Electric steering device

Abstract

When a column 4 reaches a tilting ascent end, the lower end 732 of a nut 73 abuts on the buffering segment 83 of a buffer 82. Thus, while the buffering segment 83 of the buffer 82 is elastically deformed, the nut 73 stops with no impact. Accordingly, the inertia when the nut 73 stops is restrained and the tightening torque of the nut 73 when the nut 73 stops is also restrained. For this reason, when an electric motor 61 is rotationally driven in a reverse direction, a feeding screw shaft 71 rotates in the reverse direction with the normal rotation torque of the electric motor 61. Thus, the nut 73 is caused to ascend in the axial direction along the screw segment of the feeding screw shaft 71 so that the column 4 can be tiltingly moved downward.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of an electric tilting steering device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the state stopped at a tilting ascent end;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of the electric tilting steering device shown in FIG. 1, which shows the state stopped at a tilting descent end;

FIG. 3A is longitudinal sectional view of a buffer unit;

FIG. 3B is a view seen along arrow P in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification of the buffer unit;

FIG. 4B is a view seen along arrow Q in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a longitudinal sectional view of a further modification of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of an electric telescopic steering device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the state stopped at a telescopic retracted end;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of the electric telescopic steering device shown in FIG. 5, which shows the state stopped at a telescopic advanced end;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of an electric tilting steering device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the state stopped at a tilting ascent end;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of the electric tilting steering device shown in FIG. 7, which shows the state stopped at a tilting descent end;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of an electric telescopic steering device 104 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the state stopped at a telescopic retracted end;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the main part including a partial section of the electric telescopic steering device shown in FIG. 9, which shows the state stopped at a telescopic advanced end;

FIG. 11A is a graph showing a load curve at the time of stop at a + stroke end in both cases of the presence and absence of the buffer;

FIG. 11B is a graph showing a load curve over the entire stroke in the case of the absence of the buffer; and

FIG. 11C is a graph showing a load curve over the entire stroke in the case of the presence of the buffer.

Claims

1. An electric steering device comprising: a steering shaft of which vehicular-rear side is capable of mounting a steering wheel;a column that pivotably supports the steering shaft, the column allowing adjustment of a tilting position on a fulcrum of a tilting center axis or of a telescopic position along a center axial line of the steering shaft;an electric actuator attached to the column;a feeding screw shaft that is pivotably supported on the column so as to be rotated by the electric actuator and has a screw segment on an outer circumferential surface thereof;a nut that is screwed on the screw segment of the feeding screw shaft, and converts a rotation of the feeding screw shaft into a linear motion to transmit the linear motion as a tilting motion or telescopic motion of the column; andbuffers each of which abuts on the nut at moving ends of the linear motion of the nut thereby to buffer an impact force when the nut stops at the moving end.

2. The electric steering device according to claim 1, wherein the buffers abut on the column at a tilting ascent end or a tilting descent end of the column thereby to buffer an impact force when the column stops at the moving end of the column.

3. The electric steering device according to claim 1, wherein the buffers abuts on the column at a telescopic advanced end and a telescopic retracted end of the column thereby to buffer an impact force when the column stops at the moving end of the column.

4. The electric steering device according to claim 1, wherein the column comprises: an outer column; andan inner column supported on the outer column so as to allow adjustment of a telescopic position;wherein the electric steering device further comprises:a spherical protrusion on the nut;an opening on the outer column; anda cylindrical sleeve that is projecting from the inner column toward the outer column through the opening, and fits on the spherical protrusion thereby to transmit the linear motion of the nut to the inner column,wherein the buffers are formed at each of a front end and a rear end of the opening,each of the buffers abuts on the sleeve at each of a telescopic advanced end or a telescopic retracted end of the inner column thereby to buffer an impact force when the sleeve stops at a moving end of the inner column.

5. The electric steering device according to claim 1, wherein the buffer is formed in a hollow disk shape, and an inner hole of the buffer is fit on the outer circumferential surface of the feeding screw shaft.

6. The electric steering device according to claim 2, wherein the buffer is formed in a hollow disk shape, and an inner hole of the buffer is fit on the outer circumferential surface of the feeding screw shaft.

7. The electric steering device according to claim 3, wherein the buffer is formed in a hollow disk shape, and an inner hole of the buffer is fit on the outer circumferential surface of the feeding screw shaft.

8. The electric steering device according to claim 4, wherein the buffer is formed in a hollow disk shape, and an inner hole of the buffer is fit on the outer circumferential surface of the feeding screw shaft.

9. The electric steering device according to claim 1, wherein the buffer comprises: a buffering segment made of an elastic material; anda reinforcing segment made of a metallic material,wherein the buffering segment and the reinforcing segment are joined to each other.

10. The electric steering device according to claim 2, wherein the buffer comprises: a buffering segment made of an elastic material; anda reinforcing segment made of a metallic material,wherein the buffering segment and the reinforcing segment are joined to each other.

11. The electric steering device according to claim 3, wherein the buffer comprises: a buffering segment made of an elastic material; anda reinforcing segment made of a metallic material,wherein the buffering segment and the reinforcing segment are joined to each other.

12. The electric steering device according to claim 4, wherein the buffer comprises: a buffering segment made of an elastic material; anda reinforcing segment made of a metallic material,wherein the buffering segment and the reinforcing segment are joined to each other.

13. The electric steering device according to claim 1, wherein the electric actuator is controlled to be stop within an elastic limit of the buffer.

14. The electric steering device according to claim 2, wherein the electric actuator is controlled to be stop within an elastic limit of the buffer.

15. The electric steering device according to claim 3, wherein the electric actuator is controlled to be stop within an elastic limit of the buffer.

16. The electric steering device according to claim 4, wherein the electric actuator is controlled to be stop within an elastic limit of the buffer.