The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 12, 1991
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1990
Richard T Stuedemann, Saginaw, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
An anti-theft steering shaft lock includes a longitudinally split elastomeric clutch sleeve, a non-cylindrical cam section on the steering shaft, and a transverse lock bolt bodily shiftable between extended and retracted positions. The sleeve has a right cylindrical outside surface and a non-cylindrical inside surface matching the cam section on the steering shaft. The sleeve fits on the cam section and within a cylindrical bore in a stationary housing on which the shaft is rotatably supported, the bore having a greater diameter than the sleeve so that the steering shaft and sleeve are normally freely rotatable relative to the housing. In its extended position, the lock bolt projects into the slot in the split sleeve to prevent rotation of the sleeve with the steering shaft. The cam section expands and wedges the sleeve against the bore in the housing when the steering shaft is rotated relative to the sleeve. The annular gap between the sleeve and the cylindrical bore accommodates a few degrees of rotation of the shaft relative to the sleeve before the sleeve is wedged. The few degrees of steering shaft rotation dissipates residual restoring torque in the steering system.