JPH072447B2 - Vehicle tilt handle device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tilt handle device for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a tilt operation of a steering shaft and a column change rod with respective universal joints as fulcrums. The present invention relates to a tilt handle device for an attached vehicle.

(Prior Art) In the conventional tilt handle device of the type described above,
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-75175,
The steering shaft and the column change rod are arranged so as to be parallel to each other on the same vertical plane.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) When the steering shaft and the column change rod are arranged in parallel in the vertical plane as described above, when the tilt handle device is tilted, the steering shaft and the column change rod are changed. Since relative movement is required between the rods, there is a problem that an engaging member for locking the column change rod to the steering shaft must be provided so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the steering shaft. .

Further, in such a tilt handle device, the column change rod is composed of a lower rod and an upper rod connected to the lower rod via a universal joint, and the column change rod is positioned at a position corresponding to a predetermined shift position. A mechanism was provided on the lower rod below the universal joint. Therefore, the movement of the column change lever is transmitted from the upper rod connected to the column change lever to the positioning mechanism via the universal joint and the lower rod. However, at this time, rattling occurs in the universal joint, and the rattling of the universal joint deteriorates the change operation feeling of the column change lever.

An object of the present invention is to prevent relative displacement between the steering shaft and the column change rod when the tilt handle device is tilted, and to provide a good change operation feeling of the column change lever in the column change rod. An object is to provide a tilt handle device for a vehicle.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tilt handle device for a vehicle, in which a steering shaft and a column change rod are juxtaposed so as to be tiltable with respective universal joints as fulcrums. The steering shaft is rotatably supported in a steering shaft case capable of tilting integrally with the steering shaft, and the column change rod is substantially lateral to the steering shaft with respect to the steering shaft. Are extended in parallel with each other and are rotatably supported about the axis of the column change rod by a bracket fixed to the steering shaft case. Located on the upper rod The upper rod is composed of a base portion arranged on the side of the universal joint and a movable member fixed to the base portion so as to be movable only in the axial direction and having a column change lever fixed thereto. A positioning mechanism for positioning the column change rod at a position corresponding to a predetermined shift position is provided in a portion located above the universal joint and the movable member forming the upper rod.

(Operation) In the tilt handle device for a vehicle of the present invention configured as described above, the column change rod is arranged so as to extend laterally of the steering shaft in a state substantially parallel to the steering shaft. Therefore, there is no relative displacement between the steering shaft and the column change rod during the tilting operation.

Further, in the present invention, the positioning mechanism for positioning the column change rod at a position corresponding to a predetermined shift position constitutes a portion of the steering shaft case located above the universal joint portion and an upper rod located above the universal joint portion. Since it is provided on the movable member,
The positioning operation for positioning the column change rod at a predetermined position is performed without passing through the universal joint portion. As a result, in the present invention, since the movement of the column change lever is not transmitted through the universal joint portion unlike the conventional tilt handle device in which the above-described positioning mechanism is provided on the lower rod, the influence of the rattling of the universal joint portion is affected. The change operation feeling of the column change lever is improved without being affected.

(Embodiment) Hereinafter, a tilt handle device for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are a plan view, a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of a tilt handle device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a coil spring as a biasing means for the column change rod is omitted.

In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering shaft, which comprises an upper shaft 2 for supporting a steering handle H and a lower shaft 3 connected to a steering gear (not shown). The upper shaft 2 and the lower shaft 3 are connected by a universal joint 4 at a universal joint portion. The lower shaft 3 is rotatably supported by a lower steering column 6 fixed to the vehicle body at the upper end by a support bracket 5 having a substantially U-shaped cross section. On the other hand, the upper shaft 2 is rotatably supported by the upper steering column 7 (steering shaft case) which is vertically tiltable with respect to the lower steering column 6. The upper steering column 7 includes the universal joint 4 described above.
Passes through the center of the center, that is, the tilt center, and the upper shaft 2
It is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 8 arranged on a horizontal straight line A extending at a right angle to.

Although not shown in detail, the rotary shaft 8 is provided with a screw type lock mechanism, and when the lock mechanism is released, tilting is possible, and when the lock mechanism is operated,
The tilt angle state is maintained. To operate this lock mechanism, the steering tilt lever 9
Is provided.

A column change rod 10 for shifting gears of an automatic transmission (not shown) is arranged in parallel on the right side portion of the steering shaft 1 in parallel therewith. The column change rod 10 includes an upper rod 12 connected to a column change lever 11 and a lower rod connected to a selector valve (not shown) of a hydraulic control circuit of an automatic transmission.
It consists of 13. The upper rod 12 and the lower rod 13 are connected by a universal joint 14 in a universal joint portion whose center is arranged on the horizontal straight line A. Therefore, the upper shaft 2 of the steering shaft 1 and the upper rod 12 of the column change rod 10 are always located in the same plane that rotates about the horizontal straight line A at the time of tilting, and thus between them when tilting. There is no force that causes relative movement.

A flange 15 is formed integrally with the bracket 5 at the lower right end of the support bracket 5 so as to extend laterally outward. The flange 15 is provided with an insertion hole 16 for inserting the lower rod 13 of the column change rod 10. The lower rod 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 16, and the flange 15 allows the lower rod 13 to rotate, but It is supported so that it does not move in the direction.

The upper rod 12 includes a base 17 and a tubular movable member 19 connected to the base 17 by a spline 18 so as to be movable only in the axial direction. The change lever 11 is fixed to the tubular movable member 19.
The shaft 24 of the movable member 19 is supported by a bracket 23 fixed to the upper column 7 so as to be displaceable in the axial direction and the rotation direction about the shaft.

A column change guide plate 20 for an automatic transmission is fixed to the upper column 7, and the guide plate 20 is a cam for positioning the column change rod 10 at an angular position corresponding to each shift position or the like. It has a face 21. The movable member 19 has the cam surface 21
A pin 22 is fixed in contact with an appropriate portion of the column to position the column change rod 10 at an angular position corresponding to a predetermined shift position. Below, this guide plate
20 and the pin 22 will be described with reference to FIGS.

A guide plate 20 is shown in FIG. 4, and the column change rod 10 is attached to the guide plate 20 at angular positions corresponding to 1 range, 2 ranges, D range, N range, R range, and P range. A cam surface 21 for positioning is formed. Then, the pin 22 fixed to the movable member 19
However, the column change rod 10 is positioned in an angular position corresponding to a predetermined shift position by being brought into contact with an appropriate portion of the cam surface 21, that is, one of the range positions. In addition, in FIG. 5, each range position of the column change lever 11 of the column change rod 10,
That is, 1 range, 2 ranges, D range, N range,
R range and P range are shown, and in the figure, B,
C is the rotation center of the steering shaft 1,
The center of rotation of the column change rod 10 is shown.

Next, the column change rod 10 is biased by a spring means in an appropriate angular position direction. The spring means will be described below with reference to FIG. There are provided two coil springs 25 and 26 that act in mutually opposite directions so as to exert a drag force on the rotation direction of the column change rod 10, that is, the coil spring 25, one end of which is fixed to the upper rod 12, and the other. The end is fixed to the mounting portion 20a of the guide plate 20, and the coil spring 26 is
One end is fixed to the lower rod 13 and the other end is fixed to the flange 15. Therefore, the coil springs 25, 26 center the column change rod 10 by giving a reaction force to its rotation direction, so that the change lever 11 is prevented from swinging and the shift feeling of the change lever 11 is improved.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the tilt handle device for a vehicle according to the present invention, when the tilt handle device is tilted, a force that causes relative displacement may be generated between the steering shaft and the column change rod. Moreover, the change operation feeling of the column change lever can be further improved in the column change rod.

[Brief description of drawings]

1, 2, and 3 are a plan view, a side view, and a perspective view, respectively, showing a main part of a tilt handle device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Explanatory drawing, FIG. 5 is a figure which shows each range position of the column change lever of a column change rod. 1 ... Steering shaft, 2 ... Upper shaft,
3 ... Lower shaft, 4 ... Universal joint,
5 ... Support bracket, 6 ... Lower steering column, 7 ... Upper steering column, 10 ... Column change rod, 12 ... Upper rod, 13 ... Lower rod, 14 ... Universal joint, 15 ... Flange,
16 …… insertion hole, 20 …… guide plate, 21 …… cam surface,
22 …… Pin, 25,26 …… Coil spring, A …… Horizontal straight line.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tilt handle device for a vehicle, in which a steering shaft and a column change rod are juxtaposed so as to be tiltable about their respective universal joints, and the steering shaft can be tilted integrally with the steering shaft. The column change rod is rotatably supported in the steering shaft case, and the column change rod extends laterally of the steering shaft in a state substantially parallel to the steering shaft and is fixed to the steering shaft case. The bracket is rotatably supported about the axis of the column change rod. The column change rod has a lower rod located below the universal joint and an upper rod located above the universal joint. Placed Part and a movable member which is movably connected to the base part only in the axial direction and to which a column change lever is fixed, and a part which is located above the universal joint part of the steering shaft case and the movable part which constitutes the upper rod. A tilt handle device for a vehicle, comprising: a member and a positioning mechanism for positioning the column change rod at a position corresponding to a predetermined shift position.