Patent ID: 9056627
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: B62D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A steering column assembly comprising: an inner tube having a length and an outer tube that surrounds said inner tube along at least part of the length thereof, in a relaxed condition said outer tube being a relatively loose fit around said inner tube, an elongate slot in said outer tube which can be at least partially closed by applying a load to either side of said slot to cause a reduction in an internal diameter of said outer tube, a pair of flanges which are fixed to said outer tube on opposing sides of said slot, a clamp mechanism which connects a first one of said pair of flanges to a second one of said pair of flanges, said clamp mechanism being movable between a clamped position in which said clamp mechanism applies a clamping force to said pair of flanges that acts to reduce a width of said slot and so tightens said outer tube around said inner tube, and an unclamped position in which said clamping force is reduced to permit said pair of flanges to move away from one another as said outer tube returns towards said relaxed condition, and a catch which is a separate and distinct component relative to said pair of flanges, said catch being fixedly secured at a first end to one of said pair of flanges and non-fixedly secured at a second end to the other one of said pair of flanges to catch a part of the other one of said pair of flanges at the second end thereof, wherein an inner diameter of the outer tube is larger than an outer diameter of the inner tube when the clamp mechanism is in the unclamped position so that there is limited lateral free play between the inner and outer tubes, wherein said clamp mechanism includes a clamp pin that passes between an elongate slot provided in each of said pair of flanges, wherein a support bracket is provided which is secured to a fixed part of a vehicle body structure, wherein said support bracket comprises an inverted u-shaped bracket having two dependent arms, and said clamp pin passes through openings in said dependent arms of said support bracket, wherein in the clamped position, said clamp mechanism presses said dependent arms onto said support bracket simultaneous with clamping said outer tube to said inner tube, and wherein in the unclamped position, said catch restrains expansion of the outer tube relative to the inner tube to prevent an increase in friction between an outer face of said flanges and an inner face of said dependent arms of the bracket.