Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1989-09-01
1990-08-21
Bertsch, Richard A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
74492, B62D 118
Patent
active
049499920
ABSTRACT:
An energy absorbing vehicular steering column assembly (10) including telescopically engaged upper and lower column tubes (16,17). The upper column tube (16) being mounted to a steering column support member (12) at its rearward end by a break-away coupling member or bracket (20) affixed to the upper column tube and having shear modules (44) forming a portion of the bracket, thus allowing it to break-away from the steering column support member upon driver impact. The remainder of the steering column assembly including means (22) for absorbing impact loads through a plastic deformation as the column tubes move together axially during a collision, and a pair of axially oriented relatively non-deformable plate-like slide members (60) secured to the steering column support member (12) and positioned between the break-away coupling and the steering column support member and on which a portion (42) of the break-away bracket or coupling member may slide as the upper column tube is collapsing.
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Bertsch Richard A.
Ford Motor Company
Hess Robert F.
Stock Daniel M.
Zerschling Keith L.
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