Adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle

• US 7,752,940 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Original Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Inventors: Lutz, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon; Thomas R
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRAUSE, JUSTIN MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US12/068,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 744/93, 280/775, 280/777
• US Class Current: 74/493
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions

Abstract

An adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle includes a fixing device, in the opened state of which the steering column is adjustable in at least one displacement direction, and, in the closed state of which the set position of the steering column is fixed in the displacement direction or at least one of the displacement directions, for fixing the set position comprises at least one securement part which includes at least one toothing with teeth, and at least one counter-securement part, which includes at least one counter toothing, with teeth. Viewed in a cross section through the teeth of the securement part and of the counter-securement part, wherein the plane of this cross section is oriented parallel to the displacement direction and parallel to the opening direction, both side flanks of the teeth of the securement part and of the counter-securement part in the closed state of the fixing device form, at least in a section of their extent, inclination angles of less than 20°, preferably less than 12°, with the opening direction.

Claims

1. An adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle, the steering column comprising:

a fixing device having an opened state in which the steering column is adjustable in a displacement direction and a closed state in which the steering column is fixed in a set position,

wherein the fixing device comprises at least one securement part and at least one counter-securement part, the at least one securement part including at least one toothing with teeth and the at least one counter-securement part including at least one counter toothing with teeth, wherein each of the teeth of the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part have side flanks;

wherein the teeth of the at least one securement part are engaged with the teeth of the at least one counter-securement part in the closed state of the fixing device, and the teeth of the at least one counter-securement part are out of engagement with the teeth of the at least one securement part in the opened state of the fixing device,

wherein the fixing device is configured such that the at least one counter-securement part is withdrawn from the at least one securement part in an opening direction to open the fixing device, and

wherein, in the closed state of the fixing device, at least a portion of both side flanks of the teeth of each of the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part form an inclination angle of less than 20°

with respect to a plane that is parallel to the opening direction and perpendicular to the displacement direction.

2. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the inclination angles of the portion of side flanks of the teeth of the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part are less than 12°

.

3. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the portion of the side flanks of each of the teeth extends over a majority of the height of the tooth.

4. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the inclination angles of the side flanks of the teeth are less than 5°

over a maximum inclination angle up to which the tooth engagement between the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part is self-locking against a force acting in the displacement direction.

5. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the teeth of the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part are configured such that the tooth engagement between the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part is self-locking against a force acting in the displacement direction.

6. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein at least some of the teeth of the at least one securement part or of the at least one counter-securement part have wedge forms,

wherein V-shaped indentations are formed in tooth interspaces on the at least one securement part or the at least one counter-securement part, and

wherein the wedge forms project into the V-shaped indentations in the closed state of the fixing device.

7. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein at least some of the teeth of the at least one securement part or of the at least one counter-securement part have a sloped portion on the free ends thereof,

wherein sloped bottoms are formed in tooth interspaces on the at least one securement part or the at least one counter-securement part, and

wherein the sloped portions contact the sloped bottoms in the closed state of the fixing device.

8. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the at least one securement part comprises at least one first toothing and at least one second toothing which cooperate with a first counter toothing and a second counter toothing, respectively, of the at least one counter-securement part.

9. The adjustable steering column of claim 8, wherein the first toothing and the second toothing are angled with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the opening direction and parallel to the displacement direction such that the first toothing and the second toothing form a V with respect to one another,

wherein the first counter toothing and the second counter toothing are angled with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the opening direction and parallel to the displacement direction such that the first counter toothing and the second counter toothing form a V with respect to one another, and

wherein the angle between the first toothing and the second toothing is identical to the angle between the first counter toothing and the second counter toothing.

10. The adjustable steering column of claim 8, wherein the fixing device includes an offset between the teeth of the first toothing and the teeth of the second toothing or between the teeth of the first counter toothing and the teeth of the second counter toothing, the offset being equal to a fraction of the distance between the centers of successive teeth.

11. The adjustable steering column of claim 10, wherein the offset is one half the distance between the centers of successive teeth.

12. The adjustable steering column of claim 10, wherein the at least one counter-securement part or the at least one securement part is swivellable about a rocker axis, the rocker axis being parallel to the displacement direction, and

wherein during the closing of the fixing device the at least one counter-securement part and the at least one securement part come into tooth engagement either between the teeth of the first toothing with the teeth of the first counter toothing or between the teeth of the second toothing with the teeth of the second counter toothing swivelled about the rocker axis.

13. The adjustable steering column of claim 10, wherein the at least one counter-securement part comprises first and second ram parts, wherein the first counter toothing is disposed on the first ram part and the second counter toothing is disposed on the second ram part, and the ram parts during the closing of the fixing device are independently shiftable counter to the opening direction.

14. The adjustable steering column of claim 13, further comprising:

a guidance part; and

an actuating part,

wherein the ram parts are shiftably supported in the guidance part,

wherein the actuation part is swivellable relative to the guidance part and cooperates with the ram parts for shifting the ram parts counter to the opening direction in closing the fixing device.

15. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the at least one counter-securement part or the at least one securement part is swivellable about a transverse axis which is perpendicular to the displacement direction and perpendicular to the opening direction, and

wherein the at least one counter-securement part or the at least one securement part are swivellable about the transverse axis into an oblique position in the opened state of the fixing device.

16. The adjustable steering column of claim 15, wherein springs disposed between the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part distance the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part from one another in the opened state of the fixing device,

wherein the springs swivel the at least one counter-securement part with respect to the at least one securement part about the transverse axis into the oblique position, and

wherein the springs are helical springs of different lengths.

17. The adjustable steering column of claim 15, wherein the first and second toothings and the first and second counter toothings comprise snap-in sections on both sides thereof, the snap-in sections being positioned in the shape of a V with respect to one another, and lateral seeking sections located parallel and in the same plane.

18. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the fixing device comprises a fixing bolt which penetrates the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part through openings.

19. The adjustable steering column of claim 18, wherein a contact part is disposed on the fixing bolt for coming in contact on a contact face of the at least one counter-securement part, the contact face facing away from the at least one securement part, and

wherein the at least one counter-securement part in the closed state of the fixing device is pressed onto the at least one securement part by the contact part.

20. The adjustable steering column of claim 19, wherein the contact part is an axial bearing.

21. The adjustable steering column of claim 19, wherein the contact face of the at least one counter-securement part is arched convexly toward the contact part or includes oblique faces which are connected with one another through a vertex or a bent region, on which the contact part is in contact.

22. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein the inclination angles of the side flanks of the teeth of the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part are greater than 3°

.

23. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, further comprising:

a spring device for the parallel positioning of the teeth of the at least one securement part and the at least one counter-securement part, the spring device acting between the securement part and the at least one counter-securement part and shifting the counter-securement part with respect to the at least one securement part up to a mutual stop in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction.