Steering columns for a motor vehicle and methods for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016137218-A1
Application number	US-201414898632-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A steering-column assembly for a motor vehicle may include a steering spindle rotatably mounted in a steering-column tube, which steering-column tube is mounted in a console that connects the steering-column directly or indirectly to a body of the motor vehicle. At least one of the components of the steering-column, such as the console, for example, may include a fiber composite component that can be formed by winding fibers along tracks of a winding spool of a winding core, introducing a curable resin into the fibers or a mold to be used with the wound fibers, curing the wound fibers, and removing the winding spool and the winding core so as to release the fiber composite component. The fiber composite component may then be fitted into the steering column assembly.”

First claim

1 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . A method of manufacturing a steering-column assembly having a steering spindle rotatably mounted in a steering-column tube, wherein the steering-column tube is mounted in a console that connects the steering-column tube directly or indirectly to a body of a motor vehicle, wherein at least one component of the steering-column assembly is a fiber composite component, the method comprising:
winding fibers along predetermined tracks about at least one winding spool of a winding core; introducing a curable resin into the fibers or a mold; curing the curable resin to form the fiber composite component of the steering-column assembly; removing the at least one winding spool; removing the winding core and releasing the fiber composite component; and installing the steering-column assembly with the fiber composite component being fitted into the steering-column assembly.

13 . The steering-column assembly according to the method of claim 12 .

14 . A method of manufacturing a steering-column assembly having a steering spindle rotatably mounted in a steering-column tube, wherein the steering-column tube is mounted in a console that connects the steering-column tube directly or indirectly to a body of a motor vehicle, wherein at least one component of the steering-column assembly is a fiber composite component, the method comprising:
winding fibers along predetermined tracks about at least one winding spool of a winding core, wherein the fibers are soaked with a curable resin; curing the curable resin to form the fiber composite component of the steering-column assembly; removing the at least one winding spool; removing the winding core and releasing the fiber composite component; and installing the steering-column assembly with the fiber composite component being fitted into the steering-column assembly.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
positioning one or more operative elements at predetermined points on the winding core prior to winding the fibers along the predetermined tracks; and
connecting the one or more operative elements to the fibers such that the one or more operative elements and the fiber composite component form an integral component.

16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising applying an auxiliary material onto the winding core prior to winding the fibers along the predetermined tracks, wherein the auxiliary material is configured to maintain a shape and a position of the fibers until the fibers are fixed by curing the curable resin.

17 . The method of claim 14 further comprising removing the at least one winding spool towards an inside of the winding core.

18 . The steering-column assembly according to the method of claim 14 .

19 . The steering-column assembly of claim 18 wherein the fiber composite component is positioned in a force flux of the steering-column assembly between the steering spindle and the body of the motor vehicle, wherein the fiber composite component is formed along the force flux from fiber-reinforced plastic in which the fibers are wound.

20 . The steering-column assembly of claim 19 wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic is comprised of a plurality of types of fiber structures having identically oriented fibers.

21 . The steering-column assembly of claim 20 wherein the fiber composite component is made using the winding core, wherein the winding core is separated from the fiber composite component prior to fitting the fiber composite component in the steering-column assembly, wherein the winding core is not included in the steering-column assembly.

22 . The steering-column assembly of claim 21 wherein the fiber composite component comprises a plurality of operative elements that are fixedly connected to the fiber-reinforced plastic by way of the winding of the fiber and the curing of the curable resin.

23 . The steering-column assembly of claim 22 wherein the operative elements are selected from a group including fastening elements, guides, motion limiters, bearings, and consoles for wiring looms.

24 . A steering-column assembly comprising:
a steering spindle; a steering-column tube within which the steering spindle is rotatably mounted; a console within which the steering-column tube is mounted, the console comprising a fiber composite component having wound fibers fixed by a cured resin, wherein the console connects the steering-column tube directly or indirectly to a body of a motor vehicle; and at least one operative element secured to the console, the at least one operative element serving as at least one of a bearing, a fastener, or a guide.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Inventors

• Heitz Thomas
• Regner Sebastian
• Schacht Arne

Classifications

• B29C70/38

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• B29C70/86

  Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, {e.g. by winding} · CPC title

• B29L2031/30

  Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof {(vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027)} · CPC title

• B29C53/8066

  Impregnating (impregnating as pretreatment B29B15/10) · CPC title

• B29C70/345

  using matched moulds · CPC title