Daimlerchrysler Corporation

William J Thomas

Matthew E Klais

Nicholas Rosenthal

A dual shaft rack and pinion steering assembly for a vehicle includes a housing mounted to the vehicle and containing first and second parallel shafts linked to one another for synchronized axial movement. The first and second shafts are slidably positioned within the housing. One of the shafts includes a piston operable by hydraulic fluid contained within the housing. The other of the shafts includes a rack of teeth for meshing with a pinion gear driven by a steering column. The hydraulic fluid operates the piston by pressure coordinated with the driving of the rack by the pinion gear to assist the coordinated movement of the dual shaft assembly. The linked parallel shafts are connected to a drag link to direct a first wheel in response to axial movement of the shafts, which is further connected to a cross car link simultaneously directing a second wheel.

Dual shaft rack and pinion steering assembly

A rack-and-pinion assembly comprises a housing, a rotatable pinion gear including a plurality of teeth, and at least one moveable mount for providing a moveable attachment of the housing to the vehicle. A rack is slidably positioned within the housing and includes a plurality of teeth corresponding to the pinion teeth. A tie rod is operably attached to one of two ends of the rack, and may also be attached to a first wheel. A cross car link is operably attached to the first wheel and a second wheel. Rotation of the pinion gear causes translational movement of the rack and tie rod relative to the housing, which may thereby turn the first wheel. The first front wheel cooperates with the cross car link to simultaneously turn the second wheel, and the housing moves with respect to the vehicle as the first and second wheels turn.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

William J Thomas