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:
May. 22, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 09, 1999
William Francis Weber, Bloomfield, MI (US);
Thomas Junior Luckett, Saline, MI (US);
Gregory Thomas Hedderly, White Lake, MI (US);
Patricia Kaye Kutsche, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Visteon Global Technologies, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle includes a receiver forming an aperture therein and having first and second gear racks at opposing sides of the aperture. A steering column armature assembly is received within the receiver aperture and includes first and second gears engaged with the first and second gear racks, respectively, in a manner to facilitate counter-rotation of the first and second gears as the steering column armature assembly is moved along the first and second gear racks. The first and second gears are selectively lockable together to prevent movement of the steering column armature assembly along the first and second gear racks. The first and second gears include an energy absorber positioned therebetween for dissipating energy when the first and second gears are forcibly displaced and counter-rotate with respect to each other in a high energy impact.