Steering shaft assembly for automotive vehicles

摘要

A steering shaft assembly for automotive vehicles comprises an upper shaft mounted thereon with a steering wheel, a lower shaft rotatably supported in place within a column tube and telescopically connected to the upper shaft in such a manner to permit axial adjustment of the upper shaft, and a lock mechanism for releasably fastening the upper shaft to the lower shaft in its adjusted position, a pair of stopper elements respectively integral with the upper and lower shafts to be abutted against each other when the upper shaft is moved downward over a predetermined stroke, an annular tapered projection integral with one of the shafts, and a single shock absorber element of elastic material in the form of a short sleeve member coupled with the other shaft and located between the stopper elements. The shock absorber element is formed at one end thereof with an annular tapered portion to be resiliently coupled over the annular tapered projection by abutment with the stopper elements.