Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Takeshi Marutani

Morito Oshita

Shinya Morinaga

Yasuaki Kurokawa

Hidetoshi Inayoshi

Masahiro Inden

Ken Kato

Tomohiko Funahashi

A steering apparatus is provided for reducing its size by reducing a load applied to a driving unit, and configuring an electrically operated tilt mechanism which is small in size and easily mounted on a vehicle. A driving unit adjusting a relative position of a steering column to a fixing bracket, and a biasing member (e.g., tension coil spring) having one end supported on the fixing bracket, and holding the steering column at a predetermined neutral position when the driving unit is not actuated, are provided, so that the driving unit adjusts the steering column to be placed at a tilt position with a desired tilt angle relative to the fixing bracket.

Steering apparatus for a vehicle

A steering apparatus is capable of configuring an electrically operated tilt mechanism, which is interchangeable with a manually operated tilt mechanism, and which is small in size and easily mounted on a vehicle. A tilt bracket holding a steering column and supported on the fixing bracket to be relatively movable thereto, and a tilt shaft extending in a lateral direction of the vehicle body and supported on the fixing bracket to be relatively movable thereto in an axial direction of the steering column are provided. By way of a driving unit, the tilt bracket is rotated about the tilt shaft axis to adjust a relative position of the tilt shaft to the fixing bracket. Furthermore, a tilt slider is disposed between an elongated hole on the fixing bracket and the tilt shaft, and a biasing member biasing the tilt slider in the axial direction of the tilt shaft.

A lift-up mechanism is provided with a link member with one end thereof being supported rotatably on a movable bracket for holding a movable columnar member, and the other one end thereof being disposed to be engaged with and removed from a fixing bracket. The link member selectively provides a hold state for engaging the link member with the fixing bracket at a rear part of the vehicle body to hold the movable bracket at an initial position or a lift-up position, and a release state for releasing its engagement. A spring member is disposed between the fixing bracket and the movable bracket, with component forces of its biasing force biasing the movable bracket in a direction to be lifted up from the fixing bracket, and biasing the link member in a direction to be engaged with the fixing bracket.

A tilting mechanism is provided with a movable column member for pivotally supporting a steering column to be swung about a swinging center provided at a front part of a vehicle body, and a movable bracket holding it. A lift-up mechanism is provided with a fixing bracket fixed to the vehicle body, and a link member with one end thereof being supported rotatably on the movable bracket, and the other one end thereof being disposed to be engaged with and removed from the fixing bracket. A lift-up biasing portion (spring member) biases the movable bracket in a direction to be lifted up from the fixing bracket. A lift-up manipulating lever selectively provides a hold state for engaging the link member with the fixing bracket to hold the movable bracket at an initial position or a lift-up position, and a release state for releasing its engagement.

The invention is directed to an electromagnetic valve unit which comprises a valve body, on which a plurality of electromagnetic valves mounted in parallel with one another, with the terminals of the valves exposed. A frame, which has a connector portion with through holes defined therein, is secured to the valve body for enclosing the electromagnetic valves. A conductive member is integrally formed with connector terminals and contact pins which are connected with respective terminals of the electromagnetic valves. A cover is provided for covering the conductive member. The connector terminals of the conductive member are pressed into through holes which are defined in the connector portion of the frame, and the contact pins of the conductive member are electrically connected with the respective terminals of the electromagnetic valves.

Growing community of inventors

Nishio, Japan

Takeshi Marutani