Steering column

• US 9,283,982 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Namyang Ind. Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Namyang Ind. Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Sung Jong, Lee, Heung Joo, Kim, Beom Suk, Seo, Hee Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US14/356,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20140311274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/18 yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable padded linings associated with the steering column B60R21/05
• 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

Disclosed herein is a steering column, including: an inner tube; an outer tube formed in a hollow shape into which the inner tube is inserted and including a pair of telescope guides protruding to an outer circumferential surface thereof, a first slit cut in an axial direction between the pair of telescope guides, and a second slit cut toward both sides of a circumferential direction at one end of the first slit; and a control lever installed on the telescope guides, wherein the telescope guides have a taper that is formed obliquely along a lengthwise direction, and the operating force of the lever is uniformly maintained according to the position of the control lever in the lengthwise direction by means of the taper.

Claims

1. A steering column, comprising:

an inner tube;

an outer tube having a hollow into which the inner tube is inserted and including a pair of telescope guides protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the outer tube, a first slit cut in an axial direction of the outer tube between the pair of the telescope guides, and a second slit cut along a circumference of the outer tube at one end of the first slit; and

a control lever installed on the pair of the telescope guides,

wherein the pair of the telescope guides have a taper that is formed obliquely along a lengthwise direction, and an operating force of the lever is substantially uniformly maintained according to a position of the control lever in the lengthwise direction by means of the taper.

2. The steering column of claim 1, wherein the taper is provided with a contact avoidance part.

3. The steering column of claim 1, wherein the taper is provided with a reverse tilt part.

4. The steering column of claim 1, wherein the taper is attached on an outer surface of each the pair of the telescope guides.

5. The steering column of claim 4, wherein the taper and the respective telescope guide are configured in a separation structure, one of opposing surfaces of the taper and the telescope guide is provided with a coupling groove, and another one of the opposing surfaces of the taper and the respective telescope guide on which the coupling groove is not formed is provided with a coupling protrusion.

6. The steering column of claim 1, wherein the taper is integrally formed with the respective telescope guide.

7. The steering column of claim 1, wherein another end of the first slit is provided with a third slit having a first curved portion and a second curved portion, the first and second curved portions of the third slit being disposed symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis of the first slit.

8. The steering column of claim 2, wherein the taper is attached on an outer surface of each of the pair of the telescope guides.

9. The steering column of claim 3, wherein the taper is attached on an outer surface of each of the pair of the telescope guides.

10. The steering column of claim 2, wherein the taper is integrally formed with each of the pair of the telescope guides.

11. The steering column of claim 3, wherein the taper is integrally formed with each of the pair of the telescope guides.