Element for an adjustable steering column

• US 20050001445A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Ercolano, Tony, Leserre, Dominique
• Granted Patent: US 7,300,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/97.700
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0256 Dashboard liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0293 Connection or positioning of adjacent panels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/187 with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for masking clearances between an instrument panel (6) and a covering element (2) linked to an adjustable steering column along a longitudinal direction (10) and a transverse direction (12). The device comprises a relatively rigid intermediate element (4) mobile solely along the longitudinal direction relative to the instrument panel, to remain in contact with said instrument panel, while the covering element moves along the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, such that it slides along the longitudinal direction relative to the covering element.

Claims

1. Device (1) to mask the gap between a dashboard (6) and a covering element (2) connected to a steering column (8) adjustable in translation in a longitudinal direction (10) and angularly in a lateral direction (14) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said angular rotation of the steering column giving rise to a movement substantially in translation of the covering element relative to the dashboard in a transverse direction (12) substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal direction (10) and to the lateral direction (14), said device comprising moreover a relatively rigid intermediate element (12) having a sliding surface (5b) coming substantially into contact with the dashboard and the masking surface (5a) coming substantially into contact with the covering element, characterized in that:

the masking surface extends substantially in the longitudinal direction and the sliding surface extends substantially in the transverse direction,

the device moreover comprises first means (24, 34, 38, 54) to move the covering element substantially in the longitudinal direction relative to the dashboard and a hole in the intermediate element in the longitudinal direction relative to the dashboard, during sliding in the longitudinal direction of the steering column relative to the dashboard, such that the sliding surface remains substantially in contact with the dashboard and the covering element slides relative to the masking surface, while remaining substantially in contact with said masking surface, and

the device moreover comprises second means (32, 40, 44, 56) to move the intermediate element substantially in the transverse direction relative to the dashboard and to hold the intermediate element in the transverse direction relative to the covering element, during angular rotation of the steering column, such that the masking surface will thus be substantially immovable relative to the covering element and the sliding surface will move substantially in the transverse direction relative to the dashboard, while remaining substantially in contact with said dashboard.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it moreover comprises guide means (16, 18, 20, 22a, 22b) in translation substantially in the longitudinal direction directly connecting the intermediate element to the covering element.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide means in translation comprise:

two grooves (20) extending substantially in the longitudinal direction (10),

ribs (16) extending into said gooves, and

first projections (22a) extending in the transverse direction and second projections (22b) extending in the lateral direction (14), each of said first and second projections extending between the grooves and the ribs so as to give rise to point contact between the ribs and the grooves.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the second means comprise a carriage (32) sliding in said transverse direction relative to the dashboard,

the first means comprise;

a slide (34) to which is fixed the covering element (2), sliding relative to the carriage in the longitudinal direction, and

means (24, 38) to connect in translation according to the longitudinal direction, the carriage to the intermediate element, such that these latter move with combined translatory movements in the longitudinal direction.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the intermediate element (4) is free relative to the carriage (32) in the transverse direction (12).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that it moreover comprises resilient means (26) acting substantially in the transverse direction (12) to hold the intermediate element (4) into contact with the covering element (2).

7. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the intermediate element (4) is free relative to the carriage (32) in the lateral direction (14).

8. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that:

the second means comprise moreover a first slot (56) extending in the transverse direction (12), provided in a support (60) fixed to the dashboard (6),

the first means comprise moreover a second slot (54) extending in the longitudinal direction (10), provided in the slide (34),

the carriage (32) defines a cover having two holes (50) supporting a rod (52) passing through the first and second slots.

9. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the slide (32) is traversed from side to side in the longitudinal direction (10) by a passage (48) of circular cross-section adapted to receive a steering shaft (8).

10. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the intermediate element (4) is free relative to the carriage (32) in the lateral direction (14).

11. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the intermediate element (4) is free relative to the carriage (32) in the lateral direction (14).

12. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that:

the second means comprise moreover a first slot (56) extending in the transverse direction (12), provided in a support (60) fixed to the dashboard (6),

the first means comprise moreover a second slot (54) extending in the longitudinal direction (10), provided in the slide (34),

the carriage (32) defines a cover having two holes (50) supporting a rod (52) passing through the first and second slots.

13. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that:

the second means comprise moreover a first slot (56) extending in the transverse direction (12), provided in a support (60) fixed to the dashboard (6),

the first means comprise moreover a second slot (54) extending in the longitudinal direction (10), provided in the slide (34),

the carriage (32) defines a cover having two holes (50) supporting a rod (52) passing through the first and second slots.

14. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that:

the second means comprise moreover a first slot (56) extending in the transverse direction (12), provided in a support (60) fixed to the dashboard (6),

the first means comprise moreover a second slot (54) extending in the longitudinal direction (10), provided in the slide (34),

the carriage (32) defines a cover having two holes (50) supporting a rod (52) passing through the first and second slots.

15. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the slide (32) is traversed from side to side in the longitudinal direction (10) by a passage (48) of circular cross-section adapted to receive a steering shaft (8).

16. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the slide (32) is traversed from side to side in the longitudinal direction (10) by a passage (48) of circular cross-section adapted to receive a steering shaft (8).

17. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the slide (32) is traversed from side to side in the longitudinal direction (10) by a passage (48) of circular cross-section adapted to receive a steering shaft (8).

18. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the slide (32) is traversed from side to side in the longitudinal direction (10) by a passage (48) of circular cross-section adapted to receive a steering shaft (8).