Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a body of the motor vehicle and an energy absorbing mechanism responsive to linear translation of a mast jacket of the steering column relative to the yoke. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and a plastic bushing in the bore prevents the mast jacket from tipping relative to the yoke. The energy absorbing mechanism includes flat metal strap wound into a spiral coil and cradled or otherwise captured in a flat recess in the yoke tangent to the mast jacket. A distal end of the flat metal strap parallel to the mast jacket is rigidly attached to the latter so that during linear translation of the mast jacket under impact, the distal end is pulled out of the flat recess and unrolls the spiral coil. As the spiral coil unrolls, the flat metal strap is plastically deformed to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of the impact on the steering column.

Abstract: A tilt adjustable motor vehicle steering column having a mast jacket on a motor vehicle body structure, a tilt housing supported on the mast jacket for pivotal movement about a lateral centerline of the steering column, a steering wheel rotatably supported on the tilt housing, a tilt latch for immobilizing the tilt housing, and an inertia-actuated secondary restraint operative independent of the tilt latch to prevent upward pivotal movement of the tilt housing. The secondary restraint includes a spool rotatably supported on the mast jacket, a tether on the spool having an end attached to the tilt housing, and an inertia-actuated latch operative to block rotation of the spool in response to high negative acceleration of the motor vehicle. The inertia-actuated latch includes a plurality of radial abutments on the spool, a pawl engageable on the radial abutments, and a pendulum operative to pivot the pawl into engagement on the radial abutments.

Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a motor vehicle body and an energy absorbing means between the yoke and the mast jacket responsive to linear translation of the mast jacket relative to the yoke. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and a plastic bushing in the bore prevents the mast jacket from tilting relative to the yoke before and during linear translation of the mast jacket. The energy absorbing means includes a flat metal strap attached at one end to the mast jacket and bent over a convex anvil on the yoke. The metal strap is pulled over the anvil parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the mast jacket and plastically deformed to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of an impact on the steering column.