Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle may include a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis extending in a length direction. The casing unit may have at least two casings that are adjustably guided relative to one another through a range of adjustment travel in the length direction. Part of the adjustment travel may correspond to a transitional portion, and part of the adjustment travel may correspond to a functional portion. The casings may be guided with a greater play in the transitional portion than in the functional portion. One casing may have a guide track and another casing may have a guide element that engages in the guide track and is guided in the length direction and has a guide play in the guide track that is greater in the transitional portion than in the functional portion.

Abstract: An adjustment drive for a steering column of a motor vehicle may include a threaded spindle having an external thread, engaging with a corresponding internal thread of a spindle nut. A thread tooth of the external thread and a thread groove of the internal thread have corresponding axially sliding thread flanks that are braced against each other. At least one thread flank comprises at least one recessed lubricant uptake.

Abstract: An adjusting drive for a motor-adjustable steering column may include an outer threaded spindle that has an external thread that engages with a spindle nut and that has an internal thread that is engaged by an inner threaded spindle. The spindle nut, the outer threaded spindle, and the inner threaded spindle can be driven in rotation relative to one another about an axis by a motor-type drive unit. The adjusting drive may also include a blocking device that is switchable between a first position and a second position. In the first position the outer threaded spindle is locked together with the spindle nut for conjoint rotation. In the second position the outer threaded spindle is locked together with the inner threaded spindle for conjoint rotation.

Abstract: A sensor assembly for an electromechanical steering system of a motor vehicle may include a measuring device and a control device. The measuring device may include a torque sensor unit and an index sensor unit. The torque sensor unit may be connected to the control device by a power supply line to supply said unit with electrical energy. The sensor assembly is configured to transmit an index signal of the index sensor unit to the control device by modulating a signal that is transmittable via the power supply line.

Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle may include an adjusting unit in which a steering spindle is mounted so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction, a holding unit in which the adjusting unit is adjustably held, and a fixing device with a first clamping device and a second clamping device for the releasable fixing of the adjusting unit relative to the holding unit. The clamping devices are operatively connected to a clamping lever that can be selectively brought into a fixed position or into a released position. The clamping devices may be operatively arranged in parallel.

Abstract: A power assisted steering system may include a threaded spindle that engages in a spindle nut, extends in a direction of a spindle axis, and is axially displaceable in a housing; and a drive unit having a gearwheel that is connected to the spindle nut in a rotationally fixed manner, can be driven rotatably about the spindle axis, and is rotatably mounted in the housing in a bearing arrangement. The bearing arrangement may have at least one bearing outer ring that is axially supported on the housing at an end face via a spring element, that is received coaxially in a sleeve element, and that is held radially in the housing. The spring element may be formed as a spring portion, and the sleeve element may be formed as a sleeve portion that is connected in one piece to the spring portion, on a one-piece carrier sleeve.

Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle may include an inner casing in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis that extends in a longitudinal direction and is received in an outer casing in a slidingly adjustable manner in the longitudinal direction. A pretensioning apparatus may have a pressure piece that can be braced from an outside in a tensioning direction transversely to the longitudinal axis against the inner casing. The pressure piece is held in the longitudinal direction on the outer casing and is supported against a fixing element counter to the tensioning direction. The fixing element is fixed in a recess of the outer casing. The fixing element has a forming means that is plastically furrowed into the recess, and/or the recess has a forming means that is plastically furrowed into the fixing element.

Abstract: A steering column may include a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction, and casing tubes that are adjustable telescopically relative to one another in the longitudinal direction. A roller guide with at least one bearing support can be displaced radially on a first of the casing tubes, and in which at least one roller is mounted rotatably about a roller axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis. The roller can roll via its outer circumference in the longitudinal direction on a second of the casing tubes. A pretensioning device interacts with the bearing support to pretension the roller against the second casing tube. The bearing support may be guided on the first casing tube with an oblique inclination relative to the longitudinal axis, and the pretensioning device may apply an axial force to the bearing support.

Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle may include a steering shaft mounted in a casing unit so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and a feedback actuator that has an electric motor with a motor shaft that is aligned axially along a motor axis, arranged at a distance parallel to the longitudinal axis, and coupled to the steering shaft via a transmission. The motor is connected to a control unit for electrical operation. The control unit may be integrated with the feedback actuator. And the transmission may be arranged axially between the motor and the control unit.

Abstract: A motor adjustment drive for a vehicle steering column includes a threaded spindle with an axis. The threaded spindle engages a spindle nut. A drive unit and a gear wheel which is connected to the spindle nut or the threaded spindle for rotation therewith is driveable to rotate by the drive unit and is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing between two outer bearing rings that are axially supported at the bearing housing. The outer bearing rings each have, on their sides facing one another, a circumferential outer bearing face that is coaxial to the axis. Each outer bearing face lays opposite a bearing face embodied on the end side at the gear wheel. An outer bearing ring is axially resiliently supported at the bearing housing via an elastic element, which exerts an axial force that biases the two outer bearing rings toward each other.

Abstract: A steer-by-wire steering system for motor vehicles includes an electronically controlled steering actuator acting on steered wheels of the vehicle responsive to a steering demand and a feedback actuator transmitting retroactive effects of the road to a steering wheel, wherein the feedback actuator and the steering actuator have a redundant power supply.

Abstract: An adjustment drive for a motor-adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle includes a drive unit having a transmission in which there is mounted a drive wheel. The drive wheel can be driven to rotate about a drive axis and is in operative engagement with a transmission wheel which is mounted in the transmission so as to be rotatable about a transmission axis. The transmission has a drive module, which includes the drive wheel, and a transmission module, which includes the transmission wheel. The drive module and the transmission are connected to one another by a joining connection.

Abstract: A length-adjustable steering shaft for a motor vehicle may include a hollow outer shaft with an unround inner cross section, in which an inner shaft is received in a torque-locked and axially movable manner. A profiled sleeve may be arranged between the inner shaft and the outer shaft, and the profiled sleeve may have a fastening portion connected to the inner shaft. The inner shaft may be configured at least in part as a hollow shaft that has an interior that is open towards the end that is inserted into the outer shaft. To reduce the outlay in terms of production and assembly, the fastening portion may extend from the end into the interior of the inner shaft and is connected to an inner surface of the interior.

Abstract: A method can be used to control a steer-by-wire steering system for a motor vehicle that has two axles each with two wheels. Two front wheels can be steered by front-wheel steering and two rear wheels can be steered by rear-wheel steering. The motor vehicle includes a single wheel drive that is assigned to one of the two axles and drives the two wheels of the corresponding axle via a differential. The motor vehicle comprises an inboard braking system. The method involves checking the motor vehicle speed and activating rear-axle steering when a motor vehicle speed should be slower than 40 km/hr. With rear-axle steering active, the following steps are performed: deactivating front-wheel steering and rear-wheel steering, determining a reference position of a first steering rod via a reference wheel steering angle, determining a differential drive torque between the rear wheels to reach the reference position via a control unit.

Abstract: A steer-by-wire steering system for a motor vehicle may include a rotatably supported steering spindle, a feedback actuator with a feedback motor for acting on the steering spindle, a steering actuator with a steering motor for acting on steered wheels of the motor vehicle based on rotation of the steering spindle, and two control units for controlling the feedback motor and the steering motor. A first control unit of the two control units and a second control unit of the two control units have different levels of complexity relative to each other, in particular such that the first control unit is more powerful than the second control unit. Also, a method can be utilized to operate such a steer-by-wire steering system, whereby the first control unit and the second control unit execute procedures of different complexity relative to each other.

Abstract: A method for assembling an annular seal element, formed by a sealing cord which runs around an opening on a seal receptacle which runs around on the outside of a component. The method includes introducing two assembly fingers into the opening of the annular seal element, stretching the annular seal element by moving the assembly fingers apart from one another, with the formation of a cord portion of the sealing cord, the cord portion being freely tensioned between the assembly fingers, placing the freely tensioned cord portion onto the seal receptacle in a contact region, applying the annular seal element, by way of its opening, onto the seal receptacle, and removing the assembly fingers from the annular seal element. The assembly fingers are moved so as to follow the profile of the seal receptacle, to travel around the seal receptacle in opposite directions.

Abstract: A method can be used to adjust a steering column for a motor vehicle that includes a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis and at least two casing tubes that are guided so as to be adjustable relative to one another by adjustment travel in a longitudinal direction of the longitudinal axis. Along the adjustment travel, the casing tubes are extended farther out of one another in an operating region than in a transitional region, and a motorized adjustment drive acting on the casing tubes is actuated electrically for the relative adjustment of the casing tubes at a predetermined adjustment speed. To allow optimized switching between the operating region and the stowage position, a first adjustment speed is set in the operating region and a second adjustment speed, which is higher than the first adjustment speed, is set in the transitional region.

Abstract: A helical gear transmission for an electromechanical power-assisted steering mechanism includes a shaft which meshes with a helical gear. The shaft is disposed in a housing and at the first end of said shaft in a drive-side bearing assembly is mounted to rotate about a rotation axis, and at the second end of said shaft in a drive-distal bearing assembly is mounted in the housing. The drive-side bearing assembly has a fixed bearing, and the fixed bearing is enclosed by two bearing shells. On each end side of the fixed bearing one spring element is disposed between the fixed bearing and the respective bearing shell. The spring elements asymmetrically pre-load the fixed bearing such that a pivot axis about which the shaft is pivotable in the direction of the helical gear is disposed in the region of the toothing plane of the shaft and the helical gear.

Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle may include a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted such that the steering spindle is rotatable about a longitudinal axis that extends in a longitudinal direction. The casing unit has at least two telescopically guided casing tubes that are adjustable relative to one another in the longitudinal direction, an intermediate element that is movable in the longitudinal direction and is arranged between the casing tubes, and a positioning device for positioning the intermediate element in the longitudinal direction relative to the casing tubes. The positioning device may have elongate guide tracks that are arranged on the casing tubes and the intermediate element and interact with one another such that they position the casing tubes and the intermediate element relative to one another in a defined manner.

Abstract: An adjustment drive for a steering column may include a drive unit having a threaded spindle that is supported in a gearbox housing at a bearing portion so as to be rotatable, with the threaded spindle including a threaded portion with a spindle thread that is axially adjoined to a shaft portion on which a gear wheel is arranged in a rotationally secure manner. The gear wheel meshes with a drive wheel that is coupled to a motor. Between the threaded portion and the gear wheel a peripheral bearing groove with a groove base may extend between groove flanks thereof. The bearing portion may be disposed in the bearing groove in a region of the groove base, and the bearing portion may be supported in a sliding manner in a bearing opening of a bearing plate that engages radially in the bearing groove.