Jtekt Corporation

Koyo Seiko Company, Ltd.

Koyo Machine Industries Company Limited

Hiroyuki Muraosa

Kenichi Aota

Satoshi Kakutani

Tooru Fujii

A telescopic shaft () has an inner shaft () and a tubular outer shaft () that are fitted to each other so as to be relatively movable in an axial direction (X) and to be able to transmit torque between each other. A row of a plurality of rolling bodies () is interposed between corresponding axial grooves () of the inner shaft () and the outer shaft (). A retaining member () moving together with the rolling bodies () while retaining the rolling bodies () has a facing portion () facing an end surface () of the inner shaft (). As the telescopic shaft () telescopes in and out, the facing portion () comes into contact with the end surface () of the inner shaft (), and this limits the movement of the rolling bodies () in the axial direction (X).

Telescopic shaft and vehicle steering apparatus

An elastic shaft joint includes: a tube shaft; a shaft coaxially inserted in the tube shaft so that a predetermined axial region of the shaft overlaps with a predetermined axial region of the tube shaft; and a damper inserted between the predetermined axial region of the shaft and the predetermined axial region of the tube shaft for damping vibration and providing an elastic play in a rotation direction. The damper includes: an inner tube fitted to an outside of the predetermined axial region of the shaft and having radially outwardly extending projections at a number of places in a circumferential direction of an outer circumferential surface thereof; an outer tube fitted to an inside of the predetermined axial region of the tube shaft so as to form a desired gap opposite to the inner tube, and having recesses engaging with the respective projections of the inner tube with a gap in the rotation direction; and an elastic body bonded to an inner surface of the recesses of the outer tube in a state of non-contact with at least the projections of the inner tube.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Hiroyuki Muraosa