JPH0220139Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Technical Field> The present invention relates to a tilt steering device for vertically adjusting the position of a steering wheel of an automobile.

<Prior art> Conventionally, a device for adjusting the vertical position of the steering wheel according to the driver's physique and preference has been developed, for example, by Jitsukasho.
It is known from No. 50-148726 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 111941/1983.

However, these known tilt steering devices are always fixed at an adjusted position.
Therefore, there has been a problem in that, especially when the handlebar is used with the handlebar lowered, the handlebar gets in the way of the driver when getting on and off the vehicle, making it difficult for the driver to get on and off the vehicle. To avoid this problem, it is necessary to move the steering wheel upward each time you get on or off the vehicle, and you also have to readjust the position of the steering wheel when driving.

<Purpose of the invention> The purpose of the invention is to automatically move the steering wheel in the vertical direction when the driver gets on or off the vehicle, and to provide a storage device for automatically reproducing and setting the adjusted position. The present invention provides a tilt steering device that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems.

<Structure of the invention> The structure of the invention is that a support that holds the steering column is pivotably supported in the vertical direction on a bracket fixed to the vehicle body, and a sector-shaped gear in an arc with the pivot point as the radial center is attached to this column support. In the tilt steering device, a pole is rotatably supported on the bracket to engage and disengage the fan-shaped gear by operating a tilt steering lever to adjust and position the vertical position of the column support in stages. An arc-shaped elongated hole is formed with the pivot point of the support as the radius center, a pivot is slidably passed through the elongated hole, and the pole is rotatably supported on the pivot, and the memory gear is The memory gear and the electric device are connected through a gear, and a tilt upper limit switch, a memory gear lower limit switch, a door switch that turns on and off when the door is opened and closed, and a door switch that turns on and off when the driver's seat is seated and not seated. Tsute
It is equipped with a seat switch that turns on and off, and a control unit that controls the electric device based on signals from each of the switches.

<Examples> Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a bracket fixed to the vehicle body, and reference numeral 2 indicates a column support that is pivotally supported by the bracket 1 so as to be pivotable in the vertical direction, and holds a steering column (not shown). The pivot point of column support 2 is hole 3 made in bracket 1.
and hole 4 made in column support 2 and pin 5.
It is pivotally connected by. Further, the column support 2 is always biased upward by a turning force by a spring 6 if necessary. In addition, column support 2
is provided with a fan-shaped gear 7 whose radius is centered at the pivot point, and a pawl 8 that engages and disengages from the fan-shaped gear 7 by operating a tilt steering lever 9 and adjusts and positions the vertical position of the column support 2 in stages is rotated around the bracket 1. It is movably pivoted. The tilt steering lever 9 is pivotally supported together with a retainer 10 by a pin 5 that pivotally supports the column support 2. The tilt steering lever 9 and the retainer 10 are provided with guide slots 11 and 12 facing in different directions. A pawl release pin 13 for rotating the pawl 8 is slidably guided.

The present invention provides a tilt steering device having the above structure, in which the bracket 1 is provided with an arc-shaped elongated hole 14, 1 whose radius is centered around the pivot point of the column support 2.
5 is opened, and a pivot 17a is slidably passed through one of the elongated holes 14 along the elongated hole 14.
The pawl 8 is rotatably supported on the portion a. Then, a memory gear 16 having a tooth profile 18 is fixed on this same pivot 17a. This memory gear 1
6 is also fixed to a pivot shaft 17b that slidably passes through the other elongated hole 15, and the retainer 10 is also fixed to the pivot shaft 17b. Further, an electric motor 19 is attached to the side of the bracket 1, and a gear 21 is meshed with a screw 20 which is rotated in forward and reverse directions by the electric motor 19. A gear 2 that meshes with the tooth profile 18 of the memory gear 16 is mounted on a shaft 22 that is rotated by this gear 21.
3 is provided.

The mechanism for controlling the electric motor 19 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 2, there are a tilt upper limit switch 24, a memory gear lower limit switch 25, a door switch 26 that turns on and off when the door is opened and closed, and a seat switch 27 that turns on and off when the driver's seat is seated and not seated.
A control unit 28 controls the electric motor 19 in forward and reverse directions according to signals from each switch.

Memory gear upper limit switch 24 is the third
As shown in the figure, the actuating piece 10a extending from the retainer 10 is provided at a position where it abuts, and the tilt upper limit switch 25 is provided at a position where the column support 2 abuts, as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, the control unit 28 has a circuit configuration shown in FIG. That is, door switch 2
Relay 29 that operates when 6 is turned on, and this relay 2
Normally open contacts 30, 31 that are turned ON when the relay 29 is activated, and normally closed contacts 33, 3 that are turned OFF when the relay 29 is activated.
4,35. The operation of this circuit configuration will be explained in conjunction with the explanation of the operation of the present invention described below.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the door switch 26 is turned off when the door is closed when parking.
Since the driver is not seated in the driver's seat, no current flows to the relay 29, and the seat switch 27 is not seated.
is also set to OFF. Furthermore, a normally open contact 30,
31 and 32 are also turned off.

When you open the door to get in the car from this state, the door switch 26 is turned on, and current flows through the relay 29. When you sit in the driver's seat, the seat switch 27 is also turned on.
becomes ON, normally open contacts 30, 31, 32 are ON,
Turn off the normally closed contacts 33, 34, and 35. At this time, the steering wheel is at the tilt upper limit,
Since the tilt upper limit switch 25 is turned off, the electric motor 19 does not operate. Next, when the door is closed, the door switch 26 is turned OFF and the current of the relay 29 is cut off, so the normally open contacts 30, 3
1, 32 to OFF, normally closed contacts 33, 34, 3
Turn on 5. This causes the current to flow through the normally closed contact 33.
The current flows from the side to the electric motor 19, and the rotation of the electric motor 19 causes the steering to move downward, and when the memory gear lower limit switch 24 is turned off, the current in the electric motor 19 is cut off, and the steering stops at the set position. Let it happen.

Furthermore, when exiting the vehicle, the door switch 26 is turned ON by opening the door, and current flows through the relay 29, turning the normally open contacts 30, 31, and 32 ON and the normally closed contacts 33, 34, and 35 OFF. As a result, current flows from the normally open contact 31 side and flows to the electric motor 19 via the ON seat switch 27, normally open contact 32, and tilt upper limit switch 25, causing the electric motor 19 to reversely rotate and move the steering wheel upward. do. When the steering wheel moves to the upper end, the tilt upper limit switch 25 is turned off and the reverse rotation of the electric motor 19 is stopped. When the driver leaves the seat, the seat switch 27 is turned off, so even if the door is closed, the electric motor 19 is not activated and the steering wheel remains tilted up.

Therefore, when the driver opens the door when getting out of the vehicle, the handle automatically pivots upward, allowing the driver to get on and off the vehicle easily without the handle getting in the way.

<Effects> As described above, according to the present invention, a simple mechanism allows the handle to automatically pivot upward when the user enters or exits the vehicle, such as opening the door, while maintaining the vertical position adjusted. This eliminates the need to manually release the lock each time as in the past, making it easier for the driver to get on and off the vehicle. This has the effect of eliminating the need for readjustment operations, which is required in the past.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of each component that makes up the device of the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of each switch, etc., Figure 3 is a detailed layout of the memory gear lower limit switch, and Figure 4 is the tilt upper limit. A detailed layout diagram of the limit switch, and FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the control unit. 1...Bracket, 2...Column support, 6
... Spring, 7 ... Sector gear, 8 ... Paul, 9 ... Tilt steering lever, 14,1
5...Elongated hole, 16...Memory gear, 17a, 1
7b...Pivot, 19...Electric motor, 23...Gear, 24...Memory gear lower limit switch, 25...Tilt upper limit switch, 26
...Door switch, 27...Seat switch, 2
8...Control unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A column support that holds the steering column is pivoted to a bracket fixed to the vehicle body so as to be able to pivot in the vertical direction.A sector-shaped gear with an arc centered around the pivot point is provided on this column support, and a tilt steering lever is attached to this sector-shaped gear. In a tilt steering device in which a pole is rotatably pivoted to the bracket for adjusting and positioning the vertical position of the column support in stages by the operation of An arc-shaped elongated hole is formed, a pivot shaft is slidably passed through the elongated hole, and the pole is rotatably supported on the pivot shaft, and a memory gear is fixed, and the memory gear and the electric A tilt upper limit switch, a memory gear lower limit switch, and a door switch that is connected to the device via a gear and that is turned on and off by opening and closing the door;
1. A tilt steering device comprising: a seat switch that is turned on and off when a driver is seated or not; and a control unit that controls the electric device based on signals from each of the switches.