Assembly comprised of a steering wheel and a steering shaft

Details Assembly comprised of a steering wheel and a steering shaft Assembly comprised of a steering wheel and a steering shaft

2000-06-14

2001-11-06

Green, Mary Ann (Department: 3682)

Machine element or mechanism

Control lever and linkage systems

Elements

C403S325000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06311579

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an assembly comprised of a vehicle steering wheel and a steering shaft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In conventional assemblies of this type, the steering wheel comprises a holding surface so that it can be attached to the steering shaft. Such an assembly is known from the German Patent 195 44 580. There are disclosed detent hooks which fasten the steering wheel in axial direction in a form-fitting manner to the steering shaft. To release the steering wheel, the detent hooks must be moved into the release position. For this purpose, extensions are provided on the detent hooks, which project into the interior of the steering wheel and which can be acted upon by a suitable tool. In this construction, so that the steering wheel can be released from the steering shaft, the gas bag module, which is arranged in the interior in modern steering wheels, must be removed, because otherwise no access is possible to the extensions of the detent hook.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an assembly in which the detent hooks can be brought into their release position without functional parts having to be removed from the interior of the steering wheel. For this purpose, in the assembly according to the invention, the steering wheel has a holding surface and two tensioning pins. The steering shaft has a longitudinal axis and two detent hooks which are movable between a detent position in which they engage the holding surface of the steering wheel and fix the steering wheel in an axial direction with respect to the steering shaft, and a release position in which the steering wheel can be drawn off from the steering shaft. The tensioning pins engage at the detent hooks such that the detent hooks can be brought from the detent position into the release position by means of the tensioning pins. Each of the tensioning pins is accessible from outside of the steering wheel. Thus, the detent hooks can be brought into the release position by means of the tensioning pins, without access to the interior of the steering wheel being necessary and in particular without functional parts having to be removed from the interior of the steering wheel, so that the steering wheel can be removed from the steering shaft. The tensioning pins can either be present permanently on the steering wheel, or only be screwed into the corresponding bores in the steering wheel for the purpose of dismantling.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made that the detent hooks are pivotally arranged on a common axis, which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft and runs through this longitudinal axis. This leads to a particularly compact construction, so that the opening which is necessary in the steering wheel for the passage of the detent hooks can be small in construction.
Preferably, provision is made that between each tensioning pin and the associated detent hook, a slider element is arranged. Thus, the tensioning pin no longer engages directly on the corresponding detent hook, which provides various structural freedoms. For example, each slider element can be provided with a groove into which a stop engages. This stop delimits the maximum displacement distance of the slider element, so that the angle can be delimited about which the detent hooks can be swiveled from their detent position into the release position. In this way, it can be reliably prevented that a spring which acts upon the detent hooks so as to move into the detent position, is stressed excessively intensively on transferring the detent hooks into the release position. This is important, in order to ensure, with the renewed arresting of the steering wheel on the steering shaft, that the detent hooks engage with the necessary security on the holding surface.
The spring which acts upon the detent hooks into the detent position is preferably a leaf spring which is arranged between the detent hooks. This leads to a particularly compact construction.
Preferably, provision is made that the steering shaft is provided with a shoulder and between this shoulder and an associated surface of the steering wheel at least one disc spring is arranged. This disc spring compensates for any play, so that the steering wheel is firmly arranged on the steering shaft.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the sub-claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2794633 (1957-06-01), Delany
patent: 4247216 (1981-01-01), Pansini
patent: 5816112 (1998-10-01), Hosoi et al.
patent: 5855449 (1999-01-01), Thomas
patent: 5855451 (1999-01-01), Milton et al.
patent: 2276702 (1994-10-01), None

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