Vehicle steering apparatus

• US 9,260,130 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Taichi
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US14/248,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 280/775, 74493-496
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/187 with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle steering apparatus includes: a telescopic mechanism that can move a steering column in a front and rear direction of a vehicle; a tilt mechanism that can tilt the steering column in a vertical direction of the vehicle; a driving mechanism that adjusts and transmits an output torque of a driving motor to a telescopic screw shaft that drives the telescopic mechanism and to a tilt screw shaft that drives the tilt mechanism provided in parallel with the telescopic screw shaft; and a switching mechanism that has a first clutch mechanism which connects and disconnects the driving mechanism and the tilt screw shaft, a second clutch mechanism which connects and disconnects the driving mechanism and the telescopic screw shaft, and a switching motor that switches a clutch mechanism between the first clutch mechanism and the second clutch mechanism.

Claims

1. A vehicle steering apparatus comprising:

a telescopic mechanism that can move a steering column in a front and rear direction of a vehicle;

a tilt mechanism that can tilt the steering column in a vertical direction of the vehicle;

a driving mechanism that adjusts and transmits an output torque of a driving motor to a telescopic screw shaft that drives the telescopic mechanism and to a tilt screw shaft that drives the tilt mechanism provided in parallel with the telescopic screw shaft;

a switching mechanism that has a first clutch mechanism which connects and disconnects the driving mechanism and the tilt screw shaft, a second clutch mechanism which connects and disconnects the driving mechanism and the telescopic screw shaft, and a switching motor that switches between the first clutch mechanism and the second clutch mechanism;

wherein the first clutch mechanism and the second clutch mechanism of the switching mechanism has a first clutch member and a second clutch member, respectively, which mutually move in an axial direction and transmit a rotational force when either the tilt screw shaft or the telescopic screw shaft is connected to the driving mechanism, and when the switching motor moves one of the first clutch member and the second clutch member in a predetermined direction, one of the first clutch mechanism and the second clutch mechanism is put in a connection state, the other of the first clutch member and the second clutch member moves in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, and the other of the first clutch mechanism and the second clutch mechanism is put in a disconnection state;

wherein a single driving switching unit is configured to have the switching mechanism and the driving mechanism; and

wherein the switching mechanism includes;

a lever portion, a center portion of which is shaft-supported in the driving switching unit, and which has one end portion engaging with the first clutch member and the other end portion engaging with the second clutch member;

a lever member that has an arm portion which extends from the lever portion to be in parallel with either one end portion or the other end portion;

a case that is retained in the driving switching unit and has a screw hole at a position which faces the arm portion of the lever member;

a screw shaft that is screwed into the screw hole of the case, and is connected to the switching motor to rotate based on rotational driving of the switching motor; and

a slider that is supported by the screw shaft to move in an axial direction based on rotation of the screw shaft with respect to the screw hole of the case, and

wherein the switching mechanism engages the arm portion of the lever member with the slider, drives the slider in the axial direction based on the rotational driving of the screw shaft by the switching motor, tilts the lever member, moves one of the first clutch member and the second clutch member in the predetermined direction, and moves the other of the first clutch member and the second clutch member in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

2. The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cushioning member is disposed on each side of an allowable axial movement range of the slider, and when the slider comes into contact with the cushioning member, the slider is prevented from moving in the axial direction.

3. The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism includes:

a worm shaft that is connected to an output shaft of the driving motor;

a first worm wheel that is screwed on the worm shaft and the tilt screw shaft; and

a second worm wheel that is screwed on the worm shaft and the telescopic screw shaft, and

wherein the first clutch member and the second clutch member are respectively connected to the tilt screw shaft and the telescopic screw shaft to rotate integrally therewith, and are respectively disposed to be engageable and disengageable with respect to the first worm wheel and the second worm wheel.

4. The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a housing of the driving switching unit is provided with a locking member that restrains the first worm wheel and the second worm wheel from respectively moving toward the first clutch member and the second clutch member.