Steering apparatus and bearing member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695872-B2
Application number	US-201514749077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2015
Priority date	Jan 21, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A steering apparatus includes: a rack shaft which moves steered portions based on steering by a steering portion; a cover portion covering the rack shaft; and a bearing member arranged inside the cover portion and supporting the rack shaft so that the rack shaft is movable in an axial direction of the rack shaft, and the bearing member has a reservoir portion reserving a lubricant at a contact spot with respect to the rack shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering apparatus comprising:
a rack shaft which moves steered portions based on steering by a steering portion;
a cover portion covering the rack shaft; and
a bearing member arranged inside the cover portion and supporting the rack shaft so that the rack shaft is movable in an axial direction of the rack shaft,
wherein the bearing member has a reservoir portion holding a lubricant at a contact spot with respect to the rack shaft, and a projecting portion projecting toward the rack shaft to form the contact spot.

2. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reservoir portion is formed at the projecting portion.

3. The steering apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the reservoir portion is at least one concave portion that is concaved toward an outer surface of the bearing member in a radial direction of the rack shaft.

4. The steering apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the reservoir portion is formed at plural convex portions projecting toward the rack shaft, and
the lubricant is held between two of the plural convex portions.

5. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reservoir portion is at least one concave portion that is concaved toward an outer surface of the bearing member in a radial direction of the rack shaft.

6. The steering apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the reservoir portion is plural concave portions, and
the plural concave portions are arranged in such a manner that the plural concave portions are placed without a break in the axial direction when viewed from a circumferential direction of the rack shaft.

7. The steering apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one concave portion has a spherical shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rack shaft.

8. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reservoir portion is formed at plural convex portions projecting toward the rack shaft, and
the lubricant is held between two of the plural convex portions.

9. The steering apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the plural convex portions are arranged in such a manner that the plural concave portions are placed without a break in the axial direction when viewed from a circumferential direction of the rack shaft.

10. The steering apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plural convex portions has a spherical shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rack shaft.

11. A bearing member for supporting a rack shaft which moves steered portions based on steering by a steering portion so that the rack shaft is movable in an axial direction of the rack shaft, comprising:
a contact portion projecting toward an inner side of the bearing member in a radial direction of the rack shaft against which the rack shaft abuts and forming a contact spot with respect to the rack shaft; and
plural convex portions projecting toward the inner side of the bearing member in the radial direction, or at least one concave portion that is concaved toward an outer surface of the bearing member in the radial direction, wherein
the plural convex portions or the at least one concave portion are provided at the contact portion so that a lubricant is held at the contact spot, and
when the plural convex portions are provided, the lubricant is held between two of the plural convex portions.

12. The bearing member according to claim 11 , wherein each of the at least one concave portion has a hemispherical shape when viewed in a radial direction of the rack shaft.

13. The bearing member according to claim 11 , wherein each of the convex portions has a hemispherical shape when viewed in a radial direction of the rack shaft.

Assignees

• Showa Corp

Inventors

• Higashi Satoru

Classifications

• F16C2326/24

  Steering systems, e.g. steering rods or columns · CPC title

• F16C2361/61

  Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts · CPC title

• F16C33/102

  with grease as lubricant · CPC title

• B62D3/12

  of rack-and-pinion type · CPC title

• F16C33/02 Primary

  Parts of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title