JP5620840B2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a steering device equipped with a telescopic adjustment mechanism, and with an extremely simple configuration, a lubricant can be always filled between an outer column and an inner column so that telescopic adjustment can be performed smoothly. Further, the present invention relates to a steering device that can prevent dripping of a lubricant.

  Conventionally, in a steering apparatus provided with a telescopic adjustment mechanism, a concave portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of an aluminum alloy outer column along the entire length of the outer column along its axial direction. 2005-161985). Specifically, recesses are respectively formed at positions on both sides in the vertical direction of the inner peripheral surface of the upper column 1b corresponding to the outer column (see FIG. 9 of Patent Document 1). Lubricants applied to the sliding surfaces of the lower column 1a corresponding to the inner column and the upper column 1b corresponding to the outer column slidably fitted to the lower column 1a are respectively stored in the recesses. The

JP 2005-161985

  The recess in Patent Document 1 is formed over the entire length along the axial direction of the upper column 1b, and the vehicle body front end and vehicle body rear end of the recess are open ends. Normally, the steering column 1 is attached to the vehicle body with an inclination of 20 to 30 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction (see FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1). For this reason, the lubricant j accumulated in the concave portion flows out from the front end of the vehicle body in the concave portion and may drop and adversely affect other components. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing such a state.

  Further, if the lubricant j drops from the front end of the upper column 1b in the vehicle body, the lubricant runs out, and good telescopic operability cannot be maintained. Further, the dropped lubricant j may contaminate the lower periphery of the steering device. Therefore, in order to prevent dripping of the lubricant j from the upper column 1b, it is conceivable to attach a lid member to the front end of the vehicle body in each of the upper and lower recesses or to close the front end of the vehicle body in the recess. However, in such a structure, when the tilt / telescopic operation is performed, the operation of expanding and reducing the diameter of the upper column 1b is hindered, which is difficult to employ.

  In the recessed portion, the lower column 1a does not come into contact with the upper column 1b even if it is telescopically operated, and is in contact with the lubricant j accumulated in the recessed portion. That is, since the recessed portion is not a sliding surface, even when the upper column 1b is slid with respect to the lower column 1a during the telescopic operation, the lubricant j accumulated in the recessed portion does not move together with the upper column 1b, There is a possibility that it remains on the column 1a (the same applies when the upper column 1b is an inner column) [see FIG. 5A].

  If the lubricant j remains on the lower column 1a and does not come into contact with the upper column 1b, the lubricant j does not fulfill the role of lubrication and the possibility of dripping increases. The object (technical problem to be solved) of the present invention is to be able to always fill the lubricant between the outer column and the inner column so that the telescopic adjustment can be smoothly performed with an extremely simple configuration. It is also intended to prevent dripping of the lubricant.

  In view of the above, the inventor has intensively studied to solve the above problems, and as a result, the invention of claim 1 has an inner column and an inner peripheral surface for holding the inner column, and is divided along the axial direction. An outer column composed of a holding main body portion in which a groove portion is formed and fastening pieces formed so as to face each other in the width direction of the split groove portion, and a fixed side portion for holding the outer column on both sides in the width direction A lubricant that passes through the outer peripheral surface of the outer column and the inner peripheral surface of the outer column, and a fixing bracket that tightens both the fastening pieces of the outer column and the fixed side portions of the fixing bracket. The above-described problems have been solved by providing a steering device in which a retaining hole is formed and the lubricant retaining hole is formed to be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the outer column.

  The invention according to claim 2 is opposed to the holding main body portion having an inner column and an inner peripheral surface for holding the inner column and having a split groove portion formed along the axial direction on both sides in the width direction of the split groove portion. An outer column composed of fastening pieces formed to be fixed to each other, a fixing bracket having a fixing side portion for clamping the outer column on both sides in the width direction, both the fastening pieces of the outer column and both of the fixing brackets A fastening tool for fastening a fixed side part, and a lubricant retaining hole penetrating the outer peripheral surface of the outer column and the inner peripheral surface is formed, and the lubricant retaining hole is formed in the fastening piece. The above-described problem has been solved by providing a steering device in which a concave surface portion recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the outer column is formed around the outer peripheral surface side opening.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the lubricant retaining hole is configured such that the outer peripheral surface side opening on the outer peripheral surface of the outer column is equal to or higher than the inner peripheral surface side opening on the inner peripheral surface. By solving the above problem, the above problem was solved. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first, second, and third aspects, the opening on the outer peripheral surface side of the lubricant retaining hole is a region below the central position of the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the outer column. The above-described problem has been solved by providing a steering device characterized by being formed in the above.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, a lubricant retaining hole penetrating the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the outer column is formed. Further, the inner column is held on the inner peripheral surface of the outer column. With this configuration, the lubricant is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the inner column by moving the inner column in the axial direction with respect to the outer column during telescopic adjustment while the lubricant is stored in the lubricant retaining hole. The Then, the lubricant is filled between the inner peripheral surface of the outer column and the outer peripheral surface of the inner column, and the lubricant is stored as appropriate, so that the telescopic connection between the holding main body and the inner column can be performed without causing the lubricant to run out. The sliding surface can be lubricated and a smooth telescopic operation can be maintained.

  Furthermore, since the lubricant retaining hole is a hole that penetrates the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the outer column, the lubricant accumulated in the through hole can be prevented from dripping due to the vehicle body mounting angle of the steering device. The lubricant can be retained for a long time. Furthermore, in the present invention, since the lubricant reservoir can be configured only by drilling a lubricant retaining hole in the outer column, molding is easy and the number of parts does not increase, so that the number of assembly steps does not increase. The structure is not complicated and can be provided at a low price. In the first aspect of the present invention, the lubricant retaining holes are formed to be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the outer column, so that the distance between the lubricant retaining holes can be increased, and the lubricant can be stored. The amount can be increased.

  In the invention of claim 2, the lubricant retaining hole is formed in the fastening piece, and the concave portion recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the outer column is formed around the outer peripheral surface side opening. Even if it protrudes outward in the direction, the possibility of the lubricant dripping can be kept low by accumulating in the concave surface portion.

  In the invention of claim 3, since the lubricant retaining hole has an outer peripheral surface side opening on the outer peripheral surface of the outer column equal to or higher than the inner peripheral surface side opening on the inner peripheral surface, the lubricant retaining hole has a horizontal shape. Alternatively, the lubricant is inclined downward from the outer peripheral surface side opening toward the inner peripheral surface side opening, and the lubricant stored in the lubricant retaining hole has a structure that does not easily leak from the outer peripheral surface side opening side. It can prevent dripping.

  In the invention of claim 4, the outer peripheral surface side opening of the lubricant retaining hole is formed in a region below from the middle of the outer diameter of the outer column in the vertical diameter direction, so that the most contact load between the inner column and the outer column can be obtained during telescopic operation. Such a portion can be lubricated and a good telescopic operation can be performed.

(A) is a fragmentary front view of the present invention, (B) is an enlarged view of (A) of (A), (C) is a longitudinal sectional side view of the present invention, (D) is a book It is a side view in invention. (A) is a partially cutaway perspective view of the outer column, (B) is an enlarged view of (A) part of (A), and (C) is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the outer column of (A). (A) is a side view of the main part showing the action in which the inner column moves in the axial direction relative to the outer column by telescopic adjustment and lubricant is applied to a predetermined position of the inner column, and (B) is X1 in (A). -X1 arrow cross-sectional view, (C) is a main part cross-sectional view showing the action of filling the lubricant in the area where the outer column and the inner column are in contact with each other in the telescopic adjustment, (D) is (C) FIG. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the embodiment in which the lubricant retaining hole is formed above the center position of the diameter of the outer column, and (B) is formed by tilting the lubricant retaining hole with respect to the axial direction of the outer column. The main part longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the embodiment made, (C) is a principal part side view of the embodiment in which the cross section of the lubricant retaining hole is formed in an oval shape, and (D) is the main body part of the lubricant retaining hole holding part It is the embodiment formed outside the front side of the fastening piece forming region. (A) is a schematic diagram showing an image of the prior art, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow Y1-Y1 in (A).

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Further, in the present invention, the front-rear direction is set, with the steering device of the present invention mounted on the vehicle, the front-rear direction of the vehicle as a reference, the portion corresponding to the front side of the vehicle is the front of the steering device, A portion corresponding to the rear side of the automobile is set behind the steering device [see FIG. 1D]. In the present invention, the width direction (left-right direction) is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. “Front”, “rear”, and “width direction” are described in key points in the figure.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main configuration of the present invention includes an inner column 1, an outer column 2, a fixing bracket 4, and a fastening tool 5. When the fastening of the fastener 5 is released during telescopic adjustment, the inner column 1 can move in the front-rear direction with respect to the outer column 2. A steering shaft (not shown) is rotatably mounted on the inner column 1.

  The outer column 2 is mainly made of a cast product such as an aluminum alloy, and is mainly composed of a holding main body 21 and two fastening pieces 22 and 22 [see FIGS. 2A and 2C. ]. Further, the holding main body portion 21 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the inside thereof has an inner peripheral surface 2a formed in a hollow shape. The inner peripheral surface 2a is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape, and the inner column 1 is held.

  The outer column 2 is a portion that serves to make the telescopic adjustment possible when the inner column 1 is locked (fixed) to the outer column 2 via a fastener 5 described later, or the lock is released. . Here, the diameter center of the inner peripheral surface 2a is referred to as P, a horizontal line passing through the diameter center P is referred to as a horizontal diameter line Lh, and a vertical line passing through the diameter center P is referred to as a vertical diameter line Lv. An axial line passing through the diameter center P is referred to as an axial core line Lo.

  The inner peripheral surface 2a of the holding main body portion 21 is a region that comes into contact (including substantially contact) with the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 1 when locked by the fastener 5 (see FIG. 2C). . Further, the outer surface of the outer column 2 is referred to as an outer peripheral surface 2b. The outer peripheral surface 2b includes the shape of the holding main body portion 21 and the outer peripheral side of the fastening pieces 22 and 22 (see FIG. 2C). A split groove portion 23 is formed on the lower side in the diameter direction of the holding main body portion 21 (see FIGS. 2A and 2C).

  The split groove portion 23 is a portion where the holding main body portion 21 is entirely or substantially entirely separated from the front side in the axial direction to the rear side, and the shape thereof extends along the axial direction of the holding main body portion 21. It is formed in a slit shape. Both end edges in the width direction of the split groove portion 23 are parallel (including substantially parallel), and therefore, the intervals are equal intervals (including substantially equal intervals) along the axial direction.

  Two fastening pieces 22 and 22 are formed at the lower portion in the diameter direction of the holding main body portion 21 and at both sides in the width direction of the dividing groove portion 23 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). Both the fastening pieces 22, 22 are formed in a substantially thick plate shape with the same shape, and the longitudinal direction thereof is formed along the axial direction of the outer column 2. More specifically, the fastening piece 22 is integrally formed so as to overlap the holding main body portion 21 from the vicinity of the horizontal diameter line Lh of the holding main body portion 21 downward (FIG. 2C). reference〕.

  And in the width direction (left-right direction) of the outer column 2, the width dimension between the outer end surfaces 22 b of the fastening pieces 22, 22 is formed to be equal to or larger than the horizontal outer diameter of the holding body portion 21. Yes. The fastening pieces 22, 22 are arranged symmetrically (including substantially lateral symmetry) and parallel in the width direction of the dividing groove 23, and are formed integrally with the holding main body 21.

  Each fastening piece 22 is formed in a quadrangular shape or a triangular shape when viewed from the side surface in the axial direction of the holding main body portion 21. The outer end surfaces 22b, 22b of both the fastening pieces 22, 22 are formed as flat surfaces, and are sandwiched between both fixed side portions 41, 41 of the fixing bracket 4 to be described later. The fastening piece 22 is configured to be in surface contact (including substantially surface contact) with the outer end surface 22b (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). Further, the outer end surfaces 22b and 22b of the fastening pieces 22 and 22 are respectively formed with concave surface portions 22c and 22c that are recessed inward. The concave surface portion 22c is a dent formed along the shape of the fastening piece 22, and is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape.

  Both fastening pieces 22, 22 are formed to face each other in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the outer column 2 and along the width direction of the holding main body 21. Tightening holes 22a and 22a are formed. A bolt shaft 51 of a fastening tool 5 to be described later is inserted through the fastening holes 22a and 22a [see FIG. 1 (A)]. On the front side in the front-rear direction of the holding main body portion 21, an arm portion 3 composed of two arm-like portions 31, 31 and a shaft support portion (not shown) is formed [see FIG. 2 (A)].

  The fixed bracket 4 is composed of fixed side portions 41 and 41 and an upper surface portion 42 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). Support holes 41 a and 41 a are formed in the fixed side portions 41 and 41. The support holes 41a and 41a are formed as long holes extending in the vertical direction. Further, the upper surface portion 42 serves to attach the fixing bracket 4 to a predetermined position of the vehicle body with a fastener such as a bolt.

  The fixed bracket 4 sandwiches the outer end surface 22b of the tightening piece 22 by both the fixed side portions 41 and 41, and the positions of the tightening holes 22a and 22a and the support holes 41a and 41a of the fixed bracket 4 coincide with each other. The bolt shaft 51 of the fastening tool 5 to be described later penetrates (see FIG. 1A). The tightening tool 5 includes a bolt shaft 51, an operation lever portion 52, a tightening cam 53, and a tightening nut 54. The tightening piece 22 is covered with the fixed side portion 41, so that the concave surface portion 22c constitutes a substantially closed void portion.

  The fastening tool 5 is mounted together with the operating lever portion 52 and the fastening cam 53 by a fastening nut 54. The inner peripheral surface 2a of the holding main body portion 21 is reduced in diameter by the tightening operation of the operation lever portion 52 of the fastener 5, and the inner column 1 housed and mounted on the inner peripheral surface 2a is tightened and locked (fixed). )can do. Further, by rotating the operation lever portion 52 of the fastening tool 5 to release the fastening state, the fixed side portions 41 and 41 of the fixing bracket 4 are separated, and the inner peripheral surface of the holding main body portion 21 is separated. The diameter of 2a is increased, the inner column 1 is unlocked, and tilt / telescopic adjustment can be performed.

  The outer column 2 is formed with a lubricant retaining hole 24 having a circular cross section penetrating from the outer peripheral surface 2b to the inner peripheral surface 2a (see FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2). The opening on the inner peripheral surface 2a side of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is referred to as an inner peripheral surface side opening 24a, and the opening on the outer peripheral surface 2b side of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is referred to as an outer peripheral surface side opening 24b [FIG. B) and (C)].

  Specifically, lubricant retaining holes 24 and 24 are formed in both fastening pieces 22 and 22 of the outer column 2, respectively. As described above, the concave surface portion 22c that is recessed inward from the outer end surfaces 22b of the two fastening pieces 22 is formed around the outer peripheral surface side opening 24b of the lubricant retaining hole 24. That is, the outer peripheral surface side opening 24b of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is formed within the range of the concave surface portion 22c. The outer end surface 22b is a portion that contacts the fixed side portion 41 of the fixed bracket 4 in a surface contact state. The lubricant retaining hole 24 is formed in a horizontal shape.

  At the time of assembly, a lubricant j such as grease is applied to the inner peripheral surface 2 a of the outer column 2, and the lubricant j enters the lubricant retaining hole 24. Thereafter, the inner column 1 is assembled in the holding main body portion 21 of the outer column 2, and the lubricant j is accumulated in the lubricant retaining hole 24. During the telescopic operation, the inner column 1 slides in the axial direction with respect to the outer column 2, and the lubricant j stored in the lubricant retaining hole 24 is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 1 [FIG. ), See (B)].

  Since the inner peripheral surface side opening 24a of the lubricant retaining hole 24 opens in the telescopic sliding surface of the outer column 2 and the inner column 1, the outer column is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 1 by the telescopic sliding surface. The lubricant j is applied thinly by the gap between the inner column 1 and the inner column 1. Therefore, the lubricant j on the telescopic sliding surface can be filled.

  When the holding body portion 21 and the inner column 1 are in close contact during telescopic locking, the lubricant j enters the lubricant retaining hole 24, and the amount of the lubricant j protruding outside the holding body portion 21 is reduced. The possibility of dripping can be kept low. Even if the lubricant j filled in the lubricant retaining hole 24 protrudes outward in the width direction from the lubricant retaining hole 24, the protruding lubricant j is formed on the outer end surface 22 b of the fastening piece 22. There is less risk of collecting and dripping on the bottom surface of the concave surface portion 22c.

  The concave surface portion 22c also serves as a second storage portion. Further, since the concave surface portion 22c formed on the outer end surface 22b is covered by the fixed side portions 41 and 41 of the fixing bracket 4, the risk of dripping the lubricant j collected on the concave surface portion 22c can be further reduced. Further, dust can be prevented from entering, and contamination and deterioration of the lubricant j stored in the lubricant retaining hole 24 can be reduced.

  As described above, the outer end surface 22b is a portion where the fixed side portion 41 of the fixing bracket 4 abuts in a surface contact state, and the outer end surface 22b which becomes a tilt sliding surface by the lubricant j accumulated in the concave surface portion 22c. The lubricant j is lubricated in the gap between the fixed side portion 41 and the fixed side portion 41, so that an advantageous tilt operation can be obtained.

  When the lock is released, the distance between the split groove portions 23 in the tightened state is changed from the distance W1 to the distance W2 in the released state (see FIG. 3C). And the space | interval of both the fastening pieces 22 and 22 spreads, and the inner column 1 is the weight area Q, and the area | region of the inner peripheral surface 2a of the width direction both ends edge part of the split groove part 23 of the inner peripheral surface 2a of the outer column 2 and its vicinity The contact load p, p,... (distributed load) with the inner peripheral surface 2a in the vicinity of both end edges of the split groove portion 23 increases (see FIG. 3D).

  The fastening pieces 22, 22 are formed in the vicinity of the split groove 23. By forming a lubricant retaining hole 24 in the region of the fastening pieces 22, 22, the inner peripheral surface 2 a of the outer column 2 is formed. The telescopic sliding surface to which the contact load of the inner column 1 is applied can be filled with the lubricant j to constitute a good lubrication location. Accordingly, the telescopic slidability can be improved and the telescopic operability can be improved. Further, the inner circumferential surface side opening 24 a of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is formed so as to open in a direction intersecting (including substantially intersecting) the axial direction of the holding main body portion 21 of the outer column 2.

  Accordingly, the lubricant j collected in the lubricant retaining hole 24 does not drop even if the steering column is inclined depending on the mounting angle of the vehicle body, and the lubricant retaining hole 24 does not drop. 24. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the lubricant to run out, the telescopic sliding surfaces of the outer column 2 and the inner column 1 are lubricated for a long period of time, and good telescopic operability can be maintained.

  The lubricant retaining hole 24 may be formed outside the region of the fastening piece 22. Specifically, the holding main body portion 21 of the outer column 2 is formed at a position below the horizontal diameter line Lh of the holding main body portion 21 and close to the split groove portion 23. That is, the inner peripheral surface side opening 23 a of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is located in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface 2 a of the holding main body portion 21 where the split groove portion 23 is formed.

  With this configuration, when the locked state of the inner column 1 by the outer column 2 is released via the fastener 5, the inner column 1 tries to move downward toward the split groove portion 23 due to its own weight Q. The inner peripheral surface 2a in the vicinity of the split groove 23 is brought into contact with a large contact pressure. In such a state, the inner peripheral surface side opening 24a of the lubricant retaining hole 24 discharges the lubricant j to the inner peripheral surface 2a in the vicinity of the split groove 23, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner column 1 and the outer column Lubricant j is given to the place where the most pressure is applied to the inner peripheral surface 2a of No. 2, and the operational feeling of the telescopic operation can be improved.

  The lubricant retaining hole 24 is formed so as to be inclined downward from the outer peripheral surface side opening 24b toward the inner peripheral surface side opening 24a. Thereby, the lubricant j stored in the lubricant retaining hole 24 has a structure that is difficult to leak out from the outer peripheral surface side opening 24b side, and the lubricant j can be prevented from dripping. Further, the lubricant retaining hole 24 may be formed in a region above the horizontal diameter line Lh of the outer column 2 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). Specifically, the lubricant retaining hole 24 is formed in a region between the horizontal diameter line Lh of the holding main body 21 and the top of the holding main body 21.

  Further, the lubricant retaining hole 24 may be formed to be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the holding main body portion 21 in the outer column 2 (see FIG. 4C). Specifically, a hole direction line Lc between the outer peripheral surface side opening 24b and the inner peripheral surface side opening 24a of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is set to an axial center line Lo passing through the diameter center P of the inner peripheral surface 2a of the holding main body portion 21. It intersects with an acute angle instead of a right angle. Further, the lubricant retaining hole 24 is formed in the holding main body portion 21 of the outer column 2 in a region outside the front side of the region where the fastening piece 22 is formed and below the horizontal diameter line Lh. Sometimes (see FIG. 4D).

  In either case, the lubricant j collected in the lubricant retaining hole 24 can be prevented from dripping, and the lubricant j can be held for a long time. The cross section of the lubricant retaining hole 24 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be a long hole shape such as an ellipse (including an ellipse) or a rectangle (see FIG. 4C). Furthermore, the number of the lubricant retaining holes 24 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be set as appropriate. The present invention should not be construed as being limited only to the above-described embodiment, but is appropriately modified or improved with respect to the embodiment, such as when the split groove 23 of the outer column 2 is provided above. It is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inner column, 2 ... Outer column, 2a ... Inner peripheral surface, 2b ... Outer peripheral surface,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Holding body part, 22 ... Fastening piece, 22c ... Concave surface part, 23 ... Split groove part, 24 ... Lubricant retaining hole, 24a ... Inner peripheral surface side opening, 24b ... Outer peripheral surface side opening, 4 ... Fixed bracket, 41 ... fixed side part, 5 ... fastener.

Claims (4)

An inner column, an inner peripheral surface for holding the inner column, and a holding main body portion formed with a split groove portion along the axial direction, are fastened so as to face each other on both sides in the width direction of the split groove portion. An outer column composed of attachment pieces, a fixing bracket having fixing side portions for clamping the outer column on both sides in the width direction, and tightening for tightening both fixing pieces of the outer column and both fixing side portions of the fixing bracket. A lubricant retaining hole penetrating the outer peripheral surface of the outer column and the inner peripheral surface, and the lubricant retaining hole is formed to be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the outer column. steering apparatus characterized by comprising Te. An inner column, an inner peripheral surface for holding the inner column, and a holding main body portion formed with a split groove portion along the axial direction, are fastened so as to face each other on both sides in the width direction of the split groove portion. An outer column composed of attachment pieces, a fixing bracket having fixing side portions for clamping the outer column on both sides in the width direction, and fastening for fastening both fastening pieces of the outer column and both fixing side portions of the fixing bracket. And a lubricant retaining hole penetrating the outer peripheral surface of the outer column and the inner peripheral surface, the lubricant retaining hole being formed in the fastening piece and surrounding the opening on the outer peripheral surface side. The steering device is characterized in that a concave surface portion recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the outer column is formed .   3. The lubricant retaining hole according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface side opening in the outer peripheral surface of the outer column is equal to or higher than the inner peripheral surface side opening in the inner peripheral surface. Steering device.   4. The outer circumferential surface side opening of the lubricant retaining hole according to claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential surface side opening of the lubricant retaining hole is formed in a region below the diameter center position of the inner circumferential surface of the outer column. Steering device characterized.

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