Bearing mechanism having sliding bearing

A bearing mechanism comprising:

• a housing having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, a rack shaft inserted and secured in said housing and having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and a sliding bearing interposed between the inner peripheral surface of said housing and the outer peripheral surface of said rack shaft,
• wherein said housing has a retaining groove in an inner peripheral surface thereof, and said sliding bearing includes:
• a cylindrical bearing body;
• a first slit provided in said bearing body and extending from one axial end face of said bearing body toward another axial end face of said bearing body;
• a second slit provided in said bearing body and extending from the other axial end face of said bearing body toward the one axial end face of said bearing body;
• a plurality of sliding surfaces provided on an inner side of said bearing body and at least partially spaced apart from each other in a direction about an axis;
• at least one fitting groove provided in an outer surface of said bearing body;
• a first elastic ring which is fitted in said fitting groove so as to project radially from the outer surface of said bearing body and to reduce a diameter of said bearing body;
• and
• restricting means which is disposed in said retaining groove of said housing with an elastic interference and elastically restricts the axial movement of said bearing body with respect to said housing,
• said first elastic ring being fitted at an outer peripheral surface thereof to said housing with an interference,
• said bearing body being fitted on the outer peripheral surface of said rack shaft by tightening said rack shaft with the resiliency of said first elastic ring by means of said sliding surfaces,
• said restricting means including a projection which is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of said bearing body so as to project radially outward toward said retaining groove and a second elastic ring fitted on said projection by surrounding said projection,
• said retaining groove being defined by a pair of wall surfaces of said housing perpendicular to an axial direction of said housing and a wall surface of said housing extending in a direction about an axis of said housing,
• said second elastic ring being elastically compressed by the pair of wall surfaces of said housing and being brought into direct contact with the pair of wall surfaces of said housing.