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US 4,934,737 AGranted
Power tiltable steering wheel
AssigneeMazda Motor Corporation
InventorHiroshi Nakatsuka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power tiltable steering wheel has a steering column tube for supporting a steering wheel and a steering shaft. A power tiltable steering mechanism tilts the steering column tube. A control unit controls the power tiltable steering mechanism. When the driver gets out of the vehicle, the steering wheel is automatically tilted to a highest position. When the driver gets in the vehicle, the driver can adjust the position of the steering within a tiltable angle range that is lower than the noted highest position.
Claims5
A power tiltable steering wheel comprising
- (a) a manually operated steering wheel;
- (b) steering shaft means for connecting said steering wheel and for transmitting movement of the steering wheel to a steering gear;
- (c) steering column means for supporting rotatably said steering shaft means;
- (d) power tiltable steering means for tilting said steering column means;
- (e) driver getting in and out detecting means for detecting a driver getting in and out;
- (f) position adjustment switch means for adjusting the position of said steering wheel, said position adjustment switch means being manipulated by the driver;
- (g) control means for controlling said power tiltable steering means such that said steering wheel is automatically tilted in response to a signal from said driver getting in and out detecting means;
- (h) a tilting angle of said steering wheel being adjusted in response to a signal from said position adjustment switch means;
- and
- (i) tiltable angle setting means provided in said control means for limiting the tiltable angle of said steering wheel as set by a signal from said position adjustment switch means within a predetermined angle smaller than the tiltable angle of said steering wheel as set by a signal from said driver getting in and out detecting means to prevent the driver from selecting too large a tilting angle of the steering wheel, even if the driver continues manipulating said position adjustment switch means.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.