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Steering wheel arrangement for a motor vehicle

  • US 6,910,715 B2
  • Filed: 06/29/2001
  • Issued: 06/28/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A steering wheel arrangement in a motor vehicle, in which a steering column (5) provided with a steering wheel (4) is pivotally supported in a holder (6) arranged in the vehicle, and in which the steering wheel together with a first section (7) of the steering column is (designed, in the event of a collision, to be moved from a normal position to a crash position closer to the driver of the vehicle by means of a drive device acting on the first section (7) of the steering column, characterized in that the drive device comprises a working chamber (13) intended to act upon the first section (7) of the steering column, and located around said first section, to which chamber a gas generator (21, 29) is connected, which is designed to be activated in the event of a collision in order to deliver propellant gas to the working chamber (13), thereby moving the first section (7) of the steering column and the steering wheel (4) to a crash position closer to the driver of the vehicle, the holder (6) comprising a first and a second part (9, 10), which are telescopically inserted one inside the other and tightly enclose the first section (7) of the steering column (5), and together with the first section (7) form the working chamber (13), the first part (9) being axially locked relative to the first section (7) of the steering column and the second part (10) being anchored in the vehicle, and that the holder (6) is mounted so that it can swivel in a vertical plane through the logitudinal direction of the steering column (5), and is designed to be turned in conjunction with axial displacement of the first section (7) of the steering column, so that the steering wheel (4) is lowered.

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