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:
Mar. 03, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 16, 1996
Terry Edward Burkhard, Bay City, MI (US);
Douglas Matthew Schneider, Bridgeport, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A motor vehicle steering column including a first mast jacket element mounted on a body of the vehicle, a second mast jacket element telescoped into a cylindrical passage in the first element, and a split bushing between the first and second elements. The bushing has a lip on an outside surface thereof which seats against the passage in the first mast jacket element to define a closed circumferential chamber around the bushing interrupted by the split in the latter. A plastic shim is molded in place in the closed circumferential chamber by injecting liquid plastic under pressure through a port in the first mast jacket element. Liquid plastic fills the closed circumferential chamber and clamps an inside surface of the bushing against an outer surface of the second mast jacket element to eliminate lash. Shrinkage of the plastic in the closed circumferential chamber reduces the contact pressure between the bushing and the second mast jacket element to minimize frictional drag.