Clamping assembly for steering column

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a clamp assembly for a steering column. A manually adjustable steering column assembly includes a clamp assembly movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The steering column assembly further includes a lower shroud. The steering column assembly further includes an upper shroud. The upper shroud includes a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is segmented to include a first clamp segment, a second clamp segment, and a third segment disposed between and connecting the first clamp segment and the second clamp segment, wherein the first clamp segment and the second clamp segment are neither parallel nor perpendicular to the third segment. The upper shroud further includes an upper side. The upper shroud further includes a lower side, wherein the upper side and the lower side have respective outer surfaces that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the third segment of the second side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following description relates to a clamping assembly for a vehicle steering column, and more particularly to a sleeve shape configuration for said clamping assembly. Background Technology

[0002] The steering column in the vehicle can be adjusted in both the rake direction and the telescopic direction. The adjustable steering column can be unlocked to be adjusted to the desired position. Once the desired position is reached, the steering column can be locked in place to prevent further movement from that position.

[0003] Clamping mechanisms and components are used on many manually adjustable tilt and telescopic steering columns or angled steering columns. A cam assembly or another clamping mechanism is attached to the lever. The vehicle driver rotates the lever from the unlocked position to the locked position to fix the steering wheel position.

[0004] Manual telescopic steering columns may include multiple sleeves, such as an upper sleeve fitted inside a lower sleeve. These sleeves have sufficient overlap to extend the steering wheel to the driver's desired position. Once the steering wheel is in the desired position, the lever is rotated to a locking position to hold the steering wheel in that position. Typically, the upper sleeve is circular, although other shapes, such as octagons, have been seen in the industry.

[0005] To hold the upper sheath in place with the lower sheath, the lower sheath includes a split or flexible member that contacts the upper sheath and holds it in place using friction. Another feature with positive engagement may also be present for retaining the post, such as an energy-absorbing feature for locking the upper sheath to the lower sheath, but this will have a set resolution and will only engage when the upper sheath begins to slide. This clamping retention allows the driver to place the steering wheel in any position.

[0006] The disadvantage of this type of upper and lower sheath with circular cross-sections is that the interface between the upper and lower sheaths is a sliding interface that benefits from a low coefficient of friction for allowing the column to extend and retract, and also benefits from a high coefficient of friction for clamping the two parts together. This necessitates a trade-off between smooth sliding and high holding load. Another disadvantage is that the circular feature requires a feature to prevent the upper sheath from rotating within the lower sheath when adjustments are necessary. This anti-rotation feature increases the number of components and the cost of the system. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a manually adjustable steering column assembly includes a clamping assembly movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The steering column assembly also includes a lower sheath. The steering column assembly also includes an upper sheath partially disposed within the lower sheath and translatable relative to the lower sheath in a telescopic manner, wherein a locked position of the clamping assembly prevents movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath, and an unlocked position allows movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath. The upper sheath includes a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is segmented to include a first clamping section, a second clamping section, and a third section disposed between and connecting the first and second clamping sections, wherein the first and second clamping sections are neither parallel to nor perpendicular to the third section. The upper sheath also includes an upper side. The upper sheath also includes a lower side, wherein the upper and lower sides have corresponding outer surfaces that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the third section of the second side.

[0008] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a manually adjustable steering column assembly includes a clamping assembly movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The steering column assembly also includes a lower sheath. The steering column assembly also includes an upper sheath partially disposed within the lower sheath and translatable telescopically relative to the lower sheath, wherein a locked position of the clamping assembly prevents movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath, and an unlocked position allows movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath. The upper sheath includes a first side and a second side, wherein each of the first and second sides defines at least one clamping interface surface. The upper sheath also includes an upper side. The upper sheath also includes a lower side, wherein each of the upper and lower sides defines at least one sliding interface surface, wherein the coefficient of friction of one or more of the at least one clamping interface surface is greater than the coefficient of friction of one or more of the at least one sliding interface surface.

[0009] These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The subject matter considered to be in this invention is specifically pointed out and expressly claimed in the appended claims. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 This is a side view of a steering column assembly having clamping components for selectively locking and unlocking the position of the steering column assembly.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of a part of the steering column assembly.

[0013] Figure 3This is a second perspective view of a part of the steering column assembly.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the steering column assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which specific embodiments (but not limited thereto) will be illustrated. It should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention, which may be practiced in various and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to use the invention in various ways.

[0016] Reference Figure 1 The figure illustrates a steering column assembly for a vehicle, generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The steering column assembly 10 includes one or more sleeves, such as an upper sleeve 12 and a lower sleeve 14. The upper sleeve 12 houses a portion of a steering shaft 16 operatively coupled to a steering wheel (not shown). The lower sleeve 14 is operatively coupled to a mounting bracket 18, which facilitates mounting the steering column assembly 10 to a vehicle structure. It should be understood that, as an alternative to the dual-sleeve assembly shown and described above, more than two sleeves may be present in other embodiments.

[0017] The steering column assembly 10 can be used in any suitable vehicle, such as a car, truck, SUV, minivan, crossover, any other passenger vehicle, any suitable commercial vehicle, or any other suitable vehicle. Furthermore, the principles of this disclosure can be applied to other vehicles, such as aircraft, ships, trains, drones, or other vehicles. The steering column assembly 10 can be configured as a driver-interface steering system, an autonomous driving system, or a system that allows both driver-interface and autonomous steering.

[0018] The steering column assembly 10 includes a clamping assembly 20 for selectively placing the steering column assembly 10 into a locked state and an unlocked state based on a locked position and an unlocked position of the clamping assembly 20. Specifically, a rotatable lever 22 is configured to actuate the clamping assembly 20 between a locked position and an unlocked position (or vice versa). The rotatable lever 22 is an extension of the clamping assembly 20 into the driver's cab (not shown) of the vehicle, accessible to the driver (not shown). The driver can engage the lever 22 to move the steering column assembly 10 from a locked position to an unlocked position, or vice versa. In the unlocked position of the clamping assembly 20, the position of the steering column assembly 10 is adjustable, while when rotated to the locked position, the position of the steering column assembly 10 is fixed.

[0019] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the clamping assembly 20 includes a cam assembly actuated by rotation of the lever 22. As a non-limiting example, the cam may be operatively engaged with a cam follower and a rake bolt 30. The rake bolt 30 extends through the lever 22, the cam follower, and the cam. The cam follower is a component for converting rotation of the lever 22 into a linear force provided by the cam to clamp the steering column assembly 10. The rake bolt 30 extends through the clamping assembly 20 and through at least a portion of the steering column assembly 10 to hold the two assemblies in place relative to each other. The specific cam assembly described and shown is merely one example of a structure that allows clamping forces to be applied to the sleeves 12, 14 to selectively lock and unlock the position of the upper sleeve 12 relative to the lower sleeve 14.

[0020] The embodiments disclosed herein include the shape of the outer surface of the upper sheath 12 and a corresponding shape of the inner surface of the lower sheath 14, which decouple the telescopic sliding force associated with the adjustment of the upper sheath 12 from the clamping force associated with the locked position of the steering column assembly. When the clamping assembly is in the locked position, a high holding force is desired for the upper sheath 12; however, when the clamping force and the sliding force interact, a trade-off is inherently required in the design of the steering column. The embodiments disclosed herein separate those forces by not having surfaces that interact with each other, causing the clamping force to affect the sliding force associated with the adjustment. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein differ from circular sheaths and other shapes that clamp the clamping force and the sliding force in a manner that is mutually dependent.

[0021] As shown in the figure, the upper sheath 12 includes a first side 40, a second side 42, an upper side 44, and a lower side 46. Each of the first side 40, upper side 44, and lower side 46 has a substantially flat outer surface. The outer surfaces of the upper side 44 and lower side 46 are substantially parallel to each other. The outer surface of the first side 40 is substantially perpendicular to the outer surfaces of the upper side 44 and lower side 46. It should be understood that the corners connecting the first side 40 to the upper side 44 and lower side 46 may be slightly rounded. The second side 42 has an outer surface segmented into a first clamping section 48, a second clamping section 50, and a third section 52 disposed between the first clamping section 48 and the second clamping section 50 and connecting the first clamping section and the second clamping section. The third section 52 of the second side 42 is oriented substantially parallel to the outer surface of the first side 40 and substantially perpendicular to the outer surfaces of the upper side 44 and lower side 46. The first clamping section 48 and the second clamping section 50 are not oriented parallel to or perpendicular to any of the outer surfaces of the other sides 40, 44, 46. In particular, the first clamping section 48 and the second clamping section 50 are both oriented at an angle between the respective ends of the third section 52 on the second side 42 and the respective ends of the upper side 44 and the lower side 46.

[0022] The interaction between adjacent portions of the upper side 44 and the inner surface of the lower sheath 14, and the interaction between adjacent portions of the lower side 46 and the inner surface of the lower sheath 14, define the sliding force required for the upper sheath 12 to extend and retract relative to the lower sheath 14. The interacting surfaces associated with the sliding force are... Figure 4 The middle part is generally represented by arrows B and C.

[0023] The interaction between the adjacent portions of the first side 40 and the inner surface of the lower sheath 14, and the interaction between the adjacent portions of the second side 42 and the inner surface of the lower sheath 14, define the clamping force that holds the upper sheath 12 locked in place relative to the lower sheath 14. The interacting surfaces associated with the clamping force are... Figure 4 The overall shape is represented by arrows X, Y, and Z.

[0024] The aforementioned separation of the features associated with clamping and sliding allows the interface for manipulating sliding to extend or retract to be decoupled from the clamping features. This allows the coefficients of friction of the clamping and sliding interfaces to differ from each other. Different coefficients of friction can be achieved in any suitable manner based on one or more characteristics of the interfaces. For example, the outer surfaces of the upper side 44 and the bottom side 46 of the upper sheath 12 can be lubricated with grease or other friction-reducing materials. Alternatively, the outer surfaces of the upper side 44 and the bottom side 46 of the upper sheath 12 can have support surfaces, rollers, etc. (or contact such features on the inner surface of the lower sheath 14) to reduce friction and facilitate sliding. The clamping interfaces of the first side 40 and the second side 42 of the upper sheath can be ungreased inserts with a high coefficient of friction, or have surface textures (e.g., roughness, knurling, etc.) that increase the holding force of the clamping assembly 20 on the upper sheath. The clamping interface feature is small, so when in the unlocked state, the post feature disengages from the lower sheath 14 and the upper sheath 12 can slide freely within the lower sheath 14. It should be understood that the above example is not limiting to features that can be used to differentiate the coefficients of friction between the clamping interface and the sliding interface.

[0025] The upper sheath 12 (except for the clamping sections 48, 50 on the second side 42) has a substantially square cross-section and also has a built-in anti-rotation feature. Therefore, in the embodiments disclosed herein, the additional anti-rotation components that are usually required are no longer needed, as the chamfered corner acts as a wedge. Thus, when the post is locked, the wedge arrangement eliminates lashes in the interface, so that there is no noticeable lash even if the driver pushes it up and down or left and right during adjustment. In some embodiments, the first clamping section 48 and the second clamping section 50 are angled away from the third section 52 at equal absolute angles.

[0026] Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to only a limited number of embodiments, it is readily understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to include any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements, though not previously described, that are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be understood that multiple aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Therefore, the invention should not be considered as limited by the foregoing description.

Claims

1. A manually adjustable steering column assembly, comprising: The clamping component can move between the unlocked and locked positions; Lower sheath; An upper sheath, partially disposed within the lower sheath and capable of telescopic translation relative to the lower sheath, wherein the locked position of the clamping assembly prevents movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath, and wherein the unlocked position allows movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath, wherein the upper sheath comprises: First side; The second side is divided into segments including a first clamping segment, a second clamping segment, and a third segment disposed between the first clamping segment and the second clamping segment and connecting the first clamping segment and the second clamping segment, wherein the first clamping segment and the second clamping segment are neither parallel to nor perpendicular to the third segment. upper side; and The lower side, wherein the upper side and the lower side have corresponding outer surfaces, the outer surfaces being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the third segment of the second side.

2. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The outer surface of the third segment on the second side is parallel to the outer surface of the first side.

3. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The first clamping section and the second clamping section are angled away from the third section at equal absolute angles.

4. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The clamping assembly can be moved between the locked position and the unlocked position via an adjustment lever.

5. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The upper outer surface and the lower outer surface of the upper sheath define a sliding interface surface, wherein the outer surface of the first side and the outer surface of the second side define a clamping interface surface.

6. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 5, wherein, The sliding interface surface and the clamping interface surface have different coefficients of friction.

7. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein, At least one of the sliding interface surfaces includes a lubricant thereon.

8. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein, At least one of the sliding interface surfaces includes a roller thereon.

9. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein, At least one of the sliding interface surfaces is in contact with a roller operatively connected to the lower sheath.

10. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The surface roughness of at least one of the clamping interface surfaces is greater than the surface roughness of the sliding interface surface.

11. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein, An insert is provided between at least one of the clamping interface surfaces and the lower sheath, the coefficient of friction of the insert being higher than that of the sliding interface surface.

12. A manually adjustable steering column assembly, comprising: The clamping component can move between the unlocked and locked positions; Lower sheath; An upper sheath, partially disposed within the lower sheath and capable of telescopic translation relative to the lower sheath, wherein the locked position of the clamping assembly prevents movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath, and wherein the unlocked position allows movement of the upper sheath relative to the lower sheath, wherein the upper sheath comprises: First side; The second side, wherein the first side and the second side each define at least one clamping interface surface; upper side; and The lower side, wherein the upper side and the lower side each define at least one sliding interface surface, wherein the coefficient of friction of one or more of the at least one clamping interface surfaces is greater than the coefficient of friction of one or more of the at least one sliding interface surfaces.

13. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 12, wherein, At least one of the sliding interface surfaces includes a lubricant thereon.

14. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 12, wherein, At least one of the sliding interface surfaces includes a roller thereon.

15. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 12, wherein, At least one of the sliding interface surfaces is in contact with a roller operatively connected to the lower sheath.

16. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 12, wherein, The surface roughness of at least one of the clamping interface surfaces is greater than the surface roughness of the sliding interface surface.

17. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 12, wherein, An insert is provided between at least one of the clamping interface surfaces and the lower sheath, the coefficient of friction of the insert being higher than that of the sliding interface surface.

18. The manually adjustable steering column assembly according to claim 12, in, The second side is segmented to include a first clamping section, a second clamping section, and a third section disposed between the first clamping section and the second clamping section and connecting the first clamping section and the second clamping section. The first clamping section and the second clamping section are neither parallel to nor perpendicular to the third section. The upper side and the lower side have corresponding outer surfaces, which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the third segment of the second side. Wherein, the outer surface of the third segment on the second side is parallel to the outer surface of the first side.

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