Steering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9022426-B2
Application number	US-201314137293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	May 5, 2015
Grant date	May 5, 2015

Abstract

A steering device includes: a steering shaft; an inner jacket; a column jacket that includes an outer jacket that covers the inner jacket from outside, and supports the steering shaft; a movable bracket that is fixed to the inner jacket; a fixation bracket that has a retention portion, and is fixed to a vehicle body; and a press contact/release portion that brings a first plate-shaped region and a second plate-shaped region into press contact with each other along the plate thickness direction to press the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region against the retention portion, and releases the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region from a state of being in press contact with each other and a state of being pressed against the retention portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering device comprising:
a steering shaft having one end at which a steering member is mounted;
a hollow inner jacket accommodating the steering shaft and movable in an axial direction of the steering shaft;
a column jacket having a first plate-shaped region extending parallel to the axial direction, the column jacket including an outer jacket that covers the inner jacket from outside, the column jacket rotatably supporting the steering shaft and being adjustable at least one of telescopically and tiltably;
a movable bracket having a second plate-shaped region arranged opposite the first plate-shaped region such that a direction of plate thickness of the first plate-shaped region is same as a direction of plate thickness of the second plate-shaped region, the movable bracket being fixed to the inner jacket;
a fixation bracket having a retention portion arranged on an opposite side of the first plate-shaped region relative to the second plate-shaped region, the fixation bracket being fixed to a vehicle body; and
a press contact/release portion that brings the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region into press contact with each other along the plate thickness direction to press the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region against the retention portion, and releases the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region from a state of being in press contact with each other and being pressed against the retention portion.

2. The steering device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support member provided on the outer jacket, the support member slidably supporting the movable bracket from an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to both the axial direction and the plate thickness direction.

3. The steering device according to claim 2 , wherein
the support member is provided on each of both sides of the movable bracket in the orthogonal direction.

4. The steering device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a positioning portion that positions the support member with respect to the outer jacket.

5. The steering device according to claim 4 , wherein
the positioning portion includes a concave portion that is provided in the outer jacket and has a circularly dented cross-section, and a convex portion that is provided on the support member, has a circularly swollen cross-section, and is fitted in the concave portion.

6. The steering device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an adjustment mechanism that adjusts a position of the support member relative to the movable bracket in the orthogonal direction.

7. The steering device according to claim 6 , wherein
the adjustment mechanism includes a threaded hole formed through the outer jacket, and a bolt that is assembled with the threaded hole and presses the support member from the threaded hole toward the movable bracket.

8. The steering device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region are in the state of being in press contact with each other and being pressed against the retention portion, no gap is
provided between the first plate-shaped region and the second plate-shaped region in the plate thickness direction, and no gap is provided between the first plate-shaped region and the retention portion in the plate thickness direction.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Sakata Toru

Classifications

• B62D1/185

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

• B62D1/18 Primary

  yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable (padded linings associated with the steering column B60R21/05) · CPC title

• B62D1/184 Primary

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title