Locking device and steering column assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260895-B2
Application number	US-201816628127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A locking device for an adjustable steering column assembly of a motor vehicle is described, comprising an operating unit which has at least one closed and one open position, a control element coupled to the operating unit, and at least one eccentric part which is actuated by the control element. A retaining part is provided, which interacts with the eccentric part in the closed position, wherein a locking portion of the eccentric part engages on an engaging portion of the retaining part in the closed position. The eccentric part has a force transmission portion which is substantially opposite to the locking portion, wherein the force transmission portion in the closed position rests against a support surface lying substantially opposite to the engaging portion. Furthermore, a steering column assembly is described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A locking device for an adjustable steering column assembly of a motor vehicle, comprising:
an operating unit which has at least one closed position and one open position,
a control element coupled to the operating unit,
a retaining part having an engaging portion, and
at least one eccentric part configured to be rotated by the control element relative to the retaining part as the operating unit moves between the closed and open positions, the eccentric part having a locking portion and a force transmission portion that is substantially opposite the locking portion, wherein when the operating unit is in the closed position, the locking portion of the eccentric part engages the engaging portion of the retaining part and the force transmission portion rests against a support surface lying substantially opposite to the engaging portion, the eccentric part, in the closed position, being configured to be further rotated by a load applied to the eccentric part to more deeply engage the locking portion in the engaging portion, the eccentric part deforming the support surface as the eccentric part is further rotated by the load to more deeply engage the engaging portion.

2. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein the eccentric part has a receptacle for the control element through which the control element extends with an actuating portion, and wherein the actuating portion and the receptacle are formed in a manner that the control element is rotatable relative to the eccentric part.

3. The locking device according to claim 2 , wherein the receptacle has at least one support section against which the actuating portion rests in the open position.

4. The locking device according to claim 3 , wherein the support section has at least two support areas which are shifted from each other by an angle, wherein the angle falls between 10° and 30°.

5. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein the control element comprises a substantially circular cross-section with at least one flattened portion.

6. The locking device according to claim 5 , wherein a receptacle has at least one support section against which an actuating portion rests in the open position, the support section having at least two support areas which are shifted from each other by an angle, the at least one flattened portion in the open position resting directly against a first one of the support areas.

7. The locking device according to claim 5 , wherein the control element has two flattened portions that are parallel to each other.

8. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein the locking portion has an outwardly facing locking surface with a higher friction, wherein the locking surface comprises a corrugation and/or a toothing.

9. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein the control element receives no force in the closed position.

10. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein a spring is provided, which pretensions the at least one eccentric part in the closed position.

11. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein an adjusting member is provided, which interacts with the control element and is non-rotatably coupled to the control element.

12. The locking device according to claim 11 , wherein a spring is provided that pretensions the at least one eccentric part in the closed position, the adjusting member having an entrainment portion interacting with the spring.

13. A steering column assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
an inner tube,
an outer tube, and
an adjustment mechanism, via which a relative position of the inner tube with respect to the outer tube is adjustable,
wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a control element which is configured to rotate at least one eccentric part, via which the adjustment mechanism is locked in a closed position, and wherein in the closed position, the eccentric part directly engages an engaging portion, and rests against a substantially opposite support surface over a force transmission portion, the eccentric part, in the closed position, being configured to be further rotated by a load applied to the eccentric part to more deeply engage the engaging portion, the eccentric part deforming the support surface as the eccentric part is further rotated by the load to more deeply engage the engaging portion.

14. The steering column assembly according to claim 13 , wherein a clamping mechanism is provided, which has a clamping function with an adaptive load absorption.

Assignees

• Trw Automotive Gmbh
• Zf Automotive Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Lingemann Markus

Classifications

• B62D1/184 Primary

  Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions · CPC title

• B62D1/187

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

• B62D1/185

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