Steering shaft for a steering system of a motor vehicle, method for assembling such a steering shaft, steering system for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535293-B2
Application number	US-201917041101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2019
Priority date	Jun 4, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A steering shaft for a steering system of a motor vehicle, having at least two steering shaft elements, via which a steering wheel is mechanically connectable to a steering gear of the steering system, and having at least one joint, via which the steering shaft elements are connected to one another in a torque-transmitting manner and so they are pivotable relative to one another around the pivot axis. At least one securing element, which secures the steering shaft elements relative to one another against pivot movements extending around the pivot axis both in a first pivot direction and also in a second pivot direction opposite to the first pivot direction and releases the steering shaft elements for a pivot movement relative to one another taking place around the pivot axis in at least one of the pivot directions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering shaft for a steering system of a motor vehicle, comprising:
at least two steering shaft elements, via which a steering wheel is mechanically connectable to a steering gear of the steering system, and at least one joint, via which the steering shaft elements are connected to one another in a torque-transmitting manner and so they are pivotable relative to one another around a pivot axis,
wherein at least one securing element, which secures the steering shaft elements relative to one another against pivot movements extending around the pivot axis both in a first pivot direction and a second pivot direction opposite to the first pivot direction and releases the steering shaft elements for a pivot movement relative to one another taking place around the pivot axis in at least one of the pivot directions, the at least one securing element comprising at least two sides separated by a middle portion, wherein the middle portion is thinner than the two sides.

2. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing element is designed as a sleeve formed separately from the steering shaft elements and separately from the joint, which is arranged partially on each of the steering shaft elements and thus extends continuously from one of the steering shaft elements via the joint to the respective other steering shaft element.

3. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing element is integrally formed.

4. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing element is formed from a plastic and/or from a metallic material.

5. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steering shaft elements are secured by the securing element in a position in which the steering shaft elements extend linearly or enclose an angle different from 180°.

6. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the steering shaft elements has two steering shaft parts, which are rotatable around a rotational axis, are coupled to one another in a torque-transmitting manner, and can be pushed one inside the other telescopically.

7. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one further steering shaft element, which is connected to the steering shaft via at least one second joint in a torque-transmitting manner and so it is pivotable around a second pivot axis relative to the steering shaft.

8. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one shaft element connected in a torque-transmitting manner to the further steering shaft element and provided in addition to the steering shaft elements, wherein the further steering shaft element and the shaft element can be pushed telescopically one inside the other.

9. The steering shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one application element, by which, in the event of an accident-related application of force, the securing element is transferable from a securing state securing the steering shaft elements into a release state releasing the steering shaft elements.

10. A method for assembling a steering shaft, comprising:
carrying out at least one first assembly step, during which the steering shaft is in an assembly state in which the securing effectuated by a securing element of the steering shaft relative to one another against pivot movements extending around a pivot axis both in a first pivot direction and also in a second pivot direction does not occur; and
assembling the securing element in such a way that the securing element effectuates the securing of the steering shaft elements relative to one another.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Klinger Thomas
• Goldberg Ruben

Classifications

• B62D1/192 Primary

  Yieldable or collapsible columns · CPC title

• B62D1/20

  Connecting steering column to steering gear · CPC title