Steering column produced from fibre-composite and on the basis of pultrusion, braiding and/or winding technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487227-B2
Application number	US-201314764305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2013
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle comprising a steering shaft which is mounted in a steering shaft mounting unit and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and comprising a support unit for connecting the steering shaft mounting unit to the body of the motor vehicle. At least one component of the steering column is composed at least partially of a fiber-reinforced composite material and the component lies in the flux of force between the steering column and the body. The component is provided with at least one pultrusion layer which has multiple fibers produced by pultrusion as reinforcing fibers, said fibers being oriented parallel to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering column for a motor vehicle with a steering spindle mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis in a steering spindle bearing unit and with a supporting unit that is designed to form the connection of the steering spindle bearing unit to a body of the motor vehicle, at least one component of the steering column being at least partially formed from a fiber-reinforced composite material, characterized in that the component lies in the flux of force of the steering column between the steering spindle and the body and in that at least one pultrusion layer is provided, comprising as reinforcing fibers multiple pultrusion fibers oriented in the direction of the longitudinal axis and parallel to one another.

2. The steering column of claim 1 , characterized in that the pultrusion fibers support at least one structure layer formed by fibers.

3. The steering column of claim 2 , characterized in that the structure layer is a woven fabric.

4. The steering column of claim 2 , wherein the at least one structure layer comprises a woven fabric or a braid, with a proportion of over 50% of fibers oriented within the structure layer, these fibers being oriented at an angle between 20° and 70° in relation to the pultrusion fibers.

5. The steering column of claim 2 , wherein the at least one structure layer bears functional elements that are molded on.

6. The steering column of claim 5 , wherein the functional elements are selected from the group comprising fastening straps, guides, movement restrictors and holders for cable harnesses.

7. The steering column of claim 5 , wherein the functional elements are metal butt straps with openings, drilled holes or clearances.

8. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the pultrusion fibers surround the steering spindle by at least 180° in the circumferential direction in the manner of a shell.

9. The steering column of claim 8 , wherein at least two structure layers are provided, the pultrusion layer being arranged between the structure layers and at least one structure layer lying on the outside and the at least one other structure layer lying on the inside.

10. The steering column of claim 9 , wherein the at least one layer that is lying on the outside is produced from glass fibers and the pultrusion layer and/or the at least one layer that is lying on the inside is produced from carbon fibers.

11. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the component bears the steering spindle indirectly or directly.

12. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the component is a guiding clip for a steering spindle bearing unit.

13. The steering column of claim 12 , wherein the guiding clip is open in a central region on a side that lies upward during operation.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Inventors

• Heitz Thomas
• Regner Sebastian
• Schacht Arne
• Kreutz Daniel

Classifications

• B29K2105/0827

  Braided fabrics · CPC title

• B29C70/083

  Combinations of continuous fibres or fibrous profiled structures oriented in one direction and reinforcements forming a two dimensional structure, e.g. mats (B29D24/00, B29D99/001 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49828

  Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work · CPC title

• B62D1/16 Primary

  Steering columns · CPC title

• B29C70/085

  the structure being deformed in a three dimensional configuration (B29C53/805 takes precedence) · CPC title