Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1989-04-03
1990-11-06
Marmor, Charles A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
74492, B62D 118
Patent
active
049680587
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a steering column arrangement in a motor vehicle where the steering column is moved away from the driver in the event of a front-end impact.
In a front-end impact, the vehicle experiences a sudden deceleration and the driver is driven forward and collides with the steering wheel. This impact can cause chest and other injuries.
In order to avoid such injuries various proposals have been put forward. One such proposal is to package a so-called air bag on the steering wheel and to automatically trigger the rapid inflation of this bag when an impact occurs. Another proposal makes use of the relative movement which will normally occur in such a crash between the engine block and the rest of the bodywork to pull the steering column away from the driver, by means of a system of cables.
According to the present invention, there is provided a steering column arrangement in a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising a steering column supported by brackets in the vehicle, an actuator positioned between the column and the brackets and including an explosive charge arranged so that when the actuator is triggered, the charge explodes and drives the steering column away from the position in the vehicle where the driver is located, and a sensor adapted to sense a front-end impact on the vehicle of above a predetermined magnitude, and to trigger the actuator when such an impact is sensed.
The actuator is preferably supported on the column and the part of the actuator which is moved by the explosive charge bears against a column-supporting bracket.
The column is preferably held against movement (prior to triggering off the actuator) by shear pins which connect the column to at least one of its supporting brackets. The shear pins are then broken when the actuator is triggered.
The column may include a conventional corrugated sleeve or other energy absorbing formation which can be effective on its own, in respect of impacts below the predetermined magnitude, and in conjunction with the actuator in respect of impacts above the predetermined magnitude.
The arrangement may include a non-return mechanism which will keep the column in its position away from the driver after it has been moved to this position by the actuator. The non-return mechanism may comprise a hinged and spring-loaded arm mounted on the column arranged such that the arm is normally kept in an inactive position, with the biasing spring compressed, in the normal position of the column but is released and takes up an active, blocking position once the column has been moved by the actuator.
In order to allow the steering column to be moved away from the driver it is necessary to shorten the distance from the steering wheel itself to the Point where the column connects with a steering mechanism. To enable this to happen, the brackets supporting the column allow the column to move laterally as well as longitudinally so that the angle which the column makes to the center line of the vehicle alters as the column is driven by the actuator. In this specification, components which are described as being mounted on the column may alternatively be mounted on the brackets or the adjacent fixed parts of the vehicle bodywork, and parts which are described as being mounted on the brackets or bodywork may alternatively be mounted on the column.
The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a steering column arrangement in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 shows the steering column of FIG. 1 in its position after triggering of the actuator;
FIG. 3 is a section on the lines A--A from FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a section on the line B--B from FIG. 2; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the orientation of the steering column both before and after triggering of the actuator.
FIG. 1 shows a steering column 10 with the position of the steering wheel shown at 12. Details of connections between the column and the steering wheel itself are not shown.
A support b
REFERENCES:
patent: 2929263 (1960-03-01), Felts
patent: 3464284 (1969-09-01), Fergle
patent: 3811337 (1974-05-01), Allison
patent: 4102217 (1978-07-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 4337967 (1982-07-01), Yoshida
Drouillard Jerome R.
Ford Motor Company
Marmor Charles A.
May Roger L.
Tyson Karin
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