CN211336156U

CN211336156U - Vehicle, vehicle steering system and clutch mechanism thereof

Info

Publication number: CN211336156U
Application number: CN201922132282.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张鹏
Original assignee: BYD Co Ltd
Current assignee: BYD Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-29
Filing date: 2019-11-29
Publication date: 2020-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-29

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, a vehicle steering system and a clutch mechanism thereof, the clutch mechanism is arranged between a first shaft section and a second shaft section and has an engaged state and a disengaged state, one of the first shaft section and the second shaft section can move axially relative to the other one under the action of external force, so as to realize the switching of the engaged state and the disengaged state; the first shaft section is coaxially and fixedly connected with a torque transmission part of the steering power-assisted mechanism, the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch structure, and the torque transmission part and the second shaft section form the clutch structure so as to realize the connection or separation between the first shaft section and the second shaft section; the first shaft section and the second shaft section belong to a steering shaft or a steering transmission shaft of a vehicle steering system. Through above-mentioned technical scheme, the clutching between steering wheel and the clutch can be realized to the clutching mechanism that this disclosure provided to can reduce the shared extra space of clutching mechanism, simplify clutching mechanism's structure simultaneously.

Description

Vehicle, vehicle steering system and clutch mechanism thereof

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular, to a vehicle, a vehicle steering system and a clutch mechanism thereof.

Background

In a vehicle, a steering column is a connecting part installed between a steering wheel and a steering gear, is mainly used for controlling the vehicle traveling direction, transmitting torque, and absorbing energy when the vehicle is impacted, and is an important component in a vehicle steering system.

In the related art, a steering shaft at an input end of a steering column is connected with a steering wheel, a steering shaft at an output end of the steering column is connected with a steering gear, and when the steering is performed, torque is transmitted to the steering gear through the steering column by operating the steering wheel so as to realize vehicle steering.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle, a vehicle steering system, and a clutch mechanism thereof, which can achieve clutching between a steering wheel and a steering gear, and can reduce a space occupied by the clutch mechanism while simplifying a structure of the clutch mechanism.

In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a gift box mechanism of a vehicle steering system, the gift box mechanism being disposed between a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment and having an engaged state and a disengaged state, one of the first shaft segment and the second shaft segment being axially movable relative to the other one under an external force to effect a switching of the engaged state and the disengaged state, wherein in the engaged state, a transmission connection is established between the first shaft segment and the second shaft segment; in the disengaged state, the drive connection between the first shaft section and the second shaft section is disconnected; the first shaft section is coaxially and fixedly connected with a torque transmission part of the steering boosting mechanism, the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch structure, and the torque transmission part and the second shaft section form the clutch structure so as to realize the connection or the separation between the first shaft section and the second shaft section; wherein the first shaft section and the second shaft section belong to a steering shaft or a steering propeller shaft of the vehicle steering system.

Alternatively, the clutch structure includes an engaging portion provided to the second shaft section and an engaging portion provided to the torque transmitting portion, which are detachably engaged with each other.

Optionally, the torque transmitting portion is configured as a worm gear, the first shaft section being coaxially fixed to the worm gear towards the first end of the second shaft section.

Optionally, one of the engaging portion and the mating portion includes at least one male mating portion, and the other of the engaging portion and the mating portion includes at least one female mating portion, the male mating portion and the female mating portion are provided in pairs and are detachably mateable with each other, and when the male mating portion and the female mating portion are mated, the first shaft section and the second shaft section are in an engaged state.

Optionally, one of the male fitting portion and the female fitting portion is formed on a side surface of the worm wheel facing the second shaft section, and the other of the male fitting portion and the female fitting portion is formed on a second end portion of the second shaft section facing the worm wheel.

Optionally, the male mating portion is configured as a protrusion protruding axially from the end surface of the corresponding side surface or second end portion, and the female mating portion is configured as a groove recessed axially from the end surface of the corresponding side surface or second end portion.

Optionally, the protrusion is configured as a wedge-shaped protrusion tapering in a direction away from the corresponding end surface, the groove is configured as a wedge-shaped groove tapering from the notch to the groove bottom, and the wedge-shaped protrusion and the wedge-shaped groove are adapted to each other in shape.

Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion is a polygon, a circle or an involute curve.

Optionally, the male fitting portion and the female fitting portion are provided in a plurality of pairs spaced apart from each other, and an end surface of the second end portion is configured in a disc shape for arranging a plurality of the male fitting portions or a plurality of the female fitting portions.

Optionally, a plurality of pairs of the male matching parts and the female matching parts are arranged around the central axis of the worm wheel at equal intervals, and/or the distances between each pair of the male matching parts and the central axis of the worm wheel are equal.

Alternatively, the second shaft section is axially displaceable relative to the first shaft section and the torque transmission part under the action of an external force.

On the basis of the technical scheme, the disclosure further provides a vehicle steering system, and the vehicle steering system comprises the clutch mechanism of the vehicle steering system.

On the basis of the technical scheme, the vehicle comprises the vehicle steering system.

Through above-mentioned technical scheme, this open vehicle steering system's clutch mechanism who provides will turn to assist drive device's moment of torsion transmission part as clutch mechanism's partly, can make full use of installation turn to assist drive device's shared space, reduce the shared additional space of clutch mechanism, simplify clutch mechanism's structure simultaneously, be of value to and reduce the design degree of difficulty and the assembly degree of difficulty.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the disclosure without limiting the disclosure. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a clutch mechanism of a vehicle steering system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a clutch mechanism of a vehicle steering system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic partially cross-sectional view of a clutching mechanism of a vehicle steering system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment in an engaged state;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration in partial cross-section of a clutching mechanism of a vehicle steering system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment in a disengaged state;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a worm gear in a clutch mechanism of a vehicle steering system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a second shaft segment in a vehicle steering system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Description of the reference numerals

101-upper shaft, 102-first shaft section, 103-second shaft section, 1030-second end, 1031-end surface, 1041-male matching part, 1042-female matching part, 105-steering column, 106-sliding sleeve, 107-first bearing, 108-second bearing, 109-elastic biasing part, 1010-sliding bearing, 112-stop part, 116-supporting seat, 4020-pulling cable, 4021-pulling cable bracket, 4022-cushion block, 420-motor, 430-electric actuator, 1001-worm gear and 1011-central shaft hole.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the present disclosure, are given by way of illustration and explanation only, not limitation.

In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the use of the directional terms such as "up and down" is defined on a vehicle basis, and "up and down" refers to the corresponding up and down directions in the height direction of the vehicle, and for a steering system of the vehicle, the rotation of the steering wheel input is transmitted in the direction of the steering shaft, the steering transmission shaft, and the steering gear, and may be considered to be transmitted in the direction from the top to the bottom. Further, "inside and outside" are "inside and outside" with respect to the contour of the corresponding component itself. Furthermore, the terms "first, second, third, fourth, etc. as used herein are intended to distinguish one element from another, and are not necessarily sequential or significant. Furthermore, in the following description, when referring to the figures, the same reference numbers in different figures denote the same or similar elements, unless otherwise explained. The foregoing definitions are provided to illustrate and describe the present disclosure only and should not be construed to limit the present disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a clutch mechanism of a vehicle steering system is provided, which is disposed between a first shaft segment 102 and a second shaft segment 103 and has an engaged state and a disengaged state, one of the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 is axially movable relative to the other one thereof under an external force to realize switching between the engaged state and the disengaged state, wherein in the engaged state, a transmission connection is established between the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103; in the disengaged state, the drive connection between the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103 is disconnected; the first shaft section 102 is coaxially and fixedly connected with a torque transmission part of a steering boosting mechanism, the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch structure, and the torque transmission part and the second shaft section 103 form the clutch structure so as to realize the engagement or the disengagement between the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103; wherein the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103 belong to a steering shaft or a steering propeller shaft of the vehicle steering system.

In the engaged state, a transmission connection is established between the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103, so that a transmission connection state is formed between the steering wheel and the steering gear, and at the moment, the rotation of the steering wheel operated by a driver can be transmitted to the steering gear to realize the steering of the vehicle; under the separation state, the transmission connection between the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103 is disconnected, so that the transmission connection between the steering wheel and the steering gear is disconnected, at the moment, the rotation of the steering wheel cannot be transmitted to the steering gear to further enable the steering gear to work, but the rotation of the steering wheel still can drive components such as a combination switch, a clock spring, an angle sensor and the like to normally run, namely the steering wheel can send a corner signal as usual, so that the steering wheel in the state can be used as a simulator for vehicle driving, the corner signal of the steering wheel can be output to vehicle-mounted equipment or external equipment, and the driving can be simulated. Here, the steering assist mechanism can assist the driver in adjusting the direction of the vehicle and reduce the strength of the steering wheel for the driver. In the vehicle steering system provided with the steering power-assisted mechanism, the torque transmission part of the steering power-assisted mechanism is used as a part of the clutch mechanism, so that the space occupied by the steering power-assisted mechanism can be fully utilized, the extra space occupied by the clutch mechanism is reduced, the structure of the clutch mechanism is simplified, and the design difficulty and the assembly difficulty are favorably reduced.

Generally, in a vehicle steering system, a steering wheel, a steering shaft, a steering transmission shaft, and a steering gear are connected in this order. Therefore, the clutch mechanism provided by the present disclosure may be provided on the steering shaft or the steering transmission shaft. The steering shaft is generally constructed in two ways, one is a whole shaft, the upper end of the whole shaft is connected with the steering wheel, the lower end of the whole shaft is connected with the steering transmission shaft, the other is divided into two shafts (namely an upper shaft 101 and a lower shaft), the two shafts are connected in a way that the rotation from the steering wheel can be transmitted to the steering transmission shaft downwards, and meanwhile, the two shafts are allowed to move axially relative to each other or away from each other, so that the height position of the steering wheel is allowed to be adjusted, drivers with different heights and body sizes can drive in comfortable postures, and the use experience is improved.

Then, in order to enable the driver to drive the vehicle in a comfortable posture, in some embodiments provided by the present disclosure, the steering shaft may include an upper shaft 101 and a lower shaft, an upper end of the upper shaft 101 is used for connecting a steering wheel, a lower end of the lower shaft is used for connecting a steering transmission shaft (including a steering universal joint), a lower end of the upper shaft 101 and an upper end of the lower shaft are in transmission connection (for example, connected by a spline structure) and the upper shaft 101 is axially movable relative to the lower shaft, so that the height adjustment of the steering wheel can be achieved. In order to restrict the upper shaft 101 from moving axially along the same path, a guide structure (hereinafter referred to as a guide structure) may be provided in the steering column 105.

In these embodiments, the clutch mechanism may be arranged in a suitable manner and position according to actual requirements. In some embodiments, the upper shaft 101 serves as the first shaft segment 102, the lower shaft serves as the second shaft segment 103, and the upper shaft 101 and the lower shaft are connected by a clutch mechanism. At this time, the upper end of the upper shaft 101 is connected to a steering wheel, the lower end of the upper shaft 101 is fixedly connected coaxially with a torque transmission part, the torque transmission part and the second shaft segment 103 form a clutch structure, and the second shaft segment 103 can move axially relative to the first shaft segment 101 and the torque transmission part under the action of external force. In other embodiments, the clutch mechanism is disposed on the lower shaft, as shown with reference to fig. 2 and 4. At this time, in order to facilitate the arrangement of the clutch mechanism, the lower shaft is divided into a first shaft segment 102 and a second shaft segment 103, the upper end of the first shaft segment 102 is connected to the upper shaft 101, the lower end of the first shaft segment 102 is coaxially and fixedly connected with a torque transmission part, the torque transmission part and the second shaft segment 103 form a clutch structure, and the second shaft segment 103 can axially move relative to the first shaft segment 102 and the torque transmission part under the action of external force. In still other embodiments, a clutch mechanism is provided on upper shaft 101 (not shown). At this time, the upper end of the first shaft segment 102 is used for connecting a steering wheel, the lower end of the first shaft segment 102 is coaxially and fixedly connected with a torque transmission part, the torque transmission part and the second shaft segment 103 form a clutch structure, and the second shaft segment 103 can axially move relative to the first shaft segment 102 and the torque transmission part under the action of external force. Under the action of external force, the second shaft section 103 moves up and down in the axial direction relative to the first shaft section 102 and the torque transmission part to realize the switching between the separation state and the engagement state of the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103, so that a user can select real driving or simulated driving according to the requirement when using the vehicle. Here, as shown with reference to fig. 5, a first end portion (i.e., an end opposite to the second end portion 1030) of the second shaft segment 103 facing away from the first shaft segment 102 may be provided with a spline structure to facilitate driving connection with a steering transmission shaft (provided with or connected with a steering universal joint) at a lower end thereof, while also enabling relative movement in an axial direction to allow switching between the engaged state and the disengaged state.

In some embodiments, the clutch mechanism may include a guiding structure for constraining and guiding the second shaft segment 103 to move along the axial direction, and the guiding structure may constrain the second shaft segment 103 to move along the same path, so as to avoid the second shaft segment 103 from tilting during the movement and further prevent the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 from being engaged.

In some embodiments, the first shaft segment 102 is fixedly disposed relative to the steering column 105 and the second shaft segment 103 is axially movable relative to the first shaft segment 102 and the steering column 105, as illustrated with reference to fig. 2-4.

Here, the first shaft segment 102 may be directly or indirectly fixed to the steering column 105 (e.g., the first shaft segment 102 may be supported and fixed in the steering column 105 by the first bearing 107), in which case the second shaft segment 103 is movable, and the inner wall of the steering column 105 may be used directly to constrain the path of movement of the second shaft segment 103, while the inner wall of the steering column 105 serves as the guiding structure. It is also possible to add a guide in the steering column 105, which guide is axially movable and thus guides the second shaft section 103 in axial movement. However, the lateral movement of the guide relative to the steering column 105 is limited in order to define its unique path of movement within the steering column 105.

Then, in some embodiments, with continued reference to what is shown in fig. 2 to 4, the guiding structure may comprise a sliding sleeve 106 adapted to be arranged in said steering column 105 and being axially movable, said second shaft section 103 being supported in said sliding sleeve 106 by means of a second bearing 108 for guiding an axial movement of said second shaft section 103 by means of said sliding sleeve 106. In some embodiments, the sliding sleeve 106 can be directly supported in the steering column 105 by a sliding bearing (not shown), and not supported in the steering column 105 by other structures, and the sliding friction between the sliding sleeve 106 and the steering column 105 can be reduced by providing a sliding bearing between the sliding sleeve 106 and the steering column 105, and the wear of the sliding sleeve 106 is reduced, thereby reducing the resistance of the sliding sleeve 106 during the axial movement.

It is possible that the second shaft section 103 is axially fixed relative to the sliding sleeve 106, i.e. the second shaft section 103 is synchronized with the axial movement of the sliding sleeve 106. For example, in some embodiments, the second shaft segment 103 is axially fixed relative to the sliding sleeve 106, and the second shaft segment 103 is capable of moving axially with the sliding sleeve 106. In this embodiment, the second shaft segment 103 can be supported and fixed in the sliding sleeve 106 by a second bearing 108, and the second bearing 108 is fixed to the second shaft segment 103. Wherein, in order to achieve an axially fixed connection between the second shaft section 103 and the sliding sleeve 106, the outer ring of the second bearing 108 may be interference fit in the sliding sleeve 106.

Of course, it is also possible that the second shaft section 103 is axially movable relative to the sliding sleeve 106, i.e. the second shaft section 103 is not synchronized with the axial movement of the sliding sleeve 106. As shown in fig. 2 to 4, the second shaft segment 103 is coaxially fixed with a second bearing 108 and supported in the sliding sleeve 106 through the second bearing 108, that is: the sliding sleeve 106 moves upwards to drive the second bearing 108 and the second shaft section 103 to move upwards, so that the second shaft section 103 is engaged with the first shaft section 101; the downward movement of the sliding sleeve 106 can drive the second bearing 108 and the second shaft section 103 to move downward, so that the second shaft section 103 and the first shaft section 102 are separated.

In this case, in order to enable the second shaft segment 103 to axially move along with the sliding sleeve 106, as shown in fig. 2 to 4, the guiding structure includes an elastic biasing member 109 to provide an elastic force to the second shaft segment 103 towards or away from (not shown) the first shaft segment 102 through the elastic biasing member 109, so that the second shaft segment 103 can axially move correspondingly when the sliding sleeve 106 axially moves, and thus the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 can be switched between the engaged state and the disengaged state. In addition, the resilient biasing member 109 may allow additional travel of the sliding sleeve 106 to reduce design requirements for external forces. For example, if the sliding sleeve 106 is driven by a motor to move, the sliding sleeve 106 can be driven by the motor to move continuously when the first shaft segment 102 is moved to the position.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, upward (to the right in the drawing) movement of the sliding sleeve 106 allows the second bearing 108 and the second shaft segment 103 to move upward under the action of the resilient biasing member 109. Alternatively, the upper end of the sliding sleeve 106 (the end facing the first shaft segment 102) is provided with a stop flange for stopping the second bearing 108 radially inward, the guiding structure comprises a stop member 112, the stop member 112 is arranged at the lower side of the sliding sleeve 106, the stop member 112 can be fixed on the inner wall of the steering column 105 by a snap fit or the like, one end of the elastic biasing member 109 abuts against the second bearing 108, and the other end abuts against the stop member 112. Wherein a bearing seat 116 may be provided on the underside of the second bearing 108 to provide support for the resilient biasing member 109 against distortion during compression.

The working principle is as follows: it will be appreciated that initially the first and

second shaft segments

102, 103 are in the disengaged condition shown in figure 4, in which the sliding sleeve 106 is held against the stop 112 by external forces, the resilient biasing member 109 is compressed and the second bearing 108 is urged against the stop flange. If the external force is removed or reduced to less than the spring force of the resilient biasing member 109, the resilient biasing member 109 can resume deformation and cause the second bearing 108 to move upward, thereby causing the second shaft segment 103 to move upward into engagement with the first shaft segment 102, as shown in FIG. 3. Then, if the sliding sleeve 106 is driven by an external force to move downward, the second bearing 108 and the second shaft section 103 are driven to move downward by the stop flange, and the elastic biasing member 109 is compressed, so that the second shaft section 103 moves downward after leaving the first shaft section 102 until the sliding sleeve 106 abuts against the stop 112 (see fig. 4), and the sliding sleeve 106 cannot move further.

Therefore, by controlling the external force, the engagement or the disengagement between the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 can be switched as required.

In the specific embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the vehicle steering system may include a clutch driving mechanism, and the clutch driving mechanism drives the second shaft segment 103 to move up and down in the axial direction relative to the first shaft segment 102, i.e., the above-mentioned external force is provided by the clutch driving mechanism. The clutch driving mechanism may be configured in any suitable manner, for example, it may be configured to include an actuating device for providing power and a transmission device for transmitting power to the second shaft section 103, and the actuating device may have various embodiments, for example, one of various manners such as manual, electric, or electromagnetic may be selected, two or more of them may be selected even in the case of overcoming technical obstacles, for example, the manual manner may be selected and the electric manner may be selected, and then the manual manner is used to ensure the normal function in the case of electric failure or power failure. Of course, the transmission device may have various embodiments, such as a cable, a rack and pinion transmission, a gear transmission, a lead screw transmission, a link transmission, and the like. In this regard, the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and the configuration may be implemented by selecting an appropriate manner according to actual needs. For example, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the clutch driving mechanism is configured to include an electric actuator 430 and a cable 4020, the cable 4020 includes a sheath and a cable core, the sheath wraps the cable core, a distal end portion of the cable core is fixed to a spacer 4022, the spacer 4022 is fixed to the sliding sleeve 106 through the steering column 105, the distal end portion of the sheath is supported near the spacer 4022 by a cable bracket 4021, and when a proximal end portion of the cable 4020 is connected to the electric actuator 430, the sliding sleeve 106 in the steering column 105 can be driven to move.

In the specific embodiments provided by the present disclosure, the clutching structure may be configured in any suitable manner. Alternatively, the clutch structure may include an engaging portion provided to the second shaft section 103 and an engaging portion provided to the torque transmitting portion, which are detachably engaged with each other. Under the action of an external force, the second shaft segment 103 is driven to move up and down in the axial direction relative to the first shaft segment 102, so that the engaging part moves toward or away from the mating part, thereby achieving engagement or disengagement of the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103.

In the related art, since the worm gear transmission structure can achieve a large reduction ratio and output torque, the steering assist mechanism usually employs a worm gear type reduction structure. In these configurations, the torque transmission part may be configured as a worm gear 1001, the first shaft section 102 being coaxially fixed to the worm gear 1001 towards a first end of the second shaft section 103. Because the worm gear 1001 has a relatively large diameter and a large area of the side face, the rotation from the steering wheel can transmit a large torque to the second shaft section 103 through the clutch mechanism. In the case where the end of the first shaft segment 102 facing the second shaft segment 102 passes through the central shaft hole 1011 of the worm gear 1001 and is fixedly connected (e.g., interference fit) with the central shaft hole 1011, the arrangement of the clutch structure needs to avoid the central position of the worm gear 1001.

In order to achieve detachable mating of the engaging part and the mating part, one of the engaging part and the mating part comprises at least one male mating portion 1041, the other of the engaging part and the mating part comprises at least one female mating portion 1042, the male mating portions 1041 and the female mating portions 1042 are arranged in pairs and detachably mate with each other, and when the male mating portions 1041 and the female mating portions 1042 are mated, the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 are in an engaged state. Here, the mutual fit between the male fitting portion 1041 and the female fitting portion 1042 allows axial movement between the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 relative to each other, i.e. allows the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103 to freely switch between engagement and disengagement.

One of the male fitting portion 1041 and the female fitting portion 1042 is formed on a side surface of the worm wheel 1001 facing the second shaft section 103, and the other of the male fitting portion 1041 and the female fitting portion 1042 is formed on a second end portion 1030 of the second shaft section 103 facing the worm wheel 1001. In the present disclosure, for example, as shown in fig. 2 to 6, a male fitting portion 1041 is formed at the second end portion 1030 of the second shaft section 103 facing the worm wheel 1001, and a female fitting portion 1042 is formed at the side of the worm wheel 1001 facing the second shaft section 103.

The male mating portions 1041 and the female mating portions 1042, among others, can be configured in any suitable manner. Alternatively, the male mating portion 1041 is configured as a protrusion protruding axially from the end surface 1031 of the corresponding side surface or second end portion 1030, and the female mating portion 1042 is configured as a recess axially recessed from the end surface 1031 of the corresponding side surface or second end portion 1030, for example, the protrusion may be a cross protrusion or a straight protrusion, and correspondingly, the recess may be a cross recess or a straight recess, and the like. The protrusions are wedge-shaped protrusions which are tapered in the direction away from the corresponding end faces, the grooves are wedge-shaped grooves which are tapered from the notches to the bottoms of the grooves, the shapes of the wedge-shaped protrusions and the wedge-shaped grooves are matched with each other, when the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103 are jointed and subjected to extrusion force, the wedge-shaped protrusions and the wedge-shaped grooves can be tightly attached, so that the gap between the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103 can be eliminated, and reliable torque transmission is facilitated.

It is also possible that the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion may be a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or an involute curve shape, and correspondingly, the cross-sectional shape of the groove may be a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or an involute curve shape, which is not specifically limited in this disclosure.

Wherein the male fitting portions 1041 and the female fitting portions 1042 are a plurality of pairs spaced apart from each other, and the end surface 1031 of the second end portion 1030 is configured in a disk shape for arranging a plurality of the male fitting portions 1041 or a plurality of the female fitting portions 1042, thereby contributing to uniform distribution of the interaction force.

The pairs of male matching portions 1041 and female matching portions 1042 are arranged around the central axis of the worm gear 1001 at equal intervals, and/or the distances between each pair of male matching portions 1041 and female matching portions 1042 and the central axis of the worm gear 1001 are equal, so that the interaction forces between the male matching portions 1041 and the female matching portions 1042 are more balanced and more uniformly distributed, and torque transmission between the first shaft section 102 and the second shaft section 103 is more facilitated.

In other embodiments, the male mating portion 1041 may be configured as an annular protrusion axially protruding from the end surface 1031 of the corresponding side surface or second end portion 1030, and the female mating portion 1042 may be configured as an annular recess axially recessed from the end surface 1031 of the corresponding side surface or second end portion 1030, wherein the annular protrusion and the annular recess cooperate to provide more reliable and stable torque transmission between the first shaft segment 102 and the second shaft segment 103. It should be noted that the "ring-shaped" protrusion or recess, if formed around the central axis of the worm gear 1001, is based on the ability to transmit torque, and therefore, in many cases, the "ring-shaped" is not circular, and may be an ellipse, an irregular circle, a polygon, or the like.

The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments, and various simple modifications may be made to the technical solution of the present disclosure within the technical idea of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that, in the foregoing embodiments, various features described in the above embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner, and in order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various combinations that are possible in the present disclosure are not described again.

In addition, any combination of various embodiments of the present disclosure may be made, and the same should be considered as the disclosure of the present disclosure, as long as it does not depart from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A clutch mechanism of a vehicle steering system, characterized in that the clutch mechanism is arranged between a first shaft section (102) and a second shaft section (103) and has an engaged state and a disengaged state, one of the first shaft section (102) and the second shaft section (103) being axially movable relative to the other under the action of an external force to effect a switching between the engaged state and the disengaged state, wherein in the engaged state a transmission connection is established between the first shaft section (102) and the second shaft section (103); in the disengaged state, the transmission connection between the first shaft section (102) and the second shaft section (103) is disconnected; the first shaft section (102) is coaxially and fixedly connected with a torque transmission part of a steering boosting mechanism, the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch structure, and the torque transmission part and the second shaft section (103) form the clutch structure so as to realize the connection or disconnection between the first shaft section (102) and the second shaft section (103);

wherein the first shaft section (102) and the second shaft section (103) belong to a steering shaft or a steering propeller shaft of the vehicle steering system.

2. The clutch mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the clutch structure comprises an engaging portion and an engaging portion detachably engaged with each other, the engaging portion being provided to the second shaft section (103), the engaging portion being provided to the torque transmitting portion.

3. A clutch mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the torque transmitting part is configured as a worm gear (1001), the first shaft section (102) being coaxially fixed to the worm gear (1001) towards the first end of the second shaft section (103).

4. The clutch mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that one of the engaging portion and the mating portion comprises at least one male mating portion (1041) and the other of the engaging portion and the mating portion comprises at least one female mating portion (1042), the male mating portion (1041) and the female mating portion (1042) being arranged in pairs and being detachably mateable with each other, the first shaft segment (102) and the second shaft segment (103) being in an engaged state when the male mating portion (1041) and the female mating portion (1042) are mated.

5. Clutch mechanism according to claim 4, wherein one of the male (1041) and female (1042) mating portions is formed on the side of the worm gear wheel (1001) facing the second shaft section (103), and the other of the male (1041) and female (1042) mating portions is formed on the second end (1030) of the second shaft section (103) facing the worm gear wheel (1001).

6. Clutch mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the male engagement portion (1041) is configured as a protrusion protruding axially out of the end face (1031) of the respective side or second end portion (1030), and the female engagement portion (1042) is configured as a recess recessed axially into the end face (1031) of the respective side or second end portion (1030).

7. The clutch mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that the projection is configured as a wedge-shaped projection which tapers in a direction away from the corresponding end face, the groove is configured as a wedge-shaped groove which tapers from the slot opening to the groove bottom, and the wedge-shaped projection and the wedge-shaped groove are adapted to one another in shape.

8. The clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion is a polygon or a circle or an involute curve.

9. Clutch mechanism according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the male (1041) and female (1042) mating portions are pairs arranged at a distance from each other, the end surface (1031) of the second end portion (1030) being configured as a disc for arranging a plurality of male (1041) mating portions or a plurality of female (1042) mating portions.

10. The clutch mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that a plurality of pairs of male (1041) and female (1042) mating portions are equally spaced around the central axis of the worm wheel (1001) and/or the distance between each pair of male (1041) and female (1042) mating portions and the central axis of the worm wheel (1001) is equal.

11. Clutch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second shaft section (103) is axially movable relative to the first shaft section (102) and the torque transmitting part under the influence of an external force.

12. A vehicle steering system characterized by comprising the clutch mechanism of the vehicle steering system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A vehicle characterized in that the vehicle comprises the vehicle steering system according to claim 12.