Steering-column assembly

• US 20060169524A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Born, Christian, Hurschler, Hans-Joachim
• Application Number:
  US10/539,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20060169524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/444
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/19 incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12

Abstract

The invention relates to a steering-column assembly 1, in which the telescopic spindle 5.1 is fastened to the inner casing tube 2.1 via a crash element 4. The telescopic spindle 5.1 moves into the crash element 4 by virtue of the fact that the spindle nut 5.6 is fixed to the crash element 4, which permits reduced installation space for the telescopic spindle 5.1. In order to improve acoustic decoupling, the spindle nut 5.6 is composed at least partially of plastic. By mechanical decoupling of the tensile and compressive forces of the telescopic spindle 5.1 from the torque which acts on the telescopic spindle 5.1, the possibility is provided of using plastic for a drive shaft 5.4 of the telescopic spindle 5.1 and for the bearings 5.7, 5.7′ of the telescopic drive 5.3.

Claims

1. A steering-column assembly for a motor vehicle, having an outer casing tube, a telescopic inner casing tube and a telescopic drive having a spindle nut, a telescopic spindle which is fastened to the inner casing tube via a crash element, and a telescopic motor having a step-down gear mechanism, wherein the crash element is of at least partially hollow configuration and accommodates the spindle nut.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crash element is formed by a sleeve and a pin which is positioned coaxially with respect to the sleeve, is at least partially inserted into the sleeve at one end side of the sleeve and is fastened to the sleeve.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telescopic spindle is connected via a flexible drive shaft to an output shaft of the step-down gear mechanism, the opposite side of the telescopic spindle from the spindle nut being mounted rotatably in a bearing block which is structurally separate from the step-down gear mechanism.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tensile and compressive forces which are produced during telescoping of the inner casing tube in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the telescopic spindle are passed directly from the telescopic spindle to a part of the vehicle body via the bearing block.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer casing tube can be pivoted about a y-axis by a pivot drive which has a spindle nut, a spindle and a flexible drive shaft, the spindle being connected via the flexible drive shaft to an output shaft of a step-down gear mechanism, and the opposite side of the spindle from the spindle nut being mounted rotatably in a bearing block which is structurally separate from the step-down gear mechanism.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis of the output shaft of the step-down gear mechanism, which output shaft is connected directly to the flexible drive shaft, enclose an angle between 135°

and 180°

.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tensile and compressive forces which are produced during pivoting of the outer casing tube in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the spindle are passed directly from the spindle to a part of the vehicle body via the bearing block.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spindle nut which engages with the telescopic spindle or with the spindle and the flexible drive shaft which is connected to the telescopic spindle or the spindle are formed at least partially from plastic.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible drive shaft is mounted in the bearing block in a manner which is connected on the output side to the telescopic spindle or to the spindle, and is mounted in the step-down gear mechanism in a manner which is connected on the input side to the output shaft.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step-down gear mechanism and/or the motor are/is mounted on the vehicle body by a bearing which is formed at least partially from plastic.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis of the output shaft of each step-down gear mechanism, which output shaft is connected directly to the respective flexible drive shaft, form an angle between 135°

and 180°

.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tensile and compressive forces which are produced during pivoting of the outer casing tube in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the spindle of the pivot drive are passed directly from the spindle of the pivot drive to a part of the vehicle body via the bearing block of the pivot drive.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each spindle nut which engages with the telescopic spindle or with the spindle of the pivot drive and each flexible drive shaft which is connected to the telescopic spindle or the spindle of telescopic of the pivot drive are formed at least partially from plastic.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each flexible drive shaft is mounted in the respective bearing block in a manner which is connected on the output side to the telescopic spindle or to the spindle of the pivot drive, and is mounted in the respective step-down gear mechanism in a manner which is connected on the input side to the output shaft.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each step-down gear mechanism and/or each motor are/is mounted on the vehicle body by a bearing which is formed at least partially from plastic.

11. A steering-column assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an outer casing tube;

a telescopic inner casing tube;

a crash element; and

a telescopic drive including

a spindle nut,

a telescopic spindle which is fastened to the inner casing tube via the crash element, and

a telescopic motor having a step-down gear mechanism, wherein the crash element is of at least partially hollow configuration and accommodates the spindle nut.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the crash element includes a sleeve and a pin, and wherein the pin is positioned coaxially with respect to the sleeve, is at least partially inserted into the sleeve at one end side of the sleeve and is fastened to the sleeve.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a bearing block, wherein the telescopic drive includes a flexible drive shaft, wherein the telescopic spindle is connected via the flexible drive shaft to an output shaft of the step-down gear mechanism, and wherein an opposite side of the telescopic spindle from the spindle nut is mounted rotatably in the bearing block which is structurally separate from the step-down gear mechanism.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein tensile and compressive forces which are produced during telescoping of the inner casing tube in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the telescopic spindle are passed directly from the telescopic spindle to a part of the vehicle body via the bearing block.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a pivot drive for pivoting the outer casing tube, wherein the pivot drive includes a spindle nut, a spindle and a flexible drive shaft, wherein the spindle of the pivot drive is connected via the flexible drive shaft to an output shaft of a second step-down gear mechanism, and wherein an opposite side of the spindle of the pivot drive from the spindle nut of the pivot drive is mounted rotatably in a second bearing block which is structurally separate from the second step-down gear mechanism.