公开(公告)号：US5953961A

公开(公告)日：1999-09-21

申请号：US53360

申请日：1998-04-01

申请人： Richard Thomas Stuedemann ,  Richard Kremer Riefe ,  Ray Garnet Armstrong

发明人： Richard Thomas Stuedemann ,  Richard Kremer Riefe ,  Ray Garnet Armstrong

IPC分类号： B62D1/19 ,  F16B5/02 ,  F16B37/04

CPC分类号： B62D1/195 ,  F16B5/0258

摘要： A connection between a collapsible mast jacket of an energy absorbing steering column and a body of a motor vehicle including a mounting bracket on the mast jacket having an attachment flange perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the steering column, an aperture in the attachment flange, a plastic bushing captured in the aperture, and a fastener operative to rigidly clamp the plastic bushing to the body of the motor vehicle. The plastic bushing fractures in response to an impact on the steering column to release the mounting bracket. In a preferred embodiment, retention between the attachment flange and the plastic bushing is effected by an edge of the aperture in the attachment flange seated in an annular outside groove in the plastic bushing. A plurality of linear slots in the plastic bushing divide the plastic bushing into a plurality of cantilever spring segments which flex inward when the bushing is pushed into the aperture in the attachment flange and which snap out when the annular slot in the bushing registers with the peripheral edge of the aperture in the attachment flange.

摘要翻译： 能量吸收转向柱的可折叠桅杆护套与机动车辆的主体之间的连接，包括在桅杆护套上的安装支架，其具有垂直于转向柱的纵向中心线的附接凸缘，附接凸缘中的孔， 捕获在孔中的塑料衬套，以及用于将塑料衬套刚性地夹紧到机动车辆的主体上的紧固件。 塑料套管响应于转向柱的撞击而断裂，以释放安装支架。 在优选实施例中，附接凸缘和塑料衬套之间的保持由位于塑料衬套中的环形外槽中的附接凸缘中的孔的边缘来实现。 塑料套管中的多个直线槽将塑料衬套分成多个悬臂弹簧段，当衬套被推入附接凸缘中的孔中时，该弹簧段向内弯曲，并且当衬套中的环形槽与周边 连接法兰上的孔的边缘。

公开(公告)号：US6019391A

公开(公告)日：2000-02-01

申请号：US72236

申请日：1998-05-04

申请人： Richard Thomas Stuedemann ,  Leroy L. Gatz ,  Xiaoyu Li ,  Floyd E. Eschenbacher, Jr. ,  Kevin Lawrence Roe ,  Kevin Carlton Ross

发明人： Richard Thomas Stuedemann ,  Leroy L. Gatz ,  Xiaoyu Li ,  Floyd E. Eschenbacher, Jr. ,  Kevin Lawrence Roe ,  Kevin Carlton Ross

IPC分类号： B62D1/19 ,  B62D1/16

CPC分类号： B62D1/195

摘要： A steering column for a motor vehicle having a gear box of an electric power assist apparatus in front of the steering column. The steering column includes a rigid mast jacket consisting of a short tubular sleeve and a bracket attached to the tubular sleeve having a pair of laterally separated guides straddling the gear box. A pair of lugs on the gear box cooperate with a pair of elongated slots in the guides in connecting the mast jacket to the gear box for vertical pivotal movement and for linear translation. A longitudinally collapsible steering shaft is rotatably supported on the tubular sleeve with a steering hand wheel at one end and a flexible coupling at the other end connecting the steering shaft to an input shaft on the gear box. The tubular sleeve is connected to the vehicle body by a clamp which releases the tubular sleeve for a collapse stroke of the mast jacket. The mast jacket protects the steering shaft against beam bending during the collapse stroke. The unobstructed span in front of the tubular sleeve between the guides yields a collapse stroke of the mast jacket consistent with acceptable performance of an energy absorber.

摘要翻译： 一种用于机动车辆的转向柱，其具有在转向柱前面的电动助力装置的齿轮箱。 转向柱包括由短管状套筒和附接到管状套筒的支架组成的刚性桅杆护套，其具有跨越齿轮箱的一对横向分离的导向件。 齿轮箱上的一对凸耳与引导件中的一对细长的槽配合，将桅杆护套连接到齿轮箱，用于垂直枢转运动并进行线性平移。 纵向可折叠转向轴可旋转地支撑在管状套筒上，一端具有转向手轮，另一端的挠性联轴器将转向轴连接到齿轮箱上的输入轴。 管状套筒通过一个夹具连接到车体上，该夹具释放管状套筒以使桅杆护套的塌陷行程。 桅杆护套在塌陷行程中保护转向轴免受梁弯曲。 在导向件之间的管状套管前面的无阻挡跨度使得桅杆护套的塌陷行程与能量吸收器的可接受的性能一致。

公开(公告)号：US5788278A

公开(公告)日：1998-08-04

申请号：US808204

申请日：1997-02-28

申请人： Steven Mark Thomas ,  Xiaoyu Li ,  Richard Thomas Stuedemann

发明人： Steven Mark Thomas ,  Xiaoyu Li ,  Richard Thomas Stuedemann

IPC分类号： B62D1/19 ,  F16F7/12 ,  B62D1/11

CPC分类号： F16F7/123 ,  B62D1/195

摘要： An energy-absorbing motor vehicle steering column including a housing supported on a body structure of the vehicle for linear translation in a collapse direction and an energy absorber which converts into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of an impact on the steering column. The energy absorber includes a bare flat metal ribbon, i.e., without friction-reducing coating or lubrication, preformed to define a pair of parallel straight sections and a lateral web between the straight sections. The ribbon is seated edge-wise on a horizontal wall of the steering column housing with the straight sections in a pair of longitudinal guide channels and the lateral web looped over a pair of laterally spaced bare anvils on the housing and wedged between the bare anvils and an abutment on the body structure on the other side of the lateral web from the anvils. During linear translation of the housing in the collapse direction, the abutment anchors the center of the web on the vehicle body structure so that each of the straight sections of the flat ribbon is plastically deformed around and pulled across a corresponding one of the anvils to effect energy absorption by plastic deformation and by friction.

摘要翻译： 一种能量吸收机动车辆转向柱，其包括支撑在车辆的车身结构上的壳体，用于在塌方向上线性平移;以及能量吸收器，其将转向柱上的冲击动能的一部分转换为能量吸收器。 能量吸收器包括裸平的金属带，即，不具有减摩擦涂层或润滑剂，被预先形成以限定一对平行的直线部分和在直的部分之间的横向腹板。 带状物边缘地位于转向柱壳体的水平壁上，其中直线部分在一对纵向引导通道中，并且横向腹板环绕在壳体上的一对横向间隔开的砧座上并且楔入裸露砧座和 在外侧腹板的另一侧上的砧座上的主体结构上的邻接。 在壳体处于塌缩方向的线性平移期间，邻接件将幅材的中心锚定在车身结构上，使得扁平带的每个直线部分在相对应的一个砧座周围塑性变形并且被拉动以实现 通过塑性变形和摩擦吸收能量。