Steering column for a motor vehicle

• US 20090033082A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Original Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Inventors: Klukowski, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 7,731,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/777
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/361 comprising magneto-rheological elastomers [MR], magneto-rheological fluid dampers F16F9/535
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/12 using plastic deformation of members F16F9/30 takes precedence; yieldable means for mounting bumpers on vehicles B60R19/26; yieldable or collapsible steering columns B62D1/192

Abstract

Steering column for a motor vehicle with

• • a rotatably supported steering spindle (1),
  • a supporting unit (4) supporting the steering spindle (1) and
  • a mounting unit (5) for securing the steering spindle (1) on the chassis of the motor vehicle, the supporting unit (4) in the event of a crash being displaceable with respect to the mounting unit (5), and
  • an energy absorption device (18) acting between the supporting unit (4) and mounting unit (5) for the energy absorption in the displacement of the supporting unit (4) with respect to the mounting unit (5) in the event of a crash being provided, characterized in that
  • at least one energy absorption part (34) of the energy absorption device (18) deformable in the displacement of the supporting unit (4) with respect to the mounting unit (5) is composed of a magnetorheological elastomer and that the energy absorption device (18) includes a means for the generation of a magnetic field, by means of which the energy absorption part (34) composed of the magnetorheological elastomer can be acted upon at least regionally with a variable magnetic field.

Claims