Steering apparatus

• US 10,457,315 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakuda, Masayoshi, Nagatani, Atsumune, Yamaoka, Michiaki, Yoshihara, Yoshihito, Yoshimura, Satoki, Myohoji, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US15/883,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/192 Yieldable or collapsible columns
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

A first sliding member is held by an upper jacket. A second sliding member includes a fixed portion fixed to the first sliding member, and an extension portion that extends in a column axis direction and that has a coupled portion coupled to the fixed portion at a predetermined location in the column axis direction. The second sliding member being clamped by the clamping mechanism slides relative to a supporting member and a lower jacket during a secondary impact. The second sliding member includes a slit that reduces coupling stiffness between the fixed portion and the coupled portion of the extension portion so as to facilitate, in a clamping state of the clamping mechanism, deflection of the coupled portion of the extension portion relative to the fixed portion in a lateral direction as seen from the column axis direction.

Claims

1. A steering apparatus comprising:

an upper jacket having a first end in a column axis direction, the first end being coupled to a steering member;

a lower jacket slidably fitted externally on a second end of the upper jacket in the column axis direction;

a supporting member that is fixed to a vehicle body and that supports the lower jacket;

a clamping mechanism that holds the upper jacket in a position relative to the lower jacket by clamping the lower jacket to the upper jacket;

a holding member held by the upper jacket; and

a resistive force generating mechanism that is movable together with the holding member in the column axis direction and that slides, when the upper jacket moves relative to the lower jacket during a secondary impact, relative to at least one of the supporting member and the lower jacket so as to generate a resistive force against movement of the upper jacket, wherein

the resistive force generating mechanism includes a fixed portion fixed to the holding member, and an extension portion extending in the column axis direction and having a coupled portion that is coupled to the fixed portion at a predetermined location in the column axis direction,

the clamping mechanism clamps the lower jacket to the upper jacket via the supporting member and the extension portion, and

the resistive force generating mechanism further includes a coupling stiffness reducing mechanism that reduces coupling stiffness between the fixed portion and the coupled portion of the extension portion so as to facilitate, when the clamping mechanism clamps the lower jacket to the upper jacket, deflection of the coupled portion of the extension portion relative to the fixed portion in a lateral direction as seen from the column axis direction.

2. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling stiffness reducing mechanism includes a slit or concave groove that extends in the column axis direction and that is located adjacent to or separated from the extension portion in a vertical direction.

3. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling stiffness reducing mechanism includes an elastically deformable bent portion or curved portion that couples the fixed portion to the coupled portion of the extension portion and that undulates in the lateral direction as seen from a vertical direction.

4. The steering apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the resistive force generating mechanism includes a limiting portion that limits, to a predetermined limit amount, an amount of deformation of the bent portion or curved portion in the column axis direction during the secondary impact.

5. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the holding member serves as a first resistive force generating mechanism that generates a first resistive force against the movement of the upper jacket in first relative sliding between the holding member and the upper jacket during the secondary impact, and

the resistive force generating mechanism including the extension portion serves as a second resistive force generating mechanism that generates a second resistive force against the movement of the upper jacket in second relative sliding between the resistive force generating mechanism and at least one of the supporting member and the lower jacket during the secondary impact.