Patents Assigned to TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 5284398
    Abstract: A joint comprising a pillow ball having a spherical portion, a bearing for rotatably supporting the spherical portion, and a housing for housing the bearing. The housing has therein a housing bore having a first step for contacting one end of the bearing, a large bore contiguous to the housing bore via a second step, and an attaching bore contiguous to the large bore for receiving a dustproof covering. The depth of the first step is substantially equal to the axial length of the bearing. The joint further comprises an annular plug inserted into the large bore. The annular plug has a taper tapering off toward the side opposite to the housing bore, and the annular plug is pressed and secured onto the second step by caulking or deforming the inside of the housing to fit the taper. The annular plug and the bearing are thus prevented from coming out of the large bore and the housing bore, respectively. The composing members of the joint are simple in their structure and can be easily manufactured and assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Motohiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 5188476
    Abstract: A ball joint comprises a socket having a wall defining a socket hole, and a ball stud having a ball portion at one end thereof. The ball portion is received within the socket hole for pivotal movement by means of a bearing intervening between the ball and the wall of the socket. The bearing is provided with a plurality of protrusions formed in the outer circumferential surface thereof, the circumferential surface being in contact with the surface of the wall of the socket. The protrusions having a band or dot-shaped configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1993
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Izuru Mori
  • Patent number: 5178189
    Abstract: During the assembly steps of a rotary valve, after an input shaft is attached onto a torsion bar, the input shaft is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise concentrically with the torsion bar. A central position is thus detected and determined such that a hydraulic pressure, which is generated when the input shaft is rotated by some angle clockwise from the central position relative to an output shaft, is symmetrical with a hydraulic pressure generated when the input shaft is rotated by the same angle counterclockwise from the central position. While the determined central position of the input shaft in a peripheral direction relative to the torsion bar is maintained, the input shaft is axially secured. By pulling the torsion bar further into the input shaft, an engaging portion of the torsion bar engages in a securing bore of the input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunobu Mitoya
  • Patent number: 5109753
    Abstract: In a valve assembly of a power steering device, the center line of a cylindrical bore of a valve sleeve intersects the center line of a radially extending pin hole in the valve sleeve and is displaced from the center line of the valve assembly toward the side of the sleeve opposite to the pin hole. The valve sleeve is thicker at its periphery adjacent to the pin hole, thereby increasing the engagement length of a drive pin with the pin hole. Consequently, the pressure-receiving area of the pin hole is increased, and the unit area engagement force of the valve sleeve is thus reduced. The bending moment on the drive pin is also reduced, which adds to the durability of the drive pin. Since a bearing stress is thus reduced, a driver never feels unexpected reaction, due to wear, applied to a steering wheel while the driver is manually turning the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5078531
    Abstract: Disclosed is a ball joint. The ball joint comprises a socket; a bearing provided along an inner face of said socket; and a ball stud embraced by said bearing; said socket including a stepped portion at an upper part and a rising portion rising integrally from an outer periphery of said stepped portion; said bearing including a flange portion at an upper part; said flange portion forcibly holding said ball stud to prevent a removal of said ball stud by caulking said stepped portion of said socket from upper and outer crosswise directions with said rising portion of said socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (JAPAN) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohiro Sakai, Tsuneharu Wasada
  • Patent number: 5076605
    Abstract: In a stabilizer including a middle portion which acts as a torsion bar. One end of the middle portion is supported by a wheel through a vertical stabi-link. A connector is disposed between the middle portion and the wheel. The connector is adapted to regulate the action of the middle portion. The connector includes a housing connected with the stabi-link. A ring is secured with the end of middle portion and rotatably supported in the housing. A recess is formed on the ring. A rod engages with the recess. An actuator acts on the rod. A controller controls the force of the actuator to control the rotatable angle between the end of the middle portion and the stabi-link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirotaka Umeda
  • Patent number: 5056975
    Abstract: A washer for use in fastening two members by a bolt is disclosed herein. The washer comprises an elastic body disposed between a head of the bolt and a seat surface corresponding to a surface of one member of the members. The body has a hole to allow for passage of a shank of the bolt. At least one projection is provided on a surface of the body facing the seat surface for engaging with the seat surface. The surface of the projection contacting with the seat surface is formed in a smooth arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1991
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ando
  • Patent number: 4979401
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting an abnormal load for a pressurizing apparatus is disclosed, in which a load change of the work is detected by use of an effective power detector or a mechanical strain detector, and values obtained by sampling at a plurality of points of pressurizing time are compared with a normal value already stored. The result of comparison is used to detect an abnormal load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoyuki Maeda