Steering column for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610969-B2
Application number	US-201615190915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2008
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A steering column for a motor vehicle includes a support unit connectable with the chassis of the motor vehicle, a securement part disposed between the side jaws of the support unit, a setting unit disposed between the side jaws of the support unit; a counter-securement part connected with the setting unit; and a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism is operably engaged with the setting unit such that in the opened state of the clamping mechanism the setting unit is displaceable with respect to the support unit at least in a longitudinal direction of the steering column, and in the closed state of the clamping mechanism the setting unit is secured at a set position with respect to the support unit. In the event of a motor vehicle crash, the counter-securement part is shiftable with respect to the setting unit with the consumption of energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering column for a motor vehicle, which is adjustable at least in a longitudinal direction thereof, the steering column comprising:
a support unit connectable with a chassis of the motor vehicle, the support unit having side jaws;
a securement part disposed between the side jaws of the support unit;
a setting unit disposed between the side jaws of the support unit;
a counter-securement part connected with the setting unit; and
a clamping mechanism which has an opened state and a closed state and which includes a clamp bolt which penetrates openings in the side jaws of the support unit, the clamp bolt having an axis and rotating about the axis during opening and closing of the clamping mechanism,
wherein the clamping mechanism is operably engaged with the setting unit such that, in the opened state of the clamping mechanism, the setting unit is displaceable with respect to the support unit at least in the longitudinal direction of the steering column, and, in the closed state of the clamping mechanism, the setting unit is secured at a set position with respect to the support unit,
wherein the securement part is displaced through the rotation of the clamp bolt during the opening and closing of the clamping mechanism,
wherein the securement part engages into the counter-securement part in the closed state of the clamping mechanism or comes into engagement with the counter-securement part during dislocation of the setting unit with respect to the support unit in an event of a motor vehicle crash,
wherein the securement part is spaced apart from the counter-securement part in the opened state of the clamping mechanism,
wherein the counter-securement part is disposed on or formed by a wall which is parallel to the axis of the clamp bolt,
wherein the counter-securement part is connected with the setting unit via a tear plate or a flexural plate or a combination of a flexural and tear plate,
wherein, in the event of the motor vehicle crash, the counter-securement part is shiftable with respect to the setting unit with a consumption of energy by tearing the tear plate or by flexing the flexural plate or by tearing and flexing the combination of the flexural and tear plate,
wherein the tear plate or the flexural plate or the combination of the flexural and tear plate is a U-shaped element with two shanks wherein one of the shanks comprises several engagement elements for engaging the securement part into the counter-securement part, and
wherein the engagement elements are one succeeding another in the longitudinal direction of the steering column.

2. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the wall which is parallel to the axis of the clamp bolt is a lower or an upper side wall of the setting unit.

3. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the engagement elements are formed by cutouts into each of which a projecting nose of the securement part can be inserted to secure the setting unit with respect to the support unit in the longitudinal direction of the steering column.

4. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein, in the closed state of the clamping mechanism, the securement part is spring-elastically pressed onto the counter-securement part.

5. The steering column of claim 4 , wherein the securement part is swivellable with respect to the clamp bolt, and a spring element acts between the clamp bolt and the securement part.

6. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the counter-securement part is connected with the setting unit via at least one bolt which engages into an elongated hole, and wherein a hole width of the elongated hole is at least partially narrower than an outer diameter of the bolt, whereby in the event of the motor vehicle crash the bolt is shiftable in the elongated hole with the consumption of energy.

7. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein, in the closed state of the clamping mechanism, the side jaws of the support unit are pressed bilaterally onto the setting unit.

8. The steering column of claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate unit which has side jaws and which is disposed between the setting unit and the side jaws of the support unit, and
wherein, in the closed state of the clamping mechanism, the side jaws of the support unit are pressed bilaterally onto the side jaws of the intermediate unit, which in turn are pressed bilaterally onto the setting unit.

9. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the clamp bolt is held nonshiftably in the longitudinal direction of the steering column through margins of the openings in the side jaws of the support unit.

10. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein shifting of the counter-securement part with respect to the setting unit begins at a force, acting in the longitudinal direction of the steering column onto the setting unit, which is less than 10,000 N.

11. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the other one of the shanks is connected with the setting unit.

12. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped element comprises an arc section connecting the two shanks, wherein the two shanks project from the arc section in a direction to a steering wheel-side end of the steering column.

13. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped element comprises an arc section connecting the two shanks, wherein the two shanks are closer together than an outer diameter of the arc section.

14. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the tear plate or the flexural plate or the combination of the flexural and tear plate is a sheet metal element.

15. The steering column of claim 1 , wherein the securement part has exactly one single projecting nose for engagement with any one of the engagement elements to secure the setting unit with respect to the support unit in the longitudinal direction of the steering column.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Inventors

• Oehri Martin
• Senn Mathias

Classifications

• B62D1/195 Primary

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title

• B62D1/184

  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