Patent ID: 7604254

Claim:
Device for blocking the steering shaft ( 1 ) of a motor vehicle against rotation by means of a locking bolt ( 2 ), which is movable axially back and forth between a locked position and a released position in a housing ( 10 ) via a control member ( 34 ) that is rotatable back and forth, said locking bolt comprising a locking element ( 6 ) and an actuating element ( 7 ), wherein the control member ( 34 ) surrounds the actuating element ( 7 ) and has two helically extending interior grooves ( 42 , 43 ) as well as a plane end surface ( 44 a , 44 b ), adjoining the grooves and extending perpendicular to the axis of rotation ( 11 ) of the control member ( 34 ), a transverse pin ( 40 ) that is axially displaceable in a transverse bore ( 41 ) of the actuating element ( 7 ) cooperates with the grooves ( 42 , 43 ) and the end surface ( 44 a , 44 b ), and wherein the locking element ( 6 ) is adapted to be pushed into the actuating element ( 7 ) against the action of a helical compression spring ( 8 ), and wherein the helical compression spring ( 8 ) is supported on the actuating element ( 7 ) via a plunger ( 56 ), said plunger having an oblong hole ( 57 ) through which the transverse pin ( 40 ) of the actuating element ( 7 ) extends, and said plunger being axially displaceable in the actuating element ( 7 ) by means of a stop ( 58 ) fixed to the housing, so that the helical compression spring ( 8 ), in the released position of the locking bolt ( 2 ), presses the transverse pin of the actuating element, via the locking element ( 6 ) and the actuating element ( 7 ), against the end surface ( 44 a , 44 b ) of the control member ( 34 ).