KR100954065B1 - Electronic steering column locking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic steering column lock apparatus for automobiles, comprising: a drive motor having a worm driving shaft, a worm wheel coupled with the worm driving shaft, a lead screw rotating integrally with the worm wheel, and the lead on one side; It is characterized in that it comprises a lock slider for reciprocating according to the rotation of the lead screw is formed is formed screw thread is inserted and coupled to the screw. Thereby, the stability, quietness and durability of the electronic steering column lock device can be improved and the weight of the product can also be achieved.

Steering column lock, lead screw, light weight, noise reduction

Description

Electronic steering column lock device {ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCKING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an electronic steering column lock device, and more particularly, to an electronic steering column lock device provided for locking or unlocking a steering column coupled to a steering wheel of a vehicle.

The conventional steering column locking device converts the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion of the locking member by a power transmission element including a gear and cam or a rack and pinion combination to lock the steering column by the locking member ( locking and unlocking were achieved.

However, according to such a conventional steering column lock device, there is a problem of causing excessive noise due to the operation of the power transmission element.

In addition, the power transmission element has a complicated structure, which not only causes a cost increase, but also a whole steering column lock device is designed to be produced through a complicated assembly process, and thus there is much room for improvement in this regard.

In the conventional steering column locking device, the control of the motor is performed in the process of turning on / off the contact of the switch due to the movement of the locking member. There was a problem that the switch may be worn and malfunction of the motor may occur.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic steering column lock device having an improved structure to achieve a quiet operation.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an electronic steering column lock apparatus having an improved structure so that quick and easy assembly can be achieved.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an electronic steering column lock device with improved durability.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic steering column lock apparatus comprising: a drive motor having a worm drive shaft; A worm wheel coupled with the worm driving shaft; A lead screw coaxially with the worm wheel and integrally rotating; And a screw groove for inserting and coupling the lead screw to one side thereof, and providing a lock slider reciprocating according to the rotation of the lead screw.

Here, the lock slider has a slide rib protruding on one side, the electronic steering column lock device for determining the locking or unlocking operation of the lock slider by detecting the position of the slide rib during the reciprocating movement of the lock slider. It may further include a non-contact sensor.

In this case, the non-contact sensor may be an optical sensor.

In addition, the lock slider, the screw groove is formed on one side of the slider body reciprocates in accordance with the rotation of the lead screw, and the other side of the lock body formed with a lock groove portion on the other side, at least partially inserted into the lock groove portion to be slidably limited It may include a lock to be restrained and an elastic member inserted into the lock groove to press the lock to protrude.

The slider body may further include a cover plate having at least the other side portion having a rectangular cross section, and the electronic steering column lock apparatus having a guide groove portion into which the other side portion of the slider body is inserted and slides.

The electronic steering column lock apparatus may further include a printed circuit board having a terminal which is fixedly supported by the driving motor and connected to the driving motor.

In this case, the electronic steering column lock device may further include a worm wheel housing fixed to the printed circuit board to receive and rotate the worm wheel.

The worm wheel housing may accommodate and support one end of the lead screw together with the worm wheel, and one end of the worm wheel and one end of the lead screw may include a bush at a portion that is in rotational contact with the worm wheel housing.

The electronic steering column lock device may further include a base cover for receiving and supporting the printed circuit board.

In addition, the electronic steering column lock apparatus may include a pair of stoppers formed to be spaced apart from each other to limit the reciprocating movement of the lock slider, and the lock slider may include a bush at a portion that contacts each stopper during the reciprocating movement. .

The lock slider may include a switching protrusion formed at one side, and the electronic steering column lock device may further include a check switch that is turned on and off by the switching protrusion when the lock slider reciprocates.

According to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, the worm wheel and the lead screw is rotated coaxially integrally, and by taking the relatively simple power transmission structure in which the lock slider reciprocates due to the rotation of the lead screw, the power of the conventional motor Compared to the case of the transmission element, the operation noise can be greatly reduced, and it can also contribute to the weight reduction of the product.

In addition, according to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, by detecting the reciprocating movement of the lock slider by a non-contact sensor it is possible to minimize the damage of parts due to wear to improve the durability of the product.

 In addition, according to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, the lock of the lock slider is pushed out by the elastic member to minimize the damage to the product and the vehicle side by allowing the lock to cushion the steering column. Can be.

 In addition, according to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, the rectangular slider body is inserted into the guide groove of the cover plate and guided so that the lock slider can be operated accurately and quietly.

 In addition, according to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, the configuration of the printed circuit board connected to the drive motor at the same time fixedly supported, the configuration for supporting the rotation of the worm wheel through the worm wheel housing fixed on the printed circuit board, The stability of the driving of the product through the configuration of the base cover for supporting the printed circuit board, and at the same time to escape from the assembly structure that can be tested in the state of the conventional finished product, even in the state of semi-finished product assembly of the motor, worm wheel, lead screw and lock slider It is possible to test the operating state.

 In addition, according to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, by providing a bushing at the contact portion of the worm wheel and the lead screw rotation contact and the completion of the reciprocating movement of the lock slider, it is possible to prevent damage to the parts to improve the durability of the product. In addition, noise can be minimized during operation.

 In addition, according to the electronic steering column lock apparatus according to the present invention, the malfunction of the product by allowing the locking protrusion of the lock slider and the check switch operated on and off by the lock slider to check the locking state of the steering column during use of the vehicle Can contribute to the prevention of accidents.

Electronic steering column lock device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a shape as shown in Figure 1 is used mounted inside the vehicle, the internal configuration is shown in Figure 2 the worm drive shaft 11 It includes a drive motor 10, the worm wheel 20, the lead screw 30 is coupled to the worm wheel 20 to rotate integrally, the lock screw 40 is coupled to the lead screw 30 is interlocked. .

In particular, the electronic steering column lock device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, unlike the prior art, the combination of the worm wheel 20, the lead screw 30, the lock slider 40 and the power of the drive motor 10 thereby The delivery configuration is the main feature.

2 is a cross-sectional view of main parts for explaining such a power transmission configuration, and shows a coupling relationship between the components.

That is, one end of the lead screw 30 is inserted into the left side of the worm wheel 20 is configured to rotate integrally with each other.

The lock slider 40 has a screw groove 41a having a predetermined length therein through the right end thereof, and the lead screw 30 is inserted and coupled through the screw groove 41a.

Therefore, when the worm wheel 20 rotates, the lock slider 40 is reciprocated left or right by the lead screw 30 which rotates integrally therewith.

Through the movement mechanism of the lock slider 40, the present invention not only simplifies the power transmission structure and the number of components as compared with the prior art, but also reduces the noise generated during operation, and enables more stable operation.

In addition, an electronic steering column having desired product characteristics in operating speed, stroke, and the like of the lock slider 40 by adjusting the effective screw portion length, pitch, and the like of the lead screw 30 and the screw groove 41a of the lock slider 40 is provided. The locking device 1 can be implemented.

The lock slider 40 includes a slider body 41, a lock 42, a spring 43, and a pin 44, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The slider main body 41 has the screw groove 41a formed at the right end and the lock groove 41b formed at the left end.

The lock 42 is a component for locking and unlocking the steering column as described below, and is slidably provided in a state of being partially inserted into the lock groove part 41b. The slidable section of the lock 42 is defined by the fastening of the long hole formed on the side thereof and the pin 44 penetrating through the lock 42, and a spring between the lock 42 and the pin 44 in the lock groove 41b. 43 is inserted to press the lock 42 to the left.

Accordingly, the lock 42 is always pressed to protrude in the left direction, and is elastically pressurized by the spring 43 even if the slider body 41 is moved further to the left in the locked state in contact with the steering column. Since the state can be relatively inserted into the lock groove 41b, the buffering state can be performed to a certain extent.

As a result, according to the technical configuration in which the lock 42 is elastically slidable in this way, it is not necessary to accurately design the length or the moving amount of the lock slider 40 for the locking and unlocking action of the steering column. It is sufficient that the range of movement, i.e., the lock 42 in the protruding state, is designed to satisfy only the length or the amount of movement in contact with the steering column. Accordingly, there is an advantage that the generation accuracy of the defective product can be significantly reduced because it is less affected by the processing precision of the product.

Moreover, the lock 42 can apply an appropriate pressure to the steering column in the locked state, so as to satisfy the product characteristics of the electronic steering column lock device 1 required in this regard.

In addition, according to the conventional electronic steering column lock device, the steering column can be assembled only in the unlocked state by the electronic steering column lock device, but the electronic steering column lock device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention Since the steering column can be assembled in place by compressing (ie retreating) even when the lock 42 is locked, the steering column can be easily assembled regardless of the locking and unlocking of the lock 42.

On the other hand, the left side of the lock slider 40 including the lock groove portion 41b into which the lock 42 is inserted is formed to have a rectangular cross section, which is inserted into the guide groove portion 3a of the cover plate 3. Make sure it slides. As a result, quietness and precision may be improved when the lock slider 40 is moved left and right, and the lock slider 40 is driven when driven due to contact friction between the lead screw 30 and the screw groove 41a of the lock slider 40. Can be prevented from rotating together with the lead screw 30.

The driving motor 10 is fixed and supported on the printed circuit board 50 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. To this end, the printed circuit board 50 is provided with a support bracket 52 for protruding the fixed support of the drive motor 10, the terminal 56 is coupled to the drive motor 10 for power supply.

One side of the printed circuit board 50 is provided with a pin header 54 for communication of a control signal, and a plurality of optical sensors 51, check switches 53, etc. are provided on the upper surface thereof, as will be described later. do. The printed circuit board 50 is received and supported above the base cover 4.

The worm drive shaft 11 of the drive motor 10 is coupled to the worm wheel 20 and the worm gear disposed on the upper portion, Figure 5 is a bottom view showing the coupled state.

In FIG. 5, the worm driving shaft 11 and the worm wheel 20 can confirm that each rotation axis is orthogonal to each other, and that the lead screw 30 is integrally formed on one side of the worm wheel 20, that is, the left side. Can be.

Meanwhile, the electronic steering column lock device 1 further includes a worm wheel housing 60 for receiving the worm wheel 20 and supporting the rotation thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3, the worm wheel housing 60 accommodates the right end of the lead screw 30 as well as the worm wheel 20 and supports the rotation thereof.

On the other hand, the worm wheel 20 is provided with a bushing 21 at the end of the rotation shaft which is rotationally supported by the worm wheel housing 60 to prevent the wear and noise generated by the contact with the worm wheel housing 60.

Similarly, the right end of the lead screw 30 accommodated in the worm wheel housing 60 is also provided with a bush 31 at a portion that is in rotational contact with the worm wheel housing 60 to prevent contact wear and noise generation.

FIG. 6 shows the electronic steering column lock device 1 in a semi-assembled state, and it can be seen that the worm wheel housing 60 and other components are supported by the printed circuit board 50 and the base cover 4. .

Precisely, it can be seen that all internal components of the electronic steering column lock device 1 can be supported on the base cover 4 via the printed circuit board 50.

Accordingly, the electronic steering column lock device 1 has a structure that can be tested even in a semi-finished state before the main cover (2 in FIG. 1) is engaged as in FIG. 10. As a result, it is possible to reduce the unnecessary process by performing the additional process only on the semi-finished product that has passed the test and to produce the finished product. It can contribute greatly.

On the other hand, the slider main body 41 of the lock slider 40 has a slide rib 45 protruding downward as shown in FIG.

The slide ribs 45 are provided to check the moved state of the lock slider 40 when moving forward and backward. For this purpose, the slide ribs 45 are provided on the printed circuit board 50 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. 51 is provided.

Here, the optical sensor 51 is a kind of non-contact sensor for detecting the position of the slide rib 45, according to the non-contact sensor to prevent damage and malfunction due to wear when the contact sensor such as a conventional switch It has the advantage of being able to. Therefore, in addition to the optical sensor 51 described above, an electric or magnetic sensor may be used as the non-contact sensor.

7A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the steering column 100 is locked due to the operation of the electronic steering column locking device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7B is an example in which the steering column 100 is unlocked. It is sectional drawing which shows the state.

Referring to FIG. 7A, when the lead screw 30 rotates in conjunction with the one-way rotation of the worm drive shaft 11, the lock slider 40 moves forward to the left, so that the lock 42 at the left end of the steering column 100 is moved. The contact portion 101 of the contact and elastically pressurized.

As the lock slider 40 moves, the slide rib 45 also moves to the left side, which causes the left optical sensor 51 to detect this.

If the worm drive shaft 11 rotates in the opposite direction while the steering column 100 is locked, the lead screw 30 is rotated in reverse to thereby move the lock slider 40 to the right, and the left end of the steering column 100 is locked. The lock 42 retracts from the groove 101 of the steering column 100 to the position shown in FIG. 7B.

Since the slide rib 45 also moves to the right side along with the movement of the lock slider 40 to the right side, the optical sensor 51 on the right side detects this.

8A and 8B are plan views showing only the slide ribs 45, the printed circuit board 50, and the base cover 4 for explaining the operation of the optical sensor 51, respectively, showing a locked state and an unlocked state, respectively. .

As shown in FIG. 8A, as the slide rib 45 moves to the left side during the locking operation, the left optical sensor 51a detects this, from which the controller (not shown) controls that the steering column is locked by the lock slider. You can judge. Thus, the locking operation can be completed by cutting off the power supply of the driving motor 10.

Similarly, during the unlocking operation, as the slide rib 45 moves to the right side as shown in FIG. 8B, the optical sensor 51b on the right side detects this, from which the controller (not shown) unlocks the steering column. That is, it can be determined that the unlocking is completed. Thus, the power supply of the driving motor 10 can be cut off to complete the unlocking operation.

In the drawing, reference numeral 55 denotes a connector that engages the pin header 54.

On the other hand, the lock slider 40, in order to prevent noise and component damage caused by collision with other components during locking or unlocking, as shown in Figure 3, the amount of the projecting in the radial direction of the slider body 41 Bushings 46 and 47 are provided at the ends, respectively.

In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the guide groove 3a and the worm wheel housing 60 of the cover plate 3 are each bushing 46, when the lock slider 40 is locked or unlocked. 47) and acts as a stopper to limit further movement of the lock slider 40.

First, referring to FIG. 7A, in the locked state in which the lock slider 40 is moved to the left side, the right end of the guide groove portion 3a of the cover plate 3 contacts the left bush 46 of the lock slider 40. And component damage.

Similarly, referring to FIG. 7B, in the unlocked state in which the lock slider 40 is moved to the right side, the left end of the worm wheel housing 60 contacts the right bush 47 of the lock slider 40 to prevent noise and component damage. It can prevent.

Here, the bushes 46 and 47 may be provided as elastic bodies such as rubber.

On the other hand, the electronic steering column locking device 1 as described above is set so that most of the power supply is cut once the locking or unlocking operation is completed.

However, as in the case of starting the vehicle, in some cases it is necessary to confirm the unlocking state of the electronic steering column locking device 1, and therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B as a means for the confirmation in this embodiment, As described above, the switching protrusion 48 formed on the lower side of the lock slider 40 and the check switch 53 provided on the printed circuit board 50 are provided (detailed shape of the switching protrusion 48). 3).

9A and 9B are enlarged views of the area A of FIGS. 7A and 7B, respectively. When the lock slider 40 moves to the left in the locking operation, the check switch 53 is turned off (Fig. 9A). When the lock slider 40 moves to the right by the unlocking operation, the check switch 53 is turned on by pressing the switching projection 48 (Fig. 9B).

As such, when locking and unlocking, the driver may be notified of the signal of the check switch 53 to prevent an accident that may occur due to the locking of the steering column.

Electronic steering column lock device 1 as described above is only an embodiment for the description of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the scope of the present invention to the technical scope of the present invention, the scope of the present invention to the technical scope Is determined by the claims to be described later and their equivalents.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic steering column lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic steering column lock device of FIG.

3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an essential part of the electronic steering column lock device of FIG.

4 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating an internal coupling relationship of the electronic steering column lock device of FIG. 2;

5 is a partially enlarged plan view illustrating a main part coupling relationship of FIG. 4;

6 is a partial perspective view illustrating an internal coupling relationship of the electronic steering column lock device of FIG. 2;

7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating an operating state of the electronic steering column lock device of FIG. 1;

8A and 8B are internal plan views illustrating an operating state of the electronic steering column lock device of FIG. 1;

9A and 9B are enlarged views of area A of FIGS. 7A and 7B, respectively;

10 is a perspective view of a semi-finished state for testing the electronic steering column lock device of FIG. 1.

      <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: Electronic steering column lock device 2: Main cover

3: cover plate 3a: guide groove

4: base cover 10: drive motor

11: worm drive shaft 20: worm wheel

21: bush 30: lead screw

31: Bush 40: Lock slider

41: slider body 41a: screw groove

42: lock 43: spring

44: Pin 45: Slide rib

46, 47: bush 48: switching projection

50: printed circuit board 51: optical sensor

52: support bracket 53: check switch

54: pin header 55: connector

60: worm wheel housing

Claims (11)

In the electronic steering column lock device, A drive motor having a worm drive shaft; A worm wheel coupled with the worm driving shaft; A lead screw coaxially with the worm wheel and integrally rotating; And A screw groove for inserting the lead screw is inserted into one side portion is formed to include a lock slider to reciprocate in accordance with the rotation of the lead screw, The lock slider has a slide rib protruding on one side, and the electronic steering column lock device detects the position of the slide rib during reciprocating movement of the lock slider to determine the locking or unlocking operation of the lock slider. More, The lock slider has a switching protrusion formed at one side, and the electronic steering column lock device further comprises a check switch which is operated on and off by the switching protrusion during the reciprocating movement of the lock slider. Lock device. delete The method of claim 1, The non-contact sensor is an electronic steering column lock device, characterized in that the optical sensor. The method of claim 1, The lock slider is, The screw groove is formed on one side and the slider body reciprocates in accordance with the rotation of the lead screw and the lock body is formed on the other side, the lock and the lock groove that is at least partially inserted into the lock groove is constrained to be slidably limited And an elastic member inserted into and urging the lock to protrude. The method of claim 4, wherein The slider body has at least the other side having a rectangular cross section, The electronic steering column lock device, the electronic steering column lock device further comprises a cover plate formed with a guide groove for inserting the other side of the slider body slides. The method of claim 1, And a printed circuit board having a terminal fixedly supporting the drive motor and having a terminal connected to the drive motor. The method of claim 6, And an worm wheel housing fixed to the printed circuit board to receive and rotate the worm wheel. The method of claim 7, wherein The worm wheel housing accommodates and supports one end of the lead screw together with the worm wheel, One end of the worm wheel and the lead screw, each of the electronic steering column lock device, characterized in that provided with a bush in the rotational contact with the worm wheel housing. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, The electronic steering column lock device, characterized in that it further comprises a base cover for receiving the printed circuit board. The method of claim 1, The electronic steering column lock device includes a pair of stoppers spaced apart from each other to limit the amount of reciprocating movement of the lock slider, The lock slider is an electronic steering column lock device, characterized in that the bush provided in the portion in contact with each stopper during the reciprocating movement. delete

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