Vehicle steering apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
- a steering column assembly, said assembly including a tubular steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion,a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly,a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections and being rotatably supported by said gear housing,rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable member, said member being provided on said steering assembly proximate said steering wheel, andcoupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear, whereinat least said first and second end sections of said annular boss portion are rotatably supported by first and second bearings, respectively, said first bearing being located between the inner circumferential surface of said second end section of said annular boss portion and an outer circumferential surface of said non-rotatable member, and said second bearing being axially isolated from said first bearing and located between the outer circumferential surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion and the inner circumferential surface of said gear housing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle steering apparatus includes a steering wheel which has an annular boss portion with an axis and is rotatably supported on a vehicle body side member, a steering shaft, and a non-rotatable member provided in the steering wheel, which is coupled to the vehicle body side member by shafts. The rotation of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steering shaft by a mechanism including a pinion portion having an axis, formed at an end portion of the steering shaft on a side of the steering wheel, and a ring gear portion having an axis, formed on an inner surface of the boss portion and meshed with the pinion portion, the axis of the ring gear portion being eccentric with the axis of the pinion portion and concentric with the axis of the boss portion. The coupling member extends through a gap between the ring gear portion and the pinion portion.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
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a steering column assembly, said assembly including a tubular steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion, a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly, a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections and being rotatably supported by said gear housing, rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable member, said member being provided on said steering assembly proximate said steering wheel, and coupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear, wherein at least said first and second end sections of said annular boss portion are rotatably supported by first and second bearings, respectively, said first bearing being located between the inner circumferential surface of said second end section of said annular boss portion and an outer circumferential surface of said non-rotatable member, and said second bearing being axially isolated from said first bearing and located between the outer circumferential surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion and the inner circumferential surface of said gear housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
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a steering column assembly, said assembly including a tubular steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion, a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly, a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections, an outer surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion of said steering wheel being rotatably supported by said gear housing, rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable member, said member being provided on said steering column assembly proximate said steering wheel, coupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear, said coupling means comprising at least two shaft members each having one end fixed to said gear housing and the other end coupled to said non-rotatable member, operation switches mounted on said non-rotatable member, for operating electrical systems of the vehicle; a harness inserted in said gap, for connecting said operation switches to said electrical systems, and a tubular harness guide through which said harness is inserted, and which is inserted in said gap, said harness guide being arranged between said shaft members and comprises an engaging portion which is engaged with said shaft members to orient said harness guide within said gap. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
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a steering column assembly, said assembly including a tubular steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion, a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly, a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections, an outer surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion of said steering wheel being rotatably supported by said gear housing, rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable member, said member being provided on said steering assembly proximate said steering wheel, said non-rotatable member including a support member supported on said gear housing through said coupling means, a pad portion mounting bracket supported on said support member, and a pad portion mounted on said bracket, and coupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
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a steering column assembly, said assembly including a tubular steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion, a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly via a shaft bearing, a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections and being rotatably supported on an outer surface of said first end section by said gear housing, rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable member, said member being provided on said steering assembly proximate said steering wheel, and coupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
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a steering column assembly, said assembly including a steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion, a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly, a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections, an outer surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion of said steering wheel being rotatably supported by said gear housing, rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable member, said member being provided on said steering assembly proximate said steering wheel, coupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear, a pair of inboard bearings spaced apart from each other, for rotatably supporting said boss portion on an inner surface of said gear housing, each said inboard bearing including inner and outer rings, and adjusting means arranged on said gear housing to adjust preloads to be applied to said inboard bearings. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for steering a vehicle comprising:
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a steering column assembly, said assembly including a tubular steering column, a column housing having a fitting portion and an upper portion, said fitting portion being mounted within said steering column, and a gear housing, said gear housing being mounted to said upper portion, a steering shaft, said steering shaft being mounted for rotation within said assembly, a steering wheel, said steering wheel having an annular boss portion, said annular boss portion having first and second end sections, an outer surface of said first end section of said annular boss portion of said steering wheel being rotatably supported by said gear housing, rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of said steering wheel to said steering shaft, said rotation transmission means including a pinion gear formed at an end portion of said steering shaft, and a ring gear formed on an inner surface of said annular boss portion, said ring gear and said pinion gear having respective offset axes of rotation forming a gap between said gears, said pinion gear and said ring gear being operably enmeshed, a non-rotatable means for presenting a non-rotating viewable surface to the operator of the vehicle, said means being provided on said steering assembly proximate said steering wheel, and coupling means for coupling said non-rotatable member to said gear housing, said coupling means extending through said gap between said ring gear and said pinion gear. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification