Patent ID: 7494440

Claim:
A steering wheel mounting assembly comprising: a stationary support carrier defining first and second ring receiving areas and being constructed and arranged to be fixed to a vehicle frame; a first drive ring having a first cylindrical raceway and being supported in the first ring receiving area and constructed and arranged for connection to a steering wheel; a second drive ring having a second cylindrical raceway and being positioned in the second ring receiving area and constructed and arranged for connection to a steering shaft, the second cylindrical raceway being concentric with the first cylindrical raceway; and a drive roller assembly supported within the first and second cylindrical raceways, the drive roller assembly comprising: first and second roller planets, each roller planet having raceways configured to engage the first and second cylindrical raceways; a sun roller supported in frictional engagement with the first and second roller planets, the sun roller being eccentric to the first and second cylindrical raceways; a first loading planet frictionally positioned between the sun roller and the first cylindrical raceway; and a second loading planet frictionally positioned between the sun roller and the second cylindrical raceway.