Steering column adjustment lever assembly dampener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11180179-B2
Application number	US-202016884201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2020
Priority date	Jan 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A dampened adjustment assembly for a steering column includes a lever rotatable to move the dampened adjustment assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position. The dampened adjustment assembly also includes a clamp bolt operatively coupled to the lever. The dampened adjustment assembly further includes a cam operatively coupled to the clamp bolt and disposed within a pocket of a lower jacket. The dampened adjustment assembly yet further includes a dampening component formed of a dampening material and surrounding a perimeter of the cam, the dampening component positioned to contact a surface of the lower jacket to define the unlocked position.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1. A dampened adjustment assembly for a steering column comprising:
a lever rotatable to move the dampened adjustment assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position;
a clamp bolt operatively coupled to the lever;
a cam operatively coupled to the clamp bolt and disposed within a pocket of a lower jacket; and
a dampening component formed of a dampening material and surrounding a perimeter of the cam, the dampening component positioned to contact a surface of the lower jacket to define the unlocked position.

2. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dampening component is a component separate from the cam and operatively coupled to the cam.

3. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 2 , wherein the dampening component is an O-ring.

4. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dampening component and the cam are integrally formed with each other.

5. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 4 , wherein the dampening component is over-molded on the cam.

6. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pocket is a recess within an inner surface of a wall of the lower jacket, the pocket partially defined by a pocket wall.

7. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 6 , wherein the surface that is contacted by the dampening component to define the unlocked position is a portion of the pocket wall.

8. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 6 , wherein the dampening component is positioned to have a pair of contact portions in contact with a pair of portions of the pocket wall in the unlocked position.

9. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clamp bolt includes a cam engagement portion disposed within an aperture of the cam, the cam engagement portion having a square cross-section.

10. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dampening component is preloaded against the lower jacket to frictionally decelerate rotation of the cam and the lever.

11. A dampened adjustment assembly for a steering column comprising:
a lever rotatable to move the dampened adjustment assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position;
a clamp bolt operatively coupled to the lever;
a cam operatively coupled to the clamp bolt and disposed within a pocket of a lower jacket; and
a dampening bumper formed of a dampening material, at least a portion of the dampening bumper disposed within the pocket and positioned to be contacted by the cam to define the unlocked position.

12. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the dampening bumper comprises an insert that has a geometry corresponding to the pocket.

13. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pocket is a recess within an inner surface of a wall of the lower jacket.

14. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the clamp bolt includes a cam engagement portion disposed within an aperture of the cam, the cam engagement portion having a non-circular cross-section.

15. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the dampening bumper has a rectangular cross-section.

16. The dampened adjustment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the dampening bumper has a square cross-section.

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding

Inventors

• Schultz Zachery P
• Kociba Gregory E
• Rood Brian K

Classifications

• F16F15/08 Primary

  with rubber springs {(grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38); with springs made of rubber and metal (arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604)} · CPC title

• B62D1/184 Primary

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• F16F2226/04

  Assembly or fixing methods; methods to form or fashion parts · CPC title

• B62D1/19

  incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible (shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12) · CPC title

• F16F7/06

  in a direction perpendicular or inclined to the axis of rotation {(F16F7/023 takes precedence)} · CPC title