Steering system for vehicle
AssigneeMitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKunihiro Nakamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a steering system, a shaft unit is rotatably supported by a dashboard via a bearing member. When a vehicle hits against something or another vehicle, the bearing member frees the shaft unit from the dashboard. The bearing member includes a bearing and two brackets holding front and rear sides of the bearing. One of the brackets is attached to the dashboard. The brackets are disengaged from each other by a load applied by the collision of the vehicle, thereby freeing the shaft unit from the dashboard. The dashboard does not prevent the steering wheel and the freed shaft unit from moving toward a front part of the vehicle when a driver hits against the steering wheel due to inertia.
Claims11
A steering system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a) a shaft unit passing through a dashboard, the shaft unit being coupled to a steering wheel and a steering gear box at opposite ends thereof, and
- b) a bearing member for attaching the shaft unit to the dashboard and being capable of detaching the shaft unit from the dashboard at the time of collision of the vehicle,
- wherein the bearing member includes a bearing for supporting the shaft unit in a rotatable manner, and a bracket member for supporting the bearing and being attached to the dashboard, the bracket member including a first bracket attached to the dashboard and supporting the bearing at a side confronting a rear part of the vehicle, and a second bracket attached to the first bracket and supporting the bearing at a side confronting a front part of the vehicle, the second bracket capable of being disengaged from the first bracket at the time of collision and freeing the shaft unit from the dashboard.
A steering system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a) a shaft unit passing through a dashboard, the shaft unit being coupled to a steering wheel and a steering gear box at opposite ends thereof;
- b) an opening on the dashboard through which the shaft unit passes;
- c) an elastic cover attached to the dashboard and being capable of covering the opening of the dashboard, the elastic cover having a hole at a center thereof;
- d) a ball bearing located in the hole of the elastic cover, the ball bearing supporting the shaft unit in a rotatable manner;
- e) a first bracket attached to a peripheral edge of the opening on the dashboard, the first bracket supporting the ball bearing at a side confronting a rear part of the vehicle;
- and
- f) a second bracket engaged with the first bracket, the second bracket supporting the ball bearing at another side confronting a front part of the vehicle;
- whereby the first and second brackets include portions by which the brackets are engaged and which are capable of being deformed and freeing the ball bearing and the shaft unit at the time of collision of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.