Collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle
First Claim
1. A collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
- upper and lower subassemblies that are slidable one within the other;
the upper subassembly being slidably mounted on a fixed mounting bracket mountable on a vehicle body part;
the lower subassembly including, at its end remote from the upper subassembly, an intrusion bracket that is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket; and
clamping means for applying clamping force between said mounting bracket and said intrusion bracket so as normally to inhibit relative sliding movement of the mounting and intrusion brackets, but so as to allow said movement in the event of a vehicle crash.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle includes upper and lower steering column subassemblies that are slidable one within the other, the upper steering column subassembly being slidably mounted on a fixed mounting bracket mountable on a vehicle body part. The lower steering column subassembly includes, at its end remote from the upper subassembly, an intrusion bracket that is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket. Clamping means applies clamping force between the mounting bracket and the intrusion bracket to inhibit relative sliding movement of the mounting and intrusion brackets.
In the event of vehicle crash, the intrusion bracket and the steering assembly accommodates collapse from the front by intrusion of a firewall acting on the intrusion bracket. The clamping means run down a slot in the fixed bracket and the intrusion bracket runs in guideways in the fixed mounting bracket to accommodate the intruding firewall.
26 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
-
upper and lower subassemblies that are slidable one within the other;
the upper subassembly being slidably mounted on a fixed mounting bracket mountable on a vehicle body part;
the lower subassembly including, at its end remote from the upper subassembly, an intrusion bracket that is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket; and
clamping means for applying clamping force between said mounting bracket and said intrusion bracket so as normally to inhibit relative sliding movement of the mounting and intrusion brackets, but so as to allow said movement in the event of a vehicle crash. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
-
upper and lower subassemblies that are slidable one within the other;
the upper subassembly being slidably mounted on a fixed mounting bracket mountable on a vehicle body part;
the lower subassembly including, at its end remote from the upper subassembly, an intrusion bracket that is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket; and
a clamping member that clamps the mounting bracket and the intrusion bracket so as normally to inhibit relative sliding movement of the mounting and intrusion brackets, but so as to allow said movement in the event of a vehicle crash. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A collapsible steering column assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
-
upper and lower subassemblies that are slidable one within the other;
the upper subassembly being slidably mounted on a fixed mounting bracket mountable on a vehicle body part;
the lower subassembly including, at its end remote from the upper subassembly, an intrusion bracket that is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket for sliding movement toward the upper subassembly to absorb impact of a primary collision; and
a clamping member that clamps the mounting bracket and the intrusion bracket so as normally to inhibit said sliding movement, but so as to allow said sliding movement in response to a primary collision. - View Dependent Claims (34)
-
Specification