Patent ID: 6539821
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: B62D,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A rack and pinion steering gear comprising:a housing; a pinion gear rotatably mounted in the housing; a rack bar movable relative to the pinion gear, the rack bar having teeth in meshing engagement with teeth of the pinion gear; and a yoke assembly in the housing for at least partially supporting and guiding movement of the rack bar relative to the pinion gear, the yoke assembly comprising a yoke and a plurality of rotatable members, the yoke having a cylindrical body with a recessed first axial end surface for receiving a portion of the rack bar and a yoke axis extending transverse to the direction of movement of the rack bar, each of the plurality of rotatable members being supported by the yoke, a portion of each rotatable member projecting outward of the recessed first axial end surface of the yoke for contacting the received portion of the rack bar, each rotatable member including an axis of rotation, each rotatable member being rotatable about the axis of rotation and being fixed against movement along the yoke axis relative to the first end surface of the yoke.