Collapsible steering wheel column

An energy absorbing steering wheel column of the resettable type having a steering wheel drivingly connected to two longitudinally extending telescopically slidable coacting steering column members, and a tubular housing enclosing said coacting members for rotation therein, said column comprising:

• a first rotatable tubular member, said first member having a radially inwardly facing annular recess;
• a second rotatable member having a radially outwardly facing annular recess opposite said annular recess in the first member, said second member including a ramp surface adjacent the corresponding annular recess, a tapered conical portion and means extending radially outwardly into engagement with said first member for longitudinally stabilizing the telescopically slidable movement between said members and being at least partially disposed within said first member, said stabilizing means on said second member further forming a rotary drive coupling with said first member;
• a resilient torus, said torus being disposed in both said annular recesses for retaining the first and second members in a fixed axial disposition with respect to one another until the application of a disengaging impact force upon said second member;
• and a shock absorbing resilient pad with a backing plate being positioned within said second member and including a central opening for axially receiving said tapered conical portion whereby a load upon the steering column exceeding the predetermined impact force axially compresses and disengages the torus from said radially outwardly facing annular recess along said ramp surface and said stabilizing means pilots the second member into the first member so that the tapered conical portion progressively compresses both axially and radially the shock absorbing resilient pad, the collapsed coacting members being resettable to their normal fixed axial disposition before impact without special servicing tools by effecting relative axial movement between said members until said torus is retained in both said annular recesses.

In an energy absorbing collapsible steering column of the resettable type having a steering wheel, two rotatable and longitudinally extending coacting shafts, and a tubular housing with said coacting shafts rotatable therein, the improvement comprising:

• a telescopically slidable interface between said coacting shafts;
• means for establishing a direct rotary drive coupling between said coacting shafts, said coupling means also longitudinally stabilizing the telescopic slidable movement between said coacting shafts;
• a first resilient means intermediate said coacting shafts for retaining said steering column in an operational position up to a predetermined impact load before allowing said telescopic slidable movement;
• a compacting means for absorbing the energy from said impact load including a second resilient means intermediate said coacting shafts and a tapered conical portion on one of said shafts for progressively compressing both axially and radially said second resilient means to absorb the energy from said impact load.