Chrysler Corporation

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Ronald Klanke

Travis D Bechtel

William A Jolley

William M Snell

Rodney L Eaton

Thomas Grzybowski

Thomas S Kaliszewski

Peter Escobedo, Jr

The present invention is a steering column for a motor vehicle. The steering column comprises a guide bracket, a pivot bracket movably attached to the guide bracket, and a tilt cartridge attached to the pivot bracket. A steering shaft is pivotably attached to the pivot bracket and pivotably attached to the tilt cartridge.

Collapsing steering column with locking tilt mechanism

Apparatus for supporting a steering column of an automotive vehicle and for dampening vibration of the steering column when the vehicle is in motion. Support structure secured to the vehicle frame has a central support body and laterally spaced, first and second support flanges on opposite sides of the support body. A bracket secured to the steering column has a central bracket body and laterally spaced, first and second bracket flanges on opposite sides of the bracket body. The bracket body and its flanges are opposed to the support body and its flanges. Fastener assemblies connect the bracket flanges to the support flanges. An isolator pad is secured to the bracket in the space between the bracket body and the support body. The isolator pad is in sheet form and has portions forwardly and rearwardly of the fastener assemblies to dampen steering column vibration and rocking of the steering column about a transverse axis through the fastener assemblies.

Isolator pad for a steering column

Apparatus for releasably locking the tilt steering column assembly of an automotive vehicle in an adjusted position. A rack on the steering column assembly is engaged by a pawl to lock the steering column assembly in the position selected by the driver. A bracket is provided to hold the pawl engaged with the rack and prevent it from becoming disengaged. The tilt of the steering column can be re-adjusted by moving the bracket so that the pawl can disengage the rack. A wedge is provided for retaining the bracket in its position holding the pawl engaged with the rack. The rack has an arcuate series of teeth engageable with an arcuate series of pawl teeth. The pawl teeth includes a group of intermediate teeth of full size for full engagement with the rack teeth and at each end of the group of intermediate teeth a group of truncated teeth of shorter length than the teeth of the intermediate group to enable engagement and disengagement of the pawl and rack teeth without interference or binding.

Tilt steering column lock

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Ronald Klanke