Steering column for motor vehicle

• Main Authors: LI; XIAOYU, ROE; KEVIN LAWRENCE, GATZ; LEROY L, ESCHENBACHER, JR.; FLOYD E, STUEDEMANN; RICHARD THOMAS, ROSS; KEVIN CARLTON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.02.2000
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING

A steering column for a motor vehicle having a gear box of an electric power assist apparatus in front of the steering column. The steering column includes a rigid mast jacket consisting of a short tubular sleeve and a bracket attached to the tubular sleeve having a pair of laterally separated guides straddling the gear box. A pair of lugs on the gear box cooperate with a pair of elongated slots in the guides in connecting the mast jacket to the gear box for vertical pivotal movement and for linear translation. A longitudinally collapsible steering shaft is rotatably supported on the tubular sleeve with a steering hand wheel at one end and a flexible coupling at the other end connecting the steering shaft to an input shaft on the gear box. The tubular sleeve is connected to the vehicle body by a clamp which releases the tubular sleeve for a collapse stroke of the mast jacket. The mast jacket protects the steering shaft against beam bending during the collapse stroke. The unobstructed span in front of the tubular sleeve between the guides yields a collapse stroke of the mast jacket consistent with acceptable performance of an energy absorber.