Patent ID: 6176151
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A connection between a motor vehicle body and a mast jacket of a steering column collapsible in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the steering column in response to an impact thereon comprising:a mounting bracket rigidly attached to the mast jacket having a planar flange parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the steering column,a capsule slot in the planar flange having an open end and a peripheral edge constituted by a pair of side edges and an end edge of the capsule slot,a snap-in capsule having a retaining channel in an edge thereof slidably receiving the peripheral edge of the capsule slot when the capsule is translated into the capsule slot through the open end thereof to a seated position and cooperating with the peripheral edge of the capsule slot in retaining the snap-in capsule on the mounting bracket perpendicular to the planar flange,an integral cantilever spring on the snap-in capsule resiliently flexible perpendicular to a flat top of the snap-in capsule,a detent lug on the integral cantilever spring disposed in the retaining channel,a detent notch in the planar flange,a cam means operative to eject the detent lug from the retaining channel against a restoring force attributable to resilient flexure of the integral cantilever spring when the snap-in capsule is linearly translated in the capsule slot toward the seated position thereof,the integral cantilever spring snapping the detent lug into the detent notch when the snap-in capsule attains the seated position in the capsule slot thereby to prevent relative separation between the snap-in capsule and the planar flange through the open end of the capsule slot, anda clamp means operative to rigidly clamp the snap-in capsule to a body structure of the motor vehicle with the flat top thereof flush against the body structure so that the mast jacket is supported vertically on the body structure and the integral cantilever spring is immobilized to prevent release of the planar flange from the snap-in capsule except by fracture of the detent lug from the integral cantilever spring.