Patent ID: 6722810
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: F16B,F16C,F16D,Y10T

Abstract:
A coupling structure of a steering apparatus comprising:a hollow cylindrical inner shaft; a hollow cylindrical outer shaft fitted on said inner shaft and partially overlapped therewith in an axial direction, the outer shaft and the inner shaft being telescopically movable relatively to each other and being interengaged through a projecting portion formed on a periphery of one of the outer shaft and the inner shaft to transmit rotation therebetween; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a state of contact between said inner shaft and said outer shaft; wherein the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment member disposed in a hollow space of the inner shaft to expand the inner shaft radially outwardly, said adjustment member having a first end and a second end, said second end of said adjustment member contacting an abutment surface within said hollow inner shaft, and a positioning mechanism constructed to change a radial position of the adjustment member relative to the inner shaft to adjust a force of said second end of said adjustment member on said abutment surface and change said state of contact between the inner shaft and the outer shaft and thereby change a sliding resistance therebetween; the inner shaft and the outer shaft being formed with radially opposed through-holes so that said radial position of said adjustment member may be adjustable through said through-holes from outside the outer shaft.