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:
Aug. 30, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1993
Michael T Hancock, Warwickshire, GB;
The Torrington Company, Torrington, CT (US);
Abstract
A vehicle crash energy absorbing mechanism incorporated in a steering column structure mountable to a breakaway mounting, the structure including an inner steering shaft which is drivably coupled by a splined arrangement to an outer shaft. The inner shaft has an energy absorption member in the form of a tube which surrounds a pin which is mounted diametrically through the inner shaft. A crash induced force on the column structure causes the outer shaft to be forced relatively towards the tube, thereby inducing an interaction between the pin and tube, the latter being deformed thereby to achieve the requisite energy absorption. In an alternative embodiment, the splined outer shaft itself acts as the absorption energy member, the pin deforming the splined arrangement.