Steering apparatus

• US 9,187,116 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamada Manufacturing Company Limited (Fujimak Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamada Manufacturing Company Limited (Fujimak Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokota, Norihiko, Ito, Toru, Watanabe, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US14/606,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20150232116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/19 incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/192 Yieldable or collapsible columns
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

A steering apparatus includes: a column pipe; an outer column having an embracing main body portion that allows the column pipe to freely move in a front-rear direction and fixes the column pipe; and clamping portions that extend and contract the embracing main body portion in a diametric direction; a fixing bracket having a fixing side portion that holds widthwise opposite sides of the outer column in a sandwiching manner; a stopper bracket having an telescopic slot secured to the column pipe and an impact absorbing slot and having a collapse portion, the telescopic slot and the impact absorbing slot being contiguously formed along an axial direction; and a clamper having a bolt shaft inserted through the clamping portions, the fixing side portion, and the stopper bracket and collapsing the collapse portion.

Claims

1. A steering apparatus comprising:

a column pipe;

an outer column including an embracing main body portion that allows the column pipe to freely move in a front-rear direction and fixes the column pipe, and clamping portions that extend and contract the embracing main body portion in a diametric direction;

a fixing bracket having a fixing side portion that holds widthwise opposite sides of the outer column in a sandwiching manner;

a stopper bracket including an telescopic slot secured to the column pipe and positioned on a front side and an impact absorbing slot positioned on a rear side and having a collapse portion that absorbs an impact at a time of a secondary collision, the telescopic slot and the impact absorbing slot being contiguously formed along an axial direction; and

a clamper having a bolt shaft inserted through the clamping portions, the fixing side portion, and the stopper bracket and collapsing the collapse portion,

wherein the stopper bracket is disposed between the clamping portions and is separated from the clamping portions when the outer column is clamped using the clamper.

2. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collapse portion of the stopper bracket is formed as a partitioning projecting piece positioned between the telescopic slot and the impact absorbing slot, and the partitioning projecting piece is bent by a collision with the bolt shaft at the time of a secondary collision.

3. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stopper bracket comprises a first hanging plate-like portion and a second hanging plate-like portion extending along an axial direction of the column pipe and disposed at a predetermined distance in the diametric direction, the telescopic slot, the impact absorbing slot, and the collapse portion are formed in the first hanging plate-like portion, and a slot through which the bolt shaft is freely inserted and is relatively movable is formed in the second hanging plate-like portion.

4. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stopper bracket comprises a first hanging plate-like portion and a second hanging plate-like portion extending along an axial direction of the column pipe and disposed at a predetermined distance in the diametric direction, the telescopic slot, the impact absorbing slot, and the partitioning projecting piece are formed in each of the first and second hanging plate-like portions, and the partitioning projecting pieces of the first and second hanging plate-like portions are positioned differently from each other in a front-rear direction.

5. The steering apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the partitioning projecting piece of the first hanging plate-like portions differs in height wise dimension from the partitioning projecting piece of the second hanging plate-like portion.

6. The steering apparatus according to claim 4, wherein substantially circular cutout-like groove portions are formed at a vehicle body front-side end portion of the telescopic slot and near a vehicle body front-side root of the partitioning projecting piece, a circular base portion of a cushioning member formed of both the base portion and a tail portion extending outward from the base portion is fitted in each of the cutout-like groove portions, and the tail portion comes into abutting contact with the partitioning projecting piece side along the partitioning projecting piece side.

7. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein substantially circular cutout-like groove portions are formed at a vehicle body front-side end portion of the telescopic slot and near a vehicle body front-side root of the partitioning projecting piece, a circular base portion of a cushioning member formed of both the base portion and a tail portion extending outward from the base portion is fitted in each of the cutout-like groove portions, and the tail portion comes into abutting contact with the partitioning projecting piece side along the partitioning projecting piece side.

8. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stopper bracket comprises one hanging plate-like portion extending along the axial direction of the column pipe, and the telescopic slot, the impact absorbing slot, and the collapse portion are formed in the hanging plate-like portion.

9. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collapse portion of the stopper bracket is formed by setting a vertical width dimension of the impact absorbing slot to be smaller than a diameter of the bolt shaft.

10. The steering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the stopper bracket comprises a first hanging plate-like portion and a second hanging plate-like portion extending along an axial direction of the column pipe and disposed at a predetermined distance in the diametric direction, the telescopic slot, the impact absorbing slot, and the collapse portion are formed in the first hanging plate-like portion, and a slot through which the bolt shaft is freely inserted and is relatively movable is formed in the second hanging plate-like portion.

11. The steering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the stopper bracket comprises one hanging plate-like portion extending along the axial direction of the column pipe, and the telescopic slot, the impact absorbing slot, and the collapse portion are formed in the hanging plate-like portion.