Patent ID: 7387045

Claim:
An adjustable steering column comprising: a steering spindle; a shell unit housing said steering spindle; a console unit having at least one side wall which extends in a lateral direction along said shell unit, said shell unit being supported by said at least one side wall, said console unit being fixed to a chassis; and a securement device operable between an engaged state and a disengaged state, said securement device including a plurality of securing elements, a tension bolt penetrating openings in said shell unit and in said at least one side wall, wherein said shell unit, said console unit, said plurality of securing elements and said tension bolt have a structure and are arranged such that when said securement device is in said engaged state, said shell unit is unadjustably coupled with said console unit by said securing elements engaging one another, and when said securement device is in said disengaged state, said shell unit is adjustable relative to said console unit in at least one adjustment direction, and a tilting part having means for supporting said tilting part so as to be displaceable relative to a first one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall in one of said at least one adjustment direction, and so as to be nondisplaceable relative to a second one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall in said one of said at least one adjustment direction, wherein one of (a) said tilting part and (b) said first one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall includes clamping edges, and the other of (a) said tilting part and (b) said first one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall includes clamping faces, and wherein said means for supporting said tilting part is further a means for transmitting a torque from said second one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall to said tilting part during torsion caused by deformation of said steering column, of at least a portion of said shell unit in a proximity of said at least one side wall, relative to said at least one side wall about an axis of rotation which is parallel to said tension bolt and located in a proximity of said securement device such that said tilting part is torqued by said second one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall relative to said first one of said shell unit and said at least one side wall such that said clamping edges dig into said clamping faces so as to inhibit a displacement of said tilting part in said one of said at least one adjustment direction.