Nsk Corporation

Shuhei Ikeda

Kenji Sato

Ryoichi Suzuki

Sakae Matsumoto

Naoki Sawada

Jun Yamada

Makoto Nagasawa

Katsumi Saito

A guide memberincludes a cylindrical portionfitted to a front end of a pinion shaftand extending on the side of an opposite yoke and a slit engagement plateextending on the side of the pinion shaftfrom a portion, on the side of the pinion shaft, of the cylindrical portionand engaging with a slitof a yoke, the cylindrical portionbeing inserted first in a clamp portionof the yokeupon the yokebeing fitted to the pinion shaft, the yokebeing rotatably guided by the cylindrical portion

Steering apparatus

To provide a steering apparatus having an excellent operationality and capable of suppressing backlash and preventing an axis deviation of the steering shaft. A line R connecting the centers of two fixing membersis shifted with respect to an axis line of an inner column, and thus a component Fv of a force transmitted from the fixing membersto the inner columnvia an outer columnis applied to press the inner columnin a direction orthogonal to the line R connecting the centers of the two fixing members. It is, therefore, possible to reduce backlash between the inner columnand the outer column

Steering device

An outer column () is held between a tension member () and brackets () by operating a lever (L), thereby making it possible to block displacements of fixing members () along tilt grooves (). An inner column () is held to the brackets () through the outer column (), whereby the displacements of the fixing members () along telescopic grooves () can be blocked. A steering shaft (S) can be thereby fixed in a tilting direction and a telescoping direction. The brackets () apply a pressing force to the inner column () through flange portions () of the outer column () by operating the lever (L), and the inner column () receives the pressing force in a direction opposite to a direction in which the tension member () approaches. As rigidities of the pair of brackets () are approximately equal, a central position of the inner column () can be therefore kept substantially fixed. Hence, an axis deviation of the steering shaft (S) can be effectively restrained.

A steering device for a car comprises an inner column for rotatably supporting one end of a steering shaft, an outer column for rotatably supporting the other end of the steering shaft, in which the inner column is slidably fitted, a couple of clamp portions formed integrally with the outer column and each having an embracing surface for embracing the inner column, and a fastening mechanism for making the couple of clamp portions embrace and thus fasten the inner column by moving the couple of clamp portions close to each other. The steering shaft is moved in the axial direction by releasing the fastening mechanism so that a telescopic position of the steering shaft is adjustable.

Steering device for car

A connection structure of a yoke and a shaft comprises a shaft including a pair of flat surfaces formed in parallel to each other on an outer peripheral surface of a front side end thereof, a yoke having a connection portion, formed at one side end thereof, for connecting the shaft, and having the other side end connected to a universal joint. The connection portion includes holding members, for holding the flat surfaces of the shaft, taking substantially a U-shape in section within a plane orthogonal to an axial direction thereof, a screw hole formed in the vicinity of one side end of the U-shape, and a bolt hole formed in the vicinity of the other side end thereof, concentric with the screw hole and having a diameter larger than the screw hole. This connection structure functions to insert from the bolt hole a bolt externally fitted with a cam member having a fitting hole by inserting the shaft in between the holding members, then screw the bolt into the screw hole, thus join the shaft to the joint portion, and perform centering of the shaft with the rotations of the cam member. The cam member is movable on the bolt facing at least a part of the shaft in the axial direction of the bolt, and the bolt is provided with a frictional engagement portion frictionally engaging with the cam member and rotating the cam member when the bolt is screwed into the screw hole and fastened thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Maebashi, Japan

Shuhei Ikeda