Servomotor assisted rack-and-pinion steering or control system

A rack-and-pinion control system, comprising:

• a housing;
• a rack having arranged thereon a non-rotatable screw axially displaceable together with said rack;
• a recirculating ball sleeve interacting with said non-rotatable screw of said rack, said recirculating ball sleeve being provided with a limited ability for axial displacement;
• a frictional clutch arrangement controlled via said recirculating ball sleeve;
• and
• a servomotor coupled to said rack via a mechanical transmission, said servomotor continuously driving two wheels in opposite directions;
• wherein said frictional clutch arrangement couples one of said two wheels to said recirculating ball sleeve depending on a direction of axial displacement of said recirculating ball sleeve, and
• wherein when said recirculating ball sleeve is in a central position, said frictional clutch arrangement maintains said recirculating ball sleeve uncoupled from said two wheels;
• and wherein said recirculating ball sleeve includes a central web,
• wherein said two wheels include a first coaxial gear wheel disposed on the ball sleeve at one axial side of the central web and a second coaxial gear wheel disposed on the ball sleeve on an opposite side of the central web, and
• wherein said frictional clutch arrangement includes a first coaxial clutch assembly disposed on the ball sleeve in between one axial side of the housing and the first coaxial gear wheel and a second coaxial clutch assembly disposed on the ball sleeve in between an opposite axial side of the housing and the second coaxial gear wheel.