STEERING COLUMN FOR VEHICLE
By a steering column for a vehicle, it is possible to maintain operating force of a control lever and supporting force of an outer tube and an inner tube in a uniform manner when tightening and releasing the control lever for tilt or telescopic operation and to increase the strength of the steering column as a whole, to thereby prevent deformation and breakage of the steering column at the time of the driver's operation of the steering wheel.
1 . A steering column for a vehicle, comprising:
a hollow inner tube enclosing a steering axis;
a hollow outer tube into which said inner tube is inserted; and
a distance bracket having a hollow space into which said outer tube is inserted, a slit formed by cutting a portion of the distance bracket in a direction of the steering axis and being open at an end thereof, and a small diameter portion formed by reducing an inner diameter of an inner peripheral surface of the hollow space at said open end of the slit.
2 . The steering column for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said small diameter portion of the distance bracket is formed to be stepped with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the distance bracket.
3 . The steering column for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said small diameter portion of said distance bracket has such a taper shape that the inner diameter of said small diameter portion gradually decreases from the inner position of the distance bracket to the open end of the slit.
4 . The steering column for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said distance bracket is formed with guide portions having a flange shape with a predetermined thickness in order retract said slit on either side; and said guide portions is formed to have a taper shape, the thickness of which increases from the outer peripheral surface of the distance bracket to an outer end of the guide portions.
5 . The steering column for a vehicle as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said guide portion includes a hole for telescoping extending in the direction of the steering axis.
6 . The steering column for a vehicle as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the inner diameter of the small diameter portion is reduced to form a stepped portion on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow space from an end of the hole for telescoping adjacent to the slit to the open end of the slit.
7 . The steering column for a vehicle as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the small diameter portion is formed to have the taper shape on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow space by gradually reducing the inner diameter from the other end of the hole for telescoping opposite to the slit to the open end of the slit.