Patent ID: 7263910

Claim:
A steering column for a vehicle comprising: a steering column jacket defining a column axis and operable to at least partially encircle a steering shaft in a vehicle; a tilt housing engaged with said steering column jacket for tilting movement about a tilt axis between a plurality of tilt positions; said tilt housing including an aperture extending transverse to said column axis; a locking member slidably disposed in said aperture and supported for linear movement by said tilt housing and having a tip moveable outwardly transverse to said column axis to a locked position contacting said steering column jacket and inwardly transverse to said column axis to an unlocked position spaced from said steering column jacket; and said steering column jacket defining a slot having an arcuate profile with said tip being spaced from said slot during tilting movement and said slot communicating with said aperture during said tilting movement to receive said tip at any one of said plurality of tilt positions with said tip contacting said slot to positively lock said steering column jacket with respect to said tilt housing.