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:
Aug. 03, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 04, 2003
Tetsuya Murakami, Nara, JP;
Takeo Iino, Kashiwara, JP;
Masanori Kobayashi, Nara, JP;
Akihiko Shiina, Kashihara, JP;
Yoshio Ito, Tondabayashi, JP;
Tatsuo Otsuka, Tondabayashi, JP;
Takayuki Todaka, Fujisawa, JP;
Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
On the outer periphery of a bearing for supporting a worm rotating interlocked with the rotation of a steering assist motor inside the housing , elastic members are provided to restrain the bearing from moving in the radial direction thereof. The force for the restraint by the elastic members is made different depending on the position in the peripheral direction thereof. A portion of the elastic member, wherein the force for restraining the movement of the bearing in the radial direction is small, energizes the worm to the meshing position of the worm and a worm wheel . Another portion, wherein the force for restraining the movement is large, restrains the worm from moving along the lead of the worm wheel . With this configuration, the elastic members can reduce the amount of the backlash at the meshing portion of the worm and the worm wheel , and can make the rotation torque applied to the meshing portion of the worm gears relatively small.