| 摘要 |
925,687. Steering vehicles. FORD MOTOR CO. Ltd. May 29, 1961 [June 13, 1960], No. 19245/61. Class 79(5) [Also in Group XXIV] In a steering gear mechanism, a planetary gear train comprises a deformable planet gear 130 constructed of a material, such as nylon, capable of substantial elastic deformation and having a substantially smaller modulus of elasticity than the modulus of elasticity of the material of the sun gear 30 and ring gear 70, the planet gear 130 having an interference fit with the sun and ring gears. The planet gear 130 is mounted on a planet carrier 90 with conventional straight spur planet gears 72, 74, 76. The sun gear 30 is secured to an input shaft 32, which is connected by means of a flexible cable 45 to a steering wheel shaft 44, the ring gear 70 is prevented from rotating within a housing 26 by pins 78, 80, and the output planet carrier 90 is formed integrally with a pinion 24 meshing a rack 22 on a steering rod 14. The sun gear 30, ring gear 70 and planet gears 72, 74, 76 are straight spur gears, while the planet gear 130 has a small helix angle of about 1 degree. For light loads, the gear 130 transmits the drive, but for heavier loads, the gear 130 deforms sufficiently to permit the other planet gears 72, 74 and 76 to carry the load. In a modification, a gear 140, preferably of nylon, has straight spur teeth separated from a hub portion by a space 144, Fig. 9. In a further modification, a planet gear 150, preferably of nylon, comprises two sets of axially spaced teeth 152, 154, Fig. 11, circumferentially offset from each other. The input shaft 32 is connected to a steering wheel shaft 44 by a flexible cable 45. Specification 925, 688 is referred to. |
