JPH0659832B2 - Tilt steering device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tilt steering device. In general, a tilt steering device has a structure in which a rotating bracket on the steering wheel side is supported by a fixed bracket through a pin and a tilt and memory mechanism is incorporated between both brackets.The rotating bracket receives the urging force of the steering. Therefore, the rotating bracket is always trying to rotate upward. When the tilt mechanism is activated, the fixed relationship between the brackets is released, and the steering wheel moves to the away position, facilitating the passenger's entry and exit.
When the vehicle is driven, the brackets can be fixed again by lowering the steering wheel to the stored position.

A concrete example of such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1-9. Incidentally, FIG. 1-9 is not a known prior art but a related art developed by the present applicant.

The tilt steering device 1 includes a fixed bracket 2 on the vehicle body side and a rotary bracket 4 that is rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 2 and that supports the steering wheel 3. Through pin 5
Make it rotatable. A device that allows the brackets 2 and 4 to be in a fixed relationship or tiltable is incorporated around the first pin 5, and the device is operated by a rotary actuator 6. The spring 7 is always the rotating bracket 4
Is urged counterclockwise about the pin 5, and the second spring 8 keeps the output portion of the actuator 6 at the position shown in FIG. 4 is fixed.

Although not shown in the figure, for unlock warning switch (ON when key is inserted, OFF when key is removed) to detect whether key is inserted in cylinder, 1G switch to indicate engine operation, and normally open circuit The manual switch of is linked with the actuator 6 (see the first diagram). As a result, the system control according to FIG. 1b becomes possible. When the 1G switch is on, the actuator does not work regardless of whether other switches are on or off. Next, when the engine is stopped, the 1G switch is in the off state and the unlock warning switch is in the on state, the actuator operates when the manual switch is turned on, and when the key is inserted like when riding, the predetermined short The actuator is turned on only for the time T ₁ to enable the tilting work (C), and when the key is removed as when getting off the vehicle, the tilting work (D) is enabled only for the time T ₂ .

Please refer to FIG. 3 and subsequent figures. The sub plate 10 is attached to the outside of the ratchet 9 fixed to the rotating bracket 4. Pin 5 penetrating the ratchet 9 and sub-plate 10
Then, the lower lever 11, the hook lever 12, the memory lever 13, the first intermediate member 14, and the release lever 15 are rotatably supported, and both ends of the pin 5 are supported by the cover plate 16 and the rotary bracket 4. Also, cover plate 1
A pole 17 is supported between 6 and the fixed bracket 2.
The pole 17 has teeth that mesh with the teeth of the ratchet 9 and pins 19 that are inserted into the elongated holes 18 of the lower lever 11. The lower lever 11 is pivotally supported by the release lever 15 using a pin and a collar 20, and the collar 20 contacts the cam surface 21 of the pole 17 to control engagement / disengagement of the pole 17 and the ratchet 9. The claws 22 of the hook lever 12 are used to keep the pole 17 away from the ratchet 9. That is, when the pawl 22 is engaged with the step portion 40 of the pole, the pole 1
Movement of 7 in the direction of ratchet 9 is restricted. Step 40
A circular arc surface 41 is provided close to. When the claw 22 of the hook lever 12 contacts the arc surface 41, the hook lever 1
Even if the hook lever 12 is vibrated by forcibly moving the hook 2 away from the step 40, the hook 22 of the hook lever 12
Never rides on the step 40.

The memory lever 13 is rotatably supported with respect to the pin 5 through an elongated hole, and the claw 23 thereof can be engaged with and disengaged from the teeth of the sub plate 10 and has projecting pieces 24, 24 '. A protruding piece 24 ′ is in contact with the outer surface of the cam lever 25 whose one end is pivotally supported by the cover plate 16, and a spring 26 engaging with both protruding pieces 24 moves the memory lever 13 to the left via the cam lever 25 (see FIG. 3). ), The memory lever 13 and the teeth of the sub-plate 10 are not normally engaged. The release lever 15 contacting the cam surface 27 of the cam lever 25 is connected to the output portion of the actuator 6 through the elongated hole.

The second intermediate member 28 is pivotally supported on the sub-plate 10 together with the torsion spring 29, and the intermediate members 14 and 28 are connected by another torsion spring 30. The first intermediate member 14 side is provided between both legs of the previous torsion spring 29. The pin 31 and the claw 32 of the second intermediate member 28 are arranged.

The first intermediate lever 14 and the second intermediate lever 28 rotate the hook lever 12 to engage the stepped portion 40 of the pole 17 and the hook lever 12 only when the steering wheel changes from the away position to the normal operation position. In addition, the hook lever 12 and the step portion 4 of the pole 17 in the away position.
The engagement with 0 is regulated, and the pole 17 and the ratchet 9 can be meshed at the away position.

The stopper 33 provided on the fixed bracket 2 is attached to the ratchet 9
The groove 34 can be brought into contact with the groove 34 to regulate the rotation angle of the rotary bracket 4. An elastic material may be provided inside the stopper 33 so as to have a damper function.

When the actuator position 6 is actuated and its output section is rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 6, the release lever 15 is released.
Rotates around pin 5. Because of this, the lower bracket 11 also rotates together with the release lever 15, so that the pin 19
Moves along the long hole 18 and releases the engagement between the pole 17 and the ratchet 9. Spring 7 is rotating bracket 4
In a counterclockwise direction around pin 5. In the state shown in FIG. 6 (the moment of away), the second intermediate lever 2
Since the second intermediate lever 28 rotates clockwise with respect to the ratchet 9 due to the contact of the claw 35 of No. 8 with the cover plate 16, the pin 31 of the first intermediate lever 14 moves leftward by the torsion spring 29. Be energized. But,
The movement of the pin 31 is restricted by the engaging portion 36 of the release lever 15. Further, the hook lever 12 remains at the position shown in FIG. 6 by the engaging piece 37 of the sub plate 10.

On the other hand, when the release lever 15 is rotated, the cam lever 25 is rotated clockwise by its cam surface 27, and the protrusion 24 ′ is pushed out to the right, so that the claw 23 of the memory lever 13 ends up with the teeth of the sub-plate 10. Engage with to store the initial position memory.

After the rotating bracket 4 enters the away position for a certain time or after the position is detected by the limit switch,
As shown in the figure, both brackets 2 and 4 have a fixed relationship,
Prevent the rotation bracket 4 from wobbling. When the actuator 6 is in the OFF state, the release lever 15 is returned to the original position as shown in FIG. 3 by the spring 8. During this movement, the pin 19 is guided by the elongated hole 18 to move, and the pole 17 and the ratchet 9 are re-engaged. However, since the engaging portion 38 of the cam lever 25 and the engaging portion 39 of the sub-plate 10 are in the engaged state, the memory lever 13 and the sub-plate 10 are in the meshed state, that is, the initial position remains stored. Has become. The first intermediate lever 14 is moved leftward by the torsion spring 29.

Insert the key from the state shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 shows a state in which the is activated. As explained in connection with FIG. 6, the engagement between the pole 17 and the ratchet 9 is released. On the other hand, the lower portion of the engaging portion 36 of the release lever 15 causes the claw 22 of the hook lever 12 to enter the step portion 40 of the pole 17 via the pin 31 to maintain the released state of the pole 17 and the ratchet 9 (actuator Even if 6 is turned off, it remains open.) The rotating bracket is a spring 7 due to the way. When the driver pushes down the steering wheel, the claw 23 of the memory lever 13 hits the side edge of the hook lever 12 and pushes the hook lever 12 upward, meshes the pole 17 with the ratchet 9, and the release lever 15 returns. Sets the cam lever 25 to the state shown in FIG. That is, the rotation bracket 4 is fixed (locked) again at the initial position. In this case, since the actuator 6 is in the off state, when the steering wheel is pushed down, the hook lever 12 moves the first intermediate lever 14 while the release lever 15 is returned to the original position by the biasing force of the spring 8. It is rotated by the claw 23 of the memory lever 13 together with the pin 31. That is, the engagement portion 36 of the release lever 15 does not regulate the movement of the pin 31.

In the illustrated example, the arc surface 41 is formed on the pole 17, but
In the example in which the hook lever 12 is held by the cushion 42 as shown in FIG. 0, a protrusion is formed in the vicinity of the step 40 of the pole 17, and the inclined surface 41 is formed on this protrusion. The inclined surface 41 has the same function as the arc surface 41.

In the present example, the second intermediate lever 28 has a function of sliding the first intermediate lever 14 in the away position, but there is a transition region regarding the operation of the second intermediate lever 28. In this area, if there is a mesh between the pole 17 and the ratchet 9, for example, even if the pole 17 and the ratchet 9 are engaged one pitch before the away position, the same locked state as at the away position is created, It may happen that the first intermediate lever 14 is not completely slid.

In this example, even if the key is inserted and the actuator 6 is operated, the hook lever 12 does not move to the position where it engages with the pawl 17, and therefore there may be a case where the manual switch has no choice but to return.

The transition region of the second intermediate lever 28 is defined as the claw 35 of the second intermediate lever 28 and the cover plate 16 contact each other when the steering wheel changes from the normal driving position to the away position, and the second intermediate lever 28 is reversed. It indicates from the position where it starts to rotate clockwise to the position where it rotates to the end (while bending the torsion spring 29).
When the ratchet 9 and the ratchet 9 are engaged with each other, the deflection of the torsion spring 29 is small, and as a result, the movement of the first intermediate lever 14 which is moved by the urging force of the torsion spring 29 moves to the pin 31 of the first intermediate lever 14. The release lever 15 is not moved to a position where it can come into contact with the lower surface of the engaging portion 36. In other words, even though it is not completely in the away position, the same locked state as the away position is created.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned problems.

Configuration In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention basically employs a technical means for partially filling the tooth space of the ratchet and partially removing the tooth part of the pole at the meshing portion near the outer ray.

By adopting this means, even if the actuator is turned off in the transition region of the second intermediate lever, there is no meshing between the pole and the ratchet, and when the rotary bracket is pulled up to the away position, the regular meshing relationship between the pole and the ratchet is achieved. create.

Pole 17 used in the embodiment of the present invention (Fig. 1-9)
And ratchet 9 are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Part of the teeth of the pole 17 is deleted, a tooth missing portion 42 is provided, and
The tooth 43 of the ratchet 9 is provided with a portion 43 in which the groove is filled. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 12, even if the pole 17 and the ratchet 9 are attempted to mesh with each other near the away position, the ratchet tooth portions 43 are mounted on the teeth 44 of the pole 17 and no meshing occurs between them. . Then, when the rotating bracket is pulled up to the away position, as shown in FIG.
A correct meshing of 7 and ratchet 9 is obtained.

In addition, in the illustration (FIGS. 10-13), one tooth is scraped,
Further, although one tooth groove is filled, it may be plural depending on the pitch.

Effect Since the present invention is an improvement of the tooth portion of the pole and the ratchet, it can be easily performed by pressing work or the like, which is advantageous in cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1a is a block diagram showing a control system of a tilt mechanism, FIG. 1b is an explanatory view showing an operating state of an actuator, FIG. 2 is a front view of a tilt steering device, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing when the actuator is on. , Fig. 4 is the third
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 5, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a front view showing the actuator off state, and Fig. 7 is a state at the time of away. FIG. 8 is a front view showing when the steering wheel is pushed down, FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2-8, which is an example of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the pole, FIG. 11 is a plan view of the ratchet, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the engagement between the pole and the ratchet near the away, and FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the engagement between the regular pole and the ratchet at the away position. In the figure: 2 ... Fixed bracket, 4 ... Rotation bracket,
5 ... pin, 6 ... actuator, 7,8 ... spring, 9 ... ratchet, 10 ... subplate, 11
…… Lower bracket, 12 …… Hook lever, 13 ……
Memory lever, 14 ... first intermediate member, 15 ... release lever, 16 ... cover plate, 17 ... pole, 28 ... second intermediate member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body side, a rotary bracket rotatably supported by the fixed bracket and having a ratchet at its side edge, and one end pivotally attached to the fixed bracket side and the other end. A pole having teeth that can mesh with the ratchet, a release lever that controls the meshing between the pole and the ratchet, a spring that biases the rotating bracket in one direction, and the meshing between the pole and the ratchet. New position, and a memory lever that re-engages the pawl with the ratchet at the initial meshing position stored by the returning means, a sub-plate that meshes with the memory lever at the away position, and a non-mesh with the pawl and ratchet. And a hook lever capable of maintaining the relationship between the pole and the ratchet at the position of the way. Tilt steering apparatus characterized by having the pole and the portion making non meshing state between the ratchet in way position near said pole and ratchet.