Patent ID: 8316736

Claim:
A telescoping steering assembly, including a cover for covering a telescoping steering column, the cover having a roller portion attached beneath a meter panel and secured to a proximal end of a blind film, a distal end of the blind film being attached to a steering base, wherein the roller portion includes a rod around which the blind film is wound and unwound, and a biasing assembly rotatably biasing the rod to maintain the blind film in tension regardless of an amount of extension and retraction of the steering column, the biasing assembly including two tensioners each attached to a different end of the rod, and at least one spring connecting at least one of the tensioners to the rod, the at least one spring biasing the rod for rotation in a direction away from the steering base, wherein a clip secures the distal end of the blind film to the steering base, the clip having an opening defined at a back face thereof, said opening having a narrow portion adjacent to the back face of the clip, and a wider portion spaced from the back face, wherein the blind film is sized to fit within the narrow portion of the opening and provides a bulbous portion along the distal end of the blind film, the bulbous portion being sized to fit within the wider portion of the opening but not through the narrow portion of the opening, and wherein the distal end of the blind film is received within the opening with the bulbous portion in the wider portion of the opening, and the receipt of the bulbous portion in the wider portion of the opening attaches the distal end of the film to the steering base.