Lemforder Nacam Sa

Nacam

Pascal Millet

Benoit Duval

Frederic Gentet

Jean-Michel Fouquet

In an automobile vehicle steering column including a steering shaft mounted in a tube-body by means of bearings and attached to a reinforcing member of the tube-body which is mounted on a support member fixed to the chassis of the vehicle and an adjustment system with an axle for locking the support member, an active retraction device in the steering column comprises two sloping wedges mounted on and having conjugate inclinations relative to the axle, and at least one fusible pin coupling the sloping wedges. The inside sloping wedge is disposed around the depthwise adjustment slide and the outside sloping wedge is attached to the axle of the adjustment system. In the event of an impact, the fusible pin is sheared by the triggering of an air-bag and allows the sloping wedges to move apart and to release the tension in the adjustment system axle in order to allow the steering shaft to move in a required direction.

Device for active retraction, in the event of impact, of an automobile

A steering column includes a steering shaft freely rotatable in a tube-body disposed in a support member attached to a chassis of the vehicle. The tube-body is locked by a system for adjusting its position. The positioning device comprises an additional guide system for the tube-body in the event of an impact such that the angle of the steering shaft and the steering wheel of the vehicle to the horizontal plane is smaller after retraction of the steering wheel in order to allow correct functioning of the air-bag.

Device for positioning an automobile vehicle steering column in the

An energy-absorbing device for an automobile steering column adjustable in depth and/or inclination mounted on a support structure fixed to the vehicle body. The body-tube and steering shaft are clamped and locked in the support structure. A securing device with a rotatable elongate tightening element, such as a bolt or rod, and an operator for rotating the axis of the tightening element clamps the body-tube between coacting clamping elements and vertical sides of the support structure. Provision is made for depth adjustment and inclination of the steering column body-tube by slots in the clamping elements and support structure that allow positioning the tightening element axis at a selected position in accordance with a selected depth and inclination of the body-tube. An energy-absorbing element, in the form of a flat coiled band or a coiled wire, is fixed to an end of the body-tube facing the vehicle steering wheel so that an impact force applied at that end and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body-tube effects axial translation of the body-tube relative to the support structure. Intermediate toothed elements of the securing device connect the energy-absorbing element to the body-tube and the securing device operator which translates in response to the body-tube translation. If the impact force reaches the value of the tightening or clamping forces, the energy-absorbing element absorbing element absorbs the energy of the impact force as the body-tube translates.

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Meslay, France

Pascal Millet