JP6517538B2 - Steering wheel knuckle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel knuckle.

  As shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, the steering wheel of the vehicle is supported by the knuckle via a hub bearing. The knuckle is vertically movable relative to the vehicle body and rotatably supported around a king pin axis by a cooperative link mechanism such as a lower arm or a damper. A tie rod extending from the steering gear is connected to the knuckle, and a steering operation force of the steering wheel is transmitted to the knuckle through the steering gear and the tie rod, and the knuckle or the steering wheel is steered in a desired direction. .

  The knuckle includes a knuckle body supporting a wheel via a hub bearing, and a stud bracket connected to a lower portion of the knuckle body. The lower arm is connected to the stud bracket via a ball joint. A brake caliper is also attached to the knuckle body. That is, the knuckle body needs to be provided with a mounting hole for connecting the stud bracket, a mounting hole for fixing the hub bearing, and a mounting hole for mounting the brake caliper.

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of a conventional knuckle main body. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a knuckle main body, 2 denotes a stud bracket attachment portion, 3 denotes a hub bearing attachment portion, and 4 denotes a brake caliper attachment portion. The stud bracket mounting portion 2 has a downward facing seating surface 21 and a screw hole 22 drilled in the seating surface 21. The hub bearing mounting portion 3 has a seat surface 31 facing inward of the vehicle and a screw hole 32 formed in the seat surface 31. The brake caliper mounting portion 4 has a seat surface 41 facing inward of the vehicle and a screw hole 42 opened in the seat surface 41. The positions of the hub bearing mounting portion 3, the brake caliper mounting portion 4 and the stud bracket mounting portion 2 are relatively close due to the mounting position conditions of the hub bearing, the brake caliper and the stud bracket. The stud bracket mounting portion 2 is required to secure a space (part A in the figure) for allowing the swing of the socket (not shown) of the ball joint (not shown) for connecting the lower arm (not shown). In some cases, it is difficult to secure the necessary thickness in terms of strength. Further, the tips of the brake caliper mounting portion 4 and the stud bracket mounting portion 2 are independently extended and cantilevered, and therefore, it is necessary to increase the weight in order to maintain the strength. Furthermore, the screw holes 22 provided in the stud bracket mounting portion 2 are forced to have bottomed holes, and machining defects such as clogs remaining in the screw holes 22 and being clogged tend to occur at the time of formation.

WO2009 / 004820 gazette

  The present invention has been conceived under the above-mentioned circumstances, and while maintaining the strength of the attachment portion to be provided on the knuckle main body, the knuckle main body can be reduced in weight, and further drilling It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel knuckle capable of suppressing the occurrence of defects.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned subject, the following technical means were adopted in the present invention.

  A knuckle for a steering wheel provided by the present invention comprises: a knuckle main body having a ring portion into which a hub bearing is fitted; a protrusion formed on the knuckle main body so as to extend radially outward of the ring portion; A first seat surface formed in the portion, and a second seat surface formed in the protrusion and orthogonal to the first seat surface, and the protrusion has an axial direction of the ring portion A space opened to one side is provided, and a mounting hole passing through the space is formed in the second seat surface.

  The first seat surface is used, for example, as a seat surface for attaching a brake caliper. The second bearing surface is used, for example, as a bearing surface for attaching a stud bracket.

  The projecting portion is provided with a first seat surface and a second seat surface, and an object is fixed to the seat surfaces, and a space portion opened to one side is formed in the projecting portion. Is provided, so that the weight increase of the knuckle as a whole can be suppressed. Further, the space portion provided in the projecting portion is open to one side and has a U-shaped cross section, so that sufficient rigidity can be maintained. As a result, according to the knuckle for a steering wheel of the present invention, weight reduction can be achieved while maintaining the strength of the mounting portion such as the brake caliper and the stud bracket.

  In addition, since the mounting hole formed in the second seat surface penetrates into the space portion, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of processing defects in which the cutter is clogged in the mounting hole.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the drawings.

It is the figure which looked at the knuckle for steering wheels concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the inner side of vehicles. It is an end elevation which follows the II-II line of FIG. It is a principal part perspective view of the knuckle for steering wheels shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing of a prior art example.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a view of a steering wheel knuckle (hereinafter simply referred to as knuckle) according to the present invention as viewed from the inner side of a vehicle. The knuckle 100 has a knuckle body 110 having a ring portion 120 into which a hub bearing (not shown) is inserted, and a stud bracket 200. Both the knuckle body 110 and the stud bracket 200 are formed, for example, by metal casting.

  In the knuckle main body 110, a mounting bearing surface 111 (shown by cross hatching in the figure) for a hub bearing facing inward of the vehicle (front direction in FIG. 1) extends along the circumferential direction of the ring portion 120. Three places are formed. A mounting hole 112 is opened in each of these bearing surfaces 111, and a hub bearing (not shown) is inserted into the ring portion 120, and a screw (not shown) is mounted using the mounting hole 112. It fixes to the knuckle main body 110 by fastening.

  The knuckle body 110 is also integrally formed with a first protrusion 130, a second protrusion 140, and a third protrusion 150 that extend radially outward of the ring portion 120.

  A seating surface 131 for attaching a brake caliper (not shown) is formed in the first projection 130, and a mounting hole 132 is formed in the seating surface 131.

  The second protrusion 140 is provided with a first seating surface 141 (shown with cross hatching in the figure) for mounting a brake caliper (not shown) and a second seating surface for mounting the stud bracket 200. 145 (shown by cross hatching in the figure). The specific configuration of the second protrusion 140 will be described later.

  The third protrusion 150 is an arm 151 for connecting the tip of a tie rod (not shown) extending from a steering gear (not shown) through the ball joint 300, and an additional for attaching the stud bracket 200. And a mounting portion 152.

  The second projecting portion 140 extends downward and substantially obliquely from the ring portion 120, and then curves and extends downward, and has a space portion 142 opened to the inner side of the vehicle. As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the space portion 142 has a substantially cylindrical portion 121 having the outer circumference of the ring portion 120 or the first seating surface 111 and a bottom wall portion located on the outer side of the vehicle. 143, a pair of side wall portions 144 rising from the front and rear direction both ends of the bottom wall portion 143 toward the inner side of the vehicle, and the upper wall 147 of the boss portion 146 located below the second projecting portion 140 It has a boxy shape.

  The first seat surface 141 functioning as a mounting seat surface for the brake caliper (not shown) is provided on the bottom wall portion 143, for example, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the ring portion 120, A mounting hole 148 is formed through the first seat surface 141.

  A second seating surface 145 that functions as a mounting seating surface for the stud bracket 200 is provided on the lower surface of the boss 146 located below the second protrusion 140. The second seat 146 and the above-described first seat 141 are orthogonal to each other. A screw hole as the mounting hole 149 is provided in the second seat surface 145 so as to penetrate the space portion 142.

  The brake calipers (not shown) are provided with mounting holes 132 and 148 provided on the two seat surfaces of the seat surface 131 provided on the first protrusion 130 and the first seat surface 141 provided on the second protrusion 140. Are fastened and fixed to the knuckle body 110.

  The stud bracket 200 has mounting holes 149 provided in a second seat 145 provided on the lower surface of the boss 146 of the second protrusion 140 and an additional attachment 152 provided on the third protrusion 150, It is fastened and fixed to the knuckle body 110 using 153. As shown by a phantom line in FIG. 1, a tip end portion of a lower arm 400 whose base end is connected to a vehicle body such as a suspension member (not shown) is connected to the stud bracket 200 via a ball joint 410.

  In the above configuration, the second projecting portion 140 to which two objects such as the brake caliper (not shown) and the stud bracket 200 are fastened and fixed has the space portion 142 opened to one side. Contribute to weight reduction. And since the space part 142 is a bottomed box shape and has a U-shaped cross section, it can maintain strong rigidity. Therefore, in the knuckle 100 of the said structure, strength maintenance of the attachment part for a brake caliper (not shown), stud bracket 200 grade | etc., Can be achieved, achieving weight reduction.

  In addition, since the mounting holes 149 provided in the second seat surface 145 penetrate the space portion 142, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of processing defects such as clogging of the cutter in the formation thereof.

  Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and all design changes within the scope of the claims are all included in the scope of the present invention.

100 knuckle 110 knuckle body 111 mounting surface (for hub bearing)
112 mounting hole 120 ring portion 130 first projecting portion 131 seat surface 132 mounting hole 140 second projecting portion 141 first seat surface 142 space portion 143 bottom wall portion 144 side wall portion 145 second seat surface 146 boss portion 147 Upper wall (of boss)
148 mounting hole (for the first seat)
149 mounting hole (second seat)
150 third protrusion 151 arm 152 additional mounting portion 153 mounting hole 200 stud bracket 300 ball joint (tie rod tip)
400 lower arm 410 ball joint

Claims (1)

A knuckle body having a ring portion into which a hub bearing is fitted;
A projection formed on the knuckle body to extend radially outward of the ring portion;
A first seating surface formed on the projection and for mounting a brake caliper ;
A second seat formed on the protrusion and orthogonal to the first seat;
The protrusion has a space which is open on one side in the axial direction of the ring and has a bottom wall on the other side in the axial direction, and is surrounded by a wall rising from the bottom wall. ,
The first seat surface is formed on the bottom wall portion,
A knuckle for a steered wheel, wherein the second seat surface is formed with a mounting hole penetrating to the space portion.

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