JPH0641905Y2 - Tilt type steering device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a tilt type steering device, and more particularly to a meshing structure of a tooth and a ratchet for setting tilt.

[Prior Art] In a tilt type steering device in an automobile, a part of a steering column that supports a steering shaft can be bent vertically in the vicinity of a steering wheel through a universal joint so that an occupant can set an optimum driving position. The movable bracket is rotatably attached to a fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body via a tilt hinge, and the fixed bracket and the movable bracket are arc-shaped fixed teeth centered on the tilt hinge. It has a part (tooth) and a movable tooth part (ratchet),
By rotating the movable tooth portion with an operating lever, both tooth portions can be engaged and disengaged, and tilting and locking thereof can be performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the tilt type steering device described above, the tooth profile of the tooth portion where the tooth and the ratchet mesh is set to have equal left and right pressure angles with respect to the normal direction of the pitch circle. However, due to the relationship between the direction of the load on the teeth and the setting position of the center of rotation of the movable bracket, there is a problem that the meshing is easily disengaged with respect to the load in the upper tilt direction.
Therefore, if the steering wheel is mounted at a large angle in the tilt upper direction and a vehicle collision occurs, and the weight of the occupant is applied to the steering wheel due to a secondary collision, the teeth and ratchet are disengaged and the movable bracket is tilted. The steering wheel moves in the direction of the windshield, and the steering shaft tilts greatly, which makes it difficult for the energy absorption of the steering column, that is, the axial contraction structure of the steering column to be difficult to operate, resulting in a collision. There is a risk of causing problems that people's protection of time is hindered.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to make it difficult to disengage the tooth and ratchet from each other even when the tilt type steering device having the tooth and the ratchet is set in the upper tilt direction. It is a thing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides that a movable bracket is supported by a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body through a tilt hinge so as to be vertically swingable, and A tooth having teeth with a predetermined pitch, which is located on the circumference of a predetermined radius around the tilt hinge, is fixed to the fixed bracket, and a ratchet having teeth with a predetermined pitch that meshes with the teeth is rotated to the movable bracket. In the tilt type steering device which is rotatably supported, the tooth profile of the tooth and the ratchet is formed such that the pressure angle of the meshing surface in the upper tilt direction with respect to the normal direction of the pitch circle is smaller than the pressure angle on the opposite side. In addition, the meshing surface in the upper tilt direction farthest from the rotation center of the ratchet is on the pitch circle of this meshing surface and during ratchet rotation. The angle between the line connecting the heart and the normal line of the meshing surface is a positive value, and 0
The tilt type steering device is configured so as to be close to

[Operation] According to the above configuration of the present invention, the load does not act in the direction of removing the ratchet with respect to the load in the upper tilt direction, and it is possible to make it difficult for the teeth of the tooth and the ratchet teeth to disengage. Prevents the steering wheel from tilting significantly toward the windshield during the next collision.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 is a side view of a main part, FIG. 2 is a side view with a part thereof removed, FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a partial side view, and FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view. is there.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, an upper jacket 1 and a lower jacket 2 which form a steering column.
Are supported by a movable bracket 4 and a fixed bracket 3, respectively, and the movable bracket 4 is pivotally attached to the fixed bracket 3 via a tilt hinge 5. The upper jacket 1 and the lower jacket 2 have their axial centers.
The steering shaft 6 is inserted, and the steering shaft 6 is connected to the tilt bracket 5 via a universal joint 7 in the vertical direction so that the steering shaft 6 can be bent in the vertical direction so that the steering shaft 6 can be bent. (Not shown), and a steering gear box (not shown) is connected to the lower end. Then, on the fixed bracket 3, a tooth 9 having arc-shaped tooth portions 8 located on the circumference of a predetermined radius centered on the tilt hinge 5 is formed.
However, it is fixed by a plurality of pins 10. Further, the movable bracket 4 has an upper end portion of a ratchet 11 rotatably supported by a shaft 12, and a side surface of a lower end portion of the ratchet 11 has an arc-shaped tooth capable of meshing with a tooth portion 8 of the tooth 9. A portion 13 is formed, and a pin 14 into which a collar 14a is fitted is orthogonally provided near the end so as to project outward. These teeth 8,13 are
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the left and right pressure angles α and β with respect to the pitch circle normal direction R are formed unevenly. Here, it is effective to set the pressure angles α and β to α <β. Further, the value of the pressure angle α of the meshing surface in the upper tilt direction of the tooth portions 8 and 13 farthest from the center A of the shaft 12 of the ratchet 11 is
A line (a) connecting an intersection point B between the meshing surface of the tooth portions 8 and 13 and the pitch circle (c) and the center A of the shaft 12 of the ratchet 11 and a normal line (b) of the pressure angle α of this meshing surface. It is desirable that the angle θ formed by and is a positive value and a value close to 0 (zero).

On the other hand, as shown in detail in FIG. 4 (A), toothless portions 8a and 13a are respectively formed above the tooth portions 8 and 13 with a predetermined length, and the toothless portions 8a and 8a are A concave portion 8b and a convex portion 13b are formed on both sides of 13a. On the other hand, a lock plate 16 provided with an arcuate hole 15 into which the collar 14a fitted to the pin 14 is coupled is pivotally supported about the tilt hinge 5. One end of a tilt lever 17 is connected to the lock plate 16, and an operation knob 18 is attached to the other end of the tilt lever 17. In order to restrict the rotation of the fixed bracket 3 and the movable bracket 4, as shown in FIG. 3, an arcuate hole 19 is provided on one side of the fixed bracket 3.
At the same time, the pin 20 having the stopper collar 20a fitted therein is fitted into the hole 19 of the movable bracket 4 so as to project therefrom. Then, the fixed bracket 3 and the movable bracket 4
A flip-up spring 21, 21 made of a tensile coil spring is mounted between and, and the movable bracket 4 is constantly urged in the flip-up direction. A protrusion 21a is inserted through at least one end of the flip-up spring 21. The projections 21a are integrally formed on the upper portion of the movable bracket 4 in a pair on the left and right in the drawing, but they may be formed on both the fixed bracket 3 and the movable bracket 4, and even if they are not integrally formed, the rod is welded. It may be formed by connecting with each other. A slide block 22 is interposed between the fixed bracket 3 and the vehicle body side fixed bracket 32 fixed to the vehicle body 31 so that the fixed bracket 3 can be detached from the vehicle body 31 when an impact such as a collision of the vehicle body is received. Is attached to.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the shaft 12 that supports the ratchet 11 has a tapered portion 12a.
A taper hole 11a that fits into the 2a is formed in the ratchet 11, and a biasing spring 12b that absorbs play in the fitting portion between the taper portion 12a and the taper hole 11a is provided between the ratchet 11 and the reinforcing plate 23. It is set up. By the engagement through these tapered portions, the ratchet 11 can be rotatably engaged without causing so-called rattling.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, a reinforcing plate 23 is provided to cover the outside of the tilt lock mechanism. The reinforcing plate 23 includes a through hole 24 for penetrating the tilt hinge 5, a through hole 25 for penetrating the shaft 12, and a pin.
It has an arcuate hole 26 penetrating 14 and has a slide portion 27 whose upper edge is bent at a substantially right angle and a spring hooking projection portion 28 hanging from it. This spring hook
One end of a tensile coil spring 29 is fixed to 28,
The other end of the coil spring 29 is fixed to the spring hooking projection 30 of the lock plate 16, and the lock plate 16 is constantly urged upward. The slide portion 27 is attached to the vehicle body side fixed bracket 32 that slidably attaches and fixes the fixed bracket 3 to the vehicle body 31 via the slide block 22 at a certain angle. As a result, if the car body receives a shock due to a collision accident,
When the steering column should be axially compressed in the event of a secondary collision for the occupant, the tilt lock mechanism
It is configured so that it can be guided by the slide portion 27 and go under the slide block 22 without colliding with the slide block 22 and being prevented from moving.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. In the state shown in FIG. 2, in order to set the tilt of the steering wheel, the tilt lever 17 is rotated clockwise around the tilt hinge 5 to lock the steering wheel. Plate 16
Rotate in the same direction, and the arcuate hole 15 guides the pin 14 via the collar 14a to rotate the ratchet 11 counterclockwise. Therefore, the tooth portions 8 and 13 are separated from each other, and the meshing is released. Therefore, the movable bracket 4 can freely rotate about the tilt hinge 5 both vertically.
Then, push the steering wheel up or down to the desired position to set the proper position, then release the tilt lever 17, and the tilt lever 17 rotates counterclockwise by the force of the coil spring 29 to return to the original state. The pin 14 is guided by the arcuate hole 15 via the collar 14a, and the ratchet 11 rotates clockwise. Therefore, the tooth portions 8 and 13 are re-engaged with each other,
This causes the tilt lock.

On the other hand, the flip-up operation will be described. When an occupant gets in and out of the vehicle, the tilt lever 17 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 2 as in the tilt operation, and the tilt lever 17 is pushed deeply downward. The tooth portions 8 and 13 are disengaged, and the movable bracket 4 is instantly rotated counterclockwise about the tilt hinge 5 by the force of the springs 21 and 21. Then, the convex portion 13b of the ratchet 11 is replaced by the tooth 9
When reaching the concave portion 8b, the stopper collar 20a comes into contact with the upper portion of the arc-shaped hole 19, the movement of the movable bracket 4 is stopped, the both are fitted to each other, and the flip-up position is locked. That is, the convex portion 13b and the concave portion 8b set the flip-up fixed position. Therefore, the movable bracket 4 that has been flipped up is fixed at the fixed position and stands still. If the flip-up springs 21 and 21 are broken, the projecting portion 21a is inserted into at least one end of the flip-up spring 21, so the broken end is not attached to the universal joint 7 It prevents a situation in which the steering shaft 6 hangs down or the steering shaft 6 hangs down.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to this invention, the tooth profile of the tooth and ratchet is formed so that the pressure angle of the meshing surface in the upper tilt direction with respect to the normal direction of the pitch circle is smaller than the pressure angle on the opposite side. In addition, the meshing surface in the tilt upper stage direction farthest from the ratchet rotation center is formed substantially orthogonal to the line connecting the pitch circle of this meshing surface and the ratchet rotation center. Against load in the direction
The load does not act in the direction of removing the ratchet, the teeth of the tooth and the ratchet teeth can be easily disengaged, and the steering wheel is prevented from tilting significantly toward the windshield during a secondary collision. There is an effect that it is possible to surely protect the personnel at the time of a collision without hindering the energy absorbing action.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an essential part showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of an essential part, FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2, and FIG. , (B) is a partially enlarged view of the same, No. 5
The figure is a partial perspective view. α, β ... Pressure angle, 1 ... Upper jacket, 2 ... Lower jacket, 3 ... Fixed bracket, 4 ... Movable bracket,
5 ... Tilt hinge, 8, 13 ... Tooth, 9 ... Tooth, 11 ... Ratchet, 12 ... Shaft, 14 ... Pin, 15 ... Arc hole, 17 ... Tilt lever, 21 ... Bounce spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A movable bracket is supported on a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body through a tilt hinge so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and the fixed bracket is positioned on a circle having a predetermined radius around the tilt hinge. In the tilt type steering device, a tooth having a tooth portion having a predetermined pitch is fixed, and a ratchet having a tooth portion having a predetermined pitch that meshes with the tooth is rotatably supported by a movable bracket. The tooth profile of the ratchet is such that the pressure angle of the meshing surface in the tilt upper stage direction with respect to the normal direction of the pitch circle is formed smaller than the pressure angle on the opposite side, and the ratchet tooth profile in the tilt upper stage direction farthest from the ratchet rotation center. The meshing surface has a positive angle between the line connecting the pitch circle of this meshing surface and the center of rotation of the ratchet and the normal line of the meshing surface. And a tilt-type steering apparatus characterized by comprising formed to be close to zero.