Patent ID: 7441479
Filing Date: 2008-10-28
Classification: B62D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A steering wheel tilt device comprising: a socket having a back face to which one of a steering wheel and a steering boss is mounted; a plug having a back face to which the other of the steering wheel and the steering boss is mounted, for being fitted to the socket; a first rotational shaft for pivoting the socket at one end thereof and the plug at the other end thereof to realize the fitted state or a released state of the socket and the plug; a second rotational shaft extending parallel to the first rotational shaft in a vicinity of an inside of the first rotational shaft on the socket side; a sleeve arm having one end pivoted on the second rotational shaft and the other end located in a direction perpendicular to the second rotational shaft, for realizing the fitted state or the released state of the socket and the plug through a rotational movement of the other end; a plate-type projection member with a predetermined thickness, which projects in such a direction as to face the plug and is provided on the socket such that one face thereof is in contact with the sleeve arm and parallel thereto; a projection member provided on the plug side in contact with the other face side of the plate-type projection member in the fitted state of the socket and the plug; a tapered hole for movably accommodating a ball from the one face side of the plate-type projection member to the other face side thereof, the tapered hole being composed of a large-diameter hole located on the one face side and having a larger diameter than the ball and a small-diameter hole located on the other face side and having a smaller diameter than the ball; a first spring member provided between the sleeve arm and the socket, for pressing the ball toward the small-diameter hole to prevent the part of the sleeve arm from protruding from the large-diameter hole when the one end of the sleeve arm has been rotationally moved toward the plug to realize the fitted state of the socket and the plug; and a recess provided on the projection member side, for receiving a part of the ball protruding from the small-diameter hole, wherein the ball is held fixed at three points, namely, by a part of the recess, a part of the tapered hole, and a part of the sleeve arm.