Patent ID: 8435124

Claim:
A variable length steering spindle for a steering mechanism of a motor vehicle, the steering spindle comprising: an outer sleeve with a non-circular cross section having a hollow volume and an inner circumferential contour, the inner circumferential contour having arcuate sections; an inner member with a non-circular cross section and an outer circumferential contour, the outer circumferential contour having arcuate sections; a slide sleeve disposed in a gap space between the outer sleeve and the inner member, the slide sleeve having recesses on one side thereof; and rolling bodies disposed in the recesses of the slide sleeve, wherein the slide sleeve is held by one of the outer sleeve and the inner member and is torsion tight and non-displaceable in a longitudinal direction with respect to the one of the outer sleeve and the inner member, and the slide sleeve is displaceable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the other of the outer sleeve and the inner member, wherein the recesses and the rolling bodies are disposed on the side of the slide sleeve which faces the other of the outer sleeve and the inner member, wherein the arcuate sections of the inner circumferential contour of the outer sleeve form alternating convex sections and concave sections, wherein the arcuate sections of the outer circumferential contour of the inner member form alternating convex sections and concave sections, wherein the convex sections of the outer circumferential contour of the inner member are at least partially opposed to the concave sections of the inner circumferential contour of the outer member, and the concave sections of the outer circumferential contour of the inner member are at least partially opposed to the convex sections of the inner circumferential contour of the outer member, wherein the other of the outer sleeve and the inner member has a surface forming a raceway face, wherein the recesses and the rolling bodies are configured such that the rolling bodies project from the slide sleeve in a no-load state of the slide sleeve, and in an assembled state of the steering spindle the rolling bodies are prestressed against the raceway face and are displaced in a direction away from the raceway face against a reset force, wherein the slide sleeve contacts the other of the outer sleeve and the inner member when a limit value of torque is exceeded, and wherein the rolling bodies are non-displaceable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the slide sleeve or are finitely displaceable between stops formed at distal ends of the recesses.