Steering apparatus

A steering apparatus for a vehicle including an outer column supported by a bracket, and an inner pipe retained by the outer column for movement in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, the outer column including a pipe retaining section retaining an outer periphery of the inner pipe, and a pair of opposed leg sections extending from opposite end portions of the pipe retaining section and interconnected via a fastening mechanism, the movement, in the front-rear direction, of the inner pipe being restricted by fastening force of the fastening mechanism, which comprises:

• a metal-made impact energy absorbing member provided on the inner pipe and having a generally U shape as viewed in section along an axis line of the inner pipe,
• the impact energy absorbing member including:
• a base section mounted to the inner pipe;
• an abuttable section bent from a rear end of the base section in such a manner that the abuttable section is abuttable against the fastening mechanism;
• and an energy absorbing section bent back forward from an end of the abuttable section in such a manner that, when an impact is input to the inner pipe, the energy absorbing section absorbs energy of the impact while deforming by abutting against the fastening mechanism,
• wherein the fastening mechanism includes:
• a bolt passed through the pair of opposed leg sections;
• a nut screwed to the bolt;
• and a guide member mounted on a shaft section of the bolt and located between the pair of opposed leg sections, and
• wherein the guide member includes:
• guide member leg portions extending along opposite sides of the energy absorbing section;
• and a guide member bottom portion extending along the energy absorbing section in such a manner as to interconnect respective ends of the guide member leg portions.