Steering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093341-B2
Application number	US-201515506389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A steering device includes a cylindrical inner column that supports an input shaft connected to a steering wheel so as to allow the input shaft to be rotatable, a cylindrical outer column into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted, and a cylindrical lower column that supports an output shaft connected to the input shaft so as to allow the output shaft to be rotatable and is supported by a dash panel. The lower column moves to a rear side at the time of a primary collision, and the inner column and the outer column move relative to each other at the time of a secondary collision.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering device comprising:
a cylindrical inner column that supports an input shaft connected to a steering wheel so as to allow the input shaft to be rotatable;
a cylindrical outer column into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted; and
a cylindrical lower column that supports an output shaft connected to the input shaft so as to allow the output shaft to be rotatable and is supported by a dash panel,
a first hole that is provided in the inner column;
a first slit of the outer column that is formed by notching one end of the outer column, the one end being a side into which the inner column is inserted;
an outer column bracket that is fixed to a vehicle body-side member and clamps and supports the outer column together with holding force-increasing members;
an inner column bracket which is supported by the holding force-increasing members and in which a second hole is formed; and
a shear pin that connects the inner column bracket to the inner column at a position across the first and second holes so that the inner column bracket and the inner column are detachable from each other,
wherein the lower column moves to a rear side at the time of a primary collision, and the inner column and the outer column move relative to each other at the time of a secondary collision, and
wherein an inner wall of the outer column is in contact with an outer wall of the inner column in a state in which the outer column is clamped, and a telescopic position of the inner column is adjustable in a state in which the clamping of the outer column is released.

2. The steering device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer column includes a second slit that is provided at a position different from the position of the first slit, the second slit being an elongated hole extending in an axial direction of the outer column,
a stopper is mounted on a portion of the inner column exposed to the second slit, and
the stopper comes into contact with a second end portion-inner wall after a secondary collision, the second end portion-inner wall being an inner wall of a front end portion of the second slit.

3. The steering device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the inner column bracket comes into contact with a first end portion-inner wall according to the adjustment of the telescopic position of the inner column, the first end portion-inner wall being an inner wall of a front end portion of the first slit, and
in a state in which the inner column bracket is in contact with the first end portion-inner wall, the stopper is present at a position deviating from the second end portion-inner wall.

4. The steering device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an intermediate column that is fitted to a front side of the outer column and is fitted to a rear side of the lower column.

5. The steering device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lower column includes a bush that is an annular elastic member, the bush being provided at a position corresponding to a through-hole provided in the dash panel.

6. The steering device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holding force-increasing member is a plate-like member that includes an elongated hole extending in the axial direction of the outer column.

7. The steering device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holding force-increasing members are disposed on both sides of the outer column, and
the inner column bracket is connected to each of the holding force-increasing members that are disposed on both sides of the outer column.

8. The steering device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the shear pin is a cylindrical member that includes a guide hole passing through the other end of the cylindrical member from one end of the cylindrical member, the shear pin including an outer pin that passes through the first and second holes and an inner pin that passes through the guide hole and pushes an inner wall of the guide hole to the outside in a radial direction of the guide hole.

9. The steering device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a damper that is mounted on the inner column bracket and faces the inner wall of the front end portion of the first slit, in the axial direction of the outer column.

Assignees

• Nsk Ltd

Inventors

• Johta Masaya
• Orihara daiki

Classifications

• B62D1/192 Primary

  Yieldable or collapsible columns · CPC title

• B62D1/189

  the entire column being tiltable as a unit · CPC title

• B62D1/184

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/19

  incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible (shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12) · CPC title

• B62D1/185

  adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically (B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence) · CPC title