Steering column including a protective cover

A steering column for a motor vehicle, comprising:

• an input shaft;
• an output shaft rotatably mounted to a steering gear housing;
• a swivel joint between the input shaft and the output shaft;
• and
• a cover extending over a portion of an axial length of the swivel joint, the cover comprising an opening extending along an axial length of the cover, wherein the cover is coupled to a portion of the steering gear housing.

A steering column for a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a steering spindle comprising:
• an input shaft, an output shaft rotatably mounted in a steering gear housing, and a swivel joint connecting the input shaft and the output shaft;
• and
• a cover comprising a body portion extending between first and second ends,
• wherein:
• the first end is configured to be connected to the input shaft, the input shaft being movable relative to the first end,
• the second end is configured to non-rotatably engage a portion of the steering gear housing,
• the body portion is configured to cover a portion of the steering spindle facing a footwell of the motor vehicle when the cover is mounted on the steering spindle and the steering spindle is mounted in the motor vehicle, and
• the body portion of the cover further comprises an opening extending from the first end to the second end and configured to be positioned on a side of the steering spindle facing away from the footwell when the cover is mounted on the steering spindle in the motor vehicle.