Steering shaft assembly
AssigneeSteering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
InventorsGregory D. Brzezinski, Terry E. Burkhard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steering shaft assembly is disclosed with an outer shaft operatively connected to a one of a steered member or a steering control. The outer shaft has an open end and a receiving chamber associated with the open end. The steering shaft assembly also includes an inner shaft operatively connected to another of the steered member or the steering control. The inner shaft has an engaging portion axially slideably received in the outer shaft receiving chamber. The inner shaft engaging portion also includes a polymer coating disposed on an outer surface of the inner shaft engaging portion. The coating has an outer surface that slideably engages with a surface of the outer shaft receiving chamber, and which has comprises projections and recesses along the coating outer surface.
Claims19
A steering shaft assembly, comprising
- an outer shaft operatively connected to a one of a steered member or a steering control, the outer shaft comprising an open end and a receiving chamber associated with the open end;
- an inner shaft operatively connected to another of the steered member or the steering control, the inner shaft comprising an engaging portion axially slideably received in the outer shaft receiving chamber, said engaging portion comprising a polymer coating disposed on an outer surface of the inner shaft engaging portion, the coating comprising an outer surface that slideably engages with a surface of the outer shaft receiving chamber and comprises projections and recesses along said coating outer surface, wherein the coating outer surface is engaged in a press fit tolerance with the receiving chamber surface, with said coating outer surface projections under radially inward compression that is accommodated by spaces between the coating outer surface recesses and the receiving chamber surface.
A method of assembling a steering shaft assembly comprising an outer shaft operatively connected to a one of a steered member or a steering control, the outer shaft comprising an open end and a receiving chamber associated with the open end, and an inner shaft operatively connected to another of the steered member or the steering control, the inner shaft comprising an engaging portion axially slideably received in the outer shaft receiving chamber, the method comprising
- inserting the engaging portion of the inner shaft into the receiving chamber of the outer shaft, said engaging portion comprising a polymer coating disposed on an outer surface of the inner shaft engaging portion, said coating comprising an outer surface comprising projections and recesses along the coating outer surface;
- and
- providing a press fit tolerance between the coating outer surface and the receiving chamber surface by radially-inward compression deformation of the coating outer surface projections, wherein the radially-inward compression deformation of the coating outer surface projections is accommodated by spaces between the coating outer surface recesses and the receiving chamber surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.