Method for unobtrusive adaptation to enable power steering in vintage cars
OwnerDouglas Michael Younginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retro-fittable power steering system for a vehicle; said system including an actuator acting on a component of the steering system of a said vehicle downstream of the steering box of said steering system; said system characterised in that said power steering system is activated manually under driver control; said system further characterised in that original steering components of said vehicle remain un-modified.
Claims22
A power steering system for retrofitting to an original steering system of a non-power assisted steering vehicle;
- said system including an actuator acting on a component of the original steering system of a said vehicle downstream of a steering box of said original steering system or between said steering box or a gear and steerable wheels of said vehicle;
- said system characterised in that said power steering system is activated manually under driver control;
- said driver control comprising a torque/force sensing control module mounted to a steering wheel of said vehicle;
- said control module being operated by said driver applying force directly to said module and not said steering wheel;
- said control module moving with said steering wheel;
- said system further characterised in that original steering components of said vehicle remain un-modified.
A method of retro-fitting a power steering system to a steering system of a vehicle;
- the method including the steps of:
- (a) mounting a double acting linear actuator between a component of the steering system of said vehicle and an element of said vehicle other than a said component of said steering system,
- (b) providing a manual control to activate a bi-directional power source for said double acting linear actuator,
- and wherein said manual control comprises a torque/force sensing device mounted to, or adjacent to, a steering wheel of said vehicle and wherein all components of said system are attached to said steering component and
- (c) a chassis or
- (d) where the front wheels of said vehicle are not independently suspended, the front axle.
A power assistance system for vintage or older vehicles;
- said system including a pressurised hydraulic fluid source and at least an hydraulic cylinder acting on a steering component of a said vintage or older vehicle;
- said system further including a driver operated control module comprising a torque/force sensing device mounted to, or adjacent to, a steering wheel of said vehicle;
- said pressurised hydraulic fluid source providing power for assistance to operation of brakes and clutch of said vehicle.
22-32. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.