Steering apparatus
A steering apparatus includes a rack shaft moving in a vehicle width direction for steering steered wheels, a rack end in a moving side, which is provided in the rack shaft and integrally moving with the rack shaft, a housing body in a fixed side, which does not move in the vehicle width direction and controls the movement of the rack shaft by collision from the rack end to the housing body and a shock absorbing member provided between the rack end and the housing body to absorb a shock from the rack end to the housing body, in which the shock absorbing member includes a low-spring rate portion and a high-spring rate portion having a higher spring rate than that of the low-spring rate portion in the vehicle width direction.
1. A steering apparatus comprising:
a steered shaft moving in a vehicle width direction for steering vehicle wheels;
a first stopper in a moving side, which is provided in the steered shaft and integrally moving with the steered shaft;
a second stopper in a fixed side, which does not move in the vehicle width direction and controls the movement of the steered shaft by collision from the first stopper to the second stopper; and
a shock absorbing member provided between the first stopper and the second stopper to absorb a shock from the first stopper to the second stopper,
wherein the shock absorbing member includes a low-spring rate portion and a high-spring rate portion having a higher spring rate than the low-spring rate portion in the vehicle width direction, and
the low-spring rate portion and the high-spring rate portion are configured to contact the first stopper.
2. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the low-spring rate portion and the high-spring rate portion are made of the same material, and
a first pressure receiving area of the low-spring rate portion receiving the shock from the first stopper to the second stopper is smaller than a second pressure receiving area of the high-spring rate portion receiving the shock therefrom.
3. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the low-spring rate portion is made of a low-elasticity material having a low elasticity, and
the high-spring rate portion is made of a high-elasticity material having a higher elasticity than the low-elasticity material.
4. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the low-spring rate portion protrudes beyond the high-spring rate portion in a direction toward the first stopper in such a manner that the low-spring rate portion contacts the first stopper before the high-spring rate contacts the first stopper.
5. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the low-spring rate portion includes multiple protrusions each of which has a truncated cone shape, and
the protrusions are arranged at equal intervals in a circumferential direction.
6. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the high-spring rate portion is wider in a radial direction than the low-spring rate portion.
7. The steering apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one groove is formed between the low-spring rate portion and the high-spring rate portion in a radial direction.