Steering column for a motor vehicle
AssigneesThyssenkrupp Presta AG, thyssenkrupp AG
InventorSebastian Huber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Steering columns for motor vehicles may comprise a supporting unit, which can be connected to the chassis of the motor vehicle, and an adjusting unit, which may be held at the supporting unit. The adjusting unit may support a steering spindle for transferring a steering motion from a steering wheel to a steerable wheel, wherein the adjusting unit can be shifted with respect to the supporting unit in the event of a crash. An energy absorption device may have a first sliding rail, which can be fixed at the adjusting unit, and a second sliding rail, which can be fixed to the supporting unit. The first and second sliding rails may be guided in contact with one another and, in a crash event, can be shifted with respect to one another in order to absorb energy.
Claims14
A steering column for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a supporting unit that is connectable to a chassis of the motor vehicle;
- an adjusting unit that is held at the supporting unit and is shiftable relative to the supporting unit in a crash event;
- a steering spindle supported by the supporting unit, the steering spindle for introducing a steering motion from a steering wheel into a steering system for transferring the steering motion to a steerable wheel;
- and
- an energy absorption device disposed between the supporting unit and the adjusting unit for absorbing energy over a displacement path, wherein the energy absorption device comprises:
- a first sliding rail that includes a base that is fixed to the adjusting unit, and a pair of spaced sidewalls extending away from the base, and
- a second sliding rail that includes a base that is fixed to the supporting unit, and a pair of spaced sidewalls extending away from the base, wherein the first and second sliding rails are guided next to one another and are shiftable against one another,
- wherein the pair of sidewalls of one of the first and second sliding rails converge in a direction away from the base thereof, and the pair of spaced sidewalls of the other of the first and second sliding rail are nonparallel so as to engage complementarily with the pair of spaced sidewalls of the one of the first and second sliding rails, and
- wherein the first and second sliding rails are configured to interact directly with each other to absorb energy by one or both of frictional interaction of the first and second sliding rails and deformation of the first and second sliding rails.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.