JP2013244762A - Steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a steering device in which an external force applied to one of an independent telescopic shaft or tilt shaft does not deform the other telescopic shaft or tilt shaft or peripheral members.
An arc-shaped long hole 211 is provided in a vehicle body side friction plate 21 of a support bracket 2, and a reference block 43 is provided on column side swing friction plates 41, 42 projecting from a swing bracket 3 pivotally attached to the support bracket 2. The telescopic outer block 72 and the reference block are formed by fixing the column side forward / backward friction plates 51 and 52 to the holding cylinder 12 fitted on the holding side steering shaft 13 of the steering column 1 and penetrating the telescopic shaft 7. The right column side rocking friction plate 42 and the right column side forward / backward friction plate 52 are integrally sandwiched by 43 and the vehicle body side friction plate 21 is formed by the tilt outer block 63 and the tilt intermediate block 62 through which the tilt shaft 6 passes. And the left column-side rocking friction plate 41 is sandwiched between the tilt intermediate block 62 and the reference block 43.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering apparatus including a telescopic mechanism (extension / contraction mechanism) and a tilt mechanism (swing mechanism) of a steering column.

  The steering device is configured by supporting a steering column for transmitting a steering wheel rotation operation to a steered wheel on a vehicle body. A steering apparatus in recent years is provided with a telescopic mechanism and a tilt mechanism of a steering column so that the distance to the handle and the tilt of the handle can be adjusted according to the posture of the driver. The telescopic mechanism is, for example, configured to advance and retract the holding side steering shaft with respect to the fixed side steering shaft of the steering column in which the holding side steering shaft is fitted so as to be movable back and forth with respect to the fixed side steering shaft. Adjust the position by making it possible to advance and retreat, and prohibit the advance and retreat and fix the position. In addition, the tilt mechanism has a configuration in which, for example, a steering column in which a holding side steering shaft is fitted to a fixed side steering shaft so as to be movable back and forth is rocked integrally with the fixed side steering shaft and the holding side steering shaft. The tilt is adjusted by allowing the side steering shaft and the holding side steering shaft to swing together, and the swing is prohibited to fix the tilt. The fixed side steering shaft may be fitted with a fixed cylinder, or the holding side steering shaft may be fitted with a holding cylinder. When both the fixed cylinder and the holding cylinder are present, they are in a fitting relationship.

  A conventional steering device equipped with a telescopic mechanism and a tilt mechanism of a steering column has a telescopic shaft and a tilt shaft operated as a male and female screw shaft for switching between pressure contact and relaxation between a vehicle body side friction plate and a column side friction plate. There are many configurations that are also used as shafts. In this case, when the tightening of the operation shaft is loosened, the vehicle body side friction plate and the column side friction plate of each of the telescopic mechanism and the tilt mechanism are relaxed, so that telescopic adjustment and tilt adjustment can be performed simultaneously. However, there are many cases where only telescopic adjustment or only tilt adjustment is desired. In this case, it is necessary to separate the telescopic axis and the tilt axis. In response to such a demand, the steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a telescopic shaft and a tilt shaft are separated.

  The steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a steering column in which a holding-side steering shaft (sliding inner cylinder 4) connected to a handle is movable forward and backward with respect to a fixed cylinder (steering column 3) externally fitted to a fixed-side steering shaft. A lifting bracket is fixed to the fixed cylinder, and can be moved up and down between the tilt fixing brackets, and the lifting bracket can be clamped and fixed between the tilt fixing brackets by tightening the tilt shaft (tilt adjusting screw 杆). The tilt shaft (tilt adjustment screw rod) is provided through a pressing piece that can move in the vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding-side steering shaft and can press the holding-side steering shaft, and a telescopic shaft (telescopic shaft). An inclination guide that can move in the horizontal direction by rotating the adjusting screw 杆 is arranged so that the pressing piece can move up and down, and a tilt shaft (tilt adjusting screw) ) And telescopic shaft (a telescopic adjustment screw rod), aligned in the vertical direction position substantially perpendicular to the holding side steering shaft is provided on the lifting bracket (Patent Document 1, [Claim 1]).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-178218

  In the steering device, in order to make the telescopic mechanism and the tilt mechanism work individually, as shown in Patent Document 1, the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft, which are the respective operating means, are configured separately. Here, when the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft are used as a conventional operation shaft as in the prior art, it is only necessary to firmly support the operation shaft on the steering column or the peripheral member. Are separated from each other and supported by a steering column or a peripheral member (for example, a bracket that supports the tilt shaft), for example, when an external force is applied to the telescopic shaft, a bending load about the tilt shaft is applied. There arises a problem of deformation due to addition to the tilt shaft and peripheral members.

  In this respect, the steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is located in two upper and lower stages although the telescopic axis and the tilt axis are very close to each other. It seems that the problem of deformation of shafts and peripheral members cannot be solved. If the telescopic axis and tilt axis are simply separated, the telescopic axis is positioned from the viewpoint of providing a long hole longer than the adjustment range, and the tilt axis is positioned from the position as far as possible from the oscillation axis. Therefore, the two are inevitably misaligned, and there is a high possibility that the telescopic shaft, the tilt shaft, and the peripheral members are deformed.

  In addition to the steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a holding piece is provided with a pressing piece that is movable in the vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding side steering shaft of the steering column and that can press the holding side steering shaft. This requires a special steering column that runs through the door, making it likely to increase manufacturing costs and make it difficult to respond to specification changes. From these, in a steering apparatus having a telescopic mechanism and a tilt mechanism of a steering column, a general-purpose steering column is used to separate the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft so that each mechanism can be operated individually. In order to develop a steering device in which the other telescopic shaft or tilt shaft and peripheral members are not deformed by an external force applied to one of the two, an investigation was made.

  As a result of the study, the product developed was a swing bracket that supports the fixed side steering shaft of the steering column, which has the holding side steering shaft fitted to the fixed side steering shaft so as to be able to move forward and backward. A body-side friction plate that is pivotally mounted on a support bracket that is fixed to the vehicle body so that it can swing in a plane, and that has an arc-shaped long hole centered on the swing shaft of the swing bracket extending rearward from the support bracket. The left and right column-side swing friction plates protrude from the swing bracket in parallel with the fixed steering shaft of the steering column, and are coaxially connected to the reference block sandwiched and fixed between the left and right column-side swing friction plates. A female screw peeking from the left and right column-side rocking friction plates is engraved on the line, and the left and right column-side advance and retraction friction plates having straight elongated holes extending in parallel with the stationary-side steering shaft of the steering column are The telescopic shaft, which is a male screw, is fixed to a holding cylinder that is externally fitted to the holding-side steering shaft. The telescopic shaft, which is a male screw, is seen through the straight elongated hole of the right column-side advance / retreat friction plate from the right column-side swing friction plate. Screwed into the female screw of the reference block, the right column-side rocking friction plate and the right column-side forward / backward friction plate are integrally sandwiched between the telescopic pressing portion provided on the telescopic shaft and the reference block, and is a male screw The tilt shaft passes through the arc-shaped elongated hole of the vehicle body side friction plate, and passes through the tilt intermediate block that is interposed between the vehicle body side friction plate and the left column side advance / retract friction plate and passes through the linear elongated hole. Then, it is screwed into the female screw of the reference block as seen from the left column side rocking friction plate, and the vehicle body side friction plate is sandwiched between the tilt pressing portion provided on the tilt shaft and the tilt intermediate block, and the tilt intermediate block And the reference block A steering device which sandwich a side swing friction plates.

  The front, rear, left and right referred to in the present invention are for convenience of explanation, and mean the direction matched to the front, rear, left and right of the automobile. Thus, the steering apparatus has a configuration in which the telescopic shaft protrudes to the right and the tilt shaft protrudes to the left. Here, the steering device of the present invention includes a configuration in which the telescopic shaft protrudes to the left and the tilt shaft protrudes to the right, that is, a configuration in which the steering device is reversed left and right when viewed from the driver seat side. The fact that the swing bracket is pivotally mounted on the support bracket “movably in a vertical plane in the front-rear direction” means that the swinging track of the swing bracket is included in the vertical plane facing the front-rear direction. . Further, the vehicle body side friction plate extends “rearward” from the support bracket if the extension direction of the vehicle body side friction plate is rearward in a plan view, and coincides with a specific angle of the swinging steering column. It may be slightly inclined in the direction.

  The swinging bracket “supports the fixed side steering shaft of the steering column in which the holding side steering shaft is fitted to the fixed side steering shaft so as to be able to advance and retreat freely” means that the fixed side steering shaft is swingable. This means that the trajectory on which the stationary steering shaft swings according to the swing bracket is included in the vertical plane facing the front-rear direction. The fixed-side steering shaft is supported, for example, through a swinging bracket so as to rotate freely. However, a fixed cylinder externally fitted to the fixed-side steering shaft may be supported by the swinging bracket. In this case, the holding cylinder that is externally fitted to the holding-side steering shaft is externally fitted to the fixed cylinder or is externally fitted to the fixed cylinder, and the externally fitted side (for example, the fixed cylinder) is the inner cylinder and the externally fitted side ( For example, the holding cylinder) is called an outer cylinder.

  The steering device of the present invention has a telescopic shaft and a tilt shaft by screwing a telescopic shaft from the right side and a tilt shaft from the left side to a reference block sandwiched between the left and right column-side swing friction plates. By aligning the cores, there is no possibility of deforming the other telescopic shaft or tilt shaft or peripheral members by an external force applied to one of the telescopic shaft or tilt shaft. Each of the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft is cantilevered by the reference block. Here, the reference block is sandwiched between the left and right column-side swing friction plates extending from the swing bracket, and is firmly fixed to the swing bracket by being fixed to each, so that the telescopic shaft or tilt There is no risk of displacement even when an external force is applied to the shaft.

  The telescopic mechanism is configured to tighten and release the left and right column-side swing friction plates with a telescopic shaft. When the telescopic shaft is tightened into the reference block, the holding column steering shaft of the steering column is connected to the right column side swing friction plate and the holding side steering shaft linked to the fixed steering shaft of the steering column via the swing bracket. The fixed right column side advancing / retracting friction plate is sandwiched between the reference block and the telescopic pressing portion, and the right column side advancing / retracting friction plate is pressed against the right column side oscillating friction plate so that it cannot be displaced. Prevent expansion and contraction with respect to the steering shaft.

  When the telescopic shaft is loosened from the reference block, the holding-side steering shaft of the steering column, which can no longer be expanded or contracted with respect to the fixed-side steering shaft, slides on the right column-side forward / backward friction plate with respect to the right column-side swing friction plate It can be freely expanded and contracted with respect to the fixed steering shaft. The expansion / contraction range of the holding side steering shaft is the range of the straight long hole of the right column side forward / backward friction plate through the telescopic shaft. The reference block is a cylindrical body having an internal thread engraved therein. Examples of the telescopic pressing portion include a lever, a handle, or a knob for rotating the telescopic shaft, and a pressing block provided on the telescopic shaft.

  The tilt mechanism is configured to tighten and release the vehicle body side friction plate, the tilt intermediate block, and the left column side swing friction plate integrally with a tilt shaft. As the steering column holding side steering shaft tightens the tilt shaft into the reference block, the left column side swing friction plate interlocked with the fixed steering shaft of the steering column via the swing bracket, the tilt intermediate block, Then, the vehicle body side friction plate is sandwiched integrally by the reference block and the tilt pressing portion so that the left column side swing friction plate and the swing bracket cannot be displaced with respect to the vehicle body side friction plate so that they cannot swing. To. When the tilting shaft is loosened from the reference block, the holding side steering shaft of the steering column, which can no longer be swung, allows the swinging bracket to be slidable with respect to the vehicle body side friction plate so that the posture can be adjusted.

  The swinging range of the steering column is the range of the arc-shaped elongated hole of the vehicle body side friction plate through the tilt shaft. The tilting intermediate block is a cylindrical body that penetrates the tilt shaft. By passing it through the straight long hole of the left column-side moving friction plate, the tilting shaft tightening force is moved from the vehicle body-side friction plate to the left column-side rocking friction. Transmit to the board. The tilt pressing portion is the same as the telescopic shaft, and examples thereof include a lever, a handle, or a knob for rotating the tilt shaft, and a pressing block provided on the telescopic shaft.

  The left and right column-side oscillating friction plates and the column-side forward / backward friction plates may be made of independent plate materials, but from the viewpoint of ensuring the strength or rigidity of each plate, it is better to make use of an integral channel material. . That is, the left and right column-side rocking friction plates are a pair of left and right flanges included in a reference bracket having a channel structure extending in parallel with the stationary side steering shaft of the steering column, and the reference bracket is sandwiched between the left and right column-side advance / retreat friction plates. The left and right column side advance / retreat friction plates are a pair of left and right flanges of a moving bracket having a channel structure extending in parallel with the stationary side steering shaft of the steering column, and covers the moving brackets on the left and right column side swing friction plates.

  The telescopic shaft passes through the telescopic outer block, then passes through the straight long hole of the right column side forward / backward friction plate, and is screwed into the female screw of the reference block as seen from the right column side swing friction plate. The right column-side rocking friction plate and the right column-side forward / backward friction plate are integrally sandwiched by the telescopic outer block and the reference block pushed by the portion, and the right projection amount is increased by the length of the outer telescopic block. Can be big. Similarly, the tilt shaft passes through the arc-shaped elongated hole of the vehicle body side friction plate after passing through the outer block for tilting, and is interposed between the vehicle body side friction plate and the left column side forward / backward friction plate, An outer block for tilting and an intermediate block for telescoping that are pushed by the tilting pressing part, screwed into the female screw of the reference block passing through the tilting intermediate block passing through the elongated hole and viewed through the left column-side rocking friction plate By sandwiching the vehicle body side friction plate by the telescopic intermediate block and the reference block, the left column side rocking friction plate is sandwiched, so that the amount of left protrusion can be increased by the length of the tilt outer block.

  In the steering device of the present invention, since the telescopic mechanism and the tilt mechanism work individually, the point blocks are symmetrically positioned between the left and right column-side rocking friction plates while the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft are independent. The telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft are screwed onto the female screw at the same position so that the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft are aligned with each other, and the other telescopic shaft or The possibility of deforming the tilt shaft and peripheral members is eliminated. As a result, an effect of eliminating the possibility of causing deformation of the telescopic shaft, the tilt shaft, and the peripheral members (for example, the left and right column-side rocking friction plates and the column-side forward and backward friction plates) can be obtained. Further, the steering device of the present invention has an advantage that it can be constituted by a general-purpose steering column in which the holding side steering shaft is fitted to the fixed side steering shaft so as to be movable forward and backward.

  If the left and right column-side oscillating friction plates are composed of flanges of the channel structure reference bracket, the strength or rigidity of the column-side oscillating friction plate can be improved to suppress or prevent deformation, and the column-side oscillating friction plate is sandwiched between The block can be held stably and can be countered by an external force applied to one of the telescopic shaft or the tilt shaft, and the possibility of deforming the other telescopic shaft or the tilt shaft or the peripheral member can be further reduced. Similarly, if the left and right column side advancing and retracting friction plates are configured with flanges of a channel structure moving bracket, the strength and rigidity of the column side advancing and retracting friction plate can be improved to suppress or prevent deformation, and the reference bracket can be supplemented. Thus, the reference bracket can be easily countered by an external force applied to one of the telescopic shaft and the tilt shaft, and the possibility of deforming the other telescopic shaft or the tilt shaft and peripheral members can be further reduced.

It is the perspective view which looked at an example of the steering device to which the present invention was applied from the diagonally left front. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the steering apparatus of this example from diagonally forward left. It is a top view of the steering device of this example. It is a front view of the steering device of this example. It is sectional drawing of the steering apparatus of this example by the cut surface containing a tilt axis and a telescopic axis. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the steering device of the present example in a state where the steering column is directed downward by a tilt mechanism. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the steering apparatus of the present example in a state where a steering column is directed upward by a tilt mechanism. It is a right view of the steering apparatus of this example in a state in which a steering column is extended by a telescopic mechanism. It is a right view of the steering apparatus of this example in a state where the steering column is shortened by the telescopic mechanism.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the steering device of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a fixed steering shaft 11 of a steering column 1 is supported by a swing bracket 3 that is pivotally attached to a support bracket 2. The reference bracket 4 provided on the swing bracket 3 is externally fitted with a moving bracket 5 provided on a holding cylinder 12 fitted on the holding-side steering shaft 13 of the steering column 1 so that the reference bracket 4 has a built-in reference block. On the other hand, from the left side, the tilt shaft 6 passed through the vehicle body side friction plate 21, the left column side advance / retreat friction plate 51, and the left column side swing friction plate 41 is screwed, and from the right side to the right column side advance / retreat. The telescopic shaft 7 penetrated through the friction plate 52 and the right column-side rocking friction plate 42 is screwed. The steering column 1 of this example has a configuration in which a fixed cylinder is omitted.

  The support bracket 2 includes a left vehicle body friction plate 21 that extends rearward (for example, diagonally downward to the right in FIG. 2) and an auxiliary plate 22 that is half the length of the vehicle body friction plate 21 in the front-rear direction. The sheet metal member has a configuration in which the body friction plate 21 and the auxiliary plate 22 are brought into contact with and integrated with both end edges of the interposed plate 23 bent in the direction perpendicular to the plane. A pair of support holes 24, 24 for pivotally mounting the swing shaft 31 of the swing bracket 3 is provided in the left-right symmetrical position near the middle of the vehicle body friction plate 21 and near the rear end of the auxiliary plate 22. The steering column 1 is supported by a support bracket 2 via a swinging bracket 3 that rotatably holds a stationary steering shaft 11, and is supported by the vehicle body by fixing the support bracket 2 to the vehicle body (not shown). Is done. An arc-shaped elongated hole 211 that specifies the tilt adjustment range of the steering column 1 is provided in the vicinity of the rear end of the vehicle body friction plate 21 that is spaced rearward from the swing shaft 31.

  The swing bracket 3 is a sheet metal member having a structure in which left and right edges of a plane plate having a width of the vehicle body friction plate 21 and the auxiliary plate 22 of the support bracket 2 are bent backward to provide a pair of left and right flanges. A pair of left and right oscillating shafts 31, 31 are attached in the vicinity. The swing shaft 31 has the swing bracket 3 inserted between the vehicle body friction plate 21 and the auxiliary plate 22 so that the left flange protrudes to the left from the support hole 24 by slidingly contacting the right surface of the vehicle body friction plate 21. Then install the shaft washer 32. The steering column 1 is supported by a fixed-side steering shaft 11 that is rotatably mounted so as to be orthogonal to the plane portion of the swing bracket 2. The holding-side steering shaft 13 is externally fitted to the fixed-side steering shaft 11 and can move forward and backward with respect to the fixed-side steering shaft 11 together with the holding cylinder 12 that is externally fitted. A handle (not shown) is attached to a holding side steering shaft 13 extending from the holding cylinder 12.

  The reference bracket 4 is a sheet metal member having a channel structure having a U-shaped cross section with a cross-section parallel to the plane portion of the swing bracket 3 opened downward, and is parallel to the fixed side steering shaft 11 of the steering column 1 from the swing bracket 3. Protruding. The left flange of the reference bracket 4 is the left column-side swing friction plate 41, and the right flange is the right column-side swing friction plate 42. The left column-side swing friction plate 41 has a tilt shaft through-hole 411 that allows the tilt shaft 6 to pass therethrough, and the right column-side swing friction plate 42 has a telescopic shaft through-hole 421 that allows the telescopic shaft 7 to pass through in a left-right symmetrical position. Each is provided. The left and right column-side oscillating friction plates 41 and 42 are fixed with the reference block 43 that the female screw 431 sees from the tilt shaft through hole 411 and the telescopic shaft through hole 421 therebetween. The reference block 43 in this example is a metal pipe, and a female screw 431 is engraved in a through hole connecting both ends.

  The moving bracket 5 is a sheet metal member having a channel structure similar to that of the reference bracket 4, and left and right flanges extending in parallel with the stationary side steering shaft 11 of the steering column 1 are extended downward, and the lower edge of each flange is held by the steering column 1. The cylinder 12 is brought into contact with the upper surface side and fixed. The left flange of the moving bracket 5 is the left column side advance / retreat friction plate 51, and the right flange is the right column side advance / retreat friction plate 52. The left column side advancing / retracting friction plate 51 has a straight long hole 511 extending in parallel with the fixed side steering shaft 11 of the steering column 1 with the width of the tilting intermediate block 62 penetrating the tilt shaft 6. The friction plate 52 is provided with straight elongated holes 521 extending in parallel with the fixed side steering shaft 11 of the steering column 1 at the width of the telescopic shaft 7 at left and right symmetrical positions.

  The reference bracket 4 is fitted into the movable bracket 5 so that the left surface of the left column-side rocking friction plate 41 is slidably contacted with the right surface of the left column-side rocking friction plate 51, and the right surface of the right column-side rocking friction plate 42 is Is brought into sliding contact with the left surface of the right column side forward / backward friction plate 52. A tilt shaft through-hole 411 provided in the left column-side rocking friction plate 41 communicates with a straight elongated hole 511 provided in the left column-side rocking friction plate 51, and a telescopic hole provided in the right column-side rocking friction plate 42. The shaft through hole 421 communicates with a straight elongated hole 521 provided in the right column side advance / retreat friction plate 52 (see FIG. 4). Thereby, the tilt shaft 6 and the telescopic shaft 7 screwed into the reference block 43 can move back and forth along the linear elongated holes 511 and 521, respectively.

  The tilt shaft 6 is a metal rod having an operation lever 61 attached to the left end and a male screw provided on the right end. The tilt shaft 6 of the present example includes an outer tilt block 63 on the left side of the vehicle body side friction plate 21 in order to project the operation lever 61 to the left from the steering device. 63, a long circular arc hole 211 of the vehicle body side friction plate 21, an intermediate block 62 for tilting, a straight long hole 511 of the left column side forward / backward friction plate 51, and a tilt shaft through hole 411 of the left column side swing friction plate 41. Then, the male screw at the tip is screwed into the female screw 431 of the reference block 43 (see FIG. 4). The tilt outer block 63 and the tilt intermediate block 62 are metal pipes having flat end faces.

  When the tilt shaft 6 is screwed into the reference block 43, the vehicle body side friction plate 21 is sandwiched between the tilt outer block 63 and the tilt intermediate block 62, and the linear length provided on the left column side advance / retreat friction plate 51 is increased. As a result of the tilting intermediate block 62 penetrating the hole 511 being pressed against the left column-side swing friction plate 41 and restraining the positional relationship between the vehicle body-side friction plate 21 and the left column-side swing friction plate 41, the steering column 1 is restricted from swinging and fixed in position. At this time, since the tilt intermediate block 62 is movable back and forth along the linear elongated hole 511, the forward and backward movement must be restricted even when the swing of the steering column 1 is restricted. Telesco can be adjusted. That is, in the steering device of the present invention, the telescopic adjustment of the steering column 1 can be performed at the tilt adjusted angle.

  Conversely, when the tilt shaft 6 is loosened from the reference block 43, the vehicle body side friction plate 21 is released from the tilt outer block 63 and the tilt intermediate block 62, and the left column side swing friction plate 41 with respect to the vehicle body side friction plate 21 is released. As a result, the steering column 1 is allowed to swing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the steering column 1 is tilted downward about the rocking shaft 31 of the rocking bracket 3 until the tilt shaft 6 comes into contact with the lower end of the arc-shaped elongated hole 211. As can be seen, the posture can be changed by tilting upward about the swing shaft 31 of the swing bracket 3 until the tilt shaft 6 abuts on the upper end of the arc-shaped elongated hole 211. Such tilt adjustment of the steering column 1 can be performed independently of the telescopic adjustment.

  The telescopic shaft 7 is a metal rod having an operation knob 71 attached to the right end and a male screw provided on the left end. The telescopic shaft 7 of this example has a long outer telescopic block 72 interposed between the operating knob 71 and the right column side forward / backward friction plate 52 in order to project the operating knob 71 to the right from the steering device. Through the telescopic outer block 72, the straight elongated hole 521 of the right column side forward / backward friction plate 52, the telescopic shaft through hole 511 of the right column side swing friction plate 51, and the female screw of the reference block 43 The male screw at the tip is screwed to 431 (see FIG. 4). The telescopic outer block 72 is a metal pipe having flat end faces.

  When the telescopic shaft 7 is screwed into the reference block 43, the right column side forward / backward friction plate 52 and the right column side swing friction plate 42 are integrally sandwiched between the outer telescopic block 72 and the reference block 43. As a result of restraining the positional relationship between the right column-side forward / backward friction plate 52 and the right column-side swinging friction plate 42, the steering column 1 is restricted from moving back and forth and fixed in position. At this time, since the telescopic shaft 7 is integrated with the steering column 1 and does not prevent the steering column 1 from swinging together with the telescopic shaft 7, the telescopic shaft 7 is not swung even in a state where the forward / backward movement of the steering column 1 is restricted. If the movement is not restricted, the tilt can be adjusted.

  Conversely, when the telescopic shaft 7 is loosened from the reference block 43, the right column side advance / retreat friction plate 52 and the right column side swing friction plate 42 are released from the telescopic outer block 72 and the reference block 43, and the right column side advance / retreat As a result of the friction plate 52 and the right column-side rocking friction plate 42 becoming relatively free, the steering column 1 is allowed to move back and forth. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, the steering column 1 has the rear end of the right straight long hole 521 abutting the telescopic shaft 7 (the rear end of the left straight long hole 511 is the middle block 63 for tilting). As shown in FIG. 9, the front end of the straight elongated hole 521 abuts on the telescopic shaft 7 (the front end of the left straight elongated hole 511 is the intermediate block for tilting). The overall length can be adjusted by retracting the holding cylinder 12 until it abuts against 63). Such telescopic adjustment of the steering column 1 can be performed independently of tilt adjustment.

  In the steering apparatus of the present invention, the tilt shaft 6 and the telescopic shaft 7 can be separately and independently adjusted for tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment. At this time, in order to eliminate the possibility that an external force applied to one of the tilt shaft 6 and the telescopic shaft 7 gives a large moment force to the other to cause deformation, the reference block 43 sandwiched between the left and right column-side rocking friction plates 41 and 42 is used. The telescopic shaft 7 is screwed from the right side and the tilt shaft 6 is screwed from the left side so that the axes of the telescopic shaft 7 and the tilt shaft 6 are aligned (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The external force applied to 6) does not apply a large moment force to the tilt shaft 6 (or telescopic shaft 7), thereby eliminating the possibility of deforming the tilt shaft (or telescopic shaft 7) and peripheral members.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering column 2 Support bracket 3 Swing bracket 4 Reference bracket 5 Moving bracket 6 Tilt axis 7 Telescopic axis

Claims (5)

A swing bracket that rotatably supports the fixed-side steering shaft of the steering column in which the holding-side steering shaft is fitted to the fixed-side steering shaft so as to be able to advance and retreat is swingable within a vertical plane in the front-rear direction. Attached to a support bracket fixed to the vehicle body, an arc-shaped elongated hole centered on the swing axis of the swing bracket is provided in the vehicle body side friction plate extending rearward from the support bracket,
The left and right column-side rocking friction plates protrude from the rocking bracket in parallel to the steering column fixed-side steering shaft, and are fixed to the reference block sandwiched and fixed between the left and right column-side rocking friction plates on the left-right coaxial line. Engrave the female screw peeking from the left and right column side swing friction plates,
The left and right column side forward and backward friction having linear elongated holes extending parallel to the stationary side steering shaft of the steering column are fixed to a holding cylinder that is externally fitted to the holding side steering shaft of the steering column,
The telescopic shaft, which is a male screw, is threaded into the female screw of the reference block that is passed through the straight elongated hole of the right column side forward / backward friction plate and viewed from the right column side swing friction plate, and is used for the telescopic shaft provided on the telescopic shaft The right column side rocking friction plate and the right column side forward / backward friction plate are sandwiched integrally by the pressing portion and the reference block,
A tilt shaft, which is a male screw, is passed through the arc-shaped elongated hole of the vehicle body side friction plate, and is interposed between the vehicle body side friction plate and the left column side advance / retreat friction plate. A tilting block provided on the tilt shaft and a tilting intermediate block. A steering device having a vehicle body side friction plate interposed therebetween and a left column side swing friction plate interposed between the tilt intermediate block and a reference block. 2. The left and right column-side rocking friction plates are a pair of left and right flanges included in a channel structure reference bracket extending in parallel with a fixed steering shaft of a steering column, and the reference bracket is sandwiched between left and right column-side advance and retraction friction plates. The steering apparatus as described. The left and right column side advance / retreat friction plates are a pair of left and right flanges of a moving bracket having a channel structure extending in parallel with a stationary side steering shaft of the steering column, and the left and right column side swing friction plates are covered with the moving bracket. Or the steering device of any one of 2. The telescopic shaft passes through the telescopic outer block, then passes through the straight long hole of the right column side forward / backward friction plate, and is screwed into the female screw of the reference block as seen from the right column side swing friction plate. The steering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the right column-side rocking friction plate and the right column-side advance / retreat friction plate are sandwiched integrally by a telescopic outer block and a reference block that are pressed by a portion. The tilt shaft passes through the outer block for tilting and then passes through the arc-shaped elongated hole of the vehicle body side friction plate, and is interposed between the vehicle body side friction plate and the left column side forward / backward friction plate. The outer block for tilting and the telescopic block which are pushed by the pressing portion for tilting by being screwed into the female screw of the reference block passing through the middle tilting block through the straight long hole of the advancing and retreating friction plate and looking through the left column side swing friction plate The steering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a vehicle body side friction plate is sandwiched between said intermediate blocks and a left column side swing friction plate is sandwiched between said telescopic intermediate block and a reference block.

Images