Steering device

• US 10,086,865 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Okada, Shinji, Tomaru, Yuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole T
• Application Number:
  US15/127,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20170355393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/185 adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/187 with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/189 the entire column being tiltable as a unit
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/192 Yieldable or collapsible columns
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/14 with reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of rotation crank or eccentric gearings without swinging connecting-rod F16H21/36

Abstract

Construction is achieved of a steering device that is capable of preventing impact going forward from being applied to a support bracket even when a steering wheel is vigorously displaced to a front-end position when adjusting the forward-backward position of the steering wheel. Part of the stopper member 28 is supported by a fastening member such as a housing 10a. When an outer column 22a is displaced forward in a state in which the forward-backward position of the steering wheel can be adjusted, a portion that displaces forward together with the outer column 22a hits a pair of stopper surfaces 41 of the stopper member 28 before an adjustment rod hits a pair of long telescopic-adjustment holes.

Claims

1. A steering device, comprising:

a steering column;

a pair of held sections;

a pair of long telescopic-adjustment holes;

a support bracket;

a pair of vehicle-side through holes;

an adjustment rod;

a pair of pressure sections;

an expansion/contraction device;

a cam member;

a fastening member; and

a stopper member;

the steering column having an inner column and an outer column, the steering column constructed by fitting together the rear section of the inner column with the front section of the outer column so that relative displacement in the axial direction is possible, and rotatably supporting an extendable/contractible steering shaft on the inside of the steering column;

the pair of held sections integrally provided with the outer column at two locations on the top surface or the bottom surface of the outer column that are separated in the width direction;

the pair of long telescopic-adjustment holes provided in portions of the pair of held sections that are aligned with each other, and extending in the axial direction of the outer column;

the support bracket having a pair of support-plate sections that sandwich the pair of held sections from both sides in the width direction, and is supported by a vehicle body so as to be able to detach forward due to a load that is applied during a secondary collision;

the pair of vehicle-side through holes provided in portions of the pair of support-plate sections that are aligned with each other;

the adjustment rod provided so as to pass in the width direction through the pair of long telescopic-adjustment holes and the pair of vehicle-side through holes;

the pair of pressure sections provided on portions of both end sections of the adjustment rod that protrude from the outside surfaces of the pair of support-plate sections;

the expansion/contraction device expanding or contracting the space between the pair of pressure sections;

the cam member fastened to a portion of the adjustment rod that is located between the pair of held sections in the middle section in the axial direction of the adjustment rod;

the fastening member provided such that the forward-backward position with respect to the vehicle body is regulated; and

the stopper member having a stopper surface that faces toward the rear when the stopper member is supported by the fastening member; and

one side surface in the up-down direction that faces the outside surface of the steering column and comes in contact with the outer-circumferential surface of the cam member when the stopper member is supported by the fastening member, and the stopper member being constructed so that in the state in which the space between the pressure sections is expanded by the expansion/contraction device, the stopper surface is displaced toward the steering column side by the cam member, and when the outer column is displaced forward, the stopper surface hits a portion that displaces forward together with the outer column before the rear-end sections of the pair of long telescopic-adjustment holes hit the outer-circumferential surface of the adjustment rod, and in the state in which the space between the pair of pressure sections is contracted by the expansion/contraction device, the stopper surface is displaced in a direction going away from the steering column by the cam member, and even when the outer column displaces forward, the stopper surface does not hit the portion that displaces forward together with the outer column before the rear-end sections of the long telescopic-adjustment holes hit the outer-circumferential surface of the adjustment rod.

2. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein

the fastening member is located on the front side of the inner column;

the stopper member comprises a main stopper that has a front-end section and a rear-end surface, where the stopper surface is provided on the rear-end surface of the main stopper, and the front-end section of the main stopper is supported by the fastening member; and

in a state in which the stopper surface hits the portion that displaces forward together with the outer column, the main stopper is held in the forward-backward direction between the portion that displaces forward together with the outer column and the fastening member.

3. The steering device according to claim 2, wherein

the stopper member comprises a lift section that is provided so as to extend toward the rear from a portion of the rear-end surface of the main stopper that is separated from the stopper surface, and the one side surface in the up-down direction of the stopper member is provided on the lift section.

4. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein

the stopper member has a bias means, and the stopper member is pressed in the up-down direction toward the steering column side by the bias means.

5. The steering device according to claim 4, wherein

the stopper member is supported by a stopper pivot shaft that is arranged in the width direction so as to be able to pivot with respect to the fastening member;

and

the stopper member is pressed by the bias means in a direction so as tilt centered around the stopper pivot shaft toward the steering column side.

6. The steering device according to claim 5, wherein

the bias means is an elastic member that is provided between the stopper member and the fastening member.

7. The steering device according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member is integrally provided with the stopper member.

8. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein

the stopper member has a shock-absorbing section that elastically deforms a lot compared to other portions when at least one impact is applied of the impact that is applied when the portion that displaces forward together with the outer column hits the stopper surface, and the impact that is applied when the cam member and the stopper member hit during a secondary collision.