Patent ID: 11891129
Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 9:
10. A rack electric power steering system comprising:
a steering input shaft receiving a manual input from an operator;
a pinion operatively coupled to the steering input shaft;
a ball nut driven by a motor;
a first rack bar having a tooth region in contact with the pinion, the first rack bar translated axially by the pinion;
a second rack bar having a ball screw region in contact with the ball nut, the second rack bar translated axially by the ball nut, wherein the first rack bar and the second rack bar are spaced a radial distance from each other, are of the same axial length, and are oriented parallel to each other; and
a housing that is a single, integrally formed structure and contains at least a portion of the first rack bar and at least a portion of the second rack bar, the housing maintaining the radial distance between the first rack bar and the second rack bar; and
a first end rack link coupling the first rack bar and the second rack bar to each other at a first end of the first rack bar and at a first end of the second rack bar, the first end rack link coupling the first rack bar and the second rack bar to a first tie rod assembly, wherein the first end rack link comprises a first counterbore and a second counterbore, wherein the first counterbore receives the first end of the first rack bar and the second counterbore receives the first end of the second rack bar, the rack bar assembly further comprising:
a first mechanical fastener extending into the first counterbore and into the first end of the first rack bar to couple the first rack bar to the first end rack link; and
a second mechanical fastener extending into the second counterbore and into the first end of the second rack bar to couple the second rack bar to the first end rack link.