JP2000085592A - Tilt slider mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a tilt slider mechanism that can ensure a stable operation in which an operation time is not affected by a change in environmental temperature and has no backlash. SOLUTION: A shaft (screw shaft 174) having a male screw portion that rotates in conjunction with an output shaft of a drive source.
, A first nut 175 and a second nut 176 that mesh with the male screw portion and interlock with the driven object, and a fixing mechanism (stopper 18) that integrates both nuts and prohibits relative rotation.
0) and an elastic body (disc spring 17) held between the nuts.
7), wherein the fixing mechanism is detachable, and the tilt slider mechanism is capable of adjusting the urging force of the elastic body to both nuts by adjusting the second nut.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a tilt slider mechanism used for a steering wheel position adjusting mechanism in a vehicle, and more particularly to a structure for eliminating backlash of the tilt slider mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a steering position adjustment control device for changing the position of a steering wheel in a vertical direction or a front-rear direction so as to match a driver's body shape.

[0003] This device is, for example, a fixed column 11 for supporting the steering wheel 2 like the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described in Aristo's New Vehicle Manual (issued by Toyota Motor Corporation in 1998). Swing column 1
3 and a movable column 12 are provided to move the upper arm 16 up and down (tilt) or back and forth (telescopic) to adjust the position of a steering wheel fixed to the upper arm 16, which is called a tilt and telescopic device. Things.

[0004] In this steering position adjusting device, a screw mechanism is used in the tilt mechanism, and the structure thereof is shown at A in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 (enlarged view of A).
Is shown in That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a metal shaft 7 having a male screw portion 7a that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of a motor (not shown), and a resin shaft that is integrated with the swing column 13 and meshes with the shaft 7 Has a nut 8,
When the motor rotates, the shaft 7 rotates and the nut 8 moves, whereby the swing column 13 swings, and the steering wheel 2 tilts (moves up and down).

However, it is necessary to provide a backlash in the screw mechanism due to the accuracy of the screw. Due to the backlash, the steering wheel rattles in the tilt direction (up and down direction), and the driver has a problem. Will be uncomfortable.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the engagement of the screws is shown in FIG. 6 by deforming the resin nut 8 by the urging force of the disc spring 10 and pressing it against the male screw portion 7a of the shaft. By setting such a state, the backlash was eliminated.

[0007]

However, as described above, in the method of deforming the resin nut 8 to eliminate the backlash, the sliding frictional force of the screw engagement portion fluctuates due to the environmental temperature change, If the operating time of the tilt mechanism becomes unstable and the environmental temperature becomes higher or lower than a predetermined level, the friction torque due to the above-mentioned sliding friction may exceed the rotational torque of the motor, and the tilt mechanism may become inoperable. Therefore, there is a problem that a large-capacity motor is required.

The cause of the change in the sliding frictional force of the screw engagement portion due to the change in the environmental temperature is as follows. That is, the sliding frictional force is determined by the pressing force of the resin nut 8, and this pressing force F1 is calculated from the pressing force F2 of the disc spring and the elastic restoring force F2 of the resin nut 8.
3 is subtracted. The elastic restoring force F3 is determined by the Young's modulus (longitudinal elastic modulus) of the resin material, and the Young's modulus changes with temperature and decreases as the temperature increases. Therefore, the elastic restoring force F3 decreases as the temperature increases. become. Therefore, at high temperatures, the pressing force F1 increases.

Further, since the linear expansion coefficient of the resin which is the material of the nut 8 is larger than the linear expansion coefficient of the metal which is the material of the shaft 7, the shrinkage of the nut 8 is larger than that of the shaft 7 at a low temperature, so-called tightness. It will be in a fit state. Therefore, the pressing force F1 increases even at a low temperature, as in a high temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a play-free tilt slider mechanism capable of ensuring a stable operation in which the operation time is not affected by changes in the environmental temperature. And

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shaft having an external thread portion which rotates in conjunction with an output shaft of a driving source.
A first nut and a second nut that mesh with the male screw portion and interlock with a driven object, a fixing mechanism that integrates the first nut and the second nut and prohibits relative rotation;
An elastic body sandwiched between the first nut and the second nut, wherein the fixing mechanism is detachable, and by relatively rotating the first nut and the second nut, And a tilt slider mechanism capable of adjusting the biasing force of the elastic body against the first nut and the second nut.

With this configuration, the first nut and the second nut are pressed against the male screw surface of the shaft in opposite directions by the urging force of the elastic body. Backlash is forcibly removed.

Further, since the deformation of the nut is not used for removing the backlash, the fluctuation of the sliding friction torque of the screw mechanism due to the change of the Young's modulus as in the prior art does not occur. Furthermore, even when a resin material is used for the nut and a metal material is used for the shaft, the backlash is
Since it is removed not in the radial direction but in the axial direction of the shaft, there is no tight fit at low temperatures as in the prior art. Therefore, the sliding friction torque of the screw mechanism is not affected by changes in the environmental temperature, and a tilt slider mechanism capable of ensuring stable operation can be provided.

Furthermore, even if backlash occurs in the screw portion due to wear of the screw portion, settling of the elastic body, etc. after long use, and the backlash of the steering wheel occurs, a detachable fixing member is provided. By removing and retightening the second nut with respect to the first nut, the urging force of the elastic body can be recovered and the generated backlash can be easily removed.

More preferably, as set forth in claim 2, in the fixing mechanism, a tip of a detachable stopper member fixed to the first nut is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the second nut. Preferably, the tilt slider mechanism according to claim 1 is configured by meshing with a tooth surface that is bent.

Further, it is preferable that the elastic body is an inexpensive disc spring.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tilt slider mechanism which satisfies the second and third aspects.

As described above, when the technical means according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is employed, stable operation can be ensured without being affected by a change in the environmental temperature, and furthermore, a problem occurs after a long use. A tilt slider mechanism that can easily remove backlash can be provided.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a steering position adjustment control device using a tilt slider mechanism according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A steering position adjustment control device (hereinafter referred to as a steering device) 1 adjusts the vertical position of the steering wheel 2 by a tilt mechanism 17 or the front and rear position by a telescopic mechanism 18 in a vehicle or the like. This is shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. However, in FIG. 1, the tilt slider mechanism section (A section)
A prior art (see FIG. 3) is shown, and a description will be given below of a structure in which this is replaced with the tilt slider mechanism according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The steering device 1 is mainly composed of a fixed column 11, a movable column 12 that moves in the axial direction with respect to the fixed column 11, a swing column 13 that is pivotally supported by the movable column 12, and swings. Lower shaft 1 supported
4. A center shaft 15 into which the lower shaft 14 is inserted to transmit rotation, an upper shaft 16 into which the steering wheel 2 is fitted to transmit the rotation operation of the steering wheel 2 to the center shaft 15, and a tilt to move the position of the steering wheel 2 up and down. The control device 1 that controls the mechanism 17, the telescopic mechanism 18 that moves back and forth, and the motors 171 and 181 of the tilt mechanism 17 and the telescopic mechanism 18.
9 is provided.

The fixed column 11 is fixed to a body of the vehicle by a mounting bracket 25, and the movable column 12 is movable with respect to the fixed column 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction (B direction). The movable column 12 is axially guided by a pin (not shown) provided on the fixed column 11, and is restricted from rotating with respect to the fixed column 11. In addition, swing column 1
3 is pivotally supported in a vertical direction (C direction) of the vehicle by a pivot pin 21 fixed to the movable column 12.

The lower shaft 14 is rotatably supported by a bearing 55 disposed near an end of the fixed column 11, and the left end of the lower shaft 14 shown in FIG. 1 is linked to a front wheel of a vehicle (not shown). . A spline 141 extending in the axial direction of the lower shaft is formed on the outer periphery of the right end of the lower shaft 14 in the drawing. Center shaft 15
Are rotatably arranged in the moving column 12 and are arranged coaxially with the lower shaft 14. Further, the center shaft 15 has a cylindrical portion 151 at the left end in the figure, and a spline 152 extending in the axial direction of the center shaft 15 is formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 151. Cylindrical part 1
The right end of the lower shaft 14 in the figure is inserted into 51, and the spline 141 of the lower shaft 14
Is engaged. By the engagement of the splines 141 and 152, the center shaft 15 can rotate integrally with the lower shaft 14, and can move in the vehicle front-rear direction (the direction B in the drawing) with respect to the lower shaft 14. The upper shaft 16 is connected to the cylindrical member 2 fixed to the swing column 13.
2 and is coaxially arranged with the lower shaft 14 and the center shaft 15. Upper shaft 1
6 is connected to the center shaft 15 via a ball joint (not shown), and the upper shaft 16 can rotate integrally with the center shaft 15 by this ball joint. It is possible to swing up and down (C direction). The steering wheel 2 is fitted and fixed to the right end of the upper shaft 16. When the driver operates the steering wheel 2, the upper shaft 16, the center shaft 15, and the lower shaft 14 rotate integrally,
As a result, the front wheels of the vehicle are steered.

(Tilt Mechanism) The tilt mechanism 17 swings the swing column 13 in the vertical direction of the vehicle with respect to the pins 21 of the movable column 12 to move the position of the steering wheel 2 up and down. The tilt mechanism 17 includes a tilt motor 171 fixed to the fixed column 11, a gear mechanism 172 for transmitting the rotation of the motor 171, a screw shaft 174 for transmitting the rotation of the gear mechanism 172,
A first nut member 175 provided on the swing column 13 and meshing with the screw shaft 174, a second nut member 176 meshing with the screw shaft 174, and sandwiched between the first nut member 175 and the second nut member 176. And a coned disc spring 17 for applying an urging force in the opposite direction to the axial direction.
7 and a first nut member 175 with a screw 179 via a member 178 and a second nut member 176.
And a stopper 180 for engaging the tip portion 180a with a tooth surface 176a (see FIG. 5) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second nut member 176 to fix the rotation of the second nut member 176. Here, the screw shaft 174, the second nut member 17
6 and the material of the member 178 are metal, and the material of the first nut member 175 is a resin. The first nut member 1
If the member 75 is made of metal, the member 178 becomes unnecessary. First
This is because a screw hole of the screw 179 can be provided directly in the nut member 175.

By the urging force of the disc spring 177, the screw surface of the first nut member 175 is
As shown in FIG. 7, the screw surface is pressed rightward in the axial direction to remove the backlash. Although not shown, the second nut member 176 is also pressed to the left in the axial direction, eliminating backlash and eliminating rattling of the steering wheel 2. The same effect can be obtained by using a wave washer, a coil spring, or the like instead of the disc spring.

If the biasing force of the disc spring 177 is insufficient due to its own set after using for a long time, the screw 179 is removed, the stopper 180 is removed, and the second nut member 176 is retightened. By reassembling the stopper 180 with the screw 179 and fixing the rotation of the second nut member 176, the urging force of the disc spring 177 can be recovered, and the urging force can be easily readjusted. Further, if the stopper 180 is made of a leaf spring material and the tip portion 180a has a shape as shown in FIG. 5, the second nut member 176 can be retightened in a so-called ratchet type with the stopper 180 attached. Therefore, readjustment is further facilitated. The tilt mechanism described above corresponds to the tilt slider mechanism according to the present invention.

In such a tilt mechanism 17, when the tilt motor 171 rotates, the gear mechanism 172 is driven, and the rotation of the gear mechanism 172 is then transmitted to the screw shaft 174 and provided on the swing column 13. The position of the first nut member 175 is changed by the rotation of the screw shaft 174. This allows
The swing column 13 and the cylindrical member 22 rotate about the pivot pin 21, and the positions of the swing column 13 and the cylindrical member 22 change in the C direction. At this time, the upper shaft 16
Is connected to the center shaft 15 via a ball joint (not shown), so that the upper shaft 16 also swings with the swing column 13 in the direction C shown in the figure with respect to the center shaft 15. As a result, the steering wheel 2 moves in the illustrated direction C (vertical direction of the vehicle), and the vertical position of the steering wheel 2 is adjusted.

(Telescopic mechanism) The telescopic mechanism 18 is for moving the movable column 13 with respect to the fixed column 11 in the front-rear direction (B direction) of the vehicle. The telescopic mechanism 18 includes a telescopic motor 181 fixed to the fixed column 11, a gear mechanism 182 for transmitting the rotation of the motor 181, a screw shaft 184 for transmitting the rotation of the gear mechanism 182, and a movable column 12 side. And a nut member 185 meshed with the screw shaft 184.

In such a telescopic mechanism 18, when the telescopic motor 181 is driven, the gear mechanism 18
2 is driven, the rotation of the gear mechanism 182 is transmitted to the screw shaft 184, and the position of the nut member 185 provided on the movable column 12 is changed to the position of the screw shaft 184.
Is changed by the rotation of. Thereby, the position of the movable column 12 changes in the B direction with respect to the fixed column 11. Accordingly, the swing column 13 and the cylindrical member 22 supported by the movable column 12 via the pivot pins 21 also move integrally in the direction B in the drawing, and the upper shaft 16
The center shaft 15 also moves integrally in the direction B in the drawing. As a result, the steering wheel 2 moves in the illustrated B direction (vehicle front-rear direction), and the front-rear position of the steering wheel 2 is adjusted.

In the steering apparatus 1 as described above, the tilt motor 171 and the telescopic motor 181 operate based on commands from the control device 19, respectively. The control device 19 includes various switches of the vehicle,
A value of a current supplied to the motors 171 and 181 is calculated based on a signal from a sensor or the like.

Although the embodiment of the steering position adjustment control device using the tilt slider mechanism according to the present invention for the tilt mechanism 17 has been described above, the tilt slider mechanism according to the present invention may be used for the telescopic mechanism 18. It is possible. As a result, it is possible to provide a steering position adjustment control device capable of ensuring stable operation without being affected by the environmental temperature not only in the tilt direction but also in the telescopic direction.

[0032]

According to the present invention, there is provided a tilt slider mechanism capable of ensuring stable operation without being affected by a change in environmental temperature and capable of easily removing backlash generated after long-time use. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a partial cross section of a main part of a steering position adjustment control device in a conventional technique.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a conventional steering position adjustment control device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a tilt mechanism section (A section) in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an axial sectional view of a tilt slider mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a meshing state of screws of a tilt slider mechanism in a conventional technique.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a screw engagement state of the tilt slider mechanism according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 174 Screw shaft (shaft) 175 First nut member (first nut) 176 Second nut member (second nut) 177 Disc spring (elastic body) 180 Stopper (fixing mechanism, stopper member)

Claims (4)

[Claims] A shaft having an external thread portion that rotates in conjunction with an output shaft of a drive source; a first nut and a second nut that mesh with the external thread portion and interlock with an object to be driven;
A fixing mechanism that integrates the first nut and the second nut and prohibits relative rotation; and an elastic body sandwiched between the first nut and the second nut. A tilt slider mechanism which is detachable, and makes it possible to adjust the urging force of the elastic body on the first nut and the second nut by relatively rotating the first nut and the second nut. 2. The fixing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a tip of a detachable stopper member fixed to the first nut is engaged with a tooth surface formed on an outer peripheral surface of the second nut. 2. The tilt slider mechanism according to 1. 3. The tilt slider mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is a disc spring. 4. The tilt slider mechanism according to claim 1, which satisfies claims 2 and 3.