Device for adjusting the position of an adjustable steering column

• US 5,178,411 A
• Filed: 06/04/1991
• Issued: 01/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nacam France SA
• Original Assignee: Nacam France SA
• Inventors: Fevre, Laurent, Foulquier, Jacques, Haldric, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/709,993
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 280/775, 74/493, 74/89.15
• US Class Current: 280/775
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18616 Single input, plural outputs

Abstract

A device comprises a single motor (30) and a transmission (40) associated with the motor (30) and with a sleeve (22) and which has an input (410) connected to the motor (30) and two outputs (421, 422) which are associated with a movable body (222). One of these outputs (421) is connected to a sliding element (2221) in order to cause it to move translationally, and the other of these outputs (422) is connected to a pivoting element (2222) in order to cause it to be inclined. The two outputs (421, 422) are activated at paired relative speeds in order to ensure the adjustment in terms of depth of the two elements (2221, 2222) of the movable body (222), and of sections (211, 212) of a shaft (21) which these elements carry, and so that only the output (422) connected to the pivoting element (2222) is activated in order to ensure adjustment in terms of inclination of the pivoting element ( 2222) and of the shaft section (211) which it carries. A control is connected to the motor (30) and to the transmission (40) in order to operate them for the translational movement in both opposite directions, permitting adjustment in terms of depth, or for pivoting in both opposite directions, permitting adjustment in terms of inclination.

Claims

1. An arrangement for controlling and adjusting the depth and inclination of a steering wheel for a motor a vehicle, comprising:

a steering column having an axis and comprising a shaft, said shaft including an end section for carrying a steering wheel, an extendable and retractable section, and a universal joint joining said end section and said extendable and retractable section, said extendable and retractable section being composed of two parts connected to each other by a sliding joint for relative sliding movement therebetween;

a sleeve having a fixed sleeve body fixed relative to the motor vehicle and a movable body sliding in said fixed sleeve body, said movable body comprising a sliding element slidable in and relative to said fixed sleeve body and a pivoting element pivotable relative to said sliding element about an articulation axis spaced from but orthogonal to said axis of said steering column;

bearings supporting said shaft in said sleeve;

a single motor;

transmission means for transmitting rotation from an input of said transmission means connected to said single motor to first and second outputs of said transmission means connected with said sleeve such that one of said outputs causes sliding movement of said sliding element and the other of said outputs causes pivoting movement of said pivoting element, said outputs being activated by said transmission means at paired relative speeds to adjust the depth of said sliding element and said pivotable element and said end section of said shaft, and only one said output being activated by said transmission means to adjust the inclination of said pivoting element relative to said sliding element and said end section of said shaft relative to said extendable and retractable section; and

a control means connected to said motor and to said transmission means for operating said motor and said transmission means to adjust the depth of said sliding element and said pivotable element and thus said end section in opposite axial directions and to adjust the inclination of said pivoting element relative to said sliding element and thus said end section relative to said extendable and retractable section in opposite angular directions.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each said output has a bolt portion engaging a nut carried by said sleeve.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said motor and said transmission means are fixed and carried by said fixed sleeve body, one of said outputs is connected to said sliding element for sliding movement thereof and the other of said outputs is connected to said pivoting element for pivotal movement thereof.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said motor and said transmission means are carried by said movable body.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein said motor and said transmission means are carried by said sliding element, one said output being connected to said fixed sleeve body and the other of said outputs being connected to said pivoting element.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said motor and said transmission means are carried by said pivoting element, one said output being connected to said fixed sleeve body and the other of said outputs being connected to said sliding element.

7. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said pivoting element carries one of said nuts opposite to said articulation axis relative to said axis of said steering column, said nut and said bolt portion of said output defining a joint movable along an axis parallel to said articulation axis.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission means is a pinion and sliding-gearwheel gearbox transmission.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission means is an epicyclic train transmission.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission means includes an electromechanical actuator for alternating between activation of said output at paired relative speeds and only one said output being activated.

11. An arrangement for controlling and adjusting the depth and inclination of a steering wheel for a motor a vehicle, comprising:

a steering column having an axis and comprising a shaft, said shaft including an end section for carrying a steering wheel, an extendable and retractable section, and a universal joint joining said end section and said extendable and retractable section, said extendable and retractable section being composed of two parts connected to each other by a sliding joint for relative sliding movement therebetween;

a sleeve having a fixed sleeve body fixed relative to the motor vehicle and a movable body sliding in said fixed sleeve body, said movable body comprising a sliding element slidable in and relative to said fixed sleeve body and a pivoting element pivotable relative to said sliding element about an articulation axis spaced from but orthogonal to said axis of said steering column;

bearings supporting said shaft in said sleeve;

a single motor;

a transmission having an input connected to said motor and two outputs, said transmission being mounted together with said motor with one of a fixed location, said sliding element and said pivoting element, one of said outputs being operably connected with another of said fixed location, said sliding element and said pivoting element, and the other of said outputs being operably connected with the third of said fixed location, said sliding element and said pivoting element, such that operation of said motor and said transmission can alternatively axially slide said sliding element and said pivoting element together for axial reciprocable adjustment of said end section of said steering column or pivot said pivoting element relative to said sliding element for angular adjustment of said end section; and

a control means connected to said motor and said transmission for operation thereof to adjust the depth of said sliding element and said pivotable element and thus said end section in opposite axial directions and to adjust the inclination of said pivoting element relative to said sliding element and thus said end section relative to said extendable and retractable section in opposite angular directions.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein each said output has a bolt portion engaging a nut carried by said sleeve.

13. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said motor and said transmission are fixed and carried by said fixed sleeve body, one of said outputs is connected to said sliding element for sliding movement thereof and the other of said outputs is connected to said pivoting element for pivotal movement thereof.

14. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said motor and said transmission are carried by said movable body.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein said motor and said transmission are carried by said sliding element, one said output being connected to said fixed sleeve body and the other of said outputs being connected to said pivoting element.

16. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein said motor and said transmission are carried by said pivoting element, one said output being connected to said fixed sleeve body and the other of said outputs being connected to said sliding element.

17. The arrangement of claim 12, wherein said pivoting element carries one of said nuts opposite to said articulation axis relative to said axis of said steering column, said nut and said bolt portion of said output defining a joint movable along an axis parallel to said articulation axis.

18. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said transmission is a pinion and sliding-gearwheel gearbox transmission.

19. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said transmission is an epicyclic train transmission.

20. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said transmission includes an electromechanical actuator for alternating between activation of said output at paired relative speeds and only one said output being activated.