Motor vehicles – Steering gear – With mechanical power assist
Patent
1995-06-07
1997-11-18
Johnson, Victor E.
Motor vehicles
Steering gear
With mechanical power assist
180428, 74422, 74498, B62D 300
Patent
active
056878117
ABSTRACT:
In a variable gear ratio steering device comprising a rack and pinion gear mechanism, the rack of the rack and pinion gear mechanism is provided with tooth pitch distribution for producing a variable rack gain property in relation to a steering input which includes, in each rotational sense, a low fixed rack gain region near a neutral position, a high fixed rack gain region in a large steering input region, and a progressively increasing rack gain region connected to the low fixed rack gain region via a first point of inflection and to the high fixed rack gain region via a second point of inflection. Because the point of inflection or the point of transition from a fixed low rack gain region to a region of a progressively increasing rack gain falls inside the region of the play of the steering mechanism, the vehicle operator would not be affected by the presence of the point of inflection because as soon as the steering wheel is turned beyond the play or the dead zone near the neutral position of the steering wheel the point of inflection has already been passed. Another point of inflection or the point of transition between the region of the progressively increasing rack gain and the fixed high rack gain region also would not affect the vehicle operator because it is located well outside the range of normal operation in a medium to high speed range, and it will not be noticeable in a low speed range even when the steering angle passes this point.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2973658 (1961-03-01), Bishop
patent: 3741074 (1973-06-01), Oxley et al.
patent: 3753378 (1973-08-01), Bishop
patent: 4133221 (1979-01-01), Clary
patent: 4903791 (1990-02-01), Cameron et al.
patent: 5469929 (1995-11-01), Dadak et al.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Johnson Victor E.
MacDonald Thomas S.
MacPherson Alan H.
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