Coupling between steering wheel and steering shaft

A coupling between a motor vehicle steering shaft and a motor vehicle steering wheel comprising:

• a first coupling element rigidly attached to a first one of said steering shaft and said steering wheel,
• a second coupling element on a second one of said steering shaft and said steering wheel plugged into a cavity in said first coupling element whereby said first and said second coupling elements are rotatable relative to each other about a longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft,
• a first extension of said cavity in said first coupling element,
• a second extension of said cavity in said first coupling element,
• a first lug supported on said second coupling element for radial reciprocation relative to said longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft having an extended position projecting into said first extension of said cavity in said first coupling element,
• a second lug supported on said second coupling element for radial reciprocation relative to said longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft having an extended position projecting into said second extension of said cavity in said first coupling element,
• a spring means biasing each of said first and said second lugs toward said extended positions thereof,
• a first ramp on said first coupling element in said first extension of said cavity therein engageable on an end of said first lug and operative to eject said first lug from said first extension in response to relative rotation between said first and said second coupling elements,
• a second ramp on said first coupling element in said second extension of said cavity therein engageable on an end of said second lug and operative to eject said second lug from said second extension in response to relative rotation between said first and said second coupling elements,
• a first socket in said first coupling element open to said cavity in said first coupling element so that said spring means thrusts said first lug into said first socket toward said extended position of said first lug when said first lug registers with said first socket,
• a second socket in said first coupling element open to said cavity in said first coupling element so that said spring means thrusts said second lug into said second socket toward said extended position of said second lug when said second lug registers with said second socket,
• a frustoconical shoulder on said first lug,
• a pair of converging side walls in said first socket having an angle of convergence corresponding to the cone angle of said frustoconical shoulder on said first lug so that said converging side walls wedge together with said frustoconical shoulder to eliminate lash between said first lug and said first socket which would otherwise permit relative rotation between said first and said second coupling elements about said longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft,
• a frustoconical shoulder on said second lug, and
• an overhanging side wall in said second socket oblique to said longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft at an angle relative to said longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft corresponding to the cone angle of said frustoconical shoulder on said lug so that said overhanging side wall wedges together with said frustoconical shoulder to eliminate lash between said second lug and said second socket which would otherwise permit relative linear translation between said first and said second coupling elements in the direction of said longitudinal centerline of said steering shaft.