Automotive vehicle steering system having an electric motor powered linear actuator shaft for turning a steered wheel
US7059447B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 21, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 13, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 21, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16H25/2252
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An automotive vehicle steering system has an actuator (12) for steering a wheel (10). A shaft (28) passes axially through the interior of a housing (14) of the actuator and through a rotor tube (56) journaled for rotation within the housing. On the exterior of the housing one end of the shaft is coupled to the wheel. An electric motor (52) within the interior of the housing rotates the rotor tube when the wheel is steered by a steering wheel. An internal screw thread (68) on the rotor tube and an external screw thread (70) on the shaft are operatively coupled by a set (74) of transmission rollers (76) to provide for bi-directional transmission of motion between the rotor tube and the shaft such that rotation of the rotor tube causes the shaft to move axially of the housing to steer the vehicle wheel and axial motion of the shaft due to wheel recovery from a turn rotates the rotor tube.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.