| 摘要 |
1,075,329. Collapsible steering columns. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. Feb. 24, 1966 [March 19, 1965], No. 8115/66. Heading B7H. [Also in Division F2] In a collapsible steering column assembly for a motor vehicle, a steering shaft extending through a fixed column portion 6 for transmission of steering torque from a steering wheel to a steering gear comprises a lower shaft portion 28 arranged to telescope upwardly relative to the fixed column portion without displacing the remainder of the shaft upon yielding of an annular aluminium member 52. The lower shaft portion 28 is connected by splines 30 to the input member of the steering gear 26 and is coupled to a tubular member 34 keyed to an intermediate shaft portion 40 by a quarter Woodruff key 36 urged into engagement with a groove 37 by a spring 72 to provide a constant frictional resistance to axial displacement of the lower shaft portion 28. The annular member 52 is secured to the lower shaft portion 28 and the tubular member 34 and includes a cylindrical wall 54 which yields by collapsing back on itself. The fixed column portion 6 is secured to a bulkhead by a flanged mounting 10 and carries a thrust bearing 50 abutting a bulge 48 on a sleeve 46 surrounding the intermediate shaft portion 40. A tubular upper portion 78 of the steering shaft is connected to the steering wheel by a stub shaft 90 and is telescopically collapsible relative to the intermediate shaft portion 40 against a constant frictional resistance provided by a Woodruff key 80 urged into engagement with a groove 82 by an elastomer slug 84. An upper column portion on which the steering wheel is rotatable mounted includes a non-rotatable jacket slidable in a low-friction bearing carried by the instrument panel on collapse of the upper shaft portion 78. |
