Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

James Richard Robertson

Sunil Palakodati

Timothy Matthew Staton

John Francis Laidlaw

Bernard Dale Baughn

Scott Thomas Parkhill

Madhu Nambiar

William L Fisher

Matthew Yanosek

Donald Emmett Lucking

Tim M Staton

Edward Fowlkes

John Harvey Lee

A bushing for use in a hollow tube housing of a rack and pinion steering system. The bushing is formed as a generally cylindrical body having a central aperture and a circular cantilevered flange that extends outward from the body of the bushing. The flange contains a leading surface for compression contact with a corresponding interfering surface on the hollow interior of the rack housing. The flange is disposed to continuously compress a portion of its leading surface against a portion of the interfering surface on the hollow interior of the housing over a predetermined range of temperatures when the bushing is installed in the housing, and thereby providing thermal compensation to maintain a seal.

Rack bushing for an automotive steering system

A steering gear assembly includes a pinion defining a pinion axis and a rack defining a rack axis. A bearing assembly includes a roller bearing biased against the rack to generate a normal force pressing the rack into engagement with the pinion. The bearing assembly engages an outer surface of the rack at two points circumferentially spanning a large angle to provide improved support. The roller bearing is preferably a plurality of ball bearings engaging an outer race. A deformable member may be utilized that is positioned between the outer race and the rack housing. The deformable member may comprise a series of O-rings which providing a force biasing the outer race towards the pinion.

Yoke bearing providing improved support

An assisted steering system is provided. In preferred embodiments, the system has driver and assist pinions that are out of phase with each other. As a tooth of the driver pinion is fully engaged with a rack tooth, a tooth of the assist pinion is only partially engaged with a tooth of the rack. Preferably, the driver and assist pinions have differing rack speeds and numbers of teeth.

Assisted steering system with out-of-phase driver and assist pinions

The present invention involves a purge device for a steering gear assembly of a vehicle. The steering gear assembly includes a steering piston chamber having a piston moveably housed therein and having a hydraulic assist port formed on the steering piston chamber. The device comprises a purge channel in fluid communication with the hydraulic assist port and housed in the steering piston chamber. The purge channel extends to a channel opening positioned at a first portion in the chamber to purge trapped air from the chamber during operation of the steering gear assembly.

Device and method for purging trapped air from a vehicle steering gear housing

An integrated, i.e unitary, rotary hydraulic vane pump assembly reduces cost and simplifies manufacturing thereof. The integrated assembly includes an electric motor, a rotary vane pump, a pump housing and an end bell. The end bell has an inlet fitting or passageway which communicates with the inlet of the rotary vane pump. The pump housing receives the vane pump and is received within the end bell. The electric motor is secured to the face of the pump housing opposite the end bell. The pump housing includes outlet passageways and a centrally disposed axial opening for receiving an output shaft of the electric motor. The rotary vane pump includes end sections and a center, cam ring section which receives a vane rotor assembly coupled to the output shaft.

Integrated vane pump and motor

A hydraulic pump &lsqb;,&rsqb; for use in a power steering system includes a power steering fluid chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; for receiving power steering fluid from a fluid source. The power steering fluid chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; is in fluid communication with a fluid passageway &lsqb;,&rsqb; which transfers fluid to a pressure wave attenuator &lsqb;,&rsqb; for receiving power steering fluid from the power steering fluid chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; such that fluid borne noise in the power steering system is minimized.

Hydraulic gear pump power pack for a power steering system with an integral pressure wave attenuator for fluid noise reduction

A hydraulic pump &lsqb;,&rsqb; for an electro-hydraulic power steering system is positioned in a fluid reservoir &lsqb;,&rsqb; in a pump housing &lsqb;,&rsqb;. The pump &lsqb;,&rsqb; has an upstream end &lsqb;,&rsqb; that receives fluid from a fluid source and a downstream end &lsqb;,&rsqb; that is in communication with fluid expelled from the pump &lsqb;,&rsqb;. The pump housing &lsqb;,&rsqb; has an integral dampening chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; formed therein adjacent the downstream portion &lsqb;,&rsqb; of the pump &lsqb;,&rsqb;. The dampening chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; helps minimize pressure pulsations before the fluid is passed through an outlet opening &lsqb;,&rsqb; in the housing &lsqb;,&rsqb; to a steering gear.

Hydraulic pump housing with an integral dampener chamber

A hydraulic pump &lsqb;,&rsqb; for use in a power steering system includes a power steering fluid chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; for receiving power steering fluid from a fluid source. The power steering fluid chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; is in fluid communication with a first fluid conduit &lsqb;,&rsqb; and a second fluid conduit &lsqb;,&rsqb; each of which has different lengths. A pressure valve attenuator &lsqb;,&rsqb; has two ports, one in communication with the first fluid conduit &lsqb;,&rsqb; and one in communication with the second fluid conduit &lsqb;,&rsqb; for receiving power steering fluid from the power steering fluid chamber &lsqb;,&rsqb; such that fluid borne noise in the power steering system is minimized.

Hydraulic gear pump power pack for a power steering system with separate flow paths for fluid noise reduction

An electro-hydraulic gear pump power pack [10], including a gear pump [12] and a motor [16], are secured together to form a single assembly. The gear pump [12] has a gear drive [14] that is in rotational communication with a drive shaft [18] extending from the motor [16]. An insert coupling device [20] is constructed of a plastic material and is slip fit onto the drive shaft [18] to dampen vibrations and fluctuations between the shafts [14, 18] and thereby minimize fluid borne noise in the pump [12].

Motor shaft to gear pump coupling device for fluid borne noise reduction

An electro-hydraulic gear pump power pack (10), including a hydraulic pump disposed in a pump reservoir (12) and an electric motor disposed in a motor housing (14), are secured together to form a single assembly. The pump reservoir (12) and the motor housing (14) are secured together by a pair of mounting brackets (18) that also serve to attach the power pack (10) to a vehicle structure (20).

Power steering power pack motor/pump mounting bracket

A reservoir apparatus for an electronically controlled electric pump includes a pump housing (22), constructed of thermally conductive material, the pump housing having a cup-shaped reservoir portion (160) adapted to surround a pump assembly (164) to maintain the pump assembly submerged in hydraulic fluid (162). The pump housing also includes a fluid inlet (166) and a fluid outlet (168) for communicating fluid from the pump assembly to a hydraulically actuated device, such as a steering gear. The pump housing (22) also includes a first module member portion (20) adapted to seal with a second module member (24) so as to form a control module. The first module member portion (20) being operative to transmit thermal energy from electronic components into the pump housing and the hydraulic fluid.

Growing community of inventors

Walled Lake, MI, United States of America

James Richard Robertson