JP6566243B2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device.

  The steering column described in Patent Document 1 below includes a lower jacket fixed to a bracket and an upper jacket partially disposed inside the lower jacket. The upper jacket includes an energy absorbing member extending in the axial direction of the upper jacket. The energy absorbing member includes an upper part formed with a plurality of teeth and a lower part fixed to the upper jacket. A fastening shaft is inserted through the bracket, and a cam having a plurality of teeth is formed on the fastening shaft. The tightening shaft is rotated by the rotation of the adjusting lever attached to the tightening shaft, and the teeth of the cam mesh with the cam of the energy absorbing member. The energy absorbing member is deformed by the movement of the upper jacket relative to the lower jacket at the time of a vehicle collision. Thereby, an energy absorption member absorbs the energy generated at the time of a vehicle collision.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0125139

  Since the energy absorbing member of the steering column described in Patent Document 1 extends in the axial direction, it is easily bent. Therefore, in the energy absorbing member, the upper portion that is not fixed to the upper jacket may be lifted by an impact at the time of a vehicle collision. If the upper part is lifted, the energy absorbing member cannot be stably deformed at the time of a vehicle collision, and thus there is a possibility that the energy generated at the time of the vehicle collision cannot be absorbed stably.

  The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a steering device capable of stably deforming an energy absorbing member at the time of a vehicle collision.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a steering member (10) can be connected to one end (3A), and can extend and contract in the axial direction (X), and the steering member side in the axial direction ( An upper jacket (18) for holding the steering shaft at X1), and a lower jacket (19) for holding the steering shaft on the side (X2) opposite to the steering member side in the axial direction, A column jacket (4) that can extend and contract in the axial direction together with the steering shaft by moving the upper jacket in the axial direction relative to the jacket, and a bracket (6) that supports the lower jacket and is fixed to the vehicle body (2) A fixing member (40) fixed to the lower jacket, and a fixing part (fixed to the fixing member ( 0) and a moving part (51) that moves to the opposite side together with the upper jacket at the time of a vehicle collision, and moves to the opposite side as the moving part moves to absorb energy generated at the time of the vehicle collision. A deformable energy absorbing member (42) and the energy absorbing member are covered from the outside (R1) in the radial direction (R) of the steering shaft, and the deformation of the energy absorbing member in the radial direction at the time of a vehicle collision is reduced by the diameter. A pair of tightening members provided integrally with the lower jacket and disposed on both sides of the regulating member (43) for regulating from the outside in the direction and the slit (25) formed in the lower jacket and extending in the axial direction. Tightening the lower jacket to the upper jacket by narrowing the gap between the member (26) and the pair of tightening members And a structure (7), an end portion of the opposite side of the regulating member (43B) is characterized by being fixed to the fixing member disposed on the opposite side of said pair of clamp object member It is a steering device (1).

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the pressing member is provided on the tightened member and presses the end portion (43A) of the regulating member on the steering member side from the outside in the radial direction with respect to the energy absorbing member. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, including (41).
The invention according to claim 3 includes a fastening member (44) for fastening together the opposite end portion of the regulating member and the fixing portion of the energy absorbing member to the fixing member. A steering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 .
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a steering member (10) can be connected to one end (3A), and can extend and contract in the axial direction (X), and the steering member side in the axial direction ( An upper jacket (18) for holding the steering shaft at X1), and a lower jacket (19) for holding the steering shaft on the side (X2) opposite to the steering member side in the axial direction, A column jacket (4) that can extend and contract in the axial direction together with the steering shaft by moving the upper jacket in the axial direction relative to the jacket, and a bracket (6) that supports the lower jacket and is fixed to the vehicle body (2) A fixing member (40) fixed to the lower jacket, and a fixing part (fixed to the fixing member ( 0) and a moving part (51) that moves to the opposite side together with the upper jacket at the time of a vehicle collision, and moves to the opposite side as the moving part moves to absorb energy generated at the time of the vehicle collision. A deformable energy absorbing member (42) and the energy absorbing member are covered from the outside (R1) in the radial direction (R) of the steering shaft, and the deformation of the energy absorbing member in the radial direction at the time of a vehicle collision is reduced by the diameter. A regulating member (43) that regulates from the outside in the direction, and a fastening member (44) that fastens the opposite end of the regulating member and the fixing portion of the energy absorbing member together with the fixing member. A steering device (1) characterized by

  In addition, in the above, the numbers in parentheses represent reference numerals of corresponding components in the embodiments described later, but the scope of the claims is not limited by these reference numerals.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the steering device, the column jacket includes the upper jacket on the steering member side in the axial direction and the lower jacket on the side opposite to the steering member side in the axial direction. The lower jacket is supported by a bracket fixed to the vehicle body.
When the column jacket expands and contracts with the steering shaft, the upper jacket moves in the axial direction with respect to the lower jacket. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, a secondary collision occurs in which the driver collides with the steering member connected to the steering shaft, and at the same time the steering shaft contracts, the upper jacket moves to the opposite side with respect to the lower jacket. To do.

  At that time, the moving part of the energy absorbing member moves to the opposite side together with the upper jacket. On the other hand, the fixing part of the energy absorbing member is fixed to the fixing member on the lower jacket side. Therefore, the energy absorbing member absorbs energy at the time of the vehicle collision by being deformed to the opposite side with the movement of the moving unit at the time of the vehicle collision. The energy absorbing member is covered with a regulating member from the outside in the radial direction of the steering shaft. Therefore, the deformation of the energy absorbing member in the radial direction is regulated by the regulating member.

Therefore, since the lifting of the energy absorbing member in the radial direction is suppressed during a vehicle collision, the energy absorbing member can be stably deformed.
Moreover , since the edge part on the opposite side of a control member is being fixed to the fixing member, the shakiness of a control member can be suppressed.
Further, the fixing member is disposed on the opposite side of the pair of tightening members. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the fixing of the end portion on the opposite side of the restricting member to the fixing member from interfering with reducing the interval between the pair of to-be-tightened members by the tightening mechanism. Therefore, the tightening mechanism can firmly tighten the lower jacket to the upper jacket by smoothly narrowing the distance between the pair of members to be tightened.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the end of the regulating member on the steering member side is pressed against the energy absorbing member from the outside in the radial direction by the pressing member provided on the member to be tightened. Thereby, shakiness of the regulating member in the radial direction can be suppressed.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the end on the opposite side of the regulating member and the fixing portion of the energy absorbing member are fastened together with the fixing member by the fastening member, the energy absorbing member and the regulating member are Man-hours when assembling to the lower jacket can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a steering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the steering device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the periphery of the energy absorption mechanism. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view around the energy absorbing member and the regulating member. FIG. 6 is a view of the periphery of the energy absorption mechanism as viewed from above. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the tooth lock mechanism and its surroundings. FIG. 9A is a schematic side view of the tooth lock mechanism, showing a state where the second teeth mesh with the first teeth. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the meshing between the second tooth and the first tooth is released in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A is a diagram schematically showing a cross-sectional view along the line XX in FIG. 6. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a state immediately after the secondary collision in FIG. 10A. FIG. 10C is a diagram showing a state further after FIG. 10B.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a steering apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the left side of the drawing is the front side of the vehicle body 2 to which the steering device 1 is attached, the right side of the drawing is the rear side of the vehicle body 2, the upper side of the drawing is the upper side of the vehicle body 2, and the lower side of the drawing is the lower side of the vehicle body 2. It is. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the steering device 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a steering device 1 includes a steering shaft 3, a column jacket 4, a lower bracket 5, an upper bracket 6 (bracket), a tightening mechanism 7, an energy absorbing mechanism 8, and a tooth lock mechanism 9. And mainly.
In the steering shaft 3, a steering member 10 is connected to one end 3A that is a rear end. The other end 3B, which is the front end of the steering shaft 3, is connected to the pinion shaft 15 of the steering mechanism 14 via the universal joint 11, the intermediate shaft 12, and the universal joint 13 in this order. The steered mechanism 14 includes a rack and pinion mechanism. The steered mechanism 14 steers steered wheels such as tires (not shown) in response to the rotation of the steering shaft 3 being transmitted.

  The steering shaft 3 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2. Hereinafter, the direction in which the steering shaft 3 extends is referred to as an axial direction X. The axial direction X is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the other end 3B is lower than the one end 3A. In the axial direction X, the rear side that is the steering member 10 side is denoted by reference numeral “X1”, and in the axial direction X, the front side that is opposite to the steering member 10 is denoted by reference numeral “X2”.

Of the directions orthogonal to the axial direction X, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1 is referred to as the left-right direction Y, and the direction extending substantially up and down in FIG. In the left-right direction Y, the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is the right side Y1, and the near side of the paper surface is the left side Y2. In the vertical direction Z, a sign “Z1” is attached to the upper side, and a sign “Z2” is attached to the lower side.
In the drawings other than FIG. 1, the directions corresponding to the axial direction X, rear side X1, front side X2, left and right direction Y, right side Y1, left side Y2, up and down direction Z, upper side Z1 and lower side Z2 in FIG. The same reference numerals as those in FIG.

The steering shaft 3 includes an upper shaft 16 and a columnar lower shaft 17 that are at least partially cylindrical on the front side X2. The upper shaft 16 is disposed coaxially on the rear side X1 with respect to the lower shaft 17.
A rear end 16A of the upper shaft 16 is one end 3A of the steering shaft 3, and the steering member 10 is connected to the rear end 16A of the upper shaft 16.

  A front end 17 </ b> A of the lower shaft 17 is the other end 3 </ b> B of the steering shaft 3. The rear end of the lower shaft 17 is inserted into the front end 16B of the upper shaft 16 from the front side X2. The lower shaft 17 is coupled to the front end 16B of the upper shaft 16 by being fitted to the upper shaft 16 by spline fitting or serration fitting. Therefore, the upper shaft 16 and the lower shaft 17 can be rotated together and relatively moved along the axial direction X. The steering shaft 3 can expand and contract in the axial direction X by the movement of the upper shaft 16 in the axial direction X with respect to the lower shaft 17.

The column jacket 4 is a hollow body that extends in the axial direction X as a whole. The column jacket 4 accommodates the steering shaft 3. The column jacket 4 has an upper jacket 18 and a lower jacket 19 that extend in the axial direction X.
The upper jacket 18 is located on the rear side X1 with respect to the lower jacket 19. The upper jacket 18 is fitted into the lower jacket 19. Specifically, the front end 18A of the upper jacket 18 is inserted into the rear end 19A of the lower jacket 19 from the rear side X1. In this state, the upper jacket 18 can move in the axial direction X with respect to the lower jacket 19. By this movement, the entire column jacket 4 can be expanded and contracted along the axial direction X.

Since the column jacket 4 is connected to the steering shaft 3 by the bearing 20 and the bearing 21, the column jacket 4 rotatably supports the steering shaft 3 and holds the steering shaft 3.
Specifically, the rear end of the upper jacket 18 is connected to the upper shaft 16 by a bearing 20. The upper jacket 18 rotatably supports the upper shaft 16 and holds the upper shaft 16 on the rear side X1. The front end of the lower jacket 19 is connected to the lower shaft 17 by a bearing 21. The lower jacket 19 rotatably supports the lower shaft 17 and holds the lower shaft 17 on the front side X2. Therefore, the group of the upper shaft 16 and the upper jacket 18 can move in the axial direction X with respect to the group of the lower shaft 17 and the lower jacket 19. Thereby, the column jacket 4 can be expanded and contracted together with the steering shaft 3.

The expansion / contraction of the steering shaft 3 and the column jacket 4 here is called “telescopic”, and this expansion / contraction adjustment, that is, the position adjustment of the steering member 10 in the axial direction X by telescopic is called telescopic adjustment.
The lower bracket 5 supports a portion on the front side X <b> 2 of the lower jacket 19 and connects the steering device 1 to the vehicle body 2.

The lower bracket 5 includes a pair of movable brackets 5A (see also FIG. 2) fixed to the lower jacket 19, a fixed bracket 5B fixed to the vehicle body 2, and a central shaft 5C extending in the left-right direction Y.
The movable bracket 5A is rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 5B via the central shaft 5C. Therefore, the entire column jacket 4 can be rotated up and down around the central axis 5 </ b> C with the steering shaft 3. The rotation here is called “tilt”, and the substantially vertical direction around the central axis 5C is called the tilt direction. Further, the direction adjustment of the steering member 10 by tilt is referred to as tilt adjustment.

The upper bracket 6 supports a portion on the rear side X <b> 1 of the lower jacket 19 and connects the steering device 1 to the vehicle body 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, the upper bracket 6 has a groove shape that opens downward, and is symmetrical with respect to the column jacket 4 so as to form a substantially U shape that is upside down when viewed in the axial direction X. Is formed. Specifically, the upper bracket 6 includes a pair of side plates 22 that are thinly opposed in the left-right direction Y with the column jacket 4 interposed therebetween, and a connecting plate 23 that is thinly connected in the vertical direction Z connected to the upper ends of the pair of side plates 22. Is integrated.

  In the pair of side plates 22, a tilt groove 24 is formed at the same position when viewed from the left-right direction Y. The tilt groove 24 extends in the up-down direction Z, strictly speaking, the tilt direction, which is the circumferential direction around the central axis 5C (see FIG. 1). The connecting plate 23 has, for example, portions extending outward in the left-right direction Y from the pair of side plates 22, and the entire upper bracket 6 is secured to the vehicle body 2 (FIG. 1) by bolts (not shown) inserted through the portions. Reference) is fixed.

A slit 25 extending in the axial direction X and penetrating through the lower jacket 19 in the vertical direction Z is formed in the upper Z1 portion of the lower jacket 19.
A pair of tightening members 26 disposed on both sides of the slit 25 in the left-right direction Y are integrally provided at the rear end 19 </ b> A of the lower jacket 19. The tightening member 26 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped extending in the upper side Z1 and extending in the axial direction X and the vertical direction Z.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.
Referring to FIG. 3, each of the pair of tightening members 26 is formed with a shaft insertion hole 26 </ b> A that penetrates the tightening member 26 in the left-right direction Y. The shaft insertion holes 26 </ b> A of the pair of to-be-tightened members 26 are at the same position when viewed from the left-right direction Y. The shaft insertion holes 26 </ b> A of the pair of tightening members 26 overlap with part of the tilt grooves 24 of the pair of side plates 22 of the upper bracket 6 when viewed from the left-right direction Y. Each of the pair of tightening members 26 has opposing surfaces 26B that face each other in the left-right direction Y.

  A guide groove 27 extending in the axial direction X is formed in the lower jacket 19. A guided projection 28 fixed to the upper jacket 18 is inserted into the guide groove 27. The guide groove 27 regulates the rotation of the upper jacket 18 with respect to the lower jacket 19 while guiding the axial movement of the upper jacket 18 through the guided projections 28. Further, the end portion (not shown) of the guide groove 27 in the axial direction X is in contact with the guided projection 28, thereby preventing the upper jacket 18 from coming off from the lower jacket 19.

The tightening mechanism 7 is a mechanism that enables tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment of the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1), and locks the position of the steering member 10 that has finished tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment.
The tightening mechanism 7 includes a tightening shaft 30, an operation member 31, a ring-shaped cam 32 and a cam follower 33, a nut 34, a ring-shaped interposed member 35, a needle roller bearing 36, and a thrust washer 37. .

The fastening shaft 30 has a rod shape extending in the left-right direction Y and has a central axis C1. The fastening shaft 30 is inserted through a portion where the shaft insertion hole 26 </ b> A and the tilt groove 24 overlap when viewed in the left-right direction Y. The fastening shaft 30 is supported by a pair of side plates 22 of the upper bracket 6. The tightening shaft 30 is located on the upper side Z <b> 1 from the steering shaft 3.
The left end, which is one end of the fastening shaft 30, is located on the left side Y <b> 2 with respect to the side plate 22 on the left side Y <b> 2 of the upper bracket 6. The right end, which is the other end of the fastening shaft 30, is located on the right side Y <b> 1 with respect to the side plate 22 on the right side Y <b> 1 of the upper bracket 6.

A head portion 30 </ b> A having a larger diameter than other portions of the fastening shaft 30 is provided at the left end portion of the fastening shaft 30, and a screw groove 30 </ b> B is provided at the right end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the fastening shaft 30. It has been.
The operation member 31 is a lever that can be gripped, for example. The operation member 31 is attached near the head 30 </ b> A of the fastening shaft 30. The tightening shaft 30 rotates according to the operation of the operation member 31.

The left end portion of the fastening shaft 30 is inserted through the cam 32 and the cam follower 33. A cam 32 and a cam follower 33 are arranged in this order from the left side Y2 between the operation member 31 and the side plate 22 of the left side Y2.
The cam 32 can rotate integrally with the fastening shaft 30, whereas the cam follower 33 can rotate relative to the fastening shaft 30 and move in the left-right direction Y. However, since the two-sided width is formed in the portion of the cam follower 33 that is inserted into the tilt groove 24 of the left side Y2 side plate 22, idling of the cam follower 33 is prevented by the tilt groove 24.

A nut 34 is attached to the thread groove 30 </ b> B of the fastening shaft 30. Between the nut 34 and the side plate 22 of the right side Y1, an interposed member 35, a needle roller bearing 36, and a thrust washer 37 are arranged in this order from the left side Y2. The tightening shaft 30 is inserted through each of the interposed member 35, the needle roller bearing 36, and the thrust washer 37.
The tightening shaft 30 is movable in the tilt direction described above in each tilt groove 24 of the upper bracket 6. When the driver moves the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1) in the tilt direction for tilt adjustment, the entire column jacket 4 is tilted relative to the upper bracket 6. The tilt adjustment of the steering member 10 is performed within a range in which the tightening shaft 30 can move within the tilt groove 24.

  When the driver rotates the operating member 31 after performing telescopic adjustment or tilt adjustment, the cam 32 rotates, and the cam protrusions 38 formed on the cam 32 and the cam follower 33 ride on each other. Thereby, the cam follower 33 moves to the right side Y1 along the axial direction of the fastening shaft 30 and is pressed against the side plate 22 of the left side Y2. By the pressing by the cam follower 33, the pair of side plates 22 is fastened from both sides in the left-right direction Y between the cam follower 33 and the interposition member 35.

As a result, the pair of side plates 22 pinches the tightening member 26 of the lower jacket 19 from both sides in the left-right direction Y, so that a frictional force is generated between each side plate 22 and the tightening member 26. The position of the column jacket 4 is locked by the frictional force, and the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1) is locked at the position after the tilt adjustment and cannot move in the tilt direction.
Further, when the pair of tightening members 26 of the lower jacket 19 are sandwiched between the side plates 22, the distance between the pair of tightening members 26 is narrowed. As a result, the inner peripheral portion of the lower jacket 19 is narrowed, and the lower jacket 19 is fastened to the upper jacket 18 in the lower jacket 19. Thus, the tightening mechanism 7 tightens the lower jacket 19 to the upper jacket 18 by narrowing the distance between the pair of tightening members 26.

As a result, a frictional force is generated between the upper jacket 18 and the lower jacket 19. Due to the friction between the upper jacket 18 and the lower jacket 19, the position of the upper jacket 18 is locked, and the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1) is locked at the position after the telescopic adjustment and cannot move in the axial direction X.
The state of the steering device 1 when the position of the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1) is fixed in the tilt direction and the axial direction X is referred to as a “locked state”.

  In the steering apparatus 1 in the locked state, when the operation member 31 is rotated in the opposite direction to the previous direction, the cam 32 rotates with respect to the cam follower 33, and the cam follower 33 moves to the left side Y <b> 2 along the axial direction of the fastening shaft 30. Move to. Then, the tightening of the pair of side plates 22 between the cam follower 33 and the interposition member 35 is released, and the frictional force between each side plate 22 and the member 26 to be tightened or between the lower jacket 19 and the upper jacket 18 is released. Since the frictional force is eliminated, the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1) can move in the axial direction X and the tilt direction. Thereby, telescopic adjustment and tilt adjustment of the steering member 10 can be performed again.

As described above, the state of the steering device 1 when the position of the steering member 10 is released in the tilt direction and the axial direction X is referred to as a “released state”.
Hereinafter, the reference numeral “R” is attached to the radial direction around the central axis 3 </ b> C of the steering shaft 3. Of the radial direction R, a direction away from the steering shaft 3 is defined as a radial outer side R1, and a direction toward the central axis 3C of the steering shaft 3 is defined as a radial inner side R2.

Below, the structure of the energy absorption mechanism 8 is demonstrated in detail.
Referring to FIG. 4, which is a schematic perspective view around the energy absorbing mechanism 8, the energy absorbing mechanism 8 includes a pair of fixing members 40, a pair of pressing members 41, an energy absorbing member 42, a regulating member 43, A pair of fastening members 44. In FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, the restricting member 43 is illustrated by a two-dot chain line, and in FIG. 4, each member positioned on the far side of the paper surface from the restricting member 43 is illustrated by a solid line.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view around the energy absorbing member 42 and the regulating member 43.
With reference to FIG. 5, each fixing member 40 has a block shape. The lower ends of the pair of fixing members 40 are fixed to the lower jacket 19. The fixing member 40 may be formed integrally with the lower jacket 19 or may be separate from the lower jacket 19 and fixed to the lower jacket 19 later. On each upper surface 40A of the pair of fixing members 40, screw holes 40B extending to the lower side Z2 are formed.

The fixing member 40 is disposed on both sides of the slit 25 in the left-right direction Y. The pair of fixing members 40 are disposed on the front side X2 with respect to the tightened member 26 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the pair of fixing members 40 are disposed in the vicinity of the front end portion 25 </ b> A of the slit 25. The pair of fixing members 40 may be disposed on the front side X <b> 2 with respect to the slit 25.
Referring to FIG. 4, each of the pair of pressing members 41 has a thin plate shape in the vertical direction Z. Each of the pair of pressing members 41 is provided on each tightening member 26. Specifically, the pressing members 41 are fixed to the front X2 and upper Z1 portions of the pair of tightening members 26 one by one. The pressing member 41 faces the outer peripheral surface of the lower jacket 19 from the upper side Z1. Each portion of the outer peripheral surface of the lower jacket 19 that faces each pressing member 41 in the vertical direction Z is denoted by reference numeral “19B”.

The pressing member 41 can be slightly elastically deformed to the upper side Z1 (also the radially outer side R1). The pressing member 41 may be formed integrally with the lower jacket 19 or may be separate from the lower jacket 19.
Referring to FIG. 5, the energy absorbing member 42 is obtained by, for example, pressing a plate-like metal. The entire energy absorbing member 42 has a uniform plate thickness T1. The energy absorbing member 42 includes a pair of fixed portions 50 that are thin in the vertical direction Z, a plate-shaped moving portion 51 that is disposed on the rear side X1 of the pair of fixed portions 50 and is thin in the vertical direction Z, and a pair of fixed portions. It integrally includes a deforming portion 52 erected between the portion 50 and the moving portion 51.

Each of the pair of fixing portions 50 is formed with a first through hole 50A that penetrates the fixing portion 50 in the vertical direction Z. The lower surfaces of the pair of fixing portions 50 are in contact with the upper surfaces 40A of the pair of fixing members 40 (see FIG. 4).
The pair of deformable portions 52 are arranged in the left-right direction Y with a space therebetween. Each of the pair of deformable portions 52 includes a first plate portion 55 extending from the fixed portion 50 to the rear side X1 in the axial direction X, and a second plate portion 56 facing the rear end portion of the first plate portion 55 from the lower side Z2. And a curved portion 57 that connects the rear end of the first plate portion 55 and the rear end of the second plate portion 56 and bulges to the rear side X1.

The front end portions of the pair of second plate portions 56 are connected by a moving portion 51 that is long in the left-right direction Y.
A space that is sandwiched between the first plate portion 55 and the second plate portion 56 of each deformation portion 52 in the vertical direction Z and that is partitioned from the rear side X1 by the bending portion 57 is referred to as a support hole 58. The support hole 58 is a hole elongated in the axial direction X.

Referring to FIG. 4, the rear end portions of the first plate portions 55 of the pair of deformable portions 52 overlap at least partially with the pair of pressing members 41 when viewed from the upper side Z1. The lower surface of the second plate portion 56 of each deformable portion 52 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface portion 19B of the lower jacket 19 (the portion directly below the pressing member 41).
Referring to FIG. 5, the regulating member 43 is obtained by, for example, pressing a plate-like metal and is long in the axial direction X. The entire regulating member 43 has a uniform plate thickness T2.

With reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 which is the figure which looked at the periphery of the energy absorption mechanism 8 from the upper side Z1, the regulating member 43 covers the energy absorption member 42 from the upper side Z1 (also radially outer side R1). Yes. In FIG. 6, illustration of the upper bracket 6 (see FIG. 2) is omitted for convenience of explanation.
Referring to FIG. 5, the regulating member 43 includes a rear end portion 43 </ b> A that is an end portion on the steering member 10 (see FIG. 1) side and a front end portion 43 </ b> B that is an end portion on the opposite side to the steering member 10 side. Have.

The restricting member 43 integrally includes a pair of first portions 60, a pair of restraining portions 61, a pair of inclined portions 62, and a second portion 63.
Each first portion 60 has a thin plate shape in the vertical direction Z. The first portions 60 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction Y. The lower surfaces of the pair of first portions 60 are in contact with the upper surfaces of the first plate portions 55 of the pair of deformable portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42 (see FIG. 4).

Each constraining portion 61 has a thin plate shape in the vertical direction Z. The pair of restraining portions 61 are disposed at the front end portion 43 </ b> B of the regulating member 43. Each restraining portion 61 protrudes from each of the pair of first portions 60 toward both outer sides in the left-right direction Y of the pair of first portions 60. Each of the restraining portions 61 is formed with a second through hole 61 </ b> A that penetrates the restraining portion 61 in the vertical direction Z.
With reference to FIG. 4, the lower surfaces of the pair of restraining portions 61 are in contact with the upper surfaces of the pair of fixing portions 50. 61 A of 2nd through-holes of a pair of restraint part 61 have overlapped with 1st through-hole 50A of a pair of fixing | fixed part 50 1 each, seeing from upper side Z1.

Referring to FIG. 5, each inclined portion 62 extends from each of the pair of first portions 60 toward both inner sides in the left-right direction Y of the pair of first portions 60. Each inclination part 62 inclines with respect to the 1st part 60 so that it may go to the upper side Z1 as it approaches mutually in the left-right direction Y.
The second portion 63 has a thin plate shape in the vertical direction Z. The second portion 63 is disposed on the upper side Z <b> 1 from the first portion 60. The second portion 63 connects the upper ends of the pair of inclined portions 62. The second portion 63 is disposed between the pair of deformed portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42 as viewed from the upper side Z1 (see FIG. 4).

Referring to FIG. 4, the rear end portion 43 </ b> A of the regulating member 43, specifically, at least a part of the rear end portion of the first portion 60 overlaps at least a part of the pair of pressing members 41 when viewed from the upper side Z <b> 1. Yes. Further, at least a part of the rear end portion of the first portion 60 overlaps at least a part of the rear end portion of the first plate portion 55 of the pair of deformable portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42.
As shown in FIG. 7 schematically showing a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6, at least a part of the rear end portion of the first portion 60 is the first plate of the pressing member 41 and the deformable portion 52. The portion 55 is press-fitted into a gap S sandwiched in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the gap S is slightly expanded in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the pair of deformed portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42 are slightly elastically deformed in the vertical direction Z between the portion 19B on the outer peripheral surface of the lower jacket 19 and the first portion 60 of the restricting member 43, so that the clearance S Has been expanded. In FIG. 7, the tooth lock mechanism 9 is not shown for convenience of explanation.

  Thus, in order to press-fit the rear end portion of the first portion 60 of the regulating member 43 into the gap S, the following conditions may be satisfied. That is, the difference between the distance L1 between the lower surface of the pressing member 41 and the central axis 3C and the distance L2 between the upper surface 40A of the fixing member 40 and the central axis 3C is the difference in the deformation portion 52 of the energy absorbing member 42. It is smaller than the sum of the plate thickness T1 of the one plate portion 55 and the plate thickness T2 of the first portion 60 of the regulating member 43. That is, the relationship of (L1-L2) <(T1 + T2) is established.

  By pressing the rear end portion of the first portion 60 of the restricting member 43 into the gap S, the pressing member 41 faces the first plate portion 55 of the deformable portion 52 of the energy absorbing member 42, and the rear of the restricting member 43. The end 43A (the rear end of the first portion 60) is pressed from the upper side Z1 (also the radially outer side R1). Therefore, rattling of the regulating member 43 in the up-down direction Z (also in the radial direction R) can be suppressed, and generation of abnormal noise due to rattling can also be suppressed.

  Further, the rear end portion 43 </ b> A of the regulating member 43 is pressed against the lower side Z <b> 2 by the pressing member 41, but is not fixed in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the pair of tightening members 26 provided with the pressing members 41 can move in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the tightening mechanism 7 (see FIG. 3) can firmly tighten the lower jacket 19 to the upper jacket 18 by smoothly narrowing the distance between the pair of tightening members 26.

Referring to FIG. 5, fastening member 44 is, for example, a bolt. The fastening member 44 integrally includes a shaft portion 65 having a thread portion 65 </ b> A formed on the outer periphery and extending in the vertical direction Z, and a head portion 66 disposed at the upper end of the shaft portion 65 and having a larger diameter than the shaft portion 65.
Referring to FIG. 7, the shaft portion 65 of the fastening member 44 is inserted into the first through hole 50 </ b> A of the fixing portion 50 of the energy absorbing member 42 and the second through hole 61 </ b> A of the restraining portion 61 of the restriction member 43. ing. A lower end portion of the shaft portion 65 on which the screw portion 65A is formed is screwed into the screw hole 40B of the fixing member 40.

  In this state, the fixing portion 50 and the restraining portion 61 are fixed to the fixing member 40 by being sandwiched between the head 66 of the fastening member 44 and the fixing member 40 in the vertical direction Z. In other words, the fixing portion 50 and the restraining portion 61 are fastened together with the fixing member 40 by the fastening member 44. Therefore, the man-hour at the time of assembling the energy absorbing member 42 and the regulating member 43 to the lower jacket 19 can be reduced.

Further, since the front end portion 43B (strictly, the restricting portion 61) of the restricting member 43 is fixed to the fixing member 40, rattling of the restricting member 43 can be suppressed.
Moreover, since the fixing member 40 is arrange | positioned in the both sides (two places) of the slit 25 in the left-right direction Y, the rattling of the control member 43 can be suppressed further.
Further, the fixing member 40 is disposed on the front side X <b> 2 with respect to the pair of tightening members 26. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the fixing of the front end portion 43 </ b> B of the regulating member 43 to the fixing member 40 from interfering with reducing the interval between the pair of to-be-tightened members 26 by the tightening mechanism 7. Therefore, the tightening mechanism 7 can firmly tighten the lower jacket 19 to the upper jacket 18 by smoothly narrowing the interval between the pair of tightening members 26.

As described above, with reference to FIG. 6, rattling of the regulating member 43 is effectively suppressed at both the rear end portion 43A and the front end portion 43B.
In addition, the generation of abnormal noise due to rattling of the regulating member 43 can be effectively suppressed without providing another member for suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.
Further, since the rear end portion 43 </ b> A is pressed by the pressing member 41, a pair of fastening members 44 may be used as a member for assembling the regulating member 43 to the lower jacket 19. Therefore, the cost of the member for assembling the regulating member 43 to the lower jacket 19 can be reduced as compared with the case where the regulating member 43 is fixed at three or more locations with bolts or the like.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the tooth lock mechanism 9 will be described in detail.
Referring to FIG. 8, which is an exploded perspective view of the periphery of the tooth lock mechanism 9, the tooth lock mechanism 9 includes a first tooth forming member 71 having first teeth 71 </ b> A whose tooth traces extend in the vertical direction Z, and first teeth 71 </ b> A. And a second tooth forming member 72 having second teeth 72A that can be engaged with each other. The tooth lock mechanism 9 includes a support mechanism 73 that supports the second tooth forming member 72, a guide mechanism 74 that guides a part of the second tooth forming member 72 in the vertical direction Z, and the rotation of the fastening shaft 30. And an interlocking mechanism 75 that interlocks the movement of the two-tooth forming member 72.

FIG. 9A is a schematic side view of the tooth lock mechanism 9 and shows a state where the second teeth 72A are engaged with the first teeth 71A. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the engagement between the second tooth 72A and the first tooth 71A is released in FIG. 9A.
With reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9A, the first tooth forming member 71 is formed using a plate material extending in the axial direction X in the longitudinal direction.

  A concave groove 71 </ b> C extending in the axial direction X is formed on the upper surface 71 </ b> B of the first tooth forming member 71. A pair of inner wall surfaces sandwiching the recessed groove 71 </ b> C from the left-right direction Y extends in the axial direction X. On each of the pair of inner wall surfaces, a first tooth row 71L configured by a plurality of first teeth 71A arranged in the axial direction X is formed. The tips of the first teeth 71A of the pair of first tooth rows 71L face each other in the left-right direction Y.

  The first tooth forming member 71 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket 18 by welding or the like. Therefore, the first tooth forming member 71 can move integrally with the upper jacket 18 in the axial direction X. The first tooth forming member 71 may be fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket 18 with a bolt or the like (not shown). The first tooth forming member 71 may be integrally formed with the upper jacket 18 and a single material.

The second tooth forming member 72 has a block shape and integrally includes a supported portion 80 and a tooth forming portion 81 adjacent to the rear side X1 of the supported portion 80.
The supported portion 80 is disposed between the pair of deformable portions 52 as viewed from the upper side Z1. The supported portion 80 has a facing surface 80A that faces the rear end portion of the moving portion 51 of the energy absorbing member 42 from the rear side X1.

  The tooth forming portion 81 is disposed on the upper side Z1 from the bottom surface of the concave groove 71C of the first tooth forming member 71 and on the front side X2 from the fastening shaft 30. A pair of second tooth rows 72 </ b> L configured by a plurality of second teeth 72 </ b> A arranged in the axial direction X is formed at the lower end of the tooth forming portion 81. The pair of second tooth rows 72 </ b> L has the tooth tips of the second teeth 72 </ b> A facing the outer sides of the tooth forming portion 81 in the left-right direction Y. The second teeth 72A of each second tooth row 72L can mesh with the first teeth 71A of each first tooth row 71L from the upper side Z1. An engagement protrusion 81A protruding toward the rear side X1 is provided at the rear end of the tooth forming portion 81.

In a state where the second teeth 72 </ b> A and the first teeth 71 </ b> A are engaged with each other, the upper ends of the supported portion 80 and the tooth forming portion 81 are located on the lower side Z <b> 2 with respect to the second portion 63 of the regulating member 43.
The support mechanism 73 is configured by a pair of support shafts 82 projecting outward from the supported portion 80 of the second tooth forming member 72 in the left-right direction Y, and a support hole 58 of the pair of deformable portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42. Is done.

Each of the pair of support shafts 82 has a substantially rectangular shape extending in the left-right direction Y. The pair of support shafts 82 has a central axis C2. The pair of support shafts 82 are provided integrally with the supported portion 80. In the support shaft 82, a recess 82 </ b> A is provided in each of a pair of corner portions at diagonal positions.
The pair of support shafts 82 may be provided separately from the second tooth forming member 72. In this case, the pair of support shafts 82 is configured to support the second tooth forming member 72 by being inserted into a hole (not shown) penetrating the second tooth forming member 72 in the left-right direction Y.

  Each support shaft 82 is inserted into each support hole 58 of the energy absorbing member 42 and supported by each deforming portion 52 of the energy absorbing member 42. Specifically, each support shaft 82 is supported between the first plate portion 55 and the second plate portion 56 of each deformation portion 52. Each support shaft 82 is slidable in the axial direction X within each support hole 58. The supported portion 80 of the second tooth forming member 72 is supported by the energy absorbing member 42 via a pair of support shafts 82.

Since the pair of support shafts 82 are provided with the recesses 82A, they can be inclined in the pair of support holes 58 (see FIG. 9B). Therefore, the second tooth forming member 72 supported by the support shaft 82 can rotate around the central axis C2.
In relation to the guide mechanism 74, support holes 83, which are deep round holes in the left-right direction Y, are formed on the opposing surfaces 26 </ b> B of the pair of tightening members 26. In FIG. 8, only the support hole 83 of the tightening member 26 on the right side Y1 is shown for convenience of explanation.

The guide mechanism 74 includes a rod-shaped guide shaft 84 that extends in the left-right direction Y, and a guide hole 85 that is provided in the tooth forming portion 81 of the second tooth forming member 72 and is long in the vertical direction Z. Both ends of the guide shaft 84 in the left-right direction Y are inserted into the support holes 83 of the pair of tightening members 26. Thus, the guide shaft 84 is supported by the pair of tightening members 26 so as not to move in the vertical direction Z.
The interlock mechanism 75 urges the second tooth forming member 72 around the central axis C2 of the support shaft 82 and the urging member 86 so that the second tooth 72A meshes with the first tooth 71A. And the release member 87 which drives the 2nd tooth | gear formation member 72 so that meshing | engagement with the 2nd tooth | gear 72A and the 1st tooth | gear 71A is cancelled | released is included.

In relation to the interlocking mechanism 75, a deep locking hole 88 in the left-right direction Y is formed in the facing surface 26B of the tightening member 26 on the right side Y1.
The biasing member 86 is, for example, a torsion spring. The urging member 86 has a first end 91 locked in a locking hole 88 provided in the tightened member 26 on the right side Y1 and a tooth forming portion 81 of the second tooth forming member 72 on the lower side Z2. It includes a second end portion 92 to be biased, and a coil portion 93 wound around the fastening shaft 30 between the first end portion 91 and the second end portion 92.

The release member 87 includes an annular main body 94 and a release protrusion 94 </ b> A that protrudes from the outer periphery of the main body 94.
A female spline (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 94. A male spline (not shown) formed on the outer periphery of the fastening shaft 30 is spline-fitted. As a result, the release member 87 can rotate integrally with the fastening shaft 30.

The release protrusion 94A faces the engaging protrusion 81A of the tooth forming portion 81 of the second tooth forming member 72 from the lower side Z2.
Hereinafter, the operation of the tooth lock mechanism 9 will be described.
With reference to FIG. 9A, when the state of the steering device 1 is the locked state, the tooth forming portion 81 of the second tooth forming member 72 is urged to the lower side Z2 by the second end portion 92 of the urging member 86. Thus, the second teeth 72A of the second tooth forming member 72 and the first teeth 71A of the first tooth forming member 71 are engaged with each other.

When the operation member 31 is rotated so that the steering device 1 changes from the locked state to the released state, the release member 87 rotates integrally with the fastening shaft 30, and the release protrusion 94A of the release member 87 moves to the upper side Z1. The release protrusion 94A engages with the engagement protrusion 81A by moving to the upper side Z1.
When the operation member 31 is further rotated in the same direction as before, the release protrusion 94A pushes up the engagement protrusion 81A against the biasing member 86. At this time, the guide shaft 84 is relatively moved to the lower side Z2 in the guide hole 85 of the tooth forming portion 81, whereby the tooth forming portion 81 is guided to the upper side Z1. Accordingly, the second teeth 72A move to the upper side Z1, and the meshing between the second teeth 72A and the first teeth 71A is released (see FIG. 9B).

Thus, in the released state, the fixing of the position of the upper jacket 18 in the axial direction X with respect to the lower jacket 19 by the tooth lock mechanism 9 is released.
Referring to FIG. 9B, conversely, when the operation member 31 is rotated so as to change from the released state to the locked state, the release member 87 rotates integrally with the fastening shaft 30, and the release protrusion 94A of the release member 87 is lowered. Move to side Z2. Since the tooth forming portion 81 of the second tooth forming member 72 having the engaging protrusion 81A is biased by the biasing member 86, the tooth forming portion 81 moves to the lower side Z2 along with the movement of the release protrusion 94A to the lower side Z2. . At this time, the guide shaft 84 is relatively moved to the upper side Z1 in the guide hole 85 of the tooth forming portion 81, whereby the tooth forming portion 81 is guided to the lower side Z2. As a result, the second teeth 72A move to the lower side Z2, and the second teeth 72A and the first teeth 71A mesh.

Thus, in the locked state, the locking of the position in the axial direction X of the upper jacket 18 with respect to the lower jacket 19 by the tooth lock mechanism 9 is achieved (see FIG. 9A).
Below, operation | movement of the steering apparatus 1 at the time of the secondary collision which generate | occur | produces when a driver | operator collides with the steering member 10 (refer FIG. 1) at the time of a vehicle collision is demonstrated.
FIG. 10A is a diagram schematically showing a cross-sectional view along the line XX in FIG. 6. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a state immediately after the secondary collision in FIG. 10A. FIG. 10C is a diagram showing a state further after FIG. 10B.

  Referring to FIG. 1, when a secondary collision occurs, the impact at the time of the secondary collision is transmitted to upper jacket 18 via steering member 10 and steering shaft 3. Therefore, the upper jacket 18 tries to move to the front side X2 with respect to the lower jacket 19. Here, referring to FIG. 10A, in the locked state, the first teeth 71A and the second teeth 72A are meshed with each other, so the teeth from the first teeth 71A fixed to the upper jacket 18 through the second teeth 72A. The impact of the secondary collision is transmitted to the formation part 81. The impact is transmitted to the guide shaft 84 inserted through the guide hole 85 provided in the second tooth forming member 72, whereby the guide shaft 84 is broken.

When the guide shaft 84 is broken, the second tooth forming member 72 has the pair of tightening members 26 of the lower jacket 19 in a state where the second teeth 72A are engaged with the first teeth 71A of the first tooth forming member 71. Leave. As a result, at the same time as the steering shaft 3 contracts, the upper jacket 18 moves to the front side X <b> 2 with respect to the lower jacket 19.
The second tooth forming member 72 detached from the pair of tightening members 26 moves to the front side X2 together with the upper jacket 18. At this time, the second tooth forming member 72 passes between the pair of deformable portions 52 and comes into contact with the moving portion 51 of the energy absorbing member 42 as shown in FIG. 10B. Specifically, the facing surface 80 </ b> A of the supported portion 80 of the second tooth forming member 72 is in contact with the rear end surface of the moving portion 51.

Thus, the 2nd tooth formation member 72 is also a moving member which moves to the front side X2 with the upper jacket 18 at the time of a secondary collision. 10B and 10C, the guide shaft 84 that is broken by the secondary collision is not shown.
After the opposed surface 80A of the supported portion 80 and the rear end surface of the moving portion 51 abut, the moving portion of the energy absorbing member 42 is changed so that the energy absorbing member 42 changes from the state shown in FIG. 10B to the state shown in FIG. 10C. 51 moves to the front side X2. Specifically, the moving unit 51 is pushed by the second tooth forming member 72 that moves together with the upper jacket 18 and moves to the front side X2.

  On the other hand, the fixed portion 50 of the energy absorbing member 42 is fixed to the fixed member 40 fixed to the lower jacket 19, and the deformable portion 52 is constructed between the fixed portion 50 and the moving portion 51. Therefore, the energy absorbing member 42 is deformed to the front side X <b> 2 as the moving unit 51 moves. Specifically, the pair of deformation portions 52 are deformed so as to move the pair of curved portions 57 to the front side X2. Therefore, energy generated by the secondary collision is absorbed by the energy absorbing member 42.

Here, as described above, the energy absorbing member 42 is covered by the regulating member 43 from the upper side Z1 (also the radially outer side R1). Therefore, the deformation of the first plate portion 55 of the pair of deformable portions 52 when the pair of deformable portions 52 are deformed at the time of the secondary collision is restricted from the upper side Z1 (also the radially outer side R1) by the restricting member 43.
Accordingly, during the secondary collision, the first plate portion 55 of the pair of deformed portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42 from being lifted to the upper side Z1 (also the radially outer side R1) is suppressed. The deformation part 52 can be stably deformed. As a result, the load generated to absorb the energy at the time of the secondary collision (impact absorption load) can be stabilized, so that the driver can be protected. As the first plate portion 55 of the energy absorbing member 42 is longer in the axial direction X, the restriction member 43 can more effectively prevent the first plate portion 55 from being lifted.

Further, the shock absorbing load can be adjusted by changing the thickness T1 of the shape of the energy absorbing member 42, the width of the pair of deformed portions 52, and the like.
Further, since the energy absorbing member 42 is covered from the upper side Z1 by the regulating member 43, the space for deforming the pair of deforming portions 52 is limited. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shock absorbing load from being extremely reduced or extremely increased.

  As described above, in the state where the second teeth 72A and the first teeth 71A are engaged, the upper ends of the supported portion 80 and the tooth forming portion 81 are on the lower side Z2 with respect to the second portion 63 of the regulating member 43. positioned. Further, the second portion 63 and the supported portion 80 are disposed between the pair of deformation portions 52 of the energy absorbing member 42 as viewed from the upper side Z1. Therefore, the regulating member 43 can avoid a collision with a member (particularly the second tooth forming member 72) that moves to the front side X2 at the time of the secondary collision.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.
For example, the rear end portion 43 </ b> A of the regulating member 43 may be disposed on the rear side X <b> 1 with respect to the pair of tightening members 26. If the regulating member 43 is disposed at a distance from the pair of tightening members 26 in the left-right direction Y, the tightening mechanism 7 narrows the space between the pair of tightening members 26 even in this case. It is possible.

An elastic member such as a spring that urges the regulating member 43 toward the energy absorbing member 42 may be interposed between the regulating member 43 and the pressing member 41.
Further, the regulating member 43 does not necessarily have to be formed by pressing a plate-like metal, and at least the portion pressed by the pressing member 41 at the rear end portion of the first portion 60 corresponds to the plate thickness T2. What is necessary is just to have thickness.

Further, the energy absorbing member 42 and the regulating member 43 may be fixed to the fixing member 40 by welding or the like. Further, the energy absorbing member 42 and the regulating member 43 may be fixed to the fixing member 40 by rivets or caulking.
Further, the energy absorbing member 42 may be fixed to the lower jacket 19 via a member different from the fixing member 40.

  Further, the second tooth forming member 72 achieves the engagement between the second tooth 72A and the first tooth 71A and the release of the engagement between the second tooth 72A and the first tooth 71A, and is detached at the time of the secondary collision. What is necessary is just to be comprised. Specifically, each tightened member 26 supports each support shaft 82 so as to be rotatable about the central axis C2, and the second tooth forming member 72 breaks the support shaft 82 at the time of a secondary collision. Accordingly, the pair of members to be tightened 26 may be separated from each other.

Moreover, the moving part 51 may be previously connected with the 2nd tooth | gear formation member 72 in the state before a secondary collision.
Moreover, the 1st board part 55 may be connected suitably, if the movement of the 2nd tooth | gear formation member 72 is not inhibited or the deformation | transformation of the deformation | transformation part 52 is not made unstable.
Further, the first tooth 71A and the second tooth 72A may have a configuration in which the tooth tip is directed in the vertical direction Z and the tooth traces extend in the left-right direction Y.

Further, the tooth lock mechanism 9 is not necessarily provided, and in this case, it is only necessary to have a configuration in which the moving unit 51 is accompanied with the upper jacket 18 at the time of a secondary collision.
The steering device 1 is a so-called lever-top type steering device in which the fastening shaft 30 to which the operation member 31 is fixed is disposed on the upper side Z1 from the upper jacket 18, but the operation member 31 is the upper jacket 18. The present invention can also be applied to a so-called lever-lowering type steering device disposed on the lower side Z2.

  The steering device 1 is not limited to a manual type steering device in which steering of the steering member 10 is not assisted, but is a column assist type electric power steering that assists steering of the steering member 10 by applying the power of the electric motor to the steering shaft 3. An apparatus (C-EPS) may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering device, 2 ... Vehicle body, 3 ... Steering shaft, 3A ... One end, 4 ... Column jacket, 6 ... Upper bracket, 7 ... Tightening mechanism, 10 ... Steering member, 18 ... Upper jacket, 19 ... Lower jacket, 25 ... Slit, 26 ... Fastened member, 40 ... Fixing member, 41 ... Pressing member, 42 ... Energy absorbing member, 43 ... Regulating member, 43A ... Rear end part, 43B ... Front end part, 44 ... Fastening member, 50 ... Fixed Part, 51 ... moving part, X ... axial direction, X1 ... rear side, X2 ... front side, R ... radial direction, R1 ... outside

Claims (4)

A steering member is connectable to one end, and a steering shaft that can extend and contract in the axial direction;
An upper jacket that holds the steering shaft on the steering member side in the axial direction, and a lower jacket that holds the steering shaft on the opposite side to the steering member side in the axial direction, and A column jacket capable of expanding and contracting in the axial direction together with the steering shaft by movement of the upper jacket in the axial direction;
A bracket that supports the lower jacket and is fixed to the vehicle body;
A fixing member fixed to the lower jacket;
A fixed portion fixed to the fixing member, and a moving portion that moves to the opposite side together with the upper jacket when a vehicle collides, and in accordance with the movement of the moving portion to absorb energy generated at the time of the vehicle collision An energy absorbing member that is deformable to the opposite side;
A regulating member that covers the energy absorbing member from the outside in the radial direction of the steering shaft and restricts deformation of the energy absorbing member in the radial direction from the outside in the radial direction at the time of a vehicle collision;
A pair of tightening members disposed on both sides of the axially extending slit formed in the lower jacket and provided integrally with the lower jacket;
A tightening mechanism for tightening the lower jacket to the upper jacket by narrowing the interval between the pair of tightened members;
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the opposite end portion of the regulating member is fixed to the fixing member disposed on the opposite side of the pair of tightening members . The steering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a pressing member that is provided on the tightened member and presses an end portion of the regulating member on the steering member side from the outside in the radial direction with respect to the energy absorbing member. Characterized in that it comprises said opposite end of the regulating member, the fastening member and said fixing portion is fastened to the fixed member of the energy absorbing member, a steering device according to claim 1 or 2. A steering member is connectable to one end, and a steering shaft that can extend and contract in the axial direction;
An upper jacket that holds the steering shaft on the steering member side in the axial direction, and a lower jacket that holds the steering shaft on the opposite side to the steering member side in the axial direction, and A column jacket capable of expanding and contracting in the axial direction together with the steering shaft by movement of the upper jacket in the axial direction;
A bracket that supports the lower jacket and is fixed to the vehicle body;
A fixing member fixed to the lower jacket;
A fixed portion fixed to the fixing member, and a moving portion that moves to the opposite side together with the upper jacket when a vehicle collides, and in accordance with the movement of the moving portion to absorb energy generated at the time of the vehicle collision An energy absorbing member that is deformable to the opposite side;
A regulating member that covers the energy absorbing member from the outside in the radial direction of the steering shaft and restricts deformation of the energy absorbing member in the radial direction from the outside in the radial direction at the time of a vehicle collision;
A steering device comprising: a fastening member that fastens the opposite end portion of the regulating member and the fixing portion of the energy absorbing member together with the fixing member.

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