Trw Limited

Trw Lucasvarity Electric Steering Limited

Zf Automotive UK Limited

Lucas Industries Public Limited Company

Lucas Automotive Gmbh

Trw Das A.s.

Trw Automotives U.S. LLC

Trw Automotive U.S. LLC

Michael Appleyard

Mark Anthony Wilkes

Niclas Davies

Russell Wilson-Jones

David Ward

John M Ironside

Steven John Horton

Eckart Op Den Camp

Jiri Nevrkla

Stephen David Butler

John S Forrester

Raglan Horatio Tribe

Rajendra Gopalji Sikotra

Michael James Walsh

Dominique Cullier

Petr Bachel

Bohumír Sýkora

Josef Pivny

Petr Navratil

A gearbox assembly for an electric power assisted steering apparatus includes a gearbox housing, a worm shaft, a main bearing assembly, and a first fulcrum means. The worm shaft may be supported relative to the housing by a main bearing assembly at an end closest to the motor. The main bearing assembly may include an inner ring defining an inner bearing race, an outer ring defining an outer bearing race, and a plurality of bearings that run between the two races. The first fulcrum means may be located on a first side of the main bearing assembly which reacts only the axial component of the wormshaft tooth load for a first direction of gearwheel torque. A second fulcrum means may be located on a second, opposing, side of the main bearing assembly, which reacts only the axial component of the wormshaft tooth load for the second direction of gearwheel torque.

Gearbox assembly

A steering column assembly for a vehicle includes a housing, a shaft and an end stop means. The shaft is rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and is configured for attachment of a steering wheel at one end with an engagement portion connected to and configured to rotate with the shaft. The end stop means is located in the path of the engagement portion and engageable with the engagement portion upon rotation of the shaft through a predetermined angle. The engagement portion engages with the end stop means upon rotation of the shaft through predetermined angles in both directions. The engagement portion includes a member projecting outwardly from the shaft. The end stop means is mounted on the housing and the end stop means comprises a strip of material bent into a generally T-shape.

Steering column assemblies

A steering column assembly includes a first elongate guide portion, a second portion movably mounted with respect to the first elongate guide portion and a means for attaching a steering wheel to one of the first and second portions. The first elongate guide portion further includes at least two elongate, parallel guide edges and the second portion further includes at least two rollers spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the elongate guide portion and shaped complementarily to, and engaged with, a first of the elongate guide edges and at least two further rollers, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the elongate guide portion and shaped complementarily to, and engaged with, a second of the elongate edges.

Steering column assembly

A steering column assembly for a vehicle includes a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and being configured for attachment of a steering wheel at one end, an engagement portion connected to and configured to rotate with the shaft, and end stop means which is mounted to the housing and is located in the path of an intermediate rotor which is mounted to the shaft and which is configured to be independently rotatable relative to the shaft, the intermediate rotor being simultaneously engageable with both the engagement portion and with the end stop upon rotation of the shaft through a predetermined angle.

A steering column for a vehicle includes a telescopic mechanism, a first electrically powered linear actuator, and a means for absorbing the impact energy transmitted between a driver and the steering wheel in a crash. The telescopic mechanism includes substantially coaxial first and second tubular members. The first electrically powered linear actuator controls the longitudinal position of the first tubular member relative to the second tubular member. The means for absorbing the impact energy includes: (1) two or more folded metal straps; (2) at least one strap is fixed at one of its ends to a member which is fusibly connected to the first tubular member and to which is also connected a moving part of the said electrically powered linear actuator; (3) an adjacent edge of each of at least the first and second straps comprising an array of teeth or ramps; and (4) a pyrotechnically actuated means.

Retractable steer-by-wire steering column

A gearbox assembly for an electric power assisted steering system. The gearbox assembly includes a housing, a worm shaft, and a gear wheel, the worm shaft being supported relative to the housing by a main bearing assembly and a tail bearing assembly. The tail bearing assembly at least is free to move relative to the housing, allowing the worm shaft to move radially away from the axis of the gear wheel. The worm shaft is enables to move normal to the worm shaft axis such that it can move in and out of meshing contact with the gear wheel. The assembly further includes a gripping means that acts between the tail bearing assembly and the housing such that torque transmitted through the gear wheel generates a friction force that locks the tail bearing assembly to prevent movement of the worm shaft normal to the worm shaft axis that would otherwise occur.

Gearbox assembly for an electric power steering apparatus

A gearbox assembly for an electric power assisted steering apparatus comprising: a first pivoting means for the worm shaft main bearing which reacts the axial component of the worm shaft tooth load for a first direction of gearwheel torque but not for a second, opposing, direction of gearwheel torque and defines at least one first pivot point about which the main bearing pivots that is located on a pivot axis, a second pivoting means for the worm shaft main bearing, positioned distal from the first pivoting means, which reacts the axial component of the worm shaft tooth load for the second direction of gearwheel torque but not the first direction of gearwheel torque and defines at least one second pivot point about which the main bearing pivots that is located on a second pivot axis, the second pivot point being spaced apart from the first pivot point.

Gearbox assembly for an electric power steering assembly

An adjustable steering column assembly which includes an adjustable shroud that supports a steering column shaft, a support bracket that is fixed in position in the vehicle, and a clamp mechanism that selectively secures the shroud to the support bracket, the clamp mechanism comprising a fixed rack that is secured to the shroud or the bracket, and a moving rack that is movable towards and away from the fixed rack during operation of the clamp mechanism, in which the fixed rack comprises a support portion and at least one row of teeth which are carried by the support portion arranged spaced apart from one another, and the moving rack comprises a support portion and at least one row of teeth which are carried by the support portion. One or both of the support portion and teeth of the fixed rack are resiliently flexible so that in the event of moving from the first to the second position where a tooth-on-tooth situation arises the teeth of the moving block displace the teeth of the fixed block in the direction of movement of the moving rack so that the teeth of the moving rack can occupy the region that would otherwise be occupied by the teeth of the fixed rack teeth.

Adjustable steering columns

A collapsible steering column assembly comprising a steering shaft that is supported within a steering column shroud, the shroud comprising an upper shroud portion and a lower shroud portion, in which the upper shroud portion is located towards the end of the steering shaft that is nearest the steering wheel and the lower portion is located towards the end of the shaft furthest from the steering wheel, the upper portion being at least partially received within the lower portion so that the upper portion can telescopically collapse into the lower portion during a crash, a support bracket that in use is secured to a fixed part of the vehicle and includes two support bracket arms that depend from a base portion to embrace the shroud, a clamp rail that is releasably secured to the upper shroud portion, the clamp rail including a slot that extends generally horizontally, and a clamp pin that extends through an opening in each of the arms of the bracket and through the generally horizontal slot in the rail, the clamp pin carrying a clamp mechanism that is movable between an unclamped position in which the rail can move freely relative to the clamp pin and a clamped position in which the rail is fixed relative to the clamp pin. The rail is secured to the upper shroud portion by a deformable tab which protrudes from the upper shroud portion to hook onto a part of the rail that faces the steering wheel end of the shroud. In use of the assembly with the cam mechanism in the clamped condition the tab is deformable under a predefined load applied to the upper shroud so as to unhook from the rail allowing the upper shroud to move axially relative to the rail and hence relative to the clam pin to permit collapse of the steering column shroud.

A telescopic steering column assembly includes at least one support bearing assembly that comprises an inner bearing race which is located on the steering shaft, an outer bearing race that is located on an inner face of a shroud, and a set of ball bearings that are located between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race and are free to roll along bearing surfaces defined by the bearing races. Each of the bearing races comprises a pair of annular bearing race parts, defining a circumferentially extending bearing surface arranged coaxially and spaced apart from each other axially such that varying the spacing between the two parts varies the effective radius of the bearing race. The support bearing assembly further comprising an inner annular support sleeve that is located between the inner bearing race and the inner shaft, an outer annular support sleeve that is located between the outer bearing race and the shroud, and a biasing means that in use applies an axially directed thrust between a first one of the annular support sleeves and one of the respective bearing race parts, and the bearing assembly is arranged such that the axial thrust applied by the biasing means is converted into a radial thrust that is applied to the inner bearing race and outer bearing race to force them into engagement with the inner and outer sleeves respectively.

Improvements to steering column assemblies

A steering column assembly comprises a telescopic shroud having an upper shroud portion and a lower shroud portion, a support bracket having at least one arm which extends down from the bracket on one side of the lower shroud portion, a clamp mechanism which comprises a clamp pin that passes through an opening in the arm and an opening in the lower shroud portion or an opening in a rail secured to the lower shroud portion, the clamp mechanism further comprising a primary cam mechanism which is operable by a lever, whereby the clamp mechanism is arranged so that when in the clamped condition the at least one arm is clamped to the lower shroud portion or rail and the lower shroud portion is squeezed onto the upper shroud portion to fix the upper shroud portion relative to the lower shroud portion. The assembly further comprises a release mechanism such as a cam mechanism which is operable to partially reduce the force with which the outer shroud portion is squeezed onto the inner shroud portion in the event of a crash.

A telescopic steering column assembly comprises an upper and a lower shroud portion able to move relatively during telescopic adjustment, a telescopic steering shaft that passes through and is supported by the shroud portions through at least one support bearing assembly that acts between an upper portion of the telescopic steering shaft and a lower portion of the shroud that move relative to one another axially during telescopic adjustment. The at least one support bearing assembly comprises a first bearing race which is separate from the shroud portions and the steering shaft, a resilient spacer that applies a biasing force that is directed in a radial direction from the axis of the shaft and that is located between the first race and an adjacent face of one of the lower shroud portion and the upper shaft portion; a set of bearings, and a cage that locates the bearings relative to the first bearing race. The bearings bear onto a second bearing race that is defined by a surface of the other one of the lower shroud portion and the upper shaft portion, the second bearing face permitting the bearings to slide or roll in the direction of adjustment of the steering column assembly when it is adjusted for reach.

Telescopic steering column assembly

A steering column assembly includes a steering column shroud comprising an inner member and an outer member, the inner member being at least partially received within the outer member, a support bracket which is fixed in position relative to a part of the vehicle, the outer member passing between two spaced apart arms of the bracket, and a clamp assembly which includes a cam mechanism movable between a locked position in which the clamp assembly fixes the inner member and outer member in position relative to the support bracket and an unlocked position in which the clamp assembly permits movement of at least one of the inner and outer members relative to the support bracket. The clamp assembly includes a clamp pin which passes through openings in each of the two arms of the bracket, the clamp pin being provided with a first reaction member located towards one end of the pin outside of one arm of the clamp bracket and a second reaction member located towards the other end of the clamp pin outside of the other arm of the clamp bracket such that the arms of the bracket are clamped between the reaction members so as to provide a pre-load to the bracket arms, and in which both reaction members are prevented from rotating relative to the pin during use, and one reaction member is located at least partially within a cavity formed in a part of the cam mechanism. The outer member may also include an elongate slit that extends beyond a steering lock mechanism fitted to the assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Cheltenham, United Kingdom

Michael Appleyard