Steering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159387-A1
Application number	US-201414908332-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a steering device including a hollow upper jacket that accommodates a steering shaft, a first engagement member, a rotary shaft that extends in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the steering shaft, and a second engagement member that is a component independent from the rotary shaft. The first engagement member has an engagement hole and is attached to the upper jacket. The second engagement member has an engagement projection which is engageable with the engagement hole. The second engagement member is movable between a lock position where the engagement projection engages with the engagement hole and a release position where the engagement projection is disengaged from the engagement hole, in accordance with a rotation of the rotary shaft. A vertical direction of the second engagement member between the lock position and the release position is different from a rotating direction of the rotary shaft.

First claim

1 . A steering device comprising:
a steering shaft in which a steering member is attached to one end thereof and which is extendable and retractable in an axial direction thereof; a column jacket which includes a hollow lower jacket and a hollow upper jacket positioned closer to the steering member than the lower jacket and accommodates and rotatably supports the steering shaft, the column jacket being extendable and retractable together with the steering shaft due to a relative movement of the upper jacket in the axial direction with respect to the lower jacket; a first engagement member which is formed with a plurality of engagement holes arranged in the axial direction and is attached to the upper jacket; a bracket which is supported by a vehicle body in a state where a position thereof in the axial direction is fixed; a rotary shaft which extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to which an operation lever is connected, the rotary shaft being supported by the bracket so as to be rotatable in accordance with an operation of the operation lever; and a second engagement member which includes an engagement projection being engageable with any of the engagement holes and being elastically deformable and is a component independent from the rotary shaft, the second engagement member being supported by the bracket so as to be movable between a lock position where the engagement projection engages with the engagement hole and a release position where the engagement projection is disengaged from the engagement hole, in accordance with a rotation of the rotary shaft, wherein a movement direction of the second engagement member between the lock position and the release position is different from a rotating direction of the rotary shaft.

2 . The steering device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cam which is attached to the rotary shaft, eccentrically rotates in accordance with a rotation of the rotary shaft, and moves the second engagement member between the lock position and the release position.

3 . The steering device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the second engagement member includes:
a main body in which the engagement projection is provided; and
a pressing member which is provided as a component independent from the main body, is elongated in the axial direction, and presses the main body against the first engagement member when being pressed by the cam while being at the lock position.

4 . The steering device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the main body is formed of a leaf spring, and wherein the engagement projection is a portion which is cut and raised from the main body toward a side of the first engagement member.

5 . The steering device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a biasing portion which is provided in the main body and biases the second engagement member toward the release position.

6 . The steering device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a positioning portion which is provided in the main body and positions the pressing member in the main body.

7 . The steering device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a shock absorption portion which is provided in the first engagement member and is deformed while accompanying the upper jacket at the time of vehicle collision so as to absorb a shock at the time of vehicle collision.

8 . The steering device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a shock absorption portion which is provided in the main body so as to be disposed between the main body and the pressing member and is deformed while accompanying the upper jacket or sliding with respect to the pressing member at the time of vehicle collision so as to absorb a shock at the time of vehicle collision.

9 . The steering device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a fixing-releasing portion which fixes a portion of the shock absorption portion in the axial direction in order to cause the shock absorption portion to be deformed at the time of vehicle collision, and releases a fixed portion of the shock absorption portion in the axial direction in order to cause the shock absorption portion to slide with respect to the pressing member at the time of vehicle collision.

10 . The steering device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a second shock absorption portion which is disposed so as to overlap the shock absorption portion, has a portion fixed in the axial direction, and is deformed while accompanying the upper jacket at the time of vehicle collision so as to absorb a shock at the time of vehicle collision.

11 . A steering device comprising:
a steering shaft in which a steering member is attached to one end thereof and which is extendable and retractable in an axial direction thereof; a column jacket which includes a hollow lower jacket and a hollow upper jacket positioned closer to the steering member than the lower jacket and accommodates and rotatably supports the steering shaft, the column jacket being extendable and retractable together with the steering shaft due to a relative movement of the upper jacket in the axial direction with respect to the lower jacket; a bracket which is supported by a vehicle body in a state where a position thereof in the axial direction is fixed; a rotary shaft which extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to which an operation lever is connected, the rotary shaft being supported by the bracket so as to be rotatable in accordance with an operation of the operation lever; a first engagement member which is formed with a plurality of engagement holes arranged in the axial direction; a second engagement member which includes an engagement projection being engageable with any of the engagement holes and being elastically deformable and is a component individually independent from the rotary shaft and the first engagement member, the second engagement member being supported by the upper jacket so as to be relatively movable between a lock position where the engagement projection engages with the engagement hole and a release position where the engagement projection is disengaged from the engagement hole, with respect to the first engagement member in accordance with a rotation of the rotary shaft; and a pressing member which is disposed on a side opposite to the second engagement member with respect to the first engagement member, is supported on a side of the vehicle body, pinches the first engagement member between the pressing member and the second engagement member while being at the lock position, and releases the first engagement member pinched between the pressing member and the second engagement member while the second engagement member is at the release position, wherein a relative movement direction of the second engagement member between the lock position and the release position is different from a rotating direction of the rotary shaft, and wherein the first engagement member also serves as a shock absorption portion which is deformed while accompanying the upper jacket or slides with respect to the pressing member at the time of vehicle collision so as to absorb a shock at the time of vehicle collision.

12 . The steering device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a fixing-releasing portion which fixes a portion of the shock absorption portion in the axial direction in order to cause the shock absorption portion to be deformed at the time of vehicle collision, and releases the fixed portion of the shock absorption portion in the axial direction in order to cause the shock absorption portion to slide with respect to the pressing member at the time of vehicle collision.

1

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp
• Fuji Kiko Kk

Inventors

• Okano Ryota
• Nagaoka Masayuki
• Imagaki Susumu
• Yamaoka Michiaki
• Uesaka Yota

Classifications

• B62D1/195 Primary

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title

• B62D1/185

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

• B62D1/184

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title