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US 4,901,592 AGranted
Shock absorbing steering apparatus
AssigneeNippon Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNobuyoshi Ito, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Mitsuo Ichikawa, Mikio Yamaguchi
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AssigneeNippon Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNobuyoshi Ito, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Mitsuo Ichikawa, Mikio Yamaguchi
Estimating the term…
A shock absorbing steering apparatus has a steering column having a steering shaft pivotably supported thereon, a distance bracket secured to the column, and a column bracket for fixing the column to a vehicle body through the distance bracket. The steering apparatus further has a curling plate provided between a fastening bolt inserted in the distance bracket and the column bracket, and a curling plate bent portion controlling guide member secured to the column side for containing the curling plate and restraining the U-shaped bent portion thereon. That portion of the distance bracket in which the fastening bolt is inserted is opened to the steering wheel side, and the curling plate, when shocked, has its U-shaped bent portion plastically deformed and moved while being restrained by the guide member, thereby absorbing shock energy.
A shock absorbing steering apparatus, comprising a steering column having a steering shaft pivotably supported thereon, a distance bracket secured to said steering column, a column bracket for fixing said steering column to a vehicle body through said distance bracket, and a shock energy absorbing U-shaped plate having a first plate portion, a second plate portion, and a bent portion integrally connecting said first and second plate portions, said first plate portion having an end secured to said steering column and said second plate portion having an end secured to said column bracket, such that when said shock energy absorbing plate is shocked, said end of said second plate portion moves a certain distance relative to said column bracket, and said shock energy absorbing plate plastically deforms so that said bent portion moves, thereby absorbing energy.
A shock absorbing steering apparatus, comprising a steering column supporting a steering shaft therein rotatably and tiltable in upward and downward directions of a vehicle, a distance bracket fixed to said steering column and including a bottom portion connecting a pair of side portions having respective rearwardly open cut-outs, a column bracket for fixing said steering column to a vehicle body through said distance bracket, fastening means extending laterally through said distance bracket and through said cut-outs and fastening said distance bracket to said column bracket, a U-shaped shock energy absorbing member having one end engaged with said fastening means and another end fixed to said steering column, and a guide member fixed on said steering column remote from said distance bracket to receive an intermediate U-shaped portion of said absorbing member, whereby when a shock is applied to said steering column in a longitudinal direction thereof, said steering column, said distance bracket, and said guide member shift relative to said column bracket, and said intermediate U-shaped portion of said absorbing member plastically deforms under guidance by said guide member.
A shock absorbing steering apparatus, comprising a steering column, column bracket means for attachment to a vehicle body and having side portions disposed to opposite sides of said steering column, distance bracket means fixed to said steering column and having opposite side portions disposed adjacent to said side portions of said column bracket means, respectively, said side portions of said distance bracket means having respective cut-outs extending longitudinally of said steering column, fastening means extending through said cut-outs and securing said steering column to said column bracket means through said distance bracket means, a U-shaped shock energy absorbing member having one end fixed to said steering column, another end engaged with said fastening means, and an intermediate U-shaped bent portion interconnecting said end portions, and guide means disposed to guidingly receive said intermediate portion of said absorbing member, whereby when said steering column is subjected to a longitudinal shock, said steering column and said distance bracket means shift relative to said column bracket means, and said absorbing member plastically deforms at said intermediate portion under guidance of said guide means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.