Title of Invention

"STEERING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES"

Abstract

A steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact force, which comprises a steering tube, connected to a steering handle, having a plurality of fixing grooves for fixing balls therein; a steering shaft partially inserted into the steering tube having a plurality of multi-stepped guide grooves for guiding balls; and the balls positioned in the fixing grooves of the steering tube. The guide grooves are linked with the fixing grooves at one end parts and extended laterally for a predetermined distance, and the balls are guided from the fixing grooves into the multi-stepped guide grooves between the steering tube and the steering shaft, generating frictional force and absorbing impact force. Hence, the impact force is absorbed by the multi-stepped portions of the guide grooves and gradually transmitted to the driver from the beginning to the end of a collision to ensure the driver with enough time to react to the collision, thereby minimizing injury to the driver. 14

Full Text

STEERING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering system for automobiles and, more particularly, to a steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact energy when force is generated from the collision in order to lessen the impact force to the driver. 2. Description of the Conventional Art In general, the steering by the driver is transmitted to a steering tube and a steering shaft in the conventional steering systems for automobiles. During the collision, the driver collides with the steering wheel caused by the inertia. In response to the collision, there is a reaction force in which the driver is more severely injured. In order to absorb the impact energy and lessen the impact to the driver, the steering shaft connected to the steering wheel which slides into the steering tube has been developed. Fig.l shows the structure of a conventional steering system whcih has been developed to lessen the impact to the driver during the collission. In Fig.l, the steering system comprises an outer tube 12, an inner tube 14, and balls 22, 24 which is inserted between the outer tube 12 and the inner tube 14. Further, grooves 26 are formed on the outer surface of the outer tube 12 for guiding the balls 22 and 24. In the above structure, the number of the grooves 26 is less than the number of the balls 22 and 24 so that the impact force is absorbed by the remainder balls whcih are not introduced into the grooves. When the inner tube 14 is slided into the outer tube 12 by the impact force applied to a steering wheel(not shown) at the time of the collision, the balls 22 and 24 located between the outer tube 14 and the inner tube 12 move and absorb the impact force by frictional force generated by the movement of the balls. In Fig.lt number 20 indicates a sleeve, and number indicates a slanted wall. However, the conventional steering system described above has disadvantages that the steering system absorbs the impact force uniformly regardless of the magnitude of the impact force, so that it is difficult to disperse the repulsive force to the driver. The balls 24 absorb the impact force uniformly from the beginning to the end of the collision, hence the repulsive force can not be dispersed effectively and the driver would not have enough time to react to the collision. Hence, it is difficult to prevent the driver from being injured from the repulsive force generated by the impact. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention attempts to resolve the disadvantag¬es of the prior art and provide a steering system of automo¬biles for absorbing the impact force, which disperses and absorbs sequentially the impact force transmitted through the steering shaft and the steering tube during the collision to lessen the impact force thus protecting the driver. The present invention's another object is to provide a steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact force, whcih can minimize the repulsive power to the driver in order to provide enough for the driver to react to emergency situations during the collision. According to the present invention, the above objects can be achieved by a steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact force whcich comprises a steering tube connected with a steering handle; a plurality of fixing grooves for placing the balls therein; a steering shaft partially inserted into the steering tube; a plurality of multi-stepped guide grooves for guiding the balls; and the ball which are positioned in the fixing grooves of the steering tube, wherein the guide grooves are linked with the fixing grooves at one end part and extended laterally for a predetermined distance, and the balls are guided from the fixing grooves into the guide grooves between the steering tube and the steering shaft, generating frictional force and absorbing impact force. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The manner by which the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are attained will become fully apparent from the following description to be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l is a transversal sectional view of a prior art steering system for automobiles; Fig.2 is a transversal sectional view of the steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact energy according to the present invention; Fig.3 is a transversal sectional view for explaining the operation of the steering system according to the present invention; Fig.4 is a transversal sectional view of a steering shaft of the steering system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig.5 is a vertical sectional view of a steering shaft for the steering system according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing the preferred embodiments. Fig. 2 shows the structure of a steering system for automobiles according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig.2, the steering system comprises a steering tube 30, a steering shaft 40, and a plurality of balls 50. The steering tube 30 connected with a steering handle(not shown) includes a plurality of fixing grooves 32 for placement of the balls 50 and a hollow 31. The number of the fixing groove 32 may be adjusted according to the steering power, and four fixing grooves 32 are adopted in this embodiment. The steering shaft 40 is partially inserted into the hollow 31 of the steering tube 30. The steering shaft 40 includes guide grooves 41 for guiding the balls 50 into the fixing grooves 32. The guide grooves 41 are linked with the fixing grooves 32 at one end part and extended laterally for a predetermined distance. The guide grooves 41 are multi-stepped, wherein nearest to the steering handle are the lowest steps 43, and the opposite steps 42 which are connected with the fixing grooves 32 are the highest. In this embodiment, the guide grooves 41 are of two steps. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the guide grooves 41. In Fig.4, the guide grooves 41 have stepped portions 42, 43 which are deep into the fixing grooves 32 subsequently. The balls 50 are positioned in the fixing grooves 32 of the steering tube 30, on the deepest stepped portions 42. The balls 50 are guided from the fixing grooves 32 into the guide grooves 41 at the time of the collision. When the balls 50 move along the guide grooves 41 between the steering tube 30 and the steering shaft 40, a frictional force is generated and the impact force is absorbed by the frictional force generated by the movement of the balls 50. The operation of the steering system for automobiles according to the present invention is described in more detail hereinafter. In the normal state the steering shaft 40 is inserted in the hollow 31 of the steering tube 30. The balls 50 are located between the steering shaft 40 and the steering tube 30, That is, the balls 50 are positioned in the fixing grooves 32 on the respective end parts of the lowest step portions 42 of the guide grooves 41 which communicates with the fixing grooves 32. When the steering wheel is rotated by a driver, the steering tube 30 rotates in response to the rotation of the steering wheel, and the rotation power is transmitted to the steering shaft 40. In the above case, during the collision, the driver collides with the steering handle due to inertia. According to the present invention, the steering shaft 40 is inserted into the hollow 31 of the steering tube 30 and absorbs the impact energy. In detail, the steering tube 30 moves in the direction of an arrow 'a' and the steering shaft 40 moves opposite in the direction of an arrow 'b' , so that the balls 50 move into the guide grooves 41 along the stepped portions 42 and 43, wherein the movement of the balls 50 is carried out by the guide grooves 41 of the steering shaft 40 fixed into the fixing grooves 32 of the steering tube 30. The balls 50 generate frictional force by the movement between the steering tube 30 and the steering shaft 40. The frictional force is relatively small at the beginning of the collision but the frictional force increases toward the end of the impact. Therefore, the impact force generated during the collision is compensated by the relatively small frictional force at the beginning but the degree of compensa¬tion gradually increases, so that in the end large impact force is compensated by the frictional force generated by the balls 50. As above, the frictional force to absorb the impact force generated at the beginning of the accident and increasing impact force toward the end of the accident. The impact force may be effectively dispersed and the repulsive power to the driver becomes gradual since the frictional force compensates the impact force gradually, and relatively big repulsive force suddenly applied to the driver may be prevented. Hence, the impact force applied to the driver during collision is reduced and the driver have may enough time to react to the emergency situation. According to the present invention as described herein-above, the steering system of the present invention can control the impact force transmitted to the driver by gradually absorbing the impact force so that the absorption of the impact force may be achieved effectively. Further, the repulsive force whcih is applied to the driver during the collision is gradually absorbed and transmitted to the driver so that the driver may react to the collision and minimize the injury. Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted here that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therfore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be construed as being included therein. What is claimed is: 1. A steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact force comprising; a steering tube connected with a steering handle including a plurality of fixing grooves; a steering shaft partially inserted into the said steering tube including a plurality of multi-stepped guide grooves; and balls for absorbing impact force which are positioned in the said fixing grooves of the said steering tube, wherein the said guide grooves are linked with the said fixing grooves at one end part and extended laterally for a predeter¬mined distance, and the said balls are guided from the said fixing grooves into the said guide grooves between the said steering tube and the said steering shaft, generating frictional force to absorb the impact force. 2. The steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said steering shaft has rectangular sections. 3. The steering system as claimed in claim 1. wherein the said steering shaft has circular sections. 4 A steering system of automobiles substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings

Documents:

1010-del-1997-abstract.pdf

1010-del-1997-assignment.pdf

1010-del-1997-claims.pdf

1010-del-1997-correspondence-others.pdf

1010-del-1997-correspondence-po.pdf

1010-del-1997-description-(complete).pdf

1010-del-1997-drawings.pdf

1010-del-1997-form-1.pdf

1010-del-1997-form-19.pdf

1010-del-1997-form-2.pdf

1010-del-1997-form-3.pdf

1010-del-1997-form-4.pdf

1010-del-1997-form-6.pdf

1010-del-1997-pa.pdf

1010-del-1997-petition-137.pdf

1010-del-1997-petition-138.pdf