JPH0129178Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a tilt-and-telescopic steering device in which the angle and height of the steering wheel can be adjusted according to the physique and preference of the driver.

Generally, for this type of steering device,
For example, the steering shaft and the steering column that supports the shaft may be arranged in two directions, one above the other.
After dividing, the upper and lower divided bodies are connected to a telescope, and a bracket provided on the steering column is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body through an elongated hole so as to be freely slidable in the axial direction, thereby adjusting the length of the steering shaft or steering column. The height of the steering wheel can be adjusted by changing it arbitrarily, and a tilt joint is interposed in the middle of the upper split shaft of the steering shaft, and by releasing the lock lever, the steering wheel can be swung around the joint as the center of tilt. The tilt angle of the wheel is adjusted by moving the wheel.

By the way, regarding the above steering device,
Since the tilt mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are incorporated in the middle of the steering shaft as described above, the column cover that integrally covers both mechanisms or the upper end of the steering column may become large, which reduces the effective space in the vehicle interior. There was also a strong possibility that the scope would be narrowed down.

The present invention was devised to solve the above problems, and consists of a lower shaft, an intermediate shaft telescopically connected to the lower shaft, and an upper shaft connected to the intermediate shaft via a tilt joint. forming, on the outer periphery of the lower shaft and the intermediate shaft,
While first and second steering columns connected to the telescope are arranged, an upper shaft is rotatably supported on the upper bracket, and the upper bracket is connected to a lower bracket fixed to the first steering column via a tilt pin. a tightening device that supports the tilt joint so as to be swingable on the same axis as the tilt center of the tilt joint, and is provided between the upper bracket and the lower bracket and prevents the upper bracket from swinging relative to the lower bracket. is arranged forward of the axis of the steering shaft, and the lower bracket is positioned on a vehicle body stationary member located near the tilt pin and forward of the axis of the steering shaft in the axial direction of the steering shaft. It is characterized by being able to be fixed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering shaft divided into three parts: an upper shaft 1a, an intermediate shaft 1b, and a lower shaft 1c, and the upper shaft 1a and the intermediate shaft 1b are interlocked and connected by a tilt joint 2 of a known structure. , a steering wheel 10 is fixed to the upper end of the upper shaft 1a, and a connecting cylinder 11 is fixed to the lower end of the intermediate shaft 1b, and the lower shaft 1c is fixed to the connecting cylinder 11.
While the upper end is spline-coupled, the lower end of the lower shaft 1c is connected to the universal joint 1 to the interlocking shaft 13 extending from the steering gear box 12.
They are interlocked and connected via 4.

Further, 3 is a steering column that covers the intermediate shaft 1b and the lower shaft 1c in the steering shaft 1, and includes a first column 3a and a second column 3b.
The lower end of the second column 3b is fixed to the floor panel 30 via the bracket 31, and the first column 3a is slidably inserted into the upper end of the second column 3b. The first column 3a is fixed to the second column 3b by tightening a tightening band 32 wound around the outer periphery of the upper end of the column 3b.

Therefore, the first part of the steering column 3
A lower bracket 4 consisting of a pair of side plates 41 and 42 facing each other with the tilt joint 2 in between is fixed to the upper end of the column 3a, while both side plates of the lower bracket 4 are fixed to the lower end of the upper shaft 1a of the steering shaft 1. An upper bracket 5 consisting of a pair of side plates 51 and 52 facing the outer surfaces of 41 and 42 is attached via a bearing 50.

Then, on the same axis passing through the tilt center of the tilt joint 2, the lower bracket 4
and an upper bracket 5 are connected by a pair of tilt pins 6, 6, and the upper bracket 5 is supported so as to be swingable about the tilt pins 6, 6 with respect to the lower bracket 4. The upper shaft 1a is moved to the tilt joint 2 by moving the upper shaft 1a.
Steering wheel 1
This is done as if adjusting the zero tilt angle.

Further, a tightening device 7 for controlling the rocking of the upper bracket 5 is installed on the front side of both the brackets 4 and 5 with respect to the axis of the steering shaft 1, and specifically, Guide holes 71, 71 and 72, 72 are formed in both side walls 41, 42 of the bracket 4 and both sides walls 51, 52 of the upper bracket 5, respectively, and a tightening bolt 73 is inserted thereinto. An adjustment nut 74 is screwed onto the insertion end of the bolt 73, and a lock lever 75 is assembled to the nut 74. By screwing the adjustment nut 74 with the lock lever 75, the side plates 51, 52 of the upper bracket 5 are lowered. Side plate 4 of bracket 4
1 and 42 to prevent the upper bracket 5 from swinging relative to the lower bracket 4.

On the other hand, both side plates 41, 4 of the lower bracket 4
2, a pair of flanges 41a, 42 protrude outward near the attachment site of the tilt pins 6, 6.
a and a reinforcing plate 43 is installed on the upper surface thereof, and the flanges 41a, 42a and the reinforcing plate 4
Long holes 8, 8 extending in the axial direction of the steering shaft are bored in the overlapped portion with 3.

And support bolts 8 are inserted into these long holes 8, 8, respectively.
1, and the insertion end thereof is screwed to a support bracket 91 provided on a vehicle body stationary member 9 located forward of the axis of the steering shaft 1,
By tightening the support bolt 81, the lower bracket 4 is fixed to the support bracket 91, while by loosening the support bolt 81, the lower bracket 4 is moved relative to the support bracket 91 within the range of the elongated hole 8. It is possible.

As the lower bracket 4 moves, the first column 3a fixed to the lower bracket 4
and the upper bracket 5 connected to the lower bracket 4 via tilt pins 6, 6.
Then, by moving the upper shaft 1a to which the upper bracket 5 is attached and the intermediate shaft 1b connected to the upper shaft 1a via the tilt joint 2 in the axial direction, the height of the steering wheel 10 can be set as desired. Can be adjusted.

In the figure, reference numeral 15 denotes a column cover that integrally covers the upper end of the first column 3a and the connecting portion between the intermediate shaft 1b and the upper shaft 1a of the steering shaft 1.

Next, in the steering device having the above configuration, first, in order to adjust the height of the steering wheel 10, the tightening band 32 wound around the second column 3b and the support bolt 81 screwed into the support bracket 91 are connected. Loosen the first column 3a.
is allowed to slide freely with respect to the second column 3b,
Further, after the lower bracket 4 is allowed to slide freely relative to the support bracket 91, the steering wheel 10 is moved to a desired height, and then the tightening band 32 and the support bolt 8 are tightened again.
All you have to do is tighten 1.

On the other hand, in order to adjust the tilt angle of the steering wheel 10, the adjustment nut 74 is loosened by operating the lock lever 75 in the tightening device 7, so that the upper bracket 5 can freely swing relative to the lower bracket 4. Then, the steering wheel 10 is swung to a desired angle using the tilt joint 2 as a fulcrum, and then the adjustment nut 74 is tightened via the lock lever 75, and the upper bracket 5 is tightened.
should be fixed to the lower bracket 4.

As described above, in the present invention, the steering shaft is formed of a lower shaft, an intermediate shaft telescopically connected to the lower shaft, and an upper shaft connected to the intermediate shaft via a tilt joint. , the first and second connected to the telescopic
While a steering column is arranged, an upper shaft is rotatably supported on the upper bracket, and the upper bracket is attached to a lower bracket fixed to the first steering column via a tilt pin so that the upper shaft is aligned with the same axis as the tilt center of the tilt joint. A tightening device is provided between the upper bracket and the lower bracket, and is provided between the upper bracket and the lower bracket to prevent the upper bracket from swinging relative to the lower bracket. The lower bracket is disposed on the front side and fixed to a stationary member of the vehicle body located near the tilt pin and forward of the axis of the steering shaft so as to be adjustable in position in the axial direction of the steering shaft, thereby achieving the following effects. We can expect that.

The components of the adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt angle of the steering wheel and the height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the steering wheel are concentrated around the tilt joint, and these components and the steering column are integrated. The column cover can be made smaller.

The tightening device is disposed forward of the axis of the steering shaft, and the lower bracket is fixed to a vehicle body stationary member located near the tilt pin and forward of the axis of the steering shaft. The space above the driver's knees becomes particularly large, which improves driving operability, and the distance from the steering wheel to the position where the steering shaft is fixed to the vehicle body stationary member via the lower bracket becomes smaller, for example. Steering wheel vibrations caused by engine drive are reliably suppressed.

In summary, according to the present invention, by rationally arranging the constituent members constituting the adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt angle of the steering wheel and the height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the steering wheel,
The steering column that covers these components can be made smaller, and at the same time, it has become possible to secure a large space above the driver's knees and improve driving operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway schematic side view of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the main parts, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts. Figure-
FIG. 1... Steering shaft, 10... Steering wheel, 3... Steering column, 4
...Lower bracket, 5...Upper bracket, 6...Tilt pin, 7...Tightening device, 8...
Long hole, 9...Vehicle body stationary member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The steering shaft is formed of a lower shaft, an intermediate shaft telescopically connected to the lower shaft, and an upper shaft connected to the intermediate shaft via a tilt joint, and a steering shaft is provided on the outer periphery of the lower shaft and the intermediate shaft. 1. While arranging the second steering column, the upper shaft is rotatably supported on the upper bracket, and the upper bracket is attached to the lower bracket fixed to the first steering column via the tilt pin to tilt the tilt joint. The steering shaft includes a tightening device that is supported to be swingable on the same axis as the center and that is provided between the upper bracket and the lower bracket and that prevents the upper bracket from swinging relative to the lower bracket. The lower bracket is fixed to a stationary member of the vehicle body located near the tilt pin and forward of the axis of the steering shaft so as to be adjustable in position in the axial direction of the steering shaft. A tilt-and-telescopic steering device featuring: