JPH03273B2 - - 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 has been put into practical use;
For example, it is described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 54-15385.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel position adjustment device for an automobile that can adjust the position of the steering wheel more appropriately than conventional steering wheel position adjustment devices.

(Structure of the Invention) A steering handle position adjustment device for an automobile according to the present invention includes a steering shaft in which a high-speed shaft supporting the steering wheel and a lower shaft connected to a steering gear are connected by a joint member, and the high-speed shaft and the lower shaft are connected to each other by a joint member. A steering handle position adjustment device in which a lower shaft is surrounded by an upper column and a lower column, and the upper column can be tilted vertically and horizontally with respect to the lower column, and slidable in the front and rear directions, the upper column being moved in the three directions. The actuator is provided with two actuators for driving, and a switching means for setting the drive direction of the upper column by the actuator to any one of the three directions, and the actuator is eccentric with respect to the joint member. It also comprises two rod members connected to the upper column at two positions sandwiching the joint member, and a motor that strokes the rod members in the same direction or in opposite directions.

In a preferred embodiment, the switching means includes at least a first lock mechanism that locks tilting of the upper column in the vertical and horizontal directions, a second lock mechanism that locks sliding movement of the upper column in the front and rear directions, and and control means for controlling the operation of the second lock mechanism.

(Effects of the Invention) In the steering handle position adjustment device for a vehicle according to the present invention having the above structure, the steering handle can be tilted left and right in addition to the above-mentioned vertical tilting and front-back sliding. The position can be adjusted to a position more suitable for the driver.

(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 lower steering column 6 fixed to the vehicle body B at its upper end via a U-shaped fixed bracket 5. On the other hand, the upper shaft 3 is rotatably supported with respect to the lower steering column 6 by an upper steering column 7 capable of vertically and horizontally tilting and longitudinally telescoping operations, as will be described in detail later.

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 vertically, horizontally, and telescopically relative to the lower steering column 6. This mechanism 10 is provided at the lower end of the upper column 7, and is connected to the steering shaft 1.
a first bracket 11 extending symmetrically in the left and right directions across the central axis of the steering shaft 1;
A second bracket 12 is provided. This second
Bracket 12 is connected to both brackets 11 and 12.
It is connected by a connecting plate 13 which is pivotable relative to the connecting plate 13.

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 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. Above plate 1
5 is provided with a guide member 16 consisting of two plate-like members rising from the surface of this plate, and the second bracket 12 is guided by this guide member 16 and rotates along the axis of the shaft 1 as described above. It is designed to move in the direction.

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.

Two operating plates 17 and 18, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the shaft 1, are fixed to the lower side of the first bracket 11 at their upper ends. These actuating plates 17, 18 are
It extends downward from the first bracket 11 to a position slightly beyond the universal joint 4, and on a line passing through the center point of the universal joint 4 and perpendicular to the shaft 1, the first and second actuators 19, 20 are connected, respectively. It is connected to the. These first and second actuators 1
9 and 20 are first and second drive motors 21 fixed to the lower outer periphery of the lower steering column 6;
It has 22. The output shafts 21a, 22a of the first and second drive motors 21, 22 are provided with worm gears 23, 24, and the worm gears 23, 24 are provided with fan-shaped gears 25, 2, respectively.
6 are engaged. These fan-shaped gears 25, 2
6 is disposed so as to be pivotable about pivots 27 and 28, and first and second levers 2 extend from the essential parts of the sector gears 25 and 26 on the opposite side from the toothed parts.
9 and 30 are extended. First and second actuating rods 31, 32 are pivotally attached to the tips of the first and second levers 29, 30 at their lower ends, respectively. This first and second actuating rod 3
1 and 32 are connected to the actuating plates 17 and 18, respectively, at their upper ends.

The support plate 8 has two parts 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
In the normal state, it is locked by the lock claws 33 and 34, and cannot be slid in the front and rear directions.

A lock nut 39 is screwed into the lock bolt 9, and by tightening this nut 39, the vertical and horizontal tilts of the upper column 7 relative to the lower column 6 are 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. Claws 33, 34
It has the effect of rotating in the release 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 locking pawls 33 and 34 in any way, so that the left and right tilting of the upper column 7 and the front and back telescoping are also locked. On the other hand, when the operating lever 41 is rotated to position B, the nut 39 is loosened.
The above-mentioned lock is released, and the upper column 7 can be tilted in the vertical direction. Note that, at this time, the operating member 40 is not yet engaged with the lock claws 33, 34, and therefore the left/right tilt and front/rear telescoping are still locked. Thereafter, when the operating lever 41 is further rotated and positioned at the C position, the operating member 40 rotates the lock claws 33, 34 in the unlocking direction against the springs 37, 38. As a result, it becomes possible to tilt the upper column 7 in the left-right direction with respect to the lower column 6 and to perform a telescopic operation in the front-rear direction.

A third actuator 42 is provided on the lever 41 to position the operating lever 41 at any of the A, B, and C positions. The third actuator 42 has substantially the same structure as the first and second actuators 19 and 20, and includes a third drive motor 43 fixed to the lower outer periphery of the lower steering column 6. The output shaft 43a of the third drive motor 43 is provided with a worm gear 44 coaxial therewith.
A fan-shaped gear 45 is engaged with this worm gear 44. The sector gear 45 is pivotally mounted by the pivot shaft 27, and is integrally provided with a third lever 46 extending radially outward from the sector gear 45. This third
A third actuating rod 47 is pivotally attached to the tip of the lever 46 at its lower end. This third actuating rod 47 has its upper end connected to the operating lever 4.
It is pivoted to 1.

For the purpose of explanation later, a fan-shaped click groove 4 is provided in the lower part of the tilt plate 15.
8 is formed on the side of the lower steering column 6, and is urged in the projecting direction by a spring 49, and is fitted into one of the click grooves 48 to apply a click friction to the tilt plate 15. A click case 51 supporting a click pin 50 is fixed.

(Operation) The operation of the steering wheel position adjustment device for an automobile according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. In addition, Figures 3 to 5
In the figure, h indicates a steering wheel.

Vertical Tilt Operation First, when the operating lever 41 is in the A position, the vertical and horizontal tilt and the front and rear telescope are locked as described above. From this state, when the third drive motor 43 is driven and the operating lever 41 is rotated to position B, the lock nut 39 is loosened and only the vertical tilt is unlocked.
After that, when the first and second drive motors 21 and 22 are simultaneously rotated in the same direction, for example, in the forward direction,
Actuating rods 31, 3 as shown in FIG.
2 simultaneously move in the direction of arrow x, that is, in the up and down direction. By this movement of the actuating rods 31 and 32 in the direction of the arrow x, the upper steering shaft 2 is tilted upward from the universal joint 4. Note that in order to tilt the shaft 2 downward, the operation is reverse to that described above, that is, the first and second drive motors 21 and 22 are reversed.
The actuating rods 31, 32 may be moved in the direction opposite to the arrow x.

Front-rear telescoping operation In order to telescope the upper column 7 in the front-rear direction, the lock on this telescoping operation must first be released. To do this, first, the third drive motor 43 is further driven to rotate the operating lever 41 to the C position. In this way, when the operating lever 41 is rotated to the C position, the operating member 40 also moves to the first position as described above.
The lock claws 33, 3 rotate clockwise in the figure.
4 and rotates them in the unlocking direction, thereby unlocking the left and right tilt. Note that, as a result of the above, the lock of the longitudinal telescope is also released at the same time.

Thereafter, when the first and second drive motors 21 and 22 are simultaneously rotated in the same direction, for example in the forward direction, the actuating rod 3 is rotated as shown in FIG.
1 and 32 simultaneously move in the direction of arrow x, that is, upward. By moving the actuating rods 31 and 32 in the direction of the arrow x, the upper column 7 telescopes backward. At this time, the actuating rod 31,
The reason why the upper column 7 does not perform a tilting operation even when the upper column 32 moves is due to the click friction caused by the above-mentioned click pin 50 and the like. In addition,
In order to telescopically move the upper column 7 forward, it is necessary to reverse the operation described above, that is, reverse the first and second drive motors 21 and 22 and move the actuating rods 31 and 32 in the direction opposite to the arrow x. Bye.

Lateral Tilt Operation Finally, to explain the left and right tilt operation of the Atsupa column 7, the operation lever 4
1 is in the C position, the lock on this tilt has already been released. Therefore, in this case, the first and second drive motors 21 and 22 start operating immediately. In the case of this left and right tilt, unlike the above-mentioned telescopic and up and down tilts, the first and second drive motors 21, 2
2 are driven in opposite directions. That is, for example, when it is desired to tilt the upper column 7 to the left as shown in FIG. Operating drive motor 21
A leftward tilt is performed by reversing the rotation angle and operating the actuating rod 32 in the x direction and the actuating rod 31 in the y direction. Incidentally, in order to tilt the upper column 7 to the right, the above-mentioned operation may be reversed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

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 side view of the device shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating the vertical tilt operation in the device shown in FIG.
The figure is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a tilt operation in the left and right direction. 1...Steering shaft, 2...Atsupashi shaft, 3...Lower shaft, 4...Universal joint, 6...Lower steering column,
7... Atsushi steering column, 9... Lock bolt, 10... Tilt telescopic mechanism, 19...
1st actuator, 20...2nd actuator, 33, 34...lock pawl, 39...lock nut.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A steering shaft comprising a top shaft supporting a steering handle and a lower shaft connected to a steering gear connected by a joint member, the top shaft and the lower shaft being respectively surrounded by a top column and a lower column, A steering handle position adjustment device that allows the Atsupakoraro to be tilted vertically and horizontally with respect to the lower column, and slidable in the front and rear directions, the device comprising: two actuators for driving the Atsupakoraro in the three directions; comprising a switching means for setting the driving direction of the upper column by the actuator to any one of the three directions, the actuator:
Two rod members eccentric to the joint member and connected to the upper column at two positions sandwiching the joint member, and a motor that strokes the rod members in the same direction or in opposite directions. An automobile steering wheel position adjustment device. 2. The switching means includes at least a first lock mechanism that locks the vertical and horizontal tilting of the upper column, a second lock mechanism that locks the longitudinal sliding of the upper column, and these first and second lock mechanisms. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling the operation of the apparatus.