Fastening device for tiltable steering wheel assembly

Claim 1

A fastening device for a tiltable steering wheel assembly including a steering shaft tiltably connected to steering gear means, a column tube having said steering shaft journalled therein and a steering wheel mounted on said steering shaft, comprising: a first bracket mounted on a portion of the vehicle body structure and having a pair of opposing arms; a second bracket secured to said column tube and having a pair of opposing arms coupled and pivoted to the pair of arms of said first bracket to hold said column tube at a desired angle; a fastening bolt extending transversely across the coupled portions of said first and second brackets; a lock nut threaded on one end of said bolt at one side of the coupled portions of said first and second brackets; a pressure plate slidably mounted on the other end of said bolt at the other side of the coupled portions of said first and second brackets; a cam element pivoted on the other end of said bolt about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bolt, said pressure plate being between said cam element and the coupled portions of said first and second brackets, said cam element including a curved cam surface to press said pressure plate towards said lock nut and a flat surface to be pressed against said pressure plate in the locked position, the center of the curved cam surface being eccentric with respect to the pivot axis of said cam element to engage the flat surface of said cam element with said pressure plate beyond the rotary dead point of said cam element; and a locking lever integrally connected to said cam element to be positioned substantially parallel with respect to said column tube in a locked position thereof whereby when said locking lever is set in the locked position, said first and second brackets are fastened to each other between said lock nut and said pressure plate which is pressed by the flat surface of said cam element and the pressing contact of said pressure plate and said cam element is held due to a reaction force generated on said bolt.