Patent ID: 6419269
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A vehicle steering column comprising:a jacket assembly including a lower jacket and an upper jacket that telescopically receives the lower jacket; a telescopic steering shaft journalled in the jacket assembly; a rake support on the lower end of the lower jacket that pivotally supports the vehicle steering column for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal rake axis; a compression bracket fixed to the upper jacket and having at least one telescope slot; at least one rake bracket, for supporting the compression bracket and the upper jacket having a rake slot; a rake bolt passing through the rake slot and the at least one telescope slot that is tightened to frictionally hold a rake position and a telescope position; a rake tooth rack in the rake slot that faces rearwardly; a telescope tooth rack in the at least one telescope slot that is substantially parallel to the steering shaft and faces upwardly; a wedge lock on the rake bolt having a plurality of telescope teeth engagable with the telescope tooth rack and having a plurality of rake teeth engagable with the rake tooth rack; and a connection between the rake bolt and the wedge lock that permits the telescope teeth to move into engagement with the telescope tooth rack in response to rotation of the rake bolt to tighten the rake bolt.