Steering gear

Abstract

To provide a steering device capable of making a steering column device compact.SOLUTION: A steering device is equipped with a steering shaft 3 to which a steering wheel 121 is attached at one end and which rotates by torque inputted from the steering wheel 121, a steering column 10 that rotatably supports the steering shaft 3, a rection force applying device 70 that has a reaction applying motor 72, and a tilting actuator 100 that rocks the steering shaft 3 around a rocking shaft orthogonal to an axial direction of the steering shaft 3. The reaction applying motor 72 is disposed so that a rotary shaft of the reaction applying motor 72 and the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 are orthogonal to each other. The rocking shaft is disposed on the steering wheel 121 side from a position of the rotary shaft of the rection applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a steering device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, so-called steer-by-wire steering devices have been proposed for vehicles, in which the steered wheels are steered by an actuator rather than by the mechanical force generated when the driver turns the steering wheel. In a steer-by-wire steering device, a sensor detects the amount of steering when the steering wheel is turned, and an actuator is operated based on the detected amount of steering, thereby steering the steered wheels.

[0003] For example, in the vehicle steering device described in Patent Document 1, a steering angle sensor reads the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and a steering motor that outputs steering torque to a pinion shaft that steers the steered wheels is controlled based on a sensor signal from the steering angle sensor, thereby controlling the steering of the steered wheels. Also, the vehicle steering device described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a reaction force actuator consisting of an electric motor to transmit a reaction force to the driver when the steering device steers the steered wheels, and the reaction force is transmitted to the driver by applying a steering reaction force to the steering wheel using the reaction force actuator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-35041 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, since the space around the steering column is limited, and there are particularly large restrictions in the longitudinal direction, when a reaction force actuator is provided in a steer-by-wire steering device, the size of the steering column device in the steering device tends to increase in the longitudinal direction, which leaves room for improvement.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a steering device that can achieve a compact steering column device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The steering device of the present disclosure comprises a steering shaft having a steering wheel attached to one end and rotating due to torque input from the steering wheel, a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, a reaction force applying device having a reaction force applying motor, and a tilt actuator that oscillates the steering shaft around an oscillation axis that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft, wherein the reaction force applying motor is positioned so that the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor and the axial direction of the steering shaft are perpendicular to each other, and the oscillation axis is positioned on the steering wheel side of the position of the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft.

[0008] According to this configuration, by arranging the reaction force applying motor with its rotation axis oriented perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft, the size of the reaction force applying motor in the longitudinal direction can be reduced, thereby enabling a more compact steering column device in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, by arranging the pivot axis in the axial direction of the steering shaft closer to the steering wheel than the pivot axis of the reaction force applying motor, it is possible to prevent heavy objects from concentrating on the side of the pivot axis where the steering wheel is located, thereby enabling a more compact tilt actuator. Furthermore, by preventing heavy objects from concentrating on the side of the pivot axis where the steering wheel is located, it is possible to reduce stress when the steering column pivots, thereby enabling a lighter steering column. This allows a more compact steering column device.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the reaction force applying device has a reducer equipped with a worm gear and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear, and by applying the torque generated by the reaction force applying motor to the steering shaft via the reducer, the reaction force applying motor is positioned so that the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft.

[0010] With this configuration, the speed reducer of the reaction force applying device includes a worm gear and a worm wheel, so the torque generated by the reaction force applying motor can be applied to the steering shaft without increasing the size of the gears used in the speed reducer or increasing the number of stages, which allows for a smaller speed reducer and a more compact steering column device.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the tilt actuator has a tilt motor as a drive source, and the swing shaft is disposed between the reaction force applying motor and the tilt motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft.

[0012] With this configuration, the pivot shaft is located between the reaction force applying motor and the tilt motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft, so that heavy objects can be placed in a balanced manner on both sides of the pivot shaft in the axial direction of the steering shaft, reducing stress when the steering column pivots, thereby reducing the weight of the steering column and making the steering column device more compact.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the steering column has a first column member and a second column member combined with the first column member so as to be displaceable in the axial direction relative to the first column member, and further includes a telescopic actuator having a telescopic motor as a drive source and displacing the second column member in the axial direction relative to the first column member, and the swing shaft is disposed between the reaction force applying motor and the telescopic motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft.

[0014] With this configuration, the pivot shaft is located between the reaction force applying motor and the telescopic motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft, so that heavy objects can be placed in a balanced manner on both sides of the pivot shaft in the axial direction of the steering shaft, reducing stress when the steering column pivots, thereby reducing the weight of the steering column and making the steering column device more compact. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The steering device according to the present disclosure has the effect of making it possible to make the steering column device more compact. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a steering system incorporating a steering device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the steering column device included in the steering device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the steering column device included in the steering device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the steering column device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the displacement bracket, and is an explanatory diagram of a tilt feed screw device disposed in the swing support bracket portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a detailed view of part C in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view of a steering column device in a steering system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Modes (embodiments) for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the components described below can be combined as appropriate.

[0018] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a steering system 120 incorporating a steering device 1 according to the first embodiment. The steering device 1 according to the first embodiment is incorporated into a steer-by-wire steering system 120. The steer-by-wire steering system 120 is configured by electrically connecting a steering device 1 having a steering wheel 121 and a sensor (not shown) for measuring the steering amount of the steering wheel 121, and a turning device 130 for applying a steering angle to a pair of steered wheels 135. That is, in the steer-by-wire steering system 120, the amount of operation of the steering wheel 121 by the driver is measured by the sensor of the steering device 1. Then, based on the output signal of the sensor, an actuator 131 of the turning device 130 is driven to displace a linear shaft such as a rack shaft or a screw shaft arranged in the width direction of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle, thereby pushing and pulling a pair of tie rods 132 and applying a steering angle to a pair of steered wheels 135.

[0019] The steering device 1 includes a steering column device 2, a steering shaft 3, and a reaction force imparting device 70. Note that the terms "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," and "width direction" in relation to the steering device 1 refer to the front-rear direction, up-down direction, and width direction of the vehicle when the steering device 1 is attached to the vehicle.

[0020] 2 and 3 are side views of the steering column device 2 included in the steering device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view taken along the line BB in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the steering column device 2 shown in Fig. 2. The steering column device 2 includes a steering column 10, a lower telescopic actuator 80, an upper telescopic actuator 90, and a tilt actuator 100.

[0021] The steering column 10 includes a fixed bracket 11, a column holder 20, and an upper column 40, and is configured to be extendable and contractible over its entire length. Specifically, the steering column 10 combines the fixed bracket 11 and the column holder 20 to allow relative displacement in the axial direction, and also combines the column holder 20 and the upper column 40 to allow relative displacement in the axial direction.

[0022] The fixed bracket 11 includes a fixed plate portion 12 and a fixed side bracket portion 15 .

[0023] The fixing plate portion 12 has a rectangular shape that extends in the front-rear direction when viewed from the top-bottom direction, and has through-holes 13 that penetrate in the top-bottom direction at two front-rear locations on each of both widthwise side portions. The fixing bracket 11 is supported and fixed to the body (not shown) of the vehicle on which the steering column device 2 is mounted by mounting bolts 14 that are inserted into the through-holes 13 of the fixing plate portion 12 from below.

[0024] The fixed-side bracket 15 has a generally U-shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the front end of the fixed plate 12. That is, the fixed-side bracket 15 has a pair of fixed-side side plates 16a, 16b that hang down from both widthwise ends of the front end of the fixed plate 12, and a fixed-side connecting portion 17 that connects the lower ends of the fixed-side side plates 16a, 16b. In other words, the fixed-side connecting portion 17 spans between the lower ends of the pair of fixed-side side plates 16a, 16b.

[0025] The column holder 20 comprises a displacement bracket 21 supported to be capable of relative displacement in the axial direction (front-to-back direction) with respect to the fixed bracket 11, and a lower column 50 supported to be capable of swinging up and down with respect to the displacement bracket 21.

[0026] The displacement bracket 21 includes a displacement plate portion 22, a pair of hanging plate portions 24a and 24b, and a swing support bracket portion 25.

[0027] The displacement plate portion 22 has a rectangular shape that extends in the front-rear direction when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0028] The pair of hanging plate portions 24a, 24b hang downward from the ends on both sides in the width direction of the portion of the displacement plate portion 22 extending from the front portion to the middle portion.

[0029] The swing support bracket portion 25 has a substantially U-shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the rear end portion of the displacement plate portion 22. That is, the swing support bracket portion 25 has a pair of displacement-side side plate portions 26a, 26b that hang down downward from both widthwise ends of the rear end portion of the displacement plate portion 22, and a displacement-side connecting portion 27 that connects the lower ends of the pair of displacement-side side plate portions 26a, 26b.

[0030] A linear guide 30 is disposed between the fixed bracket 11 and the column holder 20, and the fixed bracket 11 and the column holder 20 are combined to allow relative displacement in the axial direction via the linear guide 30. The linear guide 30 is disposed between the fixed bracket 11 and a displacement bracket 21 that the column holder 20 has, and the displacement bracket 21 is supported by the linear guide 30 to allow relative displacement in the axial direction with respect to the fixed bracket 11. That is, in the first embodiment, the fixed bracket 11 constitutes a first column member, and the column holder 20 constitutes a second column member.

[0031] The linear guide 30 includes a guide rail 31 having a rectangular shape extending in the axial direction (front-rear direction), and a slider 32 having a substantially U-shape when viewed from the axial direction, which is combined with the guide rail 31 so as to be displaceable in the axial direction along the guide rail 31. In the first embodiment, the guide rail 31 is joined and fixed to the lower surface of the fixed plate portion 12 of the fixed bracket 11. The slider 32 is joined and fixed to the upper surface of the displacement plate portion 22 of the displacement bracket 21.

[0032] The linear guide 30 may be any of a sliding linear guide, a ball circulating linear guide, and a non-circulating roller linear guide. A sliding linear guide is formed by engaging an engaging protrusion formed on a slider with a rail groove formed in a guide rail. A ball circulating linear guide has multiple balls rollably arranged in a load path provided between the guide rail and the slider, and a circulation path is provided inside the slider that returns balls that move to the end point of the load path due to relative displacement between the guide rail and the slider to the start point of the load path. A non-circulating roller linear guide is formed by rotatably supporting multiple rollers on a slider and rolling them against a rolling surface formed on the guide rail.

[0033] The lower column 50 has a generally cylindrical shape and is supported so as to be able to swing up and down relative to the displacement bracket 21. The lower column 50 has a large diameter portion 51 in the front portion, and a small diameter portion 52 in the rear portion, the small diameter portion having an inner diameter dimension smaller than that of the large diameter portion 51.

[0034] The rear portion of the lower column 50 is supported via a tilt feed screw device 102 (see FIG. 7) that constitutes the tilt actuator 100 so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction relative to the swing support bracket portion 25 of the displacement bracket 21. In addition, the front portion of the lower column 50 is pivotally supported via the inner column 60 and a housing 71 of the reaction force imparting device 70 to a fixed side bracket portion 15 of a fixed bracket 11 that is supported on the vehicle body.

[0035] 7 is a perspective view of the displacement bracket 21, and is an explanatory diagram of the tilt feed screw device 102 arranged on the swing support bracket portion 25. The tilt feed screw device 102 that constitutes the tilt actuator 100 is arranged on the displacement bracket 21. The tilt feed screw device 102 includes a screw shaft 103 having a male thread portion on its outer circumferential surface, and a nut 105 having a female thread portion formed on its inner circumferential surface that screws into the male thread portion of the screw shaft 103, and the nut 105 has a cylindrical pivot shaft portion 104 on its outer circumferential surface.

[0036] The screw shaft 103 is rotatably supported via a bearing device 106 inside a recessed groove 28 formed in the displacement-side side plate 26a on one widthwise side of the swing support bracket 25 and inside a circular hole formed in the displacement-side connecting portion 27. More specifically, a recessed groove 28 extending in the vertical direction is formed on an inner widthwise surface of one of the pair of displacement-side side plates 26a, 26b of the swing support bracket 25 of the displacement bracket 21, the displacement-side side plate 26a. Furthermore, a circular hole penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in one widthwise side portion of the displacement-side connecting portion 27 of the swing support bracket 25 of the displacement bracket 21, i.e., in the portion on the side where the displacement-side side plate 26a on which the recessed groove 28 is formed is located. The screw shaft 103 is supported via the bearing device 106 inside the recessed groove 28 and the circular hole of the displacement-side connecting portion 27 thus formed.

[0037] A radial rolling bearing or a plain bearing, for example, is used as the bearing device 106. Furthermore, a pivot shaft portion 104 formed on a nut 105 that screws onto the male thread portion of the screw shaft 103 is swingably engaged with a rear portion of the lower column 50, i.e., a pivot recess formed on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 52 of the lower column 50, and pivotally supports the lower column 50. For this reason, when the screw shaft 103 rotates, the nut 105 is displaced in the axial direction of the screw shaft 103 (up and down direction) along the screw shaft 103 as the screw shaft 103 rotates, and as a result, the rear portion of the lower column 50 is displaced in the up and down direction relative to the swing support bracket portion 25 of the displacement bracket 21.

[0038] Figure 8 is a detailed view of part C in Figure 4. The inner column 60 comprises a cylindrical portion 61 and a flange portion 62 bent radially outward from the front end of the cylindrical portion 61. The inner column 60 is assembled with the lower column 50 in a manner that allows relative displacement of the lower column 50 in the axial direction. In other words, the steering column device 2 has the inner column 60 fitted within it in a manner that allows relative displacement of the lower column 50 in the axial direction.

[0039] A housing 71 of the reaction force applying device 70 is fixed to the flange portion 62 of the inner column 60 by fixing bolts 64, and is thereby supported and fixed to the inner column 60. In addition, the housing 71 is pivotally supported to the fixed bracket 11 by pivot bolts 65 inserted through through holes formed in the fixed-side side plate portions 16a, 16b of the fixed-side bracket portion 15.

[0040] For this reason, when the nut 105 is displaced in the vertical direction in conjunction with the rotation of the screw shaft 103 of the tilt feed screw device 102, and the rear portion of the lower column 50 is displaced in the vertical direction relative to the swing support bracket portion 25 of the displacement bracket 21, the lower column 50 swings in the vertical direction centered on the pivot bolt 65. In other words, the pivot bolt 65 serves as a swing axis when the lower column 50 swings in the vertical direction.

[0041] The upper column 40 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is assembled to the column holder 20 so as to be able to move relative to it in the axial direction. Specifically, the front portion of the upper column 40 is fitted internally with a clearance into the small diameter portion 52 of the lower column 50. As a result, the upper column 40 is fitted internally with respect to the lower column 50 so as to be able to move relative to the lower column 50 in the axial direction.

[0042] The lower telescopic actuator 80 has a lower telescopic motor 81, and uses the lower telescopic motor 81 as a drive source to displace the column holder 20 in the axial direction relative to the fixed bracket 11. In the first embodiment, the lower telescopic actuator 80 constitutes the telescopic actuator, and the lower telescopic motor 81 constitutes the telescopic motor. The position of the lower telescopic motor 81 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 is closer to the steering wheel 121 (see FIG. 1 ) than the position of the pivot bolt 65, which is the pivot axis when the lower column 50 pivots. In other words, the steering wheel 121 is attachable to a steering wheel attachment portion 3a located at the rear end of the steering shaft 3, and the position of the lower telescopic motor 81 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 is closer to the steering wheel attachment portion 3a of the steering shaft 3 than the position of the pivot bolt 65. In other words, the lower telescopic motor 81 is located rearward of the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 .

[0043] The lower telescopic actuator 80 further has a lower feed screw device 82 for converting the rotational motion of the output shaft of the lower telescopic motor 81 into linear motion. The lower feed screw device 82 has a screw shaft 83 with a male thread on its outer circumferential surface and is rotationally driven by the lower telescopic motor 81, and a nut 84 with a female thread on its inner circumferential surface that screws into the male thread.

[0044] In the steering column device 2 according to the first embodiment, the screw shaft 83 is supported so as to be rotatable only relative to the fixed bracket 11, and the nut 84 is supported and fixed to the displacement bracket 21 of the column holder 20. Specifically, the screw shaft 83 is fixed so as to be rotatable only relative to the outer surface in the width direction of the fixed-side side plate portion 16b of the fixed-side bracket portion 15 that constitutes the fixed bracket 11, and the nut 84 is supported and fixed to the outer surface in the width direction of the hanging plate portion 24b of the displacement bracket 21.

[0045] Furthermore, the lower telescopic motor 81 is supported and fixed to the fixed bracket portion 15, so that the rotational driving force generated by the lower telescopic motor 81 can be transmitted to the threaded shaft 83 via a speed reduction mechanism. In the first embodiment, a worm reducer is used as the speed reduction mechanism. The nut 84 is capable of displacing in the front-rear direction along the threaded shaft 83 as the threaded shaft 83 is rotationally driven by the rotational driving force transmitted from the lower telescopic motor 81 to the threaded shaft 83 via the speed reduction mechanism. The nut 84 is supported and fixed to the depending plate portion 24b of the displacement bracket 21 by the nut support member 85, so that the displacement bracket 21 is capable of displacing in the axial direction of the fixed bracket 11, i.e., in the front-rear direction, relative to the fixed bracket 11 as the nut 84 displaces in the front-rear direction.

[0046] The upper telescopic actuator 90 has an upper telescopic motor 91, and uses the upper telescopic motor 91 as a drive source to axially displace the upper column 40 relative to the column holder 20. In the first embodiment, the upper telescopic actuator 90 further has an upper feed screw device 92 for converting the rotational motion of the output shaft of the upper telescopic motor 91 into linear motion.

[0047] The upper side feed screw device 92 has a screw shaft 93 with a male threaded portion on its outer peripheral surface and is rotated by the upper side telescopic motor 91, and a nut 94 with a female threaded portion on its inner peripheral surface that screws into the male threaded portion.

[0048] In the first embodiment, the threaded shaft 93 is supported so as to be rotatable only relative to the lower column 50 of the column holder 20, and the nut 94 is supported and fixed to the upper column 40. Specifically, the threaded shaft 93 is supported so as to be rotatable only relative to the underside of the front portion of the large diameter portion 51 of the lower column 50, and the nut 94 is supported and fixed to the underside of the front portion of the upper column 40 by a connecting member 95 made up of a plurality of components. More specifically, an elongated hole extending in the axial direction is formed in the underside of the lower column 50, and the connecting member 95 is arranged to pass through the elongated hole formed in the lower column 50. A lower portion of the connecting member 95 is connected to the nut 94 located on the lower side of the lower column 50, and an upper portion of the connecting member 95 is connected to the upper column 40 located within the lower column 50. In this way, the connecting member 95 supports and fixes the nut 94 located on the lower side of the lower column 50 to the upper column 40 located within the lower column 50. Additionally, the upper telescopic motor 91 is supported and fixed to the lower column 50 .

[0049] The rotational drive force generated by the upper telescopic motor 91 can be transmitted to the screw shaft 93 via a speed reduction mechanism such as a worm reducer. For this reason, the rotational drive force generated by the upper telescopic motor 91 is transmitted to the screw shaft 93 via the speed reduction mechanism, and the screw shaft 93 is rotationally driven by the drive force transmitted to the screw shaft 93, causing a nut 94 that threadably engages with the screw shaft 93 to displace in the front-to-rear direction along the screw shaft 93. As a result, the upper column 40 to which the nut 94 is supported and fixed can be displaced relative to the lower column 50 in the axial direction of the lower column 50, i.e., in the front-to-rear direction, in accordance with the displacement of the nut 94 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0050] The steering column device 2 configured as above is capable of appropriately displacing the relative position of the steering shaft 3 with respect to the fixed bracket 11 in the front-to-rear direction by operating the lower telescopic actuator 80 and the upper telescopic actuator 90.

[0051] The tilt actuator 100 has a tilt motor 101 which is a drive source of the tilt actuator 100, and a tilt feed screw device .

[0052] The tilt actuator 100, which is configured to have a tilt motor 101 and a tilt feed screw device 102, is located on the end side of the steering column 10 opposite to the side where the steering wheel mounting portion 3a of the steering shaft 3 is located, and is capable of swinging the steering shaft 3 around a swing axis that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. In the first embodiment, the pivot bolt 65 is used as the swing axis that is the center of swing caused by the tilt actuator 100.

[0053] Since the pivot bolt 65, which is the swing axis, is located on the end side of the steering column 10 opposite to the side where the steering wheel mounting portion 3a is located, i.e., on the front end side of the steering column 10, the tilt actuator 100 including the tilt motor 101 is located in a position rearward of the position of the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. In other words, the tilt actuator 100 having the tilt motor 101 is located in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 closer to the steering wheel 121 (see FIG. 1) than the position of the pivot bolt 65.

[0054] The tilt actuator 100 configured as above is capable of transmitting the rotational drive force generated by the tilt motor 101 to the screw shaft 103 (see FIG. 7) of the tilt feed screw device 102 via a speed reduction mechanism such as a worm reducer. For this reason, the rotational drive force generated by the tilt motor 101 is transmitted to the screw shaft 103 of the tilt feed screw device 102 via the speed reduction mechanism, and the screw shaft 103 is rotated by the drive force transmitted to the screw shaft 103, causing a nut 105 (see FIG. 7) that threads onto the screw shaft 103 to move in the vertical direction along the screw shaft 103. As a result, the tilt actuator 100 displaces the rear portion of the lower column 50, which is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft portion 104 formed on the nut 105, in the vertical direction relative to the displacement bracket 21.

[0055] The steering shaft 3 is rotatably supported on the radially inner side of a steering column 10 of the steering column device 2.

[0056] A steering wheel 121 (see FIG. 1) is attached to one end of the steering shaft 3, and the steering shaft 3 rotates due to torque input from the steering wheel 121. More specifically, the steering wheel 121 is attached to a steering wheel attachment portion 3a formed at the rear end of the steering shaft 3, and is supported by the steering shaft 3. A reaction force imparting device 70 is connected to the front end of the steering shaft 3 to impart an operation reaction force to the steering wheel 121. In other words, the reaction force imparting device 70 is disposed on the end side of the steering column 10 opposite to the side where the steering wheel 121 attached to the steering shaft 3 is located.

[0057] The reaction force application device 70 includes a housing 71, a reaction force application motor 72 that is a drive source for the reaction force application device 70, and a reducer. The reaction force application motor 72 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in Figures 2 and 3. When the driver operates the steering wheel 121, the reaction force application device 70 drives the reaction force application motor 72, and the torque of the reaction force application motor 72 is increased by a reducer housed inside the housing 71 and then applied to the steering shaft 3.

[0058] The reducer is disposed within the housing 71 and is a worm reducer having a worm gear and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear. The reaction force applying motor 72 is disposed such that its rotation shaft is directly connected to the worm gear of the reducer disposed within the housing 71; that is, the reaction force applying motor 72 has its output shaft directly connected to the worm gear of the reducer. As a result, the reaction force applying motor 72 is disposed such that its rotation shaft is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. In other words, the reaction force applying motor 72 applies torque generated by the reaction force applying motor 72 to the steering shaft 3 via a reducer having a worm gear and a worm wheel, so that its rotation shaft is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 3.

[0059] In this case, the position of the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, i.e., the position of the rotation axis center SC, is arranged at the same position as the pivot bolt 65 used as the swing axis that is the center of swing in the tilt actuator 100, or on the opposite side to the side where the steering wheel 121 is located. In other words, the position of the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 is arranged on the steering wheel 121 side of the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. In the first embodiment, the position of the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 is arranged at the same position as the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3.

[0060] The torque imparted to the steering shaft 3 from the reaction force imparting device 70 configured as above is in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the operation performed by the driver on the steering wheel 121, that is, the torque is in the direction that acts as a reaction force against the rotational operation of the steering wheel 121 by the driver. Therefore, the reaction force imparting device 70 can impart to the steering shaft 3 a torque that has a rotational direction that is opposite to the torque input from the steering wheel 121 to the steering shaft 3. This makes it possible for the reaction force imparting device 70 to impart an operation reaction force against the driver's operation to the steering wheel 121 operated by the driver.

[0061] The magnitude of the reaction force applied to the steering wheel 121 by the reaction force applying device 70 is determined according to the steering angle of the steering wheel 121 acquired by the sensor and the torque applied to the steering shaft 3. The reducer is configured by, for example, a worm reducer.

[0062] In the steering device 1 according to the first embodiment, when adjusting the longitudinal position of the steering wheel 121, the displacement bracket 21 is displaced relative to the fixed bracket 11 in the axial direction, i.e., the longitudinal direction, based on the energization of the lower telescopic motor 81, thereby relatively displacing the column holder 20 in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the upper column 40 is displaced relative to the lower column 50 of the column holder 20 in the axial direction, i.e., the longitudinal direction, based on the energization of the upper telescopic motor 91. Alternatively, when adjusting the longitudinal position of the steering wheel 121, both the column holder 20 may be relatively displaced in the longitudinal direction based on the energization of the lower telescopic motor 81, and the upper column 40 may be relatively displaced in the longitudinal direction based on the energization of the upper telescopic motor 91.

[0063] Specifically, when the lower telescopic motor 81 is energized, the lower telescopic motor 81 rotates and drives the screw shaft 83 of the lower feed screw device 82, thereby displacing the nut 84 in the front-rear direction. As a result, the displacement bracket 21, to which the nut 84 is supported and fixed by the nut support member 85, is displaced relative to the fixed bracket 11 in the axial direction of the fixed bracket 11, i.e., in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, when the upper telescopic motor 91 is energized, the upper telescopic motor 91 rotates and drives the screw shaft 93 of the upper feed screw device 92, thereby displacing the nut 94 in the front-rear direction. As a result, the upper column 40, to which the nut 94 is supported and fixed, is displaced relative to the lower column 50 in the axial direction of the lower column 50, i.e., in the front-rear direction. This causes the overall length of the steering column 10 to be extended or retracted, and also the overall length of the steering shaft 3 to be extended or retracted, thereby adjusting the front-rear position of the steering wheel 121. After the steering wheel 121 has been adjusted to a desired longitudinal position, the power supply to the lower telescopic motor 81 and the upper telescopic motor 91 is stopped.

[0064] When adjusting the up-down position of the steering wheel 121, the rear portion of the lower column 50 is displaced up and down relative to the displacement bracket 21 based on the supply of current to the tilt motor 101. That is, when current is supplied to the tilt motor 101, the tilt motor 101 rotates and drives the screw shaft 103 of the tilt feed screw device 102, thereby displacing the nut 105 threaded onto the screw shaft 103 in the up-down direction. This causes the lower column 50, which is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft portion 104 formed on the nut 105, to swing about the pivot bolt 65, thereby displacing the rear portion of the lower column 50 in the up-down direction. In the steering column device 2 according to the first embodiment, the up-down position of the steering wheel 121 is adjusted by vertically displacing the rear end of the steering shaft 3, which is rotatably supported radially inside the steering column 10 in this way. After the up-down position of the steering wheel 121 has been adjusted to the desired position, the supply of current to the tilt motor 101 is stopped.

[0065] It should be noted that adjustment of the fore-aft position and adjustment of the up-down position of the steering wheel 121 can be performed simultaneously or independently at different times. Furthermore, when adjusting the fore-aft position of the steering wheel 121, for example, the column holder 20 is displaced greatly in the axial direction relative to the fixed bracket 11 at high speed, and then the amount of axial displacement of the column holder 20 relative to the fixed bracket 11 and the amount of axial displacement of the upper column 40 relative to the column holder 20 can be finely adjusted to adjust the fore-aft position of the steering wheel 121 to the desired position.

[0066] In the steering device 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor 72 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, which makes it possible to make the steering column device 2 more compact. In other words, by arranging the reaction force applying motor 72 so that the rotation axis is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, the reaction force applying motor 72 can be arranged not on an extension of the front side of the steering shaft 3, but at a position that is off to the side of the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. This makes it possible to prevent the steering column device 2 from becoming longer in the front-to-rear direction, and makes it possible to make the steering column device 2 more compact in the front-to-rear direction.

[0067] Furthermore, the position of the pivot bolt 65, which is the swing axis, in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 is the same as the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. Therefore, in a configuration in which the steering column 10 is swung around the pivot bolt 65 by the tilt actuator 100, it is possible to prevent heavy objects from concentrating only on the side of the pivot bolt 65 where the steering wheel 121 is located, and it is possible to make the tilt actuator 100 smaller.

[0068] Furthermore, by making the position of the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 the same as the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, the distance between the reaction force applying motor 72 and the pivot bolt 65 can be reduced, and the load acting from the reaction force applying motor 72 to the pivot bolt 65 can be reduced. This makes it easier to ensure rigidity against loads acting on the steering column 10, thereby making it possible to reduce the weight of the steering column 10. As a result, the steering column device 2 can be made more compact.

[0069] Furthermore, in the steering device 1 according to the first embodiment, the reaction force imparting device 70 uses a reducer including a worm gear and a worm wheel as the reducer that imparts the torque generated by the reaction force imparting motor 72 to the steering shaft 3. This allows the reaction force imparting device 70 to impart the torque generated by the reaction force imparting motor 72 to the steering shaft 3 at a large reduction ratio without increasing the size of the gears used in the reducer or increasing the number of stages, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the reducer. As a result, the steering column device 2 can be made more compact.

[0070] Furthermore, in the steering device 1 according to the first embodiment, the rotational axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 and the pivot bolt 65 are located at the same position in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, so the length of the steering shaft 3 can be shortened compared to when the pivot bolt 65 is located forward of the rotational axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72. This increases the torsional rigidity of the steering shaft 3, thereby improving the responsiveness of changes in the steering angle of the steered wheels 135 (see FIG. 1) to steering operations performed by the driver via the steering wheel 121. As a result, the feeling of steering operations can be improved.

[0071] Furthermore, in the steering device 1 according to the first embodiment, the steering column 10 is configured by combining the fixed bracket 11 and the column holder 20 to allow relative axial displacement, and by combining the column holder 20 and the upper column 40 to allow relative axial displacement. That is, the steering column 10 has a two-stage telescopic structure. This ensures a sufficient amount of telescopic flexibility over the entire length of the steering column 10, while preventing the axial dimensions of the screw shaft 83 of the lower feed screw device 82 and the screw shaft 93 of the upper feed screw device 92 from becoming excessively large. Furthermore, by providing the steering column 10 with a two-stage telescopic structure and aligning the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 with the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, the length of the steering column device 2 in the front-rear direction can be further reduced. As a result, the steering column device 2 can be made more compact.

[0072] Furthermore, in the steering device 1 of the first embodiment, by simultaneously energizing the lower telescopic motor 81 of the lower telescopic actuator 80 and the upper telescopic motor 91 of the upper telescopic actuator 90, it is possible to displace the column holder 20 in the axial direction relative to the fixed bracket 11 and, at the same time, to displace the upper column 40 in the axial direction relative to the column holder 20. Therefore, it is possible to more easily increase the extension / retraction speed of the steering column 10 compared to a structure in which the entire length of the steering column is extended and retracted by a single electric motor.

[0073] Here, if two electric motors are used to increase the extension / retraction speed of the steering column 10 in this way, the weight increases, and the weight on the side of the pivot bolt 65 where the steering wheel 121 is located tends to increase. In this case, it is likely that the tilt actuator 100 needs to be increased in size to ensure the output of the tilt actuator 100. However, in the first embodiment, the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 and the pivot bolt 65 are located in the same position in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. This makes it possible to reduce the weight of the weight located on the side of the pivot bolt 65 where the steering wheel 121 is located, compared to when the pivot bolt 65 is located forward of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72. This makes it possible to increase the extension / retraction speed of the steering column 10 while suppressing an increase in the size of the tilt actuator 100, and it is possible to achieve both an increase in the extension / retraction speed of the steering column 10 and a compact steering column device 2.

[0074] [Second embodiment] Next, a steering device 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The following description will focus on differences from the first embodiment.

[0075] Fig. 9 is a side view of the steering column device 2 in the steering system 1 according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 9, the reaction force applying motor 72 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. In the second embodiment as well, the steering column device 2 has a reaction force applying device 70 disposed on the end side of the steering column 10 opposite to the side where the steering wheel mounting portion 3a on the steering shaft 3 to which the steering wheel 121 is attached is located. The reaction force applying device 70 has the reaction force applying motor 72, which is a drive source, as in the first embodiment.

[0076] In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the position of the oscillation axis of the tilt actuator 100 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3 is located closer to the steering wheel 121 than the position of the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, i.e., the position of the rotation axis center SC. In other words, the pivot bolt 65 used as the oscillation axis that is the center of oscillation in the tilt actuator 100 is located rearward of the position of the rotation axis center SC of the reaction force applying motor 72 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. As a result, in the second embodiment, in a configuration in which the tilt actuator 100 oscillates the steering column 10 around the pivot bolt 65, it is possible to prevent heavy objects from concentrating only on the side of the pivot bolt 65 where the steering wheel 121 is located. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the tilt actuator 100.

[0077] Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent heavy objects from concentrating only on the side of the pivot bolt 65 where the steering wheel 121 is located, it is possible to reduce stress when the steering column 10 swings, compared to when heavy objects are concentrated only on the side of the pivot bolt 65 where the steering wheel 121 is located. This makes it easier to ensure rigidity against loads acting on the steering column 10, allowing the weight of the steering column 10 to be reduced. As a result, the steering column device 2 can be made more compact.

[0078] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the pivot bolt 65 can be disposed between the tilt motor 101 and the reaction force applying motor 72 of the tilt actuator 100 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. This allows heavy objects to be disposed in a balanced manner on both sides of the pivot bolt 65 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3, thereby reducing stress when the steering column 10 swings and making it possible to reduce the weight of the steering column 10. As a result, the steering column device 2 can be made more compact.

[0079] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the pivot bolt 65 can be disposed between the lower telescopic motor 81 and the reaction force applying motor 72 of the lower telescopic actuator 80 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 3. This allows heavy objects to be disposed in a balanced manner on both sides of the pivot bolt 65, thereby reducing stress when the steering column 10 swings and making it possible to reduce the weight of the steering column 10. As a result, the steering column device 2 can be made more compact.

[0080] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the pivot bolt 65, which is the pivot axis when the tilt actuator 100 pivots the steering shaft 3, is located rearward of the reaction force applying motor 72, and therefore the distance between the pivot bolt 65 and the steering wheel 121 is short. This allows the length of the steering shaft 3 to be shorter and the torsional rigidity of the steering shaft 3 to be increased compared to when the pivot bolt 65 is located forward of the reaction force applying motor 72. Therefore, it is possible to improve the responsiveness of the change in the steering angle of the steered wheels 135 (see FIG. 1) to the steering operation performed by the driver via the steering wheel 121. As a result, it is possible to improve the feeling of the steering operation.

[0081] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the pivot bolt 65 is used as the swing shaft when swinging the steering shaft 3, but the swing shaft may be formed of something other than the pivot bolt 65. The swing shaft may be formed, for example, by a shaft-shaped member provided on the lower column 50 side that is supported so as to be swingable relative to the fixed bracket 11, or it may be formed by a shaft-shaped member that passes through the lower column 50 side and the fixed bracket 11 side.

[0082] Furthermore, although the steering column 10 according to the first and second embodiments described above has a two-stage telescopic structure, the present disclosure can also be applied to a steering column device in which the steering column has a one-stage telescopic structure.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, as an example of the present disclosure, a case has been described in which the present disclosure is applied to a steering column device 2 that has both a telescopic mechanism for adjusting the fore-aft position of the steering wheel 121 and a tilt mechanism for adjusting the up-down position, but the present disclosure can also be applied to a steering column device that has only a tilt mechanism.

[0084] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The configurations described as the embodiments and modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1 Steering gear 2. Steering column device 3 Steering shaft 10. Steering column 11 Fixing bracket 12 Fixed plate part 20 Column holder 21 Displacement Bracket 22 Displacement plate section 30 Linear guide 40 Upper Column 50 Roar Column 60 Innacolumn 65 Pivot bolt 70 Reaction force application device 71 Housing 72 Reaction force motor 80 Lower telescopic actuator 81 Lower telescopic motor 82 Lower feed screw device 83, 93, 103 screw shaft 84, 94, 105 Nuts 90 Upper telescopic actuator 91 Upper telescopic motor 92 Upper feed screw device 100 Tilt actuator 101 Tilt motor 102 Tilt feed screw device 120 Steering System 121 Steering Wheel 130 Steering device 131 Actuator 135 Steering Wheel

Claims

1. A steering device of a steering system comprising a steering wheel and a sensor for measuring the steering amount of the steering wheel, and a turning device for applying a steering angle to a pair of steered wheels, electrically connected to each other, a steering shaft having the steering wheel attached to one end thereof and rotated by torque input from the steering wheel; a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft; a reaction force applying device having a reaction force applying motor and applying a torque to the steering shaft in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of a torque input from the steering wheel to the steering shaft; a tilt actuator that swings the steering shaft about a swing axis that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft; Equipped with the reaction force applying motor is disposed so that a rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor and an axial direction of the steering shaft are perpendicular to each other, the steering column includes a first column member, a second column member combined with the first column member so as to be displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and an upper column combined with the second column member so as to be displaceable relative to the second column member in the axial direction, further comprising: a lower telescopic actuator having a lower telescopic motor as a drive source and displacing the second column member in the axial direction relative to the first column member; and an upper telescopic actuator having an upper telescopic motor as a drive source and displacing the upper column in the axial direction relative to the second column member; Equipped with The steering device wherein the pivot shaft is disposed on the steering wheel side from the position of the rotation shaft of the reaction force applying motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft.

2. The reaction force applying device is a reducer including a worm gear and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear, The torque generated by the reaction force applying motor is applied to the steering shaft via the reducer, and the reaction force applying motor is disposed in a direction such that the rotation axis of the reaction force applying motor is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft. The steering device according to claim 1 .

3. the tilt actuator has a tilt motor as a drive source, The pivot shaft is disposed between the reaction force applying motor and the tilt motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft. A steering device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The swing shaft is disposed between the reaction force applying motor and the lower telescopic motor in the axial direction of the steering shaft. A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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