Steering wheel tilt device

• US 20070290494A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Works Bell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Works Bell, Inc.
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/775
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/10 Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20852 Pivoted
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20858 Releasable

Abstract

Desired is a function of tilting up a steering wheel to allow a driver to get on or off easily. An object of the invention is to strengthen the coupling between a steering wheel and a steering boss and reduce the degree of backlash by using a ball and a ball receiving dent to couple the steering wheel to the steering boss and increasing the pressure applied to the ball, and to provide smooth coupling between the steering wheel and the steering boss by holding the ball from inside as a coupling member tending to protrude from a tapered hole and smoothly guiding the ball into a recess for coupling.

Claims

1. A steering wheel tilt device comprising:

a socket having a back face to which one of a steering wheel and a steering boss is mounted;

a plug having a back face to which the other of the steering wheel and the steering boss is mounted, for being fitted to the socket;

a first rotational shaft for pivoting the socket at one end thereof and the plug at the other end thereof to realize the fitted state or a released state of the socket and the plug;

a second rotational shaft extending parallel to the first rotational shaft in a vicinity of an inside of the first rotational shaft on the socket side;

a sleeve arm having one end pivoted on the second rotational shaft and the other end located in a direction perpendicular to the second rotational shaft, for realizing the fitted state or the released state of the socket and the plug through a rotational movement of the other end;

a plate-type projection member with a predetermined thickness, which projects in such a direction as to face the plug and is provided on the socket such that one face thereof is in contact with the sleeve arm and parallel thereto;

a projection member provided on the plug side in contact with the other face side of the plate-type projection member in the fitted state of the socket and the plug;

a tapered hole for movably accommodating a ball from the one face side of the plate-type projection member to the other face side thereof, the tapered hole being composed of a large-diameter hole located on the one face side and having a larger diameter than the ball and a small-diameter hole located on the other face side and having a smaller diameter than the ball;

a first spring member provided between the sleeve arm and the socket, for pressing the ball toward the small-diameter hole to prevent the part of the sleeve arm from protruding from the large-diameter hole when the one end of the sleeve arm has been rotationally moved toward the plug to realize the fitted state of the socket and the plug; and

a recess provided on the projection member side, for receiving a part of the ball protruding from the small-diameter hole,

wherein the ball is held fixed at three points, namely, by a part of the recess, a part of the tapered hole, and a part of the sleeve arm.

2. A steering wheel tilt device according to claim 1, wherein:

the sleeve arm comprises a step portion having a recess for accommodating part of the ball in a vicinity of a position of the large-diameter hole; and

the sleeve arm is pressed by a pressing force of the first spring member at an angle immediately before entrance of the ball into the step portion, when the one end of the sleeve arm is rotationally moved toward the plug to realize the fitted state of the socket and the plug.

3. A steering wheel tilt device according to claim 2, further comprising a plate-type inner cam that is pivoted at one end thereof by a third rotational shaft provided in a vicinity of the second rotational shaft parallel thereto, supported by a second spring member between the inner cam and the socket, and in contact with the other face of the plate-type projection member in parallel therewith, wherein:

the inner cam thrusts the ball into the large-diameter hole to prevent a part thereof from protruding from the small-diameter hole in the other face, and then the step portion of the sleeve arm holds the ball to prevent the ball from falling out of the large-diameter hole, when the socket and the plug are in the released state; and

the inner cam hits a end of the projection member of the plug, stops moving, and shifts from a position of the small-diameter hole in the other face when the one end of the sleeve arm is rotationally moved toward the plug to realize the fitted state of the socket and the plug, so a part of the ball in the small-diameter hole falls into the recess on the projection member side.

4. A steering wheel tilt device according to claim 3, wherein:

the sleeve arm is provided, at one end on a rotational side thereof, with a lever;

the lever has a safety trigger for moving backward and forward in a direction of the plug;

the safety trigger is provided, at an end thereof in the direction of the plug, with a dead pin extending to the projection member;

the lever and the dead pin have a third spring member disposed therebetween;

the projection member is provided with a dead pin hole for allowing entrance of the dead pin; and

the dead pin is pressed by the third spring member to enter the dead pin hole when the socket and the plug are fitted to each other.