Steering column for a motor vehicle

• US 8,539,855 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Original Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Inventors: Schnitzer, Rony
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US13/139,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 744/92, 744/93, 280/775, 280/777
• US Class Current: 74/493
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/184 Mechanisms for locking columns at selected positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/185 adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/195 Yieldable supports for the steering column

Abstract

A adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle includes a mounting part that can be attached to the chassis of the motor vehicle, and an adjusting part that can be adjusted relative to the mounting part. The adjusting part rotatably supports a segment of the steering spindle, and the segment is adjacent to a steering wheel side end of the steering spindle that can be adjusted relative to the mounting part between a first end position and a second end position, along an adjusting path, when adjusting the adjusting part. The steering-wheel side end is adjusted through at least part of the adjusting path in a coupled manner in one direction of a length adjustment of the steering column, and in one direction of a height or tilt adjustment of the steering column. A front guide pin is mounted at the adjusting part or on the mounting part, and the pin engages in at least one elongated hole provided in the other of the two parts. A rear guide pin is further mounted on the adjusting part or the mounting part, and the pin includes a greater distance than the front guide pin from the steering-wheel side end of the steering spindle, and engaging in a rear elongated hole provided in at least one other of said two parts, the course thereof, relative to the curvature thereof and/or the direction of extension thereof differs from the corresponding course of the at least one front elongated hole over at least one segment of the extension thereof.

Claims

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

a mounting unit, which can be secured in position on the chassis of the motor vehicle; and

a setting unit displaceable with respect to the mounting unit, the setting unit being configured to rotatably bearing support a section of the steering spindle, the section adjoining a steering wheel-side end of the steering spindle;

wherein, during the displacement of the setting unit with respect to the mounting unit, the steering wheel-side end is displaceable between a first end position and a second end position over a setting path;

wherein over at least a portion of the setting path under coupling, a displacement of the steering wheel-side end in a direction of a length adjustment of the steering column and in a direction of a height or inclination adjustment of the steering column takes place;

wherein, on the setting unit or on the mounting unit, a frontward guide bolt is secured which engages into at least one frontward elongated hole provided in the other of these two units;

wherein, on the setting unit or on the mounting unit, a rearward guide bolt is secured, the rearward guide bolt being spaced a greater distance than the frontward guide bolt from the steering wheel-side end of the steering spindle, and the rearward guide bolt engaging into at least one rearward elongated hole provided in the other of the setting unit or the mounting unit, the course of the rearward elongated hole with reference to a curvature and/or direction of reach of the rearward elongated hole, at least over a section of the reach, differs from the corresponding course of the at least one frontward elongated hole.

2. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one section of the at least one frontward elongated hole is curved, and/or at least one section of the at least one frontward elongated hole extends in a direction which is slanted with respect to the direction of the length adjustment and also with respect to the direction of the height or inclination adjustment.

3. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one section of the at least one rearward elongated hole is curved, and/or at least one section of the rearward elongated hole extends in a direction which is slanted with respect to the direction of the length adjustment, and also with respect to the direction of the height or inclination adjustment.

4. The adjustable steering column as claimed claim 1, wherein on the frontward guide bolt at least one securement element of a securement device is disposed, and in the opened state of the securement element, the setting unit is displaceable with respect to the mounting unit over the setting path, and the closed state of the securement element, the setting unit is secured nondisplaceably with respect to the mounting unit by the securement element.

5. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 4, wherein the securement element is displaced in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frontward guide bolt during the opening and closing of the securement device.

6. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at least over a portion of the displacement path, the steering wheel-side end of the steering spindle is moved in the direction of the length adjustment and simultaneously rotated about a virtual rotational axis.

7. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 6, wherein the virtual rotational axis is spaced a greater distance from the steering wheel-side end of the steering spindle than the rearward guide bolt.

8. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 6, wherein the virtual rotational axis is located in the proximity of a universal joint, the universal joint connecting the section adjoining the steering wheel-side end of the steering spindle with a further section of the steering spindle.

9. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 1, wherein adjoining the end of the setting path at which the steering spindle has a least amount of length is a crash path over which, in the event of a motor vehicle crash, the steering wheel-side end of the steering spindle is dislocatable, wherein the frontward and the rearward guide bolts are dislocatable in crash sections of the frontward and rearward elongated holes.

10. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 9, wherein the crash sections extend in the direction of the length adjustment.

11. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one stop delimits that end of the setting path in which the steering spindle has a shortest amount of length and in the event of a crash is deformed and is thereby overcome.

12. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the elongated holes includes the at least one stop which reduces the diameter of the elongated hole and which, in the event of a crash, is deformed by guide bolts guided in this elongated hole.

13. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least over a portion of the crash path, an energy absorption mechanism acts to consume energy in addition to that energy which is consumed through the overcoming of the securement device.

14. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 13, wherein the energy absorption mechanism acts between at least one of the elongated holes and the guide bolt guided in this elongated hole.

15. The adjustable steering column as claimed in claim 1, wherein, on only one side of the setting unit, a side jaw of the mounting unit extends, and the side jaw carries the setting unit.