# US 9,434,403 B2 · Steering device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,403 B2 - Document ID: US9434403B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/649,772 - Filed: 2014-10-17 - Published: 2016-01-21 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-30 - Assignees: Nsk Ltd. - Applicants: Nsk Ltd. - Inventors: Masaya Johta; Hideki Kojima; Wataru Hagiwara; Daiki Orihara; Hiroshi Kakita; Osamu Kurihara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434403B2 ## CPC - B62D 1/195: {Yieldable supports for the steering column} - B62D 1/184: Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions - F16B 19/1081: {fastened by a drive-pin (F16B19/109 takes precedence)} - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) ## Abstract A steering device which contracts by an impulse load. The steering device includes a cylindrical inner column having a first hole opened therein, an outer column having a cylindrical shape into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted and having a slit at one insertion side end of the inner column, an outer column bracket fixed to a vehicle body side member to support the outer column and to tighten the outer column along with a telescopic friction plate, an inner column bracket having a second hole opened therein and supported by the telescopic friction plate, and a shear pin provided at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and detachably connecting the inner column and the inner column bracket to each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A steering device comprising: a cylindrical inner column having a first hole opened therein, the cylindrical inner column rotatably supporting an input shaft connected to a steering wheel; an outer column having a cylindrical shape into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted and having a slit at one insertion side end of the inner column; an outer column bracket fixed to a vehicle body side member to support the outer column and to tighten the outer column along with a telescopic friction plate having a plate shape; an inner column bracket having a second hole opened therein, the inner column supported by the telescopic friction plate; and a shear pin provided at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole, and the shear pin detachably connecting the inner column and the inner column bracket to each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the shear pin includes an outer pin and an inner pin, the outer pin is a cylindrical member having a guide hole penetrating an area from one end to the other end thereof and is inserted through the first hole and the second hole, and the inner pin is inserted through the guide hole and biases an inner wall of the guide hole outward in the radial direction of the guide hole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The steering device according to claim 2, wherein the inner pin includes a columnar body portion that biases the inner wall of the guide hole outward in the radial direction of the guide hole and a large diameter portion that is provided at both ends of the body portion and has an outer periphery larger than an inner periphery of the guide hole. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The steering device according to claim 2, wherein the outer pin includes a cylindrical main body portion that is inserted through the first hole and the second hole, a separation preventing portion that is provided at one end of the main body portion and has an outer periphery larger than an inner periphery of the first hole and an inner periphery of the second hole, and a notch that is formed from the separation preventing portion toward the other end of the main body portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The steering device according to claim 4, wherein the outer pin includes a flange portion that is provided at the other end of the main body portion and has an outer periphery larger than the inner periphery of the first hole and the inner periphery of the second hole, and a distance from the flange portion to the front end of the notch is larger than a distance from the flange portion to an outer wall of the inner column. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The steering device according to claim 4, wherein the outer pin includes an elastically deformable protrusion that is provided in an outer wall of the main body portion so as to be projected outward in the radial direction of the guide hole. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The steering device according to claim 4, wherein the inner periphery of the first hole is larger than the inner periphery of the second hole, and the outer pin includes a convex portion that is provided in an inner wall of the separation preventing portion so as to be projected inward in the radial direction of the guide hole. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The steering device according to claim 7, wherein the outer pin includes a flange portion that is provided at the other end of the main body portion and has an outer periphery larger than the inner periphery of the first hole and the inner periphery of the second hole, and a distance from the flange portion to the front end of the notch is smaller than a distance from the flange portion to an inner wall of the inner column. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the inner column bracket includes a concave portion that is provided in a surface opposite to the surface facing the inner column, the second hole is opened in a part of a bottom surface of the concave portion, and the depth of the concave portion is equal to or larger than the depth of a portion projected from the second hole in the shear pin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the telescopic friction plate is disposed at both sides of the outer column. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The steering device according to claim 10, wherein the telescopic friction plates disposed at both sides of the outer column face each other with the inner column bracket interposed therebetween, and the first hole and the second hole are disposed at a position where the distance values from the telescopic friction plates facing each other with the inner column bracket interposed therebetween are equal to each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the outer column is located at the front side of a vehicle body, includes a pivot bracket, and is formed so that the detached inner column is inserted thereinto. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the shear pin includes an outer pin that is a cylindrical member having a guide hole penetrating an area from one end to the other end thereof and is inserted through the first hole and the second hole, and an inner pin that is inserted into the guide hole, the inner pin includes a body portion that is inserted through the guide hole, and the body portion includes a first large diameter portion that presses an inner wall of the guide hole outward in the radial direction of the guide hole and a first small diameter portion that is disposed at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and has an outer periphery smaller than an outer periphery of the first large diameter portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The steering device according to claim 13, wherein the outer pin includes a main body portion that is inserted through the first hole and the second hole, and the main body portion includes a second large diameter portion that presses inner walls of the first hole and the second hole and a second small diameter portion that is disposed at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and has an outer periphery smaller than an outer periphery of the second large diameter portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the shear pin includes an outer pin that is a cylindrical member having a guide hole penetrating an area from one end to the other end thereof and is inserted through the first hole and the second hole, and an inner pin that is inserted into the guide hole, and the inner pin includes a body portion that is inserted through the guide hole and presses an inner wall of the guide hole outward in the radial direction of the guide hole and a guide portion that is provided at one end of the body portion and has an outer periphery smaller than an outer periphery of the body portion.