Patent ID: 6749222
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: B62D,F16F

Abstract:
An energy absorbing device for a collapsible steering column of a vehicle, comprising:a plurality of elongated, plastically deformable straps, each of said straps extending between a part of the steering column and a part of stationary vehicle support structure with one end of portion of each of said straps having a connection to one of said parts and an opposite end portion of each of said straps bent around an anvil having a connection to the other of said parts, each of said straps, together with the connections thereof and the anvil around which each of said strap is bent forming a linkage between said steering column and said vehicle support structure so that when the steering column collapses in a collision the straps will move over the anvils and resist such collapse, and a device associated with said linkage operative for breaking at least one of said linkages operated by a signal generated by a controller in response to the collision and including a knife operable when activated to bisect the strap associated with said one linkage.