Patent ID: 8672086

Claim:
A steering apparatus comprising: a rotatable steering shaft having an exterior, an input end for connecting with a manually operable steering member and an output end for connecting with at least one steerable wheel of a vehicle; an electric motor operatively connected to the steering shaft for rotating the steering shaft, the steering shaft having at least a portion thereof made of a magnetoelastic material and having a defined axially extending and circumferentially extending surface area on the exterior of the steering shaft which carries a magnetic field; at least one magnetic field sensor being adjacent to the exterior of the steering shaft, the steering shaft and said at least one magnetic field sensor forming a torque sensor for sensing torque applied to the steering shaft by the manually operable steering member and providing a signal indicative of torque applied to the steering shaft by the steering member; and an annular member securing the at least one magnetic field sensor, the annular member having an opening dimension just large enough to allow the steering shaft to extend therethrough; wherein the portion of the steering shaft is a magnetic ring extending about the steering shaft adjacent said at least one magnetic field sensor.