Steering system and method for steering a vehicle
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorPrabhakar Marur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steering system disengages a wheel assembly of a vehicle in response to an event while driving. The steering system includes a suspension knuckle, a tie rod, and a puller. The puller includes a connector that removably engages the suspension knuckle and the tie rod to interconnect the suspension knuckle and the tie rod. The puller is operable to move the connector to disconnect the connector from at least one of the suspension knuckle and the tie rod in response to the event. The vehicle is operated along a longitudinal axis while driving and a moment of the vehicle about the longitudinal axis is sensed. If the moment exceeds the threshold, the puller is energized to disconnect the suspension knuckle from the tie rod.
Claims19
A steering system for a vehicle, said steering system comprising:
- a suspension knuckle;
- a tie rod;
- and
- a puller having a connector for interconnecting said suspension knuckle and said tie rod when said connector is in an extended position;
- wherein said puller includes an actuator operatively connected to said connector;
- wherein said connector is movable to a retracted position to disconnect said connector from at least one of said suspension knuckle and said tie rod in response to an event.
A steering system for steering a vehicle while driving the vehicle, said steering system comprising:
- a first suspension knuckle;
- a second suspension knuckle;
- a steering mechanism,
- a first tie rod, for turning said first suspension knuckle, disposed between said steering mechanism and said first suspension knuckle,
- a second tie rod, for turning said second suspension knuckle, disposed between said steering mechanism and said second suspension knuckle,
- a first puller for interconnecting said first suspension knuckle and said first tie rod when said first puller is in a de-energized position;
- and
- a second puller for interconnecting said second suspension knuckle and said second tie rod when said second puller is in a de-energized position;
- wherein at least one of said pullers is movable from said de-energized position to an energized position in response to an event while driving the vehicle such that said at least one of said pullers disconnects said suspension knuckle from said respective tie rod.
A method of controlling a vehicle in response to an event while driving the vehicle, said method comprising:
- operating the vehicle along a longitudinal axis;
- sensing a moment of the vehicle about the longitudinal axis;
- disconnecting one of a first and a second suspension knuckle from a respective one of a first and a second tie rod when the moment of the vehicle about the longitudinal axis exceeds a threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.