Column housing for vehicle steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239488-B2
Application number	US-201615334580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 6, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A column housing for a vehicle steering system is made of synthetic resin and coupled outside a column tube of a steering column for the vehicle system, the column housing including: a slit which is formed to be elongated in a predetermined direction so that the column housing is deformed inward when the column housing is pressed on and fixed to the column tube positioned inside the column housing; and a first reinforcing portion which is formed so as to protrude outward at a predetermined portion from an end position of an end portion of the slit to the periphery of the slit where the slit is not formed, and has a shape having an increased thickness relative to other portions of the column housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A column housing for a vehicle steering system, which is coupled outside a column tube of a steering column for the vehicle steering system, the column housing comprising:
a slit which is formed to be elongated in a predetermined direction so that the column housing is deformed inward when the column housing is pressed on and fixed to the column tube positioned inside the column housing; and
a first reinforcing portion which is formed to protrude outward from an end of the slit to the periphery of the slit in a ion in a longitudinal direction of the column house where the slit is not formed, and has a shape having an increased thickness relative to other portions of the column housing,
wherein the first reinforcing portion is formed only at a portion of the column housing, which corresponds to a predetermined section A from the end of the slit to an intermediate portion of the column housing in the longitudinal direction of the column housing, the portion corresponding to the predetermined section A where the slit is not formed, wherein the column housing is made of synthetic resin.

2. The column housing of claim 1 , wherein a first slit formed in a circumferential direction of the column housing, and a second slit formed from the first slit in a longitudinal direction of the column housing are provided, and the first reinforcing portion is formed at a predetermined portion from the end opposite to an end that is connected with the first slit between both ends of the second slit to the periphery of the second slit where the second slit is not formed.

3. The column housing of claim 1 , wherein second reinforcing portions protrude laterally from an outer surface of the column housing, to which a steering lock device is coupled, to reinforce the coupling of the steering lock device.

4. The column housing of claim 3 , wherein the second reinforcing portions protrude laterally from both left and right sides of the outer surface of the column housing, respectively.

5. The column housing of claim 4 , wherein the second reinforcing portions, which protrude laterally from both left and right sides of the outer surface, respectively, have joint surfaces which are joined to a fastening bracket for mounting the steering lock device, and the steering lock device is fixed as the fastening bracket is fastened in a state in which the fastening bracket is joined to the joint surfaces of the second reinforcing portions.

6. The column housing of claim 5 , wherein fastening holes are formed in the second reinforcing portions, such that a fastening member is inserted into and fastened to the fastening holes of the second reinforcing portions and a fastening hole formed in the fastening bracket of the steering lock device.

7. The column housing of claim 3 , wherein the first reinforcing portion is formed to correspond to a section defined in a longitudinal direction of the column housing from an end of the slit, the second reinforcing portions are formed to correspond to a section defined in the longitudinal direction of the column housing at an outer surface of a portion to which the steering lock device is coupled, and within a section in the longitudinal direction of the column housing, the section in which the second reinforcing portions are formed includes the section in which the first reinforcing portion is formed.

8. The column housing of claim 3 , wherein the first reinforcing portion is formed to correspond to a section defined in a longitudinal direction of the column housing from an end of the slit, the second reinforcing portions are formed to correspond to a section defined in the longitudinal direction of the column housing at an outer surface of a portion to which the steering lock device is coupled, and within a section in the longitudinal direction of the column housing, the section in which the second reinforcing portions are formed includes the section in which the first reinforcing portion is formed, and overlaps with at least a part of a section in which the slit is formed.

9. A column housing for a vehicle steering system, which is coupled outside a column tube of a steering column for the vehicle steering system, the column housing comprising:
a slit which is formed to be elongated in a predetermined direction so that the column housing is deformed inward when the column housing is pressed on and fixed to the column tube positioned inside the column housing; and
a first reinforcing portion which is formed to protrude outward at a predetermined portion and has a shape having an increased thickness relative to other portions of the column housing,
wherein the slit includes a first slit and a second slit, the first slit is formed in a circumferential direction of the column housing and the second slit is formed from the first slit in a longitudinal direction of the column housing, and the first reinforcing portion is formed only at a predetermined portion from an end opposite to an end that is connected with the first slit between both ends of the second slit to the periphery of the second slit in a longitudinal direction of the column housing where the second slit is not formed.

10. The column housing of claim 9 , wherein a section B of a second reinforcing portion includes a section A of the first reinforcing portion which is from an end of the slit to an intermediate portion of the column housing in the longitudinal direction of the column housing and overlaps with at least a part of a section C of the second slit such that the portion of the column housing where the first reinforcing portion is formed is reinforced by the first reinforcing portion and the second reinforcing portions, thereby dispersing force applied from the outside.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Joon Mo
• Jung Un Jae

Classifications

• B62D1/189

  the entire column being tiltable as a unit · CPC title

• B62D1/16 Primary

  Steering columns · CPC title

• B60Y2304/03

  Reducing weight · CPC title

• B62D1/184

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B60R25/021 Primary

  restraining movement of the steering column or steering wheel hub, e.g. restraining means controlled by ignition switch · CPC title