Steering lock for a motor vehicle steering column
AssigneeValeo Securite Habitacle
InventorsJoël Garnault, Jean-Claude Boulay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An antitheft device is provided for locking a motor vehicle steering column against rotation. The steering column includes a gear wheel which is fixed coaxially to the steering column shaft, and a pinion with an axis parallel to the steering column axis. The pinion is mounted for rotation in a moveable pinion support which is displaceable between a disengaged position, in which the pinion is disengaged from the gear wheel, and an engaged position in which the pinion is in mesh with the gear wheel. The steering lock also includes a clutch for preventing rotation of the pinion about its axis on the pinion support below a specific torque.
Claims14
A steering lock for a motor vehicle having a steering column defining a first axis and a gear wheel mounted coaxially on the steering column for rotation with the steering column, the steering lock comprising:
- a pinion defining a second axis parallel to the first axis;
- a pinion support carrying the pinion configured to allow rotation of the pinion on the pinion support and adapted to be displaced between an unlocked position and a locked position, the pinion being disengaged from the gear wheel in said unlocked position and engaged with the gear wheel in said locked position;
- and
- stop means operatively interposed between the pinion support and the pinion adapted to immobilize the pinion against rotation about the second axis with respect to the pinion support, and to prevent rotation of the steering column about said first axis when the pinion is in the locked position;
- said displacement of the pinion support between said unlocked position and locked position defining a path substantially parallel to a common tangent which is common to the pinion and the gear wheel when the pinion and gear wheel mesh.
A device comprising:
- a support adapted to be displaced between an unlocked position and a locked position;
- a pinion rotatably mounted on the support, adapted to engage a gear wheel mounted on a steering column of a motor vehicle when the pinion support is in the locked position;
- and
- a clutch adapted to selectively immobilize the pinion against rotation with respect to the pinion support,
- wherein the displacement of the pinion support is within a plane substantially parallel to a plane defined by the gear wheel.
A motor vehicle comprising:
- a steering column;
- a gear wheel mounted on the steering column;
- a device having (1) a support adapted to be displaced between an unlocked position and a locked position;
- (2) a pinion rotatably mounted on the support, adapted to engage the gear wheel of the motor vehicle when the pinion support is in the locked position;
- and (3) a clutch adapted to selectively immobilize the pinion against rotation with respect to the pinion support, wherein the displacement of the pinion support is within a plane substantially parallel to a plane defined by the gear wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.