The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 1989
Filed:
Apr. 25, 1988
Frederick J Adams, Clevedon, GB;
TRW Cam Gears Limited, Clevedon, GB;
Abstract
In a power assisted rack and pinion vehicle steering mechanism, a rack and a pinion engage within a housing. The pinion is mounted on a pinion shaft which is journalled in bearings in a cage. A lever is fixed to the cage and projects from the cage through the housing. The lever has a part-spherical seating portion which engages a part-spherical seat in the housing. Spring means biases the rack into engagement wiht the pinion, and through the cage biases the part-spherical seating portion of the lever into engagement with the seat on the housing. Steering torque imparted on the pinion moves the rack axially and causes a reaction on the pinion which rotates the cage about the center of the part-spherical seating portion. This rocks the lever to actuate power assistance means.