Steering#Safety

Safety steering column prevents the steering column of an automobile in a head-on collision penetrates into the passenger compartment. It complements other safety devices such as seat belts and airbags.

History

At the beginning of motorization, the steering column of the vehicle was in clashes hardly a problem; Clashes were compared to today less frequently and mainly at low speed. As the number of cars that drove at higher speeds, security systems became increasingly important. In the 1960s, the seat belt restraint system prevailed as supplemented from the 1980s by the airbag. At the same time an attempt was made to reduce the risk of injury from a penetrating into the passenger compartment steering column.

A first approach years were dished steering wheels (from 1959 VW Beetle and Lloyd Arabella ) on the bounce of the driver's chest in a collision. The depth in the bowl hub could be bent by the (usually three) spokes of the steering wheel, the driver approaching something without hurting him. A different approach and a precursor of the airbags were steering wheels with a padded, large hub, the impact absorber. However, not until the invention of the safety steering column could solve the problem of penetrating into the passenger compartment steering column.

Systems

Since the 1960s, various systems of the safety steering column have emerged. The most important are the mesh tube, angled steering column, the corrugated tube and the Ausklinkkupplung. They prevent the penetration of the steering column into the passenger compartment through the curtailment or postponement. Today, often several systems are used in combination, they are additionally supported by a recessed or padded steering hub.

Another form of a safety steering column was developed in the 1980s by Audi system Procon - ten. This pulled the steering column and steering wheel back by a laid around the engine block steel cable in a collision in the direction of the dashboard and tightened the seat belts. With the rise of air bag which is usually integrated in the steering wheel for the driver, this system, however, was not compatible. Audi put out in 2002 to register the mark.

Mesh tube

When mesh tube part of the steering column from a kind of expanded metal is made. In case of a collision, the steering shaft is reduced by the mesh is compressed. Steering column with such a security element 411 had, among other things since 1967 the VW Beetle and 1968 VW

Angled steering column

In this system, a multi-part steering column having at least two universal joints is fitted, when the steering gear is not achieved in a direct way. This construction serves as a safety steering column: a displacement of the lower part of the steering column is not set by the buckling similar to the folding of an inch stick to the upper, part of the steering column carrying the steering wheel continues. Such a system was built, inter alia, the Porsche 911 (1963), as well as the Volkswagen Beetle 1302 (1970) and 1303.

Corrugated pipe

The corrugated pipe works like the mesh tube. Absorbing the energy with which the steering shaft is pressed into the passenger compartment by deformed. It can be compressed, but also folds out.

Ausklinkkupplung

When Ausklinkkupplung consists of two parts, the steering column, which are attached to each other, but can move against each other.