JPS6318299Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention provides a first
a steering shaft comprising a shaft portion and a second shaft portion axially movably engaged with the first shaft portion and retaining the steering wheel at a free end; The present invention relates to a telescopic steering device having a restraining device for mutually restraining shaft portions of a vehicle, and an operating lever for operating the restraining device.

In such a device, the axial position of the steering wheel is adjusted according to the physique of the driver by moving the second shaft portion relative to the first shaft portion, and the steering wheel is moved closer to the steering wheel. An operating handle restrains both shaft parts from each other.

Now, in order to confirm this restraint, a device as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used. In other words, the arc-shaped strip 2
A groove 3 is formed in an easy shape in a range corresponding to the restraining position. On the other hand, a ball 4 is housed in a hole on the side of the operating lever 1 facing the arcuate strip 2, and is pressed against the arcuate strip 2 by the force of a spring 5 supported by the bottom of the hole.
When the driver turns the operating lever 1 to enter the range of the groove 3 corresponding to the restraint position for restraint, a rattling sensation is given to the driver's hand, thereby allowing the driver to confirm the restraint position. Now, if the grooves 3 are made deeper, the force required to operate the handle 1 increases, so these grooves 3 are formed relatively shallow. On the other hand, since the groove 3 is shallow, the driver actually feels little sensation and is unsure how much force to exert to restrain the driver. Therefore, the reality is that the driver operates the steering wheel as hard as he or she feels, and then pulls and pushes the steering wheel in the axial direction to check that the two shaft parts are mutually restrained. Even if they were established, their functions could not be trusted.

The present invention provides a device that allows the driver to reliably confirm the mutual restraint of both shaft parts.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a detection element that detects the bending moment of the operating lever and an alarm that generates an alarm upon receiving the output signal of this detection element are provided, and when a specific bending moment is reached, the alarm is activated. Generate an alarm.

3 and 4, an axially extendable steering shaft 10 includes a hollow shaft portion 11 and a solid shaft portion that fits axially movably therein. It consists of 12. The left end of the hollow shaft portion 11 is fixed by welding onto the solid shaft portion 13, which is the third shaft portion, and the right end is connected to the column tube 1 via a ball bearing 14.
It is rotatably supported within 5. A metal boss 17 of the steering wheel 16 is fitted onto the right end range of the hollow shaft part 12 via a serration, and is fixed by a nut 18 which is screwed onto the external thread of the shaft part 12 that projects from this boss 17. . Note that 19 is a plastic boss integrally formed around the metal boss 17;
20 is a steering wheel pad.

In order to axially restrain shaft parts 11 and 12 relative to each other, a restraining device 21 is provided as described below. That is, a slit-like linear groove 22 extending in the axial direction is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the hollow shaft portion 11. A slit-like fan-shaped groove 23 is formed in the hollow shaft portion 12 in a plane passing through its center axis and the straight groove 22 of the shaft portion 11, and the fan-shaped key 24 in this fan-shaped groove 23 fits into the straight groove 22. Straight engagement edge 2
5 and a circular arc edge 26 that approximately corresponds to the circular arc of the fan-shaped groove 23.
It has Further, the fan-shaped key 24 is connected to the engaging edge 2.
A push rod 28 has a straight pressing edge 27 that is substantially perpendicular to 5 and pushes the lower part of this pressing edge 27 in the axial direction.
is a motion converting bolt 3 which is guided so as to be axially movable in the central hole of the solid shaft part 12 and is screwed into a threaded hole 31 opening into the end face of the shaft part coaxially with respect to the central hole of the hollow shaft part 12.
It's number 2. Reference numeral 33 designates an operating lever for rotating the motion converting bolt 32, which extends radially outward through a slit 34 formed in the wheel pad 20 over a predetermined circumferential angle.

After adjusting the length of the steering shaft, that is, the relative position of the shaft portion 11 and the shaft portion 12 in the axial direction, according to the physique of the driver,
When the motion conversion bolt 32 is turned by the operation lever 33, this bolt 32 moves to the left while rotating within the screw hole 31 of the shaft portion 12, and the push rod 28
Push to the left. The push rod 28 presses the lower part of the pressing edge 27 of the fan-shaped key 24, so that the key 24 pivots clockwise within the fan-shaped groove 23 around the center of rotation as shown by the arrow, and the tip of the key 24, that is, the engaging edge 25 and the arcuate edge 26 are pressed against the bottom of the straight groove 22 in the shaft portion 11,
Due to the frictional force between the key tip and the bottom of the straight groove 22,
Shaft portions 11 and 12 are constrained in their axial relative positions and the steering shaft is set to a predetermined length.

According to the present invention, a detection element 41 for detecting a bending moment is provided on the side surface of the operating lever 33. A load cell using a piezoelectric effect can be used as this detection element 41, and its output end is given to a judgment control circuit 43 located in a space covered by the wheel pad 20 via a conductor 42.
The output end of this judgment control circuit 43 is connected to an alarm device 44, such as a horn or a buzzer. The determination control circuit 43 and the alarm 44 can be housed in a case 45. Note that the electrical component 4 inside the case 45 rotates together with the steering wheel 16.
A slip ring 46 is embedded in the outer end surface of the plastic boss 19 in order to supply power to the plastic bosses 3 and 44 from the outside.

As described above, when the driver operates the operating lever 33 to restrain the shaft parts 11 and 12, the operating lever 3 is further pressed even after the restraint is performed.
3, the operating lever 33 bends slightly, and the bending moment is converted into an electrical signal by the detection element 41. When the signal proportional to this bending moment exceeds a predetermined value, the judgment control circuit 4
3 responds by energizing the horn or buzzer 44, and the sound generated thereby allows the driver to confirm that the restraint has been reliably performed.

Note that a lamp that generates a constant light or a flashing light may be used instead of a horn or a buzzer. In this case, a portion of the wheel pad 20 is made transparent so that this light is visible to the driver, but the output of the decision control circuit 43 can also be supplied via the slip ring 46 to a lamp in the instrument panel. Furthermore, in this case, the determination control circuit 43 can also be provided outside the steering wheel.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a front view and a sectional view taken along the - line of a conventional restraint confirmation device, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are a sectional view and a front view taken along the axis of the embodiment of the present invention. 10...Steering shaft, 11...1st
(hollow) shaft part, 12... second (hollow) shaft part, 16... steering wheel, 21... restraint device, 33... operating lever, 4
1... Bending moment detection element, 44... Alarm.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A steering shaft consisting of a first shaft part fixedly arranged in the axial direction and a second shaft part which fits in the first shaft part in an axially movable manner and holds the steering wheel at its free end; A detection element for detecting a bending moment of the operating lever in a telescopic steering device having a restraining device that restrains a first and a second shaft portion mutually in relative positions in an axial direction, and an operating lever that operates the restraining device. and an alarm that generates an alarm upon receiving the output signal of the detection element, and the alarm generates an alarm when a specific bending moment is reached. Device.