Adjustable steering column assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849905-B2
Application number	US-201615065250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2016
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An adjustable steering column assembly includes a support bracket, a jacket assembly, and a locking assembly. The support bracket is configured to connect to a vehicle. The jacket assembly is connected to the support bracket. The locking assembly is connected to and disposed between the support bracket and an adjustment lever. The locking assembly includes an inner cam connected to the support bracket and an outer cam rotatably connected to the inner cam and connected to the adjustment lever. The adjustment lever and the outer cam are movable between an unlock position and a lock position.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1. An adjustable steering column assembly, comprising:
a support bracket configured to connect to a vehicle;
a jacket assembly connected to the support bracket; and
a locking assembly connected to and disposed between the support bracket and an adjustment lever, the locking assembly comprising:
an inner cam connected to the support bracket,
an outer cam rotatably connected to the inner cam and connected to the adjustment lever, and
a clamp pin disposed on the inner cam and extending into the outer cam;

the adjustment lever and the outer cam are movable between an unlock position and a lock position.

2. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fastener that extends along a transverse axis through the adjustment lever, the inner cam, the outer cam, and the support bracket to couple the support bracket and the locking assembly to the jacket assembly.

3. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 2 , wherein the inner cam defines a receiving pocket that is configured to receive a first end of the clamp pin.

4. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 3 , wherein the outer cam defines an extending pocket that is configured to receive a second end of the clamp pin.

5. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 4 , wherein the clamp pin is disposed substantially parallel to the transverse axis while the adjustment lever and the outer cam are in the lock position.

6. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 5 , wherein the clamp pin is disposed in a non-parallel relationship with respect to the transverse axis while the adjustment lever and the outer cam are in the unlock position.

7. An adjustable steering column assembly, comprising:
a locking assembly connected to and disposed between a support bracket and an adjustment lever, the locking assembly including:
an inner cam connected to the support bracket, the inner cam defining a receiving pocket and an inner cam stop surface,
an outer cam rotatably connected to the inner cam and connected to the adjustment lever, the outer cam defining an outer fastener hole extending along a transverse axis, an extending pocket and an outer cam stop surface, and
a clamp pin having a first end received within the receiving pocket and a second end extending into the extending pocket, in response to rotation of the adjustment lever from a lock position towards an unlock position, the inner cam stop surface is configured to engage the outer cam stop surface to inhibit further rotation of the adjustment lever and the clamp pin is disposed in a nonparallel relationship with respect to the transverse axis.

8. An adjustable steering column assembly, comprising:
a locking assembly connected to and disposed between a jacket assembly and an adjustment lever, the locking assembly comprising:
an inner cam connected to a support bracket that is connected to the jacket assembly, the inner cam having a first inner cam surface disposed opposite a second inner cam surface, the inner cam defines first and second receiving pockets that extend from the first inner cam surface towards the second inner cam surface,
an outer cam having a first outer cam surface disposed opposite a second outer cam surface, the outer cam defines first and second extending pockets that extend from the first outer cam surface towards the second outer cam surface, the first outer cam surface faces towards the first inner cam surface;
a first clamp pin having a first end received within the first receiving pocket and a second end extending into the first extending pocket; and
a second clamp pin having a first end received within the second receiving pocket and a second end extending into the second extending pocket.

9. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 8 , wherein the inner cam defines an inner fastener hole that extends from the first inner cam surface to the second inner cam surface and is disposed between the first and second receiving pockets.

10. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 9 , wherein the outer cam defines an outer fastener hole that extends from the first outer cam surface to the second outer cam surface and is disposed between the first and second extending pockets.

11. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 10 , wherein the outer cam defines a first stop edge disposed proximate an edge of the first extending pocket and the outer cam defines a second stop edge disposed proximate an edge of the second extending pocket.

12. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 11 , wherein a fastener extends along a transverse axis through an adjustment lever fastener hole, the outer fastener hole, and the inner fastener hole to couple the adjustment lever and the locking assembly to the jacket assembly.

13. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 12 , wherein in response to rotation of the adjustment lever from a lock position towards an unlock position, the outer cam rotates relative to the inner cam and tilts the first and second clamp pins from a parallel relationship relative to the transverse axis towards a non-parallel relationship relative to the transverse axis.

14. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 13 , wherein engagement between a surface of the first clamp pin and the first stop edge and engagement between a surface of the second clamp pin and the second stop edge inhibits further rotation of the adjustment lever towards the lock position.

15. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 12 , wherein the inner cam defines a first inner cam feature and a second inner cam feature extending from the first inner cam surface towards the first outer cam surface.

16. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 15 , wherein the outer cam defines a first outer cam feature and a second outer cam feature extending from the first outer cam surface towards the first inner cam surface.

17. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 16 , wherein in response to rotation of the adjustment lever from an unlock position towards a lock position, the outer cam rotates relative to the inner cam and tilts the first and second clamp pins from a non-parallel relationship relative to the transverse axis towards a parallel relationship relative to the transverse axis.

18. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 17 , wherein engagement between the first outer cam feature and the first inner cam feature and engagement between the second outer cam feature and the second inner cam feature inhibits further rotation of the adjustment lever towards the unlock position.

19. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 11 , wherein the outer cam defines first and second mounting holes that extend from the second outer cam surface towards the first outer cam surface.

20. The adjustable steering column assembly of claim 19 , wherein the first mounting hole is offset from the first extending pocket and the second mounting hole is offset from the second extending pocket.

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding

Inventors

• Anspaugh Michael P
• Dubay Robert W
• Buzzard Donald A
• Myers Jason L
• Bourbina Roger A
• Jones Randy W

Classifications

• B62D1/184 Primary

  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