Coincidental lock

Claim 2

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle-steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support column, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for bodily movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to said lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and the unlocking positions, the combination comprising, a bezel, means supporting said bezel on said lock cylinder for unitary rotation therewith, an inhibitor pin, means supporting said inhibitor pin on said support column for bodily movement between a blocking position in the unlocking position of said lock bolt engaging the latter and preventing movement thereof to the locking position and an unlocking position remote from said lock bolt, slipring means, means supporting said slipring means on one of said support column and said bezel for movement between a raised position and a lowered position, spring means between said slipring means and said inhibitor pin operative in the lowered position of said slipring means to yieldingly urge said inhibitor pin toward the blocking position thereof, cam means, means supporting said cam means on said bezel for movement between a first position and a second position, said cam means in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said lock cylinder and said key thereafter being operative to move said cam means from the first to the second position thereof and to maintain said cam means in the second position, and means connecting said cam means to said slipring means in every angular position of said lock cylinder so that said cam means is operative in the second position thereof to maintain said slipring means in the lowered position thereof.

Claim 3

The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said cam means includes a cam plate having a cam surface thereon, and means supporting said cam plate on said bezel for pivotal movement between the first and the second position about an axis of the latter extending generally transversely of the plane of said key in the inserted position thereof in said lock cylinder, said cam surface being engageable on said slipring means and operative to move said slipring means from the raised to the lowered position thereof in response to pivotal movement of said cam plate from the first to the second position.

Claim 4

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle-steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support coluMn, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to said lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and unlocking positions, the combination comprising, a bezel having a central key-receiving aperture therein and a pair of planar gripping lugs disposed on opposite sides of said aperture, means supporting said bezel on said lock cylinder for unitary rotation therewith, said key in the inserted position thereof in said lock cylinder projecting through said aperture in said bezel and being disposed between said gripping lugs generally in the plane thereof, and inhibitor pin, means supporting said inhibitor pin on said support column for bodily movement in opposite directions generally transversely of said support column between a blocking position in the unlocking position of said lock bolt engaging the latter and preventing movement thereof to the locking position and an unblocking position remote from said lock bolt, first spring means on said support column yieldingly urging said stop inhibitor pin toward the unblocking position thereof, an annular slipring, means supporting said annular slipring on said bezel for unitary rotary movement therewith and for axial movement relative thereto between a raised position and a lowered position, second spring means engageable on said support column and slidably engageable on said slipring, said second spring means being operative in response to forced movement of said slipring from the raised to the lowered position to overcome said first spring means and yieldingly urge said inhibitor pin toward the blocking position thereof, a cam plate, and means supporting said cam plate on one of said gripping lugs for pivotal movement relative to the latter about an axis extending generally transversely of the plane of said gripping lugs between first and second positions and for engagement on a side edge of said key and on said slipring, said cam plate in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said lock cylinder and said key thereafter being operative to pivot said cam plate from the first to the second position thereof and to maintain said cam plate in said second position, said cam plate being operative upon movement to the second position to move said slipring to the lowered position thereof and to maintain said slipring in the lowered position.

Claim 5

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle-steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support coluMn, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to said lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and unlocking positions, the combination comprising, a bezel having a central key-receiving aperture therein and a pair of planar gripping lugs disposed on opposite sides of said aperture, means supporting said bezel on said lock cylinder for unitary rotation therewith, said key in the inserted position thereof in said lock cylinder projecting through said aperture in said bezel and being disposed between said gripping lugs generally in the plane thereof, and inhibitor pin, means supporting said inhibitor pin on said support column for bodily movement in opposite directions generally transversely of said support column between a blocking position in the unlocking position of said lock bolt engaging the latter and preventing movement thereof to the locking position and an unblocking position remote from said lock bolt, first spring means on said support column yieldingly urging said stop inhibitor pin toward the unblocking position thereof, an annular slipring, means supporting said annular slipring on said bezel for unitary rotary movement therewith and for axial movement relative thereto between a raised position and a lowered position, second spring means engageable on said support column and slidably engageable on said slipring, said second spring means being operative in response to forced movement of said slipring from the raised to the lowered position to overcome said first spring means and yieldingly urge said inhibitor pin toward the blocking position thereof, a cam plate, and means supporting said cam plate on one of said gripping lugs for pivotal movement relative to the latter about an axis extending generally transversely of the plane of said gripping lugs between first and second positions and for engagement on a side edge of said key and on said slipring, said cam plate in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said lock cylinder and said key thereafter being operative to pivot said cam plate from the first to the second position thereof and to maintain said cam plate in said second position, said cam plate being operative upon movement to the second position to move said slipring to the lowered position thereof and to maintain said slipring in the lowered position.