever 92
2e ₂ , the aforementioned release pin 112
There is no engagement with In addition, a pawl 110 is located at the lower end of the manual lever 92 and is erroneously separated from the sector gear 38d of the rotating bracket 38 due to shaft vibration or the like, regardless of the swinging of the manual lever 92, against the action of a torsion spring 114, which will be described later. A pole stopper arm portion 92f is provided to restrict the counterclockwise movement of the release pin 112 so as not to cause the release pin 112 to move in the counterclockwise direction. Further, a stopper portion 92g is provided approximately at the center of the manual lever 92, and together with a collar 116, which will be described later, restricts the maximum swing angle of the manual lever 92.

The reinforcing plate 90 whose rear upper end is fixed to the fixing bracket 32 by the connecting means B is connected to the manual lever 92 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 8.
and is arranged outside a plate 96 which will be described later, and its lower part has bolts 118 and washers 12.
0, is fixed to the fixed bracket 32 by a collar 116 and a nut 122 fixed to the inner surface of the fixed bracket 32, and its front upper end is connected to the first
As shown in FIG. 3, it is connected to the left arm portion 32L of the fixed bracket 32 via the pin 54 together with nuts 56, 56 and washers 58, 58, and the pin 5
The outer end of 4 is pivotally supported. In addition, the lower end of the reinforcing plate 90 extends downward, and is mainly used to protect the plate 96, etc. from deformation or other defects in the event that the plate 96, etc. (described later) is accidentally dropped or hit during production. A flange portion 90a is provided for this purpose. Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a portion of the reinforcing plate 90 serves as a stopper surface 90b for preventing the release pin 108 from coming out of the pole 52 and the release pin 112 from the pole 110, respectively.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, the storage mechanism D is provided inside the aforementioned reinforcing plate 90 on the left side of both brackets 32, 38,
A pole 110 having teeth 110a at the tip and a release pin 11 implanted in this pole 110
2, as well as the sector gear 38 of the rotation bracket 38
d, includes a torsion spring 114 and a plate 96. The plate 96 is rotatably supported in the vertical direction on the outer bearing part of the bush 88 in the connecting means B at the rear upper part thereof, and is rotatably supported in the vertical direction via a pin 121 at its lower end. A pole 110 is pivotally supported. Further, one end of a torsion spring 114 is engaged with the lower end of the plate 96, which has the function of urging the pawl 110 clockwise in FIG. It has stopped. Also, a portion of the plate 96 is U
The torsion spring guide portion 96a is folded into the shape of a letter, and the torsion spring 11
4 is positioned (see Figures 2 and 3).

A substantially convex cam hole 96b is provided at the front upper part of the plate 96, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 to 12. The cam hole 96b constitutes a second cam means together with the release pin 108 provided on the pawl 52, and is positioned so as to partially overlap the cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92, and the release pin 108 is inserted thereinto. engaged.
This cam hole 96b has first circular arc portions 96b 1 to ₉ centered around the swing center 54 of the pawl 52 that extends a predetermined length from the position of the release pin 108 when the tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 38d are engaged.
6b ₃ and the pivots 7 of both brackets 32, 38 extending upward from the intermediate portions of the first circular arc portions 96b ₁ to 96b ₃ .
A second circular arc portion _96b4 centered at 2,82 is provided. As a result, the cam hole 96b is connected to the manual lever 9.
2 is operated to swing at the set angle, the release pin 108 is moved to the first position in cooperation with the inclined portion _92d1 of the cam hole 92d.
When the release pin 108 is moved from the 96b ₁ side of the arc part to the middle part of 96b ₂ to allow relative movement into the second arc part 96b ₄ , and the manual lever 92 is swung beyond the set angle, The release pin 108 is moved 96 from the 96b ₁ side of the first circular arc portion in cooperation with the inclined portion 92d ₁ and the circular arc portion 92d ₂ of the cam hole 92d.
Move it to the 96b ₃ side via b ₂ .

It should be noted that the plate 96 does not move due to movement associated with tilt angle adjustment and tilt-away operation.
6 and the collar 116, an arcuate elongated hole 96c is provided.

In this embodiment configured as described above, when the manual lever 92 is in the position shown in FIG. Since the roller 10 is biased in the direction
6 is in pressure contact with the back of the pawl 52, and the tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38
Reliably maintain the engaged state. As a result, the rotation bracket 38 is fixed in that position, and the third column tube 28 fixed to the rotation bracket 38 is fixed.
The third steering shaft 16, which is pivotally supported by the third steering shaft 16, is held at a predetermined angle of inclination. As a result, the steering wheel 22 is positioned and fixed at a predetermined position. In this state, the release pin 108 of the pawl 52 is located at the lower end of the inclined portion 92d ₁ in the cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92, and at the lower end of the first circular arc portion 96b ₁ in the cam hole 96b of the plate 96.
Located on the side.

By the way, for convenience when the driver gets out of the car, etc., the steering wheel 22 can be flipped up with just one touch of the manual lever 92, and when the driver wants to get back on the car, the steering wheel 22 can be pulled up. The following describes the operation of returning to the predetermined angular position that has been set without requiring any adjustment operation and reliably fixing at that position.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, if the manual lever 92 is swung by its knob 92c in the counterclockwise direction (upward) as shown in the figure against the action of the return spring 100, the manual lever 92 is swung. As the roller 106 moves, the roller 106 separates from the back of the pawl 52, and then the inclined portion _92d1 of the cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92 engages with the release pin 108 of the pawl 52, pushing the release pin 108 clockwise in the figure. move. Therefore, the pawl 52 rotates clockwise in the figure, and the tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38 are disengaged. Then, the fixed bracket 32 and the rotating bracket 38
A pair of tension springs 3 interposed between
Due to the action of 7 and 37, the rotating bracket 38 is
Trying to tail away. However, while the engagement between the release pin 108 and _{the 96b1} side of the first circular arc portion of the cam hole 96b of the plate 96 is not released,
This is because the freedom of the pawl 52 and the plate 96 in the counterclockwise direction shown in the figure is restricted, and because the teeth 110a of the pawl 110, which is pivotally supported by the plate 96, and the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38 are meshed and integrated. In the end, the pivot bracket 38 cannot be tilted away even though it is no longer bound to the pole 52. When the manual lever 92 is swung counterclockwise to the set angle, the release pin 108 is pushed against the inclined portion 92d ₁ of the cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 96b1 side of the first circular arc portion of the cam hole 96b is disengaged, and the first circular arc portion of the cam hole _96b disengages from the 96b1 side.
6b Move to _{the 2} side. As a result, the plate 96 can freely move counterclockwise in the drawing about the bolt 82 with respect to the release pin 108 within the range of the second circular arc portion _96b4 of the cam hole 96b. Therefore, with the above-described configuration, the plate 9
The right arm portion 3 of the rotation bracket 38 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing by the action of the tension springs 37, 37.
The stopper bolt 64 fixed to the free end of the fixing bracket 32 rotates until it hits the lower end of the long hole 32a formed in the right arm 32R of the fixing bracket 32. That is, the third column tube 28 is fixed to the rotation bracket 38, and the third steering shaft 16 is rotatably supported by the third column tube 28.
and the steering wheel 22 fixed to the third steering shaft 16 connects both the connecting means A,
B and the universal joint 14 located on its axis as the center, tilts away to the top. At this time, the release pin 108 moves relative to the plate 96 while slidingly contacting the second arc portion _96b4 of the cam hole 96b of the plate 96. In addition,
For convenience of explanation, the release pin 108 and manual lever 9
Although the state of engagement with the cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92 has been described above in two stages, the series of actions up to the tail-away is a continuous series of swinging the knob 92c of the manual lever 92 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure. Needless to say, this is the result of a one-touch operation. In this way, it becomes possible to tilt away extremely easily by simply operating the manual lever 92 with one touch, and not only the tilt away but also the ease of getting on and off the vehicle for the driver are significantly improved.

When the manual lever 92 is released in the aforementioned tilted away state, the manual lever 92 is rotated clockwise in the figure by the return spring 100. Therefore, the roller 106 is again forced onto the back of the pole 52 and
Rotate the rotating bracket 38 in the counterclockwise direction shown in the figure.
At this time, as clearly shown in FIG. 10,
Second circular arc portion 96b ₄ of cam hole 96b of plate 96
Since the release pin 108 is pressed against the release pin 108, the pawl 52 cannot be rotated counterclockwise any further from the position shown in FIG. Then,
The tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38 remain disengaged, and the rotation bracket 38, that is, the steering wheel 22 connected to it in series is held in an upwardly flipped state without being fixed. . Therefore,
The steering wheel 22 can be easily moved downward by pulling it down. In addition, manual lever 9
2 is not shown in FIG. 10, but the roller 106
The manual lever 92 is rotated clockwise until it touches the back of the pole 52 and stops (the manual lever 92 is located between the solid line position and the imaginary line position shown in FIG. 10).

Now, if the driver pulls down the steering wheel 22 against the spring action of the tension springs 37, 37 when re-boarding the vehicle, etc., since the rotation bracket 38 is not fixed as described above, it will easily move downward (clockwise). When the pivot bracket 38 and pole 1 are rotated by the same angle as the angle tilted during tilt away, the pivot bracket 38 and pole 1
A plate 96 that is moving as a unit due to the meshing of 10
The second circular arc portion _96b4 of the cam hole 96b is disengaged from the release pin 108, and the release pin 108 becomes movable toward the first circular arc portion _96b1 . In this state, the roller 106 again pushes the back of the pawl 52 due to the spring action of the return spring 100, thereby pushing the pawl 52 counterclockwise in the drawing. Here, the angle of downward rotation is equal to the angle of upward rotation, and the release pin 108 and plate 96
Since the relative movement angles of
The crests and troughs will engage with each other exactly as before, and the steering wheel 22 will be securely fixed in the predetermined position that was set before the tilt away, and the steering wheel 22 will be adjusted by the simple action of pulling down the steering wheel 22. The wheel 22 can be returned to the predetermined position. It should be noted that when the rotating bracket 38 is pulled down with force, there is a possibility that the fixed position may deviate from the previous position, but this can be completely compensated for by doing the following. In other words, even if the rotation bracket 38 is pulled down vigorously, the release pin 108 is stuck in the first cam hole 96b of the plate 96.
Since it can only move up to the position where it hits the _96b2 side of the circular arc, the clearance between the width of the cam hole 96b and the diameter of the release pin 108 is smaller than the pitch of one tooth of the pawl 52 and the rotating bracket 38. If this setting is made, even if the teeth are pushed a little too far, the triangular wedge effect of the teeth 38d and 52a will ensure that they return to their original positions and are fixed. Also, the manual lever 92 is now in its original position (10th position).
Needless to say, it is automatically returned to the position shown by the imaginary line in the figure and the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2.

As described above, the tilt away and the return to the predetermined position before the tilt away are completely performed by a simple one-touch operation of the manual lever 92 and a simple pull-down operation of the steering wheel 22, making it easier for the driver to get on and off the vehicle. , it can be seen that the usability is significantly improved. In addition, in this series of operations, when the swing angle of the manual lever 92 reaches a certain set angle as described above, the tilt away occurs, but at this swing angle, the other cam groove of the manual lever 92 Cam surface 92e ₁ of 92e
Since the manual lever 92 does not engage the release pin 112, the manual lever 92 has no effect of disengaging the release pin 112 and the pawl 110 from the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38. That is, in this series of operations of tilting away and returning to the original position, the plate 96, the pawl 110, and the rotating bracket 38 operate as if they were one body from start to finish without making any relative movement.

Next, a second explanation will be given regarding the case where the driver adjusts the position of the steering wheel 22 according to the physique of the driver.
The explanation will be made based on FIGS. 10, 11, and 12. The position of the manual lever 92 in FIG.
8 is shown fixed relative to the fixed bracket 32, which is shown in phantom in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, when the manual lever 92 is swung counterclockwise (upward) as shown in the drawing, the pawl 52 is moved from the pivot bracket 38 in the order described when explaining the principle of operation of the tail-away. It is separated from the sector gear 38d. However, manual lever 9
2 reaches the set angle (that is, when the manual lever 92 reaches a position approximately midway between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the phantom line in FIG. 10), the rotation bracket 38 and its connected The plate 96, steering wheel 22, etc. that are attached to the vehicle tend to tilt away as one. By the way, at that time the driver turned the steering wheel 22
While holding the lever 92 in that position with your right hand against the force of the pair of tension springs 37, 37 that causes it to tilt away, use your left hand to move the manual lever 92 in the counterclockwise direction shown in the figure from the above-mentioned setting angle. When the manual lever 92 is further swung upward, the release pin 108 engaged with the inclined portion 92d ₁ of the cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92 is further pushed by the inclined portion 92d ₁ of the cam hole 92d.
is pushed together with the pawl 52 from the position shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 12 to the position shown by the solid line, and moves to the _96b3 side of the first circular arc portion of the cam hole 96b, and also moves to the circular arc portion _92d2 of the cam hole 92d. . In this state, the arc portion 92d ₂ of the cam hole 92d and the cam hole 9
The release pin 108 and the pawl 52 are restrained by the _96b3 side of the first arcuate portion 6b, and these members restrict the rotation of the plate 96 and fix it in the position shown in FIG. Also, when the swing angle of the manual lever 92 reaches this position, at the same time, the other cam groove 9 of the manual lever 92
Although the cam surface _92e1 of 2e did not come into sliding contact with the release pin 112 up to the above-mentioned set angle of the manual lever 92, it does come into sliding contact with the release pin 112 at this angle.
That is, the pole 110 on which the release pin 112 is implanted is pushed counterclockwise in the figure, and as a result, the tooth portion 110a of the pole 110 is moved toward the rotation bracket 3.
8 from the sector gear 38d against the action of the torsion spring 114. That is, at this point, the rotation bracket 38, the third column tube 28 fixed to the rotation bracket 38,
The third steering shaft 16 is rotatably supported by the third column tube 28 and the steering wheel 22 is fixed to the third steering shaft 16. Therefore, the plate 96 and the pawl 52, which are restricted from rotating, and the fixed bracket 32 on which the pawl 52 is pivotally supported, are free to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise in the drawing. Therefore, in this state, if the driver adjusts the steering wheel 22 upward or downward by an arbitrary angle, a desired inclination angle can be obtained.

The driver moves the steering wheel 2 to the desired angle.
When the manual lever 92 is released after moving 2,
In the next step (in the reverse order as described above), the pivot bracket 38 and the fixed bracket 32 are fixed again.
That is, since the manual lever 92 is always urged clockwise by the return spring 100, the cam surface 92e ₁ of the cam groove 92e of the manual lever 92 first moves as the manual lever 92 swings clockwise.
The release pin 112, which had been pushed by the release pin 112, is released from the restraint and is rotated clockwise in the figure by the action of the torsion spring 114, so that the tooth portion 110a of the pawl 110 meshes with the sector gear 38d of the rotation bracket 38. , the rotating bracket 38 and the plate 96 are again integrated via the pole 110. At this time, the pole 110 and the rotating bracket 3
The meshing peaks and valleys of each tooth of No. 8 are shifted from before adjustment by the inclination angle arbitrarily adjusted by the driver (more precisely, by the pitch angle of the teeth close to the inclination angle arbitrarily adjusted by the driver). Ru. Also, at this time, the inclined portion 92d ₁ of the other cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92
The release pin 108, which had been pushed by the user, is gradually released from its restraint, and the back of the pawl 52 is pushed by the roller 106, which is pivotally supported by the manual lever 92, and the release pin 108 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure. be moved. That is, after the pawl 110 and the rotating bracket 38 are engaged with each other with their respective teeth, the release pin 108 is disengaged from the _96b3 side of the first circular arc portion of the cam hole 96b of the plate 96, and
It engages with the 96b ₁ side via 6b ₂ . At this time, the tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 meshes with the sector gear 38d of the rotating bracket 38 again. The meshing position is deviated from before adjustment by the angle adjusted as desired by the driver (more precisely, by the pitch angle of the teeth close to the inclination angle arbitrarily adjusted by the driver).
This is exactly the same as the relative inclination angle deviation between the pole 110 and the rotating bracket 38 mentioned above. Therefore, the fixed bracket 32 and the rotating bracket 38
The inclination angle is a position shifted from FIG. 2 by the inclination angle desired by the driver. At the time of fixation, the position of the manual lever 92, the position of the plate 96, the position of the pawl 52, the position of the pawl 110, the position of the torsion spring 114, etc. completely return to the state shown in FIG. The connected third column tube 28, third steering shaft 16, steering wheel 22, etc. are fixed in an inclined state by a desired inclination angle, and the adjustment operation is completed. The tail-away operation and readjustment operation after adjustment can be performed in exactly the same manner as described above.

In this way, in this tilt steering device, when the single manual lever 92 is operated to swing the set angle, the tilt away operation can be performed, and when the swing operation is performed beyond the set angle, the tilt angle adjustment operation can be performed. Because it is configured, manual lever 9
In order to improve the operability of 2, the manual lever 92
It is necessary to ensure a predetermined rotation stroke from the position of the set angle swing operation to the further swing operation position. For this reason, in the tail steering device, the release pin 108 of the pawl 52, as clearly shown in FIG.
The cam hole 92d of the manual lever 92 is connected to the inclined portion 92 in relation to the cam hole 96b of the plate 96.
d ₁ and a circular arc portion 92d ₂ . The inclined portion 92d ₁ of the cam hole 92d extends from the position of the release pin 108 to both brackets 3 when the tooth portion 52a of the pawl 52 and the sector gear 38d are engaged.
The release pin 1 is inclined upwardly in a direction away from the pivot shafts 72, 82 of the release pin 1, and extends for a predetermined length.
It functions to push 08 by the required amount. Further, the arcuate portion 92d ₂ of the cam hole 92d connects to the pivot shaft 7 of both brackets 32, 38 extending upward from the upper end of the inclined portion 92d ₁ .
It is formed in an arc shape centered at 2,82,
It functions to guide the release pin 108 that has been pushed by the required amount into the interior of the release pin 108 and to allow rotation of the manual lever 92 with respect to the release pin 108. For this reason,
Even if the inclined part is not made long as in the cam hole 92d' shown in FIG. A predetermined rotation stroke can be ensured for the manual lever 92 between the away operation position and the tilt angle adjustment operation position, and the operability of each of the above operations can be improved. In addition, the cam hole 92d' and the cam hole 9 shown in FIG.
6b', the release pin 108 is pushed more than the required amount and is held between the tips of the cam holes 92d' and 96b', and the release pin of the cam hole 92d' is pressed when the manual lever 92 returns. 108
There is a possibility that the manual lever 92 may not return properly due to poor pushing efficiency. however,
In the tilt steering device, when the release pin 108 is pushed by the required amount, the cam hole 92
Since the release pin 108 is guided within the circular arc portion _92d2 of d, the release pin 108 is not pushed more than necessary, and is not strongly clamped by the tips of the cam holes 92b and 96d. Release pin 108 of cam hole 92d when manual lever 92 returns
It is possible to prevent the manual lever 92 from returning incorrectly.

Note that this embodiment shows one embodiment of the present invention, and the above-mentioned embodiment can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the present invention;
The figure shows an enlarged side view of the main part, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged partially cutaway plan view of the main part, and Fig. 4 shows the connecting part of the right arm of the fixed bracket and the right arm of the rotating bracket. 5 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 2, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. The figure is a sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 2, Figure 9 is a side view of the manual lever, Figures 10 and 11 are explanatory diagrams of the main parts of the operation, and Figure 12 is the manual lever and plate of the same embodiment. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view showing the shapes of both cam holes provided in the same embodiment, and FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view showing the shapes of both cam holes as a comparative example of the same embodiment. Explanation of symbols, 16... Third steering shaft, 22... Steering wheel, 28... Third column tube, 32... Fixed bracket, 3
4...Instrument panel, 37...Spring, 38...Rotation bracket, 38d...Sector gear, 52...Pole, 52a...Pole teeth, 92...Manual lever, 92d...Cam hole, 9
2d ₁ ... Inclined part, 92d ₂ ... Arc part, 92e ...
Cam groove, 96... plate, 96b... cam hole,
96b ₁ to 96b ₃ ...first circular arc portion, _96b4 ...second
Arc portion, 100...Spring, 106...Roller, 108...Release pin, 110...Pole, 110a...Pole tooth portion, 112...Release pin, 114...Spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A fixed bracket is fixed to a part of the vehicle body below the instrument panel, and a column tube that rotatably supports a tiltable steering shaft and steering wheel is fixed to the fixed bracket. a rotary bracket movably connected; a first spring means interposed between the rotary bracket and the fixed bracket for biasing the rotary bracket upward; and one of the fixed brackets; a first pole that is attached to a side surface so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and releasably meshes with a sector gear formed at the free end of the rotary bracket; a manual lever that is removably assembled to the manual lever; and a manual lever that is integrally provided with the manual lever and that releasably engages with the back of the first pole to restrict the swinging of the first pole. a stopper for maintaining engagement between the teeth of the pawl and the sector gear; a second spring means for biasing the manual lever to engage the stopper with the back of the first pawl;
a first pawl that is interposed between the first pawls and swings the first pawl to disengage its teeth from the sector gear when the manual lever is swung at a set angle against the second spring means; 1 cam means for a vehicle, wherein the rotary bracket is flipped upward by the action of the first spring means when the manual lever is operated to swing at a set angle. , a plate attached to one side of the manual lever so as to be coaxial with the pivots of both the brackets and rotatable in the vertical direction;
a second pawl that is attached to the plate so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and releasably meshes with the sector gear; and a toothed portion of the second pawl that is interposed between the second pawl and the plate. a third spring means for urging the second pawl to mesh with the sector gear; and a third spring means interposed between the plate and the manual lever and cooperating with the first cam means to restrict rotation of the plate. Further, when the manual lever is swung to a set angle, the plate is made rotatable, and when the manual lever is swung beyond the set angle while the rotating bracket is held, the plate is fixed. A second cam means is interposed between a second cam fixed to the bracket, the second pawl and a manual lever, and when the manual lever is swung beyond a set angle, the second cam is swung so that the teeth of the second cam are rotated. A third cam means is provided for releasing the meshing between the rotary bracket and the sector gear, so that when the manual lever is swung beyond a set angle while the rotary bracket is held, the rotary bracket disengages from the fixed bracket. and the first cam means and the second cam means are rotatable with respect to the plate.
A cam means is provided in a first cam hole provided in the manual lever, a second cam hole provided in the plate and partially overlapped with the first cam hole, and provided in the first pole. and a release pin that is inserted into and engaged with both of the cam holes, and the first cam hole is moved from the original position of the release pin when the teeth of the first pole and the sector gear are engaged. The second bracket is formed by an inclined part that extends for a predetermined length while being inclined upward in a direction away from the pivot axes of the two brackets, and an arcuate part centered on the pivot axes of the two brackets that extends upward from the upper end of the inclined part. A cam hole extends a predetermined length from the original position of the release pin, and a first circular arc portion centered on the swing center of the first pole, and a pivot axis of the two brackets that extends upward from an intermediate portion of the first circular arc portion. A tail steering device for a vehicle, characterized in that it is formed by a second circular arc portion having a center.