JPS63258268A - Tilt steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an upper column and a steering wheel to spring upward at the time of collision by making it impossible to release the engagement between a movable gear member and a fixed gear member due to the collision. CONSTITUTION:A bracket 32 is fixed onto the 3 lower surface of an upper bracket 22 so as to support a movable gear 42. A tooth portion formed on the movable gear 42 is meshed with the tooth portion 48 of a fixed gear fixed to a lower bracket 24. A supporting hanger 50 is arranged outside the lower bracket 24, and in connecting portion 56 of the supporting hanger 50 extends further downward from the movable gear member 42 and the fixed gear member 46, and then, a shaft 58 is inserted through a portion approximate to the connection portion 56. The middle portion on the shaft 58 is engagable with a tilt surface which is the back surface of the tooth portion 44 at the free end of the movable gear member 42, thereby forming a lock means. Therefore, the operation of a stopper means makes it impossible to release the engagement of the gears despite any collision at the time of locking.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a tilt steering device for a vehicle, and particularly to a tilt steering device that is improved to prevent a steering wheel from jumping up in the event of a collision.

[Prior art and its problems]

In a conventional tilt steering device (so-called oscillating tilt type) with increased support rigidity, the upper column that accommodates the upper steering shaft is pivotable around a tilt pin relative to the lower column, and the upper column In some models, a 5F moving gear member pivotally mounted on the upper bracket side of the lower column can mesh with a fixed gear member fixedly installed on the lower bracket side of the lower column. The engagement or disengagement of both gear members is performed by an operating lever (for example, according to Utility Model Publication No. 11 to 144589).
).

This tilt steering device is provided with a support hanger that is pivotable around a tilt pin and rotated by an operating lever, a movable gear member is pivotably provided on the upper bracket, and a shaft as a locking means is fixed to the support hanger. The member is biased from the direction of the column axis to engage the inclined surface of the back surface of the movable gear member, thereby regulating rotation of the movable gear member. However, in this type of tilt lock device, the support hanger and the operating lever are integrally connected, so when the vehicle collides, the so-called secondary collision impact causes the support hanger to rotate forward and cause the support hanger to move to the right. (rotation), the movable gear member is no longer restricted by the shaft member of the support hanger, and the movable gear member rotates and becomes disengaged from the fixed gear member.

When the two gear members disengage, it is conceivable that the upper bracket, upper column, and steering wheel will spring up due to the action of the spring that is stretched between the upper bracket and the lower bracket.

A spring is tensioned between the upper bracket and the support hanger to bias the support hanger in the direction of locking the movable gear member, but the forward impact force generated on the support hanger due to a collision is quite large. The above result is achieved by exceeding this spring force.

The present invention aims to eliminate the drawbacks in the above-mentioned prior art,
That is, the object of this invention is to provide a tilt steering device that has been improved and devised so that the movable gear member and the fixed gear member will not become disengaged due to a collision.

[Means and effects for solving the problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and in the present invention, a fixed gear member fixed to the lower column side and a solid gear member pivotally connected to the upper column side are used. From the position where the locking means is engaged with the movable gear member meshing with the gear member, the operating lever is further biased in the locking operation direction in the free state so as to be rotatable.

Ah? It is desired that the Tacolum be provided with a stopper means, and that the operation lever be provided with a cutout surface that engages with the stopper means in the free state and prevents the locking means from moving in the column axis direction in this state.

As a result, during tilt operation, only the operating lever is pivoted at the initial stage of the downward pivoting of the operating lever, and the engagement between the stopper of the upper column and the notch surface of the operating lever is released, and thereafter, the operating lever is The shaft member of the support hanger, which is the locking means, pivots together, and the locking means is separated from the movable gear member and a normal tilt adjustment operation is performed.

On the other hand, even if the support hanger, operating lever, etc. try to pivot around the tilt pin due to the primary collision of the vehicle, the operating lever is in a free state where the driver is not operating the operating lever at this time. The cutout surface engages with the stopper of the upper column to prevent pivoting of the support hanger, that is, to prevent disengagement of the fixed gear member and the movable gear member.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, an upper steering shaft 12 with a steering pole 10 fixed to the upper end is attached to an upper column 2.
0 and is rotatably supported. On the other hand, a lower steering shaft 18 whose lower end is connected to an input shaft 17 of a steering gear 16 via a universal joint 14 is inserted into a lower column 23 provided below an upper column 20 and is rotatably supported. The shafts 12 and 18 are connected to each other within the column 20.23 by a universal joint (not shown). The lower column 23 is fixed to the vehicle body part 19 by a lower bracket 24.

Next, the details of the tilt mechanism of the first embodiment will be explained based on FIGS. 2 to 4.

The upper column 20 has a cylindrical shape, and an upper bracket 22 having a pair of side plates is fixed to the lower end thereof. Lower brackets 24 are fixed to the upper ends of the lower columns 23 on the outer sides of the side plates of the upper brackets 22.
The tilt pin 2 is fitted into the side plate of the upper bracket 22 and the lower bracket 24 and passes through each side plate of the upper bracket 22 and the lower bracket 24.
6, the upper bracket 22 is rotatable about the tilt pin 26 as a fulcrum. Therefore, the upper column 20 and the upper steering shaft 12 fixed to the upper bracket 22 can be tilted about the tilt pin 26 as a fulcrum, and the position (height) of the steering wheel 10 can be adjusted. The upper steering shaft 12 and the lower steering shaft 18 are tiltably connected by a universal joint in the column. A tension spring 30 is stretched between the upper bracket 22 and the lower bracket 24, and the upper bracket 22 is rotated in one direction (in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2).
is energized.

A U-shaped bracket 3 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper bracket 22.
2 is fixed. This bracket 32 consists of a ceiling part 34 fixed to the upper bracket 22, and a pair of side walls 36 and 38 extending downward from both ends of the ceiling part 34, and supports a movable gear member 42, which will be described later. One side wall portion 36 is formed with a claw portion 40 as a stopper means extending in any direction.A shaft 40 is formed on both side wall portions 36 and 38.
4 is inserted, and one end of a movable gear member 42 is pivotally supported by a shaft 44 between the side wall portions 36 and 38.

A tooth portion 44 is formed on the upper surface of the free end of the movable gear member 42 . This tooth portion 44 is a turning portion that meshes with a tooth portion 48 of a fixed gear member 46 fixed to the lower collar catch 24.

A support hanger 50 is arranged further outside the lower bracket 24. The support hanger 50 is composed of a pair of arms 52 and 54 spaced apart from each other, and a connecting part 56 that connects the arms 52 and 54, and has a U-shape as a whole, with the free end of each arm connected to the tilt pin. It is supported by 26.

The connecting portion 56 of the support hanger 50 extends further downward than the movable gear member 42 and the fixed gear member 46, and penetrates both arm portions 52 and 54 at a portion of both arms 52 and 54 that is closer to the connecting portion 56. A shaft 58 is inserted therethrough. The intermediate portion of the shaft 58 is capable of engaging with a lower inclined surface which is the back surface of the tooth portion 44 at the free end of the movable gear member 42, thereby forming a locking means. Further, an operating lever 60 is pivotally fitted to one end of the shaft 58.

The operating lever 60 includes a cylindrical sleeve 62 that is fitted onto a shaft 58 and is rotatable about the shaft 58, a side plate portion 63 that is fixed to the sleeve 62, and a side plate portion 63 that is bent in a right angle direction and attached to a steering wheel lO. The side plate part 63 is composed of an extension part 64 extending in the direction of , and a grip part 66 at the tip of the extension part 64 . Overhang part 78
A recess 80 is formed on the upper surface of the bracket 32, and a cutout surface 85 of the recess 80 can engage with the pawl 40 of the bracket 32 when the operating lever 60 is in a free state.

A spring 84 is disposed between the overhang portion 78 and the connection portion 56 of the support hanger, and the spring 84 is arranged externally on the sleeve 62 .
The operating lever 60 is urged upward (in the left rotation direction in the figure m2). A spring 55 is stretched between the upper column "7" 22 and the support hanger 50, and urges the support hanger in the column axis direction (left rotation direction) so that the shaft 58 presses the inclined surface of the movable gear member 42. It is made to be.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, when explaining the tilt operation, the driver presses the control lever 6.
When the grip part 66 of 0 is grasped by hand and pushed down, the operating lever 60 is moved independently of the support handle 50 (only the lever 60) in the range between 60 and 60a in FIG. Pivoting and concave due to this? ! The cutout surface 85 of &80 and the claw portion 40 are at a position where they do not interfere.

When the operating lever 60 is in the state where / Rotate to the right using as a fulcrum. This clockwise rotation causes the shaft 58 provided on the support hanger 50 to rotate around the tilt pin 26 and disengage from the lower inclined surface of the movable gear member 42 . At this time, as the shaft 58 moves, the movable gear member 42 is rotated to the left around the shaft 44 by a separately provided cam means, and the tooth portion 44 of the movable gear member 42 is disengaged from the tooth portion 48 of the fixed gear member 46. In this state, the upper bracket 22 and the upper column 20 are biased in the counterclockwise direction by the tension spring 30, so that they are rotated counterclockwise with respect to the lower bracket 24 about the tilt pin 26 as a fulcrum.

The steering wheel lO is flipped up.

To adjust the position of the steering wheel 10, with the operating lever 60 pressed down, the driver pushes down the steering wheel IO until it reaches the optimum position.
0, the operating lever 60 returns upward as it is urged upward in the column axis direction, each member operates in the opposite direction to that described above, and the shaft 58 is moved from the lower inclined surface of the movable gear member 42. The fixed gear member 46 and the movable gear member 42 are locked in a meshed state, and the steering wheel 1
0 is prevented from pivoting relative to the lower bladder 24 and is fixed.

Next, the operation when a vehicle collides will be explained. As mentioned above, when a vehicle collides, the impact of the primary collision causes the support hanger 50. The shaft 58, operating lever 60, etc. receive the force of moving the vehicle forward. In other words, it attempts to rotate to the right around the tilt pin 26. However, when the operating lever 60 is locked, that is, in a free state, the claw portion 40, which is the stopper means of the bracket 32, is fitted into the four parts 80 of the overhanging portion 78 of the operating lever, as shown in FIG. The portion 40 is in a state of interfering with the cutout surface 85 of the recess 80. Therefore, the support/\\nger 50 and the operation reno <-QA termination injection 9 rM
Even if an attempt is made to move in the L-lead direction (in front of the collision H'?), the notch surface 85 comes into contact with the claw portion 40, and this movement (pivot) in the column axis direction is blocked. Therefore, the engagement between the shaft 58, which is the locking means, and the movable gear member 42 is not released, and the movable gear member 42 pivots (rotates to the left) around the shaft 44, and the teeth 44 and the fixed gear member 46 is never disengaged from the teeth 48. Therefore, the steering wheel 1O jumps up during the primary collision and the steering wheel 1 that the driver jumps up during the secondary collision.
Accidents such as collisions with zeros and injuries can be prevented.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
The shaft 92 inserted through the side wall 36 of the recess 80
It is designed to engage with.

Further, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the stopper means is formed by the pivot 44 of the movable gear member 42, and the side wall cutout surface 98 of the notch 96 of the bending plate 77 provided on the operating lever 60 is 6th
If it is done as shown in the figure, the structure on the bracket 32 side will be simplified.

It goes without saying that the detailed structure of the present invention can be modified and improved in other ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the locking means is engaged with the fixed gear member that is solid on the lower column side and the movable gear member that is pivotally mounted on the upper column side and meshes with the fixed gear member. From this position, the operating lever is further biased in the locking direction in the free state so that it can rotate freely, and the upper column is provided with a stopper means, and in the free state it engages with the stopper means and in this state the locking means is activated. Since the operating lever is provided with a cutout surface that prevents the column from moving in the axial direction, the support hanger and operating lever move forward in the event of a primary vehicle collision, unlocking the movable gear member and causing the steering wheel to flip up. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the driver from being injured by hitting his face on the raised steering wheel due to a secondary collision. Of course, the tilt operation can be performed as usual, the steering wheel can be adjusted to the optimal position, and the locking means is disengaged at the beginning of the push-down operation of the control lever.
There are no problems.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall front view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line rV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a front view of a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a front view of a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols of main parts] lO・・・・・・・・・Steering wheel 1
2・・・・・・・・・・・・Upper steering shaft 18
・・・・・・・・・Lower steering shaft 19・
・・・・・・・・・・・・Vehicle body part 20・・・・・・・・・
・・Upper column 23 ・・Lower column 26 ・・・・・Tilt pin 4
0......Claw portion (stopper means) 42
......Movable gear member 46...
......Fixed gear member 58...
...Shaft (locking means) 60...
・Operation lever 84... Spring 85... Notch surface Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An upper column that rotatably supports an upper steering shaft with a steering wheel fixed to its upper end, and a lower steering shaft that is fixed to a vehicle body and connected to the upper steering shaft via a universal joint. a lower column that is freely supported; the upper column is coupled to the lower column by a tilt pin so as to be tiltable; a fixed gear member is fixed to the lower column side; and a fixed gear member is fixed to the upper column side. A movable gear member is pivotally mounted to engage with the upper column to fix the upper column inclined with respect to the lower column in that position, and when the movable gear member and the fixed gear member are engaged, the movable gear member is engaged with the upper column in the column axial direction. a locking means that engages with a bias from above to prevent rotation of the movable gear member; and an operation provided on the locking means to release the engagement between the movable gear member and the locking means by rotating a predetermined amount. In the tilt steering device, the operating lever is further biased in a locking direction in a free state from a position in which the locking means is engaged with the movable gear member meshed with the fixed gear member. The upper column is rotatable, and the upper column is provided with a stopper means, and the operating lever has a cutout surface that engages with the stopper means in the free state and prevents the locking means from moving in the column axial direction. A tilt steering device characterized by being provided with.