US 7,591,342 B2
Apparatus and method for steering a vehicle
Suat Ali Ozsoylu, Rochester Hills, Mich. (US); Matthew Harvey Jimkoski, Freeland, Mich. (US); Michael Richard Pyrett, Flint, Mich. (US); and William F. Feriend, Freeland, Mich. (US)
Assigned to Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, Mich. (US)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/863,061.
Application 11/863061 is a division of application No. 11/016039, filed on Dec. 17, 2004, granted, now 7,293,626.
Application 10/262751 is a division of application No. 09/920181, filed on Aug. 01, 2001, granted, now 6,488,115.
Application 11/016039 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/765731, filed on Jan. 26, 2004, abandoned.
Application 10/765731 is a continuation of application No. 10/262751, filed on Oct. 01, 2002, granted, now 6,705,423.
Prior Publication US 2008/0011537 A1, Jan. 17, 2008
Int. Cl. B62D 5/06 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 180—444 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A steering system for a vehicle, comprising:
a steering wheel being positioned for manipulation by a vehicle operator;
a steering mechanism in operable communication with said steering wheel for transmitting a steering operation of said steering wheel to vary the angular configuration of at least one wheel of said vehicle;
a power assist mechanism in operable communication with said steering mechanism for providing an assisting force to said steering mechanism, said power assist mechanism being activated by a controller in response to said steering operation of said steering wheel,
said power assist mechanism comprising
an electric motor for providing a rotational force to a first motor pulley,
a second motor pulley in operable communication with said first motor pulley being fixed secured to a ball-screw, and
a ball-screw nut wherein said ball-screw is configured and dimensioned to meshingly engage said ball-screw nut;
at least one universal joint being operatively coupled to said power assist mechanism, said at least one universal joint allowing transient loads of said steering mechanism to be isolated, said at least one universal joint being fixedly attached on one end to a rack housing and being fixedly attached to said electric motor on its opposing end; and
a second universal joint being fixedly attached to said rack housing on one end and being fixedly attached to said ball-screw nut on its opposing end.