JPS6334341B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a type of steering wheel in which the pads do not rotate during steering operation, and more particularly to a planetary gear mechanism for preventing the pads from rotating.

Prior Art In a conventional non-rotating pad steering wheel equipped with a planetary gear mechanism, rattling occurred due to backlash between the sun gear and the planetary gear. Therefore, there is a problem in that the pads shake in the direction of rotation or generate abnormal noise due to vibrations caused by steering operations or while driving, which impairs the operational feel and the luxurious feel of the automobile.

Purpose The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems with conventional steering wheels, and its purpose is to constantly press the tooth surfaces of the planetary gear and the sun gear in the direction of rotation. In order to contact
This is a new product that virtually absorbs bumps between the gears and prevents pad rattling and noise caused by steering operations and vibrations while driving, and does not impair the steering feel or the luxurious feel of the car. Our goal is to provide a steering wheel with a unique feel.

Structure The steering wheel of the present invention is a steering wheel in which the pads do not rotate using a planetary gear mechanism, and has a planetary shaft equipped at both ends with planetary gears on the column side and the pad side that mesh with sun gears on the column side and the pad side. Two or more planetary shafts are provided, and the planetary gear on one side of at least one of the planetary shafts is pressed and biased toward the rotational direction of the planetary shaft by a rotational biasing means made of an elastic member, and is engaged with the sun gear. Furthermore, by meshing a planetary gear attached to a planetary shaft other than this planetary shaft with the sun gear, a pressing force was applied to the meshing tooth surfaces of these planetary gears and the sun gear. This is the structure.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described as a first embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 2, 1 is a column of an automobile.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a steering shaft that passes through the inside of the column 1, and a boss plate 3 is fastened to an end of the steering shaft with a nut 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a ring for performing a steering operation, and is supported by one or more spokes 6 extending from the boss plate 3.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a column-side sun gear made of synthetic resin that is fixed to the column 1 with a plurality of bolts 8, and the steering shaft 2 passes through its center. Reference numeral 9 denotes a pad-side sun gear made of synthetic resin that is rotatably attached to the protruding portion 3a of the boss plate 3 using a bearing 10, and is formed to have the same number of teeth as the column-side sun gear 7. Reference numeral 11 denotes a pad attached to the sun gear 9 on the pad side with a plurality of bolts 12, and a switch (not shown) for a crankshaft, radio, headlight, constant speed running device, etc. can be attached to the front of the pad. It's getting old.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a planetary shaft that passes through the outer peripheral portion of the boss plate 3 and extends to both the column side and the pad side. Reference numeral 14 denotes a bearing member made of synthetic resin such as polyacetal, which is attached to the boss plate 3, and is designed to rotatably support the center portion of the planetary shaft 13 as a sliding bearing. 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes a column-side planetary gear made of synthetic resin fixed to the column-side end of the planetary shaft 13, and is meshed with the column-side sun gear 7.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a pad-side planetary gear made of synthetic resin that is rotatably but not detachably attached to the pad-side end of the planetary shaft 13, and is formed to have the same number of teeth as the column-side planetary gear 15. It is meshed with the pad side sun gear 9. 17 is a coil spring disposed inside the pad-side planetary gear 16, and both ends thereof are connected to the planetary shaft 13, respectively.
and the inner wall of the planetary gear 16, and is normally provided in a contracted state in the winding direction. Therefore, the coil spring 17 biases both the planetary gears 15 and 16 to rotate in relatively opposite directions, and the planetary gears 15 and 16 are biased toward the sun gear 7 and the planetary gear 16, respectively.
9 so that the tooth surfaces are always pressed into contact with each other in the rotating direction.

18 is a locking groove formed at the end of the pad-side planetary gear 16, and 19 is a projection provided on the planetary shaft 13 so as to be able to move slightly within the locking groove 18. That is, the pad side planetary gear 16 resists the elasticity of the coil spring 17 and
The locking groove 18 restricts the moving end of the protrusion 19 so that it can rotate relative to the planetary shaft 13 by one to several pitches.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a planetary shaft that passes through a portion of the outer circumferential portion of the boss plate 3 on the opposite side of the planetary shaft 13 by 180 degrees, and is supported by the bearing member 14 mentioned above. Reference numeral 21 denotes a column-side planetary gear which is similarly fixed to the column-side end of the planetary shaft 20 as the column-side planetary gear 15. Reference numeral 22 designates a pad-side planetary gear attached to the pad-side end of the planetary shaft 20 in the same manner as the pad-side planetary gear 16. The planetary gear 22 also has a coil spring 1
7, the locking groove 18 and the protrusion 19
Although the amount of rotation is regulated by this, the urging direction is opposite to that of the pad-side planetary gear 16. Therefore, both pad-side planetary gears 16 and 22 always bias the pad-side sun gear 9 with substantially equal force in opposite rotation directions (the protrusion 19 is in contact with both ends of the locking groove 18). The sun gear 9 is hardly rotated in either direction by the same biasing force.

At the same time, both column side planetary gears 15 and 21 are connected to the column side sun gear 7 (fixed to column 1).
are urged in mutually opposite rotational directions, and their meshing tooth surfaces are always pressed into contact with each other.

Next, the effects of the embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

Now, when the ring 5 is rotated to perform steering operation, as the boss plate 3 is rotated, the planetary gears 15, 16, 21 on the column side and the pad side,
22 are column side and pad side sun gears 7 and 9, respectively.
It revolves around the planet while rotating on its own axis. Here, the column side sun gear 7 is not rotatable, and
The number of teeth of the sun gear 7 and pad side sun gear 9 are the same, and both the column side and pad side planetary gears 1
Since the numbers of teeth 5, 16, 21, and 22 are also the same, the pad-side sun gear 9 is in a stationary state, and the pad 11 fixed to the sun gear 9 is rotated relative to the column 1 regardless of steering operation. It is always in a stationary state.

Also, at this time, each planetary gear 15, 16, 21, 2
2 rotates and revolves while always keeping its tooth surface in pressure contact with the tooth surface of each sun gear 7, 9.
The backlash existing between the gears is substantially absorbed and the backlash disappears, and the pad side sun gear 9 and pad 11 are reliably supported.

Therefore, the pad 11 does not rattle in the rotational direction even during steering operation or when driving with strong vibrations, and the occurrence of abnormal noise is also prevented. Therefore, the feeling of steering operation and the luxurious feel of the automobile are not impaired.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above, and may be embodied as follows, for example.

(1) The rotation biasing means for the planetary gears 15, 16, 21, 22 is not limited to the coil spring 17 and its method of installation; for example, as shown in FIG. A leaf spring 23 may be provided on the outer periphery, or a leaf spring 23 may be provided between the planetary shafts 13, 20 and the inner walls of the planetary gears 16, 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, or other elastic members such as rubber may be used. Appropriate measures may be taken.

(2) The rotation biasing means is connected to the column side planetary gear 15,
21, or the planetary gears 15, 16 on both sides.
21 and 22.

(3) At least two sets of planetary gears on the column side and pad side attached to both ends of the planetary shaft are required as in the above embodiment, but only one of them is equipped with a rotational biasing means as mentioned above. It is sufficient if it relates to at least one set of. For example, in the embodiment described above, even if only one set of planetary gears is biased to rotate by the coil spring 17 and the other set of planetary gears is fixed to the planetary shaft in a non-rotatable manner,
Rotation of the pad-side sun gear 9 and pad 11 due to the rotation biasing force is prevented, and the same effect as in the previous embodiment is achieved.

In addition, when rotating all sets of planetary gears,
As in the above embodiment, the biasing force is balanced by reversing the biasing direction, and the pad side sun gear 9
It is also necessary to prevent the pad 11 from rotating due to the rotation urging force.

(4) The locking groove 18 and the protrusion 19 are connected to the planetary gear 1
5, 16, 21, and 22 are provided so that they can be easily assembled, and may be omitted.

Effects As detailed above, the present invention provides a steering wheel with non-rotating pads using a planetary gear mechanism, which is provided with planetary gears on the column side and pad side at both ends that mesh with sun gears on the column side and pad side. Two or more planetary shafts are provided, and the planetary gear on one side of at least one of the planetary shafts is pressed and biased toward the rotational direction of the planetary shaft by a rotational biasing means made of an elastic member. By meshing with the sun gear and further meshing with the sun gear a planetary gear attached to a planetary shaft other than this planetary shaft, a pressing force is applied to the meshing tooth surfaces of these planetary gears and the sun gear. As a result, the tooth surface of the planetary gear and the tooth surface of the sun gear are always pressed in contact with each other in the rotational direction, so bumps between the gears are substantially absorbed, and pad rattles caused by steering operations or vibrations during driving are eliminated. It can prevent the occurrence of sticking and abnormal noise, and has an excellent effect that does not impair the steering feel or the luxury feel of the car.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing an embodiment embodying the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the end of the planetary gear, and Figs. 3 and 4 show rotation of the planetary gear. A sectional view showing another example of the biasing means, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another example shown in FIG. 4. Column side sun gear...7, Pad side sun gear...
…9, Planetary shaft……13,20, Column side planetary gear……15,21, Pad side planetary gear……1
6, 22, Coil spring... 17, Leaf spring...
…23.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a pad rotation type steering wheel using a planetary gear mechanism, planetary gears 15, 16 on the column side and pad side mesh with sun gears 7, 9 on the column side and pad side,
Planetary shafts 13, 2 with 21, 22 at both ends
0, and at least one of the planetary gears 16, 2 on one side of the planetary shaft 13, 20.
2 is meshed with the sun gears 7, 9 in a state in which it is urged in the direction of rotation of the planetary shafts 13, 20 by rotational urging means 17, 23 made of elastic members, and furthermore, this planetary shaft 13 , 20 are meshed with the sun gears 7, 9, and the planetary gears 15, 16, 21, 22 are pressed against the meshing tooth surfaces of the sun gears 7, 9. A steering wheel characterized by applying a biasing force. 2 Planetary gears 15, 16, 21, 2 that are biased to rotate
2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein there are two or more sets of steering wheels, and each set has a rotational biasing direction different from the other. 3 The rotation biasing means 17, 23 are planetary gears 16, 2
3. The steering wheel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both ends of the steering wheel are spring means which are engaged with planetary gears 16, 22 and planetary shafts 13, 20, respectively.