Dust cover for a steering apparatus of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772579-B2
Application number	US-202017025567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2020
Priority date	Nov 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A dust cover for a steering apparatus of a vehicle includes a first cover coupled to an intermediate shaft in a state in which a bearing member is interposed and fixed to a vehicle body panel. The dust cover also includes a second cover coupled to the intermediate shaft in the state in which the bearing member is interposed and fixed to the vehicle body panel together with the first cover in a state of being bonded to the first cover. A tight contact rib in a long continuous shape along a periphery of the intermediate shaft is formed to protrude from the first cover such that the tight contact rib maintains airtightness between the first cover and the vehicle body panel in a state of being always in a tightly adhered state with the vehicle body panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dust cover for a steering apparatus of a vehicle, the dust cover comprising:
a first cover coupled to an intermediate shaft in a state in which a first bearing member is interposed and fixed to a vehicle body panel; and
a second cover coupled to the intermediate shaft in a state in which a second bearing member is interposed and fixed to the vehicle body panel together with the first cover in a state of being bonded to the first cover,
wherein a tight contact rib in a long continuous shape along a periphery of the intermediate shaft is formed to protrude from the first cover such that the tight contact rib maintains airtightness between the first cover and the vehicle body panel in a state of being always in a tightly adhered state with the vehicle body panel,
wherein a curtain portion is formed to extend from each of inner surfaces of the first cover and the second cover to be in contact with the intermediate shaft to partition an interior of a sealed air layer area and is provided inside the sealed air layer area, and the dust cover is configured to have a substantially bilateral symmetric structure with respect to the curtain portion.

2. The dust cover of claim 1 , wherein, in a state in which the first cover is coupled to the second cover, a sealed inner space is formed inside the two covers, and wherein the sealed inner space of the two covers is filled with air such that the sealed air layer area is provided.

3. The dust cover of claim 1 , wherein:
an accommodation portion is formed in a recessed shape in which the first cover and the second cover are accommodated at the vehicle body panel; and
the tight contact rib is formed to protrude from an outer surface of the first cover accommodated in the accommodation portion of the vehicle body panel such that the tight contact rib maintains airtightness between the outer surface of the first cover and an inner surface of the accommodation portion.

4. The dust cover of claim 3 , wherein the tight contact rib is formed to be elongated in a circular shape along the periphery of the intermediate shaft.

5. The dust cover of claim 1 , wherein each of the first cover and the second cover includes:
an outer tube portion in which the tight contact rib is formed;
an inner tube portion coupled to the intermediate shaft in a state of interposing athe first and second bearing members, respectively; and
a connector formed to connect between the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion.

6. The dust cover of claim 5 , wherein each of the first cover and the second cover further includes:
a flange portion formed in the outer tube portion,
wherein the flange portions of the first cover and the second cover are fixed to the vehicle body panel in a state of being bonded thereto.

7. The dust cover of claim 5 , wherein, in each of the first cover and the second cover, the connector has a bent cross-sectional shape which is deformable due to a force applied through the inner tube portion in the intermediate shaft.

8. The dust cover of claim 5 , wherein, in the first cover and the second cover, the outer tube portion, the connector, and the inner tube portion are each provided to have a bent zigzag shape in cross section such that, when the connector is deformed, a gap between the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion is adjustable.

9. A dust cover for a steering apparatus of a vehicle, the dust cover comprising:
a first cover coupled to an intermediate shaft in a state in which a first bearing member is interposed and fixed to a vehicle body panel; and
a second cover coupled to the intermediate shaft in a state in which a second bearing member is interposed and fixed to the vehicle body panel together with the first cover in a state of being bonded to the first cover,
wherein a tight contact rib in a long continuous shape along a periphery of the intermediate shaft is formed to protrude from the first cover such that the tight contact rib maintains airtightness between the first cover and the vehicle body panel in a state of being always in a tightly adhered state with the vehicle body panel,
wherein a curtain portion is formed to extend from each of inner surfaces of the first cover and the second cover to be in contact with the intermediate shaft to partition an interior of a sealed air layer area and is provided inside the sealed air layer area,
wherein each of the first cover and the second cover includes:
an outer tube portion in which the tight contact rib is formed;
an inner tube portion coupled to the intermediate shaft in a state of interposing the first and second bearing members, respectively; and
a connector formed to connect between the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion,

wherein a gap is formed between the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion such that when the connector is deformed, the gap is adjusted, and
wherein the dust cover is configured to have a substantially bilateral symmetric structure with respect to the curtain portion..

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Ahn Hyoung Jun
• Sim Sang Hyun

Classifications

• B60R13/0853 Primary

  specially adapted for movable parts, e.g. gears levers, pedals · CPC title

• B62D1/187

  with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment (B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D1/20 Primary

  Connecting steering column to steering gear · CPC title

• B60R13/0846 Primary

  for duct, cable or rod passages, e.g. between engine and passenger compartments · CPC title

• B62D1/16

  Steering columns · CPC title