Patent ID: 6408708
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
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 the pinion gear; and a yoke assembly in the housing for supporting and guiding movement of the rack bar relative to the pinion gear, the yoke assembly comprising a yoke and a plurality of balls, the yoke having a first surface and a plurality of slots which intersect the first surface, each ball being located and remaining in a respective slot, each ball projecting from its respective slot and beyond the first surface of the yoke when load conditions on the yoke assembly are below a predetermined level, each ball being movable in its respective slot relative to the first surface of the yoke as load conditions on the yoke assembly change.