Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

William J Knight

Michael E Partyka

William David Cymbal

Sergio R Molinar

Terry E Burkhard

Carl R Castanier

Mike E Partyka

Marcus Braem

A connection assembly includes a male component having a male connection end portion. The connection assembly also includes a female component having a female connection end portion for receiving the male connection end within a bore defined therein, wherein the male component and the female component each have a non-circular cross-section within a connection assembly thereof. The connection assembly further includes a first plurality of teeth formed on an outer surface of the male component. The connection assembly yet further includes a second plurality of teeth formed on an inner surface of the female component.

Toothed connection for mating steering system components

A flex coupling assembly for coupling a first shaft to a second shaft of a shaft assembly. The flex coupling assembly decouples axial and torsional stiffness from bending stiffness of the shaft assembly, thereby dampening the transmission of noise and vibration between the first and second shafts. The flex coupling assembly includes an inner housing subassembly and an outer housing subassembly. The inner housing subassembly includes an inner housing and a resilient flex coupling disposed in an outer housing cavity of an outer housing of the outer housing subassembly. A retention member is fixed to an outer housing to retain the inner housing subassembly in the outer housing cavity. The inner and outer housing subassemblies can rotate and translate relative to a common axis, while the inner and the outer housings restrict bending between the inner and outer housing subassemblies, thereby restricting bending between the first and second shafts.

Compact heat resistant flex coupling assembly with restrictive bending

A flex coupling assembly for coupling a first shaft to a second shaft of a shaft assembly. The flex coupling assembly includes a lower housing having a housing wall bounding a cavity between a first end having an end face and an open second end. A first shaft is fixed to the end face and extends along an axis. An upper flange, spaced from the lower housing, has a second shaft fixed thereto extending along the axis. A retention member, disposed in the cavity, is operably fixed to the upper flange. A resilient flex coupling, disposed between the end face and the flange, is operably fixed to the upper flange and the retention member and to the lower housing. The lower housing and the flange are moveable axially toward and away from one another and rotatably about the axis via flexing of the resilient flex coupling which dampens noise and vibrations between the first and second shafts.

Flex coupling assembly with restrictive bending feature

A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a clamp yoke defining a central opening for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining a counter bore for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes a blocking assembly fixed to the clamp yoke. The blocking assembly includes a resilient member having a first leg, a second leg and a connecting end. The blocking assembly also includes a blocking member coupled to the first leg and the second leg of the resilient member, the blocking member rotatable between a blocking position and a non-blocking position, the blocking position blocking the counter bore in an initial position and rotatable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the counter bore in the non-blocking position.

Steering shaft clamp yoke with bolt blocking component

A shaft assembly includes a yoke having a yoke body having an exterior surface extending between a first end and a second end along a first axis. The yoke body defines a first bore and a second bore. The first bore extends along the first axis between the first end and the second end. The second bore extends partially across the yoke body along a second axis that is disposed transverse to the first axis. The second bore at least partially intersects the first bore.

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Bay City, MI, United States of America

William J Knight