ZF Automotive UK Limited

A steering torque feedback assembly for a vehicle steering column includes a housing, a crown wheel of a hypoid gear assembly rotatably mounted in the housing and being configured to rotate with, or being connected to, a vehicle steering column, and first and second electric motors within the housing, each having a rotatable output shaft, wherein the output shaft of each of the first and second motors comprises a hypoid pinion gear engaged with the hypoid crown wheel.

A drive circuit comprises a two port LC inductive network with a source switch operable to switch the network between an ST state and an active state; an inverter and a controller for controlling the On-Off state of the switches of the inverter and the On-OFF state of the source switch, wherein the controller in use operates the switches to provide: a non-drive portion of the PWM period in which the source switch is held open and the top and bottom switches of at least one phase are held closed so that the drive circuit is operating in an ST mode, a drive portion of the PWM period which immediately follows or immediately precedes the non-drive portion in which the source switch is closed and the top and bottom switches are arranged, and in which the controller is configured to employ a PWM pattern in which all of the bottom switches or all of the top switches are moved from the closed state to an open state simultaneously, and further in which the source switch is moved from the open state to the closed state substantially at the start of the drive portion and is moved from the closed state to the open state substantially at the end of the drive portion.

A steering column assembly for a vehicle includes a housing, an elongate rotatable steering column, a gear and a torque feedback motor. The elongate rotatable steering column is configured at one end for attachment of a steering wheel and is displaceable into and out of the housing along its longitudinal axis (A). The gear is rotatably mounted coaxially with the steering column within the housing and keyed with the steering column. The torque feedback motor is connected to the gear wherein the keyed connection between the steering column and the gear allows longitudinal displacement of the steering column relative to the gear.

A gearbox assembly includes a housing, a first shaft assembly having a worm gear and supported relative to the housing by a first bearing assembly, and a second shaft assembly including a wheel gear which is also supported relative to the housing by a second bearing assembly, the wheel gear engaging with the worm of the worm gear to permit the transfer of torque between the two shaft assemblies, wherein the first shaft assembly includes an elongate shaft carrying the worm gear, and a separate dog drive mechanism secured to one end of the elongate shaft by the first bearing such that in use torque is transferred between the elongate shaft and the dog drive mechanism.

A steering column assembly for a vehicle includes a base configured for attachment to a vehicle; an elongate steering column, a movable steering column support, a first guide means, a displaceable carriage, a second guide means as well as first and second displacement means. The steering column may be movably mounted on the base. The first guide means may constrain the steering column support into displacement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering column. The displaceable carriage may be located between the movable steering column support and base. The second guide means may constrain the carriage into displacement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering column. The first displacement means may displace the steering column support with respect to the carriage. The second displacement means may simultaneously displace the carriage with respect to the base.

A steering column assembly includes a steering shaft, a shroud, a support bracket and a clamping mechanism which clamps the shroud to the bracket. When the clamping mechanism is unclamped, the clamping mechanism permits the shroud to pivot about the pivot assembly to enable the steering column assembly to be adjusted for rake. The pivot assembly further includes a sleeve, a ring shaped busing, and a set of circumferentially arranged spacer members. The ring-shaped bushing defines a set of circumferentially spaced resilient members that each define a contact surface that contacts one of the sleeve and the bore. The spacer members are arranged alternately with the resilient members around the whole or a substantial part of the bushing.

A linear actuator comprising a first fixed portion comprising a linear array of stator teeth, each surrounded by one or more turns of electrical wire, a controller which generates a set of currents that are applied to phase windings of the first fixed portion to generate a pattern of magnetic poles along the array of stator teeth, a spacing between the magnetic poles being larger than a spacing between adjacent stator teeth of the first fixed portion, a second fixed portion that comprises an alternating set of magnet poles, a spacing between adjacent poles being smaller than the spacing of the magnetic poles of the first fixed portion created by the controller, and a movable output portion that comprises a linear array of pole pieces that extend along a length of the moveable output portion that is greater than a stroke length of the actuator and longer than a length of the fixed portion, whereby in use a length of the movable output portion is at all times located between the first and second fixed portions, in which the pole pieces that are located between the first and second fixed portions shape a magnetic flux acting between the magnetic poles of the first fixed portion and the magnet poles of the second fixed portion, and whereby in use the controller is arranged to cause linear movement of the moveable output portion by moving the magnetic poles of the first fixed portion along the first array.