JPH04254255A - Steering tilt device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate springing up operation and tilt operation of a steering wheel. CONSTITUTION:A lower end of a tube 15 for housing a steering shaft 12 is turnably supported to a tilt shaft 52, a lower end of a base 21 arranged in a front side of the tube is turnably mounted to the tilt shaft 52, the tilt shaft 52 is provided in a bracket 28 fixed to an instrument, a bolt 57 is movable and fixable along a partial circular arc-shaped slit with the tilt shaft 52 serving as the center, an upper end of the base 21 is turnably mounted to the bolt 57, a connection/release possible connecting mechanism(constituted of lock plate 43 and stopper plate 44) is provided between the tube 15 and the base 21, and the connecting mechanism is connected to a springing up lever 37. Space at the time of a driver on-off getting can be ensured to facilitate resetting a handle position.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a steering tilt device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional steering tilt devices have the following drawbacks. (1) When moving the steering wheel to the flip-up position, the tube is untightened using the tilt lever and then the steering wheel is moved, so corrections are required when returning the wheel to its original position. (2) After flipping up the wheel, in order to return it to its original position and fix it, the tilt lever must be tightened again.

0003

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a steering tilt device that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks. In addition, as prior art material for this application, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-125
No. 963, JP-A-61-21860, JP-A-60-236875, JP-A-60-37889, JP-A-60-2042, JP-A-59-41
There is a publication No. 893.

0004

[Technical Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a steering shaft having a steering wheel fixed to the upper end rotatably inserted into the tube, and the lower end of the tube is connected to a tilt shaft. The tube is supported so that it can rotate in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the tube is attached to a bolt parallel to the tilt axis that is inserted into a partially arc-shaped slit centered on the tilt axis provided in the fixed bracket. When operating the wheel tilt,
In a steering tilt device, the tube is movable and fixed along the slit when not in operation, and the tube is biased by a spring to rotate counterclockwise around the tilt axis. A base extending in the direction is arranged, a lower end of the base is rotatably attached to the tilt shaft, an upper end is rotatably attached to the bolt, and a coupling mechanism is provided between the base and the tube, and the coupling The mechanism is connected to the flip-up mechanism of the steering wheel, and when the flip-up mechanism is operated, the connection between the base and the tube is released so that only the tube can be rotated around the tilt axis to the flip-up position.
The structure has a function of connecting the base and the tube and allowing both to rotate around the tilt axis when the flip-up mechanism is not in operation.

[0005]

[Operation] When the connection between the tube and the base is released by operating the flip-up mechanism when the steering wheel is not tilted, the tube rotates together with the steering wheel by the spring around the tilt axis to the flip-up position, and the steering wheel tilt away. Therefore, it becomes easier for the driver to get in and out of the car. The tilt-away steering wheel can be manually pushed down to the flip-up starting position. When the tube and base are connected by the connection mechanism without operating the flip-up mechanism, the steering wheel can be tilted to a desired angle according to the physique of the driver.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained below with reference to drawings showing examples. 1 to 7, the upper bracket 13 is fixed to the tube 15 at the flange portion 14 by a bolt 51, and the steering shaft 12 is fixed to the tube 15 by a bearing 55,
It is rotatably supported by the tube 15 and the upper bracket 13 via 56. steering shaft 1
A steering wheel 11 is attached to the upper end of the steering wheel 2.

Bracket 1 provided at the lower end of tube 15
7 is rotatably supported via a spacer 41 by a bolt (tilt shaft) 52 and a nut 53 on a bracket 27 fixed to an instrument panel (not shown) via a bracket 28, and at the same time, the base 21 is also supported via a spacer 41 by a bolt (tilt shaft) 52 and a nut 53. 52 and is rotatably supported by a nut 53.

The upper end of the U-shaped bracket 16 provided in the middle of the tube 15 is connected by a bolt 57 and a nut 58, and the bolt 57 rotatably supports a spacer 42 interposed between opposing pieces of the U-shaped bracket. are doing.

A bracket 29 provided on the fixed bracket 27 rotatably supports the other end of the base 21 via a spacer 33 with a bolt 32, a spring washer 35, a liner 34, and a shaft 36 screwed onto the bolt 32. A tilt lever 36 is fixed to the tip of the shaft 36. The bracket 29 is provided with a partially arcuate slit 29a around the bolt 52, and the bolt 32 is inserted through the slit 29a and moved along the slit to regulate the inclination angle of the base 21 to a predetermined value. do.

A lock plate 43 is attached to the bracket 22 provided on the base 21 with a pin 25 together with a return spring 45, and is urged by the return spring 45 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. Further, a stopper plate 44 which is a set with a lock plate 43 is attached to the bracket 22 with a pin 26 together with a return spring 46, and the return spring 46 is rotated clockwise in FIG.
is energized by.

The flip-up lever 37 is attached to the upper bracket 13 together with a return spring 47 by a bolt 54, and is urged to rotate counterclockwise in FIG.
It is designed to always come into contact with 8. A cushion rubber 39 is attached to the portion where the flip-up lever 37 contacts the stopper 18 to reduce the noise and impact generated when the flip-up lever 37 and the upper bracket 13 come into contact. A wire 38 is provided at the opposite end of the flip-up lever 37, and one end of the wire 38 is connected to the stopper plate 4.
4 is locked. Fixed bracket 27 and tube 1
A spring 48 is connected between the tube 1 and the tube 1 in FIG.
5 in a counterclockwise direction around a bolt 52.

In the above configuration, the flip-up lever 37
When operated (rotated clockwise in FIG. 2), the wire 38 is pulled and the stopper plate 44 is rotated counterclockwise.
As shown in the figure, the lock plate 43 and stopper plate 4
4 is disengaged, and the lock plate 43 is rotated counterclockwise by the elasticity of the return spring 45. At this time, the bolt 57 of the bracket 16 attached to the tube 15
The spacer 42, which is pivoted to the lock plate 43, is separated from the lock plate 43. Therefore, the tube 15 is freely rotatable around the bolt 52 and is rotated upward by the spring 48, so that the abutment piece 19 provided on the tube 15 is attached to the fixed bracket 2.
9 until it comes into contact with a stopper 30 provided at the lower end. Therefore, the steering shaft 12 supported by the tube 15 and the upper bracket 13 tilts away together with the steering wheel 11 to the top. In this way, the connection between the tube 15 and the base 21 is released by only one-touch operation of the flip-up lever 37, facilitating tilt-away, and the ease of getting on and off the vehicle for the driver is significantly improved.

When the flip-up lever 37 is released in the above-mentioned tilted away state, the return spring 47 causes the flip-up lever 37 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. It rotates until it comes into contact with a stopper 23 provided on the bracket 22. At this time, the lock plate 43 has been flipped up by the return spring 45, so the stopper plate 44 and the lock plate 43 remain separated, and the bracket 16
Therefore, the steering wheel 11 connected to the tube 15 is held in an upwardly raised state. Therefore, when the steering wheel 11 is pulled down, it moves easily.

When the driver re-enters the vehicle, when the tilted away steering wheel 11 is pulled down against the elasticity of the spring 48, the lock plate 43 is not fixed, so it can be easily moved downward via the bracket 16 and the spacer 42. (clockwise) and when it reaches a predetermined position, the lock plate 43 begins to push the stopper plate 44 counterclockwise, and when the lock plate 43 returns by the same angle as the angle tilted by the tilt-away, the lock plate 43 starts pushing the stopper plate 44 counterclockwise. 43 is released from the stopper plate 44, and the stopper plate 44 rotates clockwise under the action of the spring 46 until it comes into contact with the stopper 23. At this time, the spacer 4 supported by the bracket 16 of the tube 15
2 contacts the stopper 24 provided on the base 21, the steering wheel 11 is no longer rotated downward, the lock plate 43 is engaged with the stopper plate 44 and cannot be moved upward, and the spacer 42 supported by the bracket 16 is Fixed. That is, the steering wheel 11 attached to the steering shaft 12 supported by the tube 15 is securely fixed, and the steering wheel 11 can be surely returned to a predetermined position by simply pulling the steering wheel 11 downward. Can be done.

As described above, the tilt-away and the return to the predetermined position before the start of the tilt-away are completely performed by a simple one-touch operation of the flip-up lever 37 and a simple pull-down operation of the steering wheel 11.
It is possible to improve the ease of getting on and off the vehicle and the usability of the driver.

Next, the case where the steering wheel 11 is tilted in accordance with the physique of the driver will be explained based on FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7. The position of the flip-up lever 37 in FIG.
A state in which the spacer 42 supported by the bolt 57 of No. 6 is fixed by the lock plate 43 is shown. tilt lever 31
2 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2, the clamping force of the bracket 29 provided on the fixed bracket 27 on the base 21 disappears, and the bolt 32 supporting the base 21 is moved through the aforementioned partially arc-shaped slit 2 provided on the bracket 29.
The base 21 can be moved along the tube 9a to its upper end, and therefore the base 21 can be rotated together with the tube 15 about the bolt 52. Therefore, the steering wheel 11 fixed to the steering shaft 12 supported within the tube 15 moves upward and is held unfixed. Therefore, when the steering wheel 11 is pulled down, it moves easily in the downward direction. At this time, the driver tilts the steering wheel away from the pair of springs 4.
Tilt the steering wheel to a desired position against the elastic force of 8, and while holding it at that position, turn the tilt lever 31
is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 to tighten and fix the upper end of the base 21 via the shaft 36, spring washer 35, liner 34, spacer 33, bracket 29, and bracket 22. By fixing the base 21, the tube 15 is fixed via the stopper plate 44, lock plate 43, spacer 42, and bracket 16, and accordingly, the steering wheel 11 is fixed.

As described above, the tilting angle of the steering wheel 11 can be adjusted according to the physique of the driver by rotating the flip-up lever 37 counterclockwise and moving the steering wheel 11 to a desired position, and then turning the tilt lever 31 clockwise. This is done by rotating in the direction, improving usability for the driver.

In the above description, the tube 15 is locked to the base 21 via the bracket 16, the spacer 42, the lock plate 43, the stopper plate 44, and the bracket 22.
In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the method of locking the tube 1
A guide 71 is fixed to the bracket 16a of 5a, and a pin 72 passes through the guide 71 and locks the base 21a. This allows the handle to be tilted. When unlocking, the pin 72 retreats to the surface of the bracket 16a. This allows for flipping.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a guide 71 is fixed to a bracket 22a provided on a base 21b, and a pin 72 passes through the guide 71 to lock the bracket 16b of the tube 15b. This allows for tilting. When unlocking, the pin 72 retreats to the surface of the bracket 22a. This allows for flipping.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, a pin 74 that is slidable on a guide 73 provided on a base 21c is attached to a tube 15c.
The base 21c and the tube 15c are locked together by engaging the bracket 16c. This allows for tilting. When unlocking, the pin 74 retreats to the right side of the guide 73 in the figure. This allows for flipping.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a hook 43a is rotatably attached to a bracket 22b provided on a base 21d by a pin 25a, and locks a pin 42a provided on a bracket 16d of a tube 15d. This allows for tilting. When unlocking, the pin 43a rotates clockwise in the figure. This allows it to flip up.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, links 75a, 75b and 75c provided on the base 21e are connected to the slide bracket 2.
2c, 76, bracket 1 of tube 15e
The link 75a passes through the hole 6e to lock the base 21e and the tube 15e. This allows for tilting. When unlocked, the link 75a retreats to the surface of the slide bracket 22c. This allows it to flip up.

The coupling mechanism forming a part of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and all mechanisms for locking and unlocking the base and the tube belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0024]

[Effects] Since the present invention has the above structure, it has the following excellent effects. (a) Unlike the conventional structure, the base is interposed between the mounting bracket and the tube, so it has a memory mechanism when the steering wheel flips up. Therefore, it becomes easy to secure a space when getting on and off the vehicle and to reset the handle position, improving the ease of getting on and off the vehicle. (b) Since the tube and the base are releasably connected by the connecting mechanism, the flip-up and tilt operations of the steering wheel are extremely easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the coupling mechanism of FIG. 1 in an open state.

7 is a side view showing a connected state of the connecting mechanism in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a first alternative example of the coupling mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a second alternative example of the coupling mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a third alternative example of the coupling mechanism.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a fourth alternative example of the coupling mechanism.

12 is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 11. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a fifth alternative example of the coupling mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Steering wheel 12 Steering shaft 15 Tube 21 Base 28 Fixed bracket 37 Flip-up lever (spring-up mechanism) 43 Lock plate (coupling mechanism) 44 Stopper plate (coupling mechanism) 52 Bolt (tilt shaft) 57 Bolt

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A steering shaft with a steering wheel fixed to the upper end is rotatably inserted into the tube, the lower end of the tube is rotatably supported in the vertical direction by a tilt shaft, and the upper end of the tube is fixed. It is attached to a bolt parallel to the tilt axis that is inserted through a partially arc-shaped slit centered on the tilt axis provided on the bracket.
This bolt can be moved along the slit and fixed when the steering wheel is tilted or not, and the tube is biased by a spring to rotate counterclockwise around the tilt axis. In the apparatus, a base extending in the direction of the tube is disposed on the front side of the tube, a lower end of the base is rotatably attached to the tilt axis, an upper end is rotatably attached to the bolt, and the base and the tube are connected. A connecting mechanism is provided between them, and this connecting mechanism is connected to the flip-up mechanism of the steering wheel, and when the flip-up mechanism is operated, the connection between the base and the tube is released and only the tube is rotated around the tilt axis to the flip-up position. 1. A steering tilt device characterized by having a function of connecting a base and a tube and allowing both to rotate around a tilt axis when the flip-up mechanism is not in operation.