Collapsible intermediate shaft for motor vehicle steering column

摘要

The retaining device prevents the sliding joint from moving before a predetermined axial force is exceeded The shaft has a solid inner section (1a) which inserts into a hollow outer section (3a) to provide an eg. splined joint, which can slide axially and is rigid in torsion. The retaining device can be a spring clip (6a) which fits around the outer shaft, and has fingers (10) which extend along the inner shaft and are clamped to the inner shaft by a circlip (12). Several alternative arrangements are described.