Retractable steering column assembly having lever, vehicle having retractable steering column assembly, and method

• US 9,809,155 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watz, Christopher F., King, Todd M., Rouleau, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US14/924,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1469 controlled by or attached to a single lever, e.g. steering column stalk switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/183 adjustable between in-use and out-of-use positions, e.g. to improve access

Abstract

A steering column assembly includes a steering column having a longitudinal axis; and a lever. The lever includes a first end and a second end. The second end of the lever is attached to the steering column. A hinge is disposed between the first end and the second end of the lever. The first end of the lever is biased away from the steering column in a first condition and folded at the hinge towards the steering column in a second condition.

Claims

1. A steering column assembly comprising:

a steering column having a longitudinal axis; and

,

a lever having a first end and a second end, the second end of the lever attached to the steering column, a hinge disposed between the first end and the second end of the lever, the first end of the lever biased away from the steering column in a first condition and folded at the hinge towards the steering column in a second condition.

2. The steering column assembly of claim 1, wherein the first end of the lever is spaced from the steering column in the first condition, and the first end of the lever is folded against the steering column in the second condition.

3. The steering column assembly of claim 1, wherein the hinge includes a spring.

4. The steering column assembly of claim 1, wherein the lever includes a first section having the first end, a second section having the second end, and the hinge includes a torsion spring having a first leg fixed to the first section and a second leg fixed to the second section.

5. The steering column assembly of claim 1, wherein a first section of the lever between the hinge and the first end has a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering column in the second condition of the lever.

6. The steering column assembly of claim 1, wherein the lever is a turning signal lever.

7. The steering column assembly of claim 1, wherein the lever is a wiper lever.

8. The steering column assembly of claim 1, further comprising a connector arranged to connect the second end of the lever to the steering column, the hinge spaced from the connector by a second section of the lever, the first section pivotal with respect to the second section.

9. The steering column assembly of claim 8, wherein the second section extends at a first angle with the longitudinal axis of the steering column in the first and second conditions of the lever, and the first section forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with the longitudinal axis of the steering column in the second condition of the lever.

10. The steering column assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shroud, the shroud arranged to at least partially surround the steering column and the second end of the lever, the shroud including a receiving area to receive a first section of the lever between the hinge and the first end in the second condition of the lever.

11. The steering column assembly of claim 10, wherein the receiving area is a pocket extending longitudinally from the second end of the lever to an end of the shroud.

12. The steering column assembly of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of levers, the shroud including a plurality of receiving areas, each of said levers receivable within a respective receiving area in the second condition of the levers.

13. A vehicle comprising:

an instrument cluster; and

,

a steering column assembly including;

a steering column having a longitudinal axis, the steering column movable along the longitudinal axis and with respect to the instrument cluster between an extended position and a retracted position; and

,

a lever having a first end and a second end, the second end of the lever attached to the steering column, a hinge disposed between the first end and the second end of the lever, the first end of the lever biased away from the steering column in the extended position of the steering column and folded at the hinge towards the steering column in the retracted position of the steering column.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the instrument cluster includes an edge and the lever engages with the edge of the instrument cluster in the retracted position of the steering column to retain the lever in the second condition.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a steering input device disposed at an end of the steering column, the second end of the lever longitudinally disposed between the instrument cluster and the steering input device in the extended position of the steering column assembly, and at least a portion of the instrument cluster longitudinally disposed between the second end of the lever and the steering input device in the retracted position of the steering column assembly.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the lever includes a first section having the first end, a second section having the second end, and the hinge extended between the first and second sections, and the hinge includes a spring.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the instrument cluster includes an edge and the first section of the lever engages with the edge of the instrument cluster in the retracted position of the steering column, and the first section of the lever is spaced from the instrument cluster in the extended position of the steering column.

18. A method of operating a steering column assembly in a vehicle, the method comprising:

retracting a steering input device connected to an end of a steering column towards an instrument cluster;

engaging an edge of the instrument cluster with a lever connected to the steering column; and

,

folding at least a portion of the lever towards the steering column about a hinge of the lever when the lever engages with the edge during the retracting of the steering input device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the lever is a turning signal lever and the edge is a first edge, and further comprising engaging a second edge of the instrument cluster with a wiper lever and folding at least a portion of the wiper lever towards the steering column about a hinge of the wiper lever when the wiper lever engages with the second edge during the retracting of the steering input device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the hinge includes a spring, and further comprising extending the steering input device to move the lever past the instrument cluster and automatically return the lever to a biased condition of the spring.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous driving assisted steering equipped vehicle and the retracting of the steering input device provides additional cabin space in the vehicle for a driver.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the retracting of the steering input device occurs during a vehicle collision.