US 12,077,219 B1
Rotary steering systems
Joseph Washnock, Canton, MI (US); Jackson E. Barry, Dearborn, MI (US); James Philip Cooper, Milford, MI (US); and Daniel Steven Payne, Southgate, MI (US)
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/340,647.
Int. Cl. B62D 3/08 (2006.01); B62D 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 3/08 (2013.01) [B62D 5/0421 (2013.01); B62D 5/0454 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle steering system comprising:
an input gear fixed to an end of an input shaft;
a first intermediate gear fixed to a first pinion, the first intermediate gear engaged with the input gear;
a second intermediate gear fixed to a second pinion, the second pinion engaged with the first intermediate gear or a third intermediate gear;
a motor fixed to a third pinion, the third pinion engaged with the second intermediate gear, the motor to rotate the first intermediate gear and the first pinion;
a third gear fixed to a shaft, the third gear engaged with the first pinion, the third gear and the shaft to rotate as the first intermediate gear rotates; and
a pitman arm coupled to the shaft, the pitman arm to couple to a drag link to turn wheels of a vehicle as the shaft rotates.