Steering device

• US 8,899,128 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamada Manufacturing Company Limited (Fujimak Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamada Manufacturing Company Limited (Fujimak Corporation)
• Inventors: Maniwa, Takahiro, Yokota, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, William C
• Application Number:
  US13/430,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20120247258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 744/93, 280/775, 280/777
• US Class Current: 74/493
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/185 adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/187 with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

A steering device includes: an inner column; an outer column that includes a left-right pair of outer column half bodies having holding surface portions formed on respective inner surface sides thereof, the two holding surface portions together constituting a holding inner peripheral surface for holding an outer peripheral surface of the inner column; a pivot bracket in which hanging side portions are formed on either width direction side of a pivot upper portion; a fixing bracket provided with fixing side portions on either width direction side; and a clamping tool. Respective width direction outside surfaces of the two outer column half bodies are sandwiched between the two hanging side portions of the pivot bracket, and the two fixing side portions of the fixing bracket are connected such that the two width direction outside surfaces of the two outer column half bodies can be clamped and released by the clamping tool.

Claims

1. A steering device comprising:

an inner column;

an outer column that includes a left-right pair of outer column half bodies having holding surface portions formed on respective inner surface sides thereof, the two holding surface portions constituting a holding inner peripheral surface for holding an outer peripheral surface of the inner column;

a pivot bracket in which hanging side portions are formed on either width direction side of a pivot upper portion;

a fixing bracket provided with fixing side portions on either width direction side; and

a clamping tool,

wherein respective width direction outside surfaces of the two outer column half bodies are sandwiched between the two hanging side portions of the pivot bracket, and

the two fixing side portions of the fixing bracket are connected such that the two width direction outside surfaces of the two outer column half bodies can be clamped and released by the clamping tool, and

wherein each of the hanging side portions comprises a pivot side portion and a rear extension side portion that projects to a rear side from the pivot side portion,

the outside surfaces of the two outer column half bodies each include an upper portion contact surface formed in a position corresponding to a diametrical center of the held inner column so as to extend in an axial direction, and a lower portion contact surface formed below the upper portion contact surface,

the two upper portion contact surfaces are sandwiched fixedly between the two rear extension side portions of the pivot bracket,

the two rear extension side portions are sandwiched between the two fixing side portions of the fixing bracket, and

the two fixing side portions are connected to the two lower portion contact surfaces such that the two lower portion contact surfaces can be clamped and released via the clamping tool.

2. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion contact surface is formed to project further outward in the width direction than the upper portion contact surface via a step portion, and

a width direction dimension of the step portion is formed to be equal to or smaller than a thickness dimension of the rear extension side portion of the pivot bracket.

3. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein a groove-shaped recessed portion is formed in an up-down direction intermediate location in the holding inner peripheral surface of the outer column so as to extend in an axial direction.

4. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein a knock pin is inserted fixedly into the upper portion contact surface of the outer column and the rear extension side portion of the pivot bracket, and

a telescopic elongated hole for inserting the knock pin is formed in the inner column so as to extend in an axial direction.

5. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding surface portions is formed in a semicircular shape such that the two holding surface portions together constitute a circular-shaped holding inner peripheral surface.

6. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding surface portions is formed in a polygonal surface shape such that the two holding surface portions together constitute a polygonal holding inner peripheral surface.

7. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the pivot upper portion of the pivot bracket contacts an upper end of each of the two outer column half bodies.

8. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the two outer column half bodies comprise an aluminum alloy.

9. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion contact surface is formed to project further outward in the width direction than the upper portion contact surface via a step portion, and

a width direction dimension of the step portion is formed to be equal to or smaller than a thickness dimension of the rear extension side portion of the pivot bracket.

10. The steering device according to 1, wherein a groove-shaped recessed portion is formed in an up-down direction intermediate location in the holding inner peripheral surface of the outer column so as to extend in an axial direction.

11. The steering device according to 1, wherein a knock pin is inserted fixedly into the upper portion contact surface of the outer column and the rear extension side portion of the pivot bracket, and

a telescopic elongated hole for inserting the knock pin is formed in the inner column so as to extend in an axial direction.

12. The steering device according to 1, wherein each of the holding surface portions is formed in a semicircular shape such that the two holding surface portions together constitute a circular-shaped holding inner peripheral surface.

13. The steering device according to 1, wherein each of the holding surface portions is formed in a polygonal surface shape such that the two holding surface portions together constitute a polygonal holding inner peripheral surface.

14. The steering device according to 1, wherein the pivot upper portion of the pivot bracket contacts an upper end of each of the two outer column half bodies.

15. The steering device according to 1, wherein the two outer column half bodies comprise an aluminum alloy.