Zf Steering Systems Poland Sp. Z.o.o.

Dawid Klimek

Artur Wojtalik

Pawel Ponikiewski

Lukasz Dudzic

Damian Uchyla

Sebastian Ciaglo

Agnieszka Hruby

Michal Majzel

A gearbox assembly for power take off from an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering apparatus comprises a gearbox housing which houses a worm shaft and a gear wheel. The worm shaft incorporates one or more external helical worm teeth. A main bearing assembly supports the worm shaft at an end closest to the motor. A tail bearing assembly supports the worm shaft at an end furthest from the motor. At least the tail bearing assembly is free to move relative to the housing through a limited range of motion that enables the worm shaft to move radially away from an axis of the wheel gear. A piston is slidingly received within a bore in an end of the wormshaft and has a has a head at an end facing the motor which connects with an output shaft of the motor. An interface between the recess of the piston and the protrusion of motor shaft defines a pivot axis of the worm shaft. A spring located within the bore in the end of the worm shaft and is compressed between the worm shaft. The piston has a tapered shoulder located within the bore that increases in diameter from an end furthest from the motor towards an end nearest the motor. The gearbox assembly further includes an annular o-ring that sits on the tapered shoulder, the spring acting on the piston through the o-ring whereby movement of the wormshaft towards the motor shaft compresses the spring which in turn drives the o-ring along the tapered shoulder until the o-ring becomes wedged between the piston and the inner wall of the bore of the wormshaft.

Gearbox assembly for an electric power steering apparatus

A collapsible steering column assembly is disclosed, which comprises a collapsible steering column shroud that supports a collapsible steering shaft. The steering shaft has a first end for connection to a steering wheel of a vehicle a mounting bracket that supports the steering column shroud relative to the vehicle. The mounting bracket comprises a fixed portion secured to a fixed part of a vehicle body and a releasable portion secured to the steering shaft. The releasable portion is also secured to the fixed portion of the mounting bracket by one or more frangible connectors. The connectors are adapted to break in the event of a crash to permit the releasable portion and the steering shaft to move relative to the fixed portion. The fixed portion includes a first anvil which has a rounded nose that faces towards the steering wheel, and a guide part which is offset from the first anvil in a direction away from the steering wheel. The guide part has a surface that is vertically offset from an adjacent surface of the fixed portion of the mounting bracket to define a space bounded by the surface of the guide part. The adjacent surface of the fixed part of the mounting bracket defines a convoluted path. An energy absorption strap has a first region fixed to at least one of the steering column shroud and the releasable portion and from which the energy absorption strap extends along a path that first loops around the first anvil and then passes along the convoluted path.

Steering column assembly

A method for optimising an energy-absorbing strap includes the steps of: (1) producing a single metal sheet, including a first connecting portion, for connecting to one of a support bracket and a fixed part of a vehicle, and a second connecting portion, for connecting to the other of the support bracket and the fixed part of the vehicle; and (2) producing a weakening in the single metal sheet to separate the first connecting portion from a tearable portion; bending a portion of the single metal sheet to produce a bent portion that interconnects the second connecting portion and the tearable portion, the second portion being bent back around in relation to the tearable portion; wherein the steps are selected to produce a desired energy-absorbance profile.

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Zywiec, Poland

Dawid Klimek