Abstract: The steering column tilt assembly has a tilt housing that is pivotally attached to a fixed housing. A fixed shoe is attached to the fixed housing. A pivoted shoe is pivotally attached to the tilt housing. A shoe release lever has a wedge surface that holds the pivoted shoe in engagement with a fixed shoe when in a locked position. The shoe release lever has two trunions that are received in bores in the tilt housing. A release lever slot between the bores receive the pivot end shank portion. An open quadrant of the lower bore portion permits the shank portion to be moved into the slot. A spring urges the shoe release lever toward the locked position.

Abstract: A tilt-adjustable motor vehicle steering column including a stationary mast, a tilt housing supported on the mast jacket for up and down pivotal movement, an articulated steering shaft having a lower portion rotatably supported on the mast jacket and an upper portion rotatably supported on the tilt housing, a steering hand wheel on the upper portion of the steering shaft, and a long composite balance spring preloaded in compression flexure between the tilt housing and the mast jacket. The composite balance spring consists of a hinge and a pair of short helical coil springs on opposite sides of the hinge. To preload the composite balance spring in compression flexure, the short coil springs are first arrayed as straight sides of a "V" between respective ones of a pair of spring seats on the mast jacket and the tilt housing.

Abstract: A tilt-adjustable motor vehicle steering column including a stationary mast jacket, a tilt housing supported on the mast jacket for up and down pivotal movement, an articulated steering shaft having a lower portion rotatably supported on the mast jacket and an upper portion rotatably supported on the tilt housing, a steering hand wheel on the upper portion of the steering shaft, and a balance spring preloaded in compression flexure between an inboard spring seat on the mast jacket and an outboard spring seat on the tilt housing. The tilt housing has a spring bore therein facing the inboard spring seat. The outboard spring seat is a screw thread in the spring bore defined by a raised boss in the spring bore. The balance spring is a helical coil spring having a helix angle matching the screw thread in the spring bore. Rotation of the balance spring in the spring bore advances an inboard end of the balance spring toward the inboard spring seat.

Abstract: A connection between a collapsible mast jacket of an energy absorbing steering column and a body of a motor vehicle including a mounting bracket on the mast jacket having a planar flange parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the steering column, a V-shaped slot in the planar flange, and a V-shaped capsule in the V-shaped slot clamped rigidly to the body of the motor vehicle. A pair of channels in converging sides of the V-shaped capsule receive corresponding edges of the V-shaped slot for vertical support of the mast jacket on the vehicle body. The V-shaped capsule is retained on the mounting bracket by a pair of integral lugs on opposite sides of the V-shaped capsule seated in retaining notches in the edges of the V-shaped slot. Impact forces on the steering column fracture the integral lugs to release the mast jacket for energy absorbing collapse.

Abstract: A connection between a collapsible mast jacket of an energy absorbing steering column and a body of a motor vehicle including a mounting bracket on the mast jacket having an attachment flange perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the steering column, an aperture in the attachment flange, a plastic bushing captured in the aperture, and a fastener operative to rigidly clamp the plastic bushing to the body of the motor vehicle. The plastic bushing fractures in response to an impact on the steering column to release the mounting bracket. In a preferred embodiment, retention between the attachment flange and the plastic bushing is effected by an edge of the aperture in the attachment flange seated in an annular outside groove in the plastic bushing.

Abstract: A connection between a collapsible mast jacket of an energy-absorbing steering column and a body of a motor vehicle including an outboard mounting bracket on the mast jacket having a pair of lateral flanges, a pair of open slots in the lateral flanges each having a pair of side edges interrupted by a plurality of evenly-spaced notches, a pair of capsules in the open slots rigidly clamped to the vehicle body, and a plurality of equally-spaced plastic shear pins on the capsules seated in the notches to couple the capsules to the outboard mounting bracket. Each capsule includes a capsule base having the plastic pins thereon and a separate capsule cover. The linear pitch between the plastic shear pins is the same as the linear pitch between the notches.

Abstract: A length adjustable motor vehicle steering column including a tubular first mast jacket element, a tubular second mast jacket element telescopically overlapping the first mast jacket element, a plurality of elastic rolling elements squeezed between linear tracks on the first and second mast jacket elements, a separator having a plurality of cells loosely receiving the elastic rolling elements and maintaining relative spacing therebetween, and a plurality of smaller inelastic rolling elements suspended by the separator between the linear tracks on the first and second mast jacket elements. The elastic rolling elements eliminate lash between the first and second mast jacket elements and support the first mast jacket element on the second mast jacket element for low friction relative linear translation. The inelastic rolling elements define positive stops which limit deformation of the elastic rolling elements and flexure of the steering column perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline thereof.

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: An anti-theft steering shaft lock for an energy-absorbing motor vehicle steering column having a linearly collapsible mast jacket includes a unitized construction consisting of a cylinder lock attached to an instrument panel of the motor vehicle remote from the mast jacket, a lateral housing between the cylinder lock and the mast jacket, a lock bolt in the lateral housing, rack and pinion gears which convert rotation of an element of the cylinder lock into linear translation of the lock bolt, and a frangible connection means at which an inboard part of the unitized construction adjacent the mast jacket separates from an outboard part in the direction of linear collapse of the mast jacket. The frangible connection means includes a pair of laterally aligned frangible joints between inboard and outboard segments of the lateral housing and between inboard and outboard segments of the lock bolt.

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: A shaft coupling between telescopically overlapped ends of a first shaft and a second shaft including a plurality of inside linear grooves in the first shaft, a plurality of outside linear grooves in the second shaft cooperating with the inside linear grooves in defining a plurality of linear cylindrical passages between the first and the second shafts, and an elastomeric bearing in each of the linear cylindrical passages consisting of a pair of barrel-shaped lugs at opposite ends of an integral beam spring. The barrel-shaped lugs couple together the first and the second shafts for unitary rotation about and for relative linear translation in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the shaft coupling. The inside and outside grooves bear tangentially against the barrel-shaped lugs. The beam springs maintain substantially zero angular lash between the first and the second shafts by resiliently tipping the barrel-shaped lugs endwise in the linear cylindrical passages.

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.

Abstract: A retainer for preventing dislodgment of a shaft from a bearing including a radially expandable retaining ring, a circumferential groove in the shaft having a frustoconical side, and a frustoconical sidewall on an inner race of the bearing facing the frustoconical side of the groove in the shaft and cooperating therewith in defining an annular V-shaped retaining ring groove. In a seated position of the retaining ring in the retaining ring groove, the retaining ring is wedged between the frustoconical sidewall of the bearing inner race and the frustoconical side of the groove in the shaft to eliminate lash between the shaft and the bearing.

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 structure responsive to linear translation of a mast jacket of the steering column relative to the yoke in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the mast jacket. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and is prevented by the bore from tipping relative to the yoke. The energy absorbing structure includes a convex anvil on the mast jacket and a J-shaped flat metal strap seated on the convex anvil with a short leg rigidly attached to the yoke and a long leg juxtaposed a wall of the mast jacket.

Abstract: Tie-down fastener formed as an integral part of a vehicle cargo liner and the process of making the same. The liner has a first liner surface, which engages the interior surface of the vehicle cargo bed when the liner is a truck bed liner, and a second liner surface opposite the first liner surface. One embodiment includes a washer or nut embedded in and substantially flush with the first liner surface of the liner for the attachment of a screw or bolt therethrough. In a second embodiment, a raised protrusion having a hole therethrough for the attachment of a tie-down thereto extends from the second liner surface and away from the first liner surface of the liner. In another embodiment, a protrusion extending from the second liner surface and away from the first liner surface of the liner is used to fasten a clip, bolt or rod which may, in turn, be used for attachment of a tie-down thereto.

Abstract: The invention comprises a truck bed liner for a vehicle cargo bed including a liner floor and four support members which are formed from the liner floor and protrude upward from the liner floor. Two pairs of support members are positioned such that a restraining member may be placed between the right support members and the left support members. The restraining member is held in place by the support members and therefore compartmentalizes the cargo area and provides a mechanism to restrict or inhibit the movement of small or oddly shaped items within the cargo bed without reducing the width of the interior cargo area.