Steering column for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343708-B2
Application number	US-201615567841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A steering column may comprise an adjusting unit that holds a steering spindle rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis, a holding unit that receives the adjusting unit, a clamping device that locks the adjusting unit relative to the holding unit in a fixing position and permits adjustment in an unlocked position, and an energy absorption element attached to the adjusting unit and extending through an opening of a wedging housing parallel to the longitudinal axis. The energy absorption element is longitudinally movable in the opening in the unlocked position and lockable within the opening in the fixing position. The opening may have a wedging section with inner wall regions that converge longitudinally. A wedging element is movable into the wedging section and disposed between the energy absorption element and the inner wall regions. The wedging element and the energy absorption element, measured transversely to the longitudinal direction, may be larger than a shortest cross section of the wedging section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering column for a motor vehicle comprising:
an adjusting unit in which a steering spindle is mounted so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the steering spindle;
a holding unit configured to be connected to a body of the motor vehicle, wherein the holding unit supports the adjusting unit;
a clamping device, wherein in a fixing position the clamping device locks the adjusting unit in a normal relative mode to the holding unit, wherein in an unlocked position the clamping device enables adjustment of the adjusting unit relative to the holding unit at least in a longitudinal direction, wherein the adjusting unit is movable in the longitudinal direction in the normal relative mode when a predefined force is exceeded;
an energy absorption element that extends into an opening of a wedging housing parallel to the longitudinal direction, the opening including a wedging section with inner wall regions converging toward one another in a wedge shape in the longitudinal direction, wherein the wedging housing is supported on the holding unit in the longitudinal direction in the normal relative mode, wherein an actuating element of the clamping device interacts with the wedging housing, wherein in the unlocked position the energy absorption element is movable in the longitudinal direction in the opening of the wedging housing and in the fixing position the energy absorption element is lockable in the opening of the wedging housing; and
a wedging element that is movable into the wedging section of the opening, the wedging element being disposed between the energy absorption element and at least one of the inner wall regions of the opening,
wherein a sum of dimensions of the wedging element and the energy absorption element, as measured between the inner wall regions of the wedging section of the opening that oppose one another, is greater than a shortest distance between the inner wall regions that are converging.

2. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the wedging element is configured as a rolling element that rolls in the longitudinal direction on at least one of the energy absorption element or one of the inner wall regions of the opening.

3. The steering column of claim 2 wherein the rolling element has a greater hardness than at least one of the energy absorption element or the wedging housing.

4. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the wedging element is mounted in a driver element.

5. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the actuating element comprises a rotatably mounted clamping axis that is disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis, the actuating element being rotatable to actuate the clamping device and having a cam element that is movable toward the wedging housing parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis.

6. The steering column of claim 5 wherein the cam element is movable toward the wedging housing parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein when moved the cam element pushes together the wedging housing and a driver element in which the wedging element is mounted in the longitudinal direction.

7. The steering column of claim 5 wherein the cam element is movable toward the wedging housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the wedging housing acts on a driver element in which the wedging element is mounted and fixes the driver element on the adjusting unit.

8. The steering column of claim 7 wherein the driver element includes a foot part that is disposed between the wedging housing and the adjusting unit, wherein a side of the foot part includes a grip-enhancing element that faces the adjusting unit.

9. The steering column of claim 1 wherein a driver element in which the wedging element is mounted comprises a spring element that is configured to be supported in the longitudinal direction against the wedging housing.

10. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the energy absorption element comprises at least one of a bending wire or a tear tab.

11. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the adjusting unit comprises an inner casing tube that is disposed in the holding unit in a manner that allows for a telescopic movement in the longitudinal direction, wherein the holding unit comprises an outer casing unit.

12. The steering column of claim 1 wherein the holding unit is configured as a bracket unit for fastening on the body of the motor vehicle, wherein the holding unit is configured to receive the adjusting unit in a longitudinally-adjustable manner.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Forte Sebastian
• Schnitzer Hieronymus
• Kreutz Daniel
• Heitz Thomas Werner

Classifications

• B62D1/195 Primary

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title

• B62D1/184

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/185

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