Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Kenneth Lee Westercamp

Chad David Bauer

Stanley John Kielar

Gary G Hegler

Steven J Hallman

Donald J Kurecka

David C Yeack

A steerable drive axle for a motor vehicle including a rigid tubular housing, a pair of steering knuckles at opposite ends of the rigid tubular housing, an expanded chamber in the middle of the rigid tubular housing open on one side for access to a differential gear set in the expanded chamber, a differential cover for closing the open side of the expanded chamber, and an electrically-powered steering apparatus on the cover linked to the steering knuckles. The electrically-powered steering apparatus includes a rack bar passage in the differential cover, a rack bar supported in the rack bar passage for linear translation and linked to the steering knuckles, a pinion head rotatably supported on the differential cover having a pinion gear meshing with a rack gear on the rack bar, an electric motor mounted on the differential cover, and a speed reducer on the differential cover between the pinion head and an output shaft of the electric motor. In a preferred embodiment, the speed reducer consists of a pair of planetary gear sets affording double reduction torque multiplication between the electric motor and the pinion head.

Steerable drive axle with electrically-powered steering apparatus

An electric steering system for automobiles includes a tubular main housing disposed on a transverse axis of the vehicle between two steerable road wheels. A left steering rack is slidably disposed in the main housing and connected to the left road wheel. A right steering rack is slidably disposed in the main housing and connected to the right road wheel. A pair of reversible electric motors at opposite ends of the main housing drive the steering racks independently of each other through corresponding pinion drive assemblies. The inboard end of the left steering rack telescopes into a bore in the inboard end of the right steering rack. The inboard end of the left steering rack has an annular shoulder which is captured in the bore by a rack rack nut on the inboard end of the right steering rack so that withdrawal of the left steering rack from the bore is prevented. The telescopic connection permits enough relative movement between the steering racks to allow an electronic control to optimally position each road wheel during steering maneuvers but is sufficiently small that the wheels can be acceptably steered together by one motor if the other becomes inoperative.

Electric steering system for automobiles

An electric power assisted rack and pinion steering gear for steering the dirigible wheels of a vehicle comprising a rack housing with an end-mounted electric motor telescopically receiving and linearly driving a rack-screw assembly through ball nut and spur gearing.

Concentric motor electric power steering for rack and pinion gear with

A universal joint has a housing which includes an attachment bore which opens into a housing chamber via a counterbore at the inner end of the attachment bore. A seal vent subassembly has an outer rim press which is fitted in the counterbore to form an outer vent chamber which is intersected by a vent hole which extends through the housing wall. The seal vent includes a seal disc which seals the inner end of the attachment bore and a vent disc forms an inner vent chamber in conjunction with the seal disc. The vent disc has a hole establishing communication between the housing chamber and the inner vent chamber, and the rim has holes establishing communication between the inner vent chamber and the outer vent chamber.

Universal joint seal vent

A stroking universal joint has a sheet metal housing for enclosing the open portions of a 'tulip shaped' outer drive member and serving as a mount for a flexible boot seal. The sheet metal housing comprises a sleeve having at one end a plurality of radial tabs each having a pair of perpendicular ears. The ears are positioned to retain intermediate drive rollers on an inner drive spider in the longitudinal drive channels of the 'tulip shaped' outer drive member. The pairs of perpendicular ears also limit relative rotation between the housing and the 'tulip shpaed' outer drive member.

Growing community of inventors

Frankenmuth, MI, United States of America

Kenneth Lee Westercamp