The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 30, 2008
Filed:
Aug. 02, 2007
Yasuhisa Yamada, Gunma-ken, JP;
Akihiro Shoda, Gunma-ken, JP;
Atsushi Ozawa, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Takatsugu Yamada, Gunma-ken, JP;
Yasuhisa Yamada, Gunma-ken, JP;
Akihiro Shoda, Gunma-ken, JP;
Atsushi Ozawa, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Takatsugu Yamada, Gunma-ken, JP;
NSK Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A telescopic shaft for steering of a vehicle is assembled in a steering shaft and includes a male shaft and a female shaft that are so fitted as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. Rolling members are fitted through an elastic body for pre-load between at least a pair of axially-extending grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in an inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. A slide member is fitted in between at least another pair of axially-extending grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. When a steering toque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, the elastic body for the pre-load exhibits a low rigidity characteristic as the elastic body performs pre-load action. When the steering torque is equal to or larger than the predetermined level, the slide member exhibits a high rigidity characteristic as the slide member engages with the pair of axially extending grooves.