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:
Jun. 25, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 10, 2000
Paul R. Sahr, Lake Orion, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A rack and pinion steering gear ( ) comprises a housing ( ). A pinion gear ( ) is rotatably mounted in the housing ( ). A rack bar ( ) is movable relative to the pinion gear ( ). The rack bar ( ) has teeth in meshing engagement with the pinion gear ( ). The rack and pinion steering gear ( ) further comprises a yoke assembly ( ) in the housing ( ) for supporting and guiding movement of the rack bar ( ) relative to the pinion gear ( ). The yoke assembly ( ) comprises a yoke ( ) and a plurality of balls ( ). The yoke ( ) has a first surface ( ) and a plurality of slots ( ) which intersect the first surface ( ). Each ball ( ) is inserted into a respective slot ( ). Each ball ( ) projects from its respective slot ( ) and beyond the first surface ( ) of the yoke ( ) when load conditions on the yoke assembly ( ) are below a predetermined level. Each ball ( ) is movable in its respective slot ( ) relative to the first surface ( ) of the yoke ( ) as load conditions on the yoke assembly ( ) change.