KR102445517B1 - Tilt ratchet structure for vehicle steering systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system with an improved structure so as to suppress the flow of the movable gear in the tooth-coupled state while guiding the gear meshing of the first and second gear portions of the fixed gear of the column tilt structure and the movable gear. to a tilt bracket fixed integrally with the column tube and having a tilt hole formed therein; a tilt bolt coupled to pass through the tilt hole of the tilt bracket; A cam member for moving the bolt forwards and backwards, a fixed gear that is fitted and fixed in the tilt hole, a through hole is formed in the center, a first gear part is formed on one side of one side, and a coupling hole is formed on the left and right sides, and the fixed gear and a movable gear capable of meshing with the first gear portion of the fixed gear by forming a second gear portion formed on one edge portion of the surface facing each other, and a first guide protruding vertically from both left and right side surfaces of the fixed gear A gear, a second guide gear formed to be engaged with the first guide gear on the inner surface of the movable gear, and the first and second guide gears according to the forward and backward motions of the tilt bolt. It consists of a locking means for unlocking or disengaging the engagement.

Description

Tilt ratchet device for vehicle steering system

The present invention relates to a tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system, and in particular, to suppress the flow of the movable gear in the tooth-engaged state while guiding the gear meshing of the first and second gear portions of the fixed gear of the column tilt structure and the movable gear. It relates to a tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system having an improved structure.

In general, the steering system of a car is a device for changing the driving direction of the car at the will of the driver, and it is a device that assists the driver to move the car in the desired direction by arbitrarily changing the rotation center of the front wheel of the car. .

In such a steering system for a vehicle, the steering force generated by the driver manipulating the steering wheel is transmitted to the rack and pinion mechanism through the steering shaft and finally changes the direction of both wheels.

In addition, the vehicle steering system can add a telescope or tilt function. According to these functions, it is divided into a telescope type or a tilt type steering system, and in some cases, a tilt function for the telescopic steering system. This can be added.

Through these functions, the driver can perform a smooth steering operation by adjusting the protrusion or inclination angle of the steering wheel according to the height or body type of the driver.

Such a tilting device is provided with a bracket for supporting the steering column, a cam provided on the bracket, and a tilt lever, and is fixed to the bracket by operating the tilt lever to press the steering column according to the operating principle of the cam.

However, in the above simple friction type tilting device, if an impact load greater than the friction force fixing the steering column is applied by an accident, the steering column is tilted upward due to the impact force (hereinafter, 'Pop-up phenomenon') '), causing double injuries to the driver.

Accordingly, in order to solve the above problems, a tilting device capable of adjusting and fixing the inclination of a steering column by applying a pair of gears in the configuration of a conventional tilting device has been developed.

A typical tilt-type or telescopic steering column according to the prior art is an outer tube accommodating a steering shaft, an inner tube introduced into the outer tube, a lower bracket for fixing the inner tube to the vehicle body, and is installed on the upper side of the outer tube and fixed to the vehicle body. A mounting bracket, a tilt bracket integrally fixed with the steering column to adjust the inclination angle of the steering wheel and having a tilt hole formed therein, a fixed gear formed on the outer surface of the tilt bracket, a movable gear meshed with or separated from the fixed gear, and a tilt It is configured to include a tilt bolt passing through the hole, a cam coupled to the movable gear, a bush and a nut for fixing the cam and the adjusting lever.

The fixed gear and the movable gear are formed at the same pitch and height so that they can mesh with each other. When the adjustment lever is locked, the fixed gear and the movable gear mesh with each other to fix the outer tube and the steering shaft, but when the adjustment lever is released, it is operated by the cam. As the gear is separated from the fixed gear, the upper steering column can be rotated in the tilting direction based on the lower tilt center.

A movable gear is attached to the cam, and a protrusion is formed on one side of the cam, and the protrusion enters or withdraws from the groove of the adjustment lever according to the rotation of the adjustment lever, so that the fixed gear is coupled or separated.

However, in the case of such a conventional tilt-type or telescopic steering column, when an overrun occurs when the adjustment lever is operated or an overrun that exceeds the original tilt operation distance of the movable gear occurs, the movable gear meshes with the fixed gear. If this is not done, a jamming phenomenon occurs in which the steering column is not fixed, and a pop-up phenomenon occurs in which the steering column bounces toward the driver. There was a problem that the safety was greatly reduced.

As a prior art related to a conventional steering column, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1083938 "Tilt and telescope device of a steering column" (registration date: 2011.11.09), an outer tube having a steering shaft therein In the tilt and telescope device of a steering column comprising: an inner tube inserted into the outer tube; an upper bracket and a lever provided with tilt brackets having long holes formed on both sides for fixing the outer tube to a vehicle body; a guide member provided on an outer surface of the bracket, a guide hole is formed on one surface, and a stepped portion protruding upward to both sides of the guide member; an inclined member provided in close contact with the guide member and having an insertion hole communicating with the guide hole and having an inclined surface inclined at a predetermined angle on a circumferential surface of the insertion hole; and a frictional force providing means penetrating the tilt bracket but having one side inserted into the insertion hole of the inclined member and having an inclined portion in contact with the inclined surface.

As another prior art related to the existing steering column, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1593593 "Tilt device for steering column of a vehicle" (registration date: 2016.02.03), which was previously applied by the same applicant, a predetermined part of the vehicle a tilt bracket coupled to a mounting bracket for fixing a steering column tube to a mounting bracket with the column tube interposed therebetween so as to tele-out and tele-in the column tube with respect to the mounting bracket when an operation lever is operated; One end of the tilt shaft is connected to the operation lever disposed outside the first side of the tilt bracket, and the other end passes through the first side and extends outwardly through a second side opposite to the first side. class; a fixing gear unit coupled to the second side portion and formed to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance in two rows with a plurality of gear teeth parallel to the outer surface; Doedoe coupled to the other end of the tilt shaft extending through the second side portion, arranged to move to face each other in the fixing gear portion from the outside of the fixing gear portion, meshing with the plurality of gear teeth formed in the fixing gear portion A guide that includes a moving gear part formed to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance in two rows so that a plurality of gear teeth are parallel to one surface, and at least one of the plurality of gear teeth of the moving gear part protrudes by a predetermined length more toward the fixing gear than the other gear teeth A gear is formed, and the plurality of gear teeth is provided as a rack gear in which gear mountains and gear valleys are continuously arranged along the row, and the guide gear, any one of the gear mountains protrudes higher than the other gear mountains. The guide gear is formed so that the middle part protrudes the highest, and gradually lowers toward one side and the other side, and is formed so as to be lowered by the height of the other gear mountains.

However, in the existing steering column device, there may be cases in which the movable gear is not completely meshed in the process of meshing with the fixed gear during the tilting operation. occurred. Afterwards, when the mountain and bone are engaged, noise is generated or the gear is damaged by impact.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a tilting device capable of securing the driver's safety and smoothly performing the tilting function by improving the bite.

In particular, in the existing steering column device, the second gear part of the movable gear meshed with or separated from the first gear part formed on both sides of the fixed gear formed on the outer surface of the tilt bracket is meshed in the direction in which the same mountain and valley face each other, so the collision Although it can prevent slipping when gears are engaged, there is a problem in that two-stage jamming occurs when gears are meshed.

In addition, the existing steering column device has a disadvantage in that there is a risk of movement of the gear part during the tilt maintenance strength test, so that an impact is transmitted to the gear tooth side and operation noise is generated.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1083938 "Tilt and telescope device of steering column" (Registration date: 2011.11.09) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1593593 "Tilt device for steering column of vehicle" (Registration date: 2016.02.03)

The present invention was created to solve these problems in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to improve the tilt gear ratchet structure to guide the natural gear meshing engagement between the movable gear and the fixed gear, and to operate after the gear meshing. By suppressing the flow of the gears, it is possible to prevent in advance the occurrence of a non-engagement state due to the collision of the peaks of the abnormal gears that interfere with the mating state, which is the meshing state of the corresponding teeth and mountains of the movable gear with respect to the fixed gear. An object of the present invention is to provide a tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system having an improved structure.

The present invention for achieving the above object is a tilt bracket fixed integrally with a column tube and having a tilt hole formed therein, a tilt bolt coupled to pass through the tilt hole of the tilt bracket, and rotation of the tilt lever coupled to the tilt bolt A cam member for moving the tilt bolt forward and backward during operation, a fixed gear that is fitted and fixed in the tilt hole, a through hole is formed in the center, a first gear part is formed on one side of one side, and a coupling hole is formed on the left and right sides; A second gear portion formed on one edge of the surface facing the fixed gear is formed to form a movable gear capable of meshing with the first gear portion of the fixed gear, and the fixed gear is formed to protrude vertically from both left and right side surfaces of the fixed gear A first guide gear, a second guide gear formed to correspond to the inner surface of the movable gear so as to be engaged with the first guide gear, and the first and second guide gears according to the forward and backward movements of the tilt bolt It is characterized in that a locking means for engaging or disengaging the gear is provided.

The first guide gear is formed such that the tooth width of the gear teeth becomes narrower from the lower side to the upper side.

The locking means includes a support washer coupled to fit into the end of the tilt bolt and having a flange, a spring member disposed to be interposed between the support washer and the support block, and an inner surface of the spring member and the movable gear, a support block for transmitting a backward force to the movable gear side during the backward operation of the tilt bolt; a washer member coupled to an end of the tilt bolt and contacting an outer surface of the movable gear; and an end of the tilt bolt. It consists of a fixing nut.

The support block is provided with a support plate on one side that is in contact with the spring member and coupled to be accommodated in a recess formed concavely on one side of the fixed gear, and a protrusion that protrudes from the support plate on the other side and is inserted into the hollow of the movable gear is formed.

The second guide gear is formed to be connected to the gear teeth of the second gear unit, and is formed on both left and right inner surfaces of the movable gear.

According to the present invention, the first gear part 222 and the second gear part 232 are formed to be meshable with each other on one side of the opposite surfaces of the fixed gear 220 and the movable gear 230, and the fixed gear 220 and The first and second guide gears 225 and 235 are formed on the opposite sides of the movable gear 230 to be meshed with each other, and the meshing of the first and second gear parts 222 and 232 is provided to the first guide gear 225 . The second guide gear 235 leads to the mating meshing state of the first and second gear parts 222 and 232 as the line meshing occurs, and the second guide gear due to the structural characteristics of the first guide gear 225 whose tooth width becomes thicker toward the lower part. Since the gap between the gear teeth can be reduced by meshing with the 235, the parts are simplified for easy assembly, and the cost is reduced compared to the existing chimney absorption structure, and the gear teeth of the first and second gear parts 222 and 232 are accurately By suppressing the flow of the movable gear 230 by the gear teeth meshing of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 while inducing the meshing engagement, the matching state, which is the meshing state of the corresponding teeth and mountains of the movable gear with respect to the fixed gear, is achieved. It has the advantage of being able to prevent in advance the occurrence of a non-engagement state due to the mountain-to-mountain collision of the obstructing abnormal gears.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention tilt ratchet structure.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention fixed gear, movable gear and locking means.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the movable gear of the present invention.
5A and 5B are views showing the state before and after meshing of first and second guide gears;
6A and 6B are bottom perspective views of FIGS. 5A and 5B;

A steering column of a known technology operates as the steering column described below, and a detailed structure of the steering column will be omitted.

The tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering apparatus according to the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 , a column tube 120 accommodating the steering shaft 110 and the column tube 120 are located therein, A tilt bracket 140 having a tilt hole formed in the center portion, a tilt bolt 150 coupled to penetrate the tilt hole of the tilt bracket 140, and a rotation operation of the tilt lever 180 coupled to the tilt bolt 150 A cam member 185 for moving the tilt bolt 150 forward and backward, coupled to be fitted and fixed in the tilt hole, a through hole 221 is formed in the center, and a first gear unit on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the through hole 221 The fixed gear 220 in which the 222 is formed, and the second gear part 232 formed on one edge portion of the surface facing the fixed gear 220 are formed so that the first of the fixed gear 220 is formed. A movable gear 230 capable of meshing with the gear unit 222, and first and second guide gears 225 and 235 having a plurality of gear teeth meshable with each other on opposite sides of the fixed gear 220 and the movable gear 230, and , and locking means 300 for engaging or disengaging the gears of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 according to the forward and backward motions of the tilt bolt 150 .

1 and 2, a cam member 185 is provided between the tilt lever 180 and the tilt bolt 150, and the cam member 185 is a tilt bolt ( 150) to move forward and backward in the axial direction.

For this reason, the tilt bolt 150 is linearly reciprocated in the axial direction according to the operation principle of the tilt lever 180 and the cam member 185, and the fixed gear 220 and the movable gear 230 are engaged during the forward operation. function to release it.

The fixed gear 220 is coupled such that the other side thereof is inserted into the tilt hole and fixed, and a through hole 221 is formed in the center so that the tilt bolt 150 is penetrated, and the first gear part 222 is formed on both sides of the through hole 221 in the longitudinal direction. has a formed structure.

The movable gear 230 is formed with a second gear unit 232 having a shape corresponding to the first gear unit 222 on a surface facing the fixed gear 220 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , the second guide gear 235 has a structure in which each gear tooth is connected to the second gear unit 232 . For this reason, when the gears of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 are meshed, the gear meshing of the first and second gear units 222 and 232 can be matched.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the locking means 300 includes a support washer 310 coupled to fit into the end of the tilt bolt 150 and having a flange, the support washer 310 and the support block 330 . A spring member 320 disposed to be interposed therebetween, is disposed between the inner surface of the spring member 320 and the movable gear 230, and applies a reverse force to the movable gear 230 during the backward operation of the tilt bolt 150. ), a support block 330 delivered to the side, a washer member 340 coupled to an end of the tilt bolt 150 and contacting an outer surface of the movable gear 230, and the end of the tilt member fastened to Consists of a fixing nut (350).

The first guide gear 225 has a structure so as to protrude vertically from the side surface of the fixed gear 220, and the second guide gear 235 is formed on the inner surface of the movable gear. It has a structure that is formed to correspond to and engageable with.

The first guide gear 225 is formed such that the tooth width of the gear teeth becomes narrower from the lower side to the upper side (movable gear side). The first guide gear 225 has the advantage that the second guide gear 235 can be accurately meshed while sliding.

One side of the support washer 310 is fixed to a clasp formed at an end of the tilt bolt 150 , and the spring member 320 is fitted on the other side thereof.

The spring member 320 performs a function of adhering the support block 330 to the movable gear 230 side in a state supported by the support washer 310 .

The support block 330 has a support plate 332 in contact with the spring member 320 on one side is formed, and a protrusion 334 protrudes from the support plate 332 on the other side and is inserted into the hollow of the movable gear 230. is formed

In addition, the support block 330 is accommodated in a groove formed concavely on one side of the fixed gear slidably up and down.

Accordingly, the support block 330 is elastically supported by the spring member 320 in a state in which the protrusion 334 is inserted into the hollow of the movable gear 230 and the support plate 332 is accommodated in the groove of the fixed gear. As it is coupled to be in close contact with the 230 , it has a function of preventing the movement of the movable gear 230 and accurately guiding the gears of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 .

The second guide gear 235 is formed to be connected to the gear teeth of the second gear unit so as to induce the mating state of the first and second gear units 222 and 232 when the first guide gear 225 is engaged, and the movable gear The left and right sides of the 230 are formed on both inner surfaces.

The washer member 340 is in contact with the outer surface of the movable gear 230 and has a function of preventing the movable gear 230 from departing in the outward direction together with the fixing nut 350 fastened to the end of the tilt bolt 150 .

In the present invention having such a configuration, when the tilt lever 180 is rotated to unlock the tilt lever 180, displacement occurs in the cam member 185 connected to the tilt lever 180, so the tilt bolt ( 150) is moved forward to the outside.

During the forward operation of the tilt bolt 150, the movable gear 230 is advanced to the outside to release the meshing state between the movable gear 230 and the fixed gear 220, and as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A , , As the movable gear 230 advances outwardly in association with the movement of the tilt bolt 150 , the second guide gear 235 formed on both inner side surfaces of the movable gear 230 is separated from the first guide gear 225 . The meshing state of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 is released, and at this time, the tilt-up or tilt-down operation of the steering column in the up and down directions within the longitudinal range of the tilt hole becomes possible.

On the other hand, during the locking operation of the tilt lever 180, as the tilt bolt 150 is operated backward to return to the original position, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B, the movable gear 230 is connected to the fixed gear 220. The second guide gear 235 slides and meshes with the upper side of the first guide gear 225 while maintaining the meshing state by pushing it backward to the side.

At this time, as the first guide gear 225 is formed in a tapered structure in which the tooth width becomes narrower toward the upper side, the gear teeth of the second guide gear 235 slide along the tapered gear teeth of the first guide gear 225 . are combined

Due to the meshing of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 described above, the second gear portion 232 of the movable gear 230 is accurately engaged with the first gear portion 222 of the fixed gear 220 . It has the advantage of being able to prevent mismatching of the first and second gear parts 222 and 232 by being in a mating state as much as possible.

Subsequently, as the second gear part 232 of the movable gear 230 rides on the first gear part 222 of the inclined fixed gear 220 while the locking operation is performed, the first and second gear parts are naturally coupled. (222,232) meshes.

That is, in the present invention, the first gear part 222 and the second gear part 232 are formed to be mutually meshable on one side of the surfaces of the fixed gear 220 and the movable gear 230 facing each other. , While the second guide gear 235 is pre-engaged with the first guide gear 225, the meshing of the second gear parts 222 and 232 is led to the mating meshing state of the first and second gear parts 222 and 232, and also downward. Due to the structural characteristics of the first guide gear 225 whose tooth width is gradually increased, the gap between the gear teeth can be reduced by meshing with the second guide gear 235 , so parts are simplified for easy assembly and cost compared to the existing tooth jamming structure. is reduced, and the gear teeth of the first and second gear units 222 and 232 are accurately induced to engage, and the flow of the movable gear 230 can be suppressed by the gear teeth of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235. have an advantage

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, the fixed gear 220 and the movable gear 230 have a second gear part 232 having a shape corresponding to the first gear part 222 on one side of the surfaces facing each other. Although described, if the first and second gear parts 222 and 232 of a shape corresponding to each other formed between the movable gear 230 and the fixed gear 220, they may be formed at any position for coupling the movable gear 230 and the fixed gear. is natural

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and should be construed according to the claims. Many modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art having ordinary knowledge in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

110: steering shaft 120: column tube
140: tilt bracket 150: tilt bolt
180: tilt lever 185: cam member
220: fixed gear 222: first gear unit
225: first guide gear 230: movable gear
232: second gear unit 235: second guide gear
300: locking means 310: support washer
320: spring member 330: support block
332: support plate 334: protrusion
340: washer member 350: fixing nut

Claims (5)

A tilt bracket 140 in which the column tube 120 is located and a tilt hole is formed,
a tilt bolt 150 coupled to pass through the tilt hole of the tilt bracket 140;
a cam member 185 coupled to the tilt bolt 150 and for moving the tilt bolt 150 forward and backward during the rotation operation of the tilt lever 180;
A fixed gear 220 that is fitted to the tilt hole and coupled to be fixed, a through hole 221 is formed in the center, and first gear parts 222 are formed on both sides of the through hole 221 in the longitudinal direction;
A second gear portion 232 formed on one edge portion of a surface facing the fixed gear 220 is formed, and the movable gear 230 capable of meshing with the first gear portion 222 of the fixed gear 220 is formed. Wow,
a first guide gear 225 protruding vertically from the side surface of the fixed gear 220;
and a second guide gear 235 formed to correspond to the inner surface of the movable gear 230 to be engaged with the first guide gear 225,
The first guide gear 225 is a tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering apparatus, characterized in that the tooth width of the gear teeth becomes narrower from the lower side to the upper side. delete The method according to claim 1,
A locking means 300 for engaging or disengaging the gears of the first and second guide gears 225 and 235 is provided according to the forward and backward motions of the tilt bolt 150,
The locking means 300 includes a support washer 310 coupled to be fitted to the end of the tilt bolt 150 and having a flange;
a spring member 320 disposed to be interposed between the support washer 310 and the support block 330;
A support block 330 disposed between the spring member 320 and the inner surface of the movable gear 230 and transmitting a reverse force to the movable gear 230 side during the reverse operation of the tilt bolt 150;
a washer member 340 coupled to an end of the tilt bolt 150 and contacting an outer surface of the movable gear 230;
A tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system, characterized in that it comprises a fixing nut (350) fastened to an end of the tilt bolt (150). 4. The method according to claim 3,
The support block 330 has a support plate 332 that is in contact with the spring member 320 on one side and is coupled to be accommodated in a recess formed concavely on one side of the fixed gear, and protrudes from the support plate 332 on the other side and is movable. A tilt ratchet device for a vehicle steering system, characterized in that a protrusion 334 inserted into the hollow of the gear 230 is formed. The method according to claim 1,
The first guide gear 225 is formed on both left and right sides of the fixed gear 220,
The second guide gear (235) is formed to be connected to the gear teeth of the second gear unit (232), and is formed on both left and right inner surfaces of the movable gear (230). Device.

Images