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US 11,597,427 B2Granted
Steering actuators for vehicles
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJoseph Washnock, Soungjin Jason Wou, Jack Barry, Jennifer Laz, Garry Robert Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Steering actuators for vehicles are described herein. An example actuator includes a rack to be coupled to a knuckle of a vehicle, a ball nut coupled to the rack, a ring gear coupled to the ball nut, and a motor with a pinion engaged with the ring gear. The motor is to rotate the ball nut, via the pinion and the ring gear, to move the rack linearly.
Claims20
A steer-by-wire system for a vehicle, the steer-by-wire system comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- an actuator to, when activated by the controller, turn a wheel of the vehicle to steer the vehicle, the actuator including:
- a rack;
- a ball nut defining an opening, the rack extending through the opening of the ball nut;
- a slide rod;
- a slide locator coupled to the rack, the slide locator movable along the slide rod as the rack moves linearly to prevent the rack from rotating;
- and
- a motor to rotate the ball nut to move the rack linearly.
6 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a steering knuckle;
- a wheel carried by the steering knuckle;
- and
- a steer-by-wire system including a controller and an actuator to move the steering knuckle, the actuator including:
- a rack coupled to the steering knuckle;
- a ring gear having an internal nut, the nut defining an opening, the rack extending through the opening of the nut;
- a motor to drive the ring gear to rotate the nut;
- a slide locator including an arm extending from the rack and a sleeve carried on an end of the arm;
- and
- a slide rod extending through the sleeve, an interface between the slide locator and the slide rod to prevent the rack from rotating.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.