Auxiliary unstowing mechanism for vehicle steering column
AssigneeSteering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
InventorsKeyur R. Patel, Blake J. Riley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auxiliary unstow mechanism for a vehicle steering column includes a telescope actuator assembly. The auxiliary unstow mechanism also includes a first electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the telescope actuator assembly to control the telescope actuator assembly. The auxiliary unstow mechanism further includes a latch actuator operatively controlling a latch assembly that controls a locked condition and an unlocked condition of vehicle steering column axial position. The auxiliary unstow mechanism yet further includes a second ECU in communication with the first ECU and the latch actuator, the second ECU controlling the latch actuator.
Claims14
An auxiliary unstow mechanism for a vehicle steering column, the auxiliary unstow mechanism comprising:
- a telescope actuator assembly;
- a first electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the telescope actuator assembly to control the telescope actuator assembly;
- a latch actuator operatively controlling a latch assembly that controls a locked condition and an unlocked condition of vehicle steering column axial position;
- and
- a second ECU in communication with the first ECU and the latch actuator, the second ECU controlling the latch actuator, wherein the latch assembly is in the locked condition in a stowed or partially stowed position of the vehicle steering column to prevent manual adjustment of the vehicle steering column, and wherein the latch assembly is in the unlocked condition to allow manual adjustment of the vehicle steering column.
A method of unstowing a vehicle steering column comprising:
- operating a telescope actuator assembly with a first electronic control unit (ECU);
- operating a latch actuator with a second ECU;
- and
- monitoring the first ECU for a failure condition of the first ECU and/or the telescope mechanism with the second ECU.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.