JPH048258B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a tilt meter device for an automobile,
Specifically, the present invention relates to a tilt meter device that can guide the tilting of a meter unit when a steering wheel is tilted. This is used in the field of steering devices in which the position of the steering wheel can be changed.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Some automobiles have a mechanism that allows the vertical position of a steering wheel to be changed according to the driver's body shape or sitting posture. For example, Utsukai 52-
Publication No. 156032 describes an example of a steering device for such a vehicle with certain improvements.

With such a device, when the steering wheel is tilted according to the driver's preference, the relative position of the steering wheel and the meters and switches attached to the instrument panel changes. As a result, the driver may find it difficult to see some of the gauges because they are hidden behind the steering wheel, or it may be difficult to operate the switches.

Therefore, attempts have been made in some sports cars to combine meters and switches into a single meter unit, and to have that unit tilt in conjunction with the tilt of the steering wheel. In this way, even if the position of the steering wheel is changed depending on the body shape of the driver, the meter unit also tilts, and the above-mentioned difficulty can be solved.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above meter unit is supported by a steering support member solidly attached to the vehicle body via the steering shaft. However, since meter units are quite heavy and often spread out laterally, it is difficult to ensure stable support and smooth tilting when tilting, and a solution is desired. .

By the way, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-33327 discloses a meter mounting structure in which when the steering wheel is tilted, a link mechanism that rotates in response to the tilting of the steering wheel causes the meter unit and the like to tilt.

In this structure, the meter unit is always supported by the vehicle body and the above-mentioned link mechanism, and the state of support changes depending on the link mechanism. However, it is difficult to support it stably. Moreover, since the meter unit has a considerable width on both sides, it is difficult to provide equal support on both sides using a simple link mechanism on both sides. In addition, since the meter unit is attached to a bracket fixed to the vehicle body, there is a problem in that the supporting structure becomes complicated.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to enable the tilting of the meter unit to be linked to the tilt of the steering wheel, to make the support of the meter unit more stable, and to improve the stability of the meter unit when tilted. An object of the present invention is to provide a tilt meter device for an automobile that can achieve smooth tilting of the vehicle.

[Means to solve the problem]

Referring to FIG. 1, the automotive tilt meter device of the present invention is characterized in that a steering device is provided on a steering support member 5 fixed to the vehicle body via a tilt mechanism 4 so as to be tiltable. Tilt movable member 1 of the tilt mechanism 4
A meter unit 2 disposed above the steering device is connected and fixed to 4 and 17. At the left and right sides of the steering device in the vehicle width direction, the steering support member 5 and the tilt movable member 17 are provided with a meter unit 2 during a tilt operation.
Guide means 23, 19 are provided to guide the movement.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the meter unit can be tilted in conjunction with the tilt operation of the steering wheel. At this time, since the movement of the meter unit is guided by the guide means formed on the steering support member and the tilt movable member, the meter unit can be stably supported. Furthermore, the guide means corrects the left and right vibrations when it tilts, allowing smooth tilting while always maintaining a horizontal posture.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples thereof.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tilt meter device for an automobile according to the present invention, in which a steering wheel (not shown) attached to a steering shaft 1 is
It is designed to be able to tilt up and down around the front tilt fulcrum. That is, the steering device is provided on a steering support member 5, which will be described later, which is fixed to the vehicle body so as to be tiltable via a tilt mechanism 4.

Such a tiltable steering device is provided with a meter unit 2 that tilts in conjunction with the tilt operation of the steering wheel.
That is, a meter unit 2 disposed above the steering device is connected and fixed to tilt movable members 14 and 17, which will be described later, of the tilt mechanism 4.

The meter unit 2 collects and stores meters and the like, and is covered with a plastic cover 3.

The meter unit 2 is supported by a tilt mechanism 4, and the tilt mechanism 4 is attached to a steering support member 5 that supports a steering device. Since the steering support member 5 is fixed to the vehicle body, it has sufficient strength to support the weight of the steering device, the tilt mechanism 4, and the meter unit 2. Note that guide means 6 for guiding the movement of the meter unit 2 during a tilt operation are provided on the steering support member 5 and the tilt movable member 17 at positions on both left and right sides of the steering device in the vehicle width direction. .

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a steering support bracket 8 is attached to the cowl 7 on the front of the vehicle body.
is fixed and extends in the direction of the steering shaft 1. In this example, in order to prevent steering vibration, a steering frame 10 is attached to the cab side body 9. This prevents steering vibration from occurring on rough roads or at high speeds, and improves the high-speed performance of the steering and the ability to travel on rough roads. It's starting to improve.

This is fixed together with the stay 11 shown in Fig. 1, and the other end is fixed to the tunnel part 12 in the center of the floor, or depending on the car model, it may extend over the entire width and be fixed to another side body. . In any case, the shape is highly rigid, with a closed cross section, and it is mounted under the instrument panel in a position that is not directly visible to the driver. In such a steering frame 10, the tip of the above-mentioned steering support bracket 8 is superimposed on a raised area in the center thereof.

The steering support member 5 such as the steering support bracket 8 and the steering frame 10
supports the weight of the tilt mechanism 4 and meter unit 2 in the steering device,
On the lower surface thereof, a steering tilt bracket 13 having, for example, a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 1 is attached so as to straddle the outer cylinder 1a of the steering shaft 1 from above.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer cylinder 1a is located at the steering tilt bracket 13.
A slider 14 that slides up and down inside the steering tilt bracket 13 is provided, and a tilt lever 15 (see FIG. 1) for fixing the slider to the tilt bracket 13 is attached to pass through the slider 14 from side to side. ing. This tilt lever 15 is used to unlock the slider 14 before and after tilting the steering wheel, and to lock it to the steering tilt bracket 13. In the illustrated example, turning the tilt lever 15 moves the screw forward and backward. Attach slider 1 to steering tilt bracket 13.
4 can be generated and released.

Furthermore, if the steering wheel is tilted,
Since the slider 14 moves up and down inside the steering tilt bracket 13, there is a tilt lever 15 on the side of the steering tilt bracket 13.
An elongated hole 16 (see FIG. 1) is provided in which the axis of the slider 14 can move together with the slider 14.

A meter set bracket 17 is fixed to the lower part of the slider 14 of the tilt mechanism 4 so as to project left and right, and the slider 14 and the meter set bracket 17 form a tilt movable member.

A meter strut 19 (see FIG. 1) is fixed to a seat surface 18 at the tip of the meter set bracket 17. A flange 20 (see Fig. 1) is attached to the steering tilt bracket 13, and the tilt is fixed by bolts or the like through a hole 21 opened in the flange 20 and a hole 22 provided in the steering support bracket 8 and steering frame 10. The mechanism 4 is firmly fixed to the steering support member 5.

Among such steering support members 5, in this example, the steering frame 10 has a guide hole 23 that constitutes the guide means 6, and the aforementioned meter strut 19 as another guide means 6 is inserted through the guide hole 23. ing. A mounting seat 24 provided on the lower surface of the meter unit 2 is placed on top of the mounting seat 24, and is integrated with the meter set bracket 17 via a bolt 25 with a long leg. Therefore, the meter unit 2 is attached to the steering tilt bracket 13 of the slider 14.
It can move up and down depending on the movement inside.

The meter unit 2 installed in this way is covered with a cover 3 as shown in FIG.
It is designed in an attractive manner so that only the parts necessary for the driver to check and operate are visible.

According to such a configuration, the wide meter unit 2 can be supported and tilted smoothly in the following manner.

When the driver tilts the steering wheel, he turns the tilt lever 15 to unlock the slider 14 fixed within the steering tilt bracket 13. In this state, the steering wheel can be tilted about the tilt fulcrum, so the driver moves the steering wheel in the desired upward or downward direction.

As the steering wheel moves, a slider 14, which is a tiltable member shown in FIG. 3 and which is fixed to the steering shaft 1, slides within the steering tilt bracket 13. slider 1
4 causes the meter unit 2 to move up and down via the meter struts 19, 19 provided on the left and right sides as shown in FIG. At that time, the guide means 6
Since the movement of the meter strut 19 is equally guided on the left and right sides by the guide hole 23 of the steering frame 10, the meter unit 2 is tilted smoothly without wobbling or hindering its movement.

When tilted to the desired position, tilt lever 15
Turn to lock the slider 14 to the steering tilt bracket 13. Even in such a state, the meter unit 2 is supported equally on the left and right sides, and because it is fixed to the steering support member 5, which is particularly strong in the lateral direction and is fixed to the vehicle body, the support is even stronger. , the stability of mounting the meter unit 2 can be improved.

Figure 5 shows a different embodiment of the meter unit 2.
This is an example in which the steering support member 5 that supports the steering support bracket 8 is the only one. This steering support bracket 8 has a steering support portion 26 projecting from side to side.
Also, the meter strut 1 as a guide means.
Guide holes 23, 23 are provided through which the guide holes 9, 19 are inserted and which guide the tilting movement.

Therefore, the steering tilt bracket 13 of the tilt mechanism 4 is fixed to the lower surface of the steering support part 26, and the meter set bracket 1 is fixed to the slider 14 as a tilt movable member.
7, the meter unit 2 is supported via a meter strut 19. Incidentally, regarding the tilt operation and the support of the meter unit 2, there is no difference from the previous embodiment. In this example as well, it is possible to stably support the heavy meter cluster portion, maintain its posture, and tilt it smoothly.

By the way, with this kind of steering device,
Since the tilt mechanism 4 is located under the steering support member 5 that is firmly attached to the vehicle body, and the meter cluster portion is located above it, the meter unit 2 can be supported by the vehicle body without having to place its weight on the steering shaft 1. . As a result, resonance caused by a load acting on the steering shaft is avoided, and adverse effects such as a decrease in maneuverability are avoided.

As can be seen from the above explanation, a steering support member that supports the steering device is fixedly provided to the vehicle body, and a meter unit that tilts via a tilt movable member in conjunction with the tilt operation of the steering wheel is attached to the steering support member. Since guide means for guiding the movement of the meter unit is provided, the meter unit can be stably supported. Furthermore, the guide means corrects the left and right vibrations when it tilts, allowing smooth tilting while always maintaining a horizontal posture.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded sectional view of the tilt meter device for an automobile according to the present invention, FIG.
The figure is a perspective view of the tilt meter installed, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a different embodiment. 2...meter unit, 4...tilt mechanism,
5... Steering support member, 6... Guide means, 8... Steering support bracket, 10...
...Steering frame, 14...Tilt movable member (slider), 17...Tilt movable member (meter set bracket), 19...Guide means (meter strut), 23...Guide means (guide hole).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A steering device is provided on a steering support member fixed to a vehicle body so as to be tiltable via a tilt mechanism, and is disposed above the steering device on a tilt movable member of the tilt mechanism. The meter unit is connected and fixed, and the steering support member and the tilt movable member are provided with guide means for guiding the movement of the meter unit during a tilt operation, at positions on both left and right sides of the steering device in the vehicle width direction. An automobile tilt meter device characterized by: