Patent ID: 11867273
Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A helical sector gear comprising:
a sector gear body that is disposed about a central axis; and
a gear segment coupled to the sector gear body and extending radially therefrom, the gear segment having a plurality of helical teeth, the gear segment having a first spacing segment, a second spacing segment and a toothed sector that is disposed circumferentially between the first and second spacing segments and on which all of the helical teeth are formed, each of the helical teeth extending over a predetermined width of the gear segment and having a root that is spaced radially from the central axis by a predetermined root dimension, the first spacing segment consisting of a first helical land having a first circumferential surface and a first radial surface, the first circumferential surface extending radially from the central axis by a first dimension, the first radial surface extending radially between the sector gear body and the first circumferential surface, the first radial surface having a first helical contour that conforms to a helix angle of the helical teeth, the second spacing segment consisting of a second helical land having a second circumferential surface and a second radial surface, the second circumferential surface extending radially from the central axis by a second dimension, the second radial surface extending radially between the sector gear body and the second circumferential surface, the second radial surface having a second helical contour that conforms to the helix angle of the helical teeth.