Steering system

• US 10,202,139 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hidenobu, Yoshihara, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/435,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20170253262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 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

Abstract

A steering system includes a movable member and a tooth member. The movable member includes first tooth arrangements. The movable member is movable together with a column jacket in a tilt direction. The movable member is movable in a right-left direction. The tooth member is supported by a lateral plate of an upper bracket so that the tooth member is located between the movable member and the lateral plate in the right-left direction. The tooth member includes: second tooth arrangements engageable with the first tooth arrangements; and curved elastic portions supporting the second tooth arrangements, with the second tooth arrangements inclined toward the upper bracket such that the second tooth arrangements are away from the first tooth arrangements. When the elastic portions are sandwiched between the movable member and the lateral plate and elastically deformed, the second tooth arrangements come into engagement with the first tooth arrangements.

Claims

1. A steering system comprising:

a steering shaft coupled at its one end to a steering member;

a column jacket holding the steering shaft;

a bracket supporting the column jacket such that the column jacket is rotatable in a tilt direction, the bracket being secured to a vehicle body;

a movable member including a first tooth arrangement, the movable member being movable together with the column jacket in the tilt direction and being movable in an intersecting direction intersecting the tilt direction and an axial direction of the steering shaft; and

a tooth member supported by the bracket so that the tooth member is located between the movable member and the bracket in the intersecting direction, the tooth member integrally including, as a single piece;

a second tooth arrangement engageable with the first tooth arrangement, and

a curved elastic portion supporting the second tooth arrangement, with the second tooth arrangement inclined toward the bracket such that the second tooth arrangement is away from the first tooth arrangement, wherein

the tooth member is configured so that the second tooth arrangement is in engagement with the first tooth arrangement, with the elastic portion being sandwiched between the movable member and the bracket and elastically deformed.

2. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein

the elastic portion is curved to have a convex shape facing the movable member.

5. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein

with the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement in engagement with each other, tooth traces of the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement extend in the intersecting direction.

6. The steering system according to claim 2, wherein

with the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement in engagement with each other, tooth traces of the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement extend in the intersecting direction.

3. A steering system comprising:

a steering shaft coupled at its one end to a steering member;

a column jacket holding the steering shaft;

a bracket supporting the column jacket such that the column jacket is rotatable in a tilt direction, the bracket including a first tooth arrangement, the bracket being secured to a vehicle body;

a movable member movable together with the column jacket in the tilt direction and movable in an intersecting direction intersecting the tilt direction and an axial direction of the steering shaft; and

a tooth member located between the movable member and the bracket in the intersecting direction, the tooth member being movable together with the column jacket in the tilt direction, the tooth member integrally including, as a single piece;

a second tooth arrangement engageable with the first tooth arrangement, and

a curved elastic portion supporting the second tooth arrangement, with the second tooth arrangement inclined toward the movable member such that the second tooth arrangement is away from the first tooth arrangement, wherein

the tooth member is configured so that the second tooth arrangement is in engagement with the first tooth arrangement, with the elastic portion being sandwiched between the movable member and the bracket and elastically deformed.

4. The steering system according to claim 3, wherein

the elastic portion is curved to have a convex shape facing the bracket.

7. The steering system according to claim 3, wherein

with the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement in engagement with each other, tooth traces of the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement extend in the intersecting direction.

8. The steering system according to claim 4, wherein

with the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement in engagement with each other, tooth traces of the first tooth arrangement and the second tooth arrangement extend in the intersecting direction.