Steering system

• US 10,479,395 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaoka, Michiaki, Sakuda, Masayoshi, Yoshihara, Yoshihito, Nagatani, Atsumune, Yoshimura, Satoki, Myohoji, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US15/888,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/189 the entire column being tiltable as a unit
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/19 incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/192 Yieldable or collapsible columns

Abstract

Provided is a steering system that is configured to absorb a secondary collision shock load and achieves high vibration rigidity with a simple structure. A lower jacket is externally fitted to an upper jacket in a slidable manner. A support member that supports the lower jacket includes a fixed portion that is fixed to a vehicle body. A shock of a secondary collision is absorbed by a shock absorbing mechanism. The shock absorbing mechanism includes second slide members configured to move together with the upper jacket, and to frictionally slide relative to the support member upon a secondary collision. The second slide member includes a sandwiched portion that is sandwiched between the support member and the lower jacket, and a transmitting portion that is brought into contact with both of the lower jacket and the support member at a position closer to the fixed portion than the sandwiched portion.

Claims

1. A steering system, comprising:

an upper jacket to which a steering member is connected at one end in a column axis direction;

a lower jacket externally fitted to the other end of the upper jacket in the column axis direction in a slidable manner;

a support member including a fixed portion that is fixed to a vehicle body, and configured to support the lower jacket; and

a shock absorbing mechanism configured to absorb a shock of a secondary collision, the shock absorbing mechanism including a slide member configured to move together with the upper jacket, and to frictionally slide relative to the support member upon the secondary collision, wherein

the slide member includes;

a sandwiched portion that is sandwiched between the support member and the lower jacket; and

a transmitting portion that is formed integrally with the sandwiched portion, and is brought into contact with both of the lower jacket and the support member at a position closer to the fixed portion than the sandwiched portion.

2. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting portion extends from the sandwiched portion toward the fixed portion between the support member and the lower jacket.

3. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting portion is brought into contact with both of the support member and the lower jacket at a position closer to the fixed portion than a central axis of the upper jacket.

4. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting portion is brought into contact with both of the support member and the lower jacket irrespective of a position of the upper jacket within a telescopic adjustment range.

5. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting portion includes:

a flat plate portion that is interposed between the support member and the lower jacket; and

a protruding portion that protrudes from the flat plate portion toward at least one of the support member and the lower jacket.

6. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing mechanism further includes another slide member attached to the upper jacket, and configured to frictionally slide relative to the upper jacket upon the secondary collision.