GB2198095A

GB2198095A - A mounting arrangement for a steering column in a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2198095A
Application number: GB08628763A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bryan Jones
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1986-12-02
Filing date: 1986-12-02
Publication date: 1988-06-08
Also published as: EP0270311A3; ES2023917B3; GB8628763D0; EP0270311A2; EP0270311B1; DE3772167D1

Abstract

A steering formed of a shaft 10 within a tube 18 is mounted in a vehicle with a push-fit lower support and a bolt-on upper support. The push fit is achieved through a deformable plastics collar 28 fitted around the column which acts as a spacer between the column 18 and a cylindrical hole in a lower mounting bracket 26 and deforms in the gap to provide a tight frictional grip on the column. The upper mounting point makes use of a bolted connection (44) between (a column bracket 40) and a bracket 24 on the vehicle. The tube 18 has a convoluted portion 20, with a lowermost enlarged convolution 22 which serves as an abutment against which collapse of the column can take place, the convolution 22 engaging a flange of the collar. <IMAGE>

Description

1 N - I- 1 t A Mounting Arrangement for a Steering Column in a Motor

Vehicle 2 19 'S 0 9 5 This invention relates to a mounting arrangement for mounting a steering column in a motor vehicle. It is important that the steeing column should be capable of being quickly and accurately mounted when a motor vehicle is being assembled.

According to the invention there is provided a mounting arrangement for a steering column, the arrangement comprising upper and lower body mounting brackets secured to a vehicle body structure, the lower bracket having a cylindrical hole for receiving the wherein a plastics collar is fitted in an steerinE column, anular gap between the column'and the cylindrical hole, so as to be a tight fit in the gap and to frictionally secure the column to the bracket, and wherein a column bracket is fitted on the colun'n to co-operate with and to be secured to the upper body mounting bracket by means of disengageable fasteners.

The plastics collar preferably has a series of internal radial projections and a series of external radial projection.--,, the internal and external projections being regularly spaced around the collar circumference and with the interrial, projectioris being angularly offset relative to the external projections so that, when the collar is in place the cylindrical collar wall is deformed into a wave- like form.

The projections are preferably in the form of ribs which extend in an axial direction along the internal and external walls of the collar.

The collar may carry additional internall-y prc)j(-,c.t.rip, bosses which locate in cc)rreEpoi-ldiriE!13, shaped hole:s in tl,.c Ete.E: ring. column structure to locate the collar on the colurpn. These bosses are preferably cylindrical.

The collar may have a split circumference.

The column bracket preferably has a flat face which mates with a flat face on the tipper body mounting bracket and can be secured thereto by means of bolts. The column bracket engages with the column in such a way that the colunin cannot be pulled upwardly through the bracket, but can cc)llap!le dc,wnwardl3,- through the bracket. in the event of an -in-.paC'L to the vehicle.

T h e invention example with 1 E) Wh i ch -- will now be further described, by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a mounting arrangement in accordance with the invention; FiE,ure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of Figure 1; Figure 3 is Figure 4 Figure 3 an end view of the plastics collar; and is a section through the collar of The arrangement shown in Figure 1 comprises a steering wheel 12 mounted on the end of a shaft 10. The shaft 10 2 is journalled by means of bearings 14 and 16 within a tube 18. At its lower end, the shaft 10 is connected in a conventional manner to a steering gear (not shown). The tube 18 is formed with a convoluted portion 20 above a lowermost, enlarged convolution 22 which serves as an 11 abutment against which the required collapse of the steering column can take place.

Attached to the vehicle body structure is an upper body mounting bracket 24 and & lower body mounting bracket 26.

Both of these brackets will be formed of shaped sheet metal welded to the body structure. Both the upper and lower brackets have holes through which the steering column can be axially passed before the lower end of the column is connected to the steering gear.

A plastic sleeve 28 is mounted on the outside of the tube 18, and this fits inside the hole in the bracket 26. The collar 28 is shown in more detail in Figures 3 and 4 and has a circumferential wall 30 which is split at one point 32. The wall 30 has. internal projections 34 at spaced positions around its circumference and external projections 36 at spaced positions around the external circumference. Each projection 36 is placed halfway between two internal projections 314. Also on the internal periphery of the wall 30 are three'projecting bosses 38 which engage in corresponding holes in the tube 18 and locate the collar in place on the tube.

The external diameter of the tube 18 (at the point where the collar 28 is fitted) will be substantially equal to the diameter of the circle on which the innermost points of the ribs 34 lie. The internal diameter of the hole in the bracket 26 will be slightly less than the diameter of the circle on which the outer surfaces of the ribs 36 lie, so that when the collar is placed on the tube, and the tube is inserted through the hole in the bracket 26, the collar wall 30 will be distorted with those parts of the collar wall where the ribs 36 lie being forced inward. This will therefore ensure that a firm, tight connection is made between the tube 18 and the bracket 26.

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Claims

1. A mounting arrangement f or a stee.ring the arrangement comprising upper and lower body mounting, brackets secured to a vehicle body structure, the lower bracket having a cylindrical hole for receiving the steering column, wherein a plastics collar is fitted in an annular gap between the column and the cylindrical hole so as to be a tight. fit in the gap and to frictionally secure the column to the bracket, and wherein a column bracket is fitted on the column to co-operate with and to be secured to the upper body mounting bracket by means of disengageable fasteners.

2. A iric)urit.irig arrangement as claimed wherein the plastics radial projections and a projections, the internal and external projections being regularly spaced around the collar circumference and with the internal projections being angularly offset relative to the external projections so that, when the collar is in place the cylindrical collar wall i-s deformed into a wz-:tve20 like form.

i n Clailli 1 ' internal serieE of external radial collar has a -series of

3. A mounting arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the projections are in the form of ribs which extend in an axial direction along the internal and external walls of the collar.

4. A mounting arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the collar carries additional internally projecting bosses which locate in correspondingly shaped holes in the steering column structure to locate the collar on the column.

5. A mouriting. arrai-igc--i.ijerit as claimed wherein the bosses are cylindrical.

i n Claim 4,

6. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cullar has a split circumference.

7. A mounting arrangement as claimed in any preceding clairr', -wherein the column br&cL.et has a flat face which mates with a flat. face.. on the upper body miounting bracket and can be secured thereto by means of bolts.

8. A mounting arrangement as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the column brachet engages with the column in such a way that the column cannot be pulled upwardly through the bracket, but can collapse downwardly throug.h. the. bracket in the event of an impact to the vehicle.

9. A collar adapted for use in a mounting arrangement as claimed in any preceding claini.

10. A mounting arrangement for a steering column in a motor vehicle, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A collar adapted for use in a steering column mounting arrangement, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House. 66,"? 1 High Holborn, London WC IR 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87.