CN110550088A - Steering column and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a steering column and a vehicle. The steering column comprises a steering shaft, a fixed support, a first column barrel, a second column barrel, an angle adjusting motor, an angle adjusting screw rod nut mechanism, a connecting rod mechanism, a height adjusting motor and a height adjusting screw rod nut mechanism, the second cylinder is arranged in the first cylinder and is in sliding sleeve joint with the first cylinder, the steering shaft penetrates through the first cylinder and the second cylinder, the steering shaft comprises an upper shaft and a lower shaft which are connected through splines, the upper shaft is supported in the second cylinder through a first bearing, the lower shaft is supported in the first cylinder through a second bearing, the first cylinder is hinged to the fixed support around a first hinge axis, the angle adjusting motor can drive the first cylinder to rotate relative to the fixed support through the angle adjusting lead screw nut mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism, and the height adjusting motor can drive the second cylinder to axially move relative to the first cylinder through the height adjusting lead screw nut mechanism.

Description

Steering column and vehicle

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an automotive steering system, and in particular, to a steering column and a vehicle having the same.

Background

Utility model patent with publication number CN205706835U discloses an electric four-way adjusting steering column mechanism. The electric four-way adjusting steering column mechanism is simple in structure, poor in adjusting displacement precision and reliability and high in noise generated in the adjusting process. The core components such as the adjusting motor and the controller have poor compactness and are easy to be damaged as a stress lever. The performability from the whole structure to the product is poor, and the quality of the steering column mechanism cannot be effectively guaranteed.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a can realize height control and angle modulation's steering column simultaneously, this steering column's adjustment accuracy is higher.

in order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a steering column, including a steering shaft, a fixed bracket, a first column, a second column, an angle adjusting motor, an angle adjusting screw-nut mechanism, a link mechanism, a height adjusting motor, and a height adjusting screw-nut mechanism, wherein the second column is disposed in the first column and slidably sleeved with the first column, the steering shaft is disposed in the first column and the second column, the steering shaft includes an upper shaft and a lower shaft that are connected by a spline, the upper shaft is supported in the second column by a first bearing, the lower shaft is supported in the first column by a second bearing, the first column is hinged to the fixed bracket around a first hinge axis, and the angle adjusting motor can drive the first column to rotate relative to the fixed bracket by the angle adjusting screw-nut mechanism and the link mechanism, the height adjustment motor can drive the second column barrel to move axially relative to the first column barrel through the height adjustment screw-nut mechanism.

Optionally, the angle adjusting screw-nut mechanism includes an angle adjusting screw and an angle adjusting nut sleeved on the angle adjusting screw, the angle adjusting screw is connected to the angle adjusting motor, the angle adjusting nut is connected to the fixed bracket through the link mechanism, one of the links of the link mechanism is hinged to the first column around a second hinge axis, and the first hinge axis is parallel to the second hinge axis.

Optionally, the axis of the angle adjustment screw is perpendicular to the first hinge axis.

Optionally, the steering column further includes an angle adjustment motor base, the angle adjustment motor is fixed on the angle adjustment motor base, the angle adjustment motor base is hinged to the first column casing around a third hinge axis, and the third hinge axis is parallel to the first hinge axis.

Optionally, the link mechanism includes a first link and a second link, a first end of the first link is hinged to the angle adjusting nut around a fourth hinge axis, a second end of the first link is hinged to a first end of the second link, a second end of the second link is hinged to the fixed bracket around a fifth hinge axis, the first hinge axis, the fourth hinge axis and the fifth hinge axis are parallel, and the first link is hinged to the first column casing around the second hinge axis.

optionally, the first connecting rod has a first hinge point connected to the angle adjusting nut, a second hinge point connected to the first column casing, and a third hinge point connected to the second connecting rod, and a connecting line between the first hinge point, the second hinge point, and the third hinge point is triangular.

Optionally, the number of the link mechanisms is two, and the two link mechanisms are respectively arranged on two sides of the angle adjusting nut.

Optionally, the height adjusting screw-nut mechanism comprises a height adjusting screw and a height adjusting nut sleeved on the height adjusting screw, the height adjusting screw is connected with the height adjusting motor, the height adjusting nut is connected with the second cylinder, and the axis of the height adjusting screw is parallel to the axis of the second cylinder.

Optionally, the steering column further comprises a height adjustment motor base, the height adjustment motor is fixed on the height adjustment motor base, and the height adjustment motor base is fixed on the first column casing.

In the steering column of the present disclosure, the angle-adjusting feed screw nut mechanism is configured to convert a rotational motion of the angle-adjusting motor into a linear motion of the angle-adjusting nut, and the angle-adjusting nut drives the first column casing to rotate around the first hinge axis through the link mechanism. Through the matching of the angle adjusting screw rod nut mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism, the precision of angle adjustment and the motion reliability in the adjusting process can be obviously improved. The precision of height adjustment can be improved by adopting a height adjusting screw rod nut mechanism.

The present disclosure also provides a vehicle comprising a steering column as described above.

additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the disclosure without limiting the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective schematic views from another perspective of a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a steering shaft in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an assembly schematic of an angle adjustment screw and an angle adjustment motor base in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the angle adjustment motor base is shown in cross-section to show internal structure;

FIG. 7 is an exploded schematic view of an angle adjustment screw and an angle adjustment motor base in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is an exploded schematic view of an angle adjustment nut in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a lead screw hold down in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is an assembly schematic of a height adjustment screw and a height adjustment motor base in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the height adjustment motor base is shown in cross-section to show internal structure;

FIG. 11 is an exploded schematic view of a height adjustment screw and a height adjustment motor base in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is an assembly schematic of a height adjustment module in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a first column casing is shown in cross-section to show internal structure;

FIG. 13 is an exploded schematic view of a height adjustment module in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a slip collar in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding barrel in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a sliding barrel in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of a first column in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the first column is shown in cross-section to show internal structure;

FIG. 18 is an exploded schematic view of a hold down mechanism in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is an assembled schematic view of a second column in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the sliding column shown in cross-section to show internal structure;

FIG. 20 is an exploded schematic view of a second column in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding barrel in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the sliding barrel is shown in cross-section in order to show internal structure;

FIG. 22 is a schematic perspective view of a crush ring in a steering column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Description of the reference numerals

10 angle modulation motor 20 angle modulation motor base

21 second limit step 22 third limit step

30 first spacing steps of angle accommodate screw 31

32 first pin hole 40 angle adjusting nut

41 nut body 42 lead screw compact heap

43 compression spring 44 compression nut

411 first threaded hole 412 second threaded hole

421 small diameter part 422 large diameter part

423 step surface 424 concave surface

425 locating boss 51 first thrust bearing

52 second thrust bearing 53 first locknut

54 first slotted nut 55 first cotter pin

56 first load bearing 57 second load bearing

58 first limit stop ring 60 steering shaft

61 upper shaft 62 lower shaft

71 first bearing 72 second bearing

80 first column 801 chute

802 mounting lug 803 annular mounting groove

804 mounting hole 90 second cylinder

91 sliding column 92 collapsing column

93 crumple ring 911 second anti-friction coating

912 connecting plate 913 ring-shaped positioning groove

931 the bulge 100 sliding collar

101 first antifriction coating 110 height adjustment motor

120 fifth limiting step of height adjusting motor base 121

122 sixth limiting step 130 height adjusting screw rod

131 fourth limit step 132 second pin hole

140 height adjustment nut 151 third thrust bearing

152 fourth thrust bearing 153 second lock nut

154 second slotted nut 155 second cotter pin

156 third load bearing 157 fourth load bearing

158 second limit retainer 160 fixing bracket

171 first link 172 second link

180 adjust the first harness of the controller 191

192 second harness 200 pressing mechanism

201 circlip 202 disc spring pressing sheet

203 disc spring 204 gasket

205 compression block 211 first fastener

212 second fastener

Detailed Description

The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the present disclosure, are given by way of illustration and explanation only, not limitation.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, there is provided a steering column including a steering shaft 60, a fixing bracket 160, a first column tube 80, a second column tube 90, an angle adjusting motor 10, an angle adjusting lead screw-nut mechanism, and a link mechanism.

The angle adjusting screw-nut mechanism comprises an angle adjusting screw 30 and an angle adjusting nut 40 sleeved on the angle adjusting screw 30. The fixed support 160 is used for being fixed to the vehicle body, the first column tube 80 is hinged to the fixed support 160 around a first hinge axis A-A, the second column tube 90 is sleeved with the first column tube 80 in a sliding mode, and the steering shaft 60 penetrates through the first column tube 80 and the second column tube 90.

as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the steering shaft 60 includes an upper shaft 61 and a lower shaft 62 connected by a spline, the upper shaft 61 is supported in the second cylinder 90 by a first bearing 71, the lower shaft 62 is supported in the first cylinder 80 by a second bearing 72, the upper shaft 61 is used for connecting a steering wheel, the lower shaft 62 is used for connecting a transmission shaft, and the angle adjusting motor 10 is used for driving the first cylinder 80 to rotate relative to the fixed bracket 160 through an angle adjusting screw-nut mechanism and a link mechanism in sequence so as to adjust an included angle between the first cylinder 80 and the fixed bracket 160, thereby realizing an angle adjusting function of the steering column.

In the steering column of the present disclosure, the angle-adjusting feed screw nut mechanism is used to convert the rotational motion of the angle-adjusting motor 10 into the linear motion of the angle-adjusting nut 40, and the angle-adjusting nut 40 drives the first column casing 80 to rotate about the first hinge axis a-a through the link mechanism. Through the matching of the angle adjusting screw rod nut mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism, the precision of angle adjustment and the motion reliability in the adjusting process can be obviously improved.

Further, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the angle adjusting motor 10 is installed on the first cylinder 80, the angle adjusting screw 30 is connected to the angle adjusting motor 10, the angle adjusting nut 40 is connected to the fixing bracket 160 through a link mechanism, one link of the link mechanism is hinged to the first cylinder 80 about a second hinge axis B-B, and the first hinge axis a-a is parallel to the second hinge axis B-B. Through this kind of mode, can improve steering column's whole rigidity and reliability on the one hand for only can drive first column casing 80 and rotate when angle accommodate motor 10 starts, can't rock first column casing 80 with the hand or through other external forces, on the other hand can improve steering column's first-order natural mode, reduces the vibration.

In the present disclosure, the angle adjustment screw 30 may be arranged in any suitable direction. In one embodiment, the axis of the angle adjustment screw 30 may be perpendicular to the first hinge axis A-A to facilitate the transfer of motion.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the first column casing 80 may be located between the angle-adjusting lead screw-nut mechanism and the fixing bracket 160 to make the structure of the steering column more compact.

In order to improve the accuracy of the angle adjustment and reduce the driving force required for the angle adjustment, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, one end of the first cylinder 80 is hinged to the fixing bracket 160, and one link of the link mechanism is hinged to the other end of the first cylinder 80.

to facilitate mounting the angle adjustment motor 10 on the first column casing 80, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the steering column may further include an angle adjustment motor base 20, the angle adjustment motor 10 being fixed to one end of the angle adjustment motor base 20, the angle adjustment motor base 20 being mounted on the first column casing 80. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the angle adjusting screw 30 is inserted into the angle adjusting motor base 20, the angle adjusting screw 30 is supported in the angle adjusting motor base 20 by a first bearing 56 and a second bearing 57, one end of the angle adjusting screw 30 extends out of the angle adjusting motor base 20 and is splined with the angle adjusting motor 10, and the other end of the angle adjusting screw 30 extends out of the angle adjusting motor base 20 and is in threaded fit with the angle adjusting nut 40. The first and second support bearings 56, 57 prevent the angle adjusting screw 30 from moving in the radial direction.

In this case, there may be an axial gap between the angle adjustment screw 30 and the angle adjustment motor base 20, which may cause the following problems: firstly, abnormal sound is generated when the angle adjusting screw rod 30 rotates; secondly, deviation exists between the expected position and the actual position of the angle adjusting nut 40; and thirdly, shaking the steering wheel.

in order to eliminate the axial gap between the angle adjusting screw 30 and the angle adjusting motor base 20 so that the angle adjusting screw 30 cannot move in the axial direction, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, a first thrust bearing 51 is disposed on the angle adjusting screw 30, and the steering column further includes a first axial pressing mechanism that applies a force to the angle adjusting screw 30 so that the angle adjusting screw 30 and the angle adjusting motor base 20 are pressed in the axial direction by the first thrust bearing 51. Specifically, a first limit step 31 is formed on the angle adjusting screw 30, a second limit step 21 is formed on the inner wall of the angle adjusting motor base 20, and two sides of the first thrust bearing 51 abut against the first limit step 31 and the second limit step 21, respectively.

The first axial pressing mechanism may have any suitable structure, and may include, for example, a pressing spring that is provided between the angle adjustment motor base 20 and the angle adjustment screw 30 and applies an elastic force in the axial direction to the angle adjustment screw 30 so that the first thrust bearing 51 is clamped by the angle adjustment screw 30 and the angle adjustment motor base 20.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, the first axial pressing mechanism includes a second thrust bearing 52 and a first locking nut 53 arranged on the angle adjusting screw 30, the second thrust bearing 52 is located between the first thrust bearing 51 and the first locking nut 53, a third limiting step 22 is further formed on the inner wall of the angle adjusting motor base 20, both sides of the second thrust bearing 52 abut against the third limiting step 22 and the first locking nut 53, respectively, and the first thrust bearing 51 and the second thrust bearing 52 are located between the first limiting step 31 and the first locking nut 53.

Here, the first thrust bearing 51 and the second thrust bearing 52 can receive both axial force and rotation about the axis. The first locking nut 53 is in threaded fit with the angle adjusting screw rod 30. When the first locking nut 53 is tightened, the distance between the first limiting step 31 on the angle adjusting screw rod 30 and the first locking nut 53 is gradually reduced; when the first locking nut 53 is continuously tightened, the gap between the first limit step 31 and the first thrust bearing 51, the gap between the first thrust bearing 51 and the second limit step 21, the gap between the third limit step 22 and the second thrust bearing 52, and the gap between the second thrust bearing 52 and the first locking nut 53 are reduced to the minimum, i.e., no gap exists.

In order to prevent the first lock nut 53 from being loosened by the rotation of the angle adjusting screw 30, further, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, the first axial pressing mechanism further includes a first slotted nut 54 and a first slotted pin 55 which are arranged on the angle adjusting screw 30, a side of the first lock nut 53 facing away from the second thrust bearing 52 is fixed by the first slotted nut 54, and the first slotted nut 54 is fixed by the first slotted pin 55. When the first lock nut 53 is tightened, the first slot nut 54 is tightened again and the first cotter pin 55 is inserted through the first slot nut 54 and into the first pin hole 32 reserved on the angle adjusting screw 30. The first split nut 54 does not become loose because of the interference of the first split pin 55. Also, the first lock nut 53 is not loosened due to the interference of the first split nut 54.

The first and second load bearings 56, 57 may be disposed at any suitable location. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, the first load bearing 56 is located between the first thrust bearing 51 and the second thrust bearing 52, the first lock nut 53, and the first slotted nut 54 are located between the first bearing 71 and the second bearing 72. The side of the second support bearing 57 facing the first support bearing 56 can be fixed by a first limit stop 58, the first limit stop 58 is mounted on the inner wall of the angle adjustment motor base 20, and the side of the second support bearing 57 facing away from the first support bearing 56 can be limited by the angle adjustment motor 10.

In order to increase the freedom of movement of the angle adjusting motor 10 and make the movement transmission smoother, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the angle adjusting motor base 20 is hinged to the first cylinder 80 about a third hinge axis C-C, which is parallel to the first hinge axis a-a.

To facilitate the installation of the angle adjusting motor base 20, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the first cylinder 80 is formed with an installation lug 802, the angle adjusting motor base 20 is hinged to the installation lug 802 about a third hinge axis C-C, and the installation lug 802 is located between both ends of the first cylinder 80 in the axial direction of the first cylinder 80, so that the angle adjusting motor 10 and the angle adjusting motor base 20 are located between both ends of the first cylinder 80, making the steering column more compact.

The angle adjusting nut 40 can produce certain wearing and tearing after the long time motion on angle adjusting screw 30, leads to producing the clearance between angle adjusting nut 40 and the angle adjusting screw 30, and this clearance can lead to angle adjusting nut 40 to produce the vibration on the one hand, and on the other hand can lead to the driver to hold spacious sensation when the steering wheel, arouses the steering wheel to rock.

In order to eliminate or reduce the gap between the angle adjustment nut 40 and the angle adjustment screw 30, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 8, the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism includes an angle adjustment screw 30 and a radial pressing mechanism, the nut body 41 is screw-engaged with the angle adjustment screw 30, and the radial pressing mechanism applies a force in the radial direction of the angle adjustment screw 30 to the angle adjustment screw 30 and/or the nut body 41 to press the nut body 41 against the angle adjustment screw 30.

In one embodiment, one end of the radial compression mechanism is connected to the nut body 41 and the other end acts on the angle adjustment screw 30. In this case, the radial pressing mechanism applies forces in opposite directions to the nut body 41 and the angle adjusting screw 30, so that the nut body 41 and the angle adjusting screw 30 are pressed in the radial direction.

The radial compression mechanism may have any suitable configuration. In one embodiment, the radial pressing mechanism includes a lead screw pressing block 42, a pressing spring 43 and a pressing nut 44, a first threaded hole 411 matched with the angle adjusting lead screw 30 and a second threaded hole 412 matched with the pressing nut 44 are formed on the nut body 41, the first threaded hole 411 is communicated with the second threaded hole 412, the pressing spring 43 is arranged between the pressing nut 44 and the lead screw pressing block 42 and applies elastic force to the lead screw pressing block 42 so that the lead screw pressing block 42 is pressed on the side surface of the angle adjusting lead screw 30.

When the pressing nut 44 is rotated in a direction to compress the pressing spring 43, the elastic force of the pressing spring 43 is transmitted to the angle adjusting screw 30 through the screw pressing block 42, so that the gap between the angle adjusting screw 30 and the angle adjusting nut 40 is reduced or fitted without a gap.

In order to achieve a better pressing function, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, the spindle pressing block 42 has a concave surface 424 that is adapted to the threaded cylindrical surface of the angle adjusting screw 30, and the spindle pressing block 42 is pressed against the threaded cylindrical surface of the angle adjusting screw 30 through the concave surface 424.

The lead screw hold down 42 may have any suitable configuration. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, the screw pressing block 42 has a small diameter portion 421 and a large diameter portion 422 which are coaxial, a step surface 423 is formed between the small diameter portion 421 and the large diameter portion 422, the pressing spring 43 is sleeved on the small diameter portion 421, one end of the pressing spring 43 abuts against the step surface 423, the other end abuts against the inner side of the pressing nut 44, and a concave surface 424 is formed at one end of the large diameter portion 422 which is far away from the small diameter portion 421.

In order to ensure that the concave surface 424 of the lead screw pressing block 42 is just matched with the side surface of the angle adjusting lead screw 30 after the lead screw pressing block is assembled, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, a positioning protrusion 425 is formed on the side surface of the lead screw pressing block 42, and a positioning groove matched with the positioning protrusion 425 is formed in the nut body 41. In the process of installing the screw pressing block 42 into the nut body 41, the positioning protrusion 425 on the side surface of the screw pressing block 42 is inserted into the positioning groove in the nut body 41, so that the screw pressing block 42 cannot rotate, and assembly mistake proofing is realized.

In order to transmit the elastic force of the pressing spring 43 to the angle adjusting screw 30 more effectively, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 8, the axis of the first threaded hole 411 is orthogonal to the axis of the second threaded hole 412. In other possible embodiments, the axis of the first threaded hole 411 and the axis of the second threaded hole 412 may intersect but are not perpendicular.

The linkage mechanism may comprise any number of links, for example two or more. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the link mechanism includes a first link 171 and a second link 172, a first end of the first link 171 is hinged to the angle-adjusting nut 40 about a fourth hinge axis D-D, a second end of the first link 171 is hinged to a first end of the second link 172 about a sixth hinge axis F-F, a second end of the second link 172 is hinged to the fixed bracket 160 about a fifth hinge axis E-E, and the first hinge axis a-a, the fourth hinge axis D-D, the fifth hinge axis E-E, and the sixth hinge axis F-F are parallel.

In one embodiment, the first link 171 is hinged to the first cylinder 80 about the second hinge axis B-B to rotate the first cylinder 80 via the first link 171. In this case, the second link 172 supports the first link 171, ensuring the stability of movement during the angle adjustment.

In the above embodiment, the first link 171 has a first hinge point connected to the angle adjustment nut 40, a second hinge point connected to the first column tube 80, and a third hinge point connected to the second link 172. In order to ensure the kinematic flexibility of the linkage, in one embodiment, the lines between the first hinge point, the second hinge point and the third hinge point may be triangular. Further, the first link 171 may be formed as a fork-shaped plate, the second hinge point being located at the middle of the fork-shaped plate, and the first hinge point and the third hinge point being located at both ends of the fork-shaped plate.

To further improve the motion stability during the angle adjustment, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the steering column includes two link mechanisms respectively disposed at both sides of the angle adjustment nut 40, the first column tube 80 is located between the two link mechanisms, and the angle adjustment nut 40 is connected to the fixing bracket 160 through the two link mechanisms.

In the present disclosure, the first column tube 80 and the second column tube 90 are slidably fitted, and when the second column tube 90 is extended, the steering shaft 60 is extended, thereby raising the steering wheel; when the second column 90 is retracted, the steering shaft 60 is shortened, thereby lowering the steering wheel.

to facilitate adjustment of the height of the steering wheel, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the steering column may further include a height adjustment motor 110 and a height adjustment screw-nut mechanism, the height adjustment motor 110 being mounted on the first column casing 80, the height adjustment motor 110 being configured to drive the second column casing 90 to move axially relative to the first column casing 80 via the height adjustment screw-nut mechanism.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the height adjusting screw-nut mechanism includes a height adjusting screw 130 and a height adjusting nut 140 sleeved on the height adjusting screw 130, the height adjusting screw 130 is connected to the height adjusting motor 110, the height adjusting nut 140 is fixed to the second cylinder 90, and an axis of the height adjusting screw 130 is parallel to an axis of the second cylinder 90. When the height adjustment motor 110 is activated, the height adjustment screw 130 is rotated, and the height adjustment nut 140 is axially moved along the height adjustment screw 130, thereby driving the second cylinder 90 to extend or retract.

To facilitate fixing the height adjusting nut 140 to the second cylinder 90, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 13, a connecting plate 912 is provided on the second cylinder 90, a sliding groove 801 extending in the axial direction of the first cylinder 80 is provided on the first cylinder 80, the connecting plate 912 penetrates out of the sliding groove 801, and the height adjusting nut 140 is fixed to the connecting plate 912 by a second fastening member 212.

To facilitate mounting the height adjustment motor 110 to the first column casing 80, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 13, the steering column further includes a height adjustment motor base 120, the height adjustment motor 110 is fixed to the height adjustment motor base 120, and the height adjustment motor base 120 is fixed to the first column casing 80 by a first fastener 211. To make the steering column more compact, in one embodiment, the height adjustment motor base 120 is located between both ends of the first column 80 in the axial direction of the first column 80.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the height adjustment screw 130 is inserted into the height adjustment motor base 120, the height adjustment screw 130 is supported in the height adjustment motor base 120 by a third bearing 156 and a fourth bearing 157, one end of the height adjustment screw 130 extends out of the height adjustment motor base 120 and is spline-connected to the height adjustment motor 110, and the other end of the height adjustment screw 130 extends out of the height adjustment motor base 120 and is engaged with the height adjustment nut 140. The third bearing 156 and the fourth bearing 157 prevent the height adjustment screw 130 from moving in the radial direction.

in this case, there may be an axial gap between the height-adjusting screw 130 and the height-adjusting motor base 120, which may cause the following problems: firstly, abnormal sound is generated when the height adjusting screw 130 rotates; secondly, there is a deviation between the expected position and the actual position of the height adjustment nut 140.

In order to eliminate the axial gap between the height adjusting screw 130 and the height adjusting motor base 120 so that the height adjusting screw 130 cannot move in the axial direction, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, a third thrust bearing 151 is disposed on the height adjusting screw 130, and the steering column further includes a second axial pressing mechanism that applies a force to the height adjusting screw 130 so that the height adjusting screw 130 and the height adjusting motor base 120 are pressed in the axial direction by the third thrust bearing 151. Specifically, a fourth limit step 131 is formed on the height adjustment screw 130, a fifth limit step 121 is formed on the inner wall of the height adjustment motor base 120, and both sides of the third thrust bearing 151 abut against the fourth limit step 131 and the fifth limit step 121, respectively.

The second axial pressing mechanism may have any suitable structure, and may include, for example, a pressing spring that is disposed between the height-adjustment motor base 120 and the height-adjustment screw 130 and applies an elastic force in the axial direction to the height-adjustment screw 130 so that the third thrust bearing 151 is clamped by the height-adjustment screw 130 and the height-adjustment motor base 120.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, the second axial pressing mechanism includes a fourth thrust bearing 152 and a second locking nut 153 arranged on the height adjusting screw 130, the fourth thrust bearing 152 is located between the third thrust bearing 151 and the second locking nut 153, a sixth limiting step 122 is further formed on the inner wall of the height adjusting motor base 120, both sides of the fourth thrust bearing 152 abut against the sixth limiting step 122 and the second locking nut 153, respectively, and the third thrust bearing 151 and the fourth thrust bearing 152 are located between the fourth limiting step 131 and the second locking nut 153.

here, the third thrust bearing 151 and the fourth thrust bearing 152 can receive both an axial force and rotate about the axis. The second locking nut 153 is in threaded fit with the height adjusting screw 130. When the second locking nut 153 is tightened, the distance between the fourth limiting step 131 on the height adjusting screw 130 and the second locking nut 153 is gradually reduced; when the second locking nut 153 is continuously tightened, the gap between the fourth limit step 131 and the third thrust bearing 151, the gap between the third thrust bearing 151 and the fifth limit step 121, the gap between the sixth limit step 122 and the fourth thrust bearing 152, and the gap between the fourth thrust bearing 152 and the second locking nut 153 are reduced to the minimum, that is, no gap exists.

In order to prevent the second lock nut 153 from being loosened by the rotation of the height-adjusting screw 130, further, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, the second axial pressing mechanism further includes a second slotted nut 154 and a second cotter pin 155 disposed on the height-adjusting screw 130, a side of the second lock nut 153 facing away from the fourth thrust bearing 152 is fixed by the second slotted nut 154, and the second slotted nut 154 is fixed by the second cotter pin 155. When the second lock nut 153 is tightened, the second slot nut 154 is tightened again and the second cotter pin 155 is inserted through the second slot nut 154 and into the second pin hole 132 reserved on the height-adjusting screw 130. The second split nut 154 does not loosen because of the interference of the second cotter pin 155. Also, the second lock nut 153 does not become loose due to the interference of the second split nut 154.

The third load bearing 156 and the fourth load bearing 157 may be disposed at any suitable location. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, the third load bearing 156 is positioned between the third thrust bearing 151 and the fourth thrust bearing 152, the second lock nut 153, and the second slotted nut 154 are positioned between the third load bearing 156 and the fourth load bearing 157. The side of the fourth load bearing 157 facing the third load bearing 156 may be fixed by a second limit stop 158, the second limit stop 158 is mounted on the inner wall of the height adjustment motor base 120, and the side of the fourth load bearing 157 facing away from the third load bearing 156 may be limited by the height adjustment motor 110.

During the height adjustment, relative sliding between the first and second cylinders 80 and 90 occurs, and the relative sliding between the two inevitably generates noise due to the influence of the friction coefficient between the parts. In order to reduce noise during height adjustment, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 12 to 16, the first cylinder 80 and the second cylinder 90 may be slidably sleeved by a sliding collar 100, the sliding collar 100 is installed in the first cylinder 80 and sleeved on the second cylinder 90, the relative position of the sliding collar 100 and the first cylinder 80 is fixed, the inner wall of the sliding collar 100 is coated with a first antifriction coating 101, and the outer wall of the second cylinder 90 is coated with a second antifriction coating 911. When the height adjustment motor 110 operates, the height adjustment nut 140 moves on the height adjustment screw 130 to drive the second column 90 to slide in the first column 80, thereby achieving the height adjustment function of the steering column.

By applying the first antifriction coating 101 to the inner wall of the slide collar 100 and the second antifriction coating 911 to the outer wall of the second cylinder 90, the coefficient of friction between the slide collar 100 and the first cylinder 80 can be reduced, and the noise generated when the two slide relative to each other can be reduced.

Here, first friction reducing coating 101 and second friction reducing coating 911 may be any suitable friction reducing material. For example, it may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of polyamide, polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

To improve the adhesion of the friction reducing material, in one embodiment, a copper mesh may be included in first friction reducing coating 101.

the slip collar 100 may be mounted within the first spar 80 in any suitable manner, such as by welding or riveting with the first spar 80. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 17, an annular mounting groove 803 is formed on the inner wall of the first cylinder 80, and the slip collar 100 is fitted into the annular mounting groove 803.

In order to stably support the second cylinder 90 in the first cylinder 80 and prevent the second cylinder 90 from shaking in the first cylinder 80, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 12 and 13, there are two sliding collars 100, and the two sliding collars 100 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the first cylinder 80.

The second cylinder 90 may be a single piece or an assembly of multiple pieces, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

To improve the crash safety of the steering column, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 19 to 22, the second column 90 includes a sliding column 91 and a crush column 92 nested with each other.

In this case, the upper shaft 61 of the steering shaft 60 is supported in the crush cylinder 92 through the first bearing 71, the lower shaft 62 of the steering shaft 60 is supported in the first cylinder 80 through the second bearing 72, the height adjusting nut 140 is connected to the slide cylinder 91, the slide collar 100 is fitted over the slide cylinder 91, the connection plate 912 is provided on the slide cylinder 91, and the first antifriction coating 101 is provided on the outer wall of the slide cylinder 91. During assembly, the collapse cylinder 92 is press-fitted into the sliding cylinder 91 from one end of the sliding cylinder 91, the magnitude of the press-fitting force is monitored during the press-fitting process, and the press-fitting force monitored after the press-fitting process is in place is the collapse force during collapse.

Normally, the crush column 92 and the slide column 91 are fixed together without relative movement, and the second column 90 as a whole moves axially relative to the first column 80 when the height adjusting motor 110 is operated. When a vehicle is in a frontal collision, the sliding column 91 is not moved, the collision force causes the collapse column 92 to move axially in the sliding column 91, and the collapse column 92 deforms in a collapsing process, so that collision energy is absorbed, and the injury to a driver is reduced.

To facilitate controlling the collapsing deformation of the collapsing cylinder 92, in one embodiment, the second cylinder 90 further includes a collapsing ring 93, the collapsing ring 93 is installed in the sliding cylinder 91, and the collapsing ring 93 is sleeved on the collapsing cylinder 92 and is in press fit with the collapsing cylinder 92. During assembly, the crush ring 93 is first mounted at a predetermined mounting position in the sliding cylinder 91, and after the mounting is completed, the crush ring 93 cannot move in the sliding cylinder 91; then, the crush column 92 is press-fitted into the slide column 91 from one end of the slide column 91, and the magnitude of the press-fitting force is monitored during the press-fitting process, and the press-fitting force monitored after the press-fitting process is in place is the crush force at the time of crush. When a vehicle is in a frontal collision, the sliding column 91 is not moved, the collision force causes the crumple column 92 to axially move in the sliding column 91, the surface of the crumple column 92 is scratched by the crumple ring 93 in the moving process, and crumple deformation is generated, so that collision energy is absorbed, and the injury to a driver is reduced.

In order to increase the collapsing effect, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 22, a plurality of protrusions 931 protruding inward are formed on the collapsing ring 93, and the protrusions 931 on the collapsing ring 93 form scratches on the surface of the collapsing cylinder 92 during the axial movement of the collapsing cylinder 92 relative to the sliding cylinder 91, so that the collapsing cylinder 92 is deformed to collapse. The magnitude of the collapsing force can be changed by adjusting the number of protrusions and the height of the protrusions on the collapsing ring 93 until the design requirements are met. Since the crush ring 93 is a member that directly affects the crush force, the size of the crush force is substantially determined after the size and characteristics of the crush ring 93 are set, and thus the uniformity of the crush force can be made very high in this manner.

To ensure that the crush ring 93 can scratch the surface of the crush column 92, the material hardness of the crush ring 93 can be greater than the material hardness of the crush column 92.

The crush ring 93 may be mounted within the sliding cylinder 91 by any suitable means, such as welding or riveting with the sliding cylinder 91. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 21, the inner wall of the sliding cylinder 91 is formed with an annular positioning groove 913, and the crush ring 93 is embedded in the annular positioning groove 913.

To increase the collapsing effect while preventing the collapse cylinder 92 from wobbling within the slide cylinder 91, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 19 and 20, there are two collapse rings 93, and the two collapse rings 93 are spaced apart in the axial direction of the slide cylinder 91.

In order to eliminate the gap between the sliding cylinder 91 and the sliding collar 100 and reduce the wobbling, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 13, a pressing mechanism 200 is provided on the first cylinder 80, and the pressing mechanism 200 applies a radial force to the side of the sliding cylinder 91 to press the sliding cylinder 91 against the sliding collar 100.

Further, as shown in fig. 17 and 18, a mounting hole 804 is provided on a side wall of the first column 80, the pressing mechanism 200 is disposed in the mounting hole 804, the pressing mechanism includes a snap spring 201, a disc spring pressing sheet 202, a plurality of disc springs 203, a spacer 204, and a pressing block 205, which are sequentially stacked, the snap spring 201 is snapped on an inner wall of the mounting hole 804, the plurality of disc springs 203 are stacked and pressed between the disc spring pressing sheet 202 and the spacer 204, and the pressing block 205 abuts on a side surface of the sliding column 91. The elastic force of the disc spring 203 is transmitted to the slide cylinder 91 through the pressing block 205, and presses the slide cylinder 91 against the slide collar 100.

In addition to the above-described components, as shown in fig. 2 and 4, the steering column of the present disclosure may further include an adjustment controller 180, the adjustment controller 180 being mounted on the first column casing 80, the adjustment controller 180 being connected to the angle adjusting motor 10 through a first wire harness 191, and the adjustment controller 180 being connected to the height adjusting motor 110 through a second wire harness 192.

In order to make the overall structure of the steering column more compact and occupy less space, in one embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 and 4, the adjustment controller 180 is located between both end portions of the first column 80 in the axial direction of the first column 80, and the fixing bracket 160, the angle-adjusting screw-nut mechanism, the height-adjusting screw-nut mechanism, and the adjustment controller 180 are distributed around the first column 80, that is, the fixing bracket 160, the angle-adjusting screw-nut mechanism, the height-adjusting screw-nut mechanism, and the adjustment controller 180 surround the first column 80.

The following briefly describes the operation of the steering column for angle adjustment and height adjustment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The adjustment controller 180 drives the internal circuit upon receiving the angle adjustment signal, transmits the driving signal to the angle adjustment motor 10 through the first wire harness 191, and the angle adjustment motor 10 starts to rotate upon receiving the driving signal. The angle adjusting motor 10 transmits its generated torque to the angle adjusting screw 30 after rotating, so that the angle adjusting screw 30 also rotates. A lead screw nut pair is arranged between the angle adjusting lead screw 30 and the angle adjusting nut 40, and when the angle adjusting lead screw 30 rotates, the angle adjusting nut 40 moves along the axis of the angle adjusting lead screw 30. The angle adjustment nut 40 moves along the angle adjustment screw 30 and simultaneously drives the first connecting rod 171 to rotate, and the rotation of the first connecting rod 171 drives the second connecting rod 172 to rotate around the fifth hinge axis E-E and simultaneously drives the first column 80 to rotate around the first hinge axis a-a, thereby achieving the angle adjustment function of the steering column.

The adjustment controller 180 drives the internal circuit upon receiving the height adjustment signal, and transmits the driving signal to the height adjustment motor 110 through the second wire harness 192, and the height adjustment motor 110 starts to rotate upon receiving the driving signal. The height-adjusting motor 110 transmits its own generated torque to the height-adjusting screw 130 after rotating, so that the height-adjusting screw 130 also rotates. A lead screw nut pair is provided between the height adjusting screw 130 and the height adjusting nut 140, and when the height adjusting screw 130 rotates, the height adjusting nut 140 moves along the axis of the height adjusting screw 130. The height adjusting nut 140 is fixedly connected with the second cylinder 90, and when the height adjusting nut 140 moves, the second cylinder 90 also moves together, so that the height adjusting function of the steering column is realized.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle comprising a steering column as described above.

The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments, and various simple modifications may be made to the technical solution of the present disclosure within the technical idea of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that the various features described in the above embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the scope of the invention. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combinations will not be separately described in this disclosure.

In addition, any combination of various embodiments of the present disclosure may be made, and the same should be considered as the disclosure of the present disclosure, as long as it does not depart from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims (10)

1. Steering column, characterized in that it comprises a steering shaft (60), a fixed support (160), a first column (80), a second column (90), an angle adjustment motor (10), an angle adjustment screw-nut mechanism, a linkage mechanism, a height adjustment motor (110), a height adjustment screw-nut mechanism, said second column (90) being arranged inside said first column (80) and being slidably sleeved with said first column (80), said steering shaft (60) being inserted through said first column (80) and said second column (90), said steering shaft (60) comprising an upper shaft (61) and a lower shaft (62) which are splined, said upper shaft (61) being supported inside said second column (90) by means of a first bearing (71), said lower shaft (62) being supported inside said first column (80) by means of a second bearing (72), said first column (80) being hinged on said fixed support (160) about a first hinge axis (A-A), the angle adjustment motor (10) can drive the first column (80) to rotate relative to the fixed bracket (160) through the angle adjustment screw-nut mechanism and the link mechanism, and the height adjustment motor (110) can drive the second column (90) to axially move relative to the first column (80) through the height adjustment screw-nut mechanism.

2. The steering column according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle adjustment screw-nut mechanism comprises an angle adjustment screw (30) and an angle adjustment nut (40) fitted over the angle adjustment screw (30), the angle adjustment screw (30) being connected to the angle adjustment motor (10), the angle adjustment nut (40) being connected to the fixed bracket (160) by means of the link mechanism, one of the links of which is hinged to the first column tube (80) about a second hinge axis (B-B), the first hinge axis (a-a) being parallel to the second hinge axis (B-B).

3. Steering column according to claim 2, characterized in that the axis of the angle adjustment screw (30) is perpendicular to the first articulation axis (a-a).

4. Steering column according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises an angle adjustment motor base (20), on which angle adjustment motor base (20) the angle adjustment motor (10) is fixed, the angle adjustment motor base (20) being articulated on the first column (80) about a third articulation axis (C-C), which is parallel to the first articulation axis (a-a).

5. The steering column according to claim 2, characterized in that the linkage comprises a first link (171) and a second link (172), a first end of the first connecting rod (171) is hinged on the angle adjusting nut (40) around a fourth hinge axis (D-D), a second end of the first link (171) is hinged to a first end of the second link (172) about a sixth hinge axis (F-F), a second end of the second link (172) is hinged on the fixed bracket (160) about a fifth hinge axis (E-E), the first articulation axis (A-A), the fourth articulation axis (D-D), the fifth articulation axis (E-E) and the sixth articulation axis (F-F) being parallel, the first connecting rod (171) is hinged on the first column (80) about the second hinge axis (B-B).

6. The steering column according to claim 5, characterized in that the first link (171) has a first hinge point connected to the angle adjustment nut (40), a second hinge point connected to the first column tube (80), and a third hinge point connected to the second link (172), and a line connecting the first hinge point, the second hinge point, and the third hinge point is triangular.

7. The steering column according to claim 2, characterized in that said linkage is two, said two being respectively arranged on either side of said angle adjustment nut (40).

8. The steering column according to claim 1, characterized in that the height adjusting screw-nut mechanism comprises a height adjusting screw (130) and a height adjusting nut (140) sleeved on the height adjusting screw (130), the height adjusting screw (130) is connected with the height adjusting motor (110), the height adjusting nut (140) is connected with the second cylinder (90), and the axis of the height adjusting screw (130) is parallel to the axis of the second cylinder (90).

9. The steering column according to claim 8, further comprising a height adjustment motor base (120), the height adjustment motor (110) being fixed to the height adjustment motor base (120), the height adjustment motor base (120) being fixed to the first column casing (80).

10. A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a steering column according to any one of claims 1-9.