Strattec Security Corporation

Jon W Behrens

Michael D Fink

Steven J Dimig

A steering lock locks a steering member with a lockbolt movable along an axis between locking and unlocking positions. A first member having a first cam surface is rotatable by an actuator in a first direction for locking the lockbolt. A second member having a second cam surface is engaged with the first cam surface. The second member is translatable along the axis in a locking direction by rotation of the first member. An unlocking spring is compressible through a range of movement of the second member in the first direction to store increasing potential energy. The cam surfaces are engaged such that unlocking of the lockbolt is carried out by the stored energy in the unlocking spring, which is released in a continuously increasing manner controlled by the actuator as the first member is rotated by the actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Steering lock

A steering lock for inhibiting rotation of a rotary steering member having a rib. A lockbolt is movable along a first axis between steering member-locking and -unlocking positions. A shuttle moves between a non-blocking position, in which the shuttle does not obstruct movement of the lockbolt from the steering member-locking position, and a blocking position, in which the shuttle obstructs movement of the lockbolt out of the steering member-locking position. An actuator is coupled to the shuttle and operable to drive the lockbolt to the steering member-locking position by moving the shuttle from the non-blocking position to the blocking position. The lockbolt is unbiased along the first axis.

An actuation device for a steering lock is operable to selectively lock a rotary steering member against rotation. A lockbolt is movable along a first axis between a steering member-locking position and a steering member-unlocking position. A shuttle is movable between a non-blocking position in which the shuttle does not obstruct movement of the lockbolt from the steering member-locking position to the steering member-unlocking position and a blocking position in which the shuttle obstructs movement of the lockbolt from the steering member-locking position to the steering member-unlocking position. An actuator is coupled to the shuttle and operable to move the shuttle from at least one of the non-blocking position and the blocking position to the other of the non-blocking position and the blocking position. The actuator has an output defining a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

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Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Jon W Behrens