Back to results
US 9,227,652 B2Granted
Rack and pinion wear compensation
AssigneeSteering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
InventorsGeorge E. Arlt, Cory R. Ricker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive steering system includes a steering assembly including a rack and a pinion, and a rack bearing configured to contact the rack, the rack bearing disposed in a rack bearing bore of a housing. The system also includes a wear compensation assembly in fluid communication with a rack bearing bore cavity disposed within the rack bearing, the wear compensation assembly configured to draw fluid into the rack bearing bore cavity in response to movement of the rack bearing within the rack bearing bore.
Claims20
An automotive steering system, comprising:
- a steering assembly including a rack and a pinion;
- a rack bearing configured to contact the rack, the rack bearing disposed in a rack bearing bore of a housing;
- and
- a wear compensation assembly in fluid communication with a rack bearing bore cavity disposed within the rack bearing, the wear compensation assembly configured to draw fluid from a fluid reservoir through a channel portion into the rack bearing bore cavity based on a negative pressure occurring in the rack bearing bore cavity in response to at least one of the channel portion forming due to wear occurring within the system and the channel portion increasing in size due to the wear, the wear occurring in response to movement of the rack bearing within the rack bearing bore, the wear compensation assembly including a component that maintains the fluid reservoir at a pressure that is greater than the negative pressure.
1 more element
A wear compensation assembly comprising:
- a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a rack bearing bore of a housing, the rack bearing bore configured to have a rack bearing disposed therein, the rack bearing forming a rack bearing bore cavity therein, the rack bearing configured to contact a rack of a rack and pinion steering assembly;
- and
- a fluid control device configured to advance fluid from the fluid reservoir into the rack bearing bore cavity based on a negative pressure occurring in the rack bearing bore cavity in response to a channel forming between the rack bearing and an adjuster plug seated with the rack bearing bore and configured to retain the rack bearing within the rack bearing bore, the channel forming due to wear of the rack bearing, the fluid control device configured to advance the fluid into the rack bearing bore cavity through the channel, the fluid control device including a component that maintains the fluid reservoir at a pressure that is greater than the negative pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.