Adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle

• US 8,006,587 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Original Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Inventors: Heiml, Roland, Schnitzer, Rony
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Vicky A
• Application Number:
  US11/979,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 744/85, 744/92, 744/93, 744/95, 745/04, 280/775, 701/82, 701/83, 701/84, 297/366
• 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 setting unit displaceable in at least one setting direction, a holding unit nondisplaceable in this setting direction, and a securement device. In the opened state of the securement device, the setting unit is displaceable with respect to the holding unit for setting the position of the steering column and, in the closed state of the securement device, the setting unit is secured with respect to the holding unit by the securement device. The securement device includes a clamp bolt penetrating openings in the setting unit and holding unit, at least one tooth plate penetrated by the clamp bolt, which tooth plate comprises at least one toothing (set of teeth) with teeth directed away from the clamp bolt. The holding unit has at least one toothing (set of teeth), facing the clamp bolt for cooperation with the at least one toothing of the tooth plate in the closed state of the securement device. The tooth plate is implemented elastically flexibly and disposed between the holding unit and a press-on part, penetrated by the longitudinal axis of the clamp bolt, by which it is pressed onto the holding unit in the closed state of the securement device. The at least one toothing of the tooth plate in the opened state of the securement device is spaced apart by spring force in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the clamp bolt from the at least one toothing of the holding unit.

Claims

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

a setting unit displaceable in at least one setting direction;

a holding unit nondisplaceable in the at least one setting direction, said holding unit having a set of teeth; and

a securement device to be configured in a closed state and an open state such that, in the open state, said setting unit is displaceable with respect to said holding unit for allowing a position of the steering column to be set and such that, in the closed state, said setting unit is secured with respect to said holding unit by said securement device, said securement device including;

a clamp bolt penetrating openings in said setting unit and said holding unit;

an elastically flexible tooth plate penetrated by said clamp bolt, said tooth plate having a set of teeth for engaging with said set of teeth of said holding unit when said securement device is in the closed state, said set of teeth of said tooth plate facing away from said clamp bolt, said set of teeth of said holding unit facing towards said clamp bolt; and

a press-on part penetrated by a longitudinal axis of said clamp bolt, said tooth plate being located between said holding unit and said press-on part, said press-on part being configured to press said tooth plate onto said holding unit in the closed state of said securement device;

wherein said holding unit and said securement device are configured such that, in the open state of said securement device, said set of teeth of said tooth plate are spaced apart from said set of teeth of said holding unit along a direction of the longitudinal axis of said clamp bolt by a spring force; and

wherein said set of teeth of said tooth plate comprises a first set of teeth, said tooth plate further comprising a second set of teeth facing in an opposite direction than said first set of teeth of said tooth plate, and said set of teeth of said holding unit comprises a first set of teeth, said holding unit further comprising a second set of teeth facing said first set of teeth of said holding unit for engaging with said first set of teeth and said second set of teeth of said tooth plate.

2. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said tooth plate is disposed on an outer side of a side jaw of said holding unit, said outer side facing away from and located next to said setting unit, said side jaw having an elongated hole through which said clamp bolt penetrates said side jaw, and said first set of teeth of said holding unit being disposed on said side jaw.

3. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said holding unit comprises side jaws, each of said side jaws being located on a respective one of both sides of said setting unit, said side jaws including elongated holes penetrated by said clamp bolt and being configured such that, in the closed state of said securement device, said side jaws are pressed by said securement device onto said setting unit.

4. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein, in the closed state of said securement device, said setting unit is held under frictional locking with respect to said holding unit through cooperating friction faces of said setting unit and said holding unit in the at least one setting direction in which said tooth plate is effective.

5. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said first set of teeth of said tooth plate are located outside of a press-on region, said press-on part being in contact on said tooth plate over the press-on region in the closed state of said securement device.

6. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said securement device and said holding unit are configured such that said tooth plate and said clamp bolt are shifted with respect to said holding unit in the at least one setting direction in which said tooth plate is effective by a displacement of said setting unit with respect to said holding unit in the at least one setting direction in which said tooth plate is effective.

7. The adjustable steering column of claim 6, wherein for entrainment of said tooth plate during a displacement of said setting unit with respect to said holding unit in the at least one setting direction in which said tooth plate is effective, said press-on part entrained by said clamp bolt has at least one extension engaging into a window cutout of said tooth plate.

8. The adjustable steering column of claim 7, wherein said at least one extension of said press-on part also engages into an elongated hole of a side jaw of said holding unit for securing said press-on part against twisting.

9. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said first set of teeth of said tooth plate are disposed in a row extending at least substantially in the at least one setting direction in which said tooth plate in the closed state of said securement device counteracts a displacement of said setting unit with respect to said holding unit.

10. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said first set of teeth of said tooth plate are disposed on an extending side edge of said tooth plate.

11. The adjustable steering column of claim 10, wherein said first set of teeth and said second set of teeth of said tooth plate are disposed on opposite side edges of said tooth plate.

12. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said tooth plate is configured to act against a height or inclination adjustment of the steering column in the closed state of said securement device.

13. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said tooth plate comprises spring-elastic arms abutting against said holding unit, said spring-elastic arms being configured to space said first set of teeth of said tooth plate from said first set of teeth of said holding unit during opening of said securement device.

14. The adjustable steering column of claim 13, wherein said tooth plate is configured to shift said press-on part in a direction away from said holding unit during the opening of said securement device.

15. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said clamp bolt is oriented such that the longitudinal axis of said clamp bolt is at a right angle to a longitudinal axis of the steering spindle.

16. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said press-on part comprises an extension engaging into a window cutout of said tooth plate and into an elongated hole of said holding unit for alignment of said tooth plate with respect to said first set of teeth of said holding unit.

17. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein said first set of teeth of said tooth plate and said first set of teeth of said holding unit point in a direction at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of said clamp bolt and at a right angle to the at least one setting direction in which said tooth plate is effective.

18. The adjustable steering column of claim 1, wherein each of said first set of teeth of said tooth plate and said first set of teeth of said holding unit has a comb extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said clamp bolt.