HOUSED STEERING COLUMN

• US 20020067874A1
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koyo Bearings North America LLC (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Torrington Company (The Timken Company)
• Inventors: Beaman, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,419,397 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/521
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/16 Steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/20 with loose spacing bodies, e.g. balls, between the bearing balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/24 Steering systems, e.g. steering rods or columns in general B62D
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/08 self-adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/3713 with other rolling elements serving as spacing bodies, e.g. the spacing bodies are in rolling contact with the load carrying rolling elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/60 divided or split, e.g. comprising two juxtaposed rings

Abstract

A housing encloses at least a portion of a steering shaft, and a preloaded ball bearing mounted within the housing supports the steering shaft. The preloaded ball bearing has loaded balls that are preloaded and unloaded balls that are free floating, an unloaded ball being positioned between each loaded ball. A split raceway provides two angular contact raceways that are preloaded axially against the loaded balls.

Claims

1. A housed steering column comprising:

a steering shaft;

a housing enclosing at least a portion of the steering shaft; and

a preloaded ball bearing mounted within the housing and supporting the steering shaft, the preloaded ball bearing comprising

loaded balls that are preloaded and unloaded balls that are free floating, an unloaded ball being positioned between each loaded ball; and

a split raceway providing two angular contact raceways that are preloaded axially against the loaded balls.

2. The housed steering column according to claim 1, wherein the preloaded ball bearing has sufficient preload to provide a bearing stiffness of at least 5000 newtons per millimeter.

3. The housed steering column according to claim 1, wherein the unloaded balls are smaller in diameter than the loaded balls.

4. The housed steering column according to claim 3, wherein the unloaded balls are made of steel.

5. The housed steering column according to claim 1, wherein the unloaded balls are made of a polymer and the loaded balls are made of steel.