Apple Patents Steer-by-Wire Steering and Suspension

According to Motor Authority, Apple appears to be getting closer to producing its own vehicle. Apple filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for its own vehicle suspension. Interestingly, the “steer-by-wire” configuration displayed in the patent application can be used by an autonomous car, a signal of the direction the company may be heading toward.

Some of the features described in the patent include a suspension component that connects the frame and steering wheel, and a steering knuckle to define the steering axis. Under this design, users would feel virtually no steering, and the car’s suspension would require smaller and lighter components than those in other vehicles. The “steer-by-wire” system will also reduce tire wear due to reduced scrubbing of the wheels when turning and will offer overall better directional stability.

Apple has filed a number of automotive patents in the past few years, although it remains unclear if and when the tech giant will be putting this project into production.

Authors: Jaclyn Tilak and Kyle Jacobson, 2019 Summer Student-at-law