Back to results
US 6,012,347 AGranted
Power steering apparatus
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAkira Hasegawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In conventional power steering apparatus, a motor and a reducing device of this motor were set in a laterally projecting state with respect to the steering axis, which posed a problem of poor mountability. Harmonic drive reducer, which is composed of wave generator, flexspline, and circular spline, and print motor for driving it are coaxially arranged with respect to a serial steering axis connecting steering input shaft with steering output shaft.
Claims9
A power steering apparatus, comprising:
- a steering input shaft to be rotated about an axis of rotation;
- a steering output shaft axially aligned with said steering input shaft;
- a motor arranged between said steering input and output shafts and having an output shaft disposed concentrically about said steering output shaft, said motor being driven in response to said steering input shaft rotation;
- a wave generator connected to the motor output shaft;
- an elastically deformable flexspline surrounding a peripheral portion of said wave generator;
- and
- a circular spline connected to said steering output shaft, being in meshed engagement with said flexspline,
- wherein said wave generator is rotatable;
- said wave generator, said flexspline and said circular spline are arranged coaxially about the axis of rotation;
- and at least one of said flexspline and said circular spline is rotatable about the axis of rotation.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.