Steering apparatus for an automobile

A steering apparatus for an automobile comprising:

• a steering column having a front-end section that is formed in a U shape that is open at the top and comprises a pair of left and right side plate sections that face each other and a bottom plate section that connects to the edges on the bottom ends of these side plate sections;
• a housing for an electric power steering apparatus that is supported by the vehicle body and that has a connection and fastening section on the rear that is capable of being inserted inside the front-end section of the steering column through an opening in the top end of the front-end section, and when inserted inside the front-end section is capable of a non-circular fit in the front-end section;
• a vehicle-side bracket that is supported by the vehicle body and that has a pair of holding plate sections that are located at positions on both the left and right sides of the middle section of the steering column, with the portion between the edges on bottom edges being open;
• and
• an expansion and contraction mechanism that comprises a rod shaped member that is inserted in the left-right direction through through holes that are formed in positions of the holding plate sections that are aligned with each other, and a pair of pressing sections that are provided on both end sections of the rod shaped member, and by moving these pressing sections away from each other or close to each other in the axial direction of the rod shape member, the distance between the holding plate sections is changed, and when this space is contracted, the expansion and contraction mechanism fastens the steering column to these holding plate sections, and
• with the connection and fastening section being fitted with a non-circular fit inside the front-end section, the connection and fastening section and the front-end section of the steering column being connected and fastened together by a bolt.