# US 12,179,833 B2 · Steering apparatus and method of operating the same

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- Number: US 12,179,833 B2
- Document ID: US12179833B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/223,003
- Filed: 2023-07-17
- Published: 2024-10-03
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2023-03-31
- Assignees: Hl Mando Corporation
- Applicants: Hl Mando Corporation
- Inventors: Dinesh Veeraraghavan; Prakash Anbazhagan; Vaadi Vijaya Kumar; Preetham Mohandas Banjan; Venkateshwara Rao Pechetti
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179833B2

## CPC

- B62D 1/184: Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
- B62D 1/187: with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment (B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence)
- 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)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a steering apparatus including a pair of plate brackets provided on two sides of an outer tube and including tilt long holes formed in a vertical direction, a cam unit coupled to an outer side of any one of the pair of plate brackets to apply a pressure inward, and an adjusting unit coupled to an outer surface of the cam unit to adjust rotation of the cam unit, wherein the adjusting unit includes a first spring installed outside the cam unit, a plunger of which one end is in contact with the first spring and the other end is provided with a push button, a stopper provided in a hollow shape through which the plunger passes, a position of the stopper is fixed to a vehicle body, a guide pin formed to protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the plunger, and a guide member provided in a hollow shape through which the plunger passes, fixed to an outer side of the stopper, and including a guide groove in which the guide pin is accommodated, and the guide groove includes a diagonal groove formed in a diagonal direction so that the guide pin moves to rotate the plunger.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steering apparatus comprising:
a pair of plate brackets provided on two sides of an outer tube and including tilt long holes formed in a vertical direction;
a cam unit coupled to an outer side of one plate bracket of the pair of plate brackets to apply a pressure inward; and
an adjusting unit coupled to an outer surface of the cam unit to adjust rotation of the cam unit,
wherein the adjusting unit includes a first spring installed outside the cam unit,
a plunger of which one end is in contact with the first spring and the other end is provided with a push button,
a stopper provided in a hollow shape through which the plunger passes,
a guide pin formed to protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the plunger, and
a guide member provided in a hollow shape through which the plunger passes, fixed to an outer side of the stopper, and including a guide groove in which the guide pin is accommodated, and
the guide groove includes a diagonal groove formed in a diagonal direction so that the guide pin moves to rotate the plunger.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide groove includes a fixing groove formed to extend from an end of the diagonal groove so that the guide pin is fixedly seated in the fixing groove when the plunger stops rotation to allow the cam unit to apply a pressure inward.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The steering apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fixing groove is formed to extend from the end of the diagonal groove in a direction away from the stopper, wherein the direction is different from a direction in which the diagonal groove is formed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The steering apparatus of claim 3, wherein the guide groove includes a horizontal groove formed to extend from the end of the diagonal groove toward the stopper to be parallel to an axial direction of the plunger.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The steering apparatus of claim 2, wherein an outer diameter of the fixing groove is equal to an outer diameter of the guide pin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plunger includes a support member formed on one end of the plunger in contact with the first spring and having an outer diameter greater than or equal to an outer diameter of the stopper.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjusting unit includes a thrust bearing interposed between the plunger and the cam unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam unit includes:
a fixed cam coupled to the outer side of the one plate bracket and including a plurality of first protrusions formed on one surface of the fixed cam; and
an operating cam in which a plurality of second protrusions are formed on one side of the operating cam correspondingly in contact with the first protrusions and the first spring is coupled to the other side of the operating cam.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The steering apparatus of claim 8, wherein:
the adjusting unit includes a thrust bearing interposed between the plunger and the cam unit; and
the thrust bearing includes an opening through which the first spring passes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The steering apparatus of claim 1, comprising a gear unit coupled to an outer side of another plate bracket of the pair of plate brackets and configured to apply a pressure inward.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The steering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gear unit includes:
a fixed gear coupled to the outer side of the another plate bracket and including a plurality of first teeth formed on one surface of the fixed gear; and
an operating gear in which a fixing nut is coupled to the operating gear.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The steering apparatus of claim 10, comprising an adjustment bolt which passes through the tilt long holes and of which one end is coupled to the cam unit and the other end is coupled to the gear unit.

### Claim 13

A method of operating a steering apparatus, which includes a cam unit coupled to an outer side of one plate bracket of a pair of plate brackets and configured to apply a pressure inward and an adjusting unit coupled to an outer surface of the cam unit to adjust rotation of the cam unit, and the adjusting unit includes a first spring installed outside the cam unit and a plunger installed outside the first spring, the method comprising:
pressing the plunger inward by a push button provided on an end of the plunger and moving the plunger inward through a stopper, wherein a guide member is fixed to an outer side of the stopper;
moving a guide pin formed to protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the plunger along a guide groove formed in the guide member from an outer side to an inner side of a diagonal groove formed in a diagonal direction;
rotating the plunger to rotate the cam unit so as to press the pair of plate brackets inward;
pressing the plunger inward by the push button provided on the end and then moving the plunger outward by receiving an elastic force of the first spring;
moving the guide pin along the guide groove from the inside to the outside of the diagonal groove formed in the diagonal direction; and
rotating the plunger to rotate the cam unit to release a pressure of the pair of plate brackets pressed inward.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
the guide groove includes a fixing groove formed to extend from an end of the diagonal groove so that the guide pin is fixedly seated in the fixing groove when the plunger ends rotation to allow the cam unit to apply the pressure inward; and
when the guide pin moves along the guide groove from the outer side to the inner side of the diagonal groove formed in the diagonal direction, the guide pin of which the movement ends is fixedly seated in the fixing groove.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein:
the guide groove includes a horizontal groove formed to extend from the end of the diagonal groove toward the stopper to be parallel to an axial direction of the plunger; and
when the cam unit is rotated to press the pair of plate brackets inward and then pressed to an inside of the plunger by the push button, the guide pin is moved from the fixing groove to at least a part of the horizontal groove and then receives an elastic force of the first spring to move outward.