Telescope and adaptive energy absorption system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616914-B2
Application number	US-201514928155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A steering column assembly includes an upper jacket assembly received within a lower jacket assembly, and an energy absorption assembly. The energy absorption assembly includes a first energy absorption strap and a second energy absorption strap. The first energy absorption strap has a first portion defining an opening configured to receive a pin of an actuator and a second portion coupled to the upper jacket assembly. The second energy absorption strap has a third portion coupled to a telescope drive bracket and a fourth portion coupled to the upper jacket assembly.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1. A steering column assembly comprising:
a lower jacket assembly, extending along a steering column axis;
an upper jacket assembly at least partially received within the lower jacket assembly, the upper jacket assembly extendable along the steering column axis relative to the lower jacket assembly;
a telescope actuator assembly configured to translate the upper jacket assembly relative to the lower jacket assembly, the telescope actuator assembly comprising:
a telescope drive bracket coupled to the upper jacket assembly, and
a telescope actuator disposed on the lower jacket assembly operatively coupled to the telescope drive bracket;

an actuator disposed on the telescope drive bracket, having a pin configured to be in an extended position during a collapse event due to a load exceeding a predetermined load and configured to be in a retracted position during a collapse event due to a load not exceeding the predetermined load; and
a first energy absorption strap having a first portion defining an opening configured to receive the pin and a second portion coupled to the upper jacket assembly; during the collapse event due to the load exceeding a predetermined load the pin is received within the opening.

2. The steering column assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second energy absorption strap having a third portion coupled to the telescope drive bracket and a fourth portion coupled to the upper jacket assembly.

3. The steering column assembly of claim 2 , wherein the third portion of the second energy absorption strap is disposed proximate the first portion of the first energy absorption strap and the fourth portion of the second energy absorption strap is disposed proximate the second portion of the second energy absorption strap.

4. The steering column assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first energy absorption strap at least partially surrounds the second energy absorption strap.

5. The steering column assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second portion has a first strap radius of curvature and the fourth portion has a second strap radius of curvature less than the first strap radius of curvature.

6. The steering column assembly of claim 5 , wherein the upper jacket assembly includes an extension portion spaced apart from the telescope drive bracket that receives the telescope actuator.

7. The steering column assembly of claim 6 , wherein the extension portion defines an elongated slot disposed substantially parallel to the first energy absorption strap.

8. The steering column assembly of claim 7 , wherein during the collapse event due to a load exceeding the predetermined load the first energy absorption strap engages the elongated slot of the extension portion to maintain the first strap radius of curvature as the second portion of the first energy absorption strap translates relative to the first portion of the first energy absorption strap.

9. The steering column assembly of claim 2 , wherein during the collapse event due to a load exceeding the predetermined load the second portion of the first energy absorption strap translates relative to the first portion of the first energy absorption strap and the fourth portion of the second energy absorption strap translates relative to the third portion of the second energy absorption strap to provide a force opposing translation of the upper jacket assembly.

10. The steering column assembly of claim 2 , wherein during the collapse event due to a load not exceeding the predetermined load the pin is in the retracted position and the fourth portion of the second energy absorption strap translates relative to the third portion of the second energy absorption strap and relative to the first portion of the first energy absorption strap to provide a force opposing translation of the upper jacket assembly.

11. A steering column assembly comprising:
an upper jacket assembly received within a lower jacket assembly;
a telescope actuator assembly configured to translate the upper jacket assembly relative to the lower jacket assembly, the telescope actuator assembly comprising:
a telescope drive bracket coupled to the upper jacket assembly, and
a telescope actuator disposed on the lower jacket assembly and operatively coupled to the telescope drive bracket by a lead screw; and

an energy absorption assembly comprising:
a first energy absorption strap having a first portion defining an opening configured to receive a pin of an actuator disposed on the telescope drive bracket and a second portion coupled to the upper jacket assembly, and
a second energy absorption strap having a third portion coupled to the telescope drive bracket and a fourth portion coupled to the upper jacket assembly.

12. The steering column assembly of claim 11 , wherein the telescope drive bracket includes a jackscrew nut that receives the lead screw such that the telescope drive bracket imparts linear motion to the upper jacket assembly from the telescope actuator via the lead screw to translate the upper jacket assembly relative to the lower jacket assembly.

13. The steering column assembly of claim 12 , wherein during operation of the telescope actuator assembly, the energy absorption assembly translates with upper jacket assembly as the upper jacket assembly is translated relative to the lower jacket assembly.

14. The steering column assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a mounting plate disposed between the telescope drive bracket and the upper jacket assembly, the mounting plate defining a slot configured to receive a fastener to couple the telescope drive bracket to the upper jacket assembly.

15. The steering column assembly of claim 11 , wherein during a high-load collapse event due to a load exceeding a predetermined load the second portion of the first energy absorption strap translates relative to the first portion of the first energy absorption strap.

16. The steering column assembly of claim 15 , wherein during the high-load collapse event the first energy absorption strap and the pin of the actuator are arranged such that the pin is extended and is received within the opening while the upper jacket assembly moves relative to the lower jacket assembly.

17. The steering column assembly of claim 11 , wherein during a low-load collapse event due to a load not exceeding a predetermined load the first energy absorption strap and the pin of the actuator are arranged such that the pin of the actuator is retracted and is not received within the opening.

18. The steering column assembly of claim 17 , wherein during the low-load collapse event the fourth portion of the second energy absorption strap translates relative to the third portion of the second energy absorption strap and relative to the second portion of the first energy absorption strap.

19. The steering column assembly of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is mounted to the telescope drive bracket.

20. The steering column assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a mounting bracket coupled to the lower jacket assembly, the mounting bracket configured to attach the lower jacket assembly to a vehicle structure.

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding

Inventors

• Stinebring Scott A
• Maida Robert D
• Messing Nicholas M

Classifications

• B62D1/181 Primary

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

• B62D1/195

  Yieldable supports for the steering column · CPC title