JPS6052026B2 - Steering handle position adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the position of a steering wheel and a steering wheel in an automobile, and more particularly to an apparatus that can adjust the steering wheel vertically and longitudinally.

Conventionally, as this type of adjusting device, those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have been used.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering column with a steering wheel and a steering wheel 2 attached to its upper end, and a steering shaft 5 connected via a universal joint 4 to a rotating shaft 3 connected to a steering gear (not shown) at its lower end. It surrounds the area so that it can rotate freely.

A holding member 6 slidably supports the lower end of the column 1, and is swingably supported by a pin 8 on a bracket 7 attached to the vehicle body B.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a U-shaped bracket fixed to the upper end of the column 1, and is provided with elongated holes 9a, 9a in the vertical direction.

10 is a U-shaped bracket arranged opposite to the bracket 9 and attached to the vehicle body B, and has a long hole 10a in the longitudinal direction.
, 10a are provided, and a nut 12 is attached to one of the elongated holes by welding. Reference numeral 13 denotes a tightening bolt which is disposed through the elongated holes 9a, 9a and 10a, 1Oa, the tip of which is screwed into the nut 12, and the lock knob 14 is attached to the rear end.

When adjusting the steering wheel configured as described above, the tightening bolt 13 is loosened by rotating the lock knob 14 from the fixed state shown in the figure, and the bolt 13 is inserted into the elongated holes 9a and 9a. 10a, 10a, the column 1 can slide up and down along the holding member 6 and can also swing around the pin 8, thereby adjusting the vertical and front-back positions of the steering handle 2. Adjust to the position.

The steering column 1 can be fixed by rotating and tightening the tightening bolt 13 using the lock knob 14 at the position adjusted in this way.

In such a structure, in order to tighten and fix the bracket 9 fixed to the steering column 1 to the bracket 10 attached to the vehicle body, the bracket 10 is
needs to be bent to some extent.

On the other hand, it is necessary to minimize the displacement of the column 1 in the left-right direction, and for this purpose the rigidity of the bracket 10 must be high. At present, it is impossible to satisfy these two conflicting demands at the same time, and therefore a compromise must be made to satisfy both demands to some extent. This also applies to the steering handle position adjustment device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 52-83131.

That is, in the above-mentioned actual steering device, a steering column 2 equipped with a steering handle 1 and a steering device 11 is pivotally connected to a mounting body 5 via a link 7, and the mounting body 5 is provided with horizontal grooves and vertical grooves. A position adjustment groove 9 is cut and the steering column 2 is movably and fixedly connected to the position adjustment groove 9, and the bracket 3 supporting the steering column 2 is inserted into the position adjustment groove 9. When the steering column 2 is positioned and fixed with the lock piece 10, the mounting body 5 must be bent if the fixing is to be performed reliably as described above. The contradictory problem of increasing the rigidity of the mounting body 5 exists and remains unsolved. Therefore, the above-mentioned actual development device has no choice but to compromise in satisfying both the requirements for deflection and rigidity to some extent. The present invention has been devised in view of the above points, and is a type of steering column that can simultaneously satisfy the two contradictory requirements mentioned above by separating the function of supporting the steering column and the function of tightening and fixing it. The adjustment device includes a first link that connects and supports the lower end of the steering column to the vehicle body in a swingable manner, and a mutual pin that supports the upper end of the column to the vehicle body so as to be adjustable in front and rear positions. second and third links connected together, and a fourth link connected to each other with pins that connects the pin connection part and the column and supports the column so that its vertical position can be adjusted.
, a fifth link, first and second fastening plates fixed to the third and fourth links, respectively, and means for fixing both the plates to the second link. This is the summary.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained based on illustrated embodiments.

3 to 6 and 11, a pin 20 has one end attached to a boss 1a attached to the steering column.
1, the first link is swingably connected to the left and right link plates 20a (20b) and a connecting plate (not shown) connecting the two, and the other end is attached to the vehicle body B. It is swingably connected to a bracket 22 by a pin 23.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a second link whose one end is swingably connected to a boss 32 fixed to the steering column 1 via a mounting member 31 by a tightening bolt 40, which will be described later. 302, a boss 303 which is attached to one end of the link plate 301 by welding or the like and through which the tightening bolt 40 is inserted, and a threaded portion 40a of the tightening bolt 40 which is attached to one end of the link plate 302 by welding or the like. It consists of a nut 304 that is screwed into the link plate 304, and a connecting plate 305 that connects the link plates 301 and 302.

50 is a third link whose one end is swingably connected to a pin 51 inserted through holes 301a and 302a provided at the other ends of the link plates 301 and 302 of the second link 30; , left and right link plates 501, 502, bosses 503, 504 which are attached to the link plates by welding or the like and through which the pin 51 is inserted, and the other ends of both link plates 501, 502 by welding or the like. The other end of one link plate 501 is formed to protrude as shown in the figure.

The other end of the third link 50 is swingably connected to a bracket 101 attached to the vehicle body B by a pin 100 inserted through a boss 505. Reference numeral 60 denotes a fourth link whose one end is swingably connected to a pin 51 which is a connecting member between the second link 30 and the third link 50, and includes left and right link plates 601, 602 and both link plates. A boss 603 is attached to the other end by welding or the like and is disposed between the bosses 503 and 5004 and the pin 51 is inserted therethrough, and a boss 603 is attached to the other end of both link plates 601 and 602 by welding or the like. It consists of an attached solid boss 604, and a female thread (not shown) is formed at the left end of the solid boss 604 in the drawing.

70 has one end swingably connected to the other end of the fourth link 60 by a pin 61, and the other end swingably connected to the boss 1c attached to the steering column 1 by a pin 62. This fifth link is made up of two left and right link plates 701 and 702, similar to each of the links described above.

A first tightening plate 80 is attached to the other end of one link plate 501 of the third link 50 by a bolt 81, and is formed into a substantially fan shape as shown in FIG. Holes 80a and 80b through which the bolt 81 is inserted, an escape hole 80c for the pin 51, and a bolt 82 to be described later.
There are provided an escape hole 80d and an arcuate elongated hole 80e centered on the hole 80c through which the tightening bolt 40 is inserted. 90 is disposed between the first tightening plate 80 and the second link 30 and is connected to the fourth link 60.
A second tightening plate is attached to a boss 604 attached to the other end by a bolt 82, and as shown in FIG. and a hole 9 into which a bolt for attachment to a boss attached to a not-illustrated portion of the fourth link 60 is inserted.
0b, an escape hole 90c for the pin 51, and an arc-shaped elongated hole 90e centered on the hole 90c through which the tightening bolt 40 is inserted.

The tightening bolt 40 inserted through each of the tightening plates 80, 90 and the bosses 32, 303 has a male screw 40a formed at its tip to be screwed into the nut 304, and an intermediate portion thereof. is provided with a tightening portion 40b, and a lock knob 41 is attached to the rear end.

This tightening bolt 40, nut 304, and boss 303 allow the first and second tightening plates 80, 9
0 to the second link 30 as appropriate.

The present invention is configured as described above, and the third link 5
0 about the pin 100, that is, by changing the angle formed by the second link 30 and the third link 50 about the pin 51, the steering column 1, that is, the steering handle 2, in the front-rear direction. By adjusting the position and changing the angle formed between the second link 60 and the fourth link 60 around the pin 51, i.e. by changing the angle formed between the fourth link 60 and the third link 50, steering can be performed. - The vertical position of column 1 can be adjusted.

Since it is constituted by a five-joint link mechanism consisting of the first to fifth links, by fixing the third and fourth links to the second link 30,
The steering column 1 can be held stationary by regulating the displacement of each link.

FIG. 4 shows that the first and second clamping plates 80, 90 are fixed between the boss 303 of the second link 30 and the first and second clamping plates 80, 90 are tightened by the clamping bolt 40,
third and fourth links 50 with attached clamping plates of
and 60 are fixed to the second link 30, and the steering column 1 is shown held at a desired position.

To adjust the position of the steering column 1, that is, the steering handle 2 from the state shown in FIG. 90 is released from being fixed to the boss 303, so that each link can swing around each connecting portion.

When the steering column is moved up and down and back and forth, the second link 30 swings around the pin 51, the third link 50 swings around the pin 100, and the first, Fourth and fifth links 20, 60 and 70 also swing at their respective connections to accommodate movement of the steering column.

As the steering column 1 moves, the tightening bolt 40 moves along the elongated holes 80e and 90e provided in the first and second tightening plates 80 and 90.

Once the position of the steering column 1 has been adjusted in this way, operate the lock knob 41 to tighten the tightening bolt 4.
0 and tighten, the first and second tightening plates 8
0,90 is fixed between the tightening part 40b of the bolt and the boss 303, and therefore, the third link is fixed to the second link 30.
This means that the fourth links 50 and 60 are fixed, and the swinging of each link is restricted and the steering ●
The column 1 can be fixed in the adjusted position.

As described above, according to the present invention, the steering Φ column 1 is supported by each link, and the position is fixed by the tightening bolt 40 by the first and second tightening plates 80, 9.
0 to the second link 30,
There is no need to bend each link for tightening and fixing. Therefore, the clamping plate 80, which does not directly act on the support of the column,
It is only necessary to bend only the link mechanism 90, and the rigidity of each link mechanism can be increased as necessary, making it possible to reliably prevent left and right displacement of the steering column 1. In addition, since the tightening plates 80 and 90 do not directly act on supporting the column as described above, they do not need to be rigid and can be made of flexible material, so the second link 3 by the tightening bolt 40
Tightening to 0 is ensured. According to the illustrated embodiment, the locking knob 41 attached to the tightening bolt 40 moves integrally with the boss 32, that is, the steering column, so the knob does not move relative to the column. When a cover is attached to the surrounding area of 1, the number of notches provided in the cover can be minimized, and the appearance is good.

7 to 10 show other embodiments of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the position of the column is adjusted steplessly, but in this embodiment, the adjustment position is adjusted in order to provide moderation. It is a step-by-step process.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of uneven portions 85f and 85g are formed on the outer periphery of the first tightening plate 85 corresponding to the first tightening plate 80 in the above embodiment, and In the above embodiment, a plurality of uneven portions 95f, 95g corresponding to the uneven portions 85f, 85g are provided on the outer periphery of the second tightening plate 95 shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, which corresponds to the second tightening plate 90. A hole 96c is formed, and is disposed between the second tightening plate 95 and the second link 30 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, and through which the pin 51 and the tightening bolt 40 are inserted. 96e, and an uneven portion 96 corresponding to the uneven portions 95f and 95g on its outer periphery.
A third tightening plate 96 with a diameter of 96g is attached. With this configuration, the engagement between the uneven portions 96f and 96g of the third tightening plate 96 and the uneven portions 95f and 95g of the second tightening plate 95, and the second
By engaging the uneven portions 95f, 95g of the tightening plate 95 with the first tightening plates 85f, 85g, the vertical and longitudinal positions of the steering shaft 1 can be adjusted in stages. According to this embodiment, the concave and convex portions formed on each of the tightening plates can be processed simultaneously by press molding, so that they can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a conventional adjustment device; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the link mechanism of the device of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to the section taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 3, and FIG.
6 and 6 are front views of the first and second tightening plates used in the device of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the main part corresponding to FIG. 4 showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The figure is a perspective view of the first tightening plate used in this embodiment, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second tightening plate, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the third tightening plate, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the steering wheel.・This is an exploded perspective view of the link mechanism near the top end of the column. 1... Steering column, 2...
Steering handle, 20...first link, 30...second link, 40...tightening bolt, 50...third link, 60...・・・・・・
Fourth link, 80...First tightening plate, 90...
...Second tightening plate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first link that swingably connects and supports the lower end of the steering column to the vehicle body, and second and third links that are pin-coupled to each other and that support the upper end of the column to the vehicle body so that its longitudinal position can be adjusted. a link, fourth and fifth links which connect the pin joint part and the column and support the column so as to be adjustable in the vertical direction, and which are pin-connected to each other; and the third and fourth links, respectively. A steering handle position adjustment device comprising fixed first and second clamping plates and means for fixing said plates to said second link.