Support bracket for steering apparatus and steering apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148703-B2
Application number	US-201716606379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2017
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Construction for reinforcing the strength of a pair of support plate sections is achieved. Upper end edges of the pair of support plate sections are fastened to a bottom surface of a bridge plate section of an installation plate section via lug sections for welding. A reinforcing member comprising a protrusion which is convex on the outside in the width direction and concave on the inside in the width direction is provided from the upper end section to the lower end section of the front-end section of each one of the pair of support plate sections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A support bracket for steering apparatus comprising:
an installation section enabling to be fixed to a vehicle body;
a pair of support plate sections arranged separately and oppositely from each other in a width direction of the vehicle body, and respectively comprising an upper end section connected to a bottom surface of the installation section and a fixed-side through hole; and
a reinforcing member provided in at least one of positions that are shifted to a front side or a rear side than the fixed-side through hole of each of the pair of support plate sections, extending in an up-down direction, and comprising an upper end edge as a free end,
wherein the installation section comprises an installation plate section having a bridge plate section and a pair of side plate sections provided on both sides of the bridge plate sections in the width direction of the vehicle body, and
wherein an installation-side slit is provided in a middle section in a forward-backward direction of an inner end section in the width direction of at least one side plate section of the pair of side plate sections, the installation-side slit extending in the forward-backward direction and passing through the at least one side plate section in a thickness direction thereof.

2. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of ribs is provided separately in the forward-backward direction at an inner end section in the width direction of the at least one side plate section and at a part of both end sections in the width direction of the bridge plate section continuous with the inner end section in the width direction of the at least one side plate section.

3. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one rib of the pair of ribs is arranged to extend in the width direction of the vehicle body on the bridge plate section.

4. A steering apparatus comprising:
a support bracket for the steering apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a steering column for rotatably supporting a steering shaft inside thereof,
wherein the steering column is supported by a vehicle body through the support bracket.

5. A support bracket for steering apparatus comprising:
an installation section enabling to be fixed to a vehicle body;
a pair of support plate sections arranged separately and oppositely from each other in a width direction of the vehicle body, and respectively comprising an upper end section connected to a bottom surface of the installation section and a fixed-side through hole; and
a reinforcing member provided in at least one of positions that are shifted to a front side or a rear side than the fixed-side through hole of each of the pair of support plate sections, extending in an up-down direction, and comprising an upper end edge as a free end,
wherein the reinforcing member comprise a protrusion extending in the up-down direction, the protrusion being convex on an outside with respect to the width direction of the vehicle body and concave on an inside with respect to the width direction of the vehicle body.

6. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a slit in the up-down direction passing through each one of the pair of support plate sections in the width direction is respectively provided therein at a section located between the reinforcing member and the fixed-side through hole with respect to the forward-backward direction and that is aligned with the fixed-side through hole at least in the up-down direction.

7. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the slit in the up-down direction comprise an upper side slit, a lower side slit, and an intermediate slit connecting the upper side slit and the lower side slit in the up-down direction, the upper side slit having an approximately circular shape, or a long circular shape extending in the forward-backward direction, or being made as a long hole extending in the forward-backward direction, or as a long hole inclining upward as going toward the rear, as seen from the width direction, and the lower side slit having an approximately circular shape, or a long circular shape extending in the forward-backward direction, or being made as a long hole extending in the forward-backward direction, or as a long hole inclining upward as going toward the rear, as seen from the width direction.

8. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a slit in the forward-backward direction is provided in a section located under the fixed-side through hole of each of the pair of support plate sections that is aligned with the lower side slit of the slit in the up-down direction with respect to the up-down direction.

9. A steering apparatus comprising:
a support bracket for the steering apparatus according to claim 5 ; and
a steering column for rotatably supporting a steering shaft inside thereof,
wherein the steering column is supported by a vehicle body through the support bracket.

10. A support bracket for steering apparatus comprising:
an installation section enabling to be fixed to a vehicle body;
a pair of support plate sections arranged separately and oppositely from each other in a width direction of the vehicle body, and respectively comprising an upper end section connected to a bottom surface of the installation section and a fixed-side through hole; and
a reinforcing member provided in at least one of positions that are shifted to a front side or a rear side than the fixed-side through hole of each of the pair of support plate sections, extending in an up-down direction, and comprising an upper end edge as a free end,
wherein a slit in the up-down direction passing through each one of the pair of support plate sections in the width direction is respectively provided therein at a section located between the reinforcing member and the fixed-side through hole with respect to the forward-backward direction and that is aligned with the fixed-side through hole at least in the up-down direction.

11. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the slit in the up-down direction comprise an upper side slit, a lower side slit, and an intermediate slit connecting the upper side slit and the lower side slit in the up-down direction, the upper side slit having an approximately circular shape, or a long circular shape extending in the forward-backward direction, or being made as a long hole extending in the forward-backward direction, or as a long hole inclining upward as going toward the rear, as seen from the width direction, and the lower side slit having an approximately circular shape, or a long circular shape extending in the forward-backward direction, or being made as a long hole extending in the forward-backward direction, or as a long hole inclining upward as going toward the rear, as seen from the width direction.

12. The support bracket for steering apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a slit in the forward-backward direction is provided in a section located under the fixed-side through hole of each of the pair of support plate sections that is aligned with the lower side slit of the slit in the up-down direction with respect to the up-down direction.

13. A steering apparatus comprising:
a support bracket for the steering apparatus according to claim 10 ; and
a steering column for rotatably supporting a steering shaft inside thereof,
wherein the steering column is supported by a vehicle body through the support bracket.

14. A support bracket for steering apparatus comprising:
an installation s

Assignees

• Nsk Ltd

Inventors

• Sugishita Suguru
• Kabe Naoki

Classifications

• B60R25/021 Primary

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

• B62D1/16 Primary

  Steering columns · CPC title

• B62D1/184

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/185

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

• B62D1/195

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title