Patents by Inventor Michael E. Partyka
Michael E. Partyka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240132138Abstract: A steering shaft assembly includes a male shaft having a plurality of splines formed thereon, each of the splines terminating at a spline end, wherein each of the spline ends form an angle of about 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal direction of the splines. The steering shaft assembly also includes a female shaft including a plurality of stakes located proximate an end of the female shaft, the stakes retaining the male shaft at an interface between the stakes and the spline ends.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2023Publication date: April 25, 2024Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Daniel P. Cook, David G. Matousek
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Patent number: 11891112Abstract: A steering shaft assembly includes a male shaft having a plurality of teeth extending radially outwardly from a portion of the male shaft. The steering shaft assembly also includes a female shaft receiving a portion of the male shaft and fixed to the male shaft in a rotational direction, the male shaft axially moveable relative to the female shaft, the female shaft having an end portion and a body portion, wherein the end portion of the female shaft has an end wall thickness that is less than a body wall thickness of the body portion, the end portion curved radially inwardly to define a hard stop position during axial movement of the male shaft. An end of the plurality of teeth of the male shaft contact the curved end portion of the female shaft at the hard stop position.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2021Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Michael E. Partyka, Daniel P. Cook, Terry E. Burkhard, David E. Moore
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Patent number: 11891107Abstract: A flex coupling assembly for coupling a first shaft to a second shaft of a shaft assembly. The flex coupling assembly decouples axial and torsional stiffness from bending stiffness of the shaft assembly, thereby dampening the transmission of noise and vibration between the first and second shafts. The flex coupling assembly includes an inner housing subassembly and an outer housing subassembly. The inner housing subassembly includes an inner housing and a resilient flex coupling disposed in an outer housing cavity of an outer housing of the outer housing subassembly. A retention member is fixed to an outer housing to retain the inner housing subassembly in the outer housing cavity. The inner and outer housing subassemblies can rotate and translate relative to a common axis, while the inner and the outer housings restrict bending between the inner and outer housing subassemblies, thereby restricting bending between the first and second shafts.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, William J. Knight, Terry E. Burkhard
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Patent number: 11739794Abstract: A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a yoke defining a space for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining an access path for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes an error-proofing device fixed to the yoke and having a deflectable portion blocking the access path in an initial position and deflectable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the access path in a final assembly position to ensure that the pinion shaft is assembled to the yoke at a predetermined axial position.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, Carl R. Castanier, David G. Matousek
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Patent number: 11668349Abstract: A flex coupling assembly for coupling a first shaft to a second shaft of a shaft assembly. The flex coupling assembly includes a lower housing having a housing wall bounding a cavity between a first end having an end face and an open second end. A first shaft is fixed to the end face and extends along an axis. An upper flange, spaced from the lower housing, has a second shaft fixed thereto extending along the axis. A retention member, disposed in the cavity, is operably fixed to the upper flange. A resilient flex coupling, disposed between the end face and the flange, is operably fixed to the upper flange and the retention member and to the lower housing. The lower housing and the flange are moveable axially toward and away from one another and rotatably about the axis via flexing of the resilient flex coupling which dampens noise and vibrations between the first and second shafts.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, William J. Knight
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Patent number: 11383755Abstract: A steering shaft assembly comprising female shaft and a male shaft. The female shaft includes an inner surface defining a plurality of outer roller bearing tracks. The male shaft includes an outer surface defining a plurality of inner roller bearing tracks. An adaptable sleeve assembly is located between the inner surface of the female shaft and the outer surface of the male shaft and includes a body. The body defines an outer surface for contacting the inner surface of the female shaft and an inner surface for contacting the outer surface of the male shaft. The body defines at least one rib projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the body and projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface of the body. The at least one rib is inserted into one of the plurality of inner roller bearing tracks and one of the plurality of outer roller bearing tracks.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2020Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Sergio R. Molinar, Michael E. Partyka, Brandon L. Finney
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Publication number: 20220185360Abstract: A steering shaft assembly comprising female shaft and a male shaft. The female shaft includes an inner surface defining a plurality of outer roller bearing tracks. The male shaft includes an outer surface defining a plurality of inner roller bearing tracks. An adaptable sleeve assembly is located between the inner surface of the female shaft and the outer surface of the male shaft and includes a body. The body defines an outer surface for contacting the inner surface of the female shaft and an inner surface for contacting the outer surface of the male shaft. The body defines at least one rib projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the body and projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface of the body. The at least one rib is inserted into one of the plurality of inner roller bearing tracks and one of the plurality of outer roller bearing tracks.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2020Publication date: June 16, 2022Inventors: Sergio R. Molinar, Michael E. Partyka, Brandon L. Finney
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Patent number: 11305808Abstract: A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a clamp yoke defining a central opening for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining a counter bore for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes a blocking assembly fixed to the clamp yoke. The blocking assembly includes a resilient member having a first leg, a second leg and a connecting end. The blocking assembly also includes a blocking member coupled to the first leg and the second leg of the resilient member, the blocking member rotatable between a blocking position and a non-blocking position, the blocking position blocking the counter bore in an initial position and rotatable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the counter bore in the non-blocking position.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Michael E. Partyka, William D. Cymbal, William Knight
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Publication number: 20220081022Abstract: A steering shaft assembly includes a male shaft having a plurality of splines formed thereon, each of the splines terminating at a spline end, wherein each of the spline ends form an angle of about 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal direction of the splines. The steering shaft assembly also includes a female shaft including a plurality of stakes located proximate an end of the female shaft, the stakes retaining the male shaft at an interface between the stakes and the spline ends.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2020Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Daniel P. Cook, David G. Matousek
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Publication number: 20220063701Abstract: A flex coupling assembly for coupling a first shaft to a second shaft of a shaft assembly is provided. The flex coupling assembly decouples axial and torsional stiffness from bending stiffness of the shaft assembly, thereby dampening the transmission of noise and vibration between the first and second shafts. The flex coupling assembly includes an inner housing subassembly and an outer housing subassembly. The inner housing subassembly includes an inner housing and a resilient flex coupling disposed in an outer housing cavity of an outer housing of the outer housing subassembly. A retention member is fixed to an outer housing to retain the inner housing subassembly in the outer housing cavity. The inner and outer housing subassemblies can rotate and translate relative to a common axis, while the inner and the outer housings restrict bending between the inner and outer housing subassemblies, thereby restricting bending between the first and second shafts.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2020Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, William J. Knight, Terry E. Burkhard
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Publication number: 20220065304Abstract: A flex coupling assembly for coupling a first shaft to a second shaft of a shaft assembly is provided. The flex coupling assembly includes a lower housing having a housing wall bounding a cavity between a first end having an end face and an open second end. A first shaft is fixed to the end face and extends along an axis. An upper flange, spaced from the lower housing, has a second shaft fixed thereto extending along the axis. A retention member, disposed in the cavity, is operably fixed to the upper flange. A resilient flex coupling, disposed between the end face and the flange, is operably fixed to the upper flange and the retention member and to the lower housing. The lower housing and the flange are moveable axially toward and away from one another and rotatably about the axis via flexing of the resilient flex coupling which dampens noise and vibrations between the first and second shafts.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2020Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, William J. Knight
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Publication number: 20210403075Abstract: A steering shaft assembly includes a male shaft having a plurality of teeth extending radially outwardly from a portion of the male shaft. The steering shaft assembly also includes a female shaft receiving a portion of the male shaft and fixed to the male shaft in a rotational direction, the male shaft axially moveable relative to the female shaft, the female shaft having an end portion and a body portion, wherein the end portion of the female shaft has an end wall thickness that is less than a body wall thickness of the body portion, the end portion curved radially inwardly to define a hard stop position during axial movement of the male shaft. An end of the plurality of teeth of the male shaft contact the curved end portion of the female shaft at the hard stop position.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2021Publication date: December 30, 2021Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Daniel P. Cook, Terry E. Burkhard, David E. Moore
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Publication number: 20210394814Abstract: A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a clamp yoke defining a central opening for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining a counter bore for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes a blocking assembly fixed to the clamp yoke. The blocking assembly includes a resilient member having a first leg, a second leg and a connecting end. The blocking assembly also includes a blocking member coupled to the first leg and the second leg of the resilient member, the blocking member rotatable between a blocking position and a non-blocking position, the blocking position blocking the counter bore in an initial position and rotatable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the counter bore in the non-blocking position.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2020Publication date: December 23, 2021Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, William D. Cymbal, William Knight
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Publication number: 20200140001Abstract: A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a yoke defining a space for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining an access path for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes an error-proofing device fixed to the yoke and having a deflectable portion blocking the access path in an initial position and deflectable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the access path in a final assembly position to ensure that the pinion shaft is assembled to the yoke at a predetermined axial position.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Inventors: Michael E. Partyka, Sergio R. Molinar, Carl R. Castanier, David G. Matousek