Variable length shaft assembly

In a motor vehicle steering system including a steering column having a tubular mast jacket assembly adjustable in a length direction of said steering column,

• a variable length column shaft assembly comprising:
• a first shaft rotatably supported on said mast jacket assembly,
• a second shaft rotatably supported on said mast jacket assembly,
• a steering wheel rigidly connected to one of said first and said second shafts,
• means defining a tubular polygonal end on said first shaft having a planar wall,
• means defining a correspondingly polygonal solid end on said second shaft disposed in said polygonal tubular end for telescopic bodily movement relative thereto and for limited rotation relative thereto through an angular interval corresponding to linear clearances between said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end,
• means defining a spring chamber in said solid polygonal end having a side open to said planar wall of said tubular polygonal end,
• a spring in said spring chamber having a flat body portion bearing in sliding engagement against said planar wall of said tubular polygonal end and biasing said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end in opposite directions to a substantially zero clearance relationship in which linear clearance between said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end is reduced to substantially zero,
• means defining an injection port in said polygonal tubular end,
• means defining a passage from said injection port to said spring chamber behind said flat body portion of said spring, and
• a monolithic plastic block molded in situ in said spring chamber by introduction of liquid plastic through said passage capturing said zero linear clearance relationship between said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end and defining a slide bearing therebetween and encasing said spring such that said flat body portion thereof defines a reinforced wear plate on said plastic block in sliding engagement on said planar wall of said tubular polygonal end.

In a motor vehicle steering system including

• a steering gear mounted on a chassis of said vehicle having an input shaft rotatably supported on a housing of said steering gear, and
• a steering shaft rotatably supported on a steering column,
• a variable length intermediate shaft assembly comprising:
• a first shaft,
• a second shaft,
• means connecting one of said first and said second shafts to said steering shaft,
• means connecting the other of said first and said second shafts to said steering gear input shaft,
• means defining a tubular polygonal end on said first shaft having a planar wall,
• means defining a correspondingly polygonal solid end on said second shaft disposed in said polygonal tubular end for telescopic bodily movement relative thereto and for limited rotation relative thereto through an angular interval corresponding to linear clearances between said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end,
• means defining a spring chamber in said solid polygonal end having a side open to said planar wall of said tubular polygonal end,
• a spring in said spring chamber having a flat body portion bearing in sliding engagement against said planar wall of said tubular polygonal end and biasing said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end in opposite directions to a substantially zero clearance relationship in which linear clearance between said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end is reduced to substantially zero,
• means defining an injection port in said polygonal tubular end,
• means defining a passage from said injection port to said spring chamber behind said flat body portion of said spring, and
• a monolithic plastic block molded in situ in said spring chamber by introduction of liquid plastic through said passage capturing said zero linear clearance relationship between said solid polygonal end and said tubular polygonal end and defining a slide bearing therebetween and encasing said spring such that said flat body portion thereof defines a reinforced wear plate on said plastic block in sliding engagement on said planar wall of said tubular polygonal end.