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US 11,027,767 B2Granted
Steering system rack with stepped portion
AssigneeSteering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
InventorsMichael J. Augustine, Kevin P. Douglas, Gary V. Weiss, William H. Georges
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rack bar blank for a steering system includes a first region having a first diameter. The rack bar blank also includes a second region having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter prior to formation of teeth on the second region and a ball screw thread on the first region.
Claims10
A rack bar blank for a steering system, the rack bar blank comprising:
- a first region having a first diameter;
- a second region having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter prior to formation of teeth on the second region and a ball screw thread on the first region;
- and
- a transition region along an outer surface of the rack bar blank, the transition region extending radially outwardly in a direction from the first region to the second region, the transition region joining the first region and the second region.
1 more element
A method of forming a rack bar for a steering system comprising:
- modifying a single, integrally formed circular rack bar blank to provide a ball screw region having a first diameter along a first length of the rack bar blank and pinion mesh region having a second diameter along a second length of the rack bar blank, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter;
- cutting a plurality of teeth along and into the pinion mesh region after the first and second diameters have been formed;
- forming a ball screw thread into the ball screw region after the first and second diameters have been formed;
- and
- modifying the rack bar blank to include a transition region extending between the pinion mesh region and the ball screw region, the transition region extending radially outwardly in a direction from the first region to the second region.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.