Locking system for adjustable position steering column

• US 6,419,269 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Manwaring, Marvin V., Ledreau, Agathe, Ross, Kevin Carlton, Gayrard, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US09/664,032
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 280/775, 280/777, 280/779, 744/93
• US Class Current: 280/775
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

The vehicle steering column has a rake adjustment and a telescope adjustment. The adjustment mechanism includes a compression bracket with a telescope slot, a rake bracket with a rake slot and a rake bolt that passes through the telescope slot and the rake slot. A wedge lock is mounted on the rake bolt and positioned in the rake slot and the telescope slot. Rake and telescope teeth on the wedge lock are held out of engagement with a rake tooth rack and a telescope tooth rack during rake and telescope adjustment. The rake bolt is tightened to hold a selected adjustment position and the telescope teeth on the wedge lock engage the telescope tooth rack. During a collision the rake teeth on the wedge lock are moved into engagement with the rake tooth rack to fix the rake and telescope adjustments.

Claims

1. A vehicle steering column comprising:

a jacket assembly including a lower jacket and an upper jacket that telescopically receives the lower jacket;

a telescopic steering shaft journalled in the jacket assembly;

a rake support on the lower end of the lower jacket that pivotally supports the vehicle steering column for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal rake axis;

a compression bracket fixed to the upper jacket and having at least one telescope slot;

at least one rake bracket, for supporting the compression bracket and the upper jacket having a rake slot;

a rake bolt passing through the rake slot and the at least one telescope slot that is tightened to frictionally hold a rake position and a telescope position;

a rake tooth rack in the rake slot that faces rearwardly;

a telescope tooth rack in the at least one telescope slot that is substantially parallel to the steering shaft and faces upwardly;

a wedge lock on the rake bolt having a plurality of telescope teeth engagable with the telescope tooth rack and having a plurality of rake teeth engagable with the rake tooth rack; and

a connection between the rake bolt and the wedge lock that permits the telescope teeth to move into engagement with the telescope tooth rack in response to rotation of the rake bolt to tighten the rake bolt.

2. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 1 including a cam surface on the rake bolt that cams the telescope teeth out of engagement with the telescope tooth rack in response to rotation of the rake bolt to loosen the rake bolt.

3. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 1 wherein the connection between the rake bolt and the wedge lock is a lost motion connection.

4. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 3 including a spring that biases the plurality of telescope teeth on the wedge lock toward the telescope tooth rack.

5. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 4 wherein the spring is attached to the wedge lock and acts on the compression bracket.

6. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one rake bracket includes a left rake bracket and a right rake bracket having a left rake slot and a right rake slot and a second wedge lock on the rake bolt.

7. A vehicle steering column comprising:

a jacket assembly including a lower jacket and an upper jacket that telescopically receives the lower jacket;

a telescopic steering shaft journalled in the jacket assembly;

a rake support on the lower end of the lower jacket that pivotally supports the vehicle steering column for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal rake axis;

a compression bracket fixed to the upper jacket and having a left telescope slot and a right telescope slot;

a left rake bracket having a left rake slot adjacent to the left telescope slot of the compression bracket and a right rake bracket having a right rake slot adjacent to the right telescope slot of the compression bracket;

a rake bolt passing through the left rake slot, the left telescope slot, the right telescope slot, and the right rake slot;

a left rake tooth rack in the left rake slot that faces away from the rake axis and extends upward and rearwardly away from the rake axis;

a right rake tooth rack in the right rake slot that faces away from the rake axis and extends upward and radially away from the rake axis;

a left telescope tooth rack in the left telescope slot that faces upwardly and a right telescope tooth rack in the right telescope slot that faces upwardly;

a left wedge lock on the rake bolt having a plurality of left telescope teeth engagable with the left telescope tooth rack and a plurality of left rake teeth engagable with the left rake tooth rack;

a right wedge lock on the rake bolt having a plurality of right telescope teeth engagable with the right telescope tooth rack and a plurality of right rake teeth engagable with the right rake tooth rack;

a first fracturable rake bolt retainer mounted on the rake bolt and holding the right rake teeth from engagement with the right rake tooth rack during adjustment and a second fracturable rake bolt retainer mounted on the rake bolt and holding the left rake teeth from engagement with the left rake tooth rack during adjustment; and

at least one cam secured to the rake bolt which holds the left telescope teeth out of engagement with the left telescope rack and holds the right telescope teeth out of engagement with the right telescope rack when the rake bolt is loosened.

8. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 7 including a lost motion connection between the rake bolt and the left wedge lock and right wedge lock that permits the left telescope teeth to engage the left telescope tooth rack and permits the right telescope teeth to engage the right telescope tooth rack when the rack bolt is in a clamped position.

9. A vehicle steering column as set forth in claim 8 including a left spring that urges the left wedge lock toward the left telescope tooth rack and a right spring that urges the right wedge lock toward the right telescope tooth rack.

10. A method of operating a vehicle steering column having a rake adjustment and a telescope adjustment with a rake bracket, a rake slot in the rake bracket, a rake tooth rack on a rake slot side wall, a compression bracket, a telescope slot in the compression bracket, a telescope tooth rack on a telescope slot side wall, a wedge lock with a plurality of telescope teeth and a plurality of rake teeth, and a rake bolt passing through the rake slot and the telescope slot and holding the wedge lock in the rake slot and in the telescope slot comprising:

loosening the rake bolt and holding the plurality of telescope teeth out of engagement with the telescope tooth rack and holding the plurality of rake teeth out of engagement with the rake tooth rack;

selecting a telescope position and a rake position of the vehicle steering column;

tightening the rake bolt to frictionally hold the selected telescope position and rake position;

moving the plurality of telescope teeth into engagement with the telescope tooth rack when the rake bolt is tightened while holding the plurality of rake teeth out of engagement with the rake tooth rack;

sliding the compression bracket relative to the rake bracket while the rake bolt is tightened; and

moving the plurality of rake teeth into engagement with the rake tooth rack while sliding the compression bracket relative to the rake bracket.