Steering System

• US 20170313345A1
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: TANAKA, Hidenobu
• Granted Patent: US 10,081,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/187 with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

A column jacket can pivot in a tilt direction around an end of a steering shaft along with the steering shaft. When the column jacket is pivoted in the tilt direction, an engaging member moves in the tilt direction along with the column jacket. A position fixing mechanism has a pair of fixing members located adjacent to opposite ends of an engaged member in a longitudinal direction to fix the position of the engaged member in the tilt direction. The position fixing mechanism fixes the position of the column jacket in the tilt direction by engaging the engaged member with the engaging member. At a time of a secondary collision, the engaged member engaged with the engaging member breaks a front fixing member.

Claims

1. A steering system comprising:

a steering shaft to which a steering member is coupled at a first end of the steering shaft;

a column jacket that holds the steering shaft;

a bracket that supports the column jacket so as to enable the column jacket to pivot in a tilt direction around a second end of the steering shaft along with the steering shaft, the bracket being fixed to a vehicle body;

an engaging member that moves in the tilt direction along with the column jacket when the column jacket is pivoted in the tilt direction; and

a position fixing mechanism having an engaged member that is elongate in the tilt direction and that is engaged with the engaging member and a pair of fixing members located adjacent to longitudinally opposite ends of the engaged member to fix a position of the engaged member in the tilt direction, the position fixing mechanism fixing a position of the column jacket in the tilt direction when the engaging member engages with the engaged member at any position thereof, wherein

at a time of a secondary collision, the engaged member engaged with the engaging member breaks a first fixing member of the fixing members.

2. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing member is located further forward in a vehicle than the engaged member engaged with the engaging member and is in abutting contact with the engaged member.

3. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the engaging member includes first teeth,

the engaged member includes second teeth enabled to mesh with the first teeth, and

the first teeth mesh with the second teeth to engage the engaging member with the engaged member.

4. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein when the engaging member moves in the tilt direction, the engaged member moves in a linear direction intersecting the tilt direction, and the engaging member moves in a direction intersecting the linear direction relative to the engaged member, and

the fixing members guide movement of the engaged member in the linear direction.