Patent ID: 8348289
Filing Date: 2013-01-08
Classification: B62D,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A rack-and-pinion mechanism, comprising: a pinion shaft that has pinion teeth; a rack shaft that has rack teeth that mesh with the pinion teeth; and a tubular rack guide that supports the rack shaft such that the rack shaft is able to reciprocate in an axial direction of the rack shaft in a state in which the rack guide presses the rack shaft to the pinion shaft such that the rack teeth mesh with the pinion teeth, wherein the rack guide is provided in a housing portion of a housing so as to be movable in a direction in which the rack guide moves toward or away from the rack shaft, wherein the rack shaft is pressed to the pinion shaft by being pressed by an urging member provided in the housing portion, wherein a fitting groove is formed in an outer peripheral face of the rack guide, and the fitting groove is formed as an annular groove that extends in a circumferential direction of the rack guide, wherein an annular elastic member is fitted in the fitting groove, and the elastic member is fitted in the fitting groove in a state in which a movement of the elastic member in an axial direction of the elastic member is restricted, and wherein a communication portion is formed in the rack guide, and the communication portion provides communication between an internal space, defined by the fitting groove and the elastic member, and an outside of the rack guide, wherein one end of the communication portion opens at an outer peripheral face of the rack guide and an other end of the communication portion is flush with a bottom face of the fitting groove.