Steering device

• US 8,677,856 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Okada, Shinji, Tomaru, Yuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Krause, Justin
• Application Number:
  US13/265,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20120266715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 744/92, 744/93, 280/775
• US Class Current: 74/493
• 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

Abstract

A steering device facilitates assembly of a tilt lock mechanism, which elastically supports movement of a movable tilt lock gear to a stationary cam in a tilt direction via a spring. When a cylindrical part of a tilt stopper is inserted into a through hole, the cylindrical part enlarges in diameter, and surfaces of engagement projections engage with an end surface of an inclined cam surface side of the stationary cam. A right end surface of a tilt stopper flange part abuts against an end surface of the movable tilt lock gear. The movable tilt lock gear, a wire spring, and the stationary cam are integrated by the tilt stopper, and are prevented from being dispersed during transport. As a result, the assembly time can be reduced.

Claims

1. A steering device, comprising:

a vehicle body attachment bracket that can be attached to a vehicle body;

a column that is supported by the vehicle body attachment bracket so that a tilt position is adjustable, and rotatably pivotally supports a steering shaft equipped with a steering wheel;

a fastening rod that is inserted into a tilt adjustment slender groove formed in the vehicle body attachment bracket and the column in order to fasten the column to the vehicle body attachment bracket at a desired tilt position;

a stationary cam that is supported by one end of the fastening rod, and presses one side of the vehicle body attachment bracket toward the column;

a movable cam that is rotatably supported by said one end of the fastening rod together with an operating lever so as to face the stationary cam;

a cam surface that is disposed on respective surfaces that face the stationary cam and the movable cam, and presses the movable cam toward the stationary cam relatively in an axial direction;

a locking unit that is formed in the stationary cam in order to disable the stationary cam to be relatively rotated with respect to the movable cam, fitted into the tilt adjustment slender groove, and can slide along the tilt adjustment slender groove when adjusting the tilt position of the column;

a stationary tilt lock gear formed on one side of the vehicle body attachment bracket;

a movable tilt lock gear that rotates in synchronism with rotating operation of the operating lever, can be engaged with the stationary tilt lock gear, and is fitted onto the stationary cam so as to be movable in a tilt direction;

a spring that is inserted between the movable tilt lock gear and the stationary cam, and elastically supports movement of the movable tilt lock gear to the stationary cam in the tilt direction; and

a tilt stopper that holds the stationary cam, the movable tilt lock gear, and the spring integrally.

2. The steering device according to claim 1,

wherein the tilt stopper is fitted into the tilt adjustment slender groove, is slidable along the tilt adjustment slender groove when adjusting the tilt position of the column, and abuts against an end of the tilt adjustment slender groove at the tilt adjustment end to reduce an impact.

3. The steering device according to claim 2,

wherein the tilt stopper comprises:

a flange that is fitted into the tilt adjustment slender groove, and is slidable along the tilt adjustment slender groove when adjusting the tilt position of the column; and

a space part that is formed in the vicinity of an end surface of the flange in the tilt adjustment direction, and reduces the impact when the flange is abutted against the tilt adjustment end of the tilt adjustment slender groove.

4. The steering device according to claim 3,

wherein the tilt stopper comprises:

a cylinder part that is formed integrally with the flange, and fitted into a through hole formed in an axial core of the stationary cam;

an engagement projection that is formed on an end of the cylindrical part, projects outwardly from an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical part in a radial direction thereof, and is engageable with an end surface of a cam surface side of the stationary cam; and

a through hole that is formed in the axial core of the cylindrical part, into which the fastening rod is inserted,

wherein the stationary cam, the movable tilt lock gear, and the spring are held between the end surface of the flange and the engagement projection integrally.

5. The steering device according to claim 1,

wherein the tilt stopper is symmetric with respect to a line that passes through the center of the tilt stopper as the axis of symmetry.