JPS6323899Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention has a steering shaft that is electrically connected to one contact of a horn switch in a column pipe that is supported in an electrically conductive state by the vehicle body, and a steering shaft that is electrically connected to one contact of a horn switch. The present invention relates to a horn grounding device for grounding a horn circuit from a steering shaft to a column pipe in a steering column inserted through a material.

Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, such a horn grounding device includes a contact portion 1 that is basically formed into a cylindrical shape from a thin copper plate and is bent radially inward at a plurality of circumferential locations, for example, three locations. The contact member 2 is used to establish an electrical connection between the steering shaft 3 and the column pipe 4. That is, a stepped portion 5 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the column pipe 4, and this stepped portion 5 and the column pipe 4 are connected to each other.
The contact member 2 is inserted into the column pipe 4 so that the contact member 2 is held by the rubber bush 6 interposed between the steering shaft 3 and the rubber bush 6 interposed between the steering shaft 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the steering shaft 3. It is made to contact elastically. However, according to such a conventional structure, it is necessary to insert the contact member 2 into the column pipe 4 before inserting the steering shaft 3 into the column pipe 4.
Moreover, the tip of each contact portion 1 in the contact member 2 is connected to the column pipe 4 of the steering shaft 3.
In order to prevent the steering shaft 3 from hitting the tip of each of the contact parts 1 and bending the contact parts 1 when the steering shaft 3 is inserted into the column pipe 4. , which relied on manual labor such as using special jigs, which hindered the automation of steering column assembly.

The present invention was made to solve these conventional technical problems, and it is possible to make an electrical connection between the steering shaft and column pipe after the steering column assembly is completed, thereby automating the assembly. It is an object of the present invention to provide a horn grounding device for a steering column that eliminates factors that impede the operation of the steering column and improves workability during general maintenance.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG.
A steering shaft 3 is rotatably supported by a column pipe 4 which is supported by a column pipe 4 via clamp members 11 and 12, and the column pipe 4 and the vehicle body 8 are electrically connected to each other.

In FIG. 4, the steering shaft 3 is
A bushing 6 made of a non-conductive material such as rubber is inserted into the column pipe 4 with a bush 6 interposed between the bush 6 and the inner surface of the column pipe 4. Moreover, a steering wheel (not shown) is attached to the tip of the steering shaft 3 (the right end in FIG. 4), and by rotating this steering wheel, the steering shaft 3 rotates around its axis and the vehicle is steered. .

The steering wheel is provided with a horn switch (not shown), and one contact point of the horn switch is connected to the steering shaft 3. The other contact of the horn switch is connected to the battery via a horn, and in order to ground such a horn circuit to the vehicle body 8, the steering shaft 3 and column pipe 4 are constructed according to the present invention. electrically connected.

Referring also to FIG. 5, a rectangular hole 13 is bored in the middle of the column pipe 4.
By fitting the contact member 14 into the column pipe 4 and the steering shaft 3, the column pipe 4 and the steering shaft 3 are electrically connected.

In FIG. 6, the contact member 14 has a holder 15 made of synthetic resin, for example, acetal resin.
A contact piece 16 made of a conductive material such as a thin copper plate is integrally held, and when the holder 15 is fitted into the hole 13 of the column pipe 4, the contact piece 16 contacts the inner surface of the column pipe 4 and the steering shaft. 3, thereby electrically connecting the column pipe 4 and the steering shaft 3.

In FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, the holder 15 basically has a rectangular shape that covers the hole 13, and is formed in an arc shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the column pipe 4. In this holding body 15, a pair of substantially C-shaped holding parts 17 and 18, which are thicker than the central part, are provided at both ends of the column pipe 4 along the circumferential direction, respectively.

One holding part 17 has a contact surface 19 corresponding to one edge of the hole 13 along the circumferential direction of the column pipe 4.
a linear projecting edge 19 and a pair of side edges 20, 2 extending outward from both ends of the projecting edge 19 at right angles.
1, and on the opposing surfaces of both side edges 20 and 21,
Locking protrusions 2 having a wall thickness corresponding to the wall thickness d1 of the central portion of the holding body 15 and protruding in a direction in which they approach each other
2 and 23 are respectively provided protrudingly. Further, on the upper surface side of both the locking protrusions 22 and 23, a projecting edge 19 is provided at a corner formed by the projecting edge 19 and both side edges 20 and 21.
Notches 24 and 25 are formed respectively extending in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, at the lower end of the ridge 19,
A guide protrusion 26 that can protrude into the column pipe 4 is provided to protrude from one end edge of the hole 13 .

The other holding part 18 is also formed in a substantially C shape, consisting of a projecting edge 27 having an abutment surface 27a and a pair of side edges 28, 29, like the one holding part 17, and a pair of locking protrusions 30, 31, a pair of notches 32, 33
and guide protrusion 34 are formed in the same manner.

In FIG. 10, recesses 35 and 36 are provided on both sides of the central portion of the holding body 15 between the holding parts 17 and 18, respectively. The bottoms of these recesses 35, 36 correspond to the edges of the hole 13 along the axial direction of the column pipe 4, and the locking claws 37,
38 is provided integrally with the holding body 15. One of the locking claws 37 is approximately composed of a support portion 39 that extends in a straight line and connected to the bottom of the recess 35, and an engagement portion 40 that bends outward and reverses from the end of the support portion 39. The distance d2 between the stepped portion 40a near the tip of the engaging portion 4 and the lower surface of the holder 15, which is formed in an L-shape, is determined in accordance with the wall thickness of the column pipe 4.

The other locking pawl 38 is also formed in a substantially L-shape consisting of a support portion 41 and an engaging portion 42, similarly to the one locking pawl 37 described above.

In FIG. 11, the contact piece 16 includes a pair of held parts 43 and 44 held by both holding parts 17 and 18 of the holding body 15, and the held parts 43 and 44.
a pair of contact portions 45 and 46 that are continuous with each other and are curved to correspond to the inner circumferential surface of the column pipe 4, and both contact portions 4.
A pair of elastic parts 47, 48 extending in the direction of spreading from 5, 46, a pair of inverted curved parts 49, 50 that are curved and inverted at the ends of each elastic part 47, 48, and both inverted curved parts 49, Holding body 15 to connect between 50
The connecting portion 51 is curved convexly toward the side.

Both held parts 43 and 44 have locking protrusions 22, 23, and 3 on both holding parts 17 and 18 of the holding body 15.
engagement notches 52 that can be engaged with 0 and 31, respectively;
53, 54, 55 and each notch 24, 25, 3
2 and 33, respectively.
7, 58, and 59, respectively, and the held parts 43, 44 are held in contact with the contact surfaces 19a, 27a of the holding parts 17, 18, respectively. Moreover, in this holding state, the distance l1 from the lower surface of the holding body 15 to the double-reversing curved portions 49 and 50
is selected to be larger than the distance l2 between the outer circumferential surface of the column pipe 4 and the outer circumferential surface of the steering shaft 3 in the steering column 7 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

Next, to explain the operation of this embodiment, when electrically connecting the column pipe 4 and the steering shaft 3, after inserting the steering shaft 3 into the column pipe 4 and assembling the steering column 7, , hole 1 of column pipe 4
The contact member 14 may be fitted to the contact member 3. That is, the guide projections 26, 34 of the contact member 14
are opposed to both edges of the hole 13 along the circumferential direction of the column pipe 4, and the engaging portions 4 of both the locking claws 37, 38
0 and 42 are brought into contact with both ends of the hole 13 along the axial direction of the column pipe 4, and the holder 15 is inserted into the hole 13 while being bent. Then, from the double inverted curved portions 49 and 50 of the contact piece 16,
The distance l1 to the lower surface of the column pipe 4 is larger than the distance l2 between the outer surface of the column pipe 4 and the outer surface of the steering shaft 3 in a natural state. 50
are in contact with the outer surface of the steering shaft 3 and are expanded in directions away from each other. Therefore, the contact piece 16 exerts a resilient force along the radial direction of the steering shaft 3, and the contact portions 45, 46 resiliently abut against the inner surface of the column pipe 3, and the double-reversing curved portion 45, 50 or a portion of the connecting portion 51 close to it is the steering shaft 3
springs into contact with the outer surface of the Therefore, the outer surface of the steering shaft 3 and the inner surface of the column pipe 4 are electrically connected via the contact piece 16. Moreover, in this state, both the locking pieces 37, 38
Since the tips of the engaging portions 40 and 42 are in contact with the inner surface of the column pipe 4, the contact member 14 will not easily slip out from the hole 13.

As described above, according to the present invention, a hole is bored in the middle of the column pipe, and the hole is made of a conductive material and elastically contacts the outer peripheral surface of the steering shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the column pipe. Since the contact member with the contact piece to be obtained is fitted, the steering shaft and column pipe can be electrically connected after the steering column assembly is completed, which eliminates the problem of automating the steering column assembly and also makes it easier to perform general maintenance. Work efficiency also improves.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 show the prior art;
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the main part, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 1, Figs. 3 to 11 show an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the steering column. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of main parts, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the contact member, Figure 7 is a plan view of the holder, and Figure 8 is the holder. 9 is a front view of the
0 is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 8, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the contact piece. 3... Steering shaft, 4... Column pipe, 6... Bush, 7... Steering column, 8... Vehicle body, 13... Hole, 14... Contact member, 16... Contact piece.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A steering column in which a steering shaft electrically connected to one contact of a horn switch is inserted into a column pipe that is supported in electrical continuity with the vehicle body, with a non-conductive material interposed between them. A hole is bored in the middle of the column pipe, and the hole has a contact having a contact piece made of a conductive material and capable of elastically contacting the outer peripheral surface of the steering shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the column pipe. A horn grounding device for a steering column, characterized in that members are fitted together.