Column cover

Abstract

To inhibit misalignment in a lateral direction from occurring at a time of forming a column cover.SOLUTION: An upper cover includes: a pair of arm parts disposed substantially in parallel with each other; a pair of rotary parts juxtaposed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the pair of arm parts extends; and a pair of locked parts disposed at positions different from the positions of the pair of rotary parts in a first direction. A lower cover includes: a pair of concave parts that retains one of the rotary parts and the other one of the rotary parts respectively so that the pair of rotary parts can rotate centered around the same rotation axis; a pair of lock parts that locks one of the locked parts and the other one of the locked parts respectively; and a pair of rail parts that is continuous to one of the concave parts and the other one of the concave parts respectively, extends in the first direction, receives respective ends of one of the arm parts and the other one of the arm parts respectively when the upper cover and lower cover are assembled, and guides ends of a wall part to the pair of concave parts along the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a column cover. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a column cover for covering an automobile steering column, which is composed of an upper cover and a lower cover. In this column cover, an engagement piece provided on the upper cover engages with a shaft provided on the lower cover to form a hinge mechanism. When assembling the upper cover to the lower cover, with the lower cover attached to the steering column and the hinge mechanism formed, the upper cover is moved so as to rotate around the shaft of the hinge mechanism, and an end face of the upper cover comes into contact with an end face of the lower cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-37137 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The column cover described in Patent Document 1 can prevent misalignment between the upper cover and the lower cover in the front-to-rear direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the shaft, but cannot prevent misalignment between the upper cover and the lower cover in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, a technology to prevent misalignment in the left-to-right direction has been desired. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms. A column cover that covers a steering column and includes an upper cover and a lower cover that are combined with each other, wherein the upper cover includes a pair of arm portions that are arranged substantially parallel to each other, a pair of rotating portions that are connected to one and the other of the pair of arms, respectively, and are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of arm portions extend, and a pair of locked portions that are provided at positions different from the pair of rotating portions in a first direction in which the column cover extends when the upper cover and the lower cover are attached to the steering column, and the lower cover is configured so that the pair of rotating portions can rotate around the same rotation axis. a pair of recesses that respectively hold one and the other of the pair of rotating parts so that the upper cover and the lower cover can be combined; a pair of locking parts that respectively lock one and the other of the pair of locked parts when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined; and a pair of rail parts that are respectively continuous with one and the other of the pair of recesses, extend in the first direction, have an L-shaped cross section, receive ends of one and the other of the pair of arm parts, and guide the ends of the pair of arm parts to the pair of recesses along the first direction when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined.

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a column cover, which includes an upper cover and a lower cover combined with each other and covers a steering column, the upper cover includes a pair of arms arranged substantially parallel to each other, a pair of rotating parts connected to one and the other of the pair of arms and arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of arms extend, and a pair of locked parts provided at positions different from the pair of rotating parts in a first direction in which the column cover extends when the upper cover and the lower cover are attached to the steering column, and the lower cover rotates forward around the same rotation axis. The cover is provided with a pair of recesses that respectively hold one and the other of the pair of rotating parts so that the pair of rotating parts can rotate, a pair of locking parts that lock one and the other of the pair of locked parts when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined, and a pair of rail parts that are respectively continuous with one and the other of the pair of recesses, extend in the first direction, receive respective ends of one and the other of the pair of arm parts when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined, and guide the respective ends of the pair of arm parts to the pair of recesses along the first direction. According to the above aspect, the arm portions of the pair of wall portions provided with the pair of rotating portions are guided into the recess along the first direction by the pair of rail portions. Therefore, movement of the ends of the pair of arm portions in a direction intersecting with the first direction, which is the direction in which the column cover attached to the steering column extends, is restricted. As a result, when attaching the upper cover to the lower cover, movement of the upper cover in the left-right direction intersecting with the axial direction of the steering column is restricted. (2) In the column cover of the above form, the end portions of the pair of arm portions may be guided through the pair of rail portions into the pair of recesses, and the size of the entrance for receiving the end portions of one and the other of the pair of rail portions may be set larger than the size of the exit from which the end portions exit. According to the above embodiment, it is easy to insert the end of the arm portion into the rail portion. (3) In the column cover of the above aspect, the recess may have a shape that gradually narrows from the opening toward the terminal end. According to the above embodiment, the rotating portion can be smoothly inserted into the recessed portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a column cover according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the column cover during the installation work. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the column cover as seen from a different direction from that in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the column cover during the installation work. [Figure 7] 6 is an explanatory diagram of the locking structure between the second locking portion and the second locked portion. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the column cover when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined together. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the column cover as viewed from a different direction from that in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a column cover according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the column cover when viewed from the front of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the column cover. The column cover 100 is a cover that covers the steering column. The steering column includes a steering shaft that is rotated when the driver of the vehicle operates the steering wheel S1. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the steering column is not shown to facilitate understanding of the technology. In FIG. 2, the steering wheel S1 is not shown.

[0009] In this specification, a Cartesian coordinate system is defined in which the X-axis is the direction parallel to the vehicle width, the Y-axis is the direction in which the column cover extends when the steering column is installed, i.e., the direction parallel to the axial direction of the steering column, and the Z-axis is the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis. The positive Y-axis direction is the direction toward the front of the vehicle, the positive X-axis direction is the right direction of a driver sitting in the driver's seat and assuming a driving position, and the positive Z-axis direction is the direction toward the top. Note that the steering column may be equipped with a tilt mechanism that moves the steering wheel up and down. In this case, the Y-axis direction is the direction parallel to the axial direction of the steering column when the steering column is in its initial position. The initial position is, for example, the position of the steering column at the time of shipment from the factory.

[0010] The column cover 100 has an upper cover 10 and a lower cover 30. The upper cover 10 and the lower cover 30 are made of synthetic resin. The upper cover 10 and the lower cover 30 are combined together to form the column cover 100. The upper cover 10 covers the steering column from above, and the lower cover 30 covers the steering column from below. The upper cover 10 and the lower cover 30 are joined together by butting together the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 and the +Z side end of the lower cover 30.

[0011] The upper cover 10 comprises a front wall portion 11, a pair of side wall portions 12 and 13, an upper wall portion 14, a pair of arm portions 15 and 16, a fixed portion 17, a third locking portion 18 and a fourth locking portion 19, a pair of rotating portions 21 and 22, and a pair of a first locking portion 23 and a second locking portion 24.

[0012] The front wall 11 faces the rear side of the steering wheel S1. The rear side of the steering wheel S1 is the side opposite to the side facing the occupant sitting in the driver's seat. A semicircular cutout 11a is formed in the front wall 11. Note that the front wall 11 and the cutout 11a are not shown in Figures 1 and 2 (see Figures 5 and 9 described below).

[0013] Side walls 12 and 13 are disposed opposite each other and cover the sides (+X side and -X side) of the steering column. Semicircular cutouts 12a and 13a are formed in side walls 12 and 13, respectively. Upper wall 14 is a curved wall that continues from side walls 12 and 13 and covers the upper side (+Z side) of the steering column.

[0014] Arm portion 15 extends from side wall portion 12 toward the +Y side. Arm portion 16 extends from side wall portion 13 toward the +Y side. Arm portions 15 and 16 are arranged substantially parallel to each other. "Substantially parallel" means that the angle formed between the direction in which one of arm portions 15 and 16 extends and the direction in which the other extends is in the range of 0 to 30 degrees.

[0015] The fixing portion 17 is a portion where a sheet-like shielding member (not shown) that covers the gap between the column cover 100 and the dashboard is attached. The fixing portion 17 includes a wall portion 17a, an attachment portion 17b, and a connecting clip insertion hole 17c. The wall portion 17a is a plate-like member extending in the X-axis direction and continuing from the side wall portion 12, the side wall portion 13, and the upper wall portion 14. The wall portion 17a is disposed opposite the front wall portion 11. The attachment portion 17b is a plate-like member extending in the X-axis direction and disposed approximately perpendicular to the wall portion 17a. The attachment portion 17b is formed with a connecting clip insertion hole 17c for attaching the lower end of the sheet-like shielding member that covers the gap between the column cover 100 and the dashboard to the column cover 100. The lower end of the shielding member is attached to the upper cover 10 by passing a bolt through the connecting clip insertion hole 17c and a hole provided near the lower end of the shielding member.

[0016] The third locking portion 18 and the fourth locked portion 36 are frame-shaped members that lock onto the third locked portion 35 and the fourth locked portion 36, respectively, when the +Z side end of the lower cover 30 and the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 are butted together. The third locking portion 18 is arranged to protrude from the -Z side end of the arm portion 15 of the upper cover 10. The fourth locking portion 19 is arranged to protrude from the -Z side end of the arm portion 16 of the upper cover 10. When the +Z side end of the lower cover 30 and the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 are butted together, the third locking portion 18 and the fourth locked portion 36 are at the same position on the Y axis.

[0017] The rotating unit 21 is a rotating shaft located near the tip of the arm unit 15 and connected to the inner surface (the surface on the +X side) of the arm unit 15. The rotating unit 22 is a rotating shaft located near the tip of the arm unit 16 and connected to the inner surface (the surface on the -X side) of the arm unit 16. The rotating units 21 and 22 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm units 15 and 16 extend. The rotating units 21 and 22 are rotatable around the same rotation axis while being held by the holding units 41 and 42, respectively. The same rotation axis is an axis perpendicular to the direction in which the column cover 100 attached to the steering column extends. The direction in which the column cover 100 attached to the steering column extends is also referred to as the first direction. The first direction is approximately parallel to the axial direction of the steering column. "Approximately parallel" means that the angle between the first direction and the axial direction of the steering column is in the range of 10 to 30 degrees. The rotating units 21 and 22 are also referred to as a pair of rotating units.

[0018] The first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 are targets to which the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 are locked, respectively. The first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 are provided on the inside of the front wall portion 11 of the upper cover 10. The inside of the front wall portion 11 is the side opposite to the side facing the steering wheel. The first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 are brackets having a square frame. Note that the first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 are not shown in Figures 1 and 2 (see Figures 6 and 7 described below). The first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 are also referred to as a pair of locked portions.

[0019] The lower cover 30 comprises a front wall portion 31, a pair of side wall portions 32 and 33, a bottom wall portion 34, a third engaging portion 35 and a fourth engaging portion 36, retaining portions 41 and 42, a first engaging portion 43 and a second engaging portion 44, and rail portions 45 and 46.

[0020] The front wall portion 31 faces the back side of the steering wheel S1. A semicircular cutout portion 31a is formed in the front wall portion 31. When the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 and the +Z side end of the lower cover 30 are butted against each other, the cutout portion 31a, together with the cutout portion 11a of the upper cover 10, form an opening through which the steering column passes.

[0021] Side wall portions 32 and 33 are disposed opposite each other and cover the sides (+X side and -X side) of the steering column. Semicircular cutout portions 32a and 33a are formed in side wall portions 32 and 33, respectively. When the -Z side end of upper cover 10 and the +Z side end of lower cover 30 are butted together, cutout portion 32a, together with cutout portion 12a of upper cover 10, form an opening through which a wiper lever or a turn signal lever passes. When the -Z side end of upper cover 10 and the +Z side end of lower cover 30 are butted together, cutout portion 33a, together with cutout portion 13a of upper cover 10, form an opening through which a wiper lever or a turn signal lever passes. One or more ribs 32b for reinforcing side wall portion 32 are formed on the inner side of side wall portion 32. One or more ribs 33b for reinforcing side wall portion 33 are formed on the inner side of side wall portion 33.

[0022] The bottom wall portion 34 is a wall portion that continues from the side wall portions 32 and 33, and covers the lower side (-Z side) of the steering column. The bottom wall portion 34 has threaded holes 34a through which bolts are passed to fix the lower cover 30 to the steering column. The bolts pass through the threaded holes 34a from the bottom to the top of the lower cover 30, and are further fitted into threaded holes provided in the steering column. In this way, the lower cover 30 is fixed to the steering column.

[0023] The third locked portion 35 and the fourth locked portion 36 are targets to be locked by the third locking portion 18 and the fourth locking portion 19, respectively. Note that the third locked portion 35 is not shown in FIG. 2 (see FIG. 6 described later). The third locked portion 35 is a convex portion provided on the inside of the side wall portion 32 of the lower cover 30 near the end on the +Z side. The third locked portion 35 is disposed between a retaining portion 41 and a first locking portion 43, which will be described later, in the direction in which the column cover 100 attached to the steering column extends. The fourth locked portion 36 is a convex portion provided on the inside of the side wall portion 33 of the lower cover 30 near the end on the +Z side. The fourth locked portion 36 is disposed between a retaining portion 42 and a second locking portion 44, which will be described later, in the direction in which the column cover 100 attached to the steering column extends.

[0024] The retaining portion 41 is a bearing that supports the rotating portion 21 when the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 30 are combined. The retaining portion 42 is a bearing that supports the rotating portion 22 when the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 30 are combined. The retaining portion 41 is made of a plate-like member having a notch 41b that receives the rotating portion 21. The retaining portion 41 is provided on the inside of the side wall portion 32 near the +Y side end of the side wall portion 32 so that at least the notch 41b protrudes beyond the +Z side end of the side wall portion 32. The retaining portion 41 is arranged so that the opening side of the notch 41b is located on the -Y side and the terminal end side is located on the +Y side. The retaining portion 42 is made of a plate-like member having a notch 42b that receives the rotating portion 22. Retaining portion 42 is provided on the inside of side wall portion 33 near the +Y side end of side wall portion 33 so that at least notch 42b protrudes beyond the +Z side end of side wall portion 33. Retaining portion 42 is positioned so that the opening side of notch 42b is located on the -Y side and the terminal end side is located on the +Y side. Retaining portions 41 and 42 are also referred to as a pair of recesses. Notch 41b is also formed so that its width (the length of the opening in the Z direction) gradually narrows from the opening side toward the terminal end side. The same is true for notch 42b. This is to facilitate the insertion of rotating portions 21 and 22.

[0025] The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 are each a resin clip having a leaf spring structure. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 are disposed inside the front wall portion 31 so as to protrude from the end portion on the +Z side of the front wall portion 31. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 are also referred to as a pair of locking portions. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 have tapered portions 43a and 44a at their respective tips on the +Z side. The first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 have claw portions 43b and 44b on the -Z side of the tapered portions 43a and 44a, respectively. Note that the tapered portions 43a and 44a and the claw portions 43b and 44b are not shown in Figures 1 and 2 (see Figure 5, described below).

[0026] The rail portion 45 is provided on the inner side of the side wall portion 32, continuing from the retaining portion 41 in the direction in which the arm portions 15 and 16 extend. The rail portion 45 extends in a first direction, that is, in the direction in which the column cover 100 extends, and has a generally L-shaped cross section. The rail portion 45 is arranged such that at least a portion of the wall portion of the rail portion 45 extending in the Z-axis direction protrudes toward the +Z side from the +Z side end of the side wall portion 32. The rail portion 46 is provided on the inner side of the side wall portion 33, continuing from the retaining portion 42 in the direction in which the arm portions 15 and 16 extend. The shape of the rail portion 46 is the same as that of the rail portion 45. The rail portion 46 is arranged such that at least a portion of the wall portion of the rail portion 46 extending in the Z-axis direction protrudes toward the +Z side from the +Z side end of the side wall portion 32 (see FIGS. 5 and 6, described below). In the embodiment, extending in the first direction means that the direction in which the rail portions 45 and 46 extend includes a directional component perpendicular to the rotation axis.

[0027] Furthermore, the size of the end of rail portion 45 on the side farther from holding portion 41 (-Y side) is set larger than the size of the end on the side closer to holding portion 41 (+Y side). Specifically, the width (length in the X direction) of the rail portion is largest at the end on the side farther from holding portion 41 (-Y side). The width of rail portion 45 gradually narrows toward the +Y direction in a certain range including the end on the side farther from holding portion 41. In the embodiment, the width of rail portion 45 gradually narrows from the end on the side farther from holding portion 41 in a range of about one-third of the total length of rail portion 45 (length in the Y-axis direction). The width of rail portion 45 is the same in the remaining range including the end on the side closer to holding portion 41. Rail portion 46 also has a similar shape.

[0028] Next, the process by which a worker attaches the column cover 100 to the steering column will be described. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the attachment work. The worker first places the lower cover 30 in an appropriate position below the steering column (not shown), and then uses bolts (not shown) to secure the lower cover 30 to the steering column. The lower cover 30 is fastened to the steering column by bolts (not shown) that pass through the screw holes 34a in the bottom wall portion 34 and the screw holes in the steering column.

[0029] Next, the worker attaches the upper cover 10 to the lower cover 30 by the following procedure. The worker inserts the rotating portions 21 and 22 into the notches 41b and 42b of the holders 41 and 42, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the worker moves the upper cover 10 held by his / her hand in the direction indicated by arrow A1 to insert the respective tips of the arm portions 15 and 16 into the inlets of the rail portions 45 and 46. The worker moves the upper cover 10 so that the respective tips of the arm portions 15 and 16 enter along the rail portions 45 and 46. In this embodiment, the width of the end of each of the rail portions 45 and 46 on the side (-Y side) that receives the tips of the arm portions 15 and 16 is larger than the width of the end of each of the rail portions 45 and 46 on the side (+Y side) from which the tips of the arm portions 15 and 16 exit. This makes it easy to insert the tips of the arm portions 15 and 16 into the rail portions 45 and 46.

[0030] After passing through rail portions 45 and 46, the respective tips of arm portions 15 and 16 enter inside notch 41b of holding portion 41 and notch 42b of holding portion 42. In this way, rail portions 45 and 46 receive the respective tips of arm portions 15 and 16 and guide the respective tips of arm portions 15 and 16 into holding portions 41 and 42. The worker moves upper cover 10 until the respective tips of arm portions 15 and 16 reach the respective ends of notch 41b of holding portion 41 and notch 42b of holding portion 42.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the column cover 100 during the installation work. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the column cover 100 viewed from a different direction than Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the tip ends of the arm portions 15 and 16 reach the ends of the notches 41b of the holding portion 41 and the notches 42b of the holding portion 42, respectively, and the rotating portions 21 and 22 are held by the holding portions 41 and 42, respectively. In this state, the rotating portions 21 and 22 allow the upper cover 10 to rotate relative to the lower cover 30.

[0032] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the state of the column cover 100 during the installation work. Fig. 6 shows the state in which the rotating part 21 is held in the notch 41b of the holding part 41, as viewed from inside the column cover 100. At this time, the rotating part 22 is also held in the notch 42b of the holding part 42. The worker further rotates the upper cover 10 in the direction indicated by arrow A2. As a result, the upper cover 10 rotates around the rotating parts 21 and 22 as fulcrums.

[0033] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the locking structure between the second locking portion 44 and the second locked portion 24. FIG. 7 shows the inside of the column cover 100 as viewed in the -Y direction. As shown on the left side of FIG. 7, the rotational movement of the upper cover 10 causes the upper cover 10 to move in the direction indicated by arrow A3, i.e., downward. This causes the upper cover 10 to approach the lower cover 30. As the upper cover 10 further moves, the tapered portion 44a of the second locking portion 44 is inserted into the second locked portion 24. As shown on the right side of FIG. 7, when the second locking portion 44 reaches a predetermined position, the claw portion 44b locks with the second locked portion 24. The first locking portion 43 similarly locks with the first locked portion 23. In this way, when the +Z side end of the lower cover 30 and the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 are butted together, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 lock onto the first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24, respectively.

[0034] Furthermore, when the +Z side end of the lower cover 30 and the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 are butted together, the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 and the first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 are covered by the front wall portion 11 and the side wall portion 13. In conventional methods of fixing the upper cover and the lower cover using screws, the screws are visible from the outside of the column cover 100, which can detract from the aesthetic appearance, but in this embodiment, the aesthetic appearance is not detracted.

[0035] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the column cover when the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 30 are combined. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the column cover 100 when viewed from a direction different from that of Figure 8. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, when the +Z side end of the lower cover 30 and the -Z side end of the upper cover 10 are butted together, the fourth locking portion 19 locks with the fourth locked portion 36. The third locking portion 18 similarly locks with the third locked portion 35.

[0036] According to the above embodiment, the rail portions 45 and 46 guide the arm portions 15 and 16, on which the rotating portions 21 and 22 are provided, to the holding portions 41 and 42 along the first direction, which is the direction in which the column cover 100 attached to the steering column extends. Therefore, movement of the ends of the arm portions 15 and 16 in a direction intersecting the first direction is restricted. As a result, when attaching the upper cover 10 to the lower cover 30, movement of the upper cover 10 in the left-right direction intersecting the axial direction of the steering column is restricted. This makes it possible to suppress misalignment in the left-right direction when attaching the upper cover 10 to the lower cover 30. This facilitates the work of attaching the upper cover 10 to the lower cover 30.

[0037] B1. Other embodiment 1 In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the size of the entrances that receive the tip ends of the arm units 15 and 16 in each of the rail units 45 and 46 is larger than the width of the exits through which the tip ends of the arm units 15 and 16 exit. However, the size of the entrances that receive the tip ends of the arm units 15 and 16 in each of the rail units 45 and 46 may be the same as the width of the exits through which the tip ends of the arm units 15 and 16 exit.

[0038] B2. Other embodiment 2 In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the widths of the notches 41b and 42b are gradually narrowed in the holding portions 41 and 42. However, the widths of the notches 41b and 42b may be the same from the opening side to the terminal end side.

[0039] B3. Other embodiment 3 In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the first locking portion 43 and the second locking portion 44 provided on the lower cover 30 correspond to the first locked portion 23 and the second locked portion 24 provided on the upper cover 10. Alternatively, a pair of locking portions may be provided on the upper cover, and a pair of locked portions may be provided on the lower cover. In this case, one of the pair of locking portions provided on the upper cover locks with one of the pair of locked portions provided on the lower cover. The other of the pair of locking portions provided on the upper cover locks with the other of the pair of locked portions provided on the lower cover.

[0040] B4. Other embodiment 4 In the embodiment, an example has been described in which rail portions 45 and 46 each extend in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axes of rotating portions 21 and 22 and have a substantially L-shaped cross section. However, rail portions 45 and 46 may each extend in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axes of rotating portions 21 and 22 and have a substantially U-shaped cross section. In this case, rail portions 45 and 46 are arranged so that the openings are located upward.

[0041] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10...upper cover, 11...front wall portion, 11a...cutout portion, 12...side wall portion, 12a...cutout portion, 13...side wall portion, 13a...cutout portion, 14...upper wall portion, 15...arm portion, 17...fixing portion, 17a...wall portion, 17b...mounting portion, 17c...connecting clip insertion hole, 18...third locking portion, 19...fourth locking portion, 21...rotating portion, 22...rotating portion, 23...first locked portion, 24...second locked portion, 30...lower cover, 31...front wall portion, 31a...cutout portion, 32...side wall portion, 3 2a...notch portion, 32b...rib, 33...side wall portion, 33a...notch portion, 33b...rib, 34...bottom wall portion, 34a...screw hole, 35...third locked portion, 36...fourth locked portion, 41...retaining portion, 41b...notch, 42...retaining portion, 42b...notch, 43...first locking portion, 43a...tapered portion, 43b...claw portion, 44...second locking portion, 44b...claw portion, 45...rail portion, 46...rail portion, 100...column cover, A1, A2, A3...arrow, S1...steering wheel

Claims

1. A column cover that covers a steering column and includes an upper cover and a lower cover that are combined with each other, The upper cover is A pair of arms arranged substantially parallel to each other; a pair of rotating units connected to one and the other of the pair of arms, respectively, and arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of arm units extend; a pair of locked portions provided at positions different from the pair of rotating portions in a first direction in which the column cover extends when the upper cover and the lower cover are attached to the steering column, The lower cover is a pair of recesses that respectively hold one and the other of the pair of rotating parts so that the pair of rotating parts can rotate around the same rotation axis; a pair of locking portions that lock one of the pair of locked portions with the other when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined; a pair of rail portions each continuing to one of the pair of recesses, the rail portions extending in the first direction and having an L-shaped cross section, the rail portions receiving ends of one of the pair of arm portions, and guiding the ends of the pair of arm portions to the pair of recesses along the first direction when the upper cover and the lower cover are combined; Column cover.

2. The column cover according to claim 1, the end portions of the pair of arm portions pass through the pair of rail portions and are guided into the pair of recesses, For each of the pair of rail portions, the size of an inlet for receiving the end portion is set larger than the size of an outlet for the end portion to exit. Column cover.

3. The column cover according to claim 1 or 2, The recess has a shape that gradually narrows from the opening toward the end. Column cover.

Images