JPS6236682Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for holding a column jacket of an automobile steering system on a vehicle body.

Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a steering shaft 1 is configured to be able to contract when an excessive load is applied in the axial direction of the steering shaft, and a steering wheel 2 is fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft 1. The other end is connected to a gearbox (both not shown) via a joint. The steering shaft 1 is rotatably supported by a column jacket 3. This column jacket 3 is attached to a vehicle body 5 by a bracket 4, which will be described later. The bracket 4 is fixed to the upper tube 3a of the column jacket 3 by appropriate means such as welding or bolts, and the flanges 6, 6 provided on the left and right sides have parallel notches that open toward the steering wheel 2 side. Grooves 7, 7 are formed respectively.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the notch grooves 7,
A U-shaped slide plate 11 having a long hole 8 corresponding to the flange 6,
The entire steering column is fixedly supported by mounting the steering column on both sides of the steering column 6 and inserting a mounting bolt 10 into the elongated hole 8 and screwing it into a part of the vehicle body 5. .
Here, in the above configuration, if an external force exceeding a set value is applied to the steering wheel 2 between the flanges 6, 6 and the slide plate 11, the bracket 4
Since the slide plate 11 overcomes the tightening force of the mounting bolt 10 and moves relative to each other, the upper tube 3a slides against the lower tube 3b while leaving the slide plate 11 on the vehicle body 5 side. An absorber (not shown) in the contracted portion of the steering shaft 1 or column jacket 3 absorbs the impact energy caused by the secondary collision.

However, in such a conventional structure, before the steering column is assembled to the vehicle body, the X of the slide plate 11 relative to the bracket 4 is
Since there is no positioning in the direction and Y direction, for example, after the slide plates 11, 11 are assembled to the flanges 6, 6, until the steering column is actually assembled into the vehicle, it may be exposed to external vibrations or interact with other parts. In case of contact,
The slide plates 11, 11 may become misaligned or fall off from the flanges 6, 6. Furthermore, the slide plate 11
is made of a thin steel plate, and when it is flat, it is bent into a U-shape after drilling two long holes 8, 8, so the upper and lower long holes 8, 8 are misaligned, and the mounting bolt 10 cannot be inserted. There were other drawbacks.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional art, and particularly provides a steering column holding device that can prevent the slide plate from shifting relative to the bracket or falling off.

The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. In the description of these embodiments, the same parts as those of the above embodiments are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 4 is formed with a substantially U-shaped portion 4a and flange portions 6, 6 provided integrally therewith, and the bottom of the U-shaped portion 4a is welded to the column jacket 3. It is fixed by appropriate fixing means such as screws or bolts. The flange portions 6, 6 are provided with cutout grooves 7, 7 that open toward the steering wheel 2 and are parallel to the steering shaft 1.
is formed. Reference numeral 21 denotes a slide plate having a substantially E-shaped cross section and sandwiched in the vicinity of the notch grooves 7, 7 of the flange portions 6, 6. A long hole 23 corresponding to the notch grooves 7, 7 of the flanges 6, 6 is formed in the center of the slide plate 21. As shown in FIG. 5d, this elongated hole 23 is for inserting a bolt 10 and fixing it to the vehicle body 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the slide plate 21 is made up of two washers 21a, 21a, each of which is formed by bending a single steel plate to have a cross section consisting of a central portion 24 and an ear portion 25. There is. The width d of the central portion 24 on the convex side is slightly narrower than the width D of the cutout grooves 7, 7 of the flanges 6, 6. Ear part 2
5, which will be described later, is in sliding contact with the flanges 6, 6. The central portion 24 has flanges 6, 6 in the axial direction.
Elongated holes 23 corresponding to the notch grooves 7, 7 are bored. Further, a hole 26 is formed in one short-circuit portion 24a of the central portion 24, and an engaging portion 27 that protrudes toward the convex portion of the central portion 24 is formed in the other short-circuit portion 24b. This engaging portion 27 is formed by a generally well-known burring process, and is formed to be slightly longer than the plate thickness t of the washer 21a. Next, the two washers 21 of the same shape formed above are
a, 21a are rotated 90 degrees so that the convex portions of the central portions 24, 24 are in contact with each other, that is, the short-circuit portions 24a, 24b of one washer are opposed to the short-circuit portions 24b, 24a of the other washer. As you do,
When joined, the engaging portion 2 faces the holes 26, 26.
7,27 fits in. At this time, each hole 26, 2
The tips of the engaging portions 27, 27 protrude from 6, and the tips are pressed and expanded with a press or the like, and the washers 21a, 21
a are integrally combined to form a slide plate 21 as shown in FIG. This combined slide plate 21 has a gap along the axial direction at the ear part 25, and this gap is formed by the flange 6,
The dimensions are approximately the same as the plate thickness m of No. 6. however,
In this case, as shown in FIG. Form it so that it is narrower than the In this way, when the slide plate 21 is sandwiched between the flanges 6, 6, the
As shown in FIG.
The outer edge 25a is widened by the plate thickness m of the flanges 6, 6, and the ear portion 25 becomes spring-like and clamps the flanges 6, 6 by this spring force.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show another embodiment, and the main difference is the engaging portion of the washer, and the explanation of the same parts as the above-mentioned structure will be omitted. In FIG. 6, an engaging portion 37 is formed by extending one of the short circuit portions 34a of the central portion 34 in the axial direction, and in FIG.
forming a notch before drilling in the elongated hole 43;
The engaging portions 47 are cut and formed, and these engaging portions 37, 37, 47, 47 are formed by two washers 31a,
Central parts 34, 34, 4 of 31a, 41a, 41a
The convex portions 4 and 44 are brought into contact with each other, and the engaging portions 37 and 3
7, 47, and 47 with a press, respectively, and the washer 31
a, 31a, 41a, 41a are integrally combined to form slide plates 31, 41. A slide plate is formed by joining and fixing the short circuit parts of multiple washers together to form a slide plate.The short circuit part is inserted into the notch groove of the flange, and the flange part is clamped by the ears, so that it can be combined with the slide plate. There is no misalignment of the flange relative to the notch groove, and the slide plate does not fall off the flange, making it easy to assemble. Moreover, since the upper and lower ears of the slide plate are in close contact with the flange, a stable sliding resistance load can be obtained. It has the following effects.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the above embodiment, a joint is formed to join the two washers, but a hole may be bored in the short-circuited portion in the center and they may be fixed together with rivets, or the short-circuited portion may be welded.

Furthermore, it would be even more preferable to coat or apply a lubricating member with a low coefficient of friction to at least one of the sliding portions of the slide plate and the flange.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a conventional steering column device, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of main parts of a conventional steering column holding device, and Fig. 3 is an assembled perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the slide plate in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5a is an exploded perspective view of the slide plate in Fig. 3.
Figure 5b is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 3, Figure 5c is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 3, and Figure 5d is a front view of main parts showing the vehicle body installation state. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams showing other embodiments of this invention. 1... Steering shaft, 2... Steering wheel, 3... Column jacket, 4...
Bracket, 6...Flange, 11, 21, 3
1, 41...Slide plate, 21a, 31
a, 41a... washer, 7, 23, 43... long hole,
24, 34, 44... central part, 24a, 24b,
34a...Short circuit part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It consists of a steering shaft to which the steering wheel is fixed to the upper end, a column jacket that rotatably supports the steering shaft, and a flange fixed to the column jacket and having a notched groove that opens toward the steering wheel. , in a device for attaching a steering column equipped with an energy absorber to a vehicle body, a thin steel plate is bent, a short circuit part protruding to one side in the center and a long hole corresponding to the notch groove of the flange are provided at both ends. The protruding short circuit portions of a plurality of washers each having an ear portion connected to the short circuit portion are joined and fixed to form an integrated slide plate having an E-shaped cross section;
A holding device for a steering column, characterized in that a short-circuit portion is inserted into the notch groove of the flange, and the flange is clamped between ear portions.