Patent ID: 8640816

Claim:
A vehicular steering apparatus comprising: a road-wheel turning mechanism mechanically separated from but electrically connected to a steering wheel via an electric connection path which includes a road-wheel turning actuator for generating road-wheel turning power in accordance with steering information based on a steering operation of the steering wheel and which transmits the generated road-wheel turning power to the road-wheel turning mechanism so that road wheels of a vehicle are steered via the road-wheel turning mechanism; a first rotation shaft connected to the steering wheel; a second rotation shaft connected to the road-wheel turning mechanism; and a connection mechanism for interconnecting the first and second rotation shafts in such a manner that the first and second rotation shafts can rotate idle relative to each other within a range of a predetermined relative rotational angle, wherein: the connection mechanism has a first part rotatable with the first rotation shaft, and a second part rotatable with the second rotation shaft, when relative rotation between the first and second rotation shafts exceeds the range of the predetermined relative rotational angle, the first and second parts of the connection mechanism come in contact with each other to thereby cause the first and second rotation shafts to rotate in unison with each other, the first part of the connection mechanism has a hole formed therein, and the second part of the connection member comprises a connection bar received in and engageable with the hole, the hole has a substantially triangular shape, and the first and second rotation shafts are relatively movable in an axial direction thereof, and the hole and the connection bar together form a clutch mechanism.