Patent ID: 7770487

Claim:
A vehicle steering column structure comprising: a fixed steering column portion; a movable steering column portion movably coupled to the fixed steering column portion; a steering column positioning mechanism operably coupled between the fixed and movable steering column portions for adjusting a relative position therebetween, the steering column positioning mechanism including: a cam wheel rotatable about a first pivot axis, the cam wheel having a shaft extension; a release member that is pivotable about a second pivot axis extending in a direction generally parallel to the first pivot axis, the release member being movably mounted between a locking orientation and a releasing orientation along a prescribed movement range having a first movement portion and a second movement portion subsequent to the first movement portion, with a transition point located between the first and second movement portions that is spaced from the releasing and locking orientations; a biasing member operably coupled to the cam wheel such that biasing force of the biasing member is transmitted through the cam wheel to the release member, and the shaft extension of the cam wheel is positioned such that along the first movement portion of the prescribed movement range the biasing member is spaced apart from the shaft extension and along the second movement portion of the prescribed movement range the biasing member contacts the shaft extension.