Jtekt Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Koyo Seiko Company, Ltd.

Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd.

Daiwa Plastics Co., Ltd.

Eiji Tanaka

Susumu Imagaki

Hiroyuki Yao

Shigeru Hoshino

Takeshi Matsuda

Kenji Imamura

Hiroshi Kawakami

Shunsuke Nunomura

Tomonori Sugiura

Yota Uesaka

Tatsuro Kubota

Yoshihito Yoshihara

Masayuki Nagaoka

Ryota Okano

Fumio Kishida

Atsushi Tano

Kentaro Okuno

Susumu Magaki

Yoshito Fujita

Yoshikazu Rikitake

Tomihide Masuda

Eiji Hayashi

There is provided a steering device having a configuration in which a movable bracket can move relatively to a fixed bracket along with a steering member toward the downstream side in a movement direction, at the time of the second collision. A sliding member that is assembled to the movable bracket includes a main body section and a bent section. The main body section is provided, in the movement direction, over an entire length of a top surface of the movable bracket, which faces the fixed bracket, is inserted between the top surface and the fixed bracket, and rubs against the fixed bracket at the time of the second collision. The bent portion is latched to the movable bracket from the downstream side in the movement direction.

Steering device

A pin assembly includes: a resin pin; and a collar fitted to a round shaft portion of the resin pin and having higher hardness than the resin pin. The round shaft portion is sheared to cancel connection between a first plate and a second plate upon secondary collision of a vehicle. The collar includes an end face received by a reception surface of the second plate, and shears the round shaft portion in a shear plane along the end face upon the secondary collision. The round shaft portion includes a hollow hole. An inner circumference of the hollow hole includes a straight portion which has a generating line parallel to an axial direction of the round shaft portion and which is traversed by a plane including the end face of the collar.

Pin assembly and steering device

A first plate of a stationary bracket has long holes which extend parallel to a column movement direction, and through which large-diameter portions of suspension bolts are passed. The inner circumferences of the long holes include: recessed curved surface portions of end portions in a direction opposite to the column movement direction; first inner edge portions which are on the side of a middle position between the long holes; and second inner edge portions. In a secondary collision, when the one suspension bolt slides over the first inner edge portion of the long hole, for example, a gap is formed between the other suspension bolt and the second inner edge portion of the long hole.

Elongated holes are formed in a first plate of a fixed bracket so as to extend parallel to a column moving direction. An elongated hole inserted portion of a suspending bolt of a suspending mechanism is disposed in an initial assembling position in one of the elongated holes. An inner circumference of the elongated hole includes a pair of flat surface portions which are parallel to the column moving direction, an arc-shaped surface portion and tapered surface portions which connect a pair of end portions of the arc-shaped surface portion to the corresponding flat surface portion. Tapered angles which the tapered surfaces form relative to the column moving direction are equal to or greater than a friction angle.

Column moving direction is referred to as first direction, opposite direction to the first direction is referred to as second direction, and direction which is orthogonal to the first direction is referred to as third direction. First suspending bolt is in contact with cylindrical surface which is formed by end portion of first elongated slot in second direction to thereby be positioned in relation to the second direction and the third direction. Second suspending bolt is positioned only in relation to the second direction by inner surface of end portion of second elongated slot in the second direction. Positions of portions of the end portions of the elongated slots which are situated farthest in the second direction are made equal to each other with respect to the second direction, and both the suspending bolts are aligned in position with respect to the first direction.

A resin pin which is passed through a first resin-pin passing hole of a first plate, and a second resin-pin passing hole of a second plate to couple the second plate to a predetermined position of the first plate is sheared in a secondary collision, and causes the second plate to release from the predetermined position in a column movement direction. A slide plate which extends along the upper surface of the first plate has a resin-pin visual check hole. A highly hard collar is received by the second plate, placed in the first resin-pin passing hole, and fitted to a shaft portion of the resin pin. In the resin pin, axial elastic projections which apply a pressing and urging force to the slide plate are disposed at positions avoiding a range where, in a secondary collision, the resin-pin visual check hole is passed in the column movement direction.

A steering apparatus includes a first member which rotates together with an operation lever which is operated to rotate and a third member which is supported rotatably via a friction reducing mechanism by a second member which is restricted from rotating. A cam mechanism which brings a fixed side plate into press contact with a column side plate includes an axially facing surface which is provided on the first member and on which a cam surface is formed, an axially facing surface which is provided on the third member, rolling elements which are interposed between both the axially facing surfaces, and a retainer which holds the rolling elements and which is restricted from rotating by the second member.

Steering apparatus

A steering column device is provided with a pair of suspension shafts which connects a first plate of a fixed bracket and a second plate of a movable bracket, thereby suspending a movable jacket through the movable bracket. A pair of first holes, each of which is an elongated hole, into which the pair of suspension shafts is inserted, is formed in the first plate. A connection and separation mechanism which separates, at the time of a secondary collision, the second plate from a predetermined position of the first plate in a column movement direction includes a resin pin disposed only between the pair of first holes in relation to a direction orthogonal to the column movement direction.

Steering-column device

A steering device includes a fixed bracket which includes a first plate, a movable jacket which rotatably supports a steering shaft, a movable bracket which includes a second plate, a suspension mechanism and a resin pin. The suspension mechanism includes a suspension shaft connecting the first plate and the second plate, and is configured to move in a column movement direction along with the second plate at the time of the secondary collision. The resin pin is inserted into a first hole provided in the first plate and a second hole provided in the second plate, and is configured to be broken at the time of the secondary collision. The resin pin has a predetermined amount of play in a direction orthogonal to the column movement direction with respect to at least one of the first hole and the second hole.

A steering column device is provided with a suspension mechanism which is supported on a fixed bracket, suspends a movable jacket through a movable bracket, and can move in a column movement direction at the time of a secondary collision. The suspension mechanism includes a suspension bolt which is inserted into a first plate of the fixed bracket and a second plate of a tilt bracket and is screwed into a nut. A leaf spring which is interposed between a head portion of the suspension bolt and the second plate in a state of bringing a stepped portion of the suspension bolt into contact with the second plate biases the first plate to the second plate side. Further, the second plate is pinched between the stepped portion and the nut.

In a steering system, a first through-hole is formed in a stationary bracket secured to vehicle body. A second through-hole is formed in a movable bracket that is movable relative to the stationary bracket in a prescribed direction at the time of a secondary collision. A pin passed through both the first through-hole and the second through-hole breaks at a position between the first through-hole and the second through-hole at the time of the secondary collision, thereby allowing the movable bracket to move relative to the stationary bracket. An under plate attached to the movable bracket closes the second through-hole from below.

Steering system

When clamped side plates of an upper column bracket (movable bracket) are fastened via clamping side plates of an upper fixed bracket by a fastening shaft in response to a rotating operation of an operating lever, the brackets are locked with each other. A pressing mechanism that includes a pressing member moves in the axial direction of the fastening shaft in accordance with fastening by the fastening shaft, and presses a lower tube (inner tube) through an insertion hole formed in an upper tube (outer tube). The entirety of the axial force of the fastening shaft is used as a retaining force for retaining the posture of a steering column.

Position adjustable steering device

A steering system includes a column shaft that is supported by a column tube so that the column shaft is able to rotate. A male serration is formed in a lower end of a lower shaft of the column shaft in an axial direction. A universal joint connects the lower shaft with an intermediate shaft. A first portion of the male serration is fitted to a serration hole of a rotor of a steering angle sensor, and a second portion of the male serration is fitted to a serration hole of a first yoke of the universal joint.

A steering column apparatus has a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body and having a pair of long holes extending parallel to each other along a backward-and-forward direction; a movable bracket arranged movably in the backward-and-forward direction; a pair of bolts and a pair of nuts for fixing the movable bracket to a rear portion of the fixed bracket so that the movable bracket can move in the backward-and-forward direction with respect to the fixed bracket; a spring plate having pressing portions for holding the movable bracket at the rear portion of the fixed bracket by pressing the fixed bracket against the movable bracket; a shear pin connecting the fixed bracket and the movable bracket at the rear portion of the fixed bracket; and first and second low friction elements. Upon a secondary collision, the movable bracket smoothly moves toward a vehicle front side together with the spring plate.

Steering column apparatus

It is an object of the present invention to provide a controller for a steering apparatus having easy operation of an adjustment of a tilting angle. The steering apparatus comprises a tilting mechanism adjusting a tilting angle of a steering wheel, and an electrical motor driving the tilting mechanism. The controller for the steering apparatusdetects the tilting angle based on a rotational angle of the screw shaft. The controller defines the predetermined supplying current according to the detected amount of the tilting angle as the supplying current to the electrical motor.

Growing community of inventors

Kitakatsuragi-gun, Japan

Eiji Tanaka