Patent ID: 6039143
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B60K,B62D

Abstract:
A steerable drive axle for a motor vehicle comprising:a rigid tubular housing,an expanded chamber in said rigid tubular housing for a differential gear set having an open side for affording access to said differential gear set,a pair of steering knuckles supported on said rigid tubular housing at respective ones of a pair of opposite ends thereof for pivotal movement about respective ones of a pair of steering axes of said rigid tubular housing,a differential cover rigidly attached to said rigid tubular housing over said open side of said expanded chamber,a rack bar passage in said differential cover,a rack bar having a rack gear thereon supported in said rack bar passage for back and forth linear translation in the length direction of said rack bar passage,a linkage means between said rack bar and each of said pair of steering knuckles operative in response to linear translation of said rack bar in said rack bar passage to pivot said steering knuckles in unison about corresponding ones of said pair of steering axes,a pinion head having a pinion gear thereon,an electric motor having a rotatable output shaft,a speed reducer means, andmeans operative to support each of said pinion head and said electric motor and said speed reducer means on said differential cover with said pinion gear meshing with said rack gear so that rotation of said pinion head induces linear translation of said rack bar and with said speed reducer means connected to each of said pinion head and said output shaft of said electric motor for transferring output torque of said electric motor to said pinion head.