JP2004182014A - Steering column device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a steering column apparatus having a pair of operation levers for operating a clamp / unclamp mechanism of a telescopic mechanism and a clamp / unclamp mechanism of a tilting mechanism, respectively. It is an object to make it possible to operate only a frequent tilting mechanism.
When the operation end is folded, the connection between the tilt operation lever and the telescopic operation lever is released, and when the operation end is opened, the latch member connects the two operation levers. I do. When the operation end 7C is folded and pulled forward, only the tilt mechanism is in the unclamped state (adjustable). When the operation end 7C is opened, the tilt mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are simultaneously unclamped.
[Selection diagram] FIG.

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering column device, and more particularly to a steering column device for a vehicle including both a telescopic mechanism and a tilting mechanism.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism are mechanisms for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction and the tilt angle to a position where the driver can most easily drive according to the body shape and preference of the driver.
[0003]
The telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism are provided with a clamp / unclamp mechanism that is operated when adjusting the front-rear position of the steering wheel and the tilt angle. / The unclamping mechanism is released, and in this state, the position in the front-rear direction and the inclination angle are adjusted, and then the state is again clamped.
[0004]
The adjustment of the front-rear position and the tilt angle of the steering wheel is performed by manually operating the steering wheel. Therefore, it is preferable that the clamp / unclamp mechanism can be operated without releasing the hand from the steering wheel. GB 2 281 375 discloses a steering column device provided with a single operating handle which can be operated with the hand on the steering wheel.
[0005]
In the steering column device of the above-mentioned British patent, the movement of the operating handle is transmitted to a clamp device for adjusting the position in the front-rear direction via a cable movable in a flexible tube. The cable and its tube are provided with a large deflection so that the curvature is small enough to allow the cable to move freely in the entire adjustment range of the steering wheel. As a result, a part of the steering column device protrudes toward the outside of the steering column device, which is not only unsightly but also causes a trouble. Further, the transmission mechanism comprising the cable and its tube is not only poor in reliability, but also has poor operability due to expansion and contraction of the cable.
[0006]
In order to cope with such a problem, the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism can be operated by a single lever provided in the vicinity of the steering wheel. There has been proposed a steering column device provided with a clamp / unclamp mechanism which is highly reliable and has good operability (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-273484).
[0007]
The function of adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction and the inclination angle is used not only for driving but also for getting on and off. This is because, especially for an obese or pregnant driver, the steering wheel collides with the abdomen and hinders getting on and off. When retracting the steering wheel for such a purpose, it is sufficient to push the steering wheel forward of the vehicle by a tilting (tilting) mechanism. However, the steering column device of the above-mentioned British patent or the above-mentioned Japanese application has a structure in which not only the tilting mechanism but also the unclamping of the telescopic mechanism is performed simultaneously and in parallel by operating a lever at the time of adjustment. Therefore, not only a large force is required to operate the lever, but also the unclamped telescopic mechanism is easy to move, so when it moves, it is necessary to readjust it before starting operation.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
UK Patent Application Publication No. 2281375
[Patent Document 2]
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,438
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention relates to a steering column apparatus having a pair of operation levers for operating a clamp / unclamp mechanism of a telescopic mechanism and a clamp / unclamp mechanism of a tilting mechanism, respectively. Is provided with an operating end for operating, and the operating lever provided with the operating end usually operates only the most frequently used clamp / unclamp mechanism (for example, of a tilting mechanism). If it becomes necessary to operate the less frequent clamp / unclamp mechanism (for example, of a telescopic mechanism), both clamp / unclamp mechanisms may be operated by adding an unusual operation to this operating end. It is an object to provide a steering column device that can be operated.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above problem is solved by the following means. That is, a first invention is a wheel shaft for fixing a steering wheel, a tilt clamp mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the steering wheel by adjusting the inclination of the wheel shaft, and a front-rear position of the wheel shaft. A telescopic clamp mechanism that adjusts the position of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction by adjusting the position of the steering wheel, and a steering column device including an operation lever pair including a tilt operation lever and a telescopic operation lever for operating each of the clamp mechanisms, A steering column, characterized in that one of the operation levers of the pair of operation levers is provided with a latch member that can selectively perform connection / disconnection between the operation lever and the other operation lever. Device.
[0011]
A second invention is a steering column device according to the first invention, wherein the latch member is urged in a direction in which the operation lever pair is coupled.
[0012]
A third invention is a steering column device according to the first or second invention, wherein the lever central axes of the operation lever pair are on a common axis.
[0013]
According to a fourth aspect, in the steering column device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the operation lever provided with the latch member has an operation end movable thereon. And a connection / non-connection of the operation lever pair by the latch member by operation of the operation end.
[0014]
According to a fifth aspect, in the steering column device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the latch member can swing on one operation lever and engages with the other lever. A steering column device including an engagement pin and a contact portion with which a part of the operation end contacts.
[0015]
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the steering column device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the operating end is provided on the one operating lever so as to be foldable, and the abutting portion is provided when the operating end is folded. A part of the operating end abuts on the steering column device, so that disengagement of the operating lever pair by the latch member is selected.
[0016]
A seventh invention is a steering column device according to the sixth invention, wherein the operation end is urged toward the folding side.
[0017]
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the steering column device according to the fifth aspect, the operating end is provided so as to be capable of extending and retracting along the one operating lever. A part of the operating end abuts on the portion to select disengagement of the latch member.
[0018]
A ninth aspect of the present invention is the steering column device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, wherein the operating end is urged toward the retracted side.
[0019]
A tenth invention is characterized in that, in the steering column device according to any one of the first to ninth inventions, the other operation lever does not have an operation end for human operation. It is a steering column device.
[0020]
An eleventh invention is the steering column device according to any one of the first to tenth inventions, wherein one of the operation lever pairs is the tilt operation lever and the other is the telescopic operation lever. A steering column device characterized by the following.
A twelfth invention is the steering column device according to any one of the fourth to eleventh inventions, wherein the operation end is provided on the tilt operation lever. .
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view of a steering column device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0022]
* Overview
The steering column device 1 includes a fixed column member 2, a movable column member 3, a column head 31, a tilt head 4, a wheel shaft 5, a column clamp 21, a tilt head clamp 41 (see FIG. 2), an operation lever pair 7, and a machine. It has a dynamic transmission.
[0023]
The fixed column member 2 is provided with vehicle body attachment portions 221 and 222, and is attached to the vehicle body 91 by the vehicle body attachment portions 221 and 222. The movable column member 3 is supported by the fixed column member 2 so as to be non-rotatable about the central axis and movable in the central axis direction. A column head 31 is provided at one end of the movable column member 3, and the tilt head 4 is supported on the column head 31 so as to be tiltable about a tilt center axis 43. A wheel shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the tilt head 4, and a steering wheel 92 is fixed to one end of the wheel shaft 5.
[0024]
The column head 31 is provided with a column clamp shaft 6 rotatable about an axis parallel to the central axis of the movable column member 3. The fixed column member 2 is provided with a column clamp 21. The column clamp 21 is relatively movable with respect to the column clamp shaft 6. The member 3 can be in a clamp / unclamp state.
[0025]
The column head 31 is provided with a tilt head clamp 41 described later, and clamps / unclamps the tilt head 4 with respect to the column head 31. An operation lever pair 7 is supported on the tilt head 4 by a lever center shaft 72 (see FIGS. 3 to 8). In the example shown below, the operation lever pair 7 includes a pair of a tilt operation lever 7A and a telescopic operation lever 7B, and the tilt operation lever 7A is disposed above the telescopic operation lever 7B. A tilt operation lever 7A, which is one side, is provided with a foldable operation end 7C that is directly operated by a person. On the other hand, the telescopic operation lever 7B on the other side does not have an equivalent to the operation end 7C that is directly operated by a person. As will be described later, the tilt operation lever 7A is provided with a latch member 7L that can selectively perform connection / non-connection between the operation lever 7A and the other operation lever 7B.
[0026]
The swing of the telescopic operation lever 7B is converted into rotation of the column clamp shaft 6 via a mechanical transmission device, and this rotation is transmitted to the column clamp 21 so that the movable column member 3 is clamped / unclamped. . The swing of the tilt operation lever 7A is directly transmitted to the tilt head clamp 41, and the tilt head 4 is clamped / unclamped. When the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B are connected by the latch member 7L, the two levers simultaneously swing by an operation of pulling the operation end 7C forward. As a result of this swing, both the tilt head clamp 41 and the column clamp 21 enter an unclamped state. On the other hand, when the latch member 7L is not connected, the operation of pulling the operation end 7C forward swings only the tilt operation lever 7A, and only the tilt head clamp 41 enters the unclamped state.
[0027]
One end of the wheel shaft 5 is connected to a universal joint 931 (FIG. 3) in the steering column device 1, and further, is spline-coupled to a pair of an upper intermediate shaft 941 and a lower intermediate shaft 942 (FIG. 3). It is connected via a universal joint 932 to a mechanism for operating the direction of the front wheels. Note that the dotted lines in FIG. 1 show some examples of positions and postures that the steering wheel 92 can take by adjustment.
[0028]
* Tilt head clamp
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a main part of FIG. 1 with a part of the steering column device 1 cut away. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway top view when the steering column device 1 is viewed from above (P direction) in FIG. In FIG. 3, a, b, c, and d indicate a state in which the operating end 7C is folded (solid line), a state in which the operating end 7C is pulled forward while being folded (b, dotted line), and a state in which the operating end 7C is opened, respectively. (C, dotted line) and a state of being pulled forward in an open state (d, dotted line). 4 and 5 are bottom views when the steering column device 1 is viewed from below (from the Q direction) in FIG. 2, and are explanatory diagrams when the operation end 7C is operated in a folded state. is there. 4 corresponds to FIG. 3A, and the solid line in FIG. 5 also corresponds to b.
[0029]
FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams viewed from the same direction as FIGS. 4 and 5, and are explanatory diagrams when the operation is performed with the operation end 7C opened. 6 corresponds to c in FIG. 3, and the solid line in FIG. 7 also corresponds to d. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
[0030]
The tilt head clamp 41 has the following configuration. As shown in FIG. 2, a segment gear 33 having a center at a tilt center shaft 43 is fixed to the movable column member 3 by bolts 34, and a space between the segment gear 33 and the backrest member 341 is provided. Is provided. On the other hand, the gear portion 442 of the gear arm 44 rotatably supported on the tilt head 4 about the shaft 441 and the protrusion 71 provided on the tilt operation lever 7A enter into the space.
[0031]
The gear arm 44 has an L-shape (FIG. 2) having two legs, and the gear portion 442 is formed on one leg. An urging spring 711 is interposed between the other leg 443 of the gear arm 44 and the back of the projection 71 to apply a bias to push the gap between the back of the projection 71 and the leg 443 apart.
[0032]
The bias pushes the protrusion 71 to the left (FIG. 2) and pushes the gear portion 442 from behind, so that the gear portion 442 is pressed toward the segment gear 33 and the respective teeth mesh with each other. When the gear portion 442 pushes the segment gear 33, the reaction force applied to the protrusion 71 is received by the backrest member 341 (FIGS. 2 and 9). Thus, the tilt head 4 is fixed when the tilt operation lever 7A is at the position shown in FIGS. The tilt head 4 is fixed at a stepwise position at an angular position where the gear portion 442 and the segment gear 33 can mesh with each other.
[0033]
When the projecting portion 71 of the tilt operation lever 7A moves rightward in FIG. 2, the gear arm 44 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 by the pressing force of the biasing spring 711, so that these teeth are disengaged. Therefore, when the tilt operation lever 7A swings as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 during the adjustment of the tilt position, the protrusion 71 moves rightward, and the tilt head clamp 41 enters the unclamped state.
[0034]
* Universal joint and intermediate shaft
As shown in FIG. 3, an upper universal joint 931 is formed between the end of the upper intermediate shaft 941 and the end of the wheel shaft 5. Since the center of the universal joint 931 is located on the axis of the tilt center shaft 43, the tilt head 4 is not affected by tilting.
[0035]
Since the lower intermediate shaft 942 is rotatably supported by the fixed column member 2 and the lower intermediate shaft 942 and the upper intermediate shaft 941 are spline-coupled, the movable column member 3 can move in the left-right direction in FIG. ing. The rotation of the upper intermediate shaft 941 can be transmitted to the lower intermediate shaft 942 irrespective of the moving position by the spline connection. Even if the position of the steering wheel 92 in the front-rear direction is adjusted, the rotation of the steering wheel 92 is controlled. 942.
[0036]
* Fixed and movable column members
As shown in FIG. 2, an elongated hole 32 is formed in the cylindrical portion of the movable column member 3 along the axial direction, and a stopper member 22 provided on the fixed column member 2 is engaged in the elongated hole 32. I agree. Since the movable column member 3 is prevented from coming out of the fixed column member 2 and rotating with respect to the fixed column member 2 by the elongated hole 32 and the stopper member 22, the movable column member 3 can be axially moved within the fixed column member 2 within the range of the elongated hole 32. It has become.
[0037]
The fixed column member 2 has a cylindrical portion 231, and ring-shaped sliding guide portions 232 are provided at two positions inside the cylindrical portion 231 (FIG. 3). The outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the movable column member 3 is movable by the sliding guide portion 232 in the axial direction of the movable column member 3 without play. The cushioning stopper 311 provided on the end face of the column head 31 is provided with rubber, which is provided to prevent an impact collision between metals when the movable column member 3 collides with the end face of the fixed column member 2 during adjustment. It is a cushioning material made of synthetic resin or the like.
[0038]
* Column clamp
The configuration of the column clamp 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10, 11, and 12. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are partially enlarged views in FIG. 10, and show the relationship between the rotational position of the column clamp shaft 6 and the clamp / unclamp state. The column clamp 21 is provided on the fixed column member 2 and includes a first wedge 211, a second wedge 212, a clamp bar 213, and reaction members 2141 and 2142. The fixed column member 2 is provided with a wedge hole 215 from the lateral direction, and a part of the wedge hole 215 is opened to a cavity of the fixed column member 2. Each of the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 has an inclined surface 2111, 2112, and is housed in the wedge hole 215 such that the inclined surfaces 2111, 2112 face each other. The inclined surfaces 2111, 2112 of the two wedges face the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the movable column member 3.
[0039]
The first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 are provided with clamp bar holes 2113 and 2114, respectively, and the clamp bar 213 penetrates these holes. At both ends of the clamp bar 213, reaction force members 2141 and 2142 having a larger outer diameter than the clamp bar holes 2113 and 2114 are fixed. A column clamp shaft hole 216 is formed in the clamp bar 213 so as to contact one reaction member 2142, and a substantially elliptical non-circular cross-sectional portion of the column clamp shaft 6 penetrates this hole. .
[0040]
A swing arm 61 is fixed to one end of the column clamp shaft 6. The non-circular cross-section of the column clamp shaft 6 has a large elliptical major axis direction inclined as shown in FIG. 11 during unclamping, and a major axis direction substantially close to the axial direction of the clamp bar 213 as shown in FIG. Turn around. With this configuration, when the swing arm 61 is given a swing rotation from the state shown in FIG. 11, the column clamp shaft 6 rotates, and the state shown in FIG. 12 is obtained. At this time, when the reaction force member 2142 is pushed leftward in the vicinity of one of the elliptical major diameter portions, the clamp bar 213 is pulled leftward, and the reaction force member 2141 pushes the first wedge leftward. Become. On the other hand, the second wedge is pushed rightward by the vicinity of the other side of the major axis portion of the ellipse. As a result, the two wedges approach each other, so that the respective inclined surfaces 2111, 2112 press the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the movable column member 3, and the movable column member 3 is clamped against the fixed column member 2. . Note that the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 can move left and right as a unit as a unit, so that there is no imbalance that only one wedge strongly presses the moving column member 3.
[0041]
When the swing arm 61 is swung and rotated in the opposite direction, the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 are separated from each other by the reverse movement, and the clamp of the movable column member 3 is released.
[0042]
* Operation lever pair movement
Next, the movement of the operation lever pair 7 and each member linked thereto will be described. The operation lever pair 7 is provided on the lower side of the steering column device 1. FIG. 3 shows the operation lever pair 7 (tilt operation lever 7A, telescopic operation lever 7B), and a lever that is a common center of the swing. The center shaft 72, the pusher plate 73 fixed to the telescopic operation lever 7B, and the pusher rod 74 are partially visible. FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 (note that these figures are different from FIG. 3 when viewed from below) are shown in FIG. 4, the relationship between the operating end 7C and the latch member 7L, and this relationship. Describes the difference in the movement of the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B exerted by the operation of the operation end 7C.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 13, the pusher rod 74 having the flange 742 is slidably supported on the column head 31 in a direction parallel to the tilt center axis 43. The pusher rod 74 penetrates a biasing spring 741 for biasing the flange 742 to the left, and has a small elongated hole 743 that is long at right angles to its end. An end of the pusher rod 74 is axially engaged with one end of the swing arm 61 via the elongated hole 743. The long hole 743 is for absorbing the amount of displacement of the position relative to the swing arm 61 when the pusher rod 74 moves in the axial direction.
[0044]
An urging spring 741 urges the pusher rod 74 to the left. The swing arm 61 axially engaged with the right end thereof is provided with a clockwise rotational urging force. The swing urging force applied to the swing arm 61 maintains the column clamp shaft 6 at the clamp position. The position of the swing arm 61 at this time is shown by a solid line.
[0045]
* Pusher plate
Since the tilt head 4 tilts on the column head 31, the positional relationship of the pusher rod 74 with respect to the pusher plate 73 changes according to the amount of tilt (angle). In FIG. 14, two positions where the tilt head 4 is tilted are shown by a dotted line and a solid line. The position of the pusher rod 74 is not changed by tilting because it is supported by the column head, but the relative position with the pusher rod 74 changes when the tilt head 4 is tilted because the pusher plate 73 is away from the tilt center axis 43. I do. For this reason, the pusher plate 73 has a wide contact surface shape bent like a hockey stick so that the pusher rod 74 can contact the pusher plate 73 regardless of the tilt amount. The pusher rod 74 is urged leftward in FIG. 13 by an urging spring 741 and is in contact with the pusher plate 73. As for the clamp, the tilt head 4 is clamped by the urging force of the urging spring 711, and the movable column member 3 is clamped by the urging spring 741.
[0046]
* Operating end and latch member
The operation end 7C is supported by a tilt operation lever 7A as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, and can be folded around a hinge shaft 7H. The hinge shaft 7H has a built-in click hinge mechanism so that a click feeling is obtained when the operation end 7C is manually operated.
[0047]
The latch member 7L is swingably supported by the tilt operation lever 7A and includes a latch pin 7P. The tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B approach each other at this portion and are arranged substantially in parallel. Therefore, depending on the swing position of the latch member 7L, the latch pin 7P engages with the end of the telescopic operation lever 7B as shown by the dotted line in FIG. By this engagement, the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B are integrated.
[0048]
When the operation end 7C is folded, it engages with a part of the latch member 7L. With this engagement, the latch member 7L is rotated, and the engagement between the latch pin 7P and the telescopic operation lever 7B is released. Therefore, when the operation end 7C is folded, the connection between the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B is released (disconnected). Conversely, when the operation end 7C is opened, the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B are connected. Normally, the operation end 7C is in a folded state.
[0049]
* Steering wheel adjustment
Hereinafter, the operation of adjusting the position of the steering wheel 92 in the front-rear direction and the inclination angle and the operation of each member will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. During operation (when the front-rear position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 are not adjusted), as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4, the operation end 7C is folded, and the column clamp 21 and the tilt head clamp 41 are both In clamped state.
[0050]
** Adjusting the tilt angle
When adjusting the angle of the steering wheel 92, the folded operation end 7C is pulled toward the front while being folded (FIGS. 3B and 5). Since the connection between the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B is broken by the folded operation end 7C, only the tilt operation lever 7A swings as shown in FIG.
[0051]
By the swing of the tilt operation lever 7A, the protruding portion 71 moves to the right in FIG. 2, and the gear arm 44 rotates counterclockwise. The rotation of the gear arm 44 disengages the teeth of the segment gear 33 from the teeth of the gear portion of the gear arm 44, and the tilt head 4 can be tilt-adjusted. As described above, since the movable column member 3 is in the clamped state, only the tilting mechanism can be adjusted. In the case of simply getting on and off, the steering wheel is pushed upward (or by the urging force of the spring 45) to be retracted and can easily get off the vehicle. Can be operated with. Adjustment of the inclination angle for frequent getting on and off is most easily operated.
[0052]
** Adjusting the position in the front-back direction
In FIG. 6, when the front-rear position (the length of the steering column) of the steering wheel 92 is adjusted, the operating end 7C that has been folded up is opened as shown by the dotted line in FIG. The operating end 7C once opened by the built-in click hinge mechanism remains open. By opening the operation end 7C, the latch pin 7P is engaged with the end of the telescopic operation lever 7B. By this engagement, the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B are integrated, that is, connected.
[0053]
For this reason, when the operation end 7C is pulled forward (right) as shown in FIG. 7, the tilt operation lever 7A moves in the same manner as in the above-described adjustment of the tilt angle, and the telescopic operation lever 7B swings. Move. This swing causes the pusher plate 73 to swing to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7, and overcomes the urging spring 741 to push the pusher rod 74 upward in the figure.
[0054]
This movement of the pusher rod 74 is a rightward movement in FIG. 13 and causes the swing arm 61 to swing, and thus the column clamp shaft 6 to rotate counterclockwise. When the column clamp shaft 6 rotates, the column clamp shaft 6 whose long diameter portion has been substantially horizontal as shown in FIG. 12 is inclined as shown in FIG. As a result, the first wedge 211 and the second wedge 212 which have approached each other as shown in FIG. 10 are separated from each other, so that the clamp of the movable column member is released. In this state, the position of the steering wheel 92 in the front-rear direction is adjusted. Therefore, when the operating end 7C is opened and pulled, the tilt mechanism and the telescopic mechanism can both be adjusted.
[0055]
As described above, one of the operation levers of the operation lever pair 7 is provided with the latch member 7L that can selectively perform connection / non-connection between the operation lever and the other operation lever. With the operation lever provided with the member 7L, the connection / non-connection of the operation lever pair 7 by the latch member 7L can be selected by operating the movable operation end 7C thereon. In particular, since the latch member 7L is provided on the tilt operation lever 7A, it is possible to retreat the steering wheel during frequent getting on and off by tilting.
[0056]
When the tilt head clamp 41 is released, a downward force acts on the tilt head 4 as if the person were to bow his or her neck due to its weight. For this reason, a strong counter-balancing spring 45 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is provided to offset such a force or to maintain the steering wheel 92 in the uppermost inclined position. To the tilt head 4. This facilitates getting on and off.
[0057]
When the hand is released from the operating end 7C, the tilt operating lever 7A and the telescopic operating lever 7B return to their original positions by the force of the urging springs 711 and 741, and each of them is in a clamped state. If it is open, the operation end 7C is returned to the folded position.
[0058]
Normally, the folded operation end 7C is sufficiently far from the steering wheel, so that when the steering wheel 92 is operated, the hand is not accidentally touched and the clamp is not released.
[0059]
FIGS. 15 and 16 are explanatory diagrams of an example in which only the structure for folding the operation end 7C is changed so that the operation end 7C can be extended and retracted along the tilt operation lever 7A. In this case, a spring 7S is built in the operation end 7C, and is urged toward the retracted side by the spring 7S. At the retracted end, a part of this operating end comes into contact with the latch member 7L, thereby rotating it, and as shown in FIG. 15, the engagement between the latch pin 7P of the latch member 7L and the telescopic operation lever 7B is cut off. It is in a leaning state. Therefore, when the operating end 7C is swung (pulled forward) in this state, only the tilt mechanism is brought into the unclamped state, and the tilt angle of the steering wheel is adjusted (bounced up).
[0060]
When the operating end 7C is extended against the spring 7S, the latch pin 7P of the latch member 7L engages with the telescopic operating lever 7B, so that the tilt operating lever 7A and the telescopic operating lever 7B are connected, and the operating lever pair 7 is moved. Become one. In this state, that is, when the operating end 7C is extended and pulled forward (FIG. 16), the two clamps are released, and the front-rear position and the inclination angle of the steering wheel 92 can be simultaneously adjusted.
[0061]
When the hand is released from the operation end 7C, the operation end 7C is retracted by the spring 7S, and the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B return to the original positions by the force of the urging springs 711 and 741. Each becomes a clamped state. Normally, since the operating end 7C is sufficiently retracted from the steering wheel, the clamp is not accidentally touched and released when the steering wheel 92 is operated.
[0062]
In the above example, the relationship between the tilt operation lever 7A and the telescopic operation lever 7B can be reversed, that is, the operation end 7C and the latch member 7L can be provided on the telescopic operation lever 7B side. The latch member 7L has a structure in which a spring (not shown) urges the latch pin 7P and the telescopic operation lever 7B in a direction in which the latch member 7L engages, or an appropriate frictional force that does not rotate naturally with the latch member 7L. By appropriately employing a structure provided between the levers 7A, it is possible to prevent unintended rotation of the latch member and generation of vibration noise due to vibration from the vehicle body.
[0063]
According to the steering column device of the above embodiment, a pair of operation levers are provided for operating the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the telescopic mechanism and the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism, respectively. Only the operation lever is provided with an operation end for human operation, and the operation lever provided with the operation end normally operates only the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism. By doing so, the operation for clamping / unclamping of the tilting mechanism that is frequently used is preferentially performed, and no change occurs unless a different operation is applied to the operation end of the telescopic mechanism that is less frequently used. As a result, the minimum necessary operations and adjustments are required. Also, since no cable is used, there is no part that protrudes unsightly from the steering column device, the occurrence of troubles can be suppressed, reliability and operability can be improved, and the operation of the operation end that is frequently performed every time getting on and off, Since only one of them is unclamped, it can be operated with a small force.
[0064]
【The invention's effect】
According to the steering column device of the present invention, a pair of operation levers is provided for operating the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the telescopic mechanism and the clamp / unclamp mechanism of the tilting mechanism, respectively. Only the lever is provided with an operation end for human operation, and the operation lever provided with this operation end normally operates only the most frequently used clamp / unclamp mechanism preferentially. Since the telescopic mechanism which is used less frequently is not changed unless a different operation is applied to the operation end, there is an effect that the necessary minimum operation and adjustment can be performed during normal getting on and off. Also, there is an effect that a large force is not required for this operation. Furthermore, since no cable is used, there is no portion that protrudes unsightly from the steering column device, the occurrence of troubles can be suppressed, and reliability and operability can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a steering column device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1 with a part of the steering column device 1 cut away.
3 is a partially cutaway top view when the steering column device 1 is viewed from above (P direction) in FIG.
4 is a bottom view when the steering column device 1 is viewed from below (from the Q direction) in FIG. 2, and is an explanatory diagram when the operation end 7C is operated in a folded state.
5 is a bottom view when the steering column device 1 is viewed from below (from the Q direction) in FIG. 2, and is an explanatory diagram when the operation end 7C is operated in a folded state.
6 is a bottom view when the steering column device 1 is viewed from below (from the Q direction) in FIG. 2, and is an explanatory view when the steering column device 1 is operated with the operation end 7C opened.
7 is a bottom view when the steering column device 1 is viewed from below (from the Q direction) in FIG. 2, and is an explanatory diagram when the steering column device 1 is operated with the operating end 7C opened.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 2;
11 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 10 and shows a relationship between a rotational position of a column clamp shaft 6 and a clamped / unclamped state.
12 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 10 and shows a relationship between a rotational position of a column clamp shaft 6 and a clamp / unclamp state.
13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 2, and is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship among a pusher plate 73, a pusher rod 74, and a swing arm 61. FIG.
FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing two positions when the tilt head 4 is tilted by a dotted line and a solid line.
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which an operation end 7C can be extended and retracted along a tilt operation lever 7A.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which an operation end 7C can be extended and retracted along a tilt operation lever 7A.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Steering column device
2 Fixed column members
21 Column clamp
211 First wedge
2111, 2112 Inclined surface
2113, 2114 Clamp bar hole
212 2nd wedge
213 Clamp bar
2141, 2142 Reaction force member
215 wedge hole
216 Column clamp shaft hole
22 Stopper member
221, 222 Body mounting part
231 cylindrical part
232 Sliding guide
3 Moving column member
31 Column head
311 Buffer stopper
32 long hole
33 segment gear
34 volts
341 Backrest member
4 Tilt head
41 Tilt head clamp
43 Tilt center axis
44 Gear arm
441 axes
442 Gear part
443 legs
45 spring
5 Wheel shaft
6 Column clamp shaft
61 Swing arm
7 Operation lever pair
7A tilt operation lever
7B Telescopic operation lever
7C Operation terminal
7H hinge axis
7L latch member
7P Latch pin
7S spring
71 Projection
711 biasing spring
72 lever center axis
73 pusher plate
74 pusher rod
741 biasing spring
742 Tsuba
743 long hole
91 Body
92 Steering wheel
931, 932 Universal joint
941 Upper middle shaft
942 Lower intermediate shaft

Claims (12)

A wheel shaft for fixing the steering wheel,
A tilt clamp mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the steering wheel by adjusting the inclination of the wheel shaft;
A telescopic clamp mechanism that adjusts the front-rear position of the steering wheel by adjusting the front-rear position of the wheel shaft; and
In a steering column device including an operation lever pair including a tilt operation lever and a telescopic operation lever for operating each of the clamp mechanisms,
A steering column, characterized in that one of the operation levers of the pair of operation levers is provided with a latch member that can selectively perform connection / disconnection between the operation lever and the other operation lever. apparatus. The steering column device according to claim 1,
The steering column device, wherein the latch member is biased in a direction in which the pair of operation levers are coupled. In the steering column device according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
A steering column device wherein the lever central axes of the operating lever pair are on a common axis. In the steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The operation lever provided with the latch member is provided with a movable operation end on which the operation lever is operated, and the operation of the operation end is used to select connection / disconnection of the operation lever pair by the latch member. Characteristic steering column device. In the steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The steering member is characterized in that the latch member is swingable on one operation lever, and has an engagement pin engaged with the other lever, and a contact portion with which a part of the operation end contacts. Column device. The steering column device according to claim 5,
The operating end is provided on the one operating lever so as to be foldable, and when the operating end partially abuts on the abutting portion in a state where the operating end is folded, the operating end of the latch member is used. A steering column device, wherein non-connection of an operation lever pair is selected. The steering column device according to claim 6,
The steering column device, wherein the operation end is biased toward a folding side. The steering column device according to claim 5,
The operating end is provided so as to be capable of extending and retracting along the one operating lever, and a part of the operating end abuts on the contact portion at the retracting end of the operating end, whereby the latch member A steering column device wherein non-connection is selected. The steering column device according to claim 8,
The steering column device, wherein the operating end is biased toward a retracted side. The steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The steering column device, wherein the other operation lever does not have an operation end for human operation. The steering column device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A steering column device, wherein one of the operation lever pairs is the tilt operation lever, and the other is the telescopic operation lever. In the steering column device according to any one of claims 4 to 11,
The steering column device, wherein the operation end is provided on the tilt operation lever.

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