Patent ID: 6076425
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: B62D,G05G,Y10T

Abstract:
In a motor vehicle steering column including a steering shaft,an outside annular boss on said steering shaft having an outboard annular shoulder at an end thereof and a plurality of linear grooves therein defining a plurality of outside spline teeth each having an outboard end at said outboard annular shoulder,a steering hand wheel,a hub means on said steering hand wheel having a bore therein around said steering shaft,an inside annular boss on said hub means in said bore therein having an inboard annular shoulder at an end thereof radially overlapping said outboard annular shoulder of said outside annular boss and a plurality of linear grooves therein defining a plurality of inside spline teeth each having an inboard end at said inboard annular shoulder,a blocked tooth on said inside annular boss wider than each of said inside spline teeth, anda blocked tooth groove on said outside annular boss having a width corresponding to the width of said blocked tooth,said inside spline teeth and said outside spline teeth being aligned for longitudinal mesh with each other when said blocked tooth and said blocked tooth groove are aligned for longitudinal mesh with each other,the improvement comprising,a lip on said blocked tooth extending beyond said inboard annular shoulder on said inside annular boss slidably engageable on said outboard annular shoulder on said outside annular boss to maintain separation between said inboard ends of said inside spline teeth and said outboard ends of said outside spline teeth until said blocked tooth is aligned with said blocked tooth groove.