JP7787668B2 - Support bracket for steering device and steering device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a support bracket for a steering device and a steering device equipped with a support bracket for a steering device.

Figure 17 shows an example of a conventional steering device for an automobile. In the steering device 100, a steering wheel 101 operated by the driver is attached to the rear end of a steering shaft 102. The steering shaft 102 is rotatably supported inside a steering column 103 supported on the vehicle body. The rotational motion of the steering wheel 101 is transmitted to a pinion shaft 107 that constitutes a steering gear unit 106 via the steering shaft 102, universal joint 104a, intermediate shaft 105, and universal joint 104b. The rotational motion of the pinion shaft 107 is converted into linear motion of a rack shaft (not shown) that constitutes the steering gear unit 106. This pushes and pulls a pair of tie rods 108, imparting a steering angle to a pair of left and right steered wheels according to the amount of operation of the steering wheel 101.

Steering devices typically have a tilt mechanism to adjust the height of the steering wheel according to the driver's physique and driving posture.

In the steering device 100 shown in Figure 17, in order to form a tilt mechanism, the steering column 103 is supported relative to the vehicle body so that it can swing around a tilt axis 109 extending in the width direction. The middle portion of the steering column 103 is supported by a support bracket 111 attached to a vehicle body-side mounting portion 110. Here, the vehicle body-side mounting portion 110 is composed of a part of the vehicle body or a member fixed to the vehicle body. The steering device 100 is equipped with a switching mechanism for switching between a locked state in which the steering column 103 is supported by the support bracket 111 so that it cannot swing, and an unlocked state in which it is supported so that it can swing. The unlocked state is used when adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 101, and the locked state is used to hold the steering wheel 101 at the adjusted height position.

The support bracket has a structure such as that shown in Figures 18 and 19. The illustrated support bracket 111a comprises an upper bracket 112 and a lower bracket 113. Figure 18 is a view of the support bracket 111a as seen from the rear in the axial direction of the steering column 103 (see Figure 17), and Figure 19 is a perspective view of the support bracket 111a as seen from the rear and below.

The upper bracket 112 has an intermediate plate portion 114, two inclined plate portions 115, and two mounting plate portions 116. The intermediate plate portion 114 is located in the middle of the upper bracket 112 in the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 18) and extends in the width direction. The two inclined plate portions 115 are connected to both widthwise ends of the intermediate plate portion 114 and extend downward from these ends toward the outside in the width direction. The two mounting plate portions 116 are connected to both widthwise outer ends of the two inclined plate portions 115 and extend from these ends toward the outside in the width direction.

The lower bracket 113 is positioned below the upper bracket 112 and has two support plate portions 117. In the illustrated example, the two support plate portions 117 are configured as separate components. The two support plate portions 117 are spaced apart in the width direction and arranged approximately parallel to each other, with their upper ends connected to the upper bracket 112.

In the illustrated example, the upper ends of the two support plate portions 117 are joined by weld beads 118 to the inner widthwise ends of the two mounting plate portions 116 that make up the upper bracket 112, similar to the structure described in WO2018/193657 (Patent Document 1).

The support bracket 111a is attached to the vehicle body mounting part 110 (see Figure 17) using the two mounting plate parts 116 that make up the upper bracket 112. Specifically, the upper surfaces of the two mounting plate parts 116 are placed on the lower surface of the vehicle body mounting part 110, and the two mounting plate parts 116 are attached to the vehicle body mounting part 110 using connecting members such as bolts. The middle part of the steering column 103 is positioned between the two support plate parts 117.

The switching mechanism presses the two support plate portions 117 inward in the width direction as shown by arrow F in Figure 18, causing the two support plate portions 117 to tightly clamp the axially middle portion of the steering column 103 from both widthwise sides, thereby establishing a locked state in which the steering column 103 is supported by the support bracket 111a so that it cannot swing. By releasing the pressing force shown by arrow F in Figure 18, the switching mechanism establishes an unlocked state in which the steering column 103 is supported by the support bracket 111a so that it can swing.

In the support bracket 111b shown in Figure 20, the upper ends of the two support plates 117 that make up the lower bracket 113a are connected by a connecting plate 119, similar to the structure described in CN203544097 (Patent Document 2).

In the support bracket 111c of a different structure shown in Figure 21, the two mounting plate portions 116 that make up the upper bracket 112 and the two support plate portions 117 that make up the lower bracket 113a are joined using a joining plate 120, similar to the structure described in CN203544097. That is, in the illustrated example, the upper end of the joining plate 120, which is inclined inward in the width direction as it extends downward, is joined to the underside of the mounting plate portion 116 by a weld bead portion 118, and the lower end of the joining plate 120 is joined to the outer width surface of the support plate portion 117 by a weld bead portion 118.

WO2018/193657 publication CN203544097 publication

In conventional support brackets 111a, 111b, and 111c, the two support plate portions 117 that make up the lower brackets 113 and 113a are each joined to the mounting plate portion 116 that makes up the upper bracket 112 by weld beads 118 or connecting plates 120. Therefore, if the precision of the underside of the vehicle body mounting portion 110 is poor, this precision could affect the position of the two support plate portions 117 in the unlocked state.

In other words, if the underside of the vehicle-side mounting portion 110 is inclined downward as it extends outward in the width direction, as shown by the two-dot chain line α in Figure 18, the two mounting plates 116, which are attached so that their upper surfaces overlap the underside of the vehicle-side mounting portion 110, also incline as shown by the two-dot chain line α. Accordingly, in the free state, the two support plates 117 tend to incline inward in the width direction as they extend downward, as shown by the two-dot chain line β in Figure 18. As a result, even in the unlocked state, the inner width surfaces of the two support plates 117 tend to press against both widthwise side surfaces of the axially middle portion of the steering column 103. For this reason, conventional support brackets 111a, 111b, and 111c have room for improvement in terms of ensuring operability when adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 101.

The present invention aims to provide a steering device support bracket and a steering device that ensure ease of use when adjusting the steering wheel position, even if the accuracy of the vehicle body mounting portion is poor.

One aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention comprises an upper bracket and a lower bracket.

The upper bracket has an intermediate plate portion extending in the width direction; two inclined plate portions connected to the widthwise ends of the intermediate plate portion and extending downward as they move outward in the width direction from those ends; and two mounting plate portions connected to the widthwise outer ends of the two inclined plate portions and extending outward in the width direction from those ends and attached to mounting portions on the vehicle body.

The lower bracket has a connecting plate portion whose upper surface overlaps the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion, and two support plate portions connected to both widthwise ends of the connecting plate portion, extending downward from those ends, and positioned to sandwich the steering column from both widthwise sides, and is connected to the upper bracket.

The target plate portion, which is at least one of the two support plate portions, is not connected to either the two inclined plate portions or the two mounting plate portions.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the ends of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion on the same side in the fore-and-aft direction are joined by the weld bead portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, either the connecting plate portion or the intermediate plate portion has a through hole that penetrates through the plate in its thickness direction, and the inner peripheral edge of the through hole is joined to the other of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion by the weld bead portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the upper bracket is connected to a portion of the widthwise end of the intermediate plate portion that is offset in the fore-and-aft direction from the portion to which at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected, and has an overlapping plate portion that extends downward from that portion and overlaps its widthwise inner side with the widthwise outer side of the target plate portion, and the overlapping plate portion and the target plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion.

In one embodiment of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the overlapping plate portion is connected to the longitudinally intermediate portion of the widthwise end of the intermediate plate portion, and at least one of the two inclined plate portions has a window hole penetrating through its thickness in the longitudinally intermediate portion, and two connecting plate portions positioned on either side of the window hole in the longitudinal direction, with the inner widthwise ends of the two connecting plate portions connected to the longitudinally opposite ends of the widthwise end of the intermediate plate portion.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the intermediate plate portion has a slit that extends inward in the width direction from a portion of the widthwise end located between the portion where the overlapping plate portion is connected and the portion where at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected.

In one aspect of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, the target plate portion has a spring portion in the vertically intermediate portion that is more susceptible to bending deformation than the portions adjacent thereto.

In one embodiment of the steering device support bracket of the present invention, only one of the two support plate portions is the target plate portion, and the other of the two support plate portions is connected to the mounting plate portion of the two mounting plate portions that is located on the same side in the width direction as the other support plate portion using a connecting plate.

A steering device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a support bracket and a steering column disposed between two support plate portions that constitute the support bracket, the support bracket being the steering device support bracket of the present invention.

The steering device support bracket and steering device of one aspect of the present invention make it easy to ensure operability when adjusting the steering wheel position, even if the accuracy of the vehicle body mounting portion is poor.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above and behind. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the steering device of the first example, as viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the steering device and the vehicle body side mounting portion of the first example, as viewed from above and behind. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the support bracket of the first example. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the first example, seen from the rear and above. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the first example, seen from the rear and bottom. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a second embodiment of the present invention, seen from above and behind. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a modified example of the second embodiment, as viewed from above and behind. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the rear and bottom. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, seen from above and behind. FIG. 12 is a rear view of the support bracket of the fourth example. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, seen from the rear and bottom. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above and behind. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the sixth example, seen from the rear and bottom. FIG. 17 is a partially cutaway side view showing an example of a conventionally known steering device. FIG. 18 is a rear view of a support bracket of a first example of a conventional structure. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a support bracket of a first example of a conventional structure, viewed from the rear and bottom. FIG. 20 is a rear view of a support bracket according to a second example of a conventional structure. FIG. 21 is a rear view of a support bracket according to a third example of a conventional structure.

[First Example]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

The steering device 1 in this example includes a support bracket 2 that is attached to a mounting portion on the vehicle body side, and a steering column 3 that is positioned between two support plate portions 22 that make up the support bracket 2.

The steering column 3 is cylindrical. The steering column 3 rotatably supports the steering shaft 4 inside via a rolling bearing (not shown). The steering wheel 101 (see Figure 17), which is operated by the driver, is attached to the rear end of the steering shaft 4, which protrudes axially from the rear end of the steering column 3.

With respect to the steering device 1, the fore-and-aft direction, width direction, and up-and-down direction refer to the fore-and-aft direction, width direction, and up-and-down direction of the vehicle body to which the steering device is assembled.

In this example, a housing 6 constituting the electrically power-assisted device 5 is fixed to the front end of the steering column 3. The electrically power-assisted device 5 applies the output torque of an electric motor 7 supported by the housing 6 to the steering shaft 4 via a worm reduction gear (not shown) located within the housing 6, thereby reducing the force required by the driver to operate the steering wheel 101. The housing 6 is supported on the vehicle body via a lower bracket 8.

The steering device in this example is equipped with a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the fore-and-aft position of the steering wheel 101 according to the driver's physique and driving posture, and a tilt mechanism for adjusting the height position of the steering wheel 101.

In this example, to form a telescopic mechanism, the steering column 3 is configured by fitting the front portion of the inner column 10, which is located at the rear, into the rear portion of the outer column 9, allowing relative movement in the axial direction. In this example, the outer column 9 has a cylindrical main body 11 and a protruding portion 12 that protrudes downward from the rear portion of the main body 11. The protruding portion 12 has an insertion hole 13 that penetrates in the width direction. The steering shaft 4 combines a lower shaft (not shown) located at the front and an upper shaft 14 located at the rear, by spline engagement or the like, to enable torque transmission and relative movement in the axial direction. The lower shaft is supported inside the outer column 9 so as to be capable of rotation only, and the upper shaft 14 is supported inside the inner column 10 so as to be capable of rotation only.

To form the tilt mechanism, the steering column 3 is supported relative to the vehicle body so that it can pivot about the tilt axis 15, which is an axis extending in the width direction. In this example, the tilt axis 15 pivotally connects the housing 6 to the lower bracket 8, and is located at two locations spaced apart in the width direction.

The support bracket 2 comprises an upper bracket 16 and a lower bracket 17.

The upper bracket 16 is made of a metal plate such as steel or aluminum alloy. The upper bracket 16 has an intermediate plate portion 18, two inclined plate portions 19, and two mounting plate portions 20. The intermediate plate portion 18 is located in the middle of the upper bracket 16 in the width direction and extends in the width direction. The two inclined plate portions 19 are connected to both widthwise ends of the intermediate plate portion 18 and extend downward from these ends toward the outside in the width direction. The two mounting plate portions 20 are connected to both widthwise outer ends of the two inclined plate portions 19 and extend from these ends toward the outside in the width direction.

The lower bracket 17 is made of a metal plate such as steel or aluminum alloy. The lower bracket 17 is positioned below the upper bracket 16 and is joined to the upper bracket 16 by a weld bead 23. The lower bracket 17 has a connecting plate 21 and two support plate 22. The connecting plate 21 has its upper surface overlapped with the lower surface of the intermediate plate 18. The two support plate 22 are connected to both widthwise ends of the connecting plate 21 and extend downward from those ends. The two support plate 22 are positioned at the rear side of the outer column 9, i.e., in positions that sandwich the rear side of the main body 11 and the overhang 12 from both widthwise sides. The two support plate 22 are positioned parallel to each other in the free state. In the free state, the widthwise distance between the inner surfaces of the two support plate 22 is approximately the same as the widthwise dimension of the rear side of the outer column 9 or slightly larger than this widthwise dimension. The two support plate portions 22 are aligned with each other in the width direction and have tilt slots 24 extending in the vertical direction at locations that align with the insertion holes 13 of the outer column 9. Each tilt slot 24 has an arc shape centered on the tilt axis 15.

In this example, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the front-to-rear width of the connecting plate portion 21 of the lower bracket 17 is slightly smaller than the front-to-rear width of the intermediate plate portion 18 of the upper bracket 16. When the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 21 is placed over the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion 18, the rear edge of the intermediate plate portion 18 protrudes rearward beyond the rear edge of the connecting plate portion 21, and the front edge of the intermediate plate portion 18 protrudes forward beyond the front edge of the connecting plate portion 21.

In this example, the connecting plate 21 and the intermediate plate 18 are joined by the weld bead 23. Specifically, the ends of the connecting plate 21 and the intermediate plate 18 on the same side in the front-to-rear direction are joined by the weld bead 23. More specifically, the rear end face of the connecting plate 21 and the underside of the rear end face of the intermediate plate 18 are joined by the weld bead 23 across the width. Furthermore, the front end face of the connecting plate 21 and the underside of the front end face of the intermediate plate 18 are joined by the weld bead 23 across the width. When implementing the structure of this example, the longer the widthwise length of the weld bead 23, i.e., the wider the widthwise joining range of the weld bead 23, the greater the joining strength; however, the widthwise length can be set to any length within a range that achieves the required joining strength.

In this example, neither of the two support plate portions 22 that make up the lower bracket 17 is connected to either of the two inclined plate portions 19 or the two mounting plate portions 20 that make up the upper bracket 16. In other words, in this example, both of the support plate portions 22 correspond to the target plate portion in the present invention.

The support bracket 2 is attached to the vehicle body-side attachment portion using two attachment plate portions 20 that constitute the upper bracket 16. The vehicle body-side attachment portion is composed of part of the vehicle body or a member fixed to the vehicle body. In this example, the vehicle body-side attachment portion 25 is composed of parts of two attachment brackets 26 that are spaced apart in the width direction, as shown in Figure 3. Each of the two attachment brackets 26 has a flat vehicle body-side attachment portion 25 that extends in the fore-and-aft direction, and a flat front side plate portion 27 that bends upward at an obtuse angle from the front end of the vehicle body-side attachment portion 25. The tip end, i.e., the upper end, of the front side plate portion 27 is fixed to a hanger beam 28 that extends in the width direction and is part of the vehicle body.

In this example, the support bracket 2 is attached to the two vehicle-side mounting portions 25 by overlapping the upper surfaces of the two mounting plate portions 20 with the lower surfaces of the two vehicle-side mounting portions 25 and then joining the two mounting plate portions 20 to the two vehicle-side mounting portions 25.

In this example, the two mounting plate portions 20 are supported relative to the two vehicle body mounting portions 25 so as to be able to detach forward due to the impact of a secondary collision. For this reason, in this example, each of the two mounting plate portions 20 has a notch 29 in the middle of its width that opens to the rear edge. Locking capsules 30 fixed to the vehicle body mounting portions 25 by mounting members such as mounting bolts are locked into these notches 29. As a result, the support bracket 2 is normally supported relative to the two vehicle body mounting portions 25, and in the event of a collision accident, is allowed to detach forward due to the impact of the secondary collision.

A switching mechanism 31 is attached to the support bracket 2. As shown in Figure 4, the switching mechanism 31 includes a switching rod 32, a nut 33, a cam device 34, a switching lever 35, and a thrust bearing 36.

The switching rod 32 is inserted widthwise through the two tilt slots 24 and the insertion hole 13. The switching rod 32 has a head 37 at its base end (left end in Figure 4) and a male thread 38 at its tip end (right end in Figure 4). The nut 33 is threaded onto the male thread 38.

The cam device 34 is disposed between the head portion 37 and one of the support plates 22 (the left one in Figure 4). The cam device 34 has a drive cam 39 located on the outer side in the width direction and a driven cam 40 located on the inner side in the width direction. The drive cam 39 is fitted onto the switching rod 32 so that it cannot rotate or move axially. The driven cam 40 is engaged with the tilt elongated hole 24 of one of the support plates 22 so that it cannot rotate relative to the rod 32. The driven cam 40 is fitted onto the switching rod 32 so that it can rotate and move axially. The base end of the switching lever 35 is fixed to the drive cam 39.

When the switching lever 35 is swung around the switching rod 32, the driving cam 39 and the driven cam 40 are rotated relative to each other. The cam surfaces, which are the opposing sides of the driving cam 39 and the driven cam 40, press against each other, expanding and contracting the axial dimension of the cam device 34. In this example, when the switching lever 35 is swung in a predetermined direction, the axial dimension of the cam device 34 decreases, and when the switching lever 35 is swung in the opposite direction, the axial dimension of the cam device 34 increases. The thrust bearing 36 is disposed between the nut 33 and the other support plate portion 22 (to the right in Figure 4).

When adjusting the fore-aft and height positions of the steering wheel 101, the switching lever 35 is swung in a predetermined direction (e.g., downward), thereby reducing the axial dimension of the cam device 34 and widening the gap between the driven cam 40 and the thrust bearing 36. This reduces or eliminates the frictional force acting between the widthwise inner surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 and the widthwise side surfaces on both sides of the rear portion of the outer column 9, and also reduces or eliminates the frictional force acting between the inner circumferential surface of the outer column 9 and the outer circumferential surface of the inner column 10. In this state, the fore-aft and height positions of the steering wheel 101 can be adjusted by displacing the inner column 10 axially relative to the outer column 9. Furthermore, by swiveling and displacing the steering column 3 around the tilt axis 15, the height position of the steering wheel 101 can be adjusted within the range in which the switching rod 32 can move within the two tilt elongated holes 24.

After adjusting the fore-aft and height positions of the steering wheel 101, the switching lever 35 is swung in the direction opposite to the specified direction (e.g., upward), thereby increasing the axial dimension of the cam device 34 and shortening the distance between the driven cam 40 and the thrust bearing 36. This increases the frictional force acting between the widthwise inner surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 and the widthwise side surfaces of the rear portion of the outer column 9, and by pressing against the rear portion of the outer column 9 from both widthwise sides, increases the frictional force acting between the inner circumferential surface of the outer column 9 and the outer circumferential surface of the inner column 10. This prevents the inner column 10 from being displaced axially relative to the outer column 9 and prevents the steering column 3 from being swung around the tilt axis 15, thereby maintaining the steering wheel 101 in the adjusted fore-aft and height positions.

The steering device 1 of this example makes it easy to ensure operability when adjusting the position of the steering wheel 101, even if the accuracy of the vehicle body-side mounting portion 25 is poor.

In other words, in this example, to connect the upper bracket 16 and lower bracket 17 that make up the support bracket 2, the intermediate plate portion 18 of the upper bracket 16 and the connecting plate portion 21 of the lower bracket 17 are connected by a weld bead portion 23. Furthermore, neither of the two support plate portions 22 that make up the lower bracket 17 is connected to either the two inclined plate portions 19 or the two mounting plate portions 20 that make up the upper bracket 16.

For this reason, even if the positioning accuracy of the two vehicle body mounting portions 25 is poor and the undersides of the two vehicle body mounting portions 25 are inclined downward as they move outward in the width direction, as shown by the two-dot-dash line α in Figure 4, i.e., even if the two mounting plate portions 20, which are attached so that their upper surfaces overlap the undersides of the vehicle body mounting portions 25, are inclined as shown by the two-dot-dash line α, it is possible to sufficiently prevent this from affecting the posture of the two support plate portions 22 in the free state. Specifically, in the free state, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the two support plate portions 22 from inclining downward as they move inward in the width direction, as shown by the two-dot-dash line β in Figure 4.

In other words, in this example structure, the upper bracket 16 includes two inclined plate portions 19 connecting the intermediate plate portion 18 and the two mounting plate portions 20. Furthermore, the angle between the underside of the intermediate plate portion 18 and the underside of each of the two inclined plate portions 19 is greater than 90°. This prevents contact between the inclined plate portions 19 and the support plate portion 22 on the same side in the width direction, leaving a gap between the inclined plate portions 19 and the support plate portion 22. Furthermore, no components are present to connect the inclined plate portions 19 and the mounting plate portions 20 to the support plate portion 22. Therefore, even if the mounting plate portion 20 tilts as indicated by the two-dot chain line α, this effect can be absorbed by changing the bending angle of the inclined plate portion 19 relative to the intermediate plate portion 18 and the mounting plate portion 20 or by bending the inclined plate portion 19. Therefore, tilting of the support plate portion 22 as indicated by the two-dot chain line β can be sufficiently suppressed.

As a result, when adjusting the position of the steering wheel 101, the frictional force acting between the widthwise inner surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 and the widthwise side surfaces on both sides of the rear portion of the outer column 9 can be sufficiently reduced or eliminated, and the frictional force acting between the inner circumferential surface of the outer column 9 and the outer circumferential surface of the inner column 10 can be sufficiently reduced or eliminated. This makes it easy to ensure operability when adjusting the fore-aft and height positions of the steering wheel 101.

[Second Example]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this example, the connection structure between the upper bracket 16a and lower bracket 17 that make up the support bracket 2a differs from the first example. That is, in this example, the intermediate plate portion 18a that makes up the upper bracket 16a has a through hole 41 that penetrates it in the plate thickness direction. The upper bracket 16a and lower bracket 17 are connected by joining the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 41 to the connecting plate portion 21 that makes up the lower bracket 17 with a weld bead portion 23a.

When implementing the present invention, the shape of the through hole, the position of the weld bead, and other factors can be determined as desired, as long as the inner peripheral edge of the through hole in the intermediate plate portion and the connecting plate portion can be appropriately joined by the weld bead. In this example, the through hole 41 has a rectangular shape extending in the width direction when viewed in the thickness direction of the intermediate plate portion 18a. In this example, two widthwise linear portions 42 located on both sides of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 in the front-to-rear direction and extending in the width direction are each joined to the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 21 by a weld bead 23a across the width.

When implementing the present invention, as in the support bracket 2b shown in Figure 9, which is a modified version of this example, each of the two longitudinally oriented linear portions 43 located on both widthwise sides of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 and extending in the longitudinal direction can be joined to the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 21 by weld beads 23b in the longitudinal direction.

In this example and the modified example of this example, the weight of the support brackets 2a, 2b can be reduced by the amount of the through-hole 41 formed in the intermediate plate portion 18a.
The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first example.

[Third Example]
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this example, the connection structure between the upper bracket 16 and lower bracket 17a that make up the support bracket 2c differs from the first example. That is, in this example, the connecting plate portion 21a that makes up the lower bracket 17a has a through hole 44 that penetrates it in the plate thickness direction. The upper bracket 16 and lower bracket 17a are connected by welding beads 23c and 23d between the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 44 and the intermediate plate portion 18 that makes up the upper bracket 16.

When implementing the present invention, the shape of the through hole and the position of the weld bead can be determined as desired, as long as the inner peripheral edge of the through hole in the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion can be appropriately joined by the weld bead. In this example, the through hole 44 has a rectangular shape extending in the width direction when viewed in the thickness direction of the connecting plate portion 21a. In this example, two widthwise linear portions 45 located on both front-to-rear sides of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 44 and extending in the width direction are each joined to the underside of the intermediate plate portion 18 by weld bead portions 23c across the width. Furthermore, two front-to-rear linear portions 46 located on both front-to-rear sides of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 44 and extending in the front-to-rear direction are each joined to the underside of the intermediate plate portion 18 by weld bead portions 23d across the front-to-rear direction.

In the structure of this example, the through-hole 44 formed in the connecting plate portion 21a allows the support bracket 2c to be made lighter. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first example.

[Fourth Example]
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this example, the connection structure between the upper bracket 16b and lower bracket 17 that make up the support bracket 2d has a different connection structure in addition to the connection structure using the weld bead portion 23 in the first example.

In this example, the upper bracket 16b has two overlapping plate portions 47, each of which overlaps its inner widthwise surface with the outer widthwise surfaces of the upper ends of the two support plate portions 22 that make up the lower bracket 17. The two overlapping plate portions 47 are connected to the middle portions in the front-to-rear direction of the ends on both sides of the width of the intermediate plate portion 18b, and extend downward from these portions. In this example, each of the two overlapping plate portions 47 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of its own plate.

In this example, each of the two inclined plate portions 19a that make up the upper bracket 16b has a window hole 48 that penetrates through its own plate thickness direction in the middle portion in the fore-and-aft direction, and two connecting plate portions 49 located on either side of the window hole 48 in the fore-and-aft direction. In this example, the window hole 48 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the inclined plate portion 19a. The inner widthwise ends of the two connecting plate portions 49 are connected to the widthwise ends of the intermediate plate portion 18b on both sides in the fore-and-aft direction.

In this example, the widthwise formation range of the window hole 48 does not extend to the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion 19a. In other words, the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion 19a is connected to the widthwise inner end of the mounting plate portion 20 along its entire length in the front-to-rear direction. This ensures the rigidity of the connection between the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion 19a and the widthwise inner end of the mounting plate portion 20. However, when implementing this invention, it is also possible to make the widthwise formation range of the window hole extend to the widthwise outer end of the inclined plate portion, i.e., to connect only the widthwise outer ends of the two connecting plate portions located on both sides of the window hole in the front-to-rear direction to the widthwise inner end of the mounting plate portion.

In this example, the intermediate plate portion 18b has slits 50 that extend inward in the width direction from two portions located between the portion on both widthwise ends where the overlapping plate portion 47 is connected and the portion where the two connecting plate portions 49 of the inclined plate portion 19a are connected.

In this example, when the intermediate plate portion 18b, inclined plate portion 19a, and mounting plate portion 20 that make up the upper bracket 16b are formed by pressing a metal plate material, the overlapping plate portion 47, window hole 48, and slit 50 can be simultaneously formed by bending downward at a right angle the outer widthwise portion, which is the tip side of the inner part of the U-shaped through hole that opens inward in the widthwise direction and is formed near the widthwise end of the metal plate material.

In this example, the widthwise inner surfaces of the two overlapping plate portions 47 that make up the upper bracket 16b are overlapped on the widthwise outer surfaces of the upper ends of the two support plate portions 22 that make up the lower bracket 17, and the two overlapping plate portions 47 and the two support plate portions 22, both of which are target plate portions, are joined by weld beads 23e. Specifically, in this example, the tip end surfaces of the overlapping plate portions 47, i.e., the lower end surfaces, which are part of the peripheral edges of the overlapping plate portions 47, are joined to the widthwise outer surfaces of the support plate portions 22 by weld beads 23e in the front-to-rear direction.

The structure of this example can achieve the following effects:

The upper end of the lower bracket 17 is sandwiched from both sides in the width direction by the two overlapping plate portions 47 that make up the upper bracket 16b. This improves the support rigidity of the lower bracket 17 in the width direction relative to the upper bracket 16b.

The two overlapping plate portions 47 and the two support plate portions 22 are joined by weld beads 23e. This improves the joining strength of the lower bracket 17 to the upper bracket 16b. When implementing this invention, if the joining structure using weld beads 23e can ensure the required level of joining strength of the lower bracket 17 to the upper bracket 16b, the joining structure using weld beads 23 in the first example can be omitted from the structure of this example.

The lower end surfaces of the two overlapping plate portions 47 and the widthwise outer surfaces of the two support plate portions 22 are joined by weld beads 23e. In other words, the two overlapping plate portions 47 are joined to the two support plate portions 22 by weld beads 23e at positions close to the outer column 9 in the up-down direction. This sufficiently improves the rigidity with which the two support plate portions 22 support the outer column 9 from both sides in the width direction.

The widthwise inner surfaces of the two overlapping plate sections 47 are overlapped on the widthwise outer surfaces of the upper ends of the two support plate sections 22, and the two overlapping plate sections 47 are joined to the two support plate sections 22 by weld beads 23e. This improves the retention of the bending angle of the two support plate sections 22 relative to the connecting plate section 21. This makes it possible to more effectively minimize the impact on the posture of the two support plate sections 22 when the two mounting plate sections 20 are tilted as indicated by the two-dot chain line α (see Figure 4).

Each of the two inclined plate portions 19a has a window hole 48 in its midsection in the fore-and-aft direction and two connecting plate portions 49 positioned on either side of the window hole 48 in the fore-and-aft direction. The inner widthwise ends of the two connecting plate portions 49 are connected to the widthwise ends of the intermediate plate portion 18b. This reduces the rigidity of each of the two inclined plate portions 19a and the rigidity of the connection between each of the two inclined plate portions 19a and the intermediate plate portion 18b. As a result, the ability to absorb the effects of the two mounting plate portions 20 being tilted as indicated by the two-dot-dash line α (see Figure 4) can be improved by changing the bending angle of the inclined plate portion 19a relative to the intermediate plate portion 18b and by the bending of the inclined plate portion 19a.

The intermediate plate portion 18b has slits 50 that extend inward in the width direction from two locations on both widthwise ends located between the portion where the overlapping plate portion 47 is connected and the portion where the two connecting plate portions 49 of the inclined plate portion 19a are connected. Therefore, the slits 50 reliably separate the overlapping plate portion 47 and the connecting plate portion 49. As a result, when the bending angle of the connecting plate portion 49 relative to the intermediate plate portion 18b changes as the two mounting plate portions 20 incline as shown by the two-dot-dash line α (see Figure 4), this change can be further suppressed from affecting the posture of the two support plate portions 22. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first example.

When implementing the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which the overlapping plate portion that constitutes the upper bracket is connected to both front-to-rear end portions of the widthwise end portion of the intermediate plate portion, and the inclined plate portion is connected to the middle portion of the widthwise end portion of the intermediate plate portion in the front-to-rear direction.

[Fifth Example]
A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this example, each of the two support plate portions 22a that make up the lower bracket 17b of the support bracket 2f and are target plate portions has a spring portion 51 in its vertically intermediate portion—more specifically, the portion located between the tilt slot 24 and the overlapping plate portion 47 of the upper bracket 16b—that is more easily bent than its vertically adjacent portions. That is, the spring portion 51 is located in the portion of each support plate portion 22a that is located between the overlapping plate portion 47 and the lower portion, which is pressed inward in the width direction when the steering wheel is held in its adjusted position. In this example, the spring portion 51 is a partially cylindrical bent portion that is provided in the vertically intermediate portion of the support plate portion 22a over the entire length in the fore-and-aft direction, with a convex outer surface in the width direction and a concave inner surface in the width direction. When implementing the present invention, the spring portion may have a different structure from this example, such as a thin-walled portion that is thinner than its vertically adjacent portions.

In this example, like the structure of the fourth example, the structure is able to sufficiently maintain the bending angle of the two support plate portions 22a relative to the connecting plate portion 21, but the two support plate portions 22a have spring portions 51 in their vertically intermediate portions that are easily bent. Therefore, when the lower portions of the two support plate portions 22a are pressed inward in the width direction by swinging the switching lever 35 (see Figures 1 to 4) in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction to maintain the steering wheel in the adjusted fore-aft and aft position, the lower portions of these two support plate portions 22a can be easily swung inward in the width direction, starting from the spring portions 51. This makes it easy for the lower portions of the two support plate portions 22a to strongly press against the outer column 9 from both sides in the width direction, making it easy to maintain the steering wheel 101 in the adjusted fore-aft and aft position. Other configurations, functions, and effects are the same as those of the fourth example.

[Sixth Example]
A sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG.

In the support bracket 2e of this example, of the two support plates 22, 22b that make up the lower bracket 17c, only the support plate 22 located on one side in the width direction (in this example, the right side in Figures 15 and 16) is used as the target plate. In other words, even if the mounting plate 20 located on the same side in the width direction tilts as shown by the two-dot chain line α (see Figure 4), only this support plate 22 located on one side is used as a support plate that is less likely to have its own posture affected. For this reason, in this example, the upper bracket 16c has an overlapping plate portion 47, window hole 48, and slit 50 on only one side in the width direction, and the overlapping plate portion 47 and the support plate 22 located on that side are connected by a weld bead portion 23e.

In this example, of the two support plates 22, 22b that make up the lower bracket 17c, the support plate 22b located on the other side in the width direction (in this example, the left side in Figures 15 and 16) is connected to the mounting plate 20 located on the other side in the width direction using a connecting plate 52. Specifically, in this example, the connecting plate 52 extends outward in the width direction from the front edge of the vertically middle portion of the support plate 22b located on the other side, and the upper end of its rear side abuts against the front end face of the mounting plate 20 located on the other side. In this state, the rear side of the connecting plate 52 and the underside of the mounting plate 20 located on the other side are connected across the width direction by a weld bead 23f.

When implementing this invention, if a connecting plate is used to connect a support plate and an attachment plate that are located on the same side in the width direction, the shape, number, connecting position, and connecting method of the connecting plate relative to the support plate and attachment plate can be determined as desired.

In this example, the support plate portion 22b and the mounting plate portion 20, which are located on the opposite side of each other, are connected using a connecting plate 52, making it easier to ensure the rigidity of the support bracket 2e. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the fourth example.

The present invention can be implemented by appropriately combining the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments to the extent that no contradictions arise.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 steering device 2, 2a to 2e support bracket 3 steering column 4 steering shaft 5 electric assist device 6 housing 7 electric motor 8 lower bracket 9 outer column 10 inner column 11 main body 12 extension 13 insertion hole 14 upper shaft 15 tilt axis 16, 16a, 16b upper bracket 17, 17a, 17b, 17c lower bracket 18, 18a, 18b intermediate plate 19, 19a inclined plate 20 mounting plate 21, 21a connecting plate 22, 22a, 22b support plate 23, 23a to 23f weld bead 24 tilt elongated hole 25 vehicle body side mounting portion 26 mounting bracket 27 front side plate 28 hanger beam 29 notch 30 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 Locking capsule 31 Switching mechanism 32 Switching rod 33 Nut 34 Cam device 35 Switching lever 36 Thrust bearing 37 Head 38 Male thread portion 39 Drive cam 40 Driven cam 41 Through hole 42 Widthwise linear portion 43 Forward/backward linear portion 44 Through hole 45 Widthwise linear portion 46 Forward/backward linear portion 47 Overlapping plate portion 48 Window hole 49 Connecting plate portion 50 Slit 51 Spring portion 52 Connecting plate 100 Steering device 101 Steering wheel 102 Steering shaft 103 Steering column 104a, 104b Universal joint 105 Intermediate shaft 106 Steering gear unit 107 Pinion shaft 108 Tie rod 109 Tilt shaft 110 Vehicle body side mounting portion 111, 111a, 111b, 111c Support bracket 112 Upper bracket 113, 113a Lower bracket 114 Intermediate plate portion 115 Inclined plate portion 116 Mounting plate portion 117 Support plate portion 118 Weld bead portion 119 Connecting plate portion 120 Joining plate

Claims (9)

an upper bracket having an intermediate plate portion extending in the width direction, two inclined plate portions connected to both widthwise end portions of the intermediate plate portion and extending downward as they move outward in the width direction from the end portions, and two mounting plate portions connected to both widthwise outer end portions of the two inclined plate portions and extending outward in the width direction from the end portions and mounted to a vehicle body side mounting portion;
a lower bracket which is connected to the upper bracket and which has a connecting plate portion whose upper surface is superimposed on the lower surface of the intermediate plate portion, and two support plate portions which are connected to both widthwise ends of the connecting plate portion, extend downward from the ends, and are positioned to sandwich the steering column from both widthwise sides;
Equipped with
a target plate portion, which is at least one of the two support plate portions, is not coupled to either the two inclined plate portions or the two mounting plate portions;
the upper bracket is connected to a portion of the widthwise end of the intermediate plate portion that is offset in the front-rear direction from a portion to which at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected, extends downward from that portion, and has an overlapping plate portion whose widthwise inner surface overlaps with the widthwise outer surface of the target plate portion,
The overlapping plate portion and the target plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion.
Support bracket for steering gear. The overlapping plate portion is connected to a middle portion in the front-rear direction of one of the width direction ends of the intermediate plate portion,
At least one of the two inclined plate portions has a window hole penetrating in its plate thickness direction in the middle portion in the front-to-rear direction, and two connecting plate portions at positions sandwiching the window hole from both sides in the front-to-rear direction, and the widthwise inner ends of the two connecting plate portions are connected to the widthwise end portions of the intermediate plate portion on both sides in the front-to-rear direction.
The steering device support bracket according to claim 1 . A steering device support bracket as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the intermediate plate portion has a slit extending inward in the width direction from a portion of the widthwise end located between the portion where the overlapping plate portion is connected and the portion where at least one of the two inclined plate portions is connected. A steering device support bracket as recited in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the target plate portion has a spring portion in the vertically intermediate portion that is more susceptible to bending deformation than the vertically adjacent portions. 5. The steering device support bracket according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion are joined by a weld bead portion. 6. The steering device support bracket according to claim 5 , wherein the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion have ends on the same side in the front-rear direction joined together by the weld bead portion. One of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion has a through hole penetrating in a plate thickness direction thereof,
an inner peripheral edge portion of the through hole and the other plate portion of the connecting plate portion and the intermediate plate portion are joined by the weld bead portion;
7. The steering device support bracket according to claim 5 or 6 . Only one of the two support plate portions is the target plate portion,
The other of the two support plate portions is connected to an attachment plate portion of the two attachment plate portions that is located on the same side as the other of the two support plate portions in the width direction using a connecting plate.
The steering device support bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . A support bracket;
a steering column disposed between the two support plate portions constituting the support bracket,
The support bracket is a support bracket for a steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
Steering device.