Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5788279?dq=6272333
Timestamp: 2014-10-21 22:10:17
Document Index: 676847075

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10']

Patent US5788279 - Steering bearing for motor vehicle - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA steering bearing between a bracket on a steering column tube and a support on a body of a motor vehicle. The bracket has a slot therein and the steering bearing includes a metal bearing bottom having a rest surface bearing flush against a first side of the bracket and a raised rest in the slot with...http://www.google.com/patents/US5788279?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5788279 - Steering bearing for motor vehicleAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5788279 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/861,041Publication dateAug 4, 1998Filing dateMay 21, 1997Priority dateJun 18, 1996Fee statusLapsedAlso published asDE19624218A1, EP0814011A1, EP0814011B1Publication number08861041, 861041, US 5788279 A, US 5788279A, US-A-5788279, US5788279 A, US5788279AInventorsGunter PfannebeckerOriginal AssigneeGenernal Motors CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (11), Referenced by (16), Classifications (5), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetSteering bearing for motor vehicleUS 5788279 AAbstract A steering bearing between a bracket on a steering column tube and a support on a body of a motor vehicle. The bracket has a slot therein and the steering bearing includes a metal bearing bottom having a rest surface bearing flush against a first side of the bracket and a raised rest in the slot with a second side of the bracket and a collar raised above the raised rest, an elongated slot through the metal bearing bottom, a fastening bolt on the support passing through the elongated slot and clamping the metal bearing bottom against the support, a plastic insert rigidly attached to the bearing bottom seated flush on the raised rest having a tear-off surface which cooperates with the rest surface on the metal bearing bottom in defining a slot for the bracket on the steering column tube, an aperture in the bracket on the steering column tube, and a tear-off body integral with the tear-off surface received in the aperture in the bracket to retain the bracket relative to the plastic insert. The tear-off body fractures in response to an impact on the steering column tube to release the bracket from the steering bearing.
What is claimed is: 1. A steering bearing between a bracket on a steering column tube and a support on a body of a motor vehicle comprising:a slot in the bracket on the steering column tube, a metal bearing bottom having a rest surface bearing flush against a first side of the bracket and a raised rest in the slot in the bracket even with a second side of the bracket and a collar raised above the raised rest, an elongated slot through the metal bearing bottom traversing each of the rest surface and the raised rest and the collar, a fastening bolt on the support on the body of the motor vehicle passing through the elongated slot in the metal bearing bottom and clamping the metal bearing bottom against the body of the motor vehicle, a plastic insert seated flush on the raised rest on the metal bearing bottom having a tear-off surface which cooperates with the rest surface on the metal bearing bottom in defining a slot in the steering bearing for the bracket on the steering column tube, means operative to rigidly connect the plastic insert directly to the metal bearing bottom, an aperture in the bracket on the steering column tube, a tear-off body integral with the tear-off surface on the plastic insert received in the aperture in the bracket on the steering column tube to retain the bracket relative to the plastic insert, and means operative to fracture one of the tear-off body from the tear-off surface and the tear-off surface from the plastic insert in response to an impact on the steering column tube thereby to release the bracket on the steering column tube from the steering bearing. 2. The steering bearing recited in claim 1 wherein the tear-off body comprises:an integral cylindrical pin perpendicular to the tear-off surface closely received in the aperture in the bracket in the steering column and an aperture in the metal bearing bottom aligned with the aperture in the bracket in the steering column tube, and an integral clip on the cylindrical pin engageable on the metal bearing bottom for retention of the cylindrical pin in each of the apertures in the bearing bottom and in the bracket in the steering column tube. 3. The steering bearing recited in claim 2 wherein the means operative to fracture one of the tear-off body from the tear-off surface and the tear-off surface from the plastic insert in response to an impact on the steering column tube comprises:a dead-end bore in the cylindrical pin reducing the thickness of the cylindrical pin. 4. The steering bearing recited in the claim 1 wherein the means operative to fracture one of the tear-off body from the tear-off surface and the tear-off surface from the plastic insert in response to an impact on the steering column tube comprises:a nominal failure groove in the plastic insert between tear-off surface and a remaining portion of the plastic insert. Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an attachment between a motor vehicle body structure and a steering column tube of an energy absorbing steering column of the motor vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION European Patent EP-B-0 295 378 describes an energy absorbing attachment between a motor vehicle body structure and a steering column tube of a steering column of the motor vehicle including an energy-absorbing plate consisting of different materials in order to achieve a defined deformation and/or tear-out behavior in response to an impact on the steering column. As a result of the deformation of the inserted part, the steering wheel yields in the direction of the engine compartment. An energy absorbing attachment between a motor vehicle body structure and a steering column tube of a steering column of the motor vehicle described in German patent DE-A-4339429 includes a U-shaped clamping part which is plastically deformed or sheared off in response to an impact on the steering column tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is a new and improved steering bearing between a bracket on a steering column tube and a support on a body of a motor vehicle. The bracket has a slot therein and the steering bearing includes a metal bearing bottom having a rest surface bearing flush against a first side of the bracket and a raised rest in the slot with a second side of the bracket and a collar raised above the raised rest, an elongated slot through the metal bearing bottom traversing each of the rest surface and the raised rest and the collar, a fastening bolt on the support on the body of the motor vehicle passing through the elongated slot and clamping the metal bearing bottom against the body of the motor vehicle, a plastic insert rigidly attached to the bearing bottom seated flush on the raised rest having a tear-off surface which cooperates with the rest surface on the metal bearing bottom in defining a slot in the steering bearing for the bracket on the steering column tube, an aperture in the bracket on the steering column tube, and a tear-off body integral with the tear-off surface on the plastic insert received in the aperture in the bracket on the steering column tube to retain the bracket relative to the plastic insert. The tear-off body fractures in response to an impact on the steering column tube to release the bracket on the steering column tube from the steering bearing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention can be represented in numerous versions, one of which is shown in the drawing and is described in the following, showing:
FIG. 1 a side view of a steering system according to the invention,
FIG. 2 a vertical section through the region of a steering bracket,
FIG. 3 a top view of a steering system with a steering bracket and two steering bearings,
FIG. 4 a cross section through the steering system,
FIG. 5 a top view of the region of the steering bearing,
FIG. 6 a side view of a bearing bottom of a steering bearing,
FIG. 7 a top view of a bearing bottom,
FIG. 8 a front view of the bearing bottom,
FIG. 9 a view from below at the insert part of the steering bearing,
FIG. 10 a side view of the inserted part, and
FIG. 11 a view at the inserted part from below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a steering column 1 which is rotatably arranged in a steering protective tube. This steering protective tube 2 is connected by a steering bracket 3 via two steering bearings 4 to a steering support 5, it being important for the invention that this connection disengage under a defined force. On the cabin side end of the steering column 1, a conventional steering wheel 6 is arranged. Also conventional is an absorber 7 which serves in modern motor vehicles to make it possible for the steering system to collapse so that it does not penetrate into the passenger compartment when exposed to an outside force.
Important for the invention is the configuration of the steering bearing 4 which is explained in the following with reference to FIG. 2. There partial regions of the steering support 5 and the steering bracket 3 are shown. A fastening bolt 8 connects these parts with each other. It passes for this purpose through bearing bottom 9 and an inserted part 10 of plastic. The steering bracket 3 sits between the bearing bottom 9 and the inserted part 10 in a slot 13. One recognizes in FIG. 2 a tear-off body 11 designed as a downwardly directed pin on the inserted part 10 which leads through a boring 12 in the steering bracket 3 and is formed at its free end as a clip 14. In the tear-off body 11, a dead end boring 31 is provided for reducing or for the exact specification of the shearing forces.
FIG. 2 also shows that the inserted part 10 with tear-off surfaces 15, 16 is seated from above on the steering bracket 3. The tear-off surfaces 15, 16 on their bottom side are in each case connected via a nominal failure groove 17, 18 to the remaining region of the inserted part 10.
In FIG. 3, the steering bracket 3 extends on both sides of the steering protective tube 2 and has on each side a steering bearing 4, 4A. The latter in each case sits in a recess 19 on the steering bracket 3 which is open toward the side of the steering wheel 6 shown in FIG. 1, therefore open at the top in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 illustrates the fact that the steering bracket 3 like a tube clamp partly surrounds or embraces the bottom side of the steering protective tube 2. Also recognizable in FIG. 4 are the two steering bearings 4, 4A.
In FIG. 5, the steering bracket 3 is shown in the left part of the figure without and in the right part with the steering bearing 4. In the left part of the figure one therefore recognizes that the recess 19 tapers in width towards the engine compartment side and is open toward the passenger compartment. Near its end facing away from the steering wheel 6 one recognizes on the left of the recess 19 the boring 12 and to its right another boring 12A. Through these borings 12,12A after the installation of the steering bearing 4, in each case a tear-off body 11 already shown in FIG. 2 is guided.
The exact configuration of the bearing bottom 9 is obtained from FIGS. 6 through 8. The bearing bottom 9 has on its two long sides a rest surface 20 on which the steering bracket 3 rests. Offset in height to this runs a rest 21 on which the inserted part 10 is seated after assembly. In addition, the bearing bottom 9 is provided with a collar 22 which penetrates fully into the inserted part 10 and in the installed state lies closely against the steering support 5. Through this collar 22 a passage 23 designed as an elongated hole passes, through which the fastening bolt 8 passes after assembly. The rest surface 20 has two borings 24, 25 which are engaged by tear-off body 11 in each case. Also in the rest 21 two borings 26, 27 are provided.
FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate the design of the inserted part 10. FIG. 9 reveals especially the tear-off surfaces 15, 16 in each case with nominal failure grooves 17, 18. These tear-off surfaces 15, 16 are in each case provided with one of the tear-off bodies 11, 11A. A perforation or interruption 28 passes through the inserted part 10 which corresponds to the passage 23 in the bearing bottom 9. In addition to the tear-off bodies 11, 11A, the inserted part 10 has two holding pins 29, 30 which engage the borings 26, 27 of the bearing bottom 9 directly, therefore cannot pass through the steering bracket 3.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5390955 *Dec 23, 1993Feb 21, 1995Chrysler CorporationSteering column release capsulesUS5704254 *Feb 13, 1995Jan 6, 1998Chrysler CorporationSteering column isolator padsUS5704641 *Nov 30, 1995Jan 6, 1998Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd.Position stopper of tilt steering columnDE1913054A1 *Mar 11, 1969Feb 19, 1970Gen Motors CorpSicherheitslenksaeule fuer KraftfahrzeugeDE1936994A1 *Jul 21, 1969Feb 4, 1971Volkswagenwerk AgHalterung einer Kraftfahrzeug-Lenksaeule *DE1987550U Title not availableDE2365063A1 *Dec 28, 1973Jul 18, 1974Fuji Kiko KkLenkvorrichtung fuer ein fahrzeugDE2701037A1 *Jan 12, 1977Jul 28, 1977Nissan MotorHalterung fuer eine zusammenklappbare steuersaeule fuer ein kraftfahrzeugDE4339429A1 *Nov 18, 1993May 24, 1995Hammerstein Gmbh C RobSteering column for road vehicleDE7902092U1 *Jan 26, 1979Apr 26, 1979Ford-Werke AgLenks�ule f�r KraftfahrzeugeEP0295378B1 *Apr 12, 1988Jul 22, 1992Dr.Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AktiengesellschaftMounting comprising a deformation element for a motor vehicle steering column* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5979860 *Apr 16, 1998Nov 9, 1999Chrysler CorporationSteering column support apparatus with shearable ribsUS6394494 *Sep 20, 2000May 28, 2002Daimlerchrysler CorporationSteering column having a magnesium upper mounting bracket release break-away barUS6659504Apr 25, 2002Dec 9, 2003Delphi Technologies, Inc.Steering column for a vehicleUS6761376May 27, 2003Jul 13, 2004Delphi Technologies, Inc.Steering column for a vehicleUS6820899 *Nov 8, 2001Nov 23, 2004Nsk Steering Systems Europe LimitedCollapsible steering column assembly for a vehicleUS6932387 *Feb 11, 2003Aug 23, 2005Nacam France SaEnergy absorbing system for a vehicle steering columnUS7228755 *Mar 31, 2005Jun 12, 2007Delphi Technologies, Inc.Release capsule for steering columnUS7229097 *Jan 18, 2005Jun 12, 2007Delphi Technologies, Inc.Snap-in capsule for steering columnsUS7827880Mar 21, 2005Nov 9, 2010Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc.Steering column assembly with a quick release boltUS8430428Dec 31, 2009Apr 30, 2013Steering Solutions Ip Holding CorporationSteering column assembly comprising a mounting capsuleUS8678436 *Sep 4, 2009Mar 25, 2014Trw Automotive Us LlcSupport bracket for a steering column assemblyUS8733793 *Aug 23, 2011May 27, 2014Nsk, Ltd.Steering column support apparatusUS20110278426 *Sep 4, 2009Nov 17, 2011Patrick Anthony DuffySupport Bracket for a Steering Column AssemblyUS20120240711 *Aug 23, 2011Sep 27, 2012Nsk, Ltd.Steering column support apparatusEP1681475A2 *Jan 4, 2006Jul 19, 2006Delphi Technologies, Inc.Snap-in capsule for steering columnsWO2002100702A2 *May 16, 2002Dec 19, 2002Delphi Tech IncImproved steering column for a vehicle* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification280/777, 74/492International ClassificationB62D1/19Cooperative ClassificationB62D1/195European ClassificationB62D1/19CLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 3, 2006FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20060804Aug 4, 2006LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesFeb 22, 2006REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedJan 31, 2002FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google