Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Alvin Matti

Leonard Anthony Shaner

William Moore Sherwood

Sarah Beth Certeza

Alan Joseph Porter

Shawn Grayson Gloden

Daniel Blaine Bollinger

James Thornton

A pencil brace is incorporated into a cross car assembly of an automotive vehicle as a secondary energy absorption device to assist in managing the energy and controlling the column stroke due to a collision.

Device for secondary energy management in a steering column assembly

Decoupler deflector devices and systems for automobile steering systems are provided. A decoupler deflector device in an automobile steering system can be connected to an upper intermediate shaft ('I-shaft') portion or an I-shaft joint. The decoupler device can be adapted to contact a lower I-shaft portion and rotate the upper I-shaft portion downwardly such that the upper I-shaft portion does not interfere with a collapsing steering column when subjected to loading from an automobile driver during a front-end collision impact event. The decoupler device can comprise a first end portion coupled to an upper I-shaft portion and an I-shaft joint; and a second end portion spaced apart from the first end portion to contact a lower I-shaft portion and rotate the upper I-shaft portion. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

Decoupler deflector devices and systems for automobile steering systems

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Alvin Matti