Patent ID: 6298938
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: B60R,Y10T

Abstract:
A locking device for a steering system of a motor vehicle, the locking device comprising:a first compression spring;a second compression spring;an electromagnet;a pitman arm shaft having concentric external gear teeth;a locking ring having internal gear teeth, the locking ring being assigned to the concentric external gear teeth, the locking ring being supportable to be movable by the electromagnet along an axis of the pitman arm shaft, and the internal gear teeth being meshable with the concentric external gear teeth so that the pitman arm shaft is not rotatable in a locked state; anda blocking mechanism for locking the pitman arm shaft, for preventing a steering wheel of the motor vehicle from rotating and for preventing vehicle wheels of the motor vehicle from being steered, the blocking mechanism being electromechanically displaceable between an unlocked end position and a locked end position;wherein forces free appliable to the locking ring by the first compression spring acting in a locking direction and by the second compression spring acting in an unlocking direction, a first spring force of the first compression spring being greater than a second spring force of the second compression spring, and being less than a lifting force of the electromagnet acting in the locking device.