Vehicle steering column installation

Claim 2

In a vehicle having a body portion, the combination comprising, a steering column assembly, means supporting said steering column assembly on said body portion for pivotal movement in a vertically oriented longitudinal plane between a semi-installed position and a fully installed position, a striker rigidly supported on one of said steering column assembly and said body portion defining a pair of laterally spaced bearing surfaces disposed symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal plane, a keeper defining a pair of integral retaining fingers spring biased toward a free position, means rigidly supporting saidkeeper on the other of said steering column assembly and said body portion, and cam means on said striker engageable on said keeper for separating said retaining fingers in response to pivotal movement of said steering column assembly toward the fully installed position thereby to permit achievement of the fully installed position, said retaining fingers automatically engaging corresponding ones of said bearing surfaces in the fully installed position of said steering column assembly for retaining the latter in the fully installed position.

Claim 3

In a vehicle including a body portion, the combination comprising, a collapsible steering column assembly including a lower mast jacket section and an upper mast jacket section disposed on said lower section for telescopic collapse in an energy absorbing mode, means supporting one end of said lower mast jacket section on said body portion for pivotal movement in a vertically oriented longitudinal plane between a semi-installed position and a fully installed position, means on said body portion and on said lower mast jacket section adapted to prevent longitudinal bodily shiftable movement of said lower mast jacket section in the direction corresponding to relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a striker rigidly supported on one of said upper mast jacket section and said body portion, means on said striker defining a pair of laterally spaced bearing surfaces disposed symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal plane and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said steering column assembly in the fully installed position thereof from one marginal edge of said striker in the direction of relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a keeper defining a pair of integral retaining fingers spring biased toward a free position, means rigidly supporting said keeper on the other of said upper mast jacket section and said body portion, and cam means on said striker engageable on said keeper for separating said retaining fingers in response to pivotal movement of said steering column assembly toward the fully installed position thereby to permit achievement of the fully installed position, said retaining fingers automatically engaging corresponding ones of said bearing surfaces in the fully installed position of said steering column assembly for retaining the latter in the fully installed position and being slidable relative to said bearing surfaces for permitting relative telescoping collapse of said upper mast jacket section.

Claim 4

In a vehicle including a body portion, the combination comprising, a collapsible steering column assembly including a lower mast jacket section and an upper mast jacket section disposed on said lower section for telescopic collapse in an energy absorbing mode, means supporting one end of said lower mast jacket section on said body portion for pivotal movement in a vertically oriented longitudinal plane between a semi-installed position and a fully installed position, means on said body portion and on said lower mast jacket section adapted to prevent longitudinal bodily shiftable movement of said lower mast jacket section in the direction corresponding to relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a striker rigidly supported on one of said upper mast jacket section and said body portion, means on said striker defining a pair of laterally spaced bearing surfaces disposed symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal plane and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said steering column assembly in the fully installed position thereof from one marginal edge of said striker in the direction of relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a keeper defining a pair of integral retaining fingers spring biased toward a free position, means rigidly supporting said keeper on the other of said upper mast jacket section and said body portion, and cam means on said striker engageable on said keeper for separating said retaining fingers in response to pivotal movement of said steering column assembly toward the fully installed position thereby to permit achievement of the fully installed position, said retaining fingers automatically engaging corresponding ones of said bearing surfaces in the fully installed position of said steering column assembly for retaining the latter in the fully installed position and being slidable relative to said bearing surfaces for permitting relative telescoping collapse of said upper mast jacket section.

Claim 5

The combination recited in claim 2 further including secondary spring means disposed between said keeper and said striker for urging said striker bearing surfaces into engagement on said retaining fingers thereby to eliminate looseness between said keeper and said striker.

Claim 6

In a vehicle including a body portion, the combination comprising, a collapsible steering column assembly including a lower mast jacket section and an upper mast jacket section disposed on said lower masT jacket section for telescopic collapse in an energy absorbing mode, a rigid bar disposed on said body portion in a generally transverse horizontal attitude, a collar disposed on said lower mast jacket section defining a mouth portion for rotatably receiving said rigid bar thereby to support said steering column assembly on said body portion for pivotal movement in a vertically oriented longitudinal plane between a semi-installed position and a fully installed position while preventing bodily movement of said lower mast jacket section in the direction of relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a striker rigidly supported on said upper mast jacket section, means on said striker defining a pair of laterally spaced bearing surfaces disposed symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal plane and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said steering column assembly from one marginal edge of said striker in the direction of relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a keeper defining a pair of integral retaining fingers spring biased toward a free position and a pair of integral secondary spring fingers, means rigidly supporting said keeper on said body portion, and cam means on said striker engageable on said keeper for separating said retaining fingers in response to pivotal movement of said steering column assembly toward the fully installed position thereby to permit achievement of the fully installed position, said retaining fingers automatically engaging corresponding ones of said bearing surfaces in the fully installed position of said steering column assembly for retaining the latter in the fully installed position and being slidable relative to said bearing surfaces for permitting relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, said secondary spring fingers engaging said striker and resiliently urging said bearing surfaces into engagement on said retaining fingers thereby to eliminate looseness between said keeper and said striker.

Claim 7

In a vehicle including a body portion, the combination comprising, a collapsible steering column assembly including a lower mast jacket section and an upper mast jacket section disposed on said lower masT jacket section for telescopic collapse in an energy absorbing mode, a rigid bar disposed on said body portion in a generally transverse horizontal attitude, a collar disposed on said lower mast jacket section defining a mouth portion for rotatably receiving said rigid bar thereby to support said steering column assembly on said body portion for pivotal movement in a vertically oriented longitudinal plane between a semi-installed position and a fully installed position while preventing bodily movement of said lower mast jacket section in the direction of relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a striker rigidly supported on said upper mast jacket section, means on said striker defining a pair of laterally spaced bearing surfaces disposed symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal plane and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said steering column assembly from one marginal edge of said striker in the direction of relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, a keeper defining a pair of integral retaining fingers spring biased toward a free position and a pair of integral secondary spring fingers, means rigidly supporting said keeper on said body portion, and cam means on said striker engageable on said keeper for separating said retaining fingers in response to pivotal movement of said steering column assembly toward the fully installed position thereby to permit achievement of the fully installed position, said retaining fingers automatically engaging corresponding ones of said bearing surfaces in the fully installed position of said steering column assembly for retaining the latter in the fully installed position and being slidable relative to said bearing surfaces for permitting relative telescopic collapse of said upper mast jacket section, said secondary spring fingers engaging said striker and resiliently urging said bearing surfaces into engagement on said retaining fingers thereby to eliminate looseness between said keeper and said striker.