Steering column comprising an adaptive energy absorption device for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A steering column for a motor vehicle comprises an inner casing tube (1) that rotatably supports a steering shaft (4), and an outer casing unit (2) which is connected to the vehicle chassis and insidewhich the inner casing tube (1) is accommodated and can be secured so as to be able to slide in the axial direction (3); the steering column further comprises an energy absorption device (16, 17, 21,22, 27) which is effectively placed between the casing tube (1) and the casing unit (2) and by which some of the energy generated in the event of a crash can be absorbed when the casing tube (1) telescopically slides relative to the casing unit (2). In order to improve said steering column in such a way that the amount of absorbed energy is adjusted to the circumstances of the crash event, the energy absorption device (16, 17, 21, 22, 27) includes at least two deformable strips (16, 17) which are fastened to the casing tube (1) and on each of which a deformation carriage (21, 22) is arranged;each of said deformation carriages (21, 22), which are connected to the casing unit (2), grips the outer narrow sides of the associated deformable strip (16, 17) and clamps them so tightly that the deformation carriage (21, 22) deforms the deformable strip (16, 17) when the deformation carriage (21, 22) slides in the axial direction (3) on the deformable strip (16, 17) in the event of a crash; furthermore, the connection (23, 24) between a first deformation carriage (21) and the casing unit (2) can be released using a switching device (27).

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle, the steering column having an inner casing tube rotatably mounted with a steering shaft and an outer casing unit, the outer casing unit being connectable to the vehicle chassis, and the inner casing tube being Received in a housing unit so as to be displaceable and fixed in the axial direction; the steering column has an energy absorbing device operatively arranged between the housing tube and the housing unit, and when the housing tube telescopically moves relative to the housing unit Part of the energy generated in a collision event can be absorbed in the energy absorbing device. Background technique [0002] A steering column of the type mentioned at the outset is known from DE 10 2011 015 140 A1, in which a strip-shaped deformation element is pulled by a brake with a constriction and thus deformed. Part of the energy generated in the event of a crash is absorbed here and used for the ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The disadvantage of this solution is that it is not possible to adapt the amount of energy to be absorbed to the changing conditions of the respective crash event - say, for example, the vehicle speed, the mass of the vehicle driver, or whether the vehicle driver is wearing a seat belt or not of

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