Steering system for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10315685-B2
Application number	US-201414455153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A steering system for a motor vehicle is provided. The system comprises an articulated bearing and a shaft configured to be fixed to the articulated bearing. The articulated bearing comprises a clevis a mating clevis pivotally connected to the clevis. The clevis has a foot arranged substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the clevis, and two arms connected to the foot and substantially extending opposite one another along the longitudinal axis. The foot includes a longitudinal opening having a cross-sectional contour for receiving the shaft. At least one end of the shaft has an external contour complementary to the cross-sectional contour, wherein the cross-sectional contour of the longitudinal opening and the external contour of the shaft are formed to permit the shaft to be received in the longitudinal opening in one single rotational position about the longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
an articulated bearing comprising a clevis and a mating clevis pivotally connected to the clevis; and
a shaft configured to be fixed to the articulated bearing,
wherein the clevis includes a foot arranged substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the clevis, and two arms connected to the foot and substantially extending opposite one another along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the foot includes a longitudinal opening having a cross-sectional contour for receiving the shaft, and
wherein at least one end of the shaft has an external contour complementary to the cross-sectional contour, wherein the cross-sectional contour of the longitudinal opening and the external contour of the shaft are formed to permit the shaft to be received in the longitudinal opening in one single rotational position about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the external contour of the shaft includes at least one external bias comprising a substantially planar recess formed along a secant line of the shaft and extending over a chord of the shaft and the cross-sectional contour of the longitudinal opening includes at least one internal bias comprising a complementary substantially planar protrusion formed along a secant line of the longitudinal opening of the clevis and extending over a chord of the longitudinal opening of the clevis, and wherein the at least one end of the shaft comprises a tapered portion, wherein the substantially planar recess intersects the tapered portion.

2. The steering system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least some areas of the cross-sectional contour of the clevis comprise internal toothing and wherein at least some areas of the external contour of the shaft comprise external toothing.

3. The steering system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the articulated bearing is a universal joint and the clevis is connected to the mating clevis by a cardan spider.

4. The steering system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shaft has a bolt recess.

5. The steering system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a steering pinion, which meshes with a steering gear.

6. The steering system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clevis has a clamping gap.

7. The steering system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one internal bias of the clevis is located on the side of the clamping gap.

8. A steering system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a clevis and a shaft configured to be fixed to the clevis,
wherein the clevis includes two arm portions extending in parallel, the two arm portions connected to one another by a foot portion, wherein the foot portion has an opening configured to receive the shaft,
wherein the foot portion includes a gap in an outer wall of the foot portion, the gap extending from the opening to the outer wall, and
wherein the opening includes a first contour and an outer surface of a portion of the shaft includes a second contour, wherein the first contour and the second contour are complementary to one another, wherein the second contour of the shaft can be received by the longitudinal opening in only one orientation, wherein each of the first contour and second contour comprise a toothed portion extending around a first portion of a perimeter of the opening and the shaft, respectively, wherein the first contour comprises two substantially planar protrusions forming a V-shape and extending around a second portion of the perimeter of the opening and the second contour comprises two substantially planar recesses forming a V-shape and extending around a second portion of the perimeter of the shaft, and wherein the at least one toothed portion of the second contour extends radially beyond the two substantially planar recesses of the second contour.

9. The steering system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second contours includes a plurality of toothed portions.

10. The steering system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the gap permits adjustment of a size of the opening in the foot portion.

11. The steering system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the clevis forms part of an articulated bearing and the clevis is connected to a mating clevis by a cardan spider.

12. The steering system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the articulated bearing is a universal joint.

13. The steering system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the shaft is a steering pinion, which meshes with a steering gear.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Assmann Birger
• Lewe Andre

Classifications

• F16D2001/103

  the torque is transmitted via splined connections · CPC title

• F16D3/387

  Fork construction; Mounting of fork on shaft; Adapting shaft for mounting of fork · CPC title

• F16D1/0864

  due to tangential loading of the hub, e.g. a split hub · CPC title

• B62D1/20 Primary

  Connecting steering column to steering gear · CPC title

• B62D3/12 Primary

  of rack-and-pinion type · CPC title