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:
Oct. 29, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 06, 1998
Akinobu Matsuda, Nara, JP;
Masayuki Watanabe, Uji, JP;
Terukazu Nakajima, Yamatotakada, JP;
Kaname Joshita, Osaka, JP;
Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An electronic power steering apparatus according to the present invention uses hypoid gears having a larger gear on a steering assisting motor side and a smaller gear on a pinion shaft side as a transmission device for transmitting a rotational force of the motor to the pinion shaft or a column shaft, thereby reducing a shaft-to-shaft distance required between the motor and the pinion shaft. Further, rack teeth, which have a pressure angle that reduces toward both of the ends of a moving stroke of a rack shaft, are formed on the rack shaft that engages the pinion gear so that an insufficient steering assisting force is supplemented at the stroke ends, that is, at a large steering range; thus, it is possible to miniaturize the motor. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce a space occupied by the motor on the periphery of the column shaft or the pinion shaft, and consequently to allow easy installation inside the automobile room or the engine room.