Steering system

• US 20070046013A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Bito, Kazuaki
• Application Number:
  US11/505,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046013A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/777
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/11 incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible padded linings associated with the steering wheel B60R21/05; shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

A steering wheel is securely mounted on a bracket which is fixed to a reinforcement of a vehicle via a rod which extends along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle in such a manner as to move relatively thereto. A bellows-like member is interposed between a seat portion of the rod and the bracket, so that the bellows-like member is contractible along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when a predetermined magnitude of impact is applied to the steering wheel from a rear side of the vehicle by an occupant who is caused to move forwards in association with the application of an external force from the front of the vehicle due to the vehicle being involved in a frontal collision or the like, whereby the impact so applied to the steering wheel is absorbed by the bellows-like member.

Claims

1. A steering system comprising:

a steering wheel supported on a fixed portion to a vehicle via a steering wheel supporting mechanism and an impact absorbing device interposed between the steering wheel and a rigid portion on the vehicle for absorbing an impact applied to the steering wheel from a rear side of the vehicle,

wherein the impact absorbing device is contractible along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the steering wheel and the rigid portion on the vehicle so as to absorb an impact applied to the steering wheel from the rear side of the vehicle.

2. A steering system according to claim 1, further comprising a facing state adjusting device for changing a facing state of at least part of the steering wheel relative to an occupant of the vehicle when an impact is applied to the steering wheel.

3. A steering system according to claim 2, wherein the impact absorbing device is contractible along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to absorb an impact applied to the steering wheel after the facing state adjusting device has changed the facing state of at least part of the steering wheel relative to the occupant of the vehicle.

4. A steering system according to claim 2, wherein the impact absorbing device is contractible along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to absorb an impact applied to the steering wheel at the same time as the facing state adjusting device changes the facing state of at least part of the steering wheel relative to the occupant of the vehicle.

5. A steering system according to claim 3, wherein of mechanism members which make up the steering wheel supporting mechanism, those which are situated between the steering wheel and the impact absorbing device have a predetermined rigidity which keeps the mechanism members from being deformed by an impact applied to the steering wheel from the rear side of the vehicle, whereby the mechanism members move along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with respective shapes of the mechanism members held when the impact absorbing device contracts along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

6. A steering system according to claim 1, further comprising an operating state detecting device for detecting an operating state of the steering wheel and a control unit for determining on a turning state of the vehicle based on the results of a detection by the operating state detecting device.