US 6,142,031 AGranted

Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion

AssigneeTechco Corporation

InventorEdward H. Phillips

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A yoke assembly for a rack and pinion steering system includes a bearing disc member having a pair of bearing surfaces for slidingly supporting and urging the rack toward the pinion. The bearing disc member is kinematically supported by elastomeric members along an adjustment axis. In the pitch direction elastomerically derived forces are applied toward an apex located well within the rack and away from the bearing surfaces. This results in the bearing disc member rotating slightly in a contra-pitch direction and forming a lubrication wedge whenever the rack moves along its axis of translation. Additionally along the adjustment axis, the bearing disc is supplementally supported in a stiffer manner in opposition to heavy shock loads. In the yaw direction, elastomerically derived forces are laterally directed to compliantly bias the bearing disc in a lateral direction orthogonal to a plane defined by the adjustment and translation axes toward a preferred central location.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus for maintaining a rack and pinion in meshing engagement, said rack movable within a housing having a preferred translation axis therefor and a bore formed along an adjustment axis that intersects with and is nominally orthogonal to said preferred translation axis, said preferred translation and adjustment axes defining a preferred adjustment plane, said apparatus comprising:

an adjuster plug member having an upwardly directed stop member and being adjustably mounted within a threaded aperture portion of said bore;
a bearing disc member having a generally round cylindrical shape having a circumferential outer surface and a lower surface, said bearing disc member being mounted within said bore with said circumferential outer surface spaced apart from said bore, said bearing disc member positioned generally along said adjustment axis between said upwardly directed stop member of said adjuster plug member and said rack, and having a concave nominally cylindrical surface spaced apart from said lower surface, said nominally cylindrical surface formed with reference to a support axis that is centrally located with reference to said generally round cylindrical shape and nominally orthogonal to said adjustment axis to slidingly receive said rack;
a support member comprising means for compliantly biasing said bearing disc member away from said adjuster plug member and towards said rack substantially along said adjustment axis;
said means for compliantly biasing also compliantly providing contra-pitch rotation of said bearing disc member so as to form a lubrication wedge between it and said rack;
and
supplemental means for compliantly biasing said bearing disc member away from said adjuster plug member and towards said rack substantially along said adjustment axis, said supplemental means for compliantly biasing additionally providing compliant biasing of said bearing disc member in a lateral direction orthogonal to said preferred adjustment plane such that said support axis is urged toward coincidence with said preferred adjustment plane such that said rack is substantially located coincidentally with said preferred translation axis.

3 more elements

An apparatus for maintaining a rack and pinion in meshing engagement, said rack movable within a housing having a translation axis therefor and a bore formed along an adjustment axis that intersects with and is nominally orthogonal to said translation axis, said translation and adjustment axes defining an adjustment plane, said apparatus comprising:

an adjuster plug member having an upwardly directed stop member and being adjustably mounted within a threaded aperture portion of said bore;
a bearing disc member having a generally round cylindrical shape and a lower surface, said bearing disc member being mounted within the bore in a spaced apart manner from the bore and generally along the adjustment axis between said upwardly directed stop member of said adjuster plug member and the rack, and having a concave nominally cylindrical surface spaced apart from said lower surface, said nominally cylindrical surface formed with reference to a support axis that is centrally located with reference to said generally round cylindrical shape and nominally orthogonal to said adjustment axis to slidingly receive the rack;
and
an elastomer member compliantly mounted in the bore and interposed said adjuster plug member and said bearing disc member, said elastomer member resiliently biasing said bearing disc member away from said adjuster plug member and towards the rack substantially along the adjustment axis, said elastomer member laterally urging said bearing disc member in a direction orthogonal to the adjustment axis, said bearing disc member urged along said support axis toward coincidence with the adjustment axis so as to locate the rack coincidentally with the axis of translation.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/124,210Filed 28 Jul 1998 · continuation in part
Priority: 10 Apr 1996
Granted: 7 Nov 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16H 55/283
Special devices for taking up backlash: using pressure yokes
B62D 3/123
Of rack-and-pinion type: characterised by pressure yokes
Y10T 74/18768
Including inertia device: with rack and pinion
Y10T 74/18824
Curvilinear rack: with biasing means

Family

Serial630,369Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Apr 1996
Serial677,449Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Jul 1996
Serial696,010Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Aug 1996
Serial760,589Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Dec 1996
US 5,802,919 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,845,532 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,142,031 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.