Back to results
US 5,330,021 AGranted
Power steering system for vehicles
AssigneeAlfred Teves GmbH
InventorsWilhelm Beer, Juergen Balz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is related to an electromechanical power steering system (1) for vehicles whose servomotor (5) is positioned in the passenger compartment (2) in order to protect it from negative effects, such as mud, oil, fuel or similar which customarily exist in the engine compartment.
Claims15
A power steering system for vehicles with a passenger compartment, said power steering system comprising:
- a steering axle;
- a steering wheel rotatably disposed at an end of the steering axle;
- a steering gear adjacent to the steering wheel and coupled to the steering axle;
- an electric servomotor positioned in the passenger compartment and operatively coupled to the steering gear which generates a torque at the steering gear and at the steering axle assisting a rotary motion at the steering wheel;
- and
- an electronic system positioned in the passenger compartment, further comprising:
- a sensor unit for sensing torque applied to said steering wheel, said sensor unit including at least four sensor elements and two transmitting elements rotatable relative to each other and positioned concentrically with respect to the steering axle with a first of the transmitting elements attached to said steering gear and having an external circumference with a plurality of openings therein and a second of the transmitting elements attached to said steering wheel and having an internal circumference surrounding the external circumference and having a plurality of openings with a pitch equal to the pitch of the openings in the internal circumference whereby said sensor unit senses torque applied to the steering wheel.
4 more elements
A power steering system for vehicles with a passenger compartment, said power steering system comprising:
- a steering axle;
- a steering gear rigidly coupled to the axle for rotation therewith and having means defining a toothed rim;
- a steering wheel having means defining a recessed section rotatably disposed over the steering gear whereby the recessed section partially encloses the toothed rim;
- stops between the steering gear and the steering wheel operatively abutting to limit rotation therebetween;
- a servomotor drivingly engaging the gear;
- a first transmitting element rotatably fixed to the steering gear and having means defining a plurality of openings at an external circumference;
- a second transmitting element rotatably fixed to the steering wheel and having means defining a plurality of recesses in an internal circumference circumscribing and concentric with the first transmitting element external circumference wherein the second transmitting element recesses are adapted for operably alignment with the first transmitting element recesses;
- a sensor unit having at least four sensor elements with two of the sensor elements located to produce a signal in response to the movement of the openings of the first transmitting element past the sensor and with the remaining two sensors located to produce a signal in response to the openings of the second transmitting element moving past those sensors;
- and
- an electronic system electrically connected to the sensor unit and to the servomotor and initiating the servomotor in response to signals from the sensor unit.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.