Energy absorption position-keeping device in an automotive vehicle steering column
AssigneeZf Systemses De Direction Nacam, S.A.S.
InventorsPascal Goulay, Nicolas Genet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an adjustable steering column adjustable, a steering shaft is mounted in a body tube arranged in an intermediate carrier mounted on a fixed support member. The body tube is immobilized onto the fixed support member by a clamping system. The position-keeping device includes teeth that, in the event of an impact, are mutually engageable by means of a press system mounted in the intermediate carrier and under the action of the clamping system. The teeth belong to of the press system and are on the body tube. The teeth have characteristics defined such that in the event of an impact, the breaking force of the teeth has a predetermined value.
Claims17
An energy absorption position-keeping device in an automotive vehicle steering column adjustable in depth and/or height, which includes a steering shaft rotatably mounted about a steering axis in a body tube, said steering column being mounted in a support assembly including a fixed support member and a movable support member, said body tube being arranged in said movable support member and immobilized onto said fixed support member, in a locked position, by a clamping system along a clamping axis substantially perpendicular to the vertical steering plane passing through the steering axis, wherein:
- in the event of an impact, said body tube is adapted to be movable with respect to an intermediate carrier which is fixed, said body tube and said intermediate carrier making up said movable support member,
- said movable support member is adapted to allow for the height of said steering column to be adjusted with respect to said fixed support member,
- said body tube is adapted to be movable with respect to said intermediate carrier (10) for the depth of said steering column to be adjusted and in the event of an impact, and
- said position-keeping device, in the event of an impact, includes:
- a movable meshing face connected to said body tube,
- a fixed meshing face connected to said intermediate carrier,
- said movable and fixed meshing faces being substantially parallel to said steering axis and to the movement along the height of said steering column in the event of an impact,
- said movable and fixed meshing faces being engaged with each other by means of protrusions arranged respectively on said movable and fixed meshing faces to provide for position keeping in said locked position,
- said protrusions having a direction substantially perpendicular to the moving direction in the event of an impact and to said steering axis,
- said protrusions of said movable meshing face having a profile along a vertical plane, which is conjugated with a profile of said protrusions of said fixed meshing,
- said protrusions having shape, size and material characteristics which are defined so that in the event of an impact, said protrusions (42, 43) have a breaking force value corresponding to a strain at the beginning of a steering column retraction stroke that has a predetermined value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.