STEERING SYSTEM

• US 20140353068A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Yasuharu
• Granted Patent: US 9,168,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/444
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0412 the axes of motor and steering column being parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0424 the axes of motor and final driven element of steering gear, e.g. rack, being parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0448 Ball nuts

Abstract

In an electric power steering system, rotation of a motor is transmitted to a rack shaft via a drive pulley, a belt, a driven pulley and a ball nut. A ball bearing and the driven pulley are fitted to the outer periphery of the ball nut. A flange is formed at a first end portion of the ball nut, and an internal thread portion is formed at a second end portion of the ball nut. An external thread member is connected to the internal thread portion. The external thread member has an external thread portion and a flange. By fastening the external thread portion to the internal thread portion, the ball bearing and the driven pulley are held between the two flanges.

Claims

1. A steering system comprising:

a steered shaft that makes a linear motion in a housing to steer steered wheels;

a driving wheel that is disposed in the housing, and that rotates about an axis extending parallel to an axis of the steered shaft in response to driving of a motor;

a ball nut screwed to the steered shaft via multiple balls, and supported via a bearing by an inner peripheral face of the housing so as to be rotatable relative to the inner peripheral face of the housing, the ball nut having a first end portion and a second end portion, a first flange being formed on an outer peripheral face of the first end portion and an inner-diameter-increased portion being formed in an inner peripheral face of the second end portion;

a driven wheel fitted on an outer periphery of the ball nut to transmit rotation of the driving wheel to the ball nut; and

a hollow connection member including a connection portion inserted in and connected to the inner-diameter-increased portion, and a second flange, wherein

the bearing and the driven wheel are held between the second flange and the first flange in an axial direction of the steered shaft when the connection portion is connected to the inner-diameter-increased portion.

3. The steering system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a restricting member disposed along an inner peripheral face of the connection member, wherein

the restricting member has at least one protrusion passed through the connection portion and engaged with a groove formed in an inner peripheral face of the inner-diameter-increased portion, in the axial direction.

5. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein:

the driving wheel is a drive pulley, and the driven wheel is a driven pulley to which rotation of the driving wheel is transmitted through an endless belt looped over the drive pulley and the driven pulley;

two flanges that restrain the belt from coming off the driven pulley are respectively provided on opposite sides of the driven pulley in the axial direction; and

one of the flanges is formed on the second flange.

6. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein:

the motor is secured to an outer side of the housing; and

the motor has an axis extending parallel to the axial of the steered shaft.

7. The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the driving wheel is a drive gear and the driven wheel is a driven gear meshed with the drive gear.

2. The steering system according to claim I, wherein:

the connection portion is an external thread portion, and the inner-diameter-increased portion is an internal thread portion; and

when the external thread portion is screwed into the internal thread portion, the ball nut and the connection member are connected to each other and the bearing and the driven wheel are held between the first flange and the second flange in the axial direction.

4. The steering system according to claim 2, further comprising;

a restricting member disposed along an inner peripheral face of the connection member, wherein

the restricting member has at least one protrusion passed through the connection portion and engaged with a groove formed in an inner peripheral face of the inner-diameter-increased portion, in the axial direction.