Energy absorption module for vehicle steering column assembly
AssigneeNSK Americas, Inc.
InventorsScott Lewis Strong, Damir Menjak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energy absorption module subassembly for a steering column assembly comprising; an energy absorption device; and a retainer assembled with the energy absorption device configured for i) installation into at least a portion of a column housing of the steering column assembly at a first location; ii) supportively carrying the energy absorption device at least partially within the retainer; and enabling the retainer to at least partially deform in response to a load occasioned during an impact collapse stroke of an inner column tube of the steering column assembly that forces the retainer to translate in a forward direction to a second location that is forward in a vehicle relative to the first location.
Claims20
An energy absorption module subassembly for a steering column assembly comprising:
- a. an energy absorption device;
- b. a retainer assembled with the energy absorption device configured for:
- i. installation into at least a portion of a column housing of the steering column assembly;
- ii. supportively carrying the energy absorption device at least partially within the retainer;
- and
- iii. enabling the retainer to at least partially deform in response to a load occasioned during an impact collapse stroke of an inner column tube of the steering column assembly that forces the retainer to translate in a forward direction;
- wherein the retainer absorbs energy during the impact collapse stroke of the inner column tube by both plastic deformation of the retainer and the translation in the forward direction;
- and
- wherein the energy absorption device absorbs energy by plastic deformation during the impact collapse stroke of the inner column tube, and at least a portion of the energy absorption by the energy absorption device results from plastic deformation that occurs after the retainer has translated in the forward direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.