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US 7,140,213 B2Granted
Steering column lock apparatus and method
AssigneeStrattec Security Corporation
InventorsMichael G. Feucht, David C. Janssen, William P. Schuster, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lock bolt extendible and retractable by movement of a power transmission assembly driven by an actuator and having a cam thereon which cams against the lock bolt to retract the lock bolt and unlock the steering column. In some embodiments, the cam has a curved surface with varying distance from the axis of rotation of the cam or pivot to improved lock bolt motion. The cam can have a gradual ramp surface to extract a lock bolt even in binding conditions of the lock bolt.
Claims18
A vehicular lock, comprising:
- a frame;
- a lock bolt movable from an extended and locked position to a retracted and unlocked position;
- a follower movable with the lock bolt;
- a pivot rotatably coupled to the frame;
- an actuator drivably coupled to the pivot;
- and
- a cam coupled to the pivot, driven by rotation of the pivot, and in contact with the follower, the cam rotatable to move the lock bolt from the extended and locked position to the retracted and unlocked position,
- the cam having an asymmetric profile with respect to the pivot, the asymmetric profile defined at least in part by
- a first sector corresponding to the locked position of the lock bolt,
- a second sector corresponding to the unlocked position of the lock bolt,
- a third sector having a changing radial dimension defining a ramped surface from an end of the first sector to a beginning of the second sector, and
- a fourth sector extending between an end of the second sector to a beginning of the first sector,
- wherein the third sector is defined by a greater circumferential portion of the cam than the fourth sector,
- wherein the cam is driven in a single direction to move the lock bolt between the extended and locked position and the retracted and unlocked position.
11 more elements
A steering column lock, comprising:
- a frame;
- a lock bolt moveable from an extended and locked position to a retracted and unlocked position;
- a follower movable with the lock bolt;
- a pivot rotatably coupled to the frame;
- an actuator drivably coupled to the pivot;
- and
- a cam coupled to the pivot, driven by rotation of the pivot, and in contact with the follower, the cam rotatable to move the lock bolt from the extended and locked position to the retracted and unlocked position,
- the cam having an asymmetric profile with respect to the pivot, the asymmetric profile defined at least in part by
- a first sector corresponding to the locked position of the lock bolt,
- a second sector corresponding to the unlocked position of the lock bolt, and
- a third sector having a changing radial dimension defining a ramped surface from an end of the first sector to a beginning of the second sector,
- wherein the third sector is defined by a greater circumferential portion of the cam than each of the first and second sectors;
- the actuator driving the cam in a single direction to move the lock bolt between the extended and locked position and the retracted and unlocked position.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.