JP2963593B2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mechanism for temporarily fixing a steering device to a straight steering state when assembling the steering device to a vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a steering apparatus is assembled to a vehicle body, it is necessary to temporarily fix the steering apparatus to a straight steering state in order to accurately maintain a relative positional relationship with other parts such as steering wheels and a steering wheel.

[0003] For example, in a rack and pinion type steering apparatus provided with an input shaft that rotates by steering, a pinion interlocked with the input shaft, a rack that meshes with the pinion, and a housing that covers the pinion and the rack. It has been proposed that a screw hole is provided in the screw hole, a bolt is screwed into the screw hole, and the bolt is engaged with the rack to temporarily fix the rack (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-125).
No. 769).

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional steering apparatus, since the bolt is pulled out from the screw hole of the housing when the temporary fixing of the rack is released, muddy water, foreign matter and the like enter the housing from the screw hole. May break in and damage equipment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a steering device that can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[0006]

According to a first feature of the present invention, an input shaft rotated by steering, a steering force transmitting mechanism interlocked with the input shaft, and a housing for covering the steering force transmitting mechanism are provided. A rotation preventing member for preventing relative rotation of the input shaft with respect to the housing is provided, and the rotation preventing member includes a fitting portion and a rotation preventing member.
And a stopper part, and the fitting part is relative to the input shaft.
The stopper is fitted so that rotation is prevented.
Part is inserted into the notch formed in the housing,
When the inner surface of the notch contacts the stopper, the housing
Relative rotation of the input shaft with respect to the
When the gap between the part and the stopper part is broken,
At the point where the blockage of the relative rotation between the
You. The second feature of the present invention is that the rotation is performed by steering.
Rotating input shaft and steering force transmission mechanism linked to this input shaft
And a housing that covers the steering force transmission mechanism.
Input to the housing of the tearing device
A rotation preventing member for preventing relative rotation of the shaft is provided.
The rotation preventing member has a fitting portion and a stopper portion.
Of the input shaft is prevented from rotating relative to the input shaft.
The stopper is fitted so that it can move
Inserted into the notch formed in the jing, the inside of the notch
When the surface and the stopper contact, the housing
Relative rotation of the input shaft is prevented, and its stopper is
Elasticity due to axial movement of the fitting with respect to the input shaft
By restoring after deformation, it is separated from the notch and c
Inserted into the recess formed in the housing, and the recess is input
Size that does not prevent the shaft and rotation prevention member from rotating together
The relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft.
The point is that the prevention of rolling is released .

[0007]

According to the above construction, the rotation preventing member is engaged with the housing and the input shaft, and the relative rotation of the input shaft with respect to the housing is prevented, so that the steering device can be temporarily stopped in the state of straight-ahead steering. . Since the rotation preventing member engages the housing and the input shaft on the outside of the housing, the steering device can be temporarily stopped in the straight steering state without providing a hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing. Release of the relative rotation is canceled by the rotation
You only have to break or deform the stop
Can be.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A rack and pinion type steering apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a housing 2, an input shaft 3 inserted into the housing 2 via an oil seal 19, and a pinion connected to the input shaft 3. And a rack 5 meshing with the rack 4. The input shaft 3 is supported by the housing 2 via bearings 17 and 18, and a pinion 4 is integrally provided on the outer circumference at one end thereof, and a pair of flat surfaces 3 a is provided on the outer circumference at the other end protruding from the housing 2 to the outside. And recess 3b
Are formed. A yoke 8 of a universal joint is fitted to the other end of the input shaft 3 so as to be relatively non-rotatable, and is prevented from coming off by a pin 9 engaging with the concave portion 3b. The handle is connected via a handle shaft connected to the universal joint. Steering wheels are connected to the end of the rack 5 via a link mechanism. Thus, the rotation of the input shaft 3 due to the steering is transmitted to the rack 5 via the pinion 4, and the movement of the rack 5 steers the steering wheel.

When the steering device 1 is assembled to a vehicle body, the housing 2 is temporarily fixed to a straight steering state.
Rotation preventing member 6 for preventing the relative rotation of the input shaft 3 with respect to
Engages with the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 outside the housing 2 so as to be able to release the prevention of the relative rotation. That is, the rotation preventing member 6 is formed of a synthetic resin material, one end is formed as a frame-shaped fitting portion 6a, the other end is formed as a hexagonal column-shaped tool engaging portion 6b, and a cylindrical stopper portion is formed between both ends. 6c, and a constricted portion 6d between the fitting portion 6a and the stopper portion 6c. The constricted portion 6d has a circular cross section, and has a smaller diameter as the distance from the fitting portion 6a and the stopper portion 6c increases. The fitting part 6
The inner peripheral surface of a is constituted by a pair of arc surfaces 6a 'opposed to each other and a flat surface 6a "connecting both ends of each arc surface 6a'.

The fitting portion 6a is fitted to the input shaft 3 projecting from the housing 2 to the outside. Thereby, the flat surface 3a of the input shaft 3 and the flat surface 6 of the fitting portion 6a are formed.
a ″ abuts on the input shaft 3 to restrict the relative rotation between the input shaft 3 and the rotation preventing member 6.
Relative rotation about its own axis (the left-right axis in FIG. 1) is prevented.

The stopper portion 6c surrounds the input shaft 3 projecting from the housing 2 to the outside and is inserted from above into a notch portion 2b 'formed in a peripheral wall 2b integral with the housing 2 as shown in FIG. ′. Accordingly, the relative rotation of the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 is prevented, and in this state, the position of the rack 5 with respect to the pinion 4 is set to the position in the straight steering state.

By engaging the tool with the tool engaging portion 6b and twisting the rotation preventing member 6 about its own axis, the constricted portion 6d is cut off, and the inhibition of relative rotation between the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 is released. Is done. After the constricted portion 6d is threaded, the tool engaging portion 6b and the stopper portion 6c are removed, and the fitting portion 6a is integrated with the input shaft 3.

According to the above configuration, since the rotation preventing member 6 is engaged with the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 outside the housing 2, the steering device can be steered straight without providing a hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing 2. Can be temporarily fixed. Further, it is possible to prevent muddy water, foreign matter, and the like from entering the housing 2 and damaging the device.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a rack and pinion type steering device 50 according to a second embodiment, which is provided with a rotation preventing member 51 different from that of the first embodiment. That is, the rotation preventing member 51 is formed of a synthetic resin material, one end of which is a frame-shaped fitting portion 51a, and the other end of which is a cylindrical stopper portion 51b. One end of the fitting portion 51a and one end of the stopper portion 51b overlap when viewed from the axial direction of the input shaft 3 and are connected by a connecting portion 51c.
The connecting portion 51c is thinner than the fitting portion 51a and the stopper portion 51b.

The inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 51a is constituted by a pair of opposed arcuate surfaces 51a 'and a flat surface 51a "connecting both ends of each of the arcuate surfaces 51a'. And the input shaft 3 protruding outside from the housing 2. Thereby, the flat surface 3a of the input shaft 3 and the flat surface 51a ″ of the fitting portion 51a come into contact with each other,
The relative rotation between the input shaft 3 and the rotation preventing member 51 is restricted.

The stopper 51b is connected to the housing 2
The housing 2 surrounds the input shaft 3 projecting from the
4 is inserted from above into a notch 2b 'formed in the peripheral wall 2b integral with the inner wall 2b, and comes into contact with the inner surface of the notch 2b'. Accordingly, the relative rotation of the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 is prevented, and in this state, the position of the rack 5 with respect to the pinion 4 is set to the position in the straight steering state.

When the handle is rotated to apply a torque equal to or more than a predetermined value to the connecting portion 51c, the connecting portion 51c is sheared, and the blocking of the relative rotation between the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 is released. After the connecting portion 51c is sheared, the stopper portion 51b is removed, and the fitting portion 51a is integrated with the input shaft 3. Other parts are the same as in the first embodiment, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

According to the second embodiment, not only the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained, but also the connecting portion 51c of the rotation preventing member 51 is sheared only by rotating the handle without using a separate tool. , Housing 2 and input shaft 3
Of the relative rotation of can be released.

FIGS. 7 to 9 show a rack and pinion type steering device 70 according to a third embodiment, which is provided with a rotation preventing member 71 different from that of the first embodiment. That is, the rotation preventing member 71 is formed of a synthetic resin material into a plate shape that can be elastically deformed, and one end is a frame-shaped fitting portion 71a and the other end is a stopper portion 71b.

The inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 71a is composed of a pair of opposed arcuate surfaces 71a 'and a flat surface 71a "connecting both ends of each of the arcuate surfaces 71a'. The input shaft 3 is fitted to the input shaft 3 protruding outside from the housing 2. Thereby, the flat surface 3 of the input shaft 3
a and the flat surface 71a ″ of the fitting portion 71a are in contact with each other, and the relative rotation between the input shaft 3 and the rotation preventing member 71 is prevented.

The stopper 71b is connected to the housing 2
The housing 2 surrounds the input shaft 3 projecting from the
8, is inserted from above into a notch 2e 'formed in a peripheral wall 2e integrated with the inner wall 2e, and comes into contact with the inner surface of the notch 2e'. Accordingly, the relative rotation of the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 is prevented, and in this state, the position of the rack 5 with respect to the pinion 4 is set to the position in the straight steering state.

The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 2e of the housing 2 is circular in plan view, and the center of the circle and the rotation center of the input shaft 3 are eccentric. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the bottom surface of the notch 2 e ′ into which the stopper 71 b is inserted is formed as an inclined surface 2 e ″ that goes downward in the drawing as it goes inward in the radial direction. The recess 2 is formed in the peripheral wall 2e below
f is formed. The flat surface 7a of the input shaft 3 is formed up to a position facing the concave portion 2f in the radial direction.
As a result, when the yoke of the universal joint 8 is fitted to the input shaft 3, as shown in FIG. 9, the rotation preventing member 71 is pushed downward by the yoke, and the stopper 71b is elastically deformed and cuts out. 2e 'and is inserted into the recess 2f. The recess 2f has such a size that its inner surface does not prevent the rotation preventing member 71 from rotating together with the input shaft 7. Thereby, the blocking of the relative rotation between the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 is released. Other parts are the same as in the first embodiment, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

According to the third embodiment, not only can the same effects as in the first embodiment be achieved, but also the relative position between the housing 2 and the input shaft 3 can be obtained simply by fitting the universal joint yoke 8 to the input shaft 3. The rotation block can be released.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the material of the rotation preventing member is not particularly limited. Further, the rotation preventing member may be fitted to the input shaft via serrations so as not to rotate relatively. Further, the present invention may be applied to a ball screw type steering device or a power steering device.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the steering device can be temporarily stopped in a straight-ahead steering state without providing a hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing. Damage can be prevented. Further, the temporary fixing can be easily released.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a steering device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the steering device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a main part of the steering device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a steering device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of a steering device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part of a steering device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a main part of a steering device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a steering device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view for explaining the operation of the steering device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Housing 3 Input shaft 4 Pinion 5 Rack 6, 51, 71 Rotation preventing member

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A 1-125769 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B62D 3/12

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A steering apparatus comprising: an input shaft that is rotated by steering; a steering force transmission mechanism that is interlocked with the input shaft; and a housing that covers the steering force transmission mechanism.
A rotation preventing member for preventing relative rotation of the input shaft with respect to the housing is provided, and the rotation preventing member has a fitting portion.
And a stopper part, and the fitting part is compatible with the input shaft.
It is fitted so that anti-rotation is prevented, and its stopper
Is inserted into the cutout formed in the housing,
When the inner surface of the notch contacts the stopper, the housing
Relative rotation of the input shaft with respect to the
When the gap between the stopper and the stopper is destroyed,
A steering device wherein the blocking of relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft is released . 2. An input shaft which is rotated by steering and an input shaft
The steering force transmission mechanism linked to the shaft and this steering force transmission mechanism
A steering device comprising:
A rotation that prevents the input shaft from rotating relative to its housing
A rotation preventing member is provided, and the rotation preventing member is
And a stopper part, and the fitting part is compatible with the input shaft.
Fitted to prevent rotation and move axially
The stopper is a notch formed in the housing.
And the inner surface of the notch contacts the stopper.
Prevents the input shaft from rotating relative to the housing
And the stopper part is connected to the input shaft of the fitting part.
The elastic deformation caused by the axial movement
A recess formed in the housing while being detached from the notch
And the concave part of the input shaft and the rotation prevention member
Being large enough to prevent rotation
The relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft is released.
A steering device characterized by the above-mentioned.