Patent ID: 8662509

Claim:
A shock absorbing device for a rack and pinion steering device, comprising: a rack shaft for the rack and pinion steering device; a rack housing supporting the rack shaft so as to be moveable in an axial direction thereof, the rack housing including a tubular member receiving the rack shaft therein such that a space is defined between an inner circumferential surface of the tubular member and an outer circumferential surface of the rack shaft, the tubular member having an open end from which an axial end of the rack shaft extends; a stopper portion formed in an end part of the rack shaft; a stopper engaging portion provided on the rack housing to define a stroke end position for the rack shaft by engaging the stopper portion; a first pressing part formed on the rack shaft adjacent to the axial end of the rack shaft; a second pressing part formed on the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member at a prescribed distance from the open end of the tubular member; and a cylindrical elastic member fitted on the rack shaft and having an axial length greater than the prescribed distance such that the elastic member is pressed in the axial direction of the rack shaft by the first pressing part and the second pressing part as the stopper portion approaches the stopper engaging portion; wherein the elastic member is formed with a groove on each of an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface thereof, the groove on the outer circumferential surface being located at an axially different position from the groove on the inner circumferential surface.