Shock absorbing steering column device for vehicle

• US 20050093284A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenji, Sawada, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,384,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/777
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle is constructed so that a car body sided bracket secured to a car body is press-fitted to a column sided bracket provided separately from or integrally with a steering column, the steering column is supported by inserting a bolt through through-holes formed in the two brackets, and, when a secondary collision happens, an impact energy thereof is absorbed in a way that causes a flexural deformation of the car body sided bracket while moving the steering column towards the front of the automotive vehicle. In this apparatus, the through-hole of the column sided bracket is formed as an elongate hole extending to the rear side of the automotive vehicle from a position of the bolt.

Claims

1. An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle in which a column sided bracket provided separately from or integrally with a steering column is press-fitted to a car body sided bracket secured to a car body, said steering column is supported by inserting a bolt through through-holes formed in said two brackets, and, when a secondary collision happens, an impact energy thereof is absorbed in a way that causes a flexural deformation of said car body sided bracket while moving said steering column towards the front of the automotive vehicle,

wherein in that said through-hole of said column sided bracket is formed as an elongate hole extending to the rear side of the automotive vehicle from a position of said bolt.

2. An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said car body sided bracket is a car body sided upper bracket, and

said column sided bracket is a column sided upper bracket.

3. An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the through-hole of said car body sided upper bracket is an elongate hole for a tilt adjustment, and

said bolt is a tilt position fastening bolt.

4. An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said car body sided bracket is a car body sided lower bracket, and

said column sided bracket is a column sided lower bracket.

5. An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the hole of said car body sided lower bracket is a support hole for an adjustment of a tilt position, and

said bolt is a hinge pin for an adjustment of a tilt position that defines a tilt center.