Fastener device for arresting a vehicle steering wheel to a steering shaft

• US 6,053,656 A
• Filed: 11/20/1997
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Heilig, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, William L.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,872
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 403/362, 403/359.1, 403/359.5, 403/371, 403/373, 403/374.1, 403/374.2, 403/374.3
• US Class Current: 403/362
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/10 Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/0847 with radial clamping due to a radial screw
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/092 the pair of conical mating surfaces being provided on the coupled hub and shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7041 including set screw
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7058 Split or slotted bushing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7067 Threaded actuator

Abstract

A fastener device for arresting a hub of a vehicle steering wheel to one end of a steering shaft includes a non-rotatable shaft/hub connection between the hub and the end of the steering shaft and an annular spring element which forms an interlocking fit between the hub and the steering shaft. The interlocking fit is effective in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft. The steering shaft comprises a raised face, the face surface area of which facing away from the steering wheel continues into a smaller shaft diameter. The spring element comprises an inner diameter which is smaller with respect to the outer diameter of the raised face. The spring element is radially pliable over at least a part of its axial length and can be fitted over the steering shaft together with the hub and reaches behind the raised face.

Claims

1. Apparatus including:

a vehicle steering wheel hub,

an end of a steering shaft, and

a shaft-hub connection between said hub and said end of said steering shaft connecting said hub and said steering shaft for joint rotation,

said shaft-hub connection comprising an annular spring element which forms an interlocking fit between said hub and said end of said steering shaft, said fit blocking relative movement of said hub and said end of said steering shaft in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft,

said end of said steering shaft comprising a raised face with an outer diameter, said raised face being integral with said end of said steering shaft and having a face surface area which faces away from said hub,

said spring element having an inner diameter which is smaller than said outer diameter of said raised face, and

said spring element being radially pliable over at least a part of the axial length of said spring element so that at least a part of said spring element can expand due to its pliability over said raised face as said spring element and said hub move in the axial direction of said steering shaft to locate said part of said spring element axially on the side of said raised face which faces away from said hub; and

said raised face including a rearside tapered surface area which comprises said face surface area which faces away from said hub, and wherein said spring element has a corresponding tapered surface area which engages said rearside tapered surface area and is radially tensioned to produce an axial force,

said raised face of said steering shaft further comprising a front-side tapered surface area facing away from said rearside tapered surface area, said hub having a tapered inner surface area, said inner surface area of said hub being biased by said spring element against said front-side tapered surface area;

said front-side tapered surface area directly adjoins said rearside tapered surface area.

2. Apparatus including:

a vehicle steering wheel hub,

an end of a steering shaft, and

a shaft-hub connection between said hub and said end of said steering shaft connecting said hub and said steering shaft for joint rotation,

said shaft-hub connection comprising an annular spring element which forms an interlocking fit between said hub and said end of said steering shaft, said fit blocking relative movement of said hub and said end of said steering shaft in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft,

said end of said steering shaft comprising a raised face with an outer diameter, said raised face being integral with said end of said steering shaft and having a face surface area which faces away from said hub,

said spring element having an inner diameter which is smaller than said outer diameter of said raised face, and

said spring element being radially pliable over at least a part of the axial length of said spring element so that at least a part of said spring element can expand due to its pliability over said raised face as said spring element and said hub move in the axial direction of said steering shaft to locate said part of said spring element axially on the side of said raised face which faces away from said hub; and

said hub comprising an inner circumferential groove in which said spring element, comprising a slotted ring with two circumferential ends, is received; and

a locking screw for moving said two circumferential ends of said spring element towards each other reducing the diameter of said spring element.

3. Apparatus including:

a vehicle steering wheel hub,

an end of a steering shaft, and

a shaft-hub connection between said hub and said end of said steering shaft connecting said hub and said steering shaft for joint rotation,

said shaft-hub connection comprising an annular spring element which forms an interlocking fit between said hub and said end of said steering shaft, said fit blocking relative movement of said hub and said end of said steering shaft in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft,

said end of said steering shaft comprising a raised face with an outer diameter, said raised face being integral with said end of said steering shaft and having a face surface area which faces away from said hub,

said spring element having an inner diameter which is smaller than said outer diameter of said raised face, and

said spring element being radially pliable over at least a part of the axial length of said spring element so that at least a part of said spring element can expand due to its pliability over said raised face as said spring element and said hub move in the axial direction of said steering shaft to locate said part of said spring element axially on the side of said raised face which faces away from said hub; and

said hub comprising an inner circumferential groove in which said spring element, comprising a slotted ring with two circumferential ends, is received; and

a locking screw for moving said two circumferential ends of said spring element towards each other reducing the diameter of said spring element, and

said two circumferential ends comprising outwardly projecting protrusions which supplement each other to form a cone and wherein said locking screw is screwed into a thread in said hub extending substantially in the radial direction and comprising a conically hollowed face end which receives said protrusions and moves them toward each other upon screwing-in of said locking screw.

4. Apparatus including:

a vehicle steering wheel hub,

an end of a steering shaft, and

a shaft-hub connection between said hub and said end of said steering shaft connecting said hub and said steering shaft for joint rotation,

said shaft-hub connection comprising an annular spring element which forms an interlocking fit between said hub and said end of said steering shaft, said fit blocking relative movement of said hub and said end of said steering shaft in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft,

said end of said steering shaft comprising a raised face with an outer diameter, said raised face being integral with said end of said steering shaft and having a face surface area which faces away from said hub,

said spring element having an inner diameter which is smaller than said outer diameter of said raised face, and

said spring element being radially pliable over at least a part of the axial length of said spring element so that at least a part of said spring element can expand due to its pliability over said raised face as said spring element and said hub move in the axial direction of said steering shaft to locate said part of said spring element axially on the side of said raised face which faces away from said hub.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said raised face includes a rearside tapered surface area which comprises said face surface area which faces away from said hub, and wherein said spring element has a corresponding tapered surface area which engages said rearside tapered surface area and is radially tensioned to produce an axial force on said hub.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said raised face of said steering shaft comprises a front-side tapered surface area facing away from said rearside surface area, said hub having a tapered inner surface area, said inner surface area of said hub being biased by said spring element against said front-side tapered surface area.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said hub comprises an inner circumferential groove in which said spring element, comprising a slotted ring with two circumferential ends, is received.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein a receiving end of said hub, by which said hub is mounted on said steering shaft, is configured as said spring element, and wherein said hub comprises at least one radial full-length slot for providing the pliability of said spring element.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein a locking element surrounds an outer shell surface area of said hub in the region of said receiving end and applies a radially inward force to said receiving end.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said locking element is configured as a rotary ring having a noncircular-cylindrical inner surface, wherein said receiving end of said hub comprises a non-circular-cylindrical outer shell surface area, and wherein the radially inward force is generated by rotating said locking element relative to said receiving end.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said locking element is a clamp.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said locking element is a ring axially shiftable on said outer shell surface area of sai hub, wherein said outer shell surface area is flared in the direction of the receiving end, and wherein said ring tends to radially compress said receiving end by being shifted toward said steering shaft.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said ring is urged by a pretensioning element toward said steering shaft.