Collapsible shaft having tunable collapse load for motor vehicle

Details Collapsible shaft having tunable collapse load for motor vehicle Collapsible shaft having tunable collapse load for motor vehicle

1998-10-30

2000-08-08

Hurley, Kevin

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Running gear

B62D 111

Patent

active

060990376

ABSTRACT:
A collapsible shaft, for a steering column of a motor vehicle, having a predetermined collapse load, includes an inner shaft member having a non-circular cross-section and an outer tube member having a non-circular cross-section congruent with that of the inner shaft member and slidably overlaying the inner shaft member. This shaft arrangement provides for yieldably retaining the inner shaft in a fixed axial position in the outer tube until acted upon by a predetermined force. The means for accomplishing this includes an undercut portion, having a length "L" and a depth "D", on one lateral face of the inner shaft, an arcuate spring member, having an arc length "L-.DELTA.L", fitted into the undercut portion and, when the arcuate spring is compressed during insertion of the shaft into the tube, having its ends almost butted against the ends of the undercut portion and interfering with movement of the inner shaft in the outer tube. The spring member is stressed slightly beyond its elastic limit during insertion of the inner shaft and spring member into the outer tube.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5235734 (1993-08-01), DuRocher et al.
patent: 5348345 (1994-09-01), Dykema et al.
patent: 5464251 (1995-11-01), Castellon
patent: 5476284 (1995-12-01), DuRocher et al.
patent: 5477750 (1995-12-01), Korzan
patent: 5560650 (1996-10-01), Woycik et al.
patent: 5575501 (1996-11-01), Moriyama et al.
patent: 5634662 (1997-06-01), Asayama
patent: 5669270 (1997-09-01), Cymbal et al.

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