# US 10,501,109 B2 · Steering apparatus for vehicle

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- Number: US 10,501,109 B2
- Document ID: US10501109B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/820,634
- Filed: 2017-11-22
- Published: 2018-05-24
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-24
- Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Ken Kato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501109B2

## CPC

- B62D 1/181: with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
- B62D 1/185: adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically (B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence)
- B62D 1/189: the entire column being tiltable as a unit
- F16H 1/203: {with non-parallel axes (F16H1/22 takes precedence)}
- F16H 25/20: Screw mechanisms (with automatic reversal F16H25/12)
- F16H 2025/2043: {Screw mechanisms driving an oscillating lever, e.g. lever with perpendicular pivoting axis}
- F16H 2025/209: {using worm gears}
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A steering apparatus for a vehicle includes at least one of an electric telescopic mechanism driving a steering wheel provided at a steering shaft and an electric tilt mechanism driving the steering wheel. The one of the electric telescopic mechanism and the electric tilt mechanism includes an electric motor, a threaded shaft connected to an output shaft of the electric motor, and a speed reduction mechanism. The speed reduction mechanism includes a worm gear, a screw gear, an idle gear meshing with the screw gear and the worm gear. The output shaft and the threaded shaft are connected to each other such that at least one of a relationship of parallelism, a relationship of inclination and a relationship of skew is established.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steering apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
at least one of an electric telescopic mechanism driving a steering wheel provided at a steering shaft such that the steering wheel moves in a front and rear direction relative to a vehicle body, and an electric tilt mechanism driving the steering wheel in an upper and lower direction;
the one of the electric telescopic mechanism and the electric tilt mechanism including:
an electric motor supported by the steering shaft;
a threaded shaft connected to an output shaft of the electric motor;
a speed reduction mechanism decelerating rotation of the threaded shaft relative to rotation of the output shaft; and
the speed reduction mechanism including:
a worm gear provided at the output shaft;
a screw gear provided at the threaded shaft;
an idle gear including a screw tooth meshing with the screw gear and the worm gear; and
the output shaft and the threaded shaft being connected to each other via the idle gear such that at least one of a relationship of parallelism, a relationship of inclination and a relationship of skew is established between the output shaft and the threaded shaft wherein
at the speed reduction mechanism, the idle gear includes a helix angle corresponding to A, the screw gear includes a helix angle corresponding to B, and the worm gear includes a lead angle corresponding to C, and
the speed reduction mechanism is configured such that A+2×B+C=90 degrees or A+2×B−C=90 degrees is satisfied.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the helix angle of the idle gear and the helix angle of the screw gear are set to be equal to each other.