US 6,598,697 B2 · Rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus with pressure equalization system

Abstract

This invention refers to an improved rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus for automotive vehicles comprising a cylindrical housing attached to a body structure of the vehicle, and a steering rack shaft mounted within the housing for sliding movement therethrough. Opposite ends of the steering rack shaft are coupled to left and right tie rods through ball joint assemblies to steer a set of road wheels in accordance with lateral displacement of the rack shaft. The rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus further includes a pair of protective boots of elastomeric material, each defining left and right ball joint chambers for sealing a steering gear and components of the ball joint assemblies against debris and foreign fluids. Furthermore, the steering apparatus of the present invention includes a pressure equalization system for equalizing pressure in the left and right ball joint chambers.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims9

Dependent claims

A steering apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated hollow housing adapted to be mounted on a body structure of the vehicle;
a steering shaft mounted within said housing for sliding movement therethrough, said steering shaft having opposite left and right ends extending from said housing;
left and right steering members for transmitting motion of said steering shaft to steerable vehicle wheels;
said left and right steering members operatively coupled to said left and right ends of said steering shaft through left and right joint assemblies;
left and right protective boots sealing said joint assemblies and associated end of said steering shaft;
said left protective boot defines a left joint chamber and said right protective boot defines a right joint chamber;
and
an air tract fluidly interconnecting said left joint chamber with said right joint chamber for equalizing pressure in said left and right joint chambers;
said air tract includes a longitudinal passage formed in said steering shaft and a communication passage formed in a joint casing of each of said left and right joint assemblies, said joint casing is secured to one of said ends of said steering shaft, said communication passage is in fluid communication with said longitudinal passage formed in said steering shaft for establishing fluid communication between said left ball joint chamber and said right ball joint chamber;
wherein said communication passage formed in said joint casing of each of said left and right ball joint assemblies includes a central passage formed through a mounting rod of said ball joint casing and at least one transverse bore extending substantially radially from said central passage through said mounting rod for providing fluid communication between said central passage and one of said left ball joint chamber and said right ball joint chamber, said central passage being in direct fluid communication with said longitudinal passage formed in said steering shaft.

7 more elements

A steering apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated hollow housing adapted to be mounted on a body structure of the vehicle;
a steering rack shaft mounted within said housing for sliding movement therethrough, said steering rack shaft having opposite left and right ends extending from said housing;
left and right tie rods for transmitting motion of said rack shaft to steerable vehicle wheels;
said left tie rod is connected to said left end of said rack shaft through a left ball joint assembly;
said right tie rod connected to said right end of the rack shaft through a right ball joint assembly;
each of said left and right ball joint assemblies has a ball joint casing receiving a ball member;
left and right protective boots covering said ball joint assemblies and associated end of said rack shaft, each said protective boots is made of a flexible material and is formed in the shape of a bellow;
said left protective boot defines a left ball joint chamber housing said left ball joint assembly and is coupled at one end to said left tie rod and at the other end to said tubular housing;
said right protective boot defines a right ball joint chamber housing said right ball joint assembly and is coupled at one end to said right tie rod and at the other end to said tubular housing;
and
an air tract fluidly interconnecting said left ball joint chamber with said right ball joint chamber,
wherein said air tract including:
a longitudinal passage formed in said steering rack shaft;
and
a communication passage formed in each of said boll joint casing, said communication passage providing fluid communication between said left ball joint chamber and said right ball joint chamber through said longitudinal passage in said rack shaft, said communication passage formed in said ball joint casing of each of said left and right ball joint assemblies includes a central passage formed through a mounting rod of said ball joint casing and at least one transverse bore extending substantially radially from said central passage through said mounting rod for providing fluid communication between said central passage and one of said left ball joint chamber and said right ball joint chamber, said central passage being in direct fluid communication with said longitudinal passage formed in said steering shaft.

12 more elements

A ball joint assembly operatively coupling a first member and a second member for articulated motion therebetween, said ball joint assembly comprising:

a ball joint casing receiving a ball member, said casing secured to said first member at one end thereof, said ball member mounted to said second member;
a protective boot defining a ball joint chamber and sealing said ball joint assembly;
and
a communication passage formed in said boll joint casing, said communication passage providing fluid communication between said ball joint chamber and an area exterior to said chamber;
said communication passage formed in said ball joint casing includes a central passage formed through a mounting rod of said ball joint casing and at least one transverse bore extending substantially radially outwardly from said central passage through said mounting rod for providing fluid communication between said central passage and said ball joint chamber.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description2,389 words

Summary754 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to steering systems for automotive vehicles, and more particularly to a rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus having a pressure equalization system.

#2. Description of the Prior Art

Brief description of the drawings7 figures

#Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering apparatus mounted on an automotive vehicle;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus for an automotive vehicle;

Detailed description1,479 words

#The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with the reference to accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 of the drawings that shows the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrates a steering apparatus A of the rack-and-pinion type mounted on an automotive vehicle, which is equipped with a steering wheel 2 to travel on a road. In the steering apparatus A, a steering effort is directly applied to the steering wheel 2 and transmitted to a set of steering road wheels 5 through the steering apparatus A to steer the road wheels.

#As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the steering mechanism A comprises a tubular housing 10 mounted on a vehicle body structure B via brackets 14, a pinion shaft 12 having a pinion 13 and operatively connected to the steering wheel 2 through a steering shaft assembly 8, a steering rack shaft 16 supported within the housing 10 to be laterally displaced in accordance with rotation of the pinion shaft 12, a pair of left and right tie rods 18L and 18R respectively, each connected at their one ends to the opposite ends of rack shaft 16 by means of left and right substantially identical ball joints 20L and 20R respectively, and at their other ends to a pair of knuckle arms 6 to steer the road wheels 5 in accordance with lateral displacement of the rack shaft 16. The rack shaft 16 has rack teeth 17 formed thereon, which are meshed with the pinion 13 so that the rotation of the pinion shaft 12 is converted into a sliding motion of the rack shaft 16, and the sliding motion of the rack shaft 16 is transferred to the left and right steering wheels 5 through the tie rods 18L and 18R to steer the vehicle.

Facts

Application

09/917,273Filed 30 Jul 2001

Priority

BR 000342828 Jul 2000

Published

US 2002/0017419 A114 Feb 2002

Granted

29 Jul 2003

Term ended

30 Jul 2021

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification5 codes

B62D 7/18
Steering linkage; Stub axles or their mountings: steering knuckles; King pins
B62D 3/12
Mechanical: of rack-and-pinion type
Y10T 74/1967
Directly cooperating gears: rack and pinion
B62D
Motor vehicles

Timeline

28 Jul 2000Priority claimedBR 0003428
30 Jul 2001Application filedUS 09/917,273
14 Feb 2002PublishedUS 2002/0017419 A1
23 Jun 2003Assigned to Dana Industrial S/Aassignment of assignor's interest
29 Jul 2003GrantedUS 6,598,697 B2
1 Feb 2018Assigned to Dana Industrias Ltdamerger
23 May 2018Assigned to Dana Spicer Industria E Comercio De Autopecas Ltda.assignment of assignor's interest
30 Jul 2021Term endedEstimated

Rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus with pressure equalization system

Life of this patent

Rack-and-pinion type steering apparatus with pressure equalization system

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims9

Description2,389 words

Drawings

Classification5 codes

Life of this patent

Description2,389 words