Patent ID: 7144346

Claim:
A motor vehicle steering mechanism, comprising: a steering wheel fixedly connected to a steering column; a steering pinion that meshes with a rack; a planetary gear system having an input side connected to said steering column and an output side connected to said steering pinion, wherein said planetary gear system has a housing that during a normal trouble-free driving operation is freely rotatable; an angle sensor for detecting the position of at least one of said steering column and said steering wheel and for generating a signal representative of such position; a first drive for direct application of torque to said steering column; a second drive for acting on said steering pinion or said rack; an electronic control system for controlling said second drive, wherein the signal from said angle sensor is an input signal for said control system; and a control means for controlling said first drive such that a hand torque corresponding to a driving situation is produced for achieving a defined driving sensation for a driver on said steering wheel.