Steering column with longitudinal stop having an adjustable release function in the event of a crash

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308275-B2
Application number	US-201515521731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A steering column may include a casing unit with a steering spindle that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and a bracket unit that is fixable on the motor vehicle. The casing unit may be secured to the bracket unit such that the casing unit is adjustable in at least one direction. The casing unit may be fixable in different positions by a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism may have a fixing element that is rotatable about a pivot axis. The casing unit may be fixed in position in or on the bracket unit in a locked position of the fixing element, and adjusted relative to the bracket unit in a released position of the fixing element. A movably mounted stop body may interact with the fixing element and, in the released position of the fixing element, is disposed in a first position where it limits adjustability of the casing unit relative to the bracket unit. In the locked position of the fixing element, the stop body may be disposed in a second position where it disengages with the casing unit. The stop body may include a stop face, the spacing of which from the pivot axis is greater in the released position than in the locked position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering column for a motor vehicle comprising:
a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted such that the steering spindle is rotatable about a steering spindle longitudinal axis;
a bracket unit that is fixed or fixable on the motor vehicle, wherein the casing unit is held in or on the bracket unit such that the casing unit is adjustable in at least one direction of parallel or transverse with respect to the steering spindle longitudinal axis;
a fixing mechanism including a fixing element that is rotatably mounted about a fixing element pivot axis, with the casing unit being fixable in different positions by the fixing mechanism, wherein in a locked position of the fixing element the casing unit is fixed in position in or on the bracket unit, wherein in a released position of the fixing element the casing unit is adjustable relative to the bracket unit in the at least one direction of parallel or transverse with respect to the steering spindle longitudinal axis; and
a movably mounted stop body that interacts directly or indirectly with the fixing element, with the movably mounted stop body comprising a stop face, wherein in the released position of the fixing element the movably mounted stop body is disposed in a first position in which the movably mounted stop body limits an adjustability of the casing unit relative to the bracket unit in the at least one direction of parallel or transverse with respect to the steering spindle longitudinal axis, wherein in the locked position of the fixing element the movably mounted stop body is disposed in a second position in which the movably mounted stop body is disengaged with the casing unit, wherein a spacing of the stop face from the fixing element pivot axis is greater in the released position of the fixing element than in the locked position of the fixing element.

2. The steering column of claim 1 further comprising a counterstop, wherein the stop face of the movably mounted stop body interacts with the counterstop in the released position of the fixing element to limit the adjustability of the casing unit relative to the bracket unit in the at least one direction of parallel or transverse to the steering spindle longitudinal axis.

3. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the movably mounted stop body is rotatable about the fixing element pivot axis.

4. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the fixing element comprises a cam or a cam section that interacts with a control face of the movably mounted stop body.

5. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the movably mounted stop body either comprises or is coupled to a prestressing element.

6. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the movably mounted stop body is at least partially comprised of plastic.

7. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the movably mounted stop body is displaced in a direction of the steering spindle longitudinal axis during transfer from the locked position into the released position and/or during transfer from the released position into the locked position.

8. The steering column of claim 1 wherein a difference of the spacing of the stop face from the fixing element pivot axis in the released position and in the locked position is between 0.2 mm and 5 mm.

9. A stop body for a steering column, the stop body comprising:
a coupling section sized and shaped to receive a fixing element of a steering column, wherein the coupling section comprises a control face sized and shaped to interact with a cam section on the fixing element;
a stop face for interacting with a counterstop of the steering column,
wherein in an installed state, the coupling section encloses the fixing element by way of a recess, at least partially with an intermediate space; and
comprising a first control face and a second control face, wherein the first control face is disposed relative to a fixing element pivot axis in a first circumferential region of the recess on a side where the stop face is positioned on the stop body, wherein the second control face is disposed in a second circumferential region that lies opposite with regard to the fixing element pivot axis.

10. The stop body of claim 9 wherein the control face is disposed tangentially with respect to a circumferential circle around the cam section of the fixing element.

11. The stop body of claim 9 wherein the control face is oriented parallel to a fixing element pivot axis, wherein the stop face is oriented parallel to the fixing element pivot axis, wherein normal directions of the control face and the stop face have a common vector component.

12. The stop body of claim 9 wherein the control face is configured on an inner face of the recess of the coupling section.

13. The stop body of claim 9 wherein the control face is configured as a tangential, planar section of an inner wall of the recess.

14. The stop body of claim 9 wherein the recess comprises a first inner circumferential region that is configured as a control face and a second inner circumferential region that is disposed at a spacing that is greater from a fixing element pivot axis than is the first inner circumferential region.

15. The stop body of claim 9 wherein the recess has a polygonal cross section.

16. The stop body of claim 9 further comprising a prestressing element.

17. The stop body of claim 16 wherein the prestressing element is configured as a spring tongue, wherein from a perspective of the coupling section the spring tongue extends to a side that lies opposite the stop face.

18. A method for adjusting a steering column for a motor vehicle, the steering column comprising a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted such that the steering spindle is rotatable about a steering spindle longitudinal axis, a bracket unit that is fixed or fixable on the motor vehicle, wherein the casing unit is held in or on the bracket unit such that the casing unit is adjustable in at least one direction of parallel or transverse with respect to the steering spindle longitudinal axis, a fixing mechanism including a fixing element that is rotatably mounted about a fixing element pivot axis, with the casing unit being fixable in different positions by the fixing mechanism, wherein in a locked position of the fixing element the casing unit is fixed in position in or on the bracket unit, wherein in a released position of the fixing element the casing unit is adjustable relative to the bracket unit in the at least one direction of parallel or transverse with respect to the steering spindle longitudinal axis, and a movably mounted stop body that interacts directly or indirectly with the fixing element, with the movably mounted stop body comprising a stop face, wherein in the released position of the fixing element the movably mounted stop body is disposed in a first position in which the movably mounted stop body limits an adjustability of the casing unit relative to the bracket unit in the at least one direction of parallel or transverse with respect to the steering spindle longitudinal axis, wherein in the locked position of the fixing element the movably mounted stop body is disposed in a second position in which the movably mounted stop body is disengaged with the casing unit, the method comprising moving the stop body into a loose position between the locked position and the released position.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising moving the stop face of the stop body out of the released position in a direction of the steering spindle longitudinal axis in a translational manner toward the fix

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Huber Sebastian
• Murtezi Mergim

Classifications

• B62D1/192

  Yieldable or collapsible columns · CPC title

• B62D1/185

  adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically (B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence) · CPC title

• B62D1/184 Primary

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/195

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title

• B62D1/187

  with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment (B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence) · CPC title