Steering shaft
AssigneeNsk Steering & Control, Inc.
InventorKoki MAEDA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One engaging portion of an inner diameter side engaging portion and an outer diameter side engaging portion includes at least one non-engaging portion that does not engage with the other engaging portion of the inner diameter side engaging portion and the outer diameter side engaging portion at an intermediate portion in an axial direction, engageable portions are arranged on both sides in the axial direction of the non-engaging portion of the one engaging portion, and each of the engageable portions has an effective length, the non-engaging portion has a dimension in the axial direction that is the same length as the effective length, and the other engaging portion has an effective length that is twice the effective length.
Claims9
A steering shaft, including:
- an inner shaft having an inner diameter side engaging portion at an end portion on one side in an axial direction of an outer peripheral surface thereof,
- an outer shaft having an outer diameter side engaging portion at an end portion on the other side in the axial direction of an outer peripheral surface thereof, the outer diameter side engaging portion engaging with the inner diameter side engaging portion so as to enable torque transmission and relative displacement in the axial direction, and
- either one engaging portion of the inner diameter side engaging portion or the outer diameter side engaging portion has at least one non-engaging portion at an intermediate portion in the axial direction that does not engage with other engaging portion of the inner diameter side engaging portion or the outer diameter side engaging portion,
- each of engageable portions arranged on both sides in the axial direction of the non-engaging portion of the one engaging portion has an effective length X, and the non-engaging portion has a dimension in the axial direction that is the same length as the effective length X, and
- the other engaging portion has an effective length Y that is twice as long as the effective length X.
The steering shaft according to claim wherein
- the inner shaft has a shaft body and the inner diameter side engaging portion on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is provided with a resin coating layer that covers the outer peripheral surface of an end portion on the one side in the axial direction of the shaft body.
The steering shaft according to claim wherein the external teeth portion of the inner diameter side engaging portion is configured by a male spline portion, and the plurality of external teeth is configured by male spline teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.