Patent ID: 8627742

Claim:
A steering column assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising: a first jacket extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a first bore transverse to said longitudinal axis; a second jacket disposed within said first jacket and defining a second bore aligned with said first bore when said first jacket and said second jacket are in a pre-collapse position and longitudinally offset from said first bore when said first jacket and said second jacket are in a post-collapse position; a bushing disposed between said first jacket and said second jacket, said bushing defining a third bore aligned with said first bore and said second bore when said first jacket and said second jacket are in said pre-collapse position; and a jacket connector extending through said first bore, said second bore, and said third bore and in engagement with said first jacket, said second jacket, and said bushing and including a pre-determined shear resistance for shearing at an interface between said bushing and one of said first jacket and said second jacket in response to an axial load applied to one of said first jacket and said second jacket greater than said predetermined shear resistance to permit telescopic movement between said first jacket and said second jacket; wherein said jacket connector includes a pin extending through said first bore and said second bore; wherein said pin defines a pin bore extending along the length of the pin and defining a cross sectional shape having a cross sectional area perpendicular to a connector axis; and wherein said predetermined shear resistance is dependent upon the cross sectional area of said pin bore.