Abstract:
A steering column has a jacket including relatively axially slidable, telescoping, upper and lower jacket members. An anchorage pivotally supports the lower jacket member for vertical tilt movement of the steering column. Locking mechanism locks the steering column in vertically adjusted position and locks the upper jacket member in axially adjusted position relative to the lower jacket member.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to tilt-telescope steering columns, and more particularly to a tilt-telescope steering column which can be locked in an extended or contracted position and can also be locked in an adjusted tilt position.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Tilt-telescope steering columns are generally known in the prior art, but typically have a large number of parts, some of which are part of a system to lock the steering column in an adjusted telescope position and some of which are part of a system to provide a tilt lock. However, integrating the two systems and reducing the number of parts has been a problem.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In accordance with the present invention, the steering column has a jacket including relatively axially slidable and telescoping upper and lower jacket members enabling the steering column to be extended or contracted, and an anchorage pivotally supporting the lower jacket member so that the entire steering column can be tilted vertically.  
           [0004]    A locking mechanism is provided for locking the steering column in vertically adjusted position and also for locking the upper jacket member in axially adjusted position relative to the lower jacket member. The locking mechanism preferably includes a bracket having a bracket wall formed with an elongated tilt adjustment slot, and with a set of bracket teeth adjacent to the tilt adjustment slot.  
           [0005]    The upper jacket member of the steering column has a jacket wall formed with an elongated axial adjustment slot, and with a set of jacket teeth adjacent to the axial adjustment slot.  
           [0006]    A locking bolt extends through the slots. A column lock axially slidably mounted on the bolt has first locking teeth opposed to the bracket teeth and second locking teeth opposed to the jacket teeth.  
           [0007]    The column lock is axially movable to a first position in which the first locking teeth engage the bracket teeth and the second locking teeth engage the jacket teeth to lock the steering column in vertically adjusted position and also to lock the upper jacket member in axially adjusted position. The column lock is movable to a second position in which the first locking teeth disengage the bracket teeth and the second locking teeth disengage the jacket teeth to enable vertical tilt adjustment of the steering column and axial adjustment of the upper jacket member.  
           [0008]    More specifically, the bracket preferably has a second bracket wall, the two bracket walls being spaced laterally outwardly of the steering column, and with the second bracket wall formed with a second elongated tilt adjustment slot and with a second set of bracket teeth adjacent to the second slot. The upper jacket member preferably has a second jacket wall formed with a second elongated axial adjustment slot and with a second set of jacket teeth adjacent to the second axial adjustment slot. The locking bolt extends through all of the slots. A second column lock axially slidably mounted on the bolt functions relative to the second set of bracket teeth and the second set of jacket teeth in the same manner as the first mentioned column lock functions relative to the first mentioned set of bracket teeth and the first mentioned jacket teeth.  
           [0009]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a steering column constructed in accordance with the invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1, but shows parts of the steering column in a different position;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a view taken on the line  3 — 3  in FIG. 2, with parts broken away;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a view partially in section looking in the direction of the arrow  4  in FIG. 2, showing the locking mechanism in locked position;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a view partially in section looking in the direction of the arrow  5  in FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of parts of the mechanism for locking the steering column in adjusted telescoping position and in adjusted tilt position;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the column locks; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing the locking mechanism in the unlocked position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0019]    The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.  
         [0020]    Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a steering column  10  for an automotive vehicle. The steering column  10  has a jacket  12  which includes an upper jacket member  14  and a lower jacket member  16  axially slidably telescoped in the upper jacket member. The lower jacket member  16  has ribs  18  which slidably engage longitudinally extending grooves  20  in vertical side walls  22  and  24  of the upper jacket member  14  so that the upper jacket member can slide axially relative to the lower jacket member. The lower jacket member  16  is pivoted to an anchorage  26  by a pivot pin  28  so that the entire steering column can be tilted up and down. A steering shaft  29  extends lengthwise within the jacket  12  and has a steering wheel  27  on the rear end. The rear end of the steering shaft  29  is rotatably mounted in the upper jacket member  14  for movement axially with the upper jacket member. The front end of the steering shaft  29  is mounted for rotation and for axial sliding movement in the anchorage  26 .  
         [0021]    A bracket  30  rigidly secured to vehicle frame structure has vertical side walls  34  and  36  respectively adjacent to and spaced outwardly of and parallel to the side walls  22  and  24  of the upper jacket member  14  of the steering column. The bracket side walls  34  and  36  have elongated generally upwardly extending tilt adjustment slots  40  and  42  which are parallel and laterally opposite one another. The bracket side wall  34  has a set of laterally outwardly facing bracket teeth  41  adjacent to the slot  40  and the side wall  36  has a set of laterally outwardly facing bracket teeth  43  adjacent to the slot  42 . The slots  40  and  42  are nearly vertical although roughly perpendicular to a line from the axis of the pivot pin  28  to the slots.  
         [0022]    The side walls  22  and  24  of the upper jacket member  14  have elongated axial adjustment slots  44  and  46 . The slots  44  and  46  extend parallel to the lengthwise dimension of the steering column  10  and are laterally opposite one another. The side wall  22  has a set of laterally outwardly facing teeth  45  adjacent to the slot  44  and the side wall  24  has a set of laterally outwardly facing teeth  47  adjacent to the slot  46 . The two adjacent slots  40  and  44  on one side of the steering column  10  are generally in crossing relation to one another, as are the two adjacent slots  42  and  46  on the opposite side of the steering column.  
         [0023]    At the rear end of the lower jacket member  16  are two laterally spaced apart, vertical stanchions  50  and  51  each comprising a pillar  52  with a cap  54  bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom of each pillar. Each pillar and its cap define a square opening  56  and these openings  56  are transversely aligned with one another and also aligned with the points of crossing of the slots  40 ,  44  and  42 ,  46 .  
         [0024]    A transverse locking bolt  60  extends across the steering column  10 , through the bracket slots  40 ,  42 , through the upper jacket member slots  44 ,  46  and through the openings  56  defined by the pillars  52  and their associated caps  54 . The locking bolt  60  can be rotated by a handle  61  fixed on one end thereof.  
         [0025]    Sleeved on the bolt  60  are two identical tubular column locks  62  and  64 . See FIGS. 2, 6 and  7 . The column locks  62  and  64  are slidable axially on the bolt  60 . The column lock  62  has integral lock plates  66 ,  68  and  70 . The plate  66  is on the outer side of the bracket side wall  34 , the plate  68  is between the bracket side wall  34  and the adjacent side wall  22  of the upper jacket member  14 , and the plate  70  is on the inner side of the stanchion  50 . The plate  66  has a set of laterally inwardly facing teeth  72  opposed to the bracket teeth  41  on the bracket side wall  34  and the plate  68  has a set of laterally inwardly facing teeth  74  opposed to the teeth  45  on the side wall  22  of the upper jacket member  14 .  
         [0026]    A cam disc  78  is fixed on the end of the locking bolt  60  adjacent the handle  61 . The cam disc  78  is laterally outwardly of the plate  66 , having laterally inwardly extending cams  80  respectively engaging laterally outwardly facing grooved cam tracks  82  in the plate  66  of the column lock  62 . A center cam disc  86  is fixed on the locking bolt  60  on the laterally inner side of the plate  70  of the column lock  62 , having laterally outwardly extending cams  88  respectively engaging laterally inwardly facing grooved cam tracks  90  in the plate  70  of the column lock  62 .  
         [0027]    Between the plates  66  and  68 , the column lock  62  has a square neck  92  which extends slidably through the tilt adjustment slot  40  in the bracket side wall  34  and between the plates  68  and  70 , the column lock  62  has a square neck  94  which extends slidably through the axial adjustment slot  44  in the side wall  22  of the upper jacket member  14 . The neck  94  also extends slidably through the square opening  56  of the stanchion  50 . The tilt adjustment slot  40  in the bracket side wall  34 , the axial adjustment slot  44  in the side wall  22  of the upper jacket member  14  and the square opening  56  of the stanchion  50  prevent the column lock  62  from rotating.  
         [0028]    The column lock  64  has integral lock plates  100 ,  102  and  104 . The plate  100  is on the outer side of the bracket side wall  36 , the plate  102  is between the bracket side wall  36  and the adjacent side wall  24  of the upper jacket member  14 , and the plate  104  is on the inner side of the stanchion  51 . The plate  100  has a set of laterally inwardly facing teeth  106  opposed to the bracket teeth  43  of the bracket side wall  36  and the plate  102  has a set of laterally inwardly facing teeth  108  opposed to the teeth  47  of the side wall  24  of the upper jacket member  14 .  
         [0029]    A cam disc  110  is fixed on the end of the locking bolt  60  opposite the handle  61 . The cam disc  110  is laterally outwardly of the plate  100  having laterally inwardly extending cams  112  respectively engaging laterally outwardly facing grooved cam tracks  114  in the plate  100  of the column lock  64 . The center cam disc  86  has laterally outwardly extending cams  118  respectively engaging laterally inwardly facing grooved cam tracks  120  in the plate  104 .  
         [0030]    Between the plates  100  and  102 , the column lock  64  has a square neck  122  which extends slidably through the tilt adjustment slot  42  in the bracket side wall  36 , and between the plates  102  and  104 , the column lock  64  has a square neck  124  which extends slidably through the axial adjustment slot  46  in the side wall  24  of the upper jacket member  14 . The neck  124  also extends slidably through the square hole  56  of the stanchion  51 . The tilt adjustment slot  42  in the bracket side wall  36 , the axial adjustment slot  46  in the side wall  24  of the upper jacket member  14  and the square opening  56  in the stanchion  51  prevent the column lock  64  from rotating.  
         [0031]    A coil spring  130  is compressed between a cross member  132  of the bracket  30  and the lower jacket member  16  to keep an upward pressure on the steering column  10 .  
         [0032]    The center cam disc  86  has a lobe  134  on its periphery which, in the locking rotative position of the locking bolt  60 , has pressure engagement with the bottom of a groove  136  in the lower jacket member  16  to eliminate lash and stiffen the steering column.  
         [0033]    To lock the steering column  10  in vertically adjusted position and the upper jacket member  14  in axially adjusted position relative to the lower jacket member  16 , the locking bolt  60  is rotated in one direction by the handle  61  to a position in which the cams  80  and  112  on the cam discs  78  and  110  engage the cam tracks  82  and  114  on the plates  66  and  100  to simultaneously move the column locks  62  and  64  laterally inwardly to the FIG. 4 position in which the teeth  72  and  106  of the lock plates  66  and  100  engage the teeth  41  and  43  on the bracket side walls  34  and  36 , and the teeth  74  and  108  of the plates  68  and  102  engage the teeth  45  and  47  on the side walls  22  and  24  of the upper jacket member  14 . In the locked condition, the handle  61  is in the position shown in FIG. 1. Also, in the locked condition, the loble  134  on the center cam disc  86  bears against the bottom of the groove in the lower jacket member  16  to eliminate lash and stiffen the steering column.  
         [0034]    To adjust the tilt of the steering column  10  and the axial position of the upper jacket member  14  relative to the lower jacket member  16 , the locking bolt  60  is rotated in the opposite direction to a position in which the handle  61  is as shown in FIG. 2. In this rotative of the locking bolt  60 , the cams  88  and  118  on the center cam disc  86  engage the cam tracks  90  and  120  on the plates  70  and  104  of the column locks  62  and  64  to simultaneously move the column locks laterally outwardly to the FIG. 8 position in which the teeth on the column locks disengage the teeth on the side walls of the bracket  30  and of the upper jacket member  14 .  
         [0035]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.