Steering system with an actuating device, and use of the steering system with actuating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008036-B2
Application number	US-201716302785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	May 25, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A steering system with an actuating device ( 1 ), in particular a rear axle steering system, having a spindle drive ( 3 ) with a spindle ( 5 ) and a spindle nut ( 4 ) which is fitted into the housing ( 2 ) of the steering system in a positionally fixed but rotatable manner and is driven by an electric motor ( 9 ). The electric motor ( 9 ) is a vernier motor that drives the spindle drive ( 3 ) and is integrated in the spindle drive ( 3 ). The actuating device ( 1 ) is used for a rear axle steering system of a motor vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rear axle steering system of a vehicle in combination with an actuating device, the actuating device comprising:
a spindle drive having a spindle and a spindle nut, the spindle nut is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and axially fixed relative to a housing, the spindle nut having first and second axially opposite ends, the first end of the spindle nut being supported within the housing by a first bearing and the second end of the spindle nut being supported within the housing by a second bearing;
a vernier motor having a rotor that defines a rotational axis, the rotor having either a traction drive or a gear drive that is drivingly coupled to the spindle nut axially between the first and the second bearings so that rotation of the vernier motor rotationally drives the spindle nut about the longitudinal axis;
the spindle nut having a threading that mates with threading of the spindle such that rotation of the spindle nut drives the spindle axially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle nut relative to the housing;
a first end of the spindle being connected to a shaft such that the spindle and the shaft are rotationally and laterally fixed relative to each other, the shaft being supported by a slide bearing such that the shaft is only movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the slide bearing, and the slide bearing is supported by the housing such that the shaft is movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the housing; and
the shaft being connectable to a wheel of the vehicle, and an axial side of the housing opposite the shaft is articulated to the vehicle.

2. The actuating device according to claim 1 , wherein the spindle drive and the vernier motor are arranged such that the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis are coaxial.

3. The steering system according to claim 2 , wherein the vernier motor has a stator rotationally fixed relative to the housing, and a rotor, fitted to rotate inside the stator, is coupled to the spindle nut.

4. The steering system according to claim 3 , wherein the rotor is coupled to the spindle nut by a gear system.

5. The actuating device according to claim 1 , wherein the spindle drive and the vernier motor are arranged such that the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis are parallel to each other.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Klank Michael
• Vortmeyer Jens
• Pfisterer Hans-Jürgen
• Riechmann Adrian
• Anneken Christoph

Classifications

• B62D7/146 Primary

  characterised by comprising means for steering by acting on the suspension system, e.g. on the mountings of the suspension arms · CPC title

• F16H2025/2096

  using endless flexible members · CPC title

• B62D7/06

  for individually-pivoted wheels, e.g. on king-pins · CPC title

• B62D3/06

  with screw and nut · CPC title

• B62D5/0445 Primary

  Screw drives · CPC title