Vehicle steering apparatus
AssigneeJtekt Corporation
InventorsKazuya Yoshioka, Yasuyuki Yoshii, Kenji Higashi, Shimon Jimbo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle steering apparatus includes a jacket for rotatably supporting a steering shaft, and an electric motor. The electric motor includes an annular rotor arranged coaxially with the steering shaft and rotating together with the steering shaft. The jacket includes a tubular upper jacket and a tubular lower jacket that are fitted into each other and are moved axially relative to each other in the collision of a vehicle. An annular space surrounding the steering shaft is provided radially inside the rotor. A part of the upper jacket enters the annular space in the collision of the vehicle.
Claims9
A vehicle steering apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- a steering shaft connected to a steering member;
- a jacket for rotatably supporting the steering shaft;
- and
- an electric motor including an annular rotor arranged coaxially with the steering shaft,
- the jacket including a tubular upper jacket and a tubular lower jacket that are fitted to each other and are movable axially relative to each other when the vehicle is involved in a collision which causes a driver to impact the steering member,
- the rotor being supported so as to be rotatable together with the steering shaft through a support,
- an annular space surrounding the steering shaft, the annular space being provided radially inside the rotor, and
- a part of the upper jacket entering the annular space when the vehicle is in involved in the collision.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.