Patent ID: 7178833

Claim:
A steering column assembly comprising; a mounting bracket including longitudinally extending spaced sidewalls having inner surfaces facing toward one another, a release bracket having longitudinally extending spaced connecting walls interposed between said sidewalls with each of said connecting walls including a rearwardly-opening primary notch with each of said primary notches having top and bottom edges diverging in a rearward direction at a predetermined angle, a steering column mounted to said release bracket, and shear capsules having top and bottom surfaces diverging in a rearward direction at the same angle as said top and bottom edges of a selected one of said primary notches and slidably engaging said top and bottom edges of said primary notch and fixed to said mounting bracket for coupling and supporting said release bracket against separation from said mounting bracket in response to application of axial shear force below a predetermined threshold valve and being responsive to application of an axial shear force above said threshold valve to cause said capsules to separate from said release bracket to permit longitudinal movement of said release bracket relative to said mounting bracket in the direction of said shear force, each of said sidewalls of said mounting bracket including a secondary notch with said shear capsules connected to said mounting bracket by being disposed within a selected one of said secondary notches for coupling said connecting wall with said sidewalls, and at least one of said top and bottom edges of each of said primary notches having an indentation and each of said capsules including a hole with a shear pin disposed within said hole and extending through said indentation for normally resisting collapse of said steering column and shearing in response to the collision event for releasing said connecting wall from said capsule.