Steering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9376137-B2
Application number	US-201514665691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A steering device includes: a steering shaft and a column jacket that are telescopically adjustable in an axial direction; a lock plate provided with a plurality of holes; a lock mechanism that moves a tooth such that the tooth advances to the lock plate to be engaged with one of the holes, and retreats from the lock plate to be disengaged from the hole. The lock plate includes a bent portion as a stopper at an end portion of the lock plate in the axial direction, and the stopper restricts a movement of an upper jacket relative to a lower jacket in the axial direction by abutting on the lock mechanism in the axial direction when the steering shaft and the column jacket is telescopically adjusted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering device comprising:
a steering shaft including a first end to which a steering member is mounted and second end, wherein the steering shaft is telescopically adjustable in an axial direction of the steering shaft;
a column jacket rotatably supporting the steering shaft and including an upper jacket positioned on a first end side and a lower jacket positioned on a second end side, wherein the column jacket is telescopically adjustable with movement of the upper jacket relative to the lower jacket in the axial direction;
a lock plate fixed to the upper jacket and provided with a plurality of holes arranged in the axial direction; and
a lock mechanism supported by the lower jacket and including a tooth that advances to and retreats from the lock plate, wherein:
the lock mechanism moves the tooth such that the tooth advances to the lock plate to be engaged with one of the holes, and retreats from the lock plate to be disengaged from the one of the holes;
the lock plate includes a bent portion as a stopper at an end portion of the lock plate in the axial direction; and
the stopper restricts the movement of the upper jacket relative to the lower jacket in the axial direction by abutting on the lock mechanism in the axial direction when the steering shaft and the column jacket is telescopically adjusted.

2. The steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper is bent toward the lock mechanism.

3. The steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper includes a first stopper provided at an end portion of the lock plate in the axial direction on the first end side.

4. The steering device according to claim 3 , wherein an end portion of the tooth on an upper side is positioned on the upper side of an end portion of the first stopper on a lower side in a state in which the tooth retreats from the lock plate to a lower side of the lock plate.

5. The steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper includes a second stopper provided at an end portion of the lock plate in the axial direction on the second end side.

6. The steering device according to claim 5 , wherein an end portion of the second stopper on an lower side is positioned on the lower side of an end portion of the lock mechanism on the second end side in a state in which the tooth retreats from the lock plate to the lower side of the lock plate.

7. The steering device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the lower jacket is a tubular body provided with a slit that extends in the axial direction and accommodates the lock mechanism;
the upper jacket is accommodated in the lower jacket; and
the stopper is fitted in the slit.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Fuji Kiko Kk

Inventors

• Yoshihara Yoshihito
• Sugiura Tomonori
• Takahashi Yuji
• Nagatani Atsumune
• Kubota Tatsuro
• Hoshino Shigeru
• Uesaka Yota

Classifications

• B62D1/185

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

• B62D1/184 Primary

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/195

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title