Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Mando Corporation

Kevin Carlton Ross

William David Cymbal

Marvin V Manwaring

Daniel J Diffin

Philippe Gayrard

Agathe Ledreau

Steven Mark Thomas

Leland Nels Olgren

Jason T Rutkiewicz

Jeffrey E Beyerlein

Troy P Strieter

Xiaoyu Li

Thomas J Milton

Floyd E Eschenbacher, Jr

James S Baughman

Richard Thomas Stuedemann

Kevin Lawrence Roe

Michael Francis Slasinski

Joshua Grove

Niklaus A vonMatt

Leroy L Gatz

John M Andres

Steve B Al-Rawi

A electromechanical actuator package for actuating a brake assembly may comprise: a motor comprising a motor rotor shaft on which a drive pulley is formed; a multi-stage belt drive mechanism connecting the motor rotor shaft to an actuator output via a plurality of drive belts, the actuator output associated with the brake assembly; a circuit board; and a housing enclosing the motor, the multi-stage belt drive mechanism and the circuit board, wherein the circuit board is positioned between one end of the motor rotor shaft and an inner surface of the housing. The electromechanical actuator package may improve mechanical efficiency as well as reduce the packaging size and mass. Further, the electromechanical actuator package may reduce operational noise.

Electromechanical actuator package with multi-stage belt drive mechanism

A power-assisted steering system includes a control shaft arranged along a control shaft axis. An assist drive shaft defines a drive shaft axis and is arranged in a plane that is substantially transverse to the control shaft axis. The assist drive shaft is supported relative to the vehicle structure by a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly. A worm is disposed about the assist drive shaft. A worm gear is coupled to the control shaft, and the worm gear and control shaft are configured for rotation about the control shaft axis. The worm gear is configured for engaging the worm such that rotation of the worm and the assist drive shaft about the drive shaft axis causes rotation of the worm gear and the control shaft about the control shaft axis. The first bearing assembly is configured as an eccentric bearing assembly.

Steering column assist system

A coupling assembly includes a first coupling end operably connectable to a first shaft and a second coupling end operably connectable to a second shaft. A coupling body of a plastic material is located between and operably connected to the first coupling end and to the second coupling end. The coupling body includes at least one spring segment allowing relative motion between the first coupling end and the second coupling end along a coupling assembly axis. Also disclosed is a vehicle steering system utilizing the coupling assembly.

Ring and rotor coupling assembly

The vehicle steering column has a rake adjustment and a telescope adjustment. The adjustment mechanism includes a compression bracket with a telescope slot, a rake bracket with a rake slot and a rake bolt that passes through the telescope slot and the rake slot. A wedge lock is mounted on the rake bolt and positioned in the rake slot and the telescope slot. Rake and telescope teeth on the wedge lock are held out of engagement with a rake tooth rack and a telescope tooth rack during rake and telescope adjustment. The rake bolt is tightened to hold a selected adjustment position and the telescope teeth on the wedge lock engage the telescope tooth rack. During a collision the rake teeth on the wedge lock are moved into engagement with the rake tooth rack to fix the rake and telescope adjustments.

Locking system for adjustable position steering column

A method and apparatus for reducing rattle in a column mounted electric power steering system. A method of reducing audible noise in a steering system, generated by road impact energy and transmitted through a transmission medium, which includes a column mounted electric power steering system, including interrupting the transmission medium; and absorbing the road impact energy through the steering system. A column assist isolation system includes a sleeve disposed at a housing of an electric power steering system, a first bushing disposed at a first end of the sleeve, and a second bushing disposed at a second end of the sleeve. Both the first bushing and the second bushing include a compliant material.

Column assist isolation system

A position control apparatus for an adjustable motor vehicle steering column including a friction clamp, a control shaft rotatable between locked and unlocked positions, a hollow rectangular frame moveable relative to the control shaft when the steering column is adjusted, a first toothed pawl a second toothed pawl, and an elastic bushing resiliently supporting the first and second toothed pawls on the control shaft inside of the rectangular frame. When the control shaft is rotated to its locked position the friction clamp frictionally captures the adjusted position of the steering column. The pawls have gear sectors thereon which are relatively angularly offset by one-half tooth pitch. When the control shaft is rotated to its locked position, the one-half tooth pitch offset assures that at least one of the gear sectors will mesh with a rack gear on the rectangular frame even if the other engages the rack gear peak-to-peak. Each pawl further includes a lug which cooperates with a plain edge of the rectangular frame in immobilizing the pawl when the gear sector thereon is meshed with the rack gear so that the meshed tooth couple between the gear sector and the rack gear reinforces the friction clamp.

Position control apparatus for steering column

A steering column for a motor vehicle having a gear box of an electric power assist apparatus in front of the steering column. The steering column includes a rigid mast jacket consisting of a short tubular sleeve and a bracket attached to the tubular sleeve having a pair of laterally separated guides straddling the gear box. A pair of lugs on the gear box cooperate with a pair of elongated slots in the guides in connecting the mast jacket to the gear box for vertical pivotal movement and for linear translation. A longitudinally collapsible steering shaft is rotatably supported on the tubular sleeve with a steering hand wheel at one end and a flexible coupling at the other end connecting the steering shaft to an input shaft on the gear box. The tubular sleeve is connected to the vehicle body by a clamp which releases the tubular sleeve for a collapse stroke of the mast jacket. The mast jacket protects the steering shaft against beam bending during the collapse stroke. The unobstructed span in front of the tubular sleeve between the guides yields a collapse stroke of the mast jacket consistent with acceptable performance of an energy absorber.

Steering column for motor vehicle

An apparatus for transferring power and communication data across an annular gap comprises an inductively-coupled primary coil winding and secondary coil winding rotatable therein. Two signal oscillators are electrically coupled to a transistor for controlling current flow through the primary coil winding, thereby inducing a signal with a respective frequency in the secondary coil winding. An electronic switch operates so as to apply one of the two signals to the transistor for charging a capacitor coupled to the secondary coil winding, and operates so as to apply the other of the two signals to the transistor for discharging the capacitor. Actuation of control devices operate so as to modulate the impedance of the secondary coil winding. The inductive coupling of the two coil windings results in this modulation being mirrored by a modulation of the voltage developed across the primary coil winding. The primary coil winding voltage is compared to a threshold voltage for decoding the modulated voltage and determining actuation of the control devices.

Inductively coupled energy and communication apparatus

A shaft coupling including a socket, a first shaft, a plug on a second shaft seated in the socket, and a clamp operative to clamp together the first and the second shafts in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the shaft coupling to prevent dislodgment of the plug from the socket. The clamp includes an annular first flange on the first shaft, an annular second flange on the second shaft facing the first flange, oppositely facing frustoconical shoulders on the first and the second flanges, a plurality of clamp jaws pivotally mounted on the first shaft arrayed symmetrically around the first and the second flanges each having a closed position inducing radial thrust on the oppositely facing frustoconical shoulders, and springs biasing each of the clamp jaws toward its closed position. The oppositely facing frustoconical shoulders convert the radial thrust of the clamp jaws into linear thrust in the direction of the longitudinal centerline of the shaft coupling to force together the annular first and second flanges. A peripheral edge of the annular second flange pivots the clamp jaws to open positions against the bias of the springs to permit completion of the shaft coupling in quick-connect fashion.

Shaft coupling

A motor vehicle steering column including a longitudinally collapsible mast jacket, a lower mount whereat the mast jacket is supported for vertical pivotal movement, and an upper mount consisting of a pair of stationary rigid strikers and a pair of releasable capsules on the mast jacket each of which receives in plug-in fashion and automatically retains a corresponding one of the strikers. Each of the capsules includes a socket, a plunger bore intersecting the socket, a plunger in the plunger bore, and a plunger spring biasing the plunger toward an extended position partially obstructing the socket. Each striker has a cam at a distal end thereof and an inverted frustoconical body. When the mast jacket is pivoted vertically up, the cams on the strikers shift the plungers inward in the plunger bores. When the strikers are seated in the sockets, each plunger spring wedges the corresponding plunger between the frustoconical body of the striker and a side of the plunger bore converging with the frustoconical body of the striker. In a preferred embodiment, one of the plungers is oriented laterally and one is oriented longitudinally to eliminate lateral and longitudinal lash between the mast jacket and the vehicle body and the lower mount includes a flex plate which biases the mast jacket vertically downward to eliminate vertical lash between the mast jacket and the vehicle body.

Growing community of inventors

Hemlock, MI, United States of America

Kevin Carlton Ross