Thyssen Krupp Ag

Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Ciprian Paltinisanu

Hieronymus Schnitzer

Martin Fleischer

Matthias Ancelin

Adrian Geiger

Johannes Ganahl

Richard Wiebe

Julian Wiedmann

A steering column for a motor vehicle, with a first casing in which a steering spindle is rotatably mounted about an axis. The first casing and a second casing are arranged to be telescoped one into the other. The second casing can be connected to a body of the motor vehicle. The casings are coupled to one another via an energy absorption device which has at least two deformation sections arranged one behind the other in the direction of the axis. At least one of the deformation sections can be coupled between the casings via a coupling device or decoupled therefrom, and the deformation section can be plastically deformed in the coupled state in the event of relative displacement of the first casing with respect to the second casing. At least two deformation sections are formed on a single-piece energy absorption element.

Steering column for a motor vehicle

A steering shaft axially mounted rotatably in a shell and a guide part by which the shell is held. An energy absorption device arranged between the guide and shell has a bending wire coupled by a first end to the shell and a second end to the guide. A rail is attached to the shell. A pin is coupled to the guide. The second end of the bending wire has a coupling section that engages behind the pin and is braced at a support point on the side wall in the event of a crash and the support point is arranged on the side of the pin gripped by the coupling section. The pin has a first spacing from the side wall. A second spacing between the pin and the support point measured axially is at least 1.1 times the first spacing.

A steering column includes a steering spindle rotatably mounted in an inner casing tube, which is disposed in an outer casing unit, and a clamping device that selectively secures the outer casing unit in a longitudinal direction. The clamping device includes a locking element, which in a fixing position is non-displaceably connected to an engagement part connected to the inner casing tube, which in a release position is released from the engagement part and permits movement of the inner casing tube relative to the outer casing unit. The inner casing tube and the outer casing unit are coupled by an energy absorption device. The engagement part includes a first driver element and a connecting part with a second driver element. The engagement part and the connecting part are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction via the coupling device in a releasable manner.

A steering column may include an inner casing tube in which a steering spindle is rotatably mounted, an outer casing unit that retains the inner casing tube, and a clamping device that secures the outer casing unit relative to the inner casing tube in a fixing position and enables adjustment in an enabling position. The clamping device comprises an arresting element supported longitudinally on the outer casing unit and, in the fixing position, is connected in a longitudinally non-displaceable manner to an engagement element connected to the inner casing tube and, in the enabling position, is released from the engagement element and enables movement of the inner casing tube relative to the outer casing unit in a longitudinal direction. A plastically-deformable energy absorption device, which includes at least two energy absorption elements and a coupling means, may couple the inner casing tube and the outer casing unit.

A locking device for a steering column may include an activating lever attached to a clamping bolt, which lever interacts with a pressure plate such that when the activating lever is rotated about an axis of the clamping bolt in a closing direction the steering column is clamped in the locking device, and such that when the activating lever is rotated in the opening direction the steering column can be adjusted. An abutment finger may be radially spaced apart from the clamping bolt and project in a direction of the axis of the clamping bolt. The abutment finger may engage in a window-like slot of the activating lever so that rotation of the activating lever is possible but limited in the opening and closing directions by abutment of the abutment finger against opposite abutment surfaces of the window-like slot, at least one which may comprise a damping cover.

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Eschen, Liechtenstein

Ciprian Paltinisanu