Patent ID: 7444900
Filing Date: 2008-11-04
Classification: B62D,F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An electrically-driven steering column apparatus comprising: a steering shaft having a rear end to which a steering wheel is attached; a steering column rotatably holding said steering shaft and adapted for adjusting a position of said steering wheel; an electric motor which causes a position adjusting motion of said steering column; and a power transmission mechanism which transmits driving force of said electric motor to said steering column as a position adjusting motion driving force, wherein said power transmission mechanism includes a joint including a spherical joint element, a cylindrical joint element in which said spherical joint element is received, and a sleeve received in said cylindrical joint element and disposed between said spherical joint element and said cylindrical joint element, an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve being spherically concave and rotatably supporting said spherical joint element, and wherein said power transmission mechanism further includes a feed screw shaft being rotated by a shaft of said electric motor, said electric motor being oriented such that said shaft of said electric motor has an axis transverse to an axis of said feed screw shaft.