Tilting and telescope traveling steering column arrangement

Abstract

A tilting and telescope traveling steering column arrangement for an automotive vehicle. The telescope traveling mechanism of the steering column arrangement includes a pluarlity of balls which are rotatably fixed on the peripheral surface of a ring member which is fixedly mounted on a steering shaft provided with a steering wheel. The balls are positioned along an imaginary helical line on the peripheral surface of the ring member. The ring member with the balls are fitted in a sleeve formed at its inner peripheral surface with a helical groove, in such a manner that the balls are movably fitted in the helical groove. The sleeve is axially fixed to a movable bracket. The ring member is driven through a gear mechanism by an electric motor, thus axially displacing the steering shaft relative to the sleeve. The tilt mechanism of the steering column arrangement includes a tilt screw movably connecting the movable bracket and a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body. The tilt screw is threaded inserted in a nut structure rotatably fixed relative to the fixed bracket. The nut structure is driven through a gear mechanism by an electric motor, thereby axially displacing the tilt screw and push up the movable bracket. The nut structure is formed with a threaded hole in which a seat member is fitted in such a manner as to be brought into press contact with the peripheral surface of the tilt screw, thereby to omit a play between the tilt screw and the nut structure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.