Systems and methods of decoupling vehicle steering systems
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsNaipaul D. Ramoutar, Ronald Bowers, Adam Karibian, Nathan Jordan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle includes a front wheel. A steering column assembly is coupled to the front wheel. The steering column assembly includes a steering wheel and a steering column coupled to the steering wheel. A steering rack assembly includes a rack coupled to the front wheel. The rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a body of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction. A steering knuckle assembly is coupled to the steering rack assembly by a tie rod. A tie rod disconnect feature decouples the steering knuckle assembly and the steering rack assembly upon movement of the tie rod beyond a predetermined distance.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a front wheel;
- a steering column assembly coupled to the front wheel, the steering column assembly comprising a steering wheel and a steering column coupled to the steering wheel;
- a steering rack assembly that comprises a rack coupled to the front wheel, wherein the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a body of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction;
- a steering knuckle assembly coupled to the steering rack assembly by a tie rod, wherein the tie rod is rotatably coupled to the steering knuckle assembly;
- and
- a tie rod disconnect feature that decouples the steering knuckle assembly and the steering rack assembly upon rotation of the tie rod about the steering knuckle assembly beyond a predetermined angular stop position.
A steering system for a vehicle comprising:
- a steering column assembly comprising a steering wheel and a steering column coupled to the steering wheel;
- a steering rack assembly that comprises a rack that extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a body of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction;
- a steering knuckle assembly coupled to the steering rack assembly by a tie rod, wherein the tie rod is rotatably coupled to the steering knuckle assembly;
- and
- a tie rod disconnect feature that decouples the steering knuckle assembly and the steering rack assembly upon rotation of the tie rod about the steering knuckle assembly beyond a predetermined angular stop position.
A method of decoupling a steering wheel of a vehicle from a front wheel of the vehicle, the method comprising:
- contacting an object with the front wheel of the vehicle, the object rotating the front wheel out of a driving direction of the vehicle;
- and
- decoupling a steering knuckle assembly and steering rack assembly by disconnecting a tie rod using a tie rod disconnect feature that decouples the steering knuckle assembly and the steering rack assembly upon rotation of the tie rod about the steering knuckle assembly beyond a predetermined angular stop position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.