JPH03271B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a steering wheel position adjustment device for an automobile.

(Prior technology) Steering wheel position adjustment that allows the vertical position (tilt position) and longitudinal position (telescopic position) of the steering wheel to be adjusted to make it easier to operate the steering wheel of a car according to the driver's physique, etc. The device is well known and is described, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 58-190257. However, in the position adjustment device described in this utility model publication, the operation directions of tilt lock-off and telescopic lock-off by the operation member are different from each other, so in order to electrify this, it is necessary to use an actuator, etc. There was a problem that the configuration became quite complicated.

(Objective of the Invention) Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a position adjustment device for a steering wheel of an automobile, which facilitates the electrification of an automobile.

(Structure of the Invention) The present invention provides a steering wheel position adjustment mechanism for an automobile that includes a tilt position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the vertical swing position of the steering handle, and a telescopic position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the longitudinal sliding position of the steering handle. In the apparatus, a rocking lock means for the tilt position adjustment mechanism, a sliding lock means for the telescopic position adjustment mechanism, and a lock means connected to each of the two lock means to lock or release the two lock means. It is a single operation lever provided so as to be able to swing freely in one direction, with both the swinging and sliding locking means being locked at the reference position, and the swinging and sliding locking means being locked at the first swinging position. Release either one of the locking means,
an operating lever configured to also release the other locking means at a second swinging position that is an extension of the first swinging position, and one of the operating levers being unlocked at the first swinging position of the operating lever A locking means is provided for relocking the position adjustment mechanism at the second swinging position in response to movement of the operating lever to the second swinging position.

(Effects of the Invention) In the automobile steering handle position adjusting device of the present invention having the above structure, the tilt and telescopic locks can be released by stroking the operating levers in the same direction, making it easy to electrify the device.

(Example) Hereinafter, a steering wheel position adjustment device for an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are a side view and a plan view, respectively, of a steering wheel position adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In these figures, reference numeral 1 indicates a steering shaft, and this steering shaft 1 is
It consists of an upper shaft 2 that supports a steering handle (not shown) and a lower shaft 3 that is connected to a steering gear (not shown).
These upper shaft 2 and lower shaft 3 are connected by a universal joint 4.
The lower shaft 3 is rotatably supported by a U-shaped fixed bracket 5 at its upper end by a lower steering column 6 fixed to the vehicle body.
On the other hand, the upper shaft 2 is rotatably supported with respect to the lower steering column 6 by an upper steering column 7 capable of tilting in the vertical direction and telescopically moving in the longitudinal direction.

Two support plates 8 are integrally provided at the upper end of the fixed bracket 5, and these two support plates 8 extend from the bracket 5 to both sides of the universal joint 4. It extends to a position slightly beyond joint 4. Lock bolts 9 arranged on a straight line passing through the center of the universal joint 4 are welded to the outer surfaces of these two support plates 8, respectively.

At the lower end of the Atsupa steering column 7,
A tilt/telescope mechanism 10 is provided which acts to tilt the column 7 up and down and telescope the column 7 up and down with respect to the lower steering column 6. This mechanism 10 includes the above-mentioned Atsupa column 7.
A first bracket 11 is provided at the lower end of the steering shaft 1 and extends symmetrically in the left and right directions across the central axis of the steering shaft 1. Two second brackets 12 are provided symmetrically with respect to each other.

A long hole 14 extending in the axial direction of the shaft 1 is formed in the second bracket 12, and the lock bolt 9 is fitted into the long hole 14. This second bracket 12 is therefore movable along the shaft 1. A tilt plate 15 is arranged between the second bracket 12 and the support plate 8. This plate 15 is formed with an opening (not shown) having a diameter slightly larger than the lock bolt 9, and the lock bolt 9 is fitted into this opening. Therefore, this plate 15 is designed to be able to swing around the lock bolt 9. The plate 15 is provided with a guide member 16 consisting of two plate-like members rising from the surface of the plate, and the second bracket 12 is connected to the guide member 16.
6 to move in the axial direction of the shaft 1 as described above.

The shaft 2 of the steering shaft 1 includes first and second shaft portions 2a and 2b that are spline-coupled as shown in FIG.
It is made up of Therefore, this Atsupashi shaft 2
is adapted to perform telescopic operation, that is, telescopic operation, by relative movement of the first and second shaft portions 2a and 2b.

The support plate 8 has two plates that engage with ratchet teeth 12a formed on both sides of the second bracket 12 to lock its sliding in the front-rear direction.
The two locking pawls 33 and 34 are connected to the pins 35 and 3.
It is pivoted by 6. These two lock claws 33 and 34 are connected to springs 37 and 3, respectively.
8 in the direction of engagement with the ratchet teeth 12a. Therefore, the second bracket 12
is locked by the lock claws 33 and 34 in the normal state, and cannot be slid in the front-rear direction.

A lock nut 39 is threaded onto the lock bolt 9, and by tightening this nut 39, vertical tilting of the upper column 7 relative to the lower column 6 is locked. A lock pawl operating member 40 is fixed to this nut 39, and when this member 40 is rotated clockwise, it engages with the lock pawls 33 and 34 and operates against the springs 37 and 38. It acts to rotate the claws 33, 34 in the releasing direction.

An operating lever 41 is fixed to the lock nut 39, and when in the A position, the operating lever 41 tightens the nut 39 to lock the upper column 7 from vertically tilting relative to the lower column. At this time, the operating member 40 does not act on the lock claws 33 and 34 in any way, and therefore the longitudinal telescope of the upper column 7 is also locked. On the other hand, when the operating lever 41 is rotated to position B as shown in FIG. 3, the nut 39 is loosened, the lock is released, and the upper column 7 can be tilted in the vertical direction. In addition,
At this time, the operating member 40 is still attached to the locking pawl 3.
3 and 34, and therefore the telescoping in the longitudinal direction is still locked. After this, as shown in FIG.
When 1 is further rotated and positioned at position C,
The operating member 40 rotates the lock pawls 33, 34 in the unlocking direction against the springs 37, 38. As a result, telescopic operation of the upper column 7 relative to the lower column 6 in the longitudinal direction becomes possible.

In this way, when the operating lever 41 is rotated to the C position, the upper column 7 can be telescopically operated in the front-rear direction, but as it is, a tilting operation is also possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, in addition to the lock nut 39, a lock device 50 for tilting is provided. This lock device 50
A click groove 51 is formed on the locus of the lower end of the tilt plate 15 when the tilt plate 15 rotates around the lock bolt 9 when the upper column 7 is tilted in the vertical direction. It has a groove plate 52, and this click groove plate 52 is fixed to the lower column 6. On the other hand, an elongated hole 53 extending in the axial direction of the shaft 1 is formed at the lower end of the tilting plate 15, and a locking pin 54 is slidably fitted into the elongated hole 53. This locking pin 54 is
When located at the lowest position of the elongated hole 53, it engages with the click groove 51, thereby suppressing rotation of the tilt plate 15 and locking the tilt mechanism. The locking pin 54 is configured such that the locking pin 54 engages with the click groove 51 when the operating lever 41 is located at the C position.
A connecting rod 5 whose one end is pivotally connected to the lever 41
5 is fixed to the other end. With the above configuration,
When the telescopic mechanism is unlocked, the tilt mechanism is automatically locked. The locking pin 54 and the connecting rod 55 may be formed as a pair by bending a single rod.

In addition to the embodiments described above, the present invention can also be applied to an arrangement in which vertical and longitudinal position adjustment is performed using, for example, an electric motor. In this case, the operating lever may also be configured to be operated, for example, by an electric motor, similar to the adjustment of the vertical and longitudinal positions.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side view of a steering wheel position adjustment device for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a tilt lock released. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the telescopic lock is released. 1...Steering shaft, 2...Atsupashi shaft, 3...Lower shaft, 4...Universal joint, 6...Lower steering column,
7... Atsupa steering column, 9... Lock bolt, 10... Tilt telescopic mechanism, 33,3
4...Lock claw, 39...Lock nut, 41...
...Operation lever, 50...Lock device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A steering wheel position adjustment device for an automobile, comprising a tilt position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the vertical swing position of the steering handle, and a telescopic position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the longitudinal sliding position of the steering handle. , a swing locking means for the tilt position adjustment mechanism, a sliding lock means for the telescopic position adjustment mechanism, and a locking means connected to each of the locking means and adapted to lock or release the locking means. A single operation lever provided to be swingable in the direction, which locks both the swinging and sliding locking means at the reference position and locking the swinging and sliding locking means at the first swinging position. an operating lever configured to release either one of the locking means and also release the other locking means at a second swinging position that is an extension of the first swinging position; and the first swinging position of the operating lever. and locking means for relocking one of the position adjustment mechanisms, which is unlocked at the second swing position, in the second swing position in response to movement of the operating lever to the second swing position. A steering wheel position adjustment device for automobiles.