Nsk Corporation

Tadashi Hibino

Sakae Matsumoto

Tooru Matsushima

Masayoshi Mashimo

Nobuyuki Hagiwara

Kiyoshi Sadakata

Kazuo Chikaraishi

Osamu Tatewaki

Mikio Yamaguchi

Kaname Yasuda

Minao Umeda

Tomohiro Ikuta

Hiroki Mizuno

Masaharu Igarashi

Akira Aida

Nobuhiro Ishii

Tetsuo Arakawa

Hiroshi Fukuda

Masahiro Inoue

Kazuho Chikaraishi

Masatoshi Nagase

Kenji Takeuchi

Tooru Kamei

A steering lock apparatus is provided that can protect a steering columnfrom damage, such as cracking, even when a steering wheel is forcibly rotated with the ignition key off. Protrusionsin the circumferential direction are provided at a plurality of locations in the axial direction of peripheral edge portions on both sides in the circumferential direction, which is a rotational direction of the steering wheel, of a peripheral edge of a lock through hole. The protrusionsin the circumferential direction absorb the large force, that is applied to the peripheral edge portions of the lock through holein an attempt to rotate the steering wheel with the ignition key off by plastically deforming.

Steering lock apparatus

Structure of a cross universal joint is achieved in which the fact that an excessive torque was applied to a universal joint due to a collision accident or mishandling can be easily determined afterwards. Protrusions, which are straight lines as seen from the outside surface sides of linking arm sectionsof a yoke, are formed on the outside surfaces of the linking arm sections. When an excessive torque acts and the linking arm sectionsare plastically deformed, the protrusionschange from a straight line to a non-straight line. From this change it is possible to easily confirm that an excessive torque has been applied to a cross universal joint that includes this yoke. Moreover, when the space between the inside surfaces of the linking arm sectionsis taken to be D, and the length in the axial direction of the linking arm sectionsis taken to be L, the dimensions of the parts of the yokeare regulated so that the relation 3&#x3c;L/D&#x2266;4 is satisfied.

Cross universal joint and manufacturing method thereof

When the guide bracketis fixed to the vehicle-mounting bracketby the guide pin, the upper surfacesof the capsulesare in contact with the lower surfacesof the flange portionson the guide bracket, and the first engaging portionsand the second engaging portionsengage with the capsules. As a result, even before fixing the vehicle-mounting bracketand the guide bracketto the vehicle bodyby the bolt, the guide bracketdoes not rotate with respect to the vehicle-mounting bracketabout the guide pin, or move in the forward and rearward direction, or in the vehicle body width direction.

Steering apparatus

A steering device is provided that facilitates an operation of mounting a friction plate on a mounting bracket. A first friction plate and a second friction plate just need to be mounted on an outer column only. It is possible to greatly facilitate an operation of assembling alternate layers of the first friction plate and the second friction plate at specified orientations. When the outer column is displaced telescopically, a tightening rod touches a long slit in the second friction plate. The second friction plate rocks around a columnar protrusion as the rocking center. The long slit is formed lengthwise in a direction of tilt positioning. The long slit absorbs a difference between a rocking trajectory formed by the second friction plate and a linear trajectory formed by the outer column. The second friction plate smoothly rocks. The outer column can be smoothly adjusted in the telescopic direction.

Steering device

An impact-absorbing steering column device comprises a steering column which supports a steering shaft to be rotatable, a body-side bracket which is secured to the body of a car and supports the steering column and, to allow the steering column to move forward when an impact load of not less than a predetermined value is applied thereon. An impact energy absorbing mechanism is provided between the steering column and the body-side bracket so as to absorb the impact energy when the steering column is moved. The impact energy absorbing mechanism comprises an energy absorbing member which is produced from metallic wire and has a latch portion latched by the body-side bracket and a drawing portion which is formed on the steering column for drawing and deforming the energy absorbing member when the steering column is moved.

Impact-absorbing steering column device

A tilt type steering apparatus utilizes unique design features to reduce the occurrence of noise during tilt adjustment of a steering column and to ensure reliable engagement between first and second sets of teeth that mesh to lock the tilt position of the steering column. To reduce the occurrence of noise, for example, a compression coil spring that supports the weight of a portion pivotally movable with a rear steering column is mounted such that the center axes of its fore and rear end portions are non-coincident over a whole range of the pivotal movement. To ensure reliable engagement of the first and second sets of teeth, a fixable restraining member having the second set of teeth is mounted for adjusting an angle of the pitch line of the second set of teeth with respect to the pitch line of the first set of teeth.

Tilt type steering apparatus

In order to facilitate the work of pivotally supporting the fore end portion of a rear steering column relative to a support bracket, the small-diametered portions of a pair of right and left pivot pins are inserted into small-diametered circular holes formed in a rear steering column. The large-diametered portions of the pair of right and left pivot pins are forced into large-diametered circular holes in the support bracket. The intermediate portions of spring pins forced from above into restraining holes formed in a vertical direction are brought into engagement with restraining concave grooves formed in the aforementioned large-diametered portions.

A tilt type steering apparatus makes the amount of downward protrusion of the front end position of a rear steering column small to prevent interference with knees and prevents the rear steering column from becoming longer than necessary. A first lateral shaft connects a front steering column to a rear steering column. A second lateral shaft, provided under the rear steering column, is rockable about the first lateral shaft. An engagement member is pivotally supported by the second lateral shaft, and displacement side meshing teeth are formed on an upper edge of a front end portion of the engagement member. Fixed side meshing teeth are formed on a lower surface of a restraining member fixed to a lower surface of a support bracket. The displacement and fixed side meshing teeth are engaged and disengaged with each other by a rocking movement of a tilt lever.

Growing community of inventors

Gunma, Japan

Tadashi Hibino