Steering column device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12151738-B2
Application number	US-202118043170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

A steering column device includes a steering column; and a telescopic actuator. The steering column includes a first column member, a second column member assembled to the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in an axial direction, and a low-friction sliding member disposed between the first column member and the second column member. The telescopic actuator includes a telescopic motor, and displaces the second column member in the axial direction with respect to the first column member by using the telescopic motor as a drive source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering column device comprising:
a steering column; and
a telescopic actuator, wherein:
the steering column includes:
a first column member;
a second column member assembled to the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in an axial direction; and
a low-friction sliding member disposed between the first column member and the second column member;
the telescopic actuator includes a telescopic motor, and displaces the second column member in the axial direction with respect to the first column member by using the telescopic motor as a drive source;
the low-friction sliding member is a linear guide;
the linear guide includes:
a guide rail extending along the axial direction; and
a slider assembled to the guide rail in a manner of being displaceable in the axial direction along the guide rail;
the linear guide is disposed between the first column member and the second column member;
the second column member has a through hole, which penetrates in an upper-lower direction, in an upper portion thereof;
the slider has a screw hole opened to a lower surface thereof, and is supported and fixed to an upper surface of the second column member by screwing a support bolt inserted into the through hole from below with the screw hole; and
the guide rail is supported and fixed to a lower surface of the first column member.

2. The steering column device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the steering column includes the first column member, a column holder assembled to the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and an upper column assembled to the column holder in a manner of being displaceable relative to the column holder in the axial direction, and the low-friction sliding member is disposed at least between the first column member and the column holder or between the column holder and the upper column; and
the steering column device further comprises:
a lower telescopic actuator including a lower telescopic motor and configured to displace the column holder in the axial direction with respect to the first column member by using the lower telescopic motor as a drive source; and
an upper telescopic actuator including an upper telescopic motor and configured to displace the upper column in the axial direction with respect to the column holder by using the upper telescopic motor as a drive source.

3. The steering column device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the column holder includes the second column member supported by the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and a lower column supported by the second column member in a manner of being swingable relative to the second column member in an upper-lower direction; and
the steering column device further comprises:
a tilt actuator including a tilt motor and configured to displace the lower column in the upper-lower direction with respect to the second column member by using the tilt motor as a drive source.

4. The steering column device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the steering column includes the first column member, a column holder assembled to the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and an upper column assembled to the column holder in a manner of being displaceable relative to the column holder in the axial direction;
the column holder includes the second column member supported by the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and a lower column supported by the second column member in a manner of being swingable relative to the second column member in an upper-lower direction; and
the low-friction sliding member is disposed inward of an outer peripheral surface of the lower column in a width direction.

5. The steering column device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the low-friction sliding member is disposed between the first column member and the second column member;
the second column member has a thick portion; and
the low-friction sliding member is disposed at the thick portion.

6. The steering column device according to claim 5 , wherein
the thick portion is disposed inward of the outer peripheral surface of the lower column in the width direction.

7. The steering column device according to claim 5 , wherein
a thickness of a portion of the thick portion adjacent to a location at which the low-friction sliding member is disposed is larger than a thickness of a portion of the first column member
adjacent to the location at which the low-friction sliding member is disposed.

8. The steering column device according to claim 1 , wherein
the through hole is disposed in each of both side portions in a width direction so as to sandwich a central axis of the steering column, and the screw hole is disposed in each of both
side portions in the width direction so as to sandwich the central axis of the steering column.

9. A steering column device comprising:
a steering column; and
a telescopic actuator, wherein:
the steering column includes:
a first column member;
a second column member assembled to the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in an axial direction; and
a low-friction sliding member disposed between the first column member and the second column member;
the telescopic actuator includes a telescopic motor, and displaces the second column member in the axial direction with respect to the first column member by using the telescopic motor as a drive source;
the steering column includes the first column member, a column holder assembled to the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and an upper column assembled to the column holder in a manner of being displaceable relative to the column holder in the axial direction;
the column holder includes the second column member supported by the first column member in a manner of being displaceable relative to the first column member in the axial direction, and a lower column supported by the second column member in a manner of being swingable relative to the second column member in an upper-lower direction;
the low-friction sliding member is disposed inward of an outer peripheral surface of the lower column in a width direction;
the low-friction sliding member is disposed between the first column member and the second column member;
the second column member has a thick portion; and
the low-friction sliding member is disposed at the thick portion.

10. The steering column device according to claim 9 , wherein the low-friction sliding member is a rolling member.

11. The steering column device according to claim 10 , wherein the rolling member is disposed at two locations in a width direction so as to face each other in the width direction.

12. The steering column device according to claim 9 , wherein the low-friction sliding member is a sliding member.

13. The steering column device according to claim 12 , wherein the sliding member is disposed at two locations in a width direction so as to face each other in the width direction.

Assignees

• Nsk Ltd

Inventors

• Taguchi Yuichiro
• Yamamoto Shin

Classifications

• B62D1/181 Primary

  with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory · CPC title

• B62D1/187 Primary

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

• B62D1/189

  the entire column being tiltable as a unit · CPC title