POWER RAKE AND TELESCOPE DYNAMIC TRAVEL LIMITS

• US 20150239488A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Caverly, Jacob A., McCann, Gerald M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,751,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/16 Steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/18 yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable padded linings associated with the steering column B60R21/05
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/185 adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/187 with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a steering column assembly is provided. The assembly includes a mounting bracket, a steering column adjustable in a telescope direction and a rake direction, at least one actuator assembly configured to translate the steering column in the telescope direction and/or the rake direction, and a controller configured to drive the at least one actuator assembly to sequentially or simultaneously telescope and/or rake the steering column in a predefined geometric pattern.

Claims

1. A steering column assembly comprising:

a mounting bracket;

a steering column adjustable in a telescope direction and a rake direction;

at least one actuator assembly configured to translate the steering column in the telescope direction and/or the rake direction; and

a controller configured to drive the at least one actuator assembly to sequentially or simultaneously telescope and/or rake the steering column in a predefined geometric pattern.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a defined physical movement envelope, at least a portion of the steering column physically configured to move within the physical envelope.

3. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising at least one exclusion zone defined in the physical envelope, the controller configured to prevent movement of at least a portion of the steering column into the exclusion zone.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to move at least a portion of the steering column around a boundary of the exclusion zone when the portion of the steering column encounters the boundary.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the controller parametrizes the envelope zone to define the at least one exclusion zone.

6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the controller is programmed, during movement of the steering column to a predefined position, to automatically adjust movement of the steering column in the telescope direction and/or the rake direction to avoid the exclusion zone.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to move the steering column in the telescope direction as a function of rake position.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to move the steering column in the rake direction as a function of telescope position.

9. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a switch operably associated with the steering column assembly, the controller configured to move the steering column in a desired direction when the switch is actuated.

10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the switch comprises a telescope switch, the controller configured to move the steering column in the telescope direction when the telescope switch is activated.

11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the switch comprises a rake switch, the controller configured to move the steering column in the rake direction when the rake switch is activated.

12. An electrically actuated steering column assembly comprising:

a steering column movable in a telescope direction and a rake direction;

at least one actuator assembly operably associated with the steering column and configured to move the steering column in the telescope direction and the rake direction;

a controller configured to drive the at least one actuator assembly to telescope and/or rake the steering column, the controller programmed to define at least one exclusion zone in the movement envelope of the steering column, and to automatically adjust movement of the steering column such that at least a portion of the steering column does not enter a boundary of the at least one exclusion zone.

13. A method of fabricating an electrically actuated steering column assembly, the method comprising:

providing a mounting bracket;

providing a steering column movable in a telescope direction and a rake direction;

providing a controller configured to sequentially or simultaneously move the steering column in the telescope and/or rake directions in a predefined geometric pattern.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a movement envelope of at least a portion of the steering column.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising defining at least one exclusion zone within the movement envelope.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to prevent at least a portion of the steering column from breaching the at least one exclusion zone.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein during movement of the steering column to a predefined position, the controller automatically adjusts the steering column to move in at least one of the telescope direction and the rake direction to avoid the at least one exclusion zone.

18. A method of controlling a power adjustable steering column system having a steering column, the method comprising:

determining if motion of the steering column is commanded;

calculating a path to a target steering column position if motion of the steering column is commanded;

determining if the commanded steering column motion violates a clearance boundary;

varying at least one of a speed and a direction of the steering column motion to avoid the clearance boundary if the commanded steering column motion violates the clearance boundary; and

determining if a position of the steering column is as close as possible to the target position without violating the clearance boundary.