Trw Limited

Zf Active Safety and Electronics US LLC

Trw Automotive U.S. LLC

Zf Automotive Germany Gmbh

Brian A Urbach

John F Santori

Mark J Bugosh

Frank J Struss

Michael Bean

Paul Chen

Christian Wutzler

John Walter Spetz

Robert L Brown

Colleen Kalczynski

Changming Wu

Paul Webber

Chase Skipinski

Gordon J Decker

Andrew Dixon

Nicholas Turovich

Jack Jaroneski

Justin Urbach

Greg Zeug

Robert J Schmidt

David Lindquist

Gregory R Smith

A liquid sensor assembly includes a sensor housing defining an interior cavity. The sensor housing has at least one inlet opening for liquid to pass into the cavity and at least one outlet opening for liquid to pass out of the cavity. A liquid sensor is in the cavity for sensing the presence of liquid in the sensor housing. The liquid sensor is between the at least one inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening. The liquid sensor has a sensor opening extending therethrough for the passage of liquid through the liquid sensor.

Liquid sensor assembly

A steering system for a vehicle includes a housing, an input shaft, and a hybrid shaft support. The housing defines an opening. The input shaft is configured to rotate about an input axis. The hybrid shaft support may be disposed at the opening and configured to couple the input shaft to the housing. The hybrid shaft support may also be configured to support the input shaft as the input shaft rotates. The hybrid shaft support further includes a cylindrical member and a flexible seal over-molded onto the cylindrical member.

Steering shaft support assembly

A steering device for a motor vehicle is specified, having a housing and having a liquid sensor, comprising at least two electrical conductors, and at least one bridging element that is movably mounted and that is in a first position in the absence of liquid and is in a second position in the presence of liquid, a flow of current between the at least two electrical conductors being prevented in one of the two positions, and a flow of current between the at least two electrical conductors being enabled in the other of the two positions, and a tripping element made of a liquid-absorbing material that expands upon contact with a liquid and thereby moves the bridging element into the second position, the liquid sensor being arranged at least partially inside the housing.

Steering device for a motor vehicle

A liquid sensor assembly has a sensor housing including a first portion, a second portion, and a cover defining an interior cavity. The second portion has a cap and at least one sidewall extending along an axis from the cap to a first surface of the first portion. The at least one sidewall has at least one inlet opening for liquid to pass into the cavity. The cap is free from openings. The cover engages a second surface of the first portion. The first and second surfaces of the first portion are opposite one another. A liquid sensor is in the cavity for sensing the presence of liquid in the sensor housing.

A vehicle steering assembly comprises a steering member with a rack portion having rack teeth, a pinion gear having pinion teeth configured to be engaged with the rack teeth, a yoke support assembly supporting the steering member in a housing, and a ball nut operatively connected to the steering member. The pinion gear divides the steering member into a first side having the yoke support assembly outboard of an area of engagement of the rack and pinion teeth and a second side having the ball nut. The yoke support assembly includes complementary convex and concave bearing surfaces configured to provide relative rotation between the convex and concave bearing surfaces. The yoke assembly also includes a spring member configured to produce a variable rate spring force to maintain an engagement between the rack and pinion teeth.

Yoke support assembly for a rack and a pinion gear of a steering assembly for a vehicle

A vehicle power steering assembly includes a housing, a ball nut configured to be operatively disposed in the housing and including an extension portion provided with a convex bearing surface, an insert supported on the housing and provided with a concave bearing surface. The concave bearing surface is complementary to the convex bearing surface. The convex and concave bearing surfaces are a plain bearing configured to provide sliding movement relative to each other. The sliding movement provides relative rotation between the convex and concave bearing surfaces in a first direction on the ball nut axis and a second direction on a rotation axis that is transverse to the ball nut axis.

Bearing for a ball nut assembly of a vehicle power steering assembly

A steering member has a rack portion and a screw portion. The steering member is in a steering housing and operatively connected to a tie rod. A pinion is operatively connected between the rack portion and a steering wheel. A ball nut is operatively connected to the screw portion. A power source is operatively connected to the ball nut. The power source drives the ball nut to effect linear movement of the steering member upon rotation of the steering wheel. A damper has a first connection to the tie rod and a second connection to a ground surface. The ground surface is fixed relative to the steering member. The damper is external to the ball nut.

External damping of power steering for a vehicle

A power steering assembly has a housing and a ball nut assembly supported on the housing. The ball nut assembly has a ball nut axis. The housing has a first surface between the housing and the ball nut assembly. The ball nut assembly also has a second surface. The second surface rotates on the first surface such that the ball nut assembly rotates relative to the housing on a rotation axis that is transverse to the ball nut axis.

Ball nut assembly for a power steering assembly of a vehicle

A rack drive assembly adapted for use in the vehicle electric power steering assembly includes a steering member operatively connected to a vehicle steering wheel; an electric motor for effecting axial movement of the steering member upon rotation of the vehicle steering wheel; a planetary gear assembly operatively coupled to the electric motor; and a pinion assembly operatively disposed between the planetary gear assembly and the steering member whereby operation of the electric motor is operative to effect axial movement of the steering member, wherein the electric motor includes an output shaft which defines a motor axis and the pinion assembly includes an output shaft which defines a pinion axis, wherein the pinion axis is coaxial with the motor axis and perpendicular with respect to an axis of the steering member.

Electric power steering assembly

A rack drive assembly adapted for use in a vehicle electric power steering assembly includes a bearing assembly disposed in a rack housing and carried by a ball nut assembly for rotatably supporting the ball nut assembly relative to a steering member; and a spanner nut carried by the rack housing for securing the bearing assembly in the rack housing. A first isolator, a second isolator and a first shim are provided wherein the first isolator is disposed between an inner surface of the housing and a first surface of an outer race of the bearing, the second isolator is disposed between an opposite second surface of the outer race of said bearing and the first shim, the first shim is disposed between the second isolator and the spanner nut. The first shim is provided with a member configured to be coupled to the housing to allow for axial movement but prevent rotational motion of the shim during installation of the spanner nut.

A yoke assembly adapted for use in a rack and pinion steering gear assembly for a vehicle comprises a yoke housing having a bore; a yoke bearing disposed in the bore; a yoke cover secured in the bore; a spring disposed in the bore between the yoke bearing and the yoke cover; and an automatic-adjusting mechanism secured in the yoke cover. The automatic-self adjusting mechanism includes a member which is configured to self adjust and move in a direction toward the yoke bearing so as to maintain the member in constant contact against the yoke bearing as associated components of the rack and pinion steering gear wear.

Yoke assembly for a rack and pinion steering gear and method for producing the same

An improved structure for a rack drive assembly adapted for use in a vehicle electric power steering assembly includes a ball nut assembly operatively connected to a screw portion of a rack portion of a steering member of the power steering assembly for effecting axial movement of the steering member upon rotation of a vehicle steering wheel. According to one embodiment, the ball nut assembly includes a ball nut having an outer surface; a bearing assembly fixedly disposed in the rack housing and carried by the ball nut for rotatably supporting the ball nut assembly relative to the steering member; and a damper disposed on an outer race of the bearing assembly. The damper includes a pair of dampers disposed on the outer race of the bearing assembly, each of the dampers including at least a first member formed from a first rigid material and a second member formed from a second damping material.

An improved ball joint for use in a motor vehicle steering or suspension system comprises a ball joint having a shank portion and a ball portion disposed in a socket shell. A ball joint retention member is provided having a first end operatively secured to the socket shell and a second end operatively secured to the shank portion.

Ball joint

A ball joint assembly includes a housing () defining a socket chamber () and having an opening (); a composite ball joint bearing () disposed within the socket chamber; a ball stud () supported by the composite ball joint bearing and having a shank portion () which projects through the opening of the housing; and a seal assembly () adapted to seal the opening between the ball stud and the socket chamber. The composite ball joint bearing is formed from a first plastic material (A) and a second magnetostrictive alloy material (B) which is adapted to change its shape when in the presence of a magnetic field to thereby change the rotational and oscillation properties of the ball joint assembly.

Composite ball joint bearing for a ball joint assembly

A hydraulic power-assisted steering system () includes a pump () containing hydraulic fluid. A rack and pinion housing () is operatively connected to the pump () via a conduit line (). A hydraulic fluid control device () is operatively disposed between the pump () and the rack and pinion housing (), the hydraulic fluid control device () having a passageway () formed therethrough to allow hydraulic fluid to flow from the pump () to the rack and pinion housing (). An electromagnet () is operatively coupled to the fluid control device (). An electronic control unit () is adapted to receive at least one input signal () from at least one input source so as to generate an output signal () to the hydraulic fluid control device () so as to selectively control the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump () to the rack and pinion housing (). According to the present invention, the fluid control device () is formed from a magnetostrictive alloy material which is capable of changing the size of the passageway () in the hydraulic fluid control device () in response to an applied magnetic field, whereby the electronic control unit () is operative to selectively control the physical shape or size of the passageway () of the hydraulic fluid control device (), thereby selectively controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump () to the rack and pinion housing ().

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Brian A Urbach