Steering apparatus for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296419-B2
Application number	US-201514687555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an steering apparatus and, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, occurrence of noise resulting from slip between an inner surface of a fixing bracket and a side surface of a hinge pipe, which faces the inner surface, is prevented, thereby providing the driver with a comfortable steering feeling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering apparatus comprising: a hinge pipe fitted into and penetrating through a through-hole of a fitting bracket that is mounted to an upper outer portion of a tube,
wherein the tube surrounds a steering shaft in a direction orthogonal to that of the hinge pipe and is rotatably coupled to a fixing bracket so that a rotational axis of the tube is perpendicular to that of the hinge pipe,
wherein the hinge pipe has multiple protrusions formed on each end surface thereof around a through-hole that is formed along the rotational axis of the hinge pipe, and
wherein the each end surface faces inner surfaces of the fixing bracket to prevent slip noise between the inner surfaces of the fixing bracket and the end surfaces of the hinge pipe.

2. The steering apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the protrusions comprises at least two support protrusions formed to protrude in an axial direction of the hinge pipe with different lengths.

3. The steering apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the support protrusions comprise a first support protrusion abutting the inner surface of the fixing bracket and a second support protrusion formed on one side of the first support protrusion and spaced from the inner surface of the fixing bracket.

4. The steering apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the support protrusions comprise a first support protrusion abutting the inner surface of the fixing bracket and a pair of second support protrusions formed on one side and the other side of the first support protrusions, respectively, and spaced from the inner surface of the fixing bracket.

5. The steering apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the support protrusions comprise a pair of first support protrusions abutting the inner surface of the fixing bracket and a second support protrusion formed between the first support protrusions and spaced from the inner surface of the fixing bracket.

6. The steering apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple protrusions are formed on each end surface of the hinge pipe to be spaced apart at an identical interval in the circumferential direction.

7. The steering apparatus of claim 1 , wherein recessed portions are formed on one side surface or both side surfaces of the protrusions.

8. The steering apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a fixing guide having a hollow cylinder shape and provided between the through-hole of the fitting bracket and the hinge pipe inside the through-hole of the fitting bracket,
wherein the fixing guide has a rib protruding outwards from an outer surface of an end of the fixing guide and has serrations formed on an inner surface of the fixing guide, and
wherein both ends of the hinge pipe are firmly fixed to the inner surface of the fixing guide.

9. A steering apparatus comprising: a hinge pipe fitted into and penetrating through a through-hole of a fitting bracket that is mounted to an upper outer portion of a tube which surrounds a steering shaft and which is rotatably coupled to a fixing bracket, the hinge pipe having multiple protrusions formed in a circumferential direction on an end surface of the hinge pipe,
wherein the end surface of the hinge pipe faces an inner surface of the fixing bracket to prevent slip noise between the inner surface of the fixing bracket and the end surface of the hinge pipe, and
wherein each of the protrusions comprises at least two support protrusions protruding in an axial direction of the hinge pipe with different lengths.

Assignees

• Mando Corp

Inventors

• Oh Jin Seok

Classifications

• B62D1/189

  the entire column being tiltable as a unit · CPC title

• B62D7/224 Primary

  acting between the steering wheel and the steering gear, e.g. on the steering column · CPC title