Patent ID: 8474869

Claim:
A steering column for a motor vehicle, comprising a jacket unit, supporting a steering shaft rotatably about its longitudinal axis, and a retaining part, with respect to which the jacket unit is held nondisplaceably up to a limit value of a force acting parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft in the direction toward the vehicle front onto the jacket unit, and, if the limit value is exceeded, is displaceable parallel to the longitudinal axis in the direction toward the vehicle front, wherein the jacket unit is connected with the retaining part, for one, across an energy absorption connection which comprises at least one bending wire or strip which, during a displacement of the jacket unit with respect to the retaining part parallel to the longitudinal axis in the direction toward the vehicle front, is deformed and, for another, across a break-away connection which, up to the limit value of the force is closed and blocks a displacement of the jacket unit with respect to the retaining part and, if the limit value of the force is exceeded, is released, wherein for the case, that the break-away connection is closed, between the jacket unit and the retaining part, at least one of the bending wires or strips, is elastically deformed and prestresses the jacket unit with respect to the retaining part relative to a displacement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft in the direction toward the vehicle front.