James A Smazenka

6557434, May 6, 2003

Apr 2, 2001

09/824525

Ray Garnet Armstrong - Bay City MI
James Anthony Smazenka - Midland MI
Richard Kremer Riefe - Saginaw MI

Delphi Technologies, Inc. - Troy MI

B62D 118

74495, 74493, 280775

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.

6612198, Sep 2, 2003

Nov 1, 2001

10/002571

James Edward Rouleau - Burt MI
James Anthony Smazenka - Midland MI
Scott A. Stinebring - Saginaw MI

Delphi Technologies, Inc. - Troy MI

B62D 118

74493, 280775

A power system including a cable drive for adjusting a steering column of an automotive vehicle in response to rotation of a jack screw. A cable transmits torque from a motor-driven output shaft to the jack screw. The cable has terminal portions received in sockets in the output shaft and in the jack screw. The terminal portions and the sockets are square in cross section. An end part of each terminal portion is twisted to cause comers of the terminal portion to interfere with corners of the socket into which it extends to provide substantially a lash-free connection between the terminal portions of the cable and the sockets.

59114380, Jun 15, 1999

Mar 9, 1998

9/036676

Michael Patrick Anspaugh - Bay City MI
Ray Garnet Armstrong - Bay City MI
James Anthony Smazenka - Midland MI

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

B62D 111
B62D 118

280777

An energy absorber including a yoke on a vehicle body pivotable about a lateral centerline thereof, a linear bore in the yoke surrounding a steering column mast jacket, a ball sleeve between the mast jacket and the linear bore, a plurality of steel spheres interference fitted between the mast jacket and the linear bore and loosely received in apertures in the ball sleeve, and an annular lip on the yoke. The interference fit of the steel spheres yields a rigid, lash-free connection between the vehicle body and a lower end of the mast jacket. An impact on the steering column induces linear translation of the mast jacket through the linear bore. The ball sleeve is trapped in the linear bore by the annular lip on the yoke. The steel spheres are held stationary by the apertures in the ball sleeve and plastically deform the mast jacket by plowing tracks therein to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of the impact on the steering column. The interference fit of the steel spheres prevents tipping of the mast jacket relative to the yoke and pivots the yoke as a unit with the steering column to prevent binding of the mast jacket.