Locks – Special application – For automotive vehicles
Patent
1983-12-23
1986-02-18
Wolfe, Robert L.
Locks
Special application
For automotive vehicles
70185, 70386, B60R 2502
Patent
active
045704686
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a national phase application for the international application PCT/EP83/00104 filed Apr. 14, 1983 under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and claims the priority under the International Convention of a German application No. P 32 16 168.9 filed Apr. 30, 1982.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for locking the rotational movement of the steering column of a motor vehicle by means of a clamp locking mechanism with rollers parallel to the axis, which rollers clamp the steering column in both rotational directions between a cylindrical track and clamping surfaces oblique to the track and are guided in a coaxial cage rotatable about the steering column, which coaxial cage can be carried along by the steering column in both rotational directions in each case into one of the two clamping positions and can be fixed in a central position located between the two clamping positions, in which central position the rollers release the steering column.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A locking device of this type is known from French Pat. No. A2,456,644. In this device, the cage, when it is not fixed, takes up different positions because the frictional engagement between the steering column and the cage does not have a constant value. In particular, the frictional engagement is altered substantially by temperature differences.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to improve a device of the type mentioned at the beginning so that the cage is carried along evenly and exactly by the column.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved, according to the invention, by providing that all the rollers are surrounded externally by at least one elastic ring coaxial to the column, which ring elastically loads the rollers towards the steering column.
The elastic ring according to the invention always presses the rollers with a constant force against the steering column so that an exact and even frictional engagement between the cage and the column is guaranteed. By this means, the positions of the cage on the column are determined exactly.
The device has small assembly dimensions in the axial and radial directions, is simple and economical to manufacture, and is easy to install.
The ring is particularly economical and spacesaving if it consists of rubber or an elastic plastic. A very simple design arrangement is produced when the rollers protrude beyond the outside of the cage and the ring is located outwardly of the cage. The outside of the cage and the ring can then be further surrounded externally by an additional part of the cage.
A very even compressive loading is obtained if a respective elastic ring is provided for each of the two sides of an outer fixed clamping ring provided with the clamping surfaces. It is important that the cage can be arrested in a cental position between the two clamping positions, so that clamping of the steering column is certain to be avoided while the vehicle is travelling. For this purpose the insertion of a pin in a recess of the cage is proposed in French Pat. No. A2,456,644. However, this pin only enters this recess if the latter is aligned with the pin, so that the steering column must be moved backwards and forwards by the steering wheel until this situation occurs.
In contrast, in the device according to the invention, the cage has a protrusion externally which is brought into position and arrested by a part controlled by the steering lock, in which position the cage does not lock. By this means, the part which arrests the cage also simultaneously establishes the position of the cage in which the latter does not lock.
It is preferred that a part controlled by the steering lock places the cage in the nonclamping position by means of a wedge mechanism, in particular a double wedge mechanism. This yields a particularly simple and safe design. Furthermore the cage protrusion or the part controlled by the steering lock should have a recess with two wedge surfaces, in which recess a wedge o
REFERENCES:
patent: 3528534 (1970-09-01), Benson
patent: 3937312 (1976-02-01), Gehrke
Bemm Wulf
Bruckner Rolf
Eigelshofen Gunter
Dubno Herbert
Neiman S.A.
Ross Karl F.
Wolfe Robert L.
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