Spindle drive for the height adjustment of an electrically adjustable steering column

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610968-B2
Application number	US-201314371886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2013
Priority date	Jan 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A spindle drive for the height adjustment of an electrically adjustable steering column and the steering includes an adjustment spindle rotatably mounted in two bearings. The adjustment spindle includes two clamping elements, which have a centering cone on their sides facing one another, and the adjustment spindle is arranged in a tensioned manner on the two bearings by means of the clamping element, in that the clamping elements abut on the outer sides of the centering cones facing away from one other. The outer sides of the bearings are formed having a counter contour to the respectively abutting centering cone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spindle drive for height adjustment of an electrically adjustable steering column, which comprises:
an adjustment spindle rotatably mounted in two bearings,
wherein the adjustment spindle comprises two clamping elements, wherein each of the two clamping elements has a centering cone on a side of the clamping element that faces the other clamping element,
wherein the adjustment spindle is arranged in a tensioned manner on the two bearings by the two clamping elements,
wherein the respective centering cones abut on respective outer sides of the two bearings, each of the respective outer sides of the two bearings are formed with a counter contour to the respectively abutting centering cone.

2. The spindle drive of claim 1 , wherein a first clamping element of the two clamping elements is formed by a widened head of the adjustment spindle and wherein the respective centering cone of the first clamping element is formed on the widened head.

3. The spindle drive of claim 2 , wherein a second clamping element of the two clamping elements is formed by a lock ring, the lock ring is attached on an end of the adjustment spindle facing away from the widened head and wherein the respective centering cone of the second clamping element is formed on the lock ring.

4. The spindle drive of claim 3 , wherein the lock ring
is made from a plastic or an elastomer,
is pressed onto the adjustment spindle, or
bears an additional bearing support ring or a plate spring, wherein the lock ring is vulcanized onto the bearing support ring or the plate spring.

5. The spindle drive of claim 2 , wherein a second clamping element of the two clamping elements is formed by a screw nut, the screw nut
is attached to an end of the adjustment spindle facing away from the widened head,
is formed with the respective centering cone, and
has a self-locking thread.

6. The spindle drive of claim 1 , wherein the two bearings are contact ball bearings.

7. The spindle drive of claim 6 , wherein the contact ball bearings are arranged in an O-arrangement.

8. An electrically adjustable steering column, comprising:
a height adjustment mechanism, which comprises a spindle drive having an adjustment spindle rotatably mounted by two bearings,
wherein the spindle drive comprises
an adjustment spindle rotatably mounted in the two bearings,
wherein the adjustment spindle comprises two clamping elements, wherein each of the two clamping elements has a centering cone on a side of the clamping element that faces the other clamping element,
wherein the adjustment spindle is arranged in a tensioned manner on the two bearings by the two clamping elements,
wherein the respective centering cones abut on respective outer sides of the two bearings, each of the respective outer sides of the two bearings are formed with a counter contour to the respectively abutting centering cone.

9. The electrically adjustable steering column of claim 8 , wherein a first clamping element of the two clamping elements is formed by a widened head of the adjustment spindle and wherein the respective centering cone of the first clamping element is formed on the widened head.

10. The electrically adjustable steering column of claim 9 , wherein a second clamping element of the two clamping elements is formed by a lock ring, the lock ring is attached on an end of the adjustment spindle facing away from the widened head and wherein the respective centering cone of the second clamping element is formed on the lock ring.

11. The electrically adjustable steering column of claim 10 , wherein the lock ring
is made from a plastic or an elastomer,
is pressed onto the adjustment spindle, or
bears an additional bearing support ring or a plate spring, wherein the lock ring is vulcanized onto the bearing support ring or the plate spring.

12. The electrically adjustable steering column of claim 9 , wherein a second clamping element of the two clamping elements is formed by a screw nut, the screw nut
is attached to an end of the adjustment spindle facing away from the widened head,
is formed with the respective centering cone, and
has a self-locking thread.

13. The electrically adjustable steering column of claim 8 , wherein the two bearings are contact ball bearings.

14. The electrically adjustable steering column of claim 13 , wherein the contact ball bearings are arranged in an O-arrangement.

Assignees

• Daimler Ag

Inventors

• Born Christian
• Braeuer Karsten
• Harms Torsten
• Malyschew Wjatscheslaw

Classifications

• B62D1/181 Primary

  with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory · CPC title

• F16H25/24

  Elements essential to such mechanisms, e.g. screws, nuts (F16H25/22 takes precedence) · CPC title