Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Taras Palczynski

Erik William Soderlind

Steven Bryan Amburgy

Steve Bryan Amburgy

Stuart C Salter

Brendan F Diamond

James Robert Chascsa, Ii

Lucretia Williams

A handwheel actuator for a steer by wire system may include a compressive loading assembly, a feedback actuator and a column for operably coupling a handwheel to the handwheel actuator. The column may operably couple a handwheel to the handwheel actuator. The column may include a column shaft extending from a first end of the column to a second end of the column. The feedback actuator may be operably coupled to the second end of the column. The feedback actuator may provide tactile feedback to an operator responsive to movement of the handwheel. The feedback actuator may include a torsion bar substantially coaxial with the column shaft. The compressive loading assembly may be disposed at the second end of the column to operably couple the column shaft and the torsion bar under a compressive load when the column is joined to the feedback actuator.

Handwheel actuator modular interface

A handwheel actuator for a steer by wire system may include a feedback actuator and a column for operably coupling a handwheel to the handwheel actuator. The column includes a column shaft extending from a first end of the column to a second end of the column. The feedback actuator is operably coupled to the second end of the column and provides tactile feedback to an operator responsive to movement of the handwheel. The feedback actuator includes a torsion bar coaxial with the column shaft. The column shaft is supported relative to a housing of the column by a first column shaft bearing disposed proximate to the first end of the column and a second column shaft bearing disposed proximate to the second end of the column. The torsion bar extends into the column shaft past the second column shaft bearing and is operably coupled to the column shaft via a removable fastener disposed at a portion of the torsion bar that extends past the second column shaft bearing.

A vehicle includes a cabin interior, a steering wheel assembly comprising a steering column, a steering wheel and an actuator configured to move the steering handle amongst a plurality of positions, and at least one sensor for sensing a user proximate to the vehicle and generating sensed data based on the sensed user. The vehicle also includes a controller determining one or more characteristics of the user from the sensed data and controlling the actuator to actuate the steering wheel to one of the plurality of positions based on the determined one or more characteristics of the user.

Vehicle having steering wheel deployable as an assist handle

A column for a handwheel actuator of a steer by wire system may include a column casting, a steering jacket operably coupled to the column casting such that the steering jacket moves telescopically within the column casting for extending the handwheel and retracting the handwheel, and a tunable stroke limiter operably coupled to the steering jacket to limit stroke length of the steering jacket responsive to a barrier event.

Translating steering column with reduced packaging space

A handwheel actuator for a steer by wire system of a vehicle may include a column for operably coupling a handwheel to other components of the steer by wire system and a feedback actuator operably coupled to the column to provide tactile feedback to the operator responsive to movement of the handwheel. The column may include a lower column portion and an upper column portion that are movable relative to each other to alternately retract the handwheel away from an operator seated in the vehicle or extend the handwheel toward the operator. The column may further include a frictional engagement assembly and a time-specific release initiator. The frictional engagement assembly may be engaged to fix the lower column portion relative to the upper column portion at a selected distance from the operator, and disengaged to enable movement of the upper column portion relative to the lower column portion. The time-specific release initiator may be actuated by an electrical trigger signal to cause the lower column portion and the upper column portion to be disengaged a selected time after a triggering event.

Steering column retraction initiator

A handwheel actuator for a steer by wire system may include a feedback actuator and a column for operably coupling a handwheel to the handwheel actuator. The column includes a column shaft extending from a first end of the column to a second end of the column. The feedback actuator is operably coupled to the second end of the column and provides tactile feedback to an operator responsive to movement of the handwheel. The feedback actuator includes a torsion bar coaxial with the column shaft. The column shaft is supported relative to a housing of the column by a first column shaft bearing disposed proximate to the first end of the column and a second column shaft bearing disposed proximate to the second end of the column. The torsion bar is operably coupled to a sleeve element that is operably coupled to the column shaft proximate to the second column shaft bearing to facilitate torque transfer between the column shaft and the torsion bar.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a standoff to be coupled to a telescoping steering column, the standoff configured to be mounted adjacent an end stop opening in the steering column and to prevent a flexible cover mounted above the steering column from entering the end stop opening.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Taras Palczynski