Clamping device of an adjustable steering column for motor vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759463-B2
Application number	US-201615754214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2016
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A clamping device may include clamping jaws that selectively clamp a steering column tube that is adjustable. A clamping pin may connect the clamping jaws. Rotation of the clamping pin in a closure direction causes the steering column tube to be clamped between the clamping jaws, and rotation of the clamping pin in an opening direction releases the clamping jaws for adjustment of the steering column tube. A damping member may be disposed on the clamping pin and connected to the clamping pin in a frictionally engaging or resilient manner. The damping member may comprise a stop tongue that protrudes radially from the clamping pin. When the clamping pin rotates in the opening direction, the stop tongue moves into abutment with the steering column tube and prevents rotation of the damping member so that the rotation of the clamping pin in the opening direction occurs counter to the friction force or resilient force and is damped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clamping device of an adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle, the clamping device comprising:
a carrier configured to be connected to a vehicle chassis of the motor vehicle;
two clamping jaws coupled to the carrier, the two clamping jaws being configured to clamp a steering column tube that has a fixed longitudinal stop disposed thereon, that rotatably supports a steering spindle, and that is at least one of longitudinally or vertically adjustable;
a clamping pin that connects the two clamping jaws;
a clamping retention device disposed on and cooperating with at least one of the two clamping jaws such that,
rotation of the clamping pin about a pin axis in a closure direction causes the clamping retention device to clamp the steering column tube between the two clamping jaws, and
rotation of the clamping pin about the pin axis in an opening direction releases the clamping retention device and the two clamping jaws and permits adjustment of the steering column tube; and

a damping member disposed on the clamping pin and connected to the clamping pin in a frictionally engaging or resilient manner, and having a stop tongue radially protruding away from the clamping pin,
wherein the damping member is configured such that the rotation of the clamping pin in the opening direction moves the stop tongue into abutment with the steering column tube or another part of the adjustable steering column and prevents the rotation of the damping member so that the rotation of the clamping pin in the opening direction occurs counter to a friction force or a resilient force and is damped,
wherein the damping member further has a stop face defined at an end of the stop tongue that is configured to be positioned at least one of,
opposite the fixed longitudinal stop of the steering column tube when the clamping retention device is in an open position, so that a longitudinal displacement of the steering column tube toward a front of the motor vehicle is limited by the stop face stopping against the fixed longitudinal stop, and
above the fixed longitudinal stop of the steering column tube when the clamping retention device is in a closed position, so that during a crash event, when a force acting on the steering column tube overcomes an opposing friction force of the two clamping jaws and the steering column tube is displaced toward the front of the motor vehicle, the fixed longitudinal stop can be longitudinally displaced past the stop face.

2. The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the stop tongue is configured to be resiliently deformed after being moved into abutment with the steering column tube and subjected to further of the rotation of the clamping pin in the opening direction.

3. The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the damping member comprises a resilient element that protrudes radially from the clamping pin in a direction counter to the stop tongue and lies against at least some part of the adjustable steering column so that in an event of the rotation of the clamping pin in the closure direction, a rotational movement of the damping member is limited so that the stop face of the stop tongue is disposed outside an effective region of the fixed longitudinal stop.

4. The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein the damping member is configured such that deformation of the damping member increases a distance between the pin axis and the stop face of the stop tongue.

5. The clamping device of claim 4 , wherein the stop tongue is bent from a region of the clamping pin toward the steering column tube, and is configured such that when the stop tongue abuts the steering column tube or the another part of the adjustable steering column and the clamping pin is rotated further in the opening direction, the stop tongue is bent so that the distance between the stop face and the pin axis increases.

6. The clamping device of claim 1 , wherein a connection between the damping member and the clamping pin is a resilient connection formed by a resilient deformation of the damping member proximate the connection.

7. The clamping device of claim 6 wherein the resilient deformation is an expanded region of the damping member partially surrounding the clamping pin.

8. The clamping device of claim 6 , wherein the stop tongue is shaped such that a resilient deformation of the stop tongue increases a distance between the pin axis and the stop face of the stop tongue.

9. The clamping device of claim 8 , wherein the stop tongue is bent from a region of the clamping pin toward the steering column tube, and is configured such that when the stop tongue abuts the steering column tube or the another part of the adjustable steering column and the clamping pin is rotated further in the opening direction, the stop tongue is bent so that the distance between the stop face and the pin axis increases.

10. A clamping device for a steering column of a motor vehicle, comprising:
clamping jaws that are configured to selectively clamp a steering column tube that has a fixed longitudinal stop and is at least one of longitudinally or vertically adjustable;
a clamping retention device disposed on at least one of the clamping jaws that is selectively movable between a closed position and an open position;
a clamping pin that connects the clamping jaws and cooperates with the clamping retention device, wherein rotation of the clamping pin in a first direction causes the clamping retention device to move to the closed position and clamp the steering column tube between the clamping jaws, and rotation of the clamping pin in a second direction causes the clamping retention device to move to the open position to release the steering column tube from the clamping jaws and permits adjustment of the steering column tube; and
a damping member that is disposed on the clamping pin, and is connected to the clamping pin in a frictionally engaging or resilient manner, the damping member comprising a stop tongue radially protruding from the clamping pin, which stop tongue has a stop face defined at an end thereof that is configured to be positioned at least one of,
opposite the fixed longitudinal stop of the steering column tube when the clamping retention device is in the open position, so that a longitudinal displacement of the steering column tube toward a front of the motor vehicle is limited by the stop face stopping against the fixed longitudinal stop, and
above the fixed longitudinal stop of the steering column tube when the clamping retention device is in the closed position, so that during a crash event, when a longitudinal force acting on the steering column tube overcomes an opposing friction force of the clamping jaws and the steering column tube is displaced toward a front of the motor vehicle, the fixed longitudinal stop can be longitudinally displaced past the stop face without contacting the stop face, and
wherein the rotation of the clamping pin in the second direction moves the stop tongue into abutment with a part of the steering column and prevents the rotation of the damping member so that the rotation of the clamping pin in the second direction is damped and occurs counter to a friction force or a resilient force.

11. The clamping device of claim 10 , wherein the stop tongue is configured to be resiliently deformed after being moved into abutment with the steering column tube and subjected to further of the rotation of the clamping pin in the opening direction.

12. The clamping device of claim 10 wherein the damping member comprises a resilient element that protrudes radially from the clamping pin in a direction counter to the stop tongue and lies against the steering column tube so that

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Huber Sebastian

Classifications

• B62D1/184 Primary

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/197

  incorporating devices for preventing ingress of the steering column into the passengers space in case of accident · CPC title

• B62D1/189

  the entire column being tiltable as a unit · CPC title