STEERING COLUMN SYSTEM

• US 20090272219A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Okada, Shinji, Shibazaki, Hiroshi, Wada, Toshimasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,011,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/493
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions

Abstract

To provide a steering column system which has superior operating feeling and operating properties and which can suppress an operation failure,

An engaging arm 5 is displaced relative to a cam member 22 by an annular member 24 being deformed elastically, whereby distal ends of gear teeth are made to shift from each other, thereby making it possible not only to enhance the operation feeling of the operation lever but also to facilitate the meshing thereof.

Claims

1. A steering column system in which a column is fixed relative to a body by a gear meshing function by a steering position adjusting operation lever, wherein the operation lever comprises:

an engaging arm which includes gear teeth which provide the gear meshing function and an adjusting arm on which a position adjusting bolt is assembled and which performs a position adjusting operation, and

wherein at least the engaging arm is supported in such a manner as to be displaced within a predetermined range relative to the column by passing the position adjusting bolt through an oscillation center hole provided in the engaging arm.

2. The steering column system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engaging arm and the adjusting arm are permitted to perform a predetermined relative movement to each other.

3. The steering column system as set forth in claim 2, wherein an elastic element is disposed between the position adjusting bolt which is passed through the oscillation center hole provided in the engaging arm and the oscillation center hole.

4. The steering column system as set forth in claim 3, wherein a recessed portion or a raised portion is formed on at least one of a collar, which is positioned on the position adjusting bolt or between the position adjusting bolt and the oscillation center hole, and the oscillation center hole so that the elastic element is positioned therein or thereon.

5. The steering column system as set forth in claim 2, wherein an elastic element is disposed between a projection which is provided on one of the engaging arm and the adjusting arm and a receiving portion which is provided on the other.

6. The steering column system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a engaging unit which controls a relative rotational amount between the engaging arm and the adjusting arm to a predetermined amount.

7. The steering system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the engaging arm and the adjusting arm are made to rotate together.

11. The steering column system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gear teeth are formed on both confronting tapered surfaces,

12. The steering column system as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the direction of a tooth trace of the gear is formed on a tangent to a circular arc R which passes through a tooth flank about the position adjusting bolt as a center axis or the direction of a tooth trace of the gear is formed, on an imaginary plane which would be drawn by a tangent L to a circular arc R which passes through a gear tooth flank about the position adjusting bolt as a center axis and an axis which is in parallel with an axial direction of the position adjusting bolt and which passes through the gear tooth flank, on an inclined surface inclined at an angle α

from the tangent L, the gear teeth have a space G between tooth flanks of the confronting gears in mesh in an axial direction which passes through the center axis of the position adjusting bolt and which is normal to the tooth traces when the gear teeth mesh with each other, and the space G has a space G which is a least or more space in which the gear teeth having a straight-line tooth trace is displaceable along a locus of the circular arc about the position adjusting bolt for meshing with each other.

8. A steering column system for fixing a column to a body by operating a steering position adjusting operation lever, comprising:

a gear portion which comprises;

primary gear teeth which are driven in response to an operation of the operation lever and second gear teeth which mesh with the primary gear teeth so driven, wherein the column is fixed to the body through meshing of the primary gear teeth with the secondary gear teeth, and

the gear portion is supported so as to be displaced within a predetermined range relative to the column.

9. The steering column system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the gear member is held relative to the column via an elastic element,

10. The steering column system as set forth in claim 8 or 9, wherein the gear portion is made to be displaced in a direction in which the position of the column is adjusted.

13. The steering column system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the gear teeth are formed on both confronting tapered surfaces.

14. The steering column system as set forth in claim 8, wherein when the direction of a tooth trace of the gear is formed on a tangent to a circular arc R which passes through a tooth flank about the position adjusting bolt as a center axis or the direction of a tooth trace of the gear is formed, on an imaginary plane which would be drawn by a tangent L to a circular arc R which passes through a gear tooth flank about the position adjusting bolt as a center axis and an axis which is in parallel with an axial direction of the position adjusting bolt and which passes through the gear tooth flank, on an inclined surface inclined at an angle α

from the tangent L, the gear teeth have a space G between tooth flanks of the confronting gears in mesh in an axial direction which passes through the center axis of the position adjusting bolt and which is normal to the tooth traces when the gear teeth mesh with each other, and

the space G has a space G which is a least or more space in which the gear teeth having a straight-line tooth trace is displaceable along a locus of the circular arc about the position adjusting bolt for meshing with each other.