1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to steering devices, and more particularly, to a steering device, in which a steering wheel is automatically retractable in a collision of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to secure the safety in a collision of a vehicle, the upper body of an occupant in a vehicle is restrained and held by a seatbelt in general. However, the head of such an occupant is not restrained, and hence, the head of the occupant, in a collision, is violently rotated about the root of the neck forward and downward, collides with a steering wheel, thus presenting the possibility of seriously hurting the throat or face.
Then, heretofore, there have been proposed techniques for preventing a steering wheel from protruding into a compartment in a collision of the vehicle, so that the head of the occupant may not collide with the steering wheel in the collision of the vehicle. However, in order to more or less prevent the occupant wearing the seatbelt as described above from being brought into contact with the steering wheel to receive an impact thereof, it is not satisfactory to only prevent the steering wheel from protruding into the compartment, and it is desirable that the steering wheel is positively retractable to a position, into which the head of the occupant does not collide in a collision of the vehicle.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds