Radially deflectable bushing and steering gear assembly using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100873-B2
Application number	US-201414565132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A bushing is provided for adjusting to differences in diameter between concentric elements of an assembly. The bushing may be provided with a plurality of leaf springs coupled to one another to form parts of a wall. The bushing wall may have a first contact face and a second contact face opposite the first contact face. The bushing wall may also be configured to be positioned in a generally annular shape. Each of the leaf springs forming part of the bushing wall may be radially deflectable relative to each of the other leaf springs in order to self-align the bushing by the resilient response of each leaf spring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bushing, comprising:
a single wall; and
a plurality of leaf springs coupled to one another, each of the plurality of leaf springs forming an inner contact face of the bushing configured to contact a steering gear and an outer contact face of the bushing configured to contact a steering gear housing, wherein the wall is configured to be positioned in an annular shape such that the inner and outer contact faces form at least a portion of an inner surface and an outer surface of the annular shape, respectively.

2. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of leaf springs is directly coupled to at least one adjacent leaf spring of the plurality of leaf springs.

3. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of leaf springs is coupled to an adjacent leaf spring of the plurality of leaf springs through intermediary wall portions.

4. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of leaf springs is independently radially movable inwardly or outwardly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the annular shape.

5. The bushing of claim 4 , further comprising a flange, the flange configured to radially extend from the wall when the wall is in the annular shape.

6. The bushing of claim 5 , wherein the flange comprises a plurality of protrusions, and each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is associated with a respective leaf spring of the plurality of leaf springs.

7. The bushing of claim 1 , further comprising at least one axial slot extending partly along a length of the bushing from a first axial end of the bushing toward a second axial end of the bushing and circumferentially separating adjacent leaf springs of the plurality of leaf springs.

8. The bushing of claim 7 , wherein the at least one axial slot comprises a plurality of axial slots.

9. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the bushing comprises a unitary structure.

10. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is made of a material comprising a thermoplastic.

11. The bushing of claim 10 , wherein the material of the bushing further comprises at least one reinforcing fiber selected from a group consisting of synthetic fibers and carbon fibers.

12. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the wall comprises a first free end and a second free end, and the first and second free ends are positioned adjacent to one another in the annular shape.

13. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein each of the leaf springs is radially deflectable relative to and independent of each of the others of the plurality of leaf springs to self-align the bushing.

14. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein adjacent leaf springs are separated from one another by a slot formed in the wall along a portion of an axial length of each leaf spring.

15. A steering gear assembly, comprising:
a steering gear housing;
a steering gear rack positioned at least partially within the steering gear housing; and
a bushing, comprising:
a plurality of leaf springs coupled to one another to form a bushing wall, wherein each of the leaf springs are deflectable relative to the plurality of leaf springs to self-align the bushing,
the bushing being positioned between the housing and the rack such that each of the plurality of leaf springs is at least partially in contact with an interior surface of the housing and an exterior surface of the rack.

16. The steering gear assembly of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of leaf springs is coupled to at least one adjacent leaf spring via a hinge portion.

17. The steering gear assembly of claim 16 , wherein the bushing wall is configured to be positioned in an annular shape such that first and second free ends of the wall are positioned substantially adjacent to one another, and wherein each of the plurality of leaf springs is radially movable with respect to a longitudinal axis of the annular shape.

18. The steering gear assembly of claim 15 , further comprising a flange radially extending from the bushing wall toward the steering gear housing or the steering gear rack.

19. The steering gear assembly of claim 18 , wherein the flange comprises a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion being associated with a respective leaf spring of the plurality of leaf springs.

20. The steering gear assembly of claim 18 , further comprising at least one axial slot extending from a first axial end of the bushing toward a second axial end of the bushing.

21. The steering gear assembly of claim 20 , wherein the at least one axial slot includes a plurality of axial slots.

22. The steering gear assembly of claim 21 , wherein a surface of the steering gear housing comprises an annular groove in which the flange is seated in an assembled condition to restrict relative axial movement between the housing and the bushing, and further wherein the plurality of axial slots allows the first axial end of the bushing to compress inwardly when the bushing is inserted into the housing before the flange extends into the annular groove.

23. The steering gear assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bushing comprises a unitary structure.

24. The steering gear assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bushing is made of a material comprising a thermoplastic.

25. The steering gear assembly of claim 24 , wherein material of the bushing further comprises at least one reinforcing fiber selected from a group consisting of synthetic fibers and carbon fibers.

26. A bushing, consisting essentially of:
a plurality of leaf springs coupled to one another to form opposing steering-gear and steering-gear-housing contact surfaces of the bushing,
wherein the bushing is movable between a planar configuration and a cylindrical configuration, and
wherein each of the plurality of leaf springs is independently radially movable relative to other leaf springs of the plurality of leaf springs and to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical configuration of the bushing.

27. The bushing of claim 26 , further comprising a flange that extends substantially perpendicularly from the plurality of leaf springs when the bushing is in the planar configuration and wherein the flange extends radially outwardly from the plurality of leaf springs when the bushing is in the annular configuration.

28. The bushing of claim 27 , wherein the flange comprises a plurality of protrusions, and each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is associated with a respective leaf spring of the plurality of leaf springs.

29. The bushing of claim 28 , further comprising a plurality of axial slots extending from a first axial end of the bushing toward a second axial end of the bushing, wherein each slot of the plurality of axial slots is located between adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions.

30. A method of assembling a steering gear assembly, comprising:
positioning a bushing between and in contact with a steering gear housing and a steering gear rack, wherein positioning comprises moving a single wall forming the bushing between a planar configuration in which free ends of the wall are spaced away from one another along a longitudinal axis, and an annular configuration in which the free ends of the wall are positioned adjacent one another.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein positioning further comprises wrapping the bushing wall around the steering gear rack.

32. The

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Cooper James Philip
• Barry Jack E
• Washnock Joseph
• Killins Dale
• Eubank Mark
• Laz Jennifer
• Crossman John

Classifications

• F16C29/002

  Elastic or yielding linear bearings or bearing supports · CPC title

• F16C33/201

  Composition of the plastic · CPC title

• F16C2208/02

  comprising fillers, fibres · CPC title

• F16C33/20

  Sliding surface consisting mainly of plastics (F16C33/22 - F16C33/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C29/001

  adjustable for alignment or positioning · CPC title