Thyssen Krupp Ag

Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Christian Pichonnat

Justin Yoho

Bryce Welch

Thomas Geiselberger

Andreas Willi

Marvin Miller

Daniel Kreutz

Stephen W McBride

Marius Breuer

Alexander Weselý

Kevin Templin

Sedat Sen

Kai Bechmann

Stephen Mcbride

Luke Mcclelland

A steering wheel interface for a steering column including a steering spindle shaft, a steering wheel having a mounting portion, wherein the steering spindle shaft is meant to fit within the mounting portion allowing for, in an unlocked position, a relative rotational movement between a first positional angle and a second positional angle. A clamping member also included to press the steering spindle shaft and the steering wheel together and be frictionally fit against each other in a locked position.

Steering wheel interface with cone for steering wheel adjustment

The present disclosure relates to an adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle, comprising a support unit by which a positioning unit is adjustably held, and an adjustment device which is designed to adjust the positioning unit relative to the support unit. Associated with the steering column is a control unit which is designed to receive a signal, to evaluate the signal in terms of a predefined release condition, and to produce a release state of the steering column when the signal meets the release condition, and to produce a locked state of the steering column when the signal does not meet the release condition. Adjustment of the positioning unit is thus enabled exclusively in the release state.

Steering column with verifiable adjustability and method for operating such a steering column

A steering column for a motor vehicle includes comprising a supporting unit which can be connected to the chassis of the motor vehicle and an actuating unit, which is mounted on the supporting unit and which supports a steering shaft for rotation. The position of the actuating unit can be adjusted in relation to the supporting unit and the steering column has a position detection device for determining the position of the actuating unit relative to the supporting unit.

Position detection for a steering column of a motor vehicle

A steering column has a housing. A steering spindle jacket is disposed within the housing. An outer steering spindle is disposed within the steering spindle jacket and has a spline hub. An inner spindle is disposed within the outer steering spindle and includes a spline shaft configured to permit axial movement and prevent rotation of the outer steering spindle when the spline hub and the spline shaft are engaged. In a non-stowed state the spline shaft and the spline hub are engaged and in a stowed state the spline shaft and the spline hub are free of engagement. A pin is disposed in the housing engages the spline hub portion in the stowed state and prevents rotation of the outer steering spindle and is free of engagement in the non-stowed state.

Stowable steering column

A steering column may have a steering spindle jacket that is disposed within a support assembly. An outer steering spindle may include a spline hub portion and may be disposed within the steering spindle jacket. An inner steering spindle may be disposed within the outer steering spindle and may include a spline shaft portion configured to permit axial movement and prevent rotation of the outer steering spindle when the spline hub portion and the spline shaft portion are engaged. In a deployed state the spline shaft and the spline hub portions may be engaged, and in a stowed state the spline shaft and the spline hub portions may be free of engagement. A base disposed in the support assembly engages the spline hub portion in the stowed state to prevent rotation of the outer steering spindle.

One steering column assembly includes a jacket, a bearing, and a steering spindle rotatably supported by the bearing and at least partially extending inside the jacket. The spindle includes a hollow outer tube and a hollow inner tube. The outer tube has lengthening and attachment sections, and the attachment section has transition and connection portions. The lengthening section adjoins the attachment section at an end of the transition portion, and the transition portion is between the lengthening section and the connection portion. The lengthening section has first and second portions, with the second portion being between the first and transition portions, and the outer tube terminates at an end of the connection portion. The inner tube is press-fit into the outer tube, and an end of the inner tube is adjacent the transition portion end. The inner tube does not extend into either the attachment section or the first portion.

Spindle and steering column assembly having same

A compound energy absorption system for a steering column may include different first and second energy absorption mechanisms. The first energy absorption mechanism may involve a slide that deforms a deformation strip in a crash event. The second energy absorption mechanism may involve an energy absorbing strap and a carrier, with the energy absorbing strap being configured to bend and/or tear in a crash event. The energy absorbing strap, the carrier, the deformation strip, and the slide may be packaged compactly in series along an inner jacket tube of the steering column such that the carrier and the deformation strip move relative to the slide and a portion of the energy absorbing strap in a crash event. A pyrotechnic switch, a solenoid, or the like may selectively couple or decouple the second energy absorption mechanism depending on the severity or anticipated severity of a crash event.

Compound energy absorption systems for steering columns

One steering column assembly for use with a vehicle includes a jacket, a steering shaft rotatably supported by the jacket, and a retractor for moving the steering shaft from an extended position to a stowed position. The retractor does not interfere with rotation of the steering shaft when the steering shaft is at the extended position, and the retractor includes explosive material and a detonation device. The detonation device is in communication with the explosive material for detonating the explosive material when an impact event is sensed or predicted, and detonation of the explosive material results in the steering shaft moving from the extended position to the stowed position.

Automatically-stowed steering column assembly

A steering column assembly for a motor vehicle constructed in accordance to one example of the present disclosure includes a box rocker, a column jacket and a first section of tape. The box rocker has a rocker body including a box rocker inner surface that defines a box rocker bore. The box rocker is configured to be fixed relative to the motor vehicle in an assembled position. The column jacket is configured to be slidably received into the box rocker bore. The column jacket has a column jacket outer diameter including an outer surface that opposes the box rocker inner surface. The first section of tape is disposed between the box rocker inner surface and the column jacket outer surface.

Steering column engineered tape

A clevis assembly for use in a gear shift assembly of a vehicle, wherein the clevis assembly comprises a clevis bracket having a first end and a second end, the clevis bracket configured to be linked to a gear shift lever at the first end thereof. The clevis assembly further comprises at least one additional member configured to be coupled to the second end of the clevis bracket, wherein the at least one additional member comprises one or more contact surfaces configured to interact with one or more components of the gear shift assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Christian Pichonnat