Nsk Corporation

Akihiro Shoda

Yasuhisa Yamada

Atsushi Ozawa

Takatsugu Yamada

Masato Taniguchi

Naoki Sawada

Takeshi Fujiwara

Kinji Yukawa

Masato Iwakawa

A vehicle steering telescopic shaft having a male shaft and a female shaft so fitted to each other as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. First torque transmitting members are disposed between the male shaft and the female shaft, and roll when the male shaft and the female shaft make relative movements in axial directions. Elastic members are disposed adjacent in a radial direction to the first torque transmitting members and restrict them when rotated and apply a pre-load to the male shaft and the female shaft through the first torque transmitting members when not rotated. Second torque transmitting members are provided between the male shaft and the female shaft, and slide when the male shaft and the female shaft make the relative movements in the axial directions, and transmit a torque when rotated.

Vehicle steering telescopic shaft

A telescopic shaft for steering of a vehicle is assembled in a steering shaft and includes a male shaft and a female shaft that are so fitted as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. Rolling members are fitted through an elastic body for pre-load between at least a pair of axially-extending grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in an inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. A slide member is fitted in between at least another pair of axially-extending grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. When a steering toque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, the elastic body for the pre-load exhibits a low rigidity characteristic as the elastic body performs pre-load action. When the steering torque is equal to or larger than the predetermined level, the slide member exhibits a high rigidity characteristic as the slide member engages with the pair of axially extending grooves.

Telescopic shaft for steering of vehicle, and telescopic shaft for steering of vehicle with cardan shaft joint

According to the present invention, a rolling elementfor rotating upon relative movement of both shaftsandin the axial direction is disposed between three pairs of axial groovesandwhich are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male shaftand on the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft, respectively, a raceway surface elementwhich is in contact with the rolling elementand an elastic memberfor pressurizing the rolling elementagainst the male shaftand the female shaftthrough the raceway surface elementare interposed between the axial grooveon the male shaft sideand the rolling element, and a sliding memberfor slidably moving upon relative movement of the both shaftsandin the axial direction is disposed between another three pairs of axial groovesandwhich are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male shaftand on the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft, respectively.

Telescopic shaft for vehicle steering

In a motor-driven steering wheel position adjustment apparatus, a nutbeing a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column of a steering column, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision, and therefore a threaded rod of a feed screw mechanism does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column in the forward direction at that time. Improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision can thus be achieved, and, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod, silence during the position adjustment of a steering wheel by the feed screw mechanism can be ensured.

Growing community of inventors

Gunma-ken, Japan

Akihiro Shoda