A rotary table (1) includes a base body (10), a worm wheel (21), an inner ring (22), a plurality of rolling elements, and a worm screw unit (30). The worm screw unit (30) includes a worm screw (31) held to be rotatable around an axis and having a second gear (31A) meshing with the first gear (215), and a worm screw housing (32) surrounding and holding the worm screw (31) and being fixed to contact the holding surface at a planar contacting surface thereof. One of the holding and contacting surfaces has a cylindrical pin (33) arranged to protrude therefrom. The other of the holding and contacting surfaces has a first recess (11) formed to receive the pin (33), the first recess having a width corresponding to the pin (33) and being elongated in the radial direction of the worm wheel (21).

A gear unit for a motor vehicle having a rotary bearing supporting a worm gear shaft, rotatable about an axially extending rotation axis, on a housing. The rotary bearing pivotable about a pivot axis and includes a spherical outer face and a stationary pivot ring. The gear unit includes a spring element extending tangentially or circumferentially, at least partially, around the rotation axis, and positioned such that one side engages the housing and the other side, through two axially protruding contact portions lying opposite each other in the direction of the pivot axis, engages the rotary bearing. The spring element includes a ring portion extending transversely to the axial direction and tangentially, at least partially, around the rotation axis.

A gear unit for a motor vehicle having a drive shaft extending axially and mounted rotatably, and a worm gear shaft which cooperates with a worm gear wheel. A torque-transmitting coupling connects the drive shaft to one end of the worm gear shaft with the other end supported by a bearing. A pretension element loads the bearing and correspondingly the worm gear shaft so the worm gear shaft is biased or pressed against the worm gear wheel. The torque-transmitting coupling provides a suitable connection between the drive shaft and worm gear shaft.

A gear unit for a motor vehicle including a rotatable worm gear shaft rotating about a rotation axis and cooperating with a worm gear wheel in an engagement region spaced from the rotation axis. A pivotable rotary bearing mounts the worm gear shaft on a housing on one side of the engagement region and a loose rotary bearing, pretensioned in the direction of the spacing axis, mounts the other side in the housing. A support device supports the pivotable rotary bearing on the housing in the direction of the rotation axis. To optimize engagement between a worm gear shaft and a worm gear wheel, the pivotable rotary bearing pivots relative to the housing about a pivot axis perpendicular to the rotation axis and to the spacing axis. A support point of the support device is offset relative to the rotation axis along the spacing axis towards the engagement region.

A gear unit for a motor vehicle including an axially extending worm gear shaft, rotatable about a rotation axis, and cooperating with a worm gear wheel. The worm gear shaft supported, on one side of the worm gear wheel, through a first rotary bearing, on a housing and on the other side by of the worm gear wheel by a second rotary bearing loaded such that the worm gear shaft is pretensioned against the worm gear wheel. To optimize worm gear shaft and worm gear wheel engagement the first rotary bearing pivots or tilts relative to the housing, with deformation of at least one return element about a tilt axis perpendicular to the rotation axis. The return elements supporting the first rotary bearing on the housing in the axial and radial direction.

A worm gear drive mechanism (1) having a housing (8), a rotatably mounted worm gear (4) and a worm shaft (2) rotatably mounted at at least one bearing point (7), wherein the bearing point (7) has a displacement element (10) for displacing the axial spacing (17) between the gear axis of rotation (6) of the worm gear (4) and the shaft axis of rotation (5) of the worm shaft (2).

A gearbox assembly for an electric power assisted steering apparatus includes a gearbox housing, a worm shaft, a main bearing assembly, and a first fulcrum means. The worm shaft may be supported relative to the housing by a main bearing assembly at an end closest to the motor. The main bearing assembly may include an inner ring defining an inner bearing race, an outer ring defining an outer bearing race, and a plurality of bearings that run between the two races. The first fulcrum means may be located on a first side of the main bearing assembly which reacts only the axial component of the wormshaft tooth load for a first direction of gearwheel torque. A second fulcrum means may be located on a second, opposing, side of the main bearing assembly, which reacts only the axial component of the wormshaft tooth load for the second direction of gearwheel torque.

A worm drive for a power steering system of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The worm drive includes a worm gear, a worm which meshes with the worm gear, and an electric motor which drives the worm. One side of the worm is connected by a coupling to the electric motor and the other side of the worm is mounted in a floating bearing. The coupling consists of a hub and an elastic spring bush. The floating bearing is oval-shaped in order to allow vertical movements of the worm, and the worm is spring-loaded on the worm gear by the coupling.

A gearbox assembly for power take off from an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering apparatus comprises a gearbox housing which houses a worm shaft and a gear wheel. The worm shaft incorporates one or more external helical worm teeth. A main bearing assembly supports the worm shaft at an end closest to the motor. A tail bearing assembly supports the worm shaft at an end furthest from the motor. At least the tail bearing assembly is free to move relative to the housing through a limited range of motion that enables the worm shaft to move radially away from an axis of the wheel gear. A piston is slidingly received within a bore in an end of the wormshaft and has a has a head at an end facing the motor which connects with an output shaft of the motor. An interface between the recess of the piston and the protrusion of motor shaft defines a pivot axis of the worm shaft. A spring located within the bore in the end of the worm shaft and is compressed between the worm shaft. The piston has a tapered shoulder located within the bore that increases in diameter from an end furthest from the motor towards an end nearest the motor. The gearbox assembly further includes an annular o-ring that sits on the tapered shoulder, the spring acting on the piston through the o-ring whereby movement of the wormshaft towards the motor shaft compresses the spring which in turn drives the o-ring along the tapered shoulder until the o-ring becomes wedged between the piston and the inner wall of the bore of the wormshaft.

A gearbox assembly for power take off from an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering apparatus comprising a gearbox housing which houses a worm shaft and a gear wheel, is disclosed. The worm shaft incorporates one or more external helical worm teeth. A main bearing assembly supports the worm shaft at an end closest to the motor. A tail bearing assembly supports the worm shaft at an end furthest from the motor, in which at least the tail bearing assembly is free to move relative to the housing through a limited range of motion that enables the worm shaft to move radially away from the axis of the wheel gear. The gearbox assembly further comprises a flexible coupler which connects the worm shaft at the main bearing end to a power take off from the motor so as to transfer torque from the motor to the worm shaft. The flexible coupler comprises a first hub part providing a connection to the worm shaft, a second hub part providing a connection to the power take off from the motor, and a flexible membrane that connects the first hub part to the second hub part. The flexible membrane provides a primary path for the transfer of torque from the first hub part to the second hub part.