Patent ID: 9725108
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: B62D,F16F

Claim:
1. A collapsible steering column assembly which includes a shroud comprising an outer tube that supports a steering wheel through a bearing and an inner tube that is fixed to a part of a vehicle, the column assembly being able to collapse telescopically by the outer tube moving over the inner tube, the column assembly further including an energy absorbing strap that is fixed to the inner tube and a plough which is fixed to the outer tube, whereby in use the column assembly is so arranged that upon a telescopic collapse the relative movement between the inner tube and the outer tube forces a part of the plough through the strap to progressively peel away a part of the strap from a remainder of the strap, in which the plough comprises a wedge member that has an inclined front face terminating in a leading edge that is located below an upturned end part of the strap which projects out away from the inner tube and during collapse the inclined front face is driven between the inner tube and upturned end part of the strap to progressively tear the upturned end part away from the remainder of the strap, and in which the plough includes a pressing part which is located above a portion of the strap adjacent the part that is torn away by the inclined front face.