Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1995-01-05
1997-01-21
Dickson, Paul N.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
74493, B62D 119
Patent
active
055953999
ABSTRACT:
An energy-absorbing device for an automobile steering column adjustable in depth and/or inclination mounted on a support structure fixed to the vehicle body. The body-tube and steering shaft are clamped and locked in the support structure. A securing device with a rotatable elongate tightening element, such as a bolt or rod, and an operator for rotating the axis of the tightening element clamps the body-tube between coacting clamping elements and vertical sides of the support structure. Provision is made for depth adjustment and inclination of the steering column body-tube by slots in the clamping elements and support structure that allow positioning the tightening element axis at a selected position in accordance with a selected depth and inclination of the body-tube. An energy-absorbing element, in the form of a flat coiled band or a coiled wire, is fixed to an end of the body-tube facing the vehicle steering wheel so that an impact force applied at that end and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body-tube effects axial translation of the body-tube relative to the support structure. Intermediate toothed elements of the securing device connect the energy-absorbing element to the body-tube and the securing device operator which translates in response to the body-tube translation. If the impact force reaches the value of the tightening or clamping forces, the energy-absorbing element absorbing element absorbs the energy of the impact force as the body-tube translates.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4733575 (1988-03-01), Nakamura
patent: 4901592 (1990-02-01), Ito et al.
patent: 4998999 (1991-03-01), Yuzuriha et al.
patent: 5131286 (1992-07-01), Sturges et al.
patent: 5286056 (1994-02-01), Speich
patent: 5306032 (1994-04-01), Hoblingre et al.
"Deforming Wire Absorbs Shock" (entire article), Machine Design, vol. 37, No. 30 (Dec. 23, 1965), Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. (no author given).
Duval Benoit
Fouquet Jean-Michel
Millet Pascal
Dickson Paul N.
Lobato Emmanuel J.
NACAM
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