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:
Dec. 08, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 02, 1996
Edward H Phillips, Troy, MI (US);
Techco Corporation, Southfield, MI (US);
Abstract
A yoke assembly for a rack and pinion steering system includes a bearing disc member having a pair of bearing surfaces for slidingly supporting and urging the rack toward the pinion. The bearing disc member is kinematically supported by an elastomeric member along an adjustment axis. The elastomeric forces are conically applied toward an apex located well within the rack and away from the bearing surfaces. This results in the bearing disc member rotating slightly in a contra-pitch direction and forming a lubrication wedge whenever the rack moves along its axis of translation. In addition, elastomeric means for compliantly biasing the bearing disc in a lateral direction orthogonal to a plane defined by the adjustment and translation axes toward a preferred central location are disclosed.