Patent ID: 8960721
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A steering column apparatus, comprising: a steering column having a structure supporting a steering shaft so as to rotate freely in a state where the steering shaft which fixes and supports a steering wheel at a rear end portion thereof is inserted in an axial direction through the steering column, and a front end portion that is supported by a portion fastened to a vehicle body so as to be able to oscillate around a pivot shaft that is arranged in a width direction; a displacement bracket fastened to a middle portion in the axial direction of the steering column; a through hole formed so as to pass through the displacement bracket in the width direction; a support bracket having a pair of support plate portions, and being supported by the vehicle body with the support plate portions arranged on left and right sides of the displacement bracket; long holes in an up-down direction provided in portions of the pair of support plate portions that are aligned with the through hole; an expansion/contraction apparatus having: an adjustment rod that is inserted through the long holes in the up-down direction and the through hole, a pair of pressure portions that are provided in portions of the adjustment rod located on both sides of the support plate portions in the width direction, and a mechanism configured to expand or contract a space between the pressure portions according to operation of an adjustment lever that is provided on one end portion of the adjustment rod that protrudes from an outside surface of one of the support plate portions; through holes formed in portions of the pair of support plate portions further on the front side than the long holes in the up-down direction, the through holes being continuous along the long holes in the up-down direction from a top end portion to a bottom end portion of the long holes in the up-down direction, and the through holes having a dimension in the up-down direction that is equal to or greater than the dimension in the up-down direction of the long holes in the up-down direction; and bridge portions provided between front side edges of the long holes in the up-down direction and rear side edges of the through holes, the bridge portions being able to plastically deform due to an impact load that is applied from the steering column in a forward direction by way of the adjustment rod during a collision accident, wherein cut out portions having a width dimension that is less than an outer diameter of the adjustment rod are formed on both end portions in the up-down direction of the long holes in the up-down direction so as to protrude upward and downward from the both end portions in the up-down direction of the long holes in the up-down direction.