Adjustable steering column including electrically-operable locking means

• US 20050097978A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nacam France SAS (Robert Bosch GmbH), Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Vendôme SAS (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Nacam France SAS (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Laisement, Andre, Eymery, Vincent, Ben Rhouma, Abdel Karim
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/492
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions

Abstract

An adjustable vehicle steering column is locked to a vehicle chassis by a remote-controlled electrically-operable locking arrangement that is carried by one end of a locking arm the other end of which is pivotally connected with the vehicle chassis. The locking arrangement has a locking axis that is parallel with and spaced a given distance from the pivot axis of the locking arm.

Claims

1. Locking means for locking an adjustable steering column of a vehicle to the vehicle chassis, comprising:

(a) a fixed support member (6) adapted for connection with the vehicle chassis;

(b) steering column means including a steering shaft (1) supported in a tubular body (2) for rotation about a given steering axis (3);

(c) adjustment means (10) connecting said steering column means for vertical adjustment relative to said fixed support member in a vertical plane (8) containing the longitudinal axis of said steering shaft; and

(d) remote-controlled electrically-operable locking means for locking said adjustment means to said fixed support member, said locking means including;

(1) a locking arm (20) extending parallel with said vertical plane adjacent said steering column means;

(2) pivot means (16) connecting one end of said locking arm with said fixed support member for pivotal movement about a fixed pivot axis (P);

(3) connecting means (40) connecting said adjustment means with the other end of said locking arm;

(4) a locking member (53;

55;

57) carried by said adjustment means for displacement along a locking axis (5) between locked and released positions relative to said fixed support member, said locking axis being parallel with and spaced a given distance from said pivot axis; and

(5) operating means including a reversible electric motor (70 mounted on said locking arm for operating said locking member between said locked and released positions, respectively.

2. Locking means as defined in claim 1, wherein said operating means includes:

(a) rotary input means (22) mounted on said locking arm for rotation by said electric motor about a drive axis (23) normal to said vertical plane, said drive axis being parallel with and spaced from said locking axis;

(b) rotary output means (24) mounted on said locking arm for rotation about said locking axis (5), said rotary output means being connected with said locking member; and

(c) transmission means (9) connecting said rotary input means and said rotary output means.

3. Locking means as defined in claim 2, wherein said rotary input means comprises a drive pulley (22) mounted on said locking arm for rotation about said drive axis, said operating means further including:

(d) speed reduction means (21) connecting said electric motor with said drive pulley.

4. Locking means as defined in claim 3, wherein said rotary output means comprises a driven locking pulley (24) connected with said locking arm for rotation about said locking axis.

5. Locking means as defined in claim 4, wherein said transmission means includes an endless drive belt (25) connecting said driving pulley with said driven locking pulley.

6. Locking means as defined in claim 5, wherein said endless drive belt contains a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots for receiving corresponding projections (60) arranged on the outer circumferential surfaces of said drive pulley and said driven locking pulley, respectively.

7. Locking means as defined in claim 5, and further including means for adjusting the tension of said endless drive belt.

8. Locking means as defined in claim 7, wherein said speed reduction means includes a casing (26) rotatably supporting said drive pulley;

and further wherein said tension adjusting means includes a plurality of adjustment bolts (30) extending through corresponding elongated slots (29a) contained in said casing for adjustably connecting said casing with said fixed support.

9. Locking means as defined in claim 8, wherein said adjustment bolts extend through corresponding adjustment slots (29b) contained in said locking arm, respectively.

10. Locking means as defined in claim 4, wherein said fixed support member includes a pair of spaced vertical wall portions (11, 12) parallel with and arranged on opposite sides of said vertical plane;

wherein said adjustment means includes an adjustment guide block (10) containing a longitudinal through bore (62) receiving said steering column means, said adjusting block being arranged for vertical adjustment between said support wall portions; and

further wherein said locking means includes a locking rod (40) extending through a pair of opposed vertical slots (13, 14) contained in said support wall portions, respectively, and through a corresponding transverse through bore (64) contained in said adjustment block intermediate said vertical slots, said transverse through bore containing said locking axis.

11. Locking means as defined in claim 10, wherein said locking rod includes a threaded end portion (43) that extends outwardly from one support side wall portion (12) on the opposite side thereof from said adjustment block, and means preventing rotation of said locking rod relative to said support member;

wherein said locking pulley is threadably connected with said locking rod threaded portion for axial displacement between locked and released positions relative to said one support side wall portion (12); and

further wherein said locking member is arranged between said one side wall portion and said locking pulley.

12. Locking means as defined in claim 11, wherein said locking member comprises a locking plate (53), and further including ball bearing means (54) arranged between said locking plate and said driven locking pulley.

13. Locking means as defined in claim 11, wherein said locking means includes a pair of rotationally operable cams (55, 56), one of said cams being arranged adjacent said one support wall and comprising said locking member, and the other of said cams being connected with said driven locking pulley.

14. Locking means as defined in claim 11, wherein said locking means includes a first plate (57) adjacent said one support wall, a movable second plate (58) connected with said driven locking pulley, and a plurality of pivotal links (59) connected between said first and second plates for biasing said first plate into locking engagement with said one support wall.

15. Locking means as defined in claim 11, wherein said locking rod includes at its other end and enlarged noncircular head portion (41) that is supported against rotation in a vertical non-circular counterbored groove (15) that communicates with the vertical slot (13) contained in the associated other one of said pair of vertical support walls (11), and further including a retaining nut (44) fastened to the free end of said locking rod.