Steering column assembly

Abstract

An adjustable steering column assembly comprises a steering column shaft that connects a steering wheel of the vehicle to the steering rack and a shroud that protects and supports the shaft. The shroud comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being movable telescopically relative to the lower portion to permit the length of the steering column assembly to be varied. A mounting bracket secures the shroud to a fixed part of the vehicle. A clamp mechanism secures the shroud to the mounting bracket, the clamp mechanism being operable between a released position in which at least one of the reach and rake of the steering column assembly may be adjusted and a clamped position in which the reach and rake of the steering column assembly are fixed. The clamp mechanism comprises a first rack of teeth and a second rack of teeth that extend in parallel along opposing sides of a slot formed in a part of the steering column shroud or the mounting bracket. A blocking device comprises at least one gearwheel, the blocking device having a set of radially projecting teeth spaced around at least part of a perimeter, at least one tooth of the blocking device being carried by the gearwheel and being engaged with the first rack of teeth when the clamp mechanism is in both the clamped position and the released position, and the blocking device being disengaged from the second rack when in the released position thereby allowing the gearwheel of the blocking device to roll along the first rack of teeth during adjustment of the steering column assembly. At least one tooth of the blocking device engages the second rack of teeth when the clamp mechanism is in the clamped position, the at least one gearwheel of the blocking device in this condition being prevented from rolling along the first rack of teeth.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.