JP7530280B2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering device.

Some steering devices have a telescopic function that adjusts the fore-aft position of the steering wheel according to the driver's physique and driving posture. This type of steering device includes a cylindrical housing supported on the vehicle body, a tube held in the housing so as to be movable in the fore-aft direction, and a telescopic mechanism that connects the housing and the tube so as to be movable forward and backward. The tube rotatably supports a steering shaft to which the steering wheel is attached.

In the steering device described above, a configuration is known in which the housing supports the outer circumferential surface of the tube at three points in order to suppress rattling of the tube relative to the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). Specifically, in Patent Document 1 below, the tube is supported from below by an adjustment screw provided in the housing, and the tube is supported from above at two points on both the left and right edges of a recessed groove provided in the housing.

JP 2004-322879 A

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology still leaves room for improvement in terms of balancing the amount of displacement (rigidity) of the tube relative to the housing in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The present invention aims to provide a steering device that can reduce variation in the amount of displacement of the pipe relative to the housing in the vertical and horizontal directions, thereby improving marketability.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following aspects.
A steering device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pipe into which a steering shaft is inserted so as to be rotatable around an axis along a front-to-rear direction, a housing supported by a vehicle body and supporting the pipe so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction, and a telescopic mechanism for moving the pipe in the front-to-rear direction relative to the housing, wherein the housing is provided with a first support portion located on a center line along the up-to-down direction passing through the axis and supporting the pipe from a first side in the up-to-down direction, a second support portion located on a first side in the circumferential direction about the axis relative to the center line and supporting the pipe from a second side in the up-to-down direction, and a third support portion located on a second side in the circumferential direction about the axis relative to the center line and supporting the pipe from the second side in the up-to-down direction, and wherein when the pipe is viewed from the front-to-rear direction, a central angle of the pipe formed by a contact point of either one of a contact point of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe and the second support portion and a contact point of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe and the third support portion and an intersection point of the center line and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe is set to a range of 45° to 60°.

According to this aspect, by setting the central angle to 45° or more, one of the contact points is spaced from the center line, which makes it easier to hold the pipe in the left-right direction and reduces the amount of displacement of the pipe in the left-right direction.
On the other hand, by setting the central angle to 60° or less, it is possible to prevent the amount of displacement of the pipe in the vertical direction from becoming excessive.
As a result, it becomes easier to evenly arrange the support parts around the pipe, and the difference (variation) in the amount of displacement in each direction can be kept within a predetermined range. This allows the pipe to be stably supported by the housing, improving marketability.

In the steering device of the above aspect, the central angle is set in the range of 45° to 50°.
However, pipes tend to be more susceptible to vertical loads than horizontal loads, and passengers tend to feel more uncomfortable with vertical displacement than with horizontal displacement.
According to this aspect, by setting the central angle in the range of 45° to 50°, it is possible to reduce the amount of displacement in the left-right direction, while reliably suppressing an increase in the amount of displacement in the up-down direction, for example.

In the steering device of the above aspect, the central angle is set in the range of 55° to 60°.
According to this aspect, the difference in the amount of displacement in each direction can be made smaller, and the variation in the amount of displacement of the pipe relative to the housing in the up-down and left-right directions can be suppressed.

In the steering device of the above-described aspect, a notch is formed in a portion of the housing located between the second support portion and the third support portion, the notch opening toward the inside in a radial direction intersecting the axis, and the second support portion and the third support portion are side end edges of the opening edge of the notch that face each other in the circumferential direction.
According to this aspect, the notch prevents contact between the housing and the pipe, and the pipe can be stably supported by the circumferentially opposing side edges of the opening edge of the notch. In this case, the amount of processing of the pipe to form the support portion can be reduced compared to when the support portion is formed by a protrusion or the like. As a result, the workability and rigidity of the support portion can be improved.

In the steering device of the above aspect, a recess is formed in the housing, which is recessed toward the bottom surface of the notch and has a circumferential width narrower than that of the notch, and a connecting portion that connects the telescopic mechanism and the pipe is disposed within the recess.
According to this aspect, by forming the notch separately from the recess, the position of the support portion can be set regardless of the size of the recess, which makes it easy to set the central angle to a desired value.

In the steering device of the above aspect, the telescopic mechanism includes an actuator provided in the housing, and a feed mechanism that connects the pipe and the actuator and transmits the driving force of the actuator to the pipe.
According to this aspect, even in an electric telescopic mechanism, the pipes can be stably supported by the supporting parts, so that the vertical and horizontal variations in the amount of displacement of the pipes relative to the housing body can be suppressed, thereby improving the marketability of the product.

According to each of the above aspects, the variation in the amount of displacement of the pipe relative to the housing in the vertical and horizontal directions can be reduced, improving marketability.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic rear view of the pipe, housing body, and support mechanism of FIG. 3 . 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of displacement of a pipe relative to a housing body and the central angle.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and variations described below, the same reference numerals may be used to designate corresponding configurations, and the description may be omitted. In the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," and "coaxial," do not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state in which there is a relative displacement with an angle or distance to the extent that the same function is obtained.

[Steering device 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering device 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a steering device 1 is mounted on a vehicle and adjusts the steering angle of wheels in response to the rotation of a steering wheel 2.

The steering device 1 includes a housing 11, a pipe 12, a steering shaft 13, a drive mechanism 14, and a load absorbing mechanism 15. The pipe 12 and the steering shaft 13 are each formed along an axis O1. Therefore, in the following description, the direction in which the axis O1 of the pipe 12 and the steering shaft 13 extends is sometimes simply referred to as the shaft axial direction, the direction perpendicular to the axis O1 is sometimes referred to as the shaft radial direction, and the direction around the axis O1 is sometimes referred to as the shaft circumferential direction.

The steering device 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle with its axis O1 intersecting the front-rear direction. Specifically, the axis O1 of the steering device 1 extends upward as it moves rearward. However, for the sake of convenience in the following description, in the steering device 1, the direction in the shaft axial direction toward the steering wheel 2 is simply referred to as the rear, and the direction toward the opposite side of the steering wheel 2 is simply referred to as the forward direction (arrow FR). In addition, among the shaft radial directions, the up-down direction when the steering device 1 is attached to the vehicle is simply referred to as the up-down direction (arrow UP is upward), and the left-right direction is simply referred to as the left-right direction (arrow LH is left).

<Housing 11>
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Fig. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the housing 11 includes a tilt bracket 21 and a housing main body 22 .
The tilt bracket 21 includes a pair of left and right side frames 23a, 23b.
The side frames 23a, 23b extend in the front-rear direction with the thickness direction being the left-right direction. Of the lower edges of the side frames 23a, 23b, a protruding piece 27 that protrudes downward is formed at the front end of one of the side frames 23a (the left side frame 23a).

The housing body 22 is disposed inside the tilt bracket 21. The housing body 22 has a retaining tube 31 and a front extension 32.

The retaining cylinder 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the shaft axial direction (front-rear direction). As shown in FIG. 2, an outer ring of a front bearing 35 is fitted (press-fitted) into the front end portion of the retaining cylinder 31.
1 to 3, a slit 36 is formed in the middle of the retaining tube 31 in the front-rear direction. The slit 36 extends in the front-rear direction. A bridge portion 250 is formed in the rear end of the retaining tube 31, spanning the slit 36 from below. The bridge portion 250 has a U-shape that opens upward when viewed from the front-rear direction (front view). Both left and right ends of the bridge portion 250 are connected to the edges of the slit 36 that face each other in the left and right direction.

1, the front extension 32 protrudes forward from the retaining tube 31. The front extension 32 is formed in a U-shape that opens downward in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the front-rear direction. In the illustrated example, the distance between a pair of side walls 37 of the front extension 32 that face each other in the left-right direction is longer than the outer diameter of the retaining tube 31. Each side wall 37 is connected to the facing side frames 23a, 23b of the tilt bracket 21 via a pivot shaft 40.
As a result, the housing body 22 is supported by the tilt bracket 21 so as to be rotatable about the pivot shaft 40 (about an axis O2 extending in the left-right direction).

<Pipe 12>
The pipe 12 is formed into a cylindrical shape extending in the shaft axial direction. The pipe 12 is inserted into a retaining cylinder 31. The pipe 12 is configured to be movable in the shaft axial direction relative to the retaining cylinder 31. As shown in Fig. 2, an outer ring of a rear bearing 41 is fitted (press-fitted) into the rear end portion of the pipe 12. In this embodiment, the outer diameter D (see Fig. 4) of the pipe 12 is set to about 30 mm to 50 mm.

<Steering shaft 13>
The steering shaft 13 includes an inner shaft 42 and an outer shaft 43 .
The inner shaft 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the shaft axial direction. The inner shaft 42 is inserted into the pipe 12. The rear end of the inner shaft 42 is press-fitted into the inner ring of the rear bearing 41 described above. As a result, the inner shaft 42 is supported rotatably about the axis O1 via the rear bearing 41. The steering wheel 2 is connected to a portion of the inner shaft 42 that protrudes rearward from the pipe 12. The inner shaft 42 may be solid.

The outer shaft 43 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the shaft axial direction. The outer shaft 43 is inserted into the pipe 12. The inner shaft 42 is inserted into the rear end of the outer shaft 43 within the pipe 12. The front end of the outer shaft 43 is press-fitted into the inner ring of the front bearing 35 within the retaining tube 31. As a result, the outer shaft 43 is supported within the retaining tube 31 so as to be rotatable around the axis O1.

The inner shaft 42 and the pipe 12 are configured to be movable in the shaft axial direction relative to the outer shaft 43. A male spline, for example, is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner shaft 42. The male spline engages with a female spline formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer shaft 43. As a result, the inner shaft 42 is able to move in the shaft axial direction relative to the outer shaft 43 while its relative rotation with respect to the outer shaft 43 is restricted.
However, it is possible to appropriately change the telescopic structure and the rotation restriction structure of the steering shaft 13. Note that, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the outer shaft 43 is disposed forward of the inner shaft 42 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the outer shaft 43 may be disposed rearward of the inner shaft 42.

<Drive mechanism 14>
1, the drive mechanism 14 includes a tilt mechanism 45 and a telescopic mechanism 46. The tilt mechanism 45 is disposed, for example, on the left side of the housing 11. The telescopic mechanism 46 is disposed, for example, on the right side of the housing 11. It is sufficient that the drive mechanism 14 includes at least the telescopic mechanism 46.

The tilt mechanism 45 constitutes a so-called feed screw mechanism. Specifically, the tilt mechanism 45 includes a tilt motor unit 51, a tilt connecting portion 52, and a tilt movable portion 53. The tilt mechanism 45 switches between restricting and allowing the rotation of the steering device 1 about the axis O2 by driving the tilt motor unit 51.
The tilt motor unit 51 includes a tilt gear box 55 and a tilt motor 56 .

The tilt gear box 55 is attached to the front end of the side frame 23a in a state where it protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the side frame 23a.
The tilt motor 56 is attached to the tilt gear box 55 from the rear with its output shaft (not shown) facing forward. The output shaft of the tilt motor 56 is connected to a reduction mechanism (not shown) inside the tilt gear box 55.

The tilt connector 52 includes a tilt wire 61, a tilt shaft 62, and a tilt coupling 63 that connects the tilt wire 61 and the tilt shaft 62 to each other.
The tilt coupling 63 is supported by the above-mentioned protruding piece 27 so as to be rotatable about an axis O3 extending in the left-right direction.

The tilt wire 61 spans between the tilt gear box 55 and the tilt coupling 63. The tilt wire 61 is configured to be rotatable in response to the drive of the tilt motor 56. The tilt wire 61 is configured to be capable of bending deformation. Note that the connecting member connecting the tilt gear box 55 and the tilt coupling 63 is not limited to one that bends like the tilt wire 61. That is, depending on the layout of the tilt gear box 55 and the tilt coupling 63, the tilt gear box 55 and the tilt coupling 63 may be connected by a connecting member that does not bend.
The tilt shaft 62 spans between the tilt coupling 63 and the tilt movable part 53. The tilt shaft 62 rotates together with the tilt wire 61 when the tilt motor 56 is driven. A male thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tilt shaft 62.

The tilt movable portion 53 includes a link member 70 and a tilt nut 71 .
The link member 70 is formed in a U-shape that opens upward. The link member 70 has side walls 70a, 70b that face each other in the left-right direction. The side wall 70a is interposed between the retaining tube 31 and the side frame 23a. The side wall 70b is interposed between the retaining tube 31 and the side frame 23b.

The side wall 70a and the side frame 23a are connected to each other, and the side wall 70b and the side frame 23b are connected to each other by first bolts 75, 75 extending in the left-right direction. As a result, the link member 70 is supported by the tilt bracket 21 to be rotatable about an axis O4 extending in the left-right direction.
The side wall 70a and the retaining tube 31, and the side wall 70b and the retaining tube 31 are connected to each other by second bolts 76, 76 extending in the left-right direction behind the first bolts 75, 75. As a result, the link member 70 is supported by the retaining tube 31 to be rotatable about an axis O5 extending parallel to the axis O4.

The tilt nut 71 is attached to the lower portion of the side wall 70a. A female thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tilt nut 71. The tilt nut 71 is screwed into the tilt shaft 62 described above. The tilt nut 71 is configured so that its position on the tilt shaft 62 can be changed as the tilt shaft 62 rotates.

The telescopic mechanism 46 constitutes a so-called feed screw mechanism. Specifically, the telescopic mechanism 46 includes a telescopic motor unit (actuator) 81, a telescopic coupling portion 82, and a telescopic movable portion 83. The telescopic mechanism 46 switches between restricting and allowing the forward and backward movement of the pipe 12 (steering shaft 13) relative to the housing 11 by driving the telescopic motor unit 81.
The telescopic motor unit 81 includes a telescopic gear box 85 and a telescopic motor 86 .

The telescopic gear box 85 is attached to the front extension portion 32 in a state where it protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the side wall 37 .
The telescopic motor 86 is attached to the telescopic gear box 85 from the rear with its output shaft (not shown) facing forward. The output shaft of the telescopic motor 86 is connected to a reduction mechanism in the telescopic gear box 85.

The telescopic coupling part 82 extends rearward from the telescopic gear box 85. The telescopic coupling part 82 rotates about its axis when driven by the telescopic motor 86. The telescopic coupling part 82 has an external thread formed on its outer circumferential surface.

The telescopic movable part 83 is connected to the pipe 12 via the load absorbing mechanism 15. A female thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the telescopic movable part 83. The telescopic connecting part 82 is screwed into the telescopic movable part 83. That is, the telescopic movable part 83 is engaged with the male thread in the front-rear direction via the female thread, and is configured to be movable on the telescopic connecting part 82 as the telescopic connecting part 82 rotates.

<Load absorbing mechanism 15>
1 to 3 , the load absorbing mechanism 15 connects between the telescopic movable portion 83 and the pipe 12. Specifically, the load absorbing mechanism 15 includes a hanger bracket 100, an EA (Energy Absorbing) block 101, and an EA plate 102.

The hanger bracket 100 is fixed to the lower part of the pipe 12 at the front part of the pipe 12. In this embodiment, the hanger bracket 100 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 12 by welding or the like. The hanger bracket 100 is disposed in the slit 36.

The EA block 101 is provided below the hanger bracket 100. The EA block 101 is formed as a single unit from, for example, a sintered iron-based material. The EA block 101 is secured to the hanger bracket 100 by screws or the like while being superimposed on the hanger bracket 100 from below. The EA block 101 may also be secured directly to the pipe 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, the EA block 101 includes a first sliding portion 111 and a second sliding portion 112. The first sliding portion 111 and the second sliding portion 112 extend in the up-down direction while facing each other in the left-right direction. Each sliding portion 111, 112 protrudes to the outside of the housing body 22 through a slit 36.

As shown in FIG. 1, the EA plate 102 is made of a material (e.g., SPHC) having a lower hardness than the EA block 101. The EA plate 102 connects the telescopic movable part 83 and the EA block 101. Long holes (a first long hole 140 and a second long hole 141) are formed in the EA plate 102 at a portion overlapping the EA block 101 in a plan view. The long holes 140 and 141 penetrate the EA plate 102 in the up-down direction and extend in the front-rear direction. The sliding parts 111 and 112 described above are fitted into the rear ends of the long holes 140 and 141, respectively.

When the load acting on the pipe 12 in the front-rear direction is less than a predetermined value, such as during telescopic operation, the load absorbing mechanism 15 transmits the driving force of the telescopic mechanism 46 to the pipe 12. Specifically, by moving in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the movement of the telescopic coupling part 82 in the front-rear direction, the EA block 101 moves in the front-rear direction together with the EA plate 102 with the sliding parts 111, 112 fitted in the long holes 140, 141. This causes the pipe 12 to move in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 11.
On the other hand, when the load acting on the pipe 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, such as during a secondary collision, the load absorbing mechanism 15 moves the pipe 12 in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 11 independently of the telescopic mechanism 46. Specifically, when a predetermined load is input forward to the EA block 101, the EA block 101 moves forward relative to the EA plate 102. At this time, the sliding portions 111, 112 slide on the inner circumferential surfaces of the long holes 140, 141, thereby plastically deforming the EA plate 102. This absorbs the impact load associated with the secondary collision.

FIG. 4 is a schematic rear view of the pipe 12, the housing body 22 and the support mechanism 200. As shown in FIG.
4, the pipe 12 is supported by the housing body 22 via a support mechanism 200 provided on the housing body 22. The support mechanism 200 includes a first support portion 201, a second support portion 202, and a third support portion 203.

The first support portion 201 abuts (supports) the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 12 from above. In this embodiment, multiple (e.g., two) first support portions 201 are provided at the front of the retaining tube 31 with a gap between them in the front-rear direction. However, since each first support portion 201 has the same configuration, the following explanation will be given using one first support portion 201 as an example.

The first support portion 201 is attached in a mounting hole 208 provided in the retaining cylinder 31 .
The mounting hole 208 passes through the retaining tube 31 in the up-down direction at an upper portion of the retaining tube 31. The first support portion 201 includes a guide plate 210, a guide washer 211, a spring washer 212, and a guide screw 213.

The guide plate 210 is a member having a circular shape in a plan view and made of a material having a relatively small sliding resistance, such as a resin material, etc. The guide plate 210 includes a pressing portion 215 and legs 216.
The pressing portion 215 is formed in a circular shape with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 208 .
The guide plate 210 is accommodated in the mounting hole 208 with the lower surface of the pressing portion 215 exposed inside the retaining tube 31. The lower surface of the pressing portion 215 is formed into a curved surface with a radius of curvature equal to that of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12 and smaller than that of the inner circumferential surface of the retaining tube 31. The pressing portion 215 slidably supports the pipe 12 by abutting the lower surface against the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12 from above. It is preferable that the uppermost part of the lower surface of the pressing portion 215 (for example, a portion located on the center line C) is located inside the inner circumferential surface of the retaining tube 31 in the shaft radial direction.

In this embodiment, the support area of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12 provided by the first support portion 201 includes a portion directly above the axis O1 (on the center line C that passes through the axis O1 and extends in the vertical direction). In this embodiment, the portion located at the center of the support area described above (directly above the axis O1) is defined as the support point P0. However, the support point P0 may be set at a position shifted in the circumferential direction from directly above the axis O1.

The legs 216 protrude upward from the retaining portion 215. The legs 216 are provided, for example, opposite each other in the left-right direction and are configured to be elastically deformable in directions approaching and separating from each other.

The guide washer 211 is formed in a ring shape in a plan view. The guide washer 211 is overlapped with the pressing portion 215 from above in a state in which the leg portion 216 is inserted.
The spring washer 212 is formed in a ring shape in a plan view. The spring washer 212 is a leaf spring formed in an upwardly convex arc shape in a cross-sectional view. With the legs 216 inserted, the spring washer 212 is overlapped from above on the guide washer 211. The upper end of the legs 216 is engaged from above with the opening edge of the spring washer 212. Note that the spring washer 212 is not limited to a leaf spring.

The guide screw 213 is screwed into the mounting hole 208 from above the spring washer 212. In other words, the spring washer 212 is clamped between the guide screw 213 and the pipe 12, thereby biasing the pipe 12 downward.

In the retaining tube 31, a notch 220 is formed in the portion including the slit 36, which crosses the slit 36 in the shaft circumferential direction. The notch 220 is formed to be recessed downward with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the retaining tube 31. In a front view, the notch 220 extends evenly on both sides in the shaft circumferential direction with respect to the center line C. The notch 220 has a width in the shaft circumferential direction that is wider than the slit 36. In other words, the above-mentioned slit 36 is formed such that the central portion in the circumferential direction of the bottom surface of the notch 220 is recessed downward.

The second support portion 202 described above is a side edge located on the first circumferential side of the opening edge of the notch 220. The third support portion 203 is a side edge located on the second circumferential side of the opening edge of the notch 220. That is, each support portion 202, 203 is formed by a corner formed by the inner surface of the notch 220 facing inward in the shaft circumferential direction and the inner circumferential surface of the retaining tube 31. The portions of the pipe 12 located on both sides of the center line C in the shaft circumferential direction are abutted against the respective support portions 202, 203 from above by the pipe 12 being pressed downward by the first support portion 201 described above. That is, the pipe 12 is supported at three points in the circumferential direction by the first support portion 201, the second support portion 202, and the third support portion 203 in the retaining tube 31. The length of the notch 220 in the front-to-rear direction can be changed as appropriate as long as it includes the front edge of the retaining tube 31.

In this embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the retaining tube 31 other than the support portions 201 to 203 is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 12 in the shaft radial direction. Specifically, in the area between the support portions 202, 203 on the minor angle side in the shaft circumferential direction, a gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the retaining tube 31 by the notch 220 described above. On the other hand, in the area between the support portions 202, 203 on the major angle side in the shaft circumferential direction, a gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the retaining tube 31 in the range up to the opening edge of the mounting hole 208, which gradually widens as it approaches the mounting hole 208.

In the steering device 1, when a load acts on the pipe 12 in the up-down or left-right direction via the steering shaft 13, there is a possibility that the pipe 12 may be displaced relative to the housing body 22. In particular, in a configuration equipped with an electric telescopic mechanism 46 as in this embodiment, since there is no mechanism for tightening the pipe with the housing body as in a manual telescopic mechanism, rattle is likely to occur between the housing body 22 and the pipe 12. As a result, the amount of displacement of the pipe 12 relative to the housing body 22 is likely to become large.

Here, the first central angle θ1 (minor angle) of the pipe 12 formed by the contact point P1 of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12 and the second support part 202 and the intersection point of the center line C and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12, and the second central angle θ2 of the pipe 12 formed by the contact point P2 of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12 and the third support part 203 and the intersection point of the center line C and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 12 are all equal. In this embodiment, each central angle θ1, θ2 is set in the range of 45° to 60°. However, in this embodiment, it is sufficient that either the central angle θ1, θ2 is set in the range of 45° to 60°.

The inventors of the present application conducted a test using the above-mentioned model of the steering device 1 to verify the relationship between the amount of displacement of the pipe 12 relative to the housing body 22 and the central angles θ1, θ2. In this test, loads were applied to the rear end of the steering shaft 13 in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the amount of displacement relative to the central angles θ1, θ2 was measured. Figure 5 is a graph summarizing the results of this test. In Figure 5, the amount of displacement in the vertical direction is shown by a solid line, and the amount of displacement in the horizontal direction is shown by a dashed line.
First, the pipe 12 is pressed against the retaining tube 31 (the second support portion 202 and the third support portion 203) by the first support portion 201. Therefore, the amount of displacement in the up-down direction tends to be smaller than the amount of displacement in the left-right direction.
In this state, it can be seen that when the central angles θ1, θ2 are increased, the displacement in the left-right direction tends to decrease. This is thought to be because, as the central angles θ1, θ2 increase, the contact points P1, P2 move away from the center line C, making it easier for the pipe 12 to be held from both sides in the left-right direction. The downward trend of the displacement in the left-right direction converges in a range larger than approximately 50°.
On the other hand, it can be seen that the vertical displacement tends to increase when the central angles θ1, θ2 are increased. This is thought to be because, as the central angles θ1, θ2 increase, the contact points P1, P2 move away from the center line C, forming a space between the contact points P1, P2 for the pipe 12 to be displaced downward. The vertical displacement increases sharply in a range larger than about 50°. And, the vertical displacement becomes larger than the left-right displacement at about 57°.

From the above test results, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the central angles θ1, θ2 are set to 45° or more and 60° or less in order to suppress the variation in the amount of displacement in both the up-down direction and the left-right direction. In other words, by setting the central angles θ1, θ2 to 45° or more, the contact points P1, P2 are separated from the center line C. This makes it easier to hold the pipe 12 in the left-right direction, and the amount of displacement of the pipe 12 in the left-right direction can be reduced.
On the other hand, by setting the central angles θ1, θ2 to 60° or less, the amount of vertical displacement of the pipe 12 can be prevented from becoming excessive.
As a result, it becomes easier to evenly arrange the support parts 201 to 203 in the circumferential direction of the shaft, so that the difference (variation) in the amount of displacement in each direction can be kept within a predetermined range. This allows the housing 11 to stably support the pipe 12, improving marketability.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, by setting the central angles θ1 and θ2 in the range of 55° or more and 60° or less, the difference in the amount of displacement in each direction can be further reduced.

However, the pipe 12 tends to be more susceptible to vertical loads than horizontal loads, and occupants tend to feel more uncomfortable with vertical displacement than with horizontal displacement. For this reason, in the steering device 1, it may be desirable to reduce the amount of horizontal displacement while suppressing an increase in the amount of vertical displacement. In such cases, it is preferable to set the central angles θ1 and θ2 in the range of 45° to 50°. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of horizontal displacement while preventing the amount of vertical displacement from becoming excessive.

In this embodiment, the side end edges of the opening edge of the notch 220 that are opposed to each other in the circumferential direction are configured to function as the second support portion 202 and the third support portion 203 .
According to this configuration, contact between the housing body 22 and the pipe 12 is avoided by the notch 220, and the pipe 12 can be stably supported by the circumferentially opposing side end edges of the opening edge of the notch 220. In this case, the amount of processing of the pipe 12 to form the support parts 202, 203 can be reduced compared to the case where the support parts are formed by, for example, protrusions, etc. As a result, the workability and rigidity of the support parts 202, 203 can be improved.

In this embodiment, a slit (recess) 36 is formed recessed into the bottom surface of the notch 220, and the EA block (connecting portion) 101 of the load absorbing mechanism (connecting portion) 15 is disposed within the slit 36.
According to this configuration, by forming the notches 220 separately from the slits 36, the positions of the support portions 202 and 203 can be set regardless of the size of the slits 36. This makes it easy to set the central angles θ1 and θ2 to desired values.

In this embodiment, since the telescopic motor unit (actuator) 81 of the telescopic mechanism 46 is fixed to the housing 11, the telescopic motor unit 81 does not need to move during telescopic operation. Therefore, there is no need to ensure a movement space for the telescopic motor unit 81 around the steering device 1, and layout flexibility can be improved.
Moreover, even in the electric telescopic mechanism 46 of this embodiment, the pipe 12 can be stably supported by the supporting parts 201 to 203, so that it is possible to suppress variations in the vertical and horizontal directions in the amount of displacement of the pipe 12 relative to the housing body 22. As a result, it is possible to improve the merchantability.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of the configuration are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited by the above description, but is limited only by the scope of the attached claims.
For example, in the above embodiment, the axis O1 intersects with the front-rear direction, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The axis O1 may coincide with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

In the above embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 46 is a feed screw mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The telescopic mechanism 46 may be, for example, a gear.
In the above embodiment, the motor unit is provided in the housing 11 . However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the motor unit may be provided in the pipe 12 .
In the above-described embodiment, an electric steering device 1 in which telescopic and tilting operations are performed by an actuator (drive mechanism 14) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration and may be a steering device in which telescopic and tilting operations can be performed manually.

In the present embodiment, the case where the slits 36 and the notches 220 are provided at positions that overlap in the circumferential direction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The slits 36 and the notches 220 may be provided at separate positions, or the slits 36 and the notches 220 may be shared. Also, a configuration without the slits 36 is also possible.
In the above-described embodiment, the second support portion 202 and the third support portion 203 are the side edges of the notch 220, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The second support portion 202 and the third support portion 203 may be protrusions or the like that protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the retaining tube 31 in the case radial direction.
Moreover, the first support portion 201 does not have to be biased by the spring washer 212, and may be a protrusion or the like.
In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the first support portion 201 is positioned above the pipe 12, and the second support portion 202 and the third support portion 203 are positioned below the pipe 12, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The first support portion 201 may be positioned below the pipe 12, and the second support portion 202 and the third support portion 203 may be positioned above the pipe 12.

In the above embodiment, the central angles θ1 and θ2 are equal to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. The central angles θ1 and θ2 may be different from each other.
In the above embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 46 and the pipe 12 are connected via the load absorbing mechanism 15, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The telescopic mechanism 46 and the pipe 12 may be directly connected (the load absorbing mechanism 15 may not be provided).

In addition, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate.

1... steering device 11... housing 12... pipe 13... steering shaft 15... load absorbing mechanism (connection portion)
36...Slit (recess)
46... Telescopic mechanism 81... Telescopic motor unit (actuator)
82... Telescopic connection portion (feed mechanism)
83... Telescopic movable part (feed mechanism)
101...EA block (connection part)
201...First support part 202...Second support part 203...Third support part

Claims (4)

a pipe into which a steering shaft is inserted so as to be rotatable about an axis along a front-rear direction;
a housing that is supported by a vehicle body and supports the pipe so as to be movable in a front-rear direction;
a telescopic mechanism for moving the pipe in a front-rear direction relative to the housing,
The housing includes:
a first support portion that is located on a center line that passes through the axis and extends along a vertical direction and supports the pipe from a first side in the vertical direction;
a second support portion located on a first side in a circumferential direction about the axis line with respect to the center line and supporting the pipe from a second side in a vertical direction;
a third support portion that is located on a second side in a circumferential direction around the axis line with respect to the center line and supports the pipe from the second side in the up-down direction;
When the pipe is viewed from the front-rear direction, a first central angle of the pipe formed by a contact point of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe and the second support part and an intersection point of the center line and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe is set in a range of 45° to 50° ,
When the pipe is viewed from the front-rear direction, a second central angle of the pipe formed by one of a contact point between an outer circumferential surface of the pipe and a contact point of the third support part and an intersection point of the center line and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe is set in a range of 45° to 50°,
A steering device , wherein the first central angle and the second central angle are equal to each other . a pipe into which a steering shaft is inserted so as to be rotatable about an axis along a front-rear direction;
a housing that is supported by a vehicle body and supports the pipe so as to be movable in a front-rear direction;
a telescopic mechanism for moving the pipe in a front-rear direction relative to the housing,
The housing includes:
a first support portion that is located on a center line that passes through the axis and extends along a vertical direction and supports the pipe from a first side in the vertical direction;
a second support portion located on a first side in a circumferential direction about the axis line with respect to the center line and supporting the pipe from a second side in a vertical direction;
a third support portion that is located on a second side in a circumferential direction around the axis line with respect to the center line and supports the pipe from the second side in the up-down direction;
When the pipe is viewed from the front-rear direction, a first central angle of the pipe formed by a contact point of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe and the second support part and an intersection point of the center line and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe is set in a range of 45° to 60° ,
When the pipe is viewed from the front-rear direction, a second central angle of the pipe formed by one of a contact point between an outer circumferential surface of the pipe and a contact point of the third support part and an intersection point of the center line and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe is set in a range of 45° to 60°,
the first central angle and the second central angle are equal to each other ,
a notch that opens toward an inner side in a radial direction intersecting the axis is formed in a portion of the housing that is located between the second support portion and the third support portion,
the second support portion and the third support portion are side end edges of an opening edge of the notch that face each other in the circumferential direction,
The housing has a recess that is recessed relative to a bottom surface of the notch and has a width in the circumferential direction narrower than that of the notch.
A steering device in which a connecting portion that connects the telescopic mechanism and the pipe is disposed within the recess . 3. The steering device according to claim 2 , wherein the central angle is set in a range of 55 degrees to 60 degrees. The telescopic mechanism includes:
an actuator provided in the housing;
4. The steering device according to claim 1, further comprising: a feed mechanism that connects the pipe and the actuator and transmits a driving force of the actuator to the pipe.

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