GM has filed a patent for a telescoping steering wheel system that includes both a slidable hub and a telescopic rim.
The new GM patent application has been assigned patent number US 11,745,786 B1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and was published on September 5th, 2023. The patent was originally filed on July 21st, 2022, and lists Michigan-based engineer Thomas E. Houck as the inventor.
The new GM patent describes a steering wheel system that incorporates a hub connectable to a steering shaft, with an airbag receiving zone formed in the hub. The steering wheel is connected via a plurality of spokes that attach to the rim of the steering wheel and the central hub member. The central hub member can slide along the steering axis.
As the patent describes, most modern vehicles include an airbag that is mounted centrally within the steering wheel, which serves as a safety measure in the event of a collision. However, most modern vehicles also include an adjustable steering wheel that can be moved towards and away the driver in order to accommodate a variety of body types.
As such, some drivers may move the steering wheel to the forward limit of adjustment, which could place the position of the airbag closer to the driver than is recommended. As such, this GM patent describes a system with an adjustable steering wheel that does not position the airbag towards the forward limit of adjustment.
Several other GM patents have been published recently, as GM Authority has covered. Several of these recently published patents include new technologies to assist both consumers and to assist in vehicle production. To this latter point, GM has filed a patent that describes a system that enables vehicles to move under their own power during assembly, while another patent describes a system for lost item detection in vehicles. Yet another patent describes a more-effective electrically heated windshield system.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM patent filing news, GM technology news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
My last two Pontiacs both had telescopic steering columns, what’s special about this?
The rim itself moves, not the column from my understanding. Therefore, the airbag doesn’t move dangerously close to the driver if they need the steering wheel closer. Instead, only the rim of the steering wheel would move.
As long as they don’t move the horn back to a stick on the steering column… 🤦🏼♂️🤣🤣
I hope it’s better than what they have now. GM used to have the best tilt and T&T columns in the industry. That was developed by Saginaw. Then they switched to this system where the whole column moves up and down, pivoting somewhere around the toe pan. This newer system is so bad they may as well not even have it. They sure as hell need something better than what they currently have.
Agreed. Personally, I much preferred the tilt and telescoping at the upper bowl, rather than the whole column lower down, because the wheel could be positioned at a better angle. I’m longer in the torso and being able to tilt the steering wheel rim up to an inch higher would be nicer.
With the smaller steering wheels in modern vehicles, it is harder to “picture frame” the entire instrument panel cluster, to allow full visibility through the steering wheel.
There are of course engineering and safety reasons for the current designs that limit angles, tragectory and distances, because of air bags and column intrusion.
From the technician perspective, the old tilt and telescoping bowl was a major wear component and the extreme angles possible resulted in broken ignition switch lock and multi-function lever wiring.
The modular column designs introduced around Y2K, alleviated many of those wear concerns, but over time and subsequent modular column designs, the range of motion limited the height and angle adjustments of the steering wheel.
I agree, the old tilt system was better.
Funny part is, I bet GM thinks the new system is better but as usual, they didn’t ask their customers.
Based on previous experience, I’ll bet the newer one is cheaper.
I’m glad that I am not the only one who misses a good tilt steering column. Being able to swing the wheel way up when exiting or down when driving made driving much more comfortable in my opinion. As someone else said, GM used to have the best in these – like my dad’s ’65 Pontiac Bonneville. My new Avalon has an automatic memory powered T&T but still not as good as the one in my old ’08 Avalon…