阅读说明：本技术 转向装置 (Steering device ) 是由 关口畅 本间太辅 于 2019-07-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的一方案的转向装置具备管、壳、伸缩机构、载荷吸收机构。载荷吸收机构具备设置于管的能量吸收板、设置于伸缩可动部且与能量吸收板重合的引导板、将能量吸收板及引导板彼此连接的连接部件。载荷吸收机构的尺寸设定成,作用于连接部件和能量吸收板之间的载荷比作用于连接部件和引导板之间的载荷小。(A steering device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a tube, a housing, a telescopic mechanism, and a load absorbing mechanism. The load absorbing mechanism includes an energy absorbing plate provided in the pipe, a guide plate provided in the telescopic movable portion and overlapping the energy absorbing plate, and a connecting member connecting the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate to each other. The load absorbing mechanism is sized such that the load acting between the connecting member and the energy absorbing plate is smaller than the load acting between the connecting member and the guide plate.)

1. A steering device is characterized in that a steering wheel is provided,

comprises a tube, a housing, a telescopic mechanism, and a load absorbing mechanism,

the aforementioned tube is inserted into the steering shaft rotatably about the 1 st axis in the front-rear direction,

the housing is supported by a vehicle body and supports the pipe so as to be movable in the front-rear direction,

the telescopic mechanism moves the tube in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing,

the load absorbing mechanism is disposed between the pipe and the expansion mechanism,

the load absorbing mechanism comprises an energy absorbing plate, a guide plate, and a connecting member,

the energy absorbing plate is disposed on the tube,

the guide plate is provided to the telescopic mechanism and overlaps the energy absorbing plate when viewed from a cross direction intersecting the front-rear direction,

the connecting member connects the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate to each other and is slidable relative to the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate when a forward load acting on the pipe is equal to or greater than a predetermined value,

in the load absorbing mechanism, the sliding resistance between the connecting member and the 1 st plate and the sliding resistance between the connecting member and the 2 nd plate are set so that, when the load acting on the pipe in the forward direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the connecting member moves forward relative to the energy absorbing plate and the 2 nd plate of the guide plate after the 1 st plate of the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate moves forward relative to the connecting member.

2. Steering device according to claim 1,

energy absorbing long holes are formed in the energy absorbing plates, the energy absorbing long holes penetrate the energy absorbing plates in the intersecting direction and extend in the front-rear direction,

a long guide hole is formed in the guide plate, the long guide hole penetrating the guide plate in the intersecting direction and extending in the front-rear direction,

the connecting member penetrates a front end portion of the long energy absorption hole and a rear end portion of the long guide hole, and connects the energy absorption plate and the guide plate to each other.

3. Steering device according to claim 2,

the energy absorption long hole has a 1 st large diameter part and a 1 st small diameter part,

the 1 st large-diameter portion is positioned at the tip end portion of the long energy-absorbing hole and inserted into the connecting member,

the 1 st small diameter portion is connected to the 1 st large diameter portion and widened by the connecting member when the connecting member and the energy absorbing plate are relatively moved in the front-rear direction,

the guide long hole has a 2 nd large diameter part and a 2 nd small diameter part,

the 2 nd large diameter portion is positioned at the rear end portion of the guide long hole and inserted into the connecting member,

the 2 nd small diameter part is connected to the 2 nd large diameter part and widened by the connecting part when the connecting part and the guide plate are relatively moved in the front-rear direction,

the 1 st small diameter portion is wider than the 2 nd small diameter portion.

4. Steering device according to claim 2 or 3,

the energy absorbing plate is thinner than the guide plate.

5. Steering device according to one of claims 1 to 4,

the telescopic mechanism comprises a motor unit, a shaft, and a nut,

the motor unit is arranged on the shell,

the shaft has a male screw connected to the output shaft of the motor unit,

the nut is threadedly engaged with the shaft.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a steering device.

Background

Some steering devices have a telescopic function. The telescopic function adjusts the front-rear position of the steering wheel in accordance with the difference in physical constitution and driving posture of the driver. As such a steering device, a steering device having a main tube, an outer tube, and an inner tube is known (for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2016 and 49923 (hereinafter, referred to as patent document 1)). The main tube is supported by the vehicle body. The outer cylinder is held in the main cylinder so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The inner cylinder is held in the outer cylinder and rotatably supports the steering shaft.

In the invention of patent document 1, the inner cylinder is formed with a slit extending in the front-rear direction. The outer cylinder is connected to the inner cylinder by a bolt inserted through a slit of the inner cylinder.

In the steering device of the invention of patent document 1, the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder, and the steering shaft are integrally moved forward and backward relative to the main cylinder during the telescopic operation.

In a secondary collision, when a predetermined load acts on the steering wheel, the inner cylinder attempts to move forward relative to the outer cylinder. At this time, the bolt widens the slit and the inner cylinder moves forward, thereby alleviating the impact load applied to the driver during a secondary collision.

In the above-described conventional technique, in order to secure the stroke of the inner tube at the time of the secondary collision, the length of the slit needs to be increased. However, if the length of the slit is increased to secure a moving space for the bolt or the like, the arrangement of the periphery of the inner cylinder may be reduced. Further, the steering device may be large.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention provides a steering device capable of ensuring a stroke of a tube at the time of a secondary collision while suppressing a decrease in layout performance and an increase in size of the steering device.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following aspects.

(1) A steering device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a tube that is inserted into a steering shaft so as to be rotatable about a 1 st axis line along a front-rear direction, a housing that supports the tube so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, a telescopic mechanism that is provided between the housing and the tube and switches between allowing and restricting movement of the tube with respect to the housing, and a load absorbing mechanism that is provided between the tube and the telescopic mechanism. The load absorbing mechanism includes an energy absorbing plate provided to the tube, a guide plate provided to the telescopic mechanism and overlapping the energy absorbing plate when viewed from a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and a connecting member connecting the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate to each other and capable of sliding relative to the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate when a forward load acting on the tube is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In the load absorbing mechanism, the sliding resistance between the connecting member and the 1 st plate and the sliding resistance between the connecting member and the 2 nd plate are set so that, when the load acting on the pipe in the forward direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the connecting member moves forward relative to the energy absorbing plate and the 2 nd plate of the guide plate after the 1 st plate of the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate moves forward relative to the connecting member.

In the steering device of this aspect, at the time of a secondary collision, the collision load can be alleviated by the sliding resistance (load) acting during the relative movement between the connecting member and the energy absorbing plate and the sliding resistance (load) acting during the relative movement between the connecting member and the 2 nd plate. That is, the connecting member slides with respect to both the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate. Therefore, the length of the energy absorbing plate in the front-rear direction can be shortened by the distance of the relative movement of the guide plate and the connecting member, compared to a structure in which the impact load is relaxed only by the sliding of the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member, for example. This makes it easy to secure a space in front and rear of the energy absorbing plate, and improves the arrangement of the periphery of the pipe.

In particular, in this aspect, the sliding resistance between the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member and the sliding resistance between the guide plate and the connecting member are set so that the relative movement of the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member (1 st stroke) and the relative movement of the guide plate and the connecting member (2 nd stroke), respectively, are performed. This makes it easy to manage the load fluctuation between the 1 st stroke and the 2 nd stroke, and the impact load can be effectively relaxed.

(2) In the steering device according to the aspect (1), the energy absorbing plate may be formed with long energy absorbing holes that penetrate the energy absorbing plate in the crossing direction and extend in the front-rear direction. The guide plate may be formed with long guide holes that penetrate the guide plate in the intersecting direction and extend in the front-rear direction. The connection member may penetrate a front end portion of the long energy absorption hole and a rear end portion of the long guide hole, and connect the energy absorption plate and the guide plate to each other.

According to this aspect, the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate can be reliably connected to each other via the connecting member. Thus, during normal use (for example, during a telescopic operation), the tube and the telescopic mechanism can be reliably connected via the load absorbing mechanism, and the telescopic operation is stable. The energy absorbing plate, the guide plate, and the connecting member can be slid stably during a secondary collision.

(3) In the steering device according to the aspect (2), the energy-absorbing long hole may have a 1 st large-diameter portion and a 1 st small-diameter portion, the 1 st large-diameter portion may be located at a distal end portion of the energy-absorbing long hole, and the connection member may be inserted into the energy-absorbing long hole, and the 1 st small-diameter portion may be connected to the 1 st large-diameter portion and may be widened by the connection member when the connection member and the energy-absorbing plate are relatively moved in the front-rear direction. The long guide hole may have a 2 nd large diameter portion and a 2 nd small diameter portion, the 2 nd large diameter portion may be located at a rear end portion of the long guide hole, the connection member may be inserted into the long guide hole, and the 2 nd small diameter portion may be connected to the 2 nd large diameter portion and may be widened by the connection member when the connection member and the guide plate are relatively moved in the front-rear direction. The 1 st small diameter portion may have a width larger than that of the 2 nd small diameter portion.

According to this aspect, the sliding resistance between the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member can be easily made smaller than the sliding resistance between the guide plate and the connecting member. Thus, it is easier to perform the 1 st stroke first than the 2 nd stroke.

Further, since the connecting member slides relative to both the energy absorbing plate and the guide plate, it is possible to suppress the burr generated when the slit is widened from interfering with the movement of the connecting member, as compared with the case where the impact load is alleviated by the one-stage stroke as in the related art. Therefore, the sliding resistance between the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member and the sliding resistance between the guide plate and the connecting member can be suppressed from becoming excessively large.

(4) In the steering device according to the above aspect (2) or (3), the energy absorbing plate may be thinner than the guide plate.

According to this aspect, the sliding resistance between the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member can be easily made smaller than the sliding resistance between the guide plate and the connecting member. This makes it easier to perform the 1 st stroke before the 2 nd stroke.

(5) In the steering device according to any one of the above (1) to (4), the telescopic mechanism may include a motor unit provided in the housing, a shaft having a male screw coupled to an output shaft of the motor unit, and a nut screwed to the shaft.

According to this aspect, at the time of a secondary collision, the male screw portion of the shaft and the nut come into contact with each other, thereby restricting forward movement of the nut relative to the housing. This can restrict the forward movement of the guide plate relative to the nut, and can promote the relative movement of the energy absorbing plate and the connecting member. In this case, since it is not necessary to separately provide the fixing portion of the guide plate, the increase in the number of components and the complication of the structure can be suppressed.

Effects of the invention

According to the above aspects, the stroke of the tube at the time of the secondary collision can be secured while suppressing a decrease in the arrangement property.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a left side view of the steering device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the load absorbing mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the steering device with the rear bracket removed.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation at the time of a secondary collision.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation at the time of a secondary collision.

Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation at the time of a secondary collision.

Detailed Description

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[ steering device ]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering device 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the steering device 1 is mounted on a vehicle. The steering device 1 adjusts the rudder angle of the wheels in accordance with the rotating operation of the steering wheel 2.

The steering device 1 includes a housing 11, a pipe 12, a steering shaft 13, a drive mechanism 14, and a load absorbing mechanism 15. The tube 12 and the steering shaft 13 are formed along an axis (1 st axis) O1. Therefore, in the following description, the direction in which the axis O1 of the tube 12 and the steering shaft 13 extends is simply referred to as the axial direction of the shaft, the direction perpendicular to the axis O1 is referred to as the radial direction of the shaft, and the direction around the axis O1 is referred to as the circumferential direction of the shaft.

The steering device 1 of the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle in a state where the axis O1 intersects with the front-rear direction. Specifically, the axis O1 of the steering device 1 extends upward as it goes rearward. In the following description, for convenience, the direction toward the steering wheel 2 in the axial direction of the shaft is simply referred to as the rear direction, and the direction toward the side opposite to the steering wheel 2 is simply referred to as the front direction (arrow FR) in the steering device 1. The vertical direction in a state where the steering device 1 in the radial direction of the shaft is mounted on the vehicle is simply referred to as the vertical direction (upward in arrow UP), and the horizontal direction is simply referred to as the horizontal direction (left in arrow LH).

< Shell >

The case 11 is attached to the vehicle body via brackets (the front bracket 20 and the rear bracket 33). The housing 11 includes a retainer tube portion 21, a front attachment (delivery ステー) 22, and a rear attachment 23.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the retainer tube portion 21 is formed in a tubular shape extending in the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the shaft. As shown in fig. 2, the outer ring of the front bearing 25 is fitted (press-fitted) into the front end portion of the retainer cylinder portion 21. A slit 26 is formed in a part of the shaft in the circumferential direction (in the present embodiment, the upper portion of the retainer cylinder portion 21) in the rear portion of the retainer cylinder portion 21. The slit 26 penetrates the retainer cylinder portion 21 in the axial radial direction.

As shown in fig. 1, the guide rails 27 are formed on the holding cylinder portion 21 at portions located on both sides in the left-right direction with respect to the slit 26. The guide track 27 extends in the axial direction of the shaft. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the guide rail 27 is a flat surface. The guide rail 27 has a function of suppressing falling of a guide plate 82 described later at the time of a secondary collision.

The front attachment 22 is provided at the front end of the holding tube 21 so as to extend forward from portions located on both sides in the left-right direction. The front bracket 20 is attached to a front end of the front attachment 22.

The front bracket 20 connects the front attachment 22 to the vehicle body. Specifically, the front bracket 20 is formed in a U-shape that opens downward when viewed from the front in the axial direction of the shaft. The front bracket 20 surrounds the front end of the housing 11 from above and from both sides in the left-right direction. Front side walls 20a, 20a of the front bracket 20 on both sides in the left-right direction are connected to the front attachment 22 via pivot shafts 29, 29 extending in the left-right direction. Thereby, the case 11 is supported by the front bracket 20 so as to be rotatable about the pivot shaft 29 (about the axis O2 extending in the left-right direction).

The rear attachment 23 is formed at the rear end of the retainer tube portion 21. Specifically, the rear-side attachment 23 straddles the slit 26 in the left-right direction at the upper portion of the holding tube portion 21. The rear bracket 33 is attached to the rear attachment 23 via link plates (the 1 st link plate 31 and the 2 nd link plate 32).

The rear bracket 33 is formed in a hat shape that opens downward in front view. The rear bracket 33 surrounds the retainer tube portion 21 from above and from both sides in the left-right direction. That is, the rear bracket 33 includes a right wall 33a located on the 1 st side (right side) in the left-right direction with respect to the retainer tube portion 21, and a left wall 33b located on the 2 nd side (left side) in the left-right direction with respect to the retainer tube portion 21.

The 1 st link plate 31 connects the rear attachment 23 and the rear bracket 33 to the right with respect to the housing 11. The 1 st link plate 31 is formed in a plate shape extending in the axial direction of the shaft in a side view when viewed from the left-right direction. The front end portion of the 1 st link plate 31 is supported by the right side wall 33a so as to be rotatable about an axis O3 extending in the left-right direction. The rear end portion of the 1 st link plate 31 is rotatably supported by the rear attachment 23 about an axis O4 extending in the left-right direction.

Fig. 3 is a left side view of the steering device 1.

As shown in fig. 3, the 2 nd link plate 32 connects the rear attachment 23 and the rear bracket 33 on the left side with respect to the case 11. The 2 nd link plate 32 is formed in a T-shape in side view. Specifically, the 2 nd link plate 32 includes a front-rear extension portion 32a and a lower extension portion 32b extending downward from the front-rear extension portion 32 a. The front end of the front-rear extension portion 32a is rotatably supported by the left side wall 33b about an axis O3. The rear end portion of the front-rear extension portion 32a is rotatably supported by the rear attachment 23 about the axis O4.

A support plate 34 is mounted at the 2 nd link plate 32. The support plate 34 is formed in a crank shape extending in the up-down direction. The upper end of the support plate 34 is fixed to the front-rear extension portion 32 a. The lower end of the support plate 34 faces the lower extension portion 32b at a distance in the left-right direction.

< pipe >

As shown in fig. 1, the tube 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction of the shaft. The outer diameter of the pipe 12 is smaller than the inner diameter of the retainer cylinder portion 21. The pipe 12 is inserted into the retainer cylinder portion 21. The pipe 12 is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the shaft with respect to the retainer cylinder portion 21 (the housing 11). The outer ring of the rear bearing 35 is fitted (press-fitted) into the rear end of the pipe 12.

< steering shaft >

As shown in fig. 2, the steering shaft 13 includes an inner shaft 37 and an outer shaft 38.

The inner shaft 37 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction of the shaft. The inner shaft 37 is inserted into the tube 12. The rear end portion of the inner shaft 37 is press-fitted into the inner race of the rear bearing 35. Thereby, the inner shaft 37 is rotatably supported about the axis O1 via the rear bearing 35 in the tube 12. The steering wheel 2 is coupled to a portion of the inner shaft 37 that protrudes rearward from the tube 12.

The outer shaft 38 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction of the shaft. The outer shaft 38 is inserted into the pipe 12 in the holding cylinder portion 21. An inner shaft 37 is inserted into the tube 12 at the rear end of the outer shaft 38. The front end of the outer shaft 38 is press-fitted into the inner race of the front bearing 25 in the retainer cylinder portion 21. Thereby, the outer shaft 38 is rotatably supported about the axis O1 in the holding cylinder portion 21.

The inner shaft 37 and the tube 12 are configured to be movable in the axial direction of the shaft relative to the outer shaft 38. An outer peripheral surface of the inner shaft 37 is formed with, for example, male splines. The male spline is engaged with a female spline formed on an inner peripheral surface of the outer shaft 38. Thereby, the inner shaft 37 is restricted from relative rotation with respect to the outer shaft 38, and moves in the axial direction of the shaft with respect to the outer shaft 38. However, the telescopic structure and the rotation restricting structure of the steering shaft 13 can be changed as appropriate. In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the outer shaft 38 is disposed forward of the inner shaft 37 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the outer shaft 38 may be disposed rearward of the inner shaft 37.

< driving mechanism >

As shown in fig. 1, the drive mechanism 14 includes a tilt mechanism 41 and a telescopic mechanism 42. The tilt mechanism 41 is disposed on the left side of the housing 11, for example. The telescopic mechanism 42 is disposed on the right side of the housing 11, for example. The drive mechanism 14 may have at least the telescopic mechanism 42.

As shown in fig. 3, the tilt mechanism 41 includes a tilt motor unit 45, a tilt connecting portion 46, and a tilt movable portion 47. The tilt mechanism 41 is switched by the driving of the tilt motor unit 45 to restrict and allow the rotation of the steering device 1 about the axis O2.

The tilt motor unit 45 includes a tilt gear box 51 and a tilt motor 52.

The tilt gear case 51 is provided to protrude leftward at the front end portion of the housing 11 (the boundary portion between the retainer tube portion 21 and the front attachment 22) (see fig. 4). The tilt gear box 51 houses a reduction mechanism (not shown).

The tilt motor 52 is attached to the front end of the tilt gear box 51. In the present embodiment, the tilt motor 52 is attached to the tilt gear box 51 in a state in which the axial direction of the output shaft (not shown) is directed to the axial direction of the shaft. The output shaft of the tilt motor 52 is connected to a reduction mechanism in the tilt gear box 51.

The tilt connecting portion 46 includes a tilt wire 54, a tilt shaft 55, and a tilt link 57.

The tilt link 57 connects the tilt wire 54 and the tilt shaft 55 to each other. The tilt joint 57 is rotatably supported around an axis O5 extending in the left-right direction at the center of the shaft of the holding cylinder 21 in the axial direction.

The tilt wire 54 is bridged between the tilt gear box 51 and the tilt link 57. The tilting wire 54 is configured to be rotatable in accordance with the driving of the tilting motor 52. The tilt wire 54 is configured to be capable of flexural deformation. The connection member for connecting the tilt gear box 51 and the tilt link 57 is not limited to a member that is bent and deformed such as the tilt wire 54. That is, depending on the arrangement of the tilt gear box 51 and the tilt link 57, the tilt gear box 51 and the tilt link 57 may be connected by a connecting member that does not deform by bending.

The tilt shaft 55 is bridged between the tilt link 57 and the tilt movable portion 47. The tilting shaft 55 rotates together with the tilting wire 54 in accordance with the driving of the tilting motor 52. A male screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tilt shaft 55.

The tilt movable portion 47 is supported between the lower extending portion 32b of the 2 nd link plate 32 and the lower end portion of the support plate 34 so as to be rotatable about an axis O6 extending in the left-right direction. The tilt movable unit 47 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the extending direction of the tilt shaft 55 being the axial direction. For example, a female screw portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tilt movable portion 47. The tilt shaft 55 is screwed into the tilt movable portion 47. That is, the tilt movable unit 47 is configured to be movable in the extending direction of the tilt shaft 55 in accordance with the rotation of the tilt shaft 55.

As shown in fig. 1, the telescopic mechanism 42 includes a telescopic motor unit (motor unit) 61, a telescopic connecting portion 62, and a telescopic movable portion (nut) 63. The telescopic mechanism 42 is switched by the driving of the telescopic motor unit 61 to restrict and allow the forward and backward movement of the tube 12 (steering shaft 13) with respect to the housing 11.

The telescopic motor unit 61 includes a telescopic gear box 65 and a telescopic motor 66.

The telescopic gear box 65 is provided to protrude to the right side at the front end of the housing 11. The reduction mechanism (not shown) is housed in the telescopic gear box 65.

The telescopic motor 66 is attached to the front end of the telescopic gear box 65. The telescopic motor 66 is attached to the telescopic gear box 65 in a state in which the axial direction of an output shaft (not shown) is directed to the axial direction of the shaft. The output shaft of the telescopic motor 66 is connected to the reduction mechanism inside the telescopic gear box 65.

The expansion/contraction connecting portion 62 includes an expansion/contraction wire 71, an expansion/contraction shaft (shaft) 72, and an expansion/contraction coupling 74.

The telescopic link 74 connects the telescopic wire 71 and the telescopic shaft 72 to each other. The telescopic coupling 74 is supported at a substantially central portion in the axial direction of the shaft of the holding cylinder portion 21.

The telescopic wire 71 is routed between the telescopic gear box 65 and the telescopic link 74. The telescopic wire 71 is configured to be rotatable in accordance with driving of the telescopic motor 66. The stretchable wire 71 is configured to be capable of flexural deformation. The connection member connecting the telescopic gear box 65 and the telescopic link 74 may not be a member that is flexurally deformed like the telescopic wire 71. That is, depending on the arrangement of the telescopic gear box 65 and the telescopic link 74, the telescopic gear box 65 and the telescopic link 74 may be connected by a connecting member that does not deform by bending.

The telescopic shaft 72 is bridged between the telescopic link 74 and the telescopic movable portion 63. The telescopic shaft 72 rotates together with the telescopic wire 71 in accordance with the driving of the telescopic motor 66. A male screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the telescopic shaft 72.

The movable telescopic portion 63 is formed in a block shape. A through hole 63a is formed in the movable telescopic portion 63 to pass through the movable telescopic portion 63 in the axial direction of the shaft. For example, a female screw portion is formed on the inner surface of the through hole 63 a. The telescopic shaft 72 is screwed into the through hole 63a of the telescopic movable portion 63. That is, the telescopic movable portion 63 is configured to be movable in the extending direction of the telescopic shaft 72 in accordance with the rotation of the telescopic shaft 72.

< load absorbing mechanism >

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the load absorbing mechanism 15.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the load Absorbing mechanism 15 includes an Energy Absorbing (EA) plate 81, a guide plate 82, and a connecting member 83 connecting the Energy Absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82 to each other. In the present embodiment, the energy absorbing plate 81 constitutes the 1 st plate of the present invention, and the guide plate 82 constitutes the 2 nd plate of the present invention. However, the energy absorbing plate 81 may constitute the 2 nd plate of the present invention, and the guide plate 82 may constitute the 1 st plate of the present invention.

The energy absorbing plate 81 extends in the axial direction of the shaft. The energy absorbing plate 81 is formed in a C-shape that opens downward in front view. The lower end of the energy absorbing plate 81 is fixed to the upper portion of the pipe 12. The energy absorbing plate 81 is accommodated in the slit 26 of the case 11.

As shown in fig. 5, the top wall portion 85 of the energy absorbing plate 81 is disposed at an upward interval from the tube 12. The top wall portion 85 is formed with an energy absorption long hole 86 that vertically penetrates the top wall portion 85. The energy-absorbing long holes 86 are long holes extending in the axial direction of the shaft. Specifically, the long energy-absorbing hole 86 has a large diameter portion (1 st large diameter portion) 86a located at the front end portion, and a small diameter portion (1 st small diameter portion) 86b connected rearward from the large diameter portion 86 a.

The guide plate 82 connects the telescopic movable part 63 and the energy absorbing plate 81. The guide plate 82 is formed in a crank shape in a front view. Specifically, the guide plate 82 has a lower wall 82a, an upper wall 82b, and a connecting wall 82c that connects the lower wall 82a and the upper wall 82 b.

The lower wall 82a is fixed to the upper surface of the telescopic movable portion 63. The connecting wall 82c extends upward from the left end of the lower wall 82 a. The upper wall portion 82b extends leftward from the upper end portion of the connecting wall portion 82 c. The upper wall 82b overlaps the energy absorbing plate 81 from above the case 11.

A long guide hole 89 is formed in the upper wall portion 82b to vertically penetrate the upper wall portion 82 b. The guide long hole 89 is a long hole extending in the axial direction of the shaft. Specifically, the guide long hole 89 has a large diameter portion (2 nd large diameter portion) 89a located at the rear end portion, and a small diameter portion (2 nd small diameter portion) 89b continuing forward from the large diameter portion 89 a. In the present embodiment, the length in the axial direction of the shaft of the guide long hole 89 is shorter than the length in the axial direction of the shaft of the energy absorption long hole 86. However, the length of each of the long holes 86 and 89 can be changed as appropriate.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the steering device 1 with the rear bracket 33 removed.

As shown in fig. 6, the positions in the axial direction of the shafts of the large diameter portions 86a of the energy absorption long holes 86 and the large diameter portions 89a of the guide long holes 89 of the energy absorption plate 81 (top wall portion 85) and the guide plate 82 (slide wall 88) are aligned. That is, the guide plate 82 and the tip end portion of the energy absorbing plate 81 overlap in the vertical direction (intersecting direction). In the present embodiment, the widths (widths in the left-right direction) of the large diameter portions 86a and 89a are equal to each other.

As shown in fig. 4, the guide plate 82 further includes a restricting wall 83d connected to the left end of the upper wall 82 b. The restricting wall 83d extends downward from the upper wall 82 b. The restricting wall 83d is disposed on the left side of the guide rail 27. The restricting wall 83d faces the guide rail 27 in the left-right direction, and restricts movement of the guide plate 82 in the left-right direction with respect to the housing 11.

The connecting member 83 includes a bolt 100 and a support block 101.

As shown in fig. 5, shaft 100a of bolt 100 penetrates large diameter portion 86a of energy absorption long hole 86 and large diameter portion 89a of guide long hole 89. In the present embodiment, the shaft portion 100a is formed in a multi-layer cylindrical shape. Specifically, the shaft portion 100a includes an upper shaft portion 100c and a lower shaft portion 100d having an outer diameter that decreases downward. Preferably, the outer diameter of the upper shaft portion 100c of the shaft portion 100a is smaller than the width of the large diameter portions 86a, 89a and larger than the width (width in the left-right direction) of the small diameter portions 86b, 89 b.

As shown in fig. 4, the support block 101 is accommodated inside the energy absorbing plate 81. The support block 101 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having the axial direction of the shaft as the longitudinal direction. The outer surface of the support block 101 approaches or abuts against the inner surface of the energy absorbing plate 81. The support block 101 is formed with a female screw hole 101a that vertically penetrates the support block 101. The lower shaft portion 100d of the bolt 100 is screwed into the female screw hole 101a of the support block 101. A resin washer, a coil spring, or the like may be provided between the shaft portion 100a, the portion located between the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82, and between the head portion 100b of the bolt 100 and the energy absorbing plate 81.

[ Effect ]

Next, the operation of the steering device 1 will be described. In the following description, the tilt operation, the telescopic operation, and the operation at the time of a secondary collision will be mainly described.

< tilting action >

As shown in fig. 3, the tilt motion is such that the driving force of the tilt motor 52 is transmitted to the housing 11 via the 2 nd link plate 32, and thereby the housing 11 rotates about the axis O2. Specifically, when the steering wheel 2 is adjusted upward, the tilt motor 52 is driven, and the tilt wire 54 and the tilt shaft 55 rotate in, for example, the 1 st direction. When the tilt shaft 55 rotates in the 1 st direction, the tilt movable unit 47 moves rearward with respect to the tilt shaft 55. The tilt movable portion 47 moves rearward, whereby the forward/rearward extension portion 32a of the 2 nd link plate 32 and the 1 st link plate 31 rotate upward about the axis O3. As a result, the steering wheel 2 rotates upward around the axis O2 together with the housing 11, the tube 12, the steering shaft 13, and the like.

When the steering wheel 2 is adjusted downward, the tilt shaft 55 is rotated in the 2 nd direction. Thus, the tilt movable portion 47 moves forward with respect to the tilt shaft 55. The tilt movable portion 47 moves forward, and thereby the forward and rearward extension portion 32a of the 2 nd link plate 32 and the 1 st link plate 31 rotate downward about the axis O3. As a result, the steering wheel 2 rotates downward about the axis O2 together with the housing 11, the tube 12, the steering shaft 13, and the like.

< Telescopic action >

As shown in fig. 1, the tube 12 and the inner shaft 37 move forward and backward relative to the housing 11 and the outer shaft 38 by the driving force of the telescopic motor 66 being transmitted to the tube 12 via the telescopic movable portion 63 and the guide plate 82. Specifically, when the steering wheel 2 is moved backward, the telescopic wire 71 and the telescopic shaft 72 are rotated, for example, in the 1 st direction by driving the telescopic motor 66. When the telescopic shaft 72 rotates in the 1 st direction, the telescopic movable part 63 and the guide plate 82 move rearward relative to the telescopic shaft 72. As the guide plate 82 moves rearward, the tube 12, the inner shaft 37, the connecting member 83, and the energy absorbing plate 81 move rearward. Thereby, the steering wheel 2 moves rearward.

When the steering wheel 2 is moved forward, the extendable wire 71 and the extendable shaft 72 are rotated, for example, in the 2 nd direction. When the telescopic shaft 72 rotates in the 2 nd direction, the telescopic movable part 63 and the guide plate 82 move forward relative to the telescopic shaft 72. As the guide plate 82 moves forward, the pipe 12, the inner shaft 37, the connecting member 83, and the energy absorbing plate 81 move forward. Thereby, the steering wheel 2 moves forward.

< time of secondary collision >

Next, the operation at the time of the secondary collision will be described.

As shown in fig. 6, during a secondary collision, the steering wheel 2 moves forward relative to the case 11, the outer shaft 38, and the guide plate 82 together with the tube 12, the energy absorbing plate 81, and the inner shaft 37. The guide plate 82 is fixed to the telescopic movable portion 63, and the telescopic movable portion 63 is screwed to the telescopic shaft 72. At the time of a secondary collision, the male screw portion of the telescopic shaft 72 and the female screw portion of the telescopic movable portion 63 come into contact with each other, and the forward movement of the guide plate 82 is restricted.

Fig. 7 to 9 are explanatory views for explaining an operation at the time of a secondary collision.

Fig. 7 shows the energy absorbing plate 81, the guide plate 82, and the bolt 100 as the connecting member 83 in a normal state. Referring to fig. 7, during a secondary collision, first, the pipe 12 and the energy absorbing plate 81 move forward relative to the guide plate 82 and the bolt 100. At this time, the upper shaft portion 100c of the bolt 100 becomes larger in diameter than the small diameter portion 86b of the long energy absorption hole 86. Therefore, the energy absorbing plate 81 moves forward while the small diameter portion 86b is widened by the upper shaft portion 100c (first-stage stroke (ストローク)). Then, the impact load applied to the driver at the time of a secondary collision is relaxed by the load (sliding resistance between the upper shaft portion 100c and the small diameter portion 86b, load for plastically deforming the small diameter portion 86 b) generated when the small diameter portion 86b is widened.

As shown in fig. 8, when the upper shaft portion 100c hits the rear end edge of the small diameter portion 86b, the bolt 100 moves forward relative to the guide plate 82 together with the pipe 12 and the energy absorbing plate 81. At this time, upper shaft portion 100c of bolt 100 is larger in diameter than small diameter portion 89b of guide elongated hole 89. Therefore, as shown in fig. 9, the bolt 100 is moved forward while being widened in the small diameter portion 89b by the upper shaft portion 100c (second-stage stroke). Further, the impact load applied to the driver at the time of a secondary collision is alleviated by the load generated when the small diameter portion 89b is widened.

At the time of a secondary collision, in addition to the load when the small diameter portions 86b, 89b are widened by the bolts 100, the impact load can be relaxed by, for example, the following method.

(1) The sliding resistance between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the retainer tube portion 21.

(2) The sliding resistance between the support block 101 and the energy absorbing plate 81.

(3) The sliding resistance between the energy absorbing plate 81 (top wall portion 85) and the guide plate 82 (upper wall portion 82 b).

The sliding portions (1) to (3) may be coated with a coating material having a high friction coefficient, subjected to embossing, or the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the energy absorbing plate 81 moves forward relative to the guide plate 82 and the connecting member 83 in the first-stage stroke, and the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 move forward relative to the guide plate 82 in the second-stage stroke. That is, in the steering device 1 of the present embodiment, the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 in the first-stage stroke is smaller than the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the guide plate 82 in the second-stage stroke. In the present embodiment, the load absorbing mechanism 15 is set to have a size or the like that satisfies the above conditions.

Table 1 shows the relationship between the plate thicknesses and fastening margins ( め th generation) of the energy absorbing plate 81 (top wall portion 85) and the guide plate 82 (upper wall portion 82 b). The "tightening allowance" in table 1 means a tightening allowance between the upper shaft portion 100c and the small diameter portions 86b and 89 b.

TABLE 1

。

As shown in modes 1 to 3, in the present embodiment, at least one of the plate thickness and the fastening margin of the energy absorbing plate 81 is made smaller than that of the guide plate 82. Thereby, the energy absorbing plate 81 moves forward relative to the guide plate 82 and the connecting member 83 in the first-stage stroke, and the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 move forward relative to the guide plate 82 in the second-stage stroke. In the modes 1 and 2, the load difference generated in the first-stage stroke and the second-stage stroke is likely to be smaller than in the mode 3. This can suppress load fluctuation at the time of transition from the first-stage stroke to the second-stage stroke. However, the plate thickness and the fastening margin can be appropriately changed in the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the energy absorbing plate 81 provided in the tube 12 and the guide plate 82 provided in the telescopic movable part 63 are vertically overlapped with each other, and the connection member 83 is provided, and the connection member 83 connects the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82 to each other and is configured to be slidable relative to the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82.

According to this configuration, at the time of a secondary collision, the collision load can be alleviated by the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 and the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the guide plate 82. That is, the connecting member 83 slides relative to both the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82. Therefore, the axial length of the energy absorbing plate 81 can be shortened by the length of the guide plate 82 (guide long hole 89) as compared with a structure in which the impact load is relaxed only by the sliding of the energy absorbing plate 81 and the connecting member 83, for example. This ensures a stroke at the time of a secondary collision, and easily ensures a space in front and rear of the energy absorbing plate 81. Therefore, the arrangement of the periphery of the tube 12 can be improved.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the load absorbing mechanism 15 is sized or the like such that the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 in the first-stage stroke is smaller than the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the guide plate 82 in the second-stage stroke. This makes it possible to easily manage the load variation between the first-stage stroke and the second-stage stroke, and to effectively alleviate the impact load.

In the present embodiment, the bolt 100 of the connecting member 83 is configured to penetrate the long energy absorption holes 86 of the energy absorption plates 81 and the long guide holes 89 of the guide plates 82.

According to this configuration, the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82 can be reliably connected to each other via the connecting member 83. Thus, the tube 12 and the movable telescopic portion 63 can be reliably connected via the load absorbing mechanism 15 during normal use (for example, during telescopic operation), and the telescopic operation is stable. Further, at the time of a secondary collision, the energy absorbing plate 81, the guide plate 82, and the connecting member 83 can be made to slide stably relative to each other.

In the present embodiment, the small diameter portions 86b and 89b of the elongated holes 86 and 89 are configured to be widened by the connecting member 83 at the time of a secondary collision.

According to this configuration, at the time of a secondary collision, the load acting between the energy absorbing plate 81 and the connecting member 83 and the load acting between the guide plate 82 and the connecting member 83 can be ensured. This can improve the impact absorption performance.

Further, as compared with the conventional case where the impact load is reduced by the one-stage stroke, it is possible to suppress the burr (バリ) generated when the slit is widened from interfering with the movement of the connecting member 83. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 and the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the guide plate 82 from becoming excessively large.

In the present embodiment, the small diameter portion 86b of the long energy absorption hole 86 is configured to be wider (smaller fastening margin) than the small diameter portion 89b of the long guide hole 89.

According to this structure, the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 can be easily made smaller than the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the guide plate 82. This facilitates relative movement of the energy absorbing plate 81 with respect to the connecting member 83 in the first-stage stroke.

In the present embodiment, the energy absorbing plate 81 is configured to have a plate thickness smaller than that of the guide plate 82.

According to this structure, the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 can be easily made smaller than the load acting between the connecting member 83 and the guide plate 82. This facilitates relative movement of the energy absorbing plate 81 with respect to the connecting member 83 in the first-stage stroke.

In the present embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 42 is configured such that the telescopic shaft 72 is screwed to the telescopic movable portion 63.

According to this configuration, at the time of a secondary collision, the male screw portion of the telescopic shaft 72 and the female screw portion of the movable telescopic portion 63 come into contact with each other, and thereby the movable telescopic portion 63 is restricted from moving forward relative to the housing 11. This can suppress the guide plate 82 from moving forward together with the tube 12 and the energy absorbing plate 81 at the time of the first-stage stroke. In this case, since it is not necessary to separately provide the fixing portion of the guide plate 82, the increase in the number of components and the complication of the structure can be suppressed.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes in the structure can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the configuration in which the axis O1 intersects the front-rear direction, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The axis O1 may also coincide with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

In the above embodiment, the structure in which the elongated holes are formed in the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82, respectively, has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the connecting member 83 may be formed by a thin breakable portion formed on the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82, or the connecting member 83 may be configured to slide only on the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82. The long holes 86 and 89 may have the same width in the left-right direction over the entire length of the shaft in the axial direction. That is, in the steering device of the present invention, it is sufficient that sliding resistance is generated between the energy absorbing plate 81 and the connecting member 83, and between the guide plate 82 and the connecting member 83 at the time of a secondary collision.

In the above embodiment, the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82 are connected by the bolt 100, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the connecting member 83 may be slidable with respect to the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82 between the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82.

In the above embodiment, the case where the expanding and contracting mechanism 42 is the screw feeding mechanism has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, gears may be used as the telescopic mechanism 42.

In the above embodiment, the case where the load absorbing mechanism 15 is overlapped with two plates, the energy absorbing plate 81 and the guide plate 82, has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, three or more plates may be stacked to form the load absorbing mechanism.

In the above embodiment, the motor unit (fixed portion) is provided in the case 11, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the motor unit (movable portion) may be provided in the pipe 12.

In the above embodiment, the structure in which the energy absorbing plate 81 moves forward relative to the guide plate 82 and the connecting member 83 in the first-stage stroke and the connecting member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 move forward relative to the guide plate 82 in the second-stage stroke has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. The connection member 83 and the energy absorbing plate 81 may be configured to move forward relative to the guide plate 82 in the first-stage stroke, and the energy absorbing plate 81 may be configured to move forward relative to the guide plate 82 and the connection member 83 in the second-stage stroke.

In the above embodiment, the description has been given of the electric steering apparatus 1 that performs the telescopic operation and the tilt operation by the actuator (drive mechanism 14), but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and may be a steering apparatus that can perform the telescopic operation and the tilt operation manually.

In addition, the components of the above embodiments may be replaced with known components as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the above modifications may be combined as appropriate.