Patent ID: 6036228
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A steering column for a motor vehicle includinga mast jacket assembly supported on a body of said motor vehicle for adjustment in one of a vertical direction of adjustment and a horizontal direction of adjustment, anda clamp for capturing a selected adjusted position of said mast jacket,characterized in that said clamp comprises:a stationary bracket on said body of said motor vehicle,a rack lever supported on said stationary bracket for pivotal movement about a first lateral centerline of said stationary bracket,a toothed rack on an edge of said rack lever,a drive means operative to positively pivot said rack lever concurrent with adjustment of said mast jacket assembly in said one of said vertical and said horizontal directions of adjustment,a pivot stud supported on said stationary bracket for back and forth liner translation in a plane perpendicular to said first lateral centerline in the direction of a longitudinal centerline,a lock shoe supported on said pivot stud for pivotal movement relative to said pivot stud and for linear translation as a unit with said pivot stud,a toothed rack on said lock shoe facing said toothed rack on said rack lever,a manual control lever supported on said stationary bracket for pivotal movement between a locked position and an unlocked position about a second lateral centerline of said clamp intersecting said longitudinal centerline,a link means responsive to pivotal movement of said manual control lever from said unlocked position to said locked position to thrust said pivot stud linearly in the direction of said longitudinal centerline toward said second lateral centerline, anda cam means on said stationary bracket operative in response to linear translation of said pivot stud toward said second lateral centerline to guide said lock shoe to a wedged position between said cam means and said rack lever with said toothed rack on said lock shoe meshing with said toothed rack on said rack lever to capture the position of said mast jacket assembly by preventing pivotal movement of said rack lever.