Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D1/00—Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
  • B62D1/02—Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle vehicle-mounted
  • B62D1/16—Steering columns
  • B62D1/18—Steering columns yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable
  • B62D1/181—Steering columns yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a steering wheel arrange ⁇ ment intended for automotive vehicles and including a stee ⁇ ring wheel, a steering column which carries the steering wheel, and means for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the direction of the steering column and/or with respect to the angle at which the steering wheel is in ⁇ clined to said column.
• Hitherto known steering wheel arrangements with adjustable steering wheels include manually operable catch devices and are so configured that the actual adjustment to the steer ⁇ ing wheel position is effected totally through the force applied to the steering wheel ' by the driver of the vehicle.
• the adjustment is thus effected through a completely manual procedure, in which the driver first releases the catch, e.g. with the aid of a knob or an operating lever of the same kind as the lever used for operating the direction blinkers or indicators of the vehicle. While holding the catch released, the driver then moves or tilts the steer ⁇ ing wheel to the position desired, whereafter he releases the catch operating lever, so as to lock the steering wheel in its new position.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a steer ⁇ ing wheel arrangement of the kind disclosed in the intro ⁇ duction which is easier to adjust than the known arrange ⁇ ments and which will enable the steering wheel to be adjusted quicklv to precisely the position desired by the driver in a traffic safe fashion.
• the steering wheel adjustment means include at least one setting motor for effecting adjustment movements and means for detecting the force acting on the steering wheel in the adjustment direction, said means being effective in starting the setting motor upon detection of a predetermi ⁇ ned force in the adjustment direction and holding the motor active until the force acting in said adjustment direction falls beneath said predetermined force.
• Figure 1 is a partially sectioned side view of one embodi- ent of the inventive steering wheel arrangement.
• Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a setting motor.
• the reference numeral 1 identifies the instrument panel of an automobile indicated in broken lines.
• the tube, or jacket, 3 has a main part 4 which is mounted for axial displacement in the bracket structure 2.
• the bracket structure 2 includes a bottom sleeve 5 which has an insert 6 made of suitable low-friction material.
• Located at the upper end of the bracket structure is a pair of flanges 7 which project downwardly on respec- tive sides of the part 4 of the stee ing-column tube and which have provided therein grooves 8 into which axially extending ribs 9 on the tube part 4 project.
• the steering- -column tube 3 also comprises an upper, shorter part 10 which is pivo- tally mounted at 11 to the tube part 4, so as to be able to swing in the longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle.
• a Dart 12 of a steering column is mounted for rotation in the tube part 10 while being held against axial movement in said tube part.
• the outer end of said part carries a steer ⁇ ing wheel 13.
• the aforesaid part 12 of the steering column extends into the tube part 4 via a suitable, known univer- sal coupling whose pivot axis coincides with the rotational axis of the tube part 10.
• This latter arrangement is
• the servomotor 20 is operative in effecting the axial 25 adjustment and is housed in a housing 22 pivotally mounted in the lower sleeve 5 of the bracket structure 2.
• the ope ⁇ rating rod 23 of the motor 20 is connected to a shaft pin 24 rigidly mounted between a pair of lugs 25 on the tube part 4 of the steering column. Consequently, when the rod 30 23 is displaced axially in relation to the housing 22, the steering column tube 3 will be moved axially in relation to the bracket structure 2 and therewith change the axial distance between the steering wheel 13 and the instrument panel 1.
• the maximum distance between the respective termi- 35 nal positions of the steering wheel, indicated in chain lines, is referenced "A" in Figure 1.
• the servomotor 21 is operative in effecting angular adjust ⁇ ments to the steering wheel position, and is housed in a housing 26 which is pivotally mounted on the shaft pin 24.
• the operating rod 27 of the motor 21 is joined to a shaft pin 28 which is rigidly mounted between a pair of lugs 29 on the tubular part 10 of the steering column.
• the tubular part 10 can be angled between the angular positions indica ⁇ ted in chain lines in Figure 1, by displacement of the rod 27 relative to the housing 26.
• Fig. 2 illustrates the construction of the servomotor 20,21 in more detail, and also illustrates schematically the means used for starting and stopping the motors.
• Respective motor housings 22, 26 incl ⁇ de an electric motor 30.
• the output shaft of respective motors carries a gear wheel 31 which meshes with a gear ring 3 on a nut which engages a screwthreaded part of respective operating rods 23, 27.
• the outer ends of respective operating rods are provided with a sleeve 33 which has on its outer periphery a shoulder 3 which projects between a pair of metal contacts on a ake-and-break switch 35 incorporated in the electric cir ⁇ cuit in which the motor is connected.
• the sleeve 33 on respective operating rods, or arms, 23, 27 engages around its respective shaft pin 24, 28 through the intermediary of a resilient element 36, which may be a bush made of an elastic material.
• Each of the switches 35 is intended to accompany the part whose position is changed by its respective servomotor, i.e. the steering column parts 4 and 10, wherein the modus operandi of the arrangement is as follows:
• servomotors other than electrical, self- locking nut and screw type servomotors may be used.
• servomotors other than electrical, self- locking nut and screw type servomotors may be used.
• the servomotors used are not self-locking, it will be necessary to provide separate locking devices which co-act with the servomotors in a manner such that the locking devices will be deactivated and activated respectively when the motors are started and stopped.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Steering Controls (AREA)
• Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20368862

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (35)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1987
  • 1987-06-15 SE SE8702484A patent/SE457871B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1988
  • 1988-06-13 US US07/435,470 patent/US5035446A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-06-13 DE DE3890516A patent/DE3890516C2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-06-13 JP JP63505262A patent/JP2647476B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-06-13 WO PCT/SE1988/000317 patent/WO1988010205A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (4)

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