CN219687423U - Steering gear and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a steering gear and a vehicle, wherein the steering gear comprises: the shell is provided with a rack passage and a mounting groove communicated with the rack passage; the steering gear rack is movably arranged in the rack passage along the first direction and penetrates through the mounting groove, and a first buffer piece is arranged in a space defined between the steering gear rack and the mounting groove; the pull rod assembly is positioned outside the shell and connected with the steering gear rack, the pull rod assembly is provided with a side wall part close to the mounting groove, and a second buffer piece is arranged on the side wall part. According to the steering gear disclosed by the utility model, the first buffer piece is arranged on the shell through the mounting groove, and the second buffer piece is arranged on the side wall part of the pull rod assembly, so that the buffer energy absorption effect can be achieved between the pull rod assembly and the shell when the steering gear is in the limit position, the collision impact is reduced, the abnormal noise is reduced, the operation comfort of the steering gear is improved, and the service life of parts is prolonged.

Description

Steering gear and vehicle

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to a steering gear and a vehicle.

Background

At present, the comfort of vehicles is more and more paid attention to by various big automobile factories, but the steering system can be caused to generate mechanical limit abnormal sound when the steering gear of the vehicle rotates to the limit position, so that on one hand, the driving experience of customers can be influenced, and then the operation comfort of the steering mechanical position of the vehicle is influenced, on the other hand, collision impact exists at the position with abnormal sound noise, and the service life of parts can be reduced to a certain extent.

Disclosure of Invention

The present utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, an object of the present utility model is to provide a steering gear that can absorb energy at a steering limit position, reduce abnormal noise and collision shock, and improve the operational comfort of the steering gear.

The utility model also aims to provide a vehicle to which the steering gear described above is applied.

According to an embodiment of the present utility model, a steering gear includes: the shell is provided with a rack passage and a mounting groove communicated with the rack passage; the steering gear rack is movably arranged in the rack passage along a first direction and penetrates through the mounting groove, and a first buffer piece is arranged in a space defined between the steering gear rack and the mounting groove; the pull rod assembly is positioned outside the shell and connected with the steering gear rack, the pull rod assembly is provided with a side wall part close to the mounting groove, and a second buffer piece is arranged on the side wall part.

According to the steering gear disclosed by the embodiment of the utility model, the first buffer piece is arranged on the shell through the arrangement of the mounting groove, and the second buffer piece is arranged on the side wall part of the pull rod assembly, so that the buffer energy absorption effect can be achieved between the pull rod assembly and the shell when the steering gear is in the limit position, the collision impact is reduced, the abnormal noise is reduced, the operation comfort of the steering gear is improved, and the service life of parts is prolonged.

In some embodiments of the present utility model, the first buffer member is provided with an energy absorbing space, an exhaust passage, an exhaust port, and a vent port, the exhaust port is provided on an outer wall portion of the first buffer member and communicates with the exhaust passage, and the vent port communicates with the energy absorbing space and the exhaust passage.

In some embodiments, the energy absorbing space is provided with at least two energy absorbing spaces along the first direction, and the vent is arranged between each energy absorbing space and the exhaust passage.

In some embodiments, the energy absorbing space is an annular groove opening on an outer surface of the first bumper about the first direction.

In some embodiments, the first buffer member is provided with a rack via hole, the exhaust passage is an air passage groove formed in a hole wall of the rack via hole, the air passage groove extends along the first direction, and at least one end of the air passage groove located in the first direction is provided with the exhaust port.

In some embodiments, a sliding groove extending along the first direction is formed in a side groove wall of the mounting groove, and a sliding block is arranged on the first buffer member and is slidably arranged in the sliding groove.

In some embodiments, a limiting member is disposed in the mounting groove, and the limiting member abuts against one end of the first buffer member, which is close to the pull rod assembly.

In some embodiments, the side wall portion is provided with a step portion, the second buffer member is sleeved on the step portion, one end, close to the mounting groove, of the second buffer member is provided with a positioning groove, and a part of the steering gear rack is arranged in the positioning groove.

In some embodiments, the second buffer member is provided with a buffer slot, the buffer slot is a ring slot disposed around the first direction, and a slot width of the buffer slot in the first direction gradually increases along a direction away from the positioning slot.

A vehicle according to an embodiment of the utility model comprises a steering gear as described above.

According to the vehicle provided by the embodiment of the utility model, the steering gear can be used for buffering and absorbing energy at the steering limit position, so that abnormal sound noise and collision impact are reduced, and the vehicle operation comfort is provided.

Additional aspects and advantages of the utility model will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the utility model.

Drawings

Additional aspects and advantages of the present utility model will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a partial structure of a steering gear according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a first buffer according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a first cushioning member according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a second cushioning element according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 5 is a schematic view of a housing in an embodiment of the utility model.

Reference numerals:

100. a diverter;

10. a housing; 101. a rack aisle; 102. a mounting groove; 1021. a chute; 1022. a clamp spring groove;

20. a steering rack; 201. a plug hole;

30. a first buffer member; 301. an energy absorbing space; 302. an exhaust passage; 303. an exhaust port; 304. a vent; 305. rack via holes; 306. a slide block;

40. a pull rod assembly; 401. a side wall portion; 4011. a step portion; 402. a connecting column;

50. a second buffer member; 501. a buffer tank; 502. a positioning groove; 60. a limiting piece; 70. a dust cover.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present utility model are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to like or similar elements or elements having like or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the utility model.

In the description of the present utility model, it should be understood that the terms "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings are merely for convenience in describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element in question must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present utility model.

Furthermore, features defining "first", "second" may include one or more such features, either explicitly or implicitly, for distinguishing between the descriptive features, and not sequentially, and not lightly.

In the description of the present utility model, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be mechanically or electrically connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present utility model will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring now to fig. 1-5, a diverter 100 according to an embodiment of the present utility model is described.

As shown in fig. 1, a steering gear 100 according to an embodiment of the present utility model includes: a housing 10, a steering rack 20, a tie rod assembly 40.

The housing 10 is provided with a rack aisle 101 and a mounting groove 102 communicating with the rack aisle 101. The steering gear rack 20 is movably provided in the rack aisle 101 in the first direction and is penetrated through the mounting groove 102, and a first buffer member 30 is provided in a space defined between the steering gear rack 20 and the mounting groove 102. The tie rod assembly 40 is located outside the housing 10 and is connected to the steering rack 20, the tie rod assembly 40 having a side wall portion 401 adjacent the mounting slot 102, the side wall portion 401 having the second bumper 50 disposed thereon.

When the steering gear 100 is in operation, the steering gear rack 20 moves in the rack aisle 101 in a first direction and drives the tie rod assembly 40, thereby steering the wheels. When the steering gear 100 is at the limit position, the pull rod assembly 40 is dragged by the steering gear rack 20 to be close to the shell 10, and at the moment, the first buffer piece 30 and the second buffer piece 50 can play a role in buffering and absorbing energy, so that collision impact between the side wall part 401 of the pull rod assembly 40 and the shell 10 is avoided, abnormal sound noise is further reduced, damage to the shell 10 and the pull rod assembly 40 can be reduced, and the service life of parts is prolonged.

In addition, since the first buffer member 30 is disposed in the space defined between the steering rack 20 and the mounting groove 102, and the second buffer member 50 is disposed on the side wall portion 401 of the tie rod assembly 40, the buffer energy absorbing effect can be enhanced by disposing two buffer members, and abnormal noise can be reduced better, so that the safety of the housing 10 and the tie rod assembly 40 is higher.

Wherein, the housing 10 can provide an installation space by providing the installation groove 102, that is, the first buffer member 30 can be better installed through the installation groove 102, thereby improving the installation reliability of the first buffer member 30 on the housing 10.

It should be noted that, the "first direction" may refer to the left-right direction in fig. 1, and the steering gear 100 being in the extreme position may refer to the steering gear rack 20 driving the pull rod assembly 40 to move from left to right until the first buffer member 30 and the second buffer member 50 are in contact. Of course, the first direction is not limited to the left-right direction in the drawing, and may be other directions according to the setting position of the steering gear 100, which is not described herein.

According to the steering gear 100 of the embodiment of the utility model, the first buffer member 30 is installed by arranging the installation groove 102 on the housing 10 and the second buffer member 50 is arranged on the side wall portion 401 of the pull rod assembly 40, so that the buffer and energy absorption effects can be achieved between the pull rod assembly 40 and the housing 10 when the steering gear 100 is in the limit position, the collision impact is reduced, abnormal noise is reduced, the operation comfort of the steering gear 100 is improved, and the service life of parts is prolonged.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first buffer member 30 is provided with an energy absorbing space 301, an exhaust passage 302, an exhaust port 303, and a vent port 304, the exhaust port 303 is provided on an outer wall portion of the first buffer member 30 and communicates with the exhaust passage 302, and the vent port 304 communicates with the energy absorbing space 301 and the exhaust passage 302.

That is, when the first buffer member 30 receives the impact deformation energy absorption, the energy absorption space 301 is compressed, the space becomes smaller, the compression space is provided through the energy absorption space 301 to absorb more energy, and the buffering energy absorption effect is improved. In addition, when the energy absorbing space 301 is compressed, gas can enter the exhaust passage 302 through the air vent 304 and finally is discharged outwards from the air vent 303, so that on one hand, the deformation energy absorbing process is smoother and unobstructed, on the other hand, the force unloading effect can be achieved through the exhaust and decompression, the load born by the first buffer member 30 is reduced, and the buffering energy absorbing effect is further improved.

Specifically, the exhaust port 303 is provided on a wall portion of the first cushion member 30 near the second cushion member 50. Since the wall portion of the first buffer member 30 near the second buffer member 50 is not shielded, the exhaust of the exhaust port 303 can be ensured to be smoother by providing the exhaust port 303 at the wall portion.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, at least two energy absorbing spaces 301 are provided along the first direction, and a vent 304 is provided between each energy absorbing space 301 and the vent channel 302.

From the foregoing, the energy absorbing space 301 can play a role in buffering and absorbing energy, so that the number of the energy absorbing spaces 301 is relatively large, the buffering and absorbing effect can be improved, and the impact and abnormal noise can be further reduced.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, three energy absorbing spaces 301 may be provided along the first direction, and correspondingly, three air vents 304 are provided and are disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the three energy absorbing spaces 301. Of course, the number of the energy absorbing spaces 301 and the air ports 304 may be other values, which are not described in detail herein.

In some embodiments, energy absorbing space 301 is an annular groove opening on an outer surface of first bumper 30 about a first direction. In this technical scheme, the energy-absorbing space 301 is configured as an annular groove formed on the outer surface of the first buffer member 30, so that on one hand, the manufacturing difficulty of the energy-absorbing space 301 can be reduced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and on the other hand, the annular groove has a larger size, which is beneficial to reducing the strength of the first buffer member 30 and improving the buffering energy-absorbing effect.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the first buffer member 30 is provided with a rack via 305, the exhaust passage 302 is an air passage groove formed on a wall of the rack via 305, the air passage groove extends along a first direction, and at least one end of the air passage groove located in the first direction is formed with an exhaust port 303.

The rack via 305 can function to clear the steering gear rack 20 and the steering gear rack 20 can slide relative to the rack via 305 when moving in the first direction, avoiding the first bumper 30 interfering with the movement of the steering gear rack 20. The exhaust passage 302 is arranged to be an air passage groove formed on the wall of the rack through hole 305, so that the exhaust passage 302 is convenient to process and reduce manufacturing difficulty, and on the other hand, the exhaust is smoother due to the large opening area of the air passage groove, so that gas is convenient to discharge.

An exhaust port 303 may be formed at one end of the air passage groove in the first direction, and the air passage groove is exhausted from the exhaust port 303. The air passage groove may penetrate the first buffer member 30 in the first direction, that is, the air passage groove may be formed with air outlets 303 at both ends thereof in the first direction, and the air may be discharged from the air outlets 303 at both ends thereof more easily and smoothly.

Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the air passage groove in a cross-section perpendicular to the first direction may be rectangular, circular, triangular, or the like, without being particularly limited thereto.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 and 5, a chute 1021 extending along a first direction is provided on a side wall of the mounting groove 102, a slider 306 is provided on the first buffer member 30, and the slider 306 is slidably disposed in the chute 1021.

The sliding block 306 on the first buffer member 30 is matched with the sliding groove 1021 on the side groove wall of the mounting groove 102, so that the first buffer member 30 can be prevented from rotating around the first direction relative to the mounting groove 102, the mounting reliability of the first buffer member 30 is improved, meanwhile, the sliding block 306 and the sliding groove 1021 can be matched to provide guidance for the compression movement of the first buffer member 30, and the deformation reliability of the first buffer member 30 is improved.

Alternatively, the slider 306 may be a steel member that facilitates friction with the chute 1021.

Optionally, the number of the sliding blocks 306 is plural around the first direction, and correspondingly, the number of the sliding grooves 1021 around the first direction is plural, so that the installation reliability and the deformation reliability of the first buffer member 30 are improved by increasing the number of the sliding structures formed by the sliding grooves 1021 and the sliding blocks 306. For example, as shown in fig. 2, four sliding grooves 1021 and sliding blocks 306 are provided around the first direction, however, this is only illustrative, and the number of sliding grooves 1021 and sliding blocks 306 around the first direction may be other values, which will not be described in detail herein.

Further, the slider 306 is provided in plurality in the first direction, and by increasing the number of the sliders 306 in the first direction, the guiding effect on the first buffer member 30 can be enhanced. For example, as shown in fig. 2, four sliders 306 are disposed along the first direction, however, the number of sliders 306 along the first direction is merely illustrative, and other values are also possible, which will not be described in detail herein.

Optionally, the material of the first buffer 30 includes, but is not limited to, rubber.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, a limiting member 60 is disposed in the mounting groove 102, and the limiting member 60 abuts against an end of the first buffer member 30 near the pull rod assembly 40. The limiting member 60 can limit the position of the first buffer member 30, prevent the first buffer member 30 from being separated from the mounting groove 102, and improve the mounting firmness of the first buffer member 30.

Optionally, the stop 60 includes, but is not limited to, a snap spring, a stop boss, a stop screw, and the like. For example, as shown in fig. 1 and 5, when the limiting member 60 is a clip spring, a clip spring groove 1022 is provided in the mounting groove 102, and the clip spring is provided in the clip spring groove 1022.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, a step portion 4011 is provided on the side wall portion 401, the second buffer member 50 is sleeved on the step portion 4011, a positioning groove 502 is provided on an end of the second buffer member 50 near the mounting groove 102, and a portion of the steering gear rack 20 is provided in the positioning groove 502.

That is, the step portion 4011 on the side wall portion 401 can be nested with the second buffer member 50, so as to improve the installation firmness between the second buffer member 50 and the pull rod assembly 40, not only can make the second buffer member 50 not easily separate from the pull rod assembly 40, but also can make the installation of the second buffer member 50 more convenient, and is beneficial to improving the assembly efficiency. The detent 502 can then be used to provide a spatial relief for the steering rack 20.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, the tie rod assembly 40 is provided with a connecting post 402, and an end of the steering gear rack 20 near the tie rod assembly 40 is provided with a socket 201, and the connecting post 402 is provided in the socket 201. The coupling degree between the tie rod assembly 40 and the steering rack 20 can be increased by the coupling post 402 and the insertion hole 201 being engaged to improve the reliability of the coupling between the tie rod assembly 40 and the steering rack 20.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4, the second buffer member 50 is provided with a buffer groove 501, where the buffer groove 501 is a ring groove disposed around the first direction, and the groove width of the buffer groove 501 in the first direction gradually increases in a direction away from the positioning groove 502. Through the buffer tank 501 that adopts this scheme, when second bolster 50 received the collision impact, buffer tank 501 can carry out slight deformation when the limit is hit, plays supplementary energy-absorbing effect, further promotes the buffering energy-absorbing effect of second bolster 50 and first bolster 30.

Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the buffer tank 501 includes, but is not limited to, V-shape, arc shape, and the like.

Optionally, the material of the second buffer 50 includes, but is not limited to, rubber.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the steering gear 100 further includes a dust cover 70, one end of the dust cover 70 is connected to the housing 10, the other end is connected to the pull rod assembly 40, and the pull rod assembly 40 is disposed within the dust cover 70. The dust cap 70 can prevent dust from affecting the pull rod assembly 40 by other substances such as particulate matter, to improve the safety of the pull rod assembly 40.

One embodiment of the diverter 100 according to the present utility model is described below with reference to fig. 1-5.

As shown in fig. 1 to 5, the steering gear 100 includes: a housing 10, a steering rack 20 and a tie rod assembly 40.

The housing 10 is provided with a rack aisle 101 and a mounting groove 102 communicating with the rack aisle 101. The steering gear rack 20 is movably provided in the rack aisle 101 in the first direction and is penetrated through the mounting groove 102, and a first buffer member 30 is provided in a space defined between the steering gear rack 20 and the mounting groove 102. The tie rod assembly 40 is located outside the housing 10 and is connected to the steering rack 20, the tie rod assembly 40 having a side wall portion 401 adjacent the mounting slot 102, the side wall portion 401 having the second bumper 50 disposed thereon.

The first buffer piece 30 is a rubber piece, an energy absorbing space 301, an exhaust passage 302, an exhaust port 303 and an air vent 304 are arranged on the first buffer piece 30, the exhaust port 303 is arranged on the outer wall portion of the first buffer piece 30 and is communicated with the exhaust passage 302, and the air vent 304 is communicated with the energy absorbing space 301 and the exhaust passage 302.

Three energy absorbing spaces 301 are arranged along the first direction, and a vent 304 is arranged between each energy absorbing space 301 and the exhaust passage 302. The energy absorbing space 301 is an annular groove opening on the outer surface of the first cushion member 30 around the first direction.

The first buffer member 30 is provided with a rack via hole 305, the exhaust passage 302 is an air passage groove formed on the wall of the rack via hole 305, the air passage groove extends along the first direction, and two ends of the air passage groove located in the first direction are provided with exhaust ports 303.

The side walls of the mounting groove 102 are provided with a sliding groove 1021 extending along the first direction, the first buffer member 30 is provided with a sliding block 306, and the sliding block 306 is slidably arranged in the sliding groove 1021.

The mounting groove 102 is provided with a limiting piece 60, and the limiting piece 60 is abutted against one end, close to the pull rod assembly 40, of the first buffer piece 30. The limiting member 60 is a snap spring.

The side wall 401 is provided with a step 4011, the second buffer member 50 is sleeved on the step 4011, one end of the second buffer member 50 near the mounting groove 102 is provided with a positioning groove 502, and a part of the steering gear rack 20 is arranged in the positioning groove 502.

The second cushioning member 50 is provided with a cushioning groove 501, the cushioning groove 501 is a ring groove provided around the first direction, and the groove width of the cushioning groove 501 in the first direction gradually increases in a direction away from the positioning groove 502. The buffer tank 501 has a V-shaped cross-section.

As shown in fig. 3, the first cushioning member 30 is a cylindrical member, the diameter of the first cushioning member 30 is D, the diameter of the circular contour formed by the slider 306 on the first cushioning member 30 is G, the dimension between the right wall surface of the energy absorbing space 301 and the front wall surface of the first cushioning member 30 is B, the thickness of the area between any adjacent two energy absorbing spaces 301 is a, the diameter of the vent 304 is C, the diameters of the rack via 305 and the steering rack 20 are E, and the dimension between the top wall of the air passage groove and the bottom of the rack via 305 is F, as shown in table 1 below:

TABLE 1

By setting the size of the first cushioning member 30 in the example of table 1 above, a relatively good cushioning performance can be achieved.

A vehicle according to an embodiment of the utility model comprises the steering gear 100 as described above.

According to the vehicle provided by the embodiment of the utility model, the steering gear 100 can be used for buffering and absorbing energy at the steering limit position, so that abnormal sound noise and collision impact are reduced, and the vehicle operation comfort is provided.

Other constructions and operations of the steering gear 100 according to embodiments of the present utility model are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

In the description of the present specification, reference to the terms "some embodiments," "optionally," "further," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

While embodiments of the present utility model have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: many changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the utility model, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (10)

1. A diverter, comprising:

the shell is provided with a rack passage and a mounting groove communicated with the rack passage;

the steering gear rack is movably arranged in the rack passage along a first direction and penetrates through the mounting groove, and a first buffer piece is arranged in a space defined between the steering gear rack and the mounting groove;

the pull rod assembly is positioned outside the shell and connected with the steering gear rack, the pull rod assembly is provided with a side wall part close to the mounting groove, and a second buffer piece is arranged on the side wall part.

2. The steering gear according to claim 1, wherein the first buffer member is provided with an energy absorbing space, an exhaust passage, an exhaust port and a vent port, the exhaust port being provided on an outer wall portion of the first buffer member and communicating with the exhaust passage, the vent port communicating with the energy absorbing space and the exhaust passage.

3. The diverter of claim 2, wherein the energy absorbing space is provided with at least two along the first direction, the vent being provided between each energy absorbing space and the exhaust passage.

4. A steering gear according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the energy absorbing space is an annular groove open on the outer surface of the first bumper member about the first direction.

5. The steering gear according to claim 2, wherein the first buffer member is provided with a rack via hole, the exhaust passage is an air passage groove formed in a wall of the rack via hole, the air passage groove extends along the first direction, and at least one end of the air passage groove located in the first direction is formed with the exhaust port.

6. The steering gear according to claim 1, wherein a chute extending in the first direction is provided on a side wall of the mounting groove, and a slider is provided on the first buffer member, the slider being slidably provided in the chute.

7. The steering gear according to claim 1, wherein a stop member is provided in the mounting groove, the stop member abutting against an end of the first buffer member adjacent to the tie rod assembly.

8. The steering gear according to claim 1, wherein the side wall portion is provided with a step portion, the second buffer member is sleeved on the step portion, one end of the second buffer member, which is close to the mounting groove, is provided with a positioning groove, and a portion of the steering gear rack is arranged in the positioning groove.

9. The steering gear according to claim 8, wherein the second buffer member is provided with a buffer groove, the buffer groove is a ring groove provided around the first direction, and a groove width of the buffer groove in the first direction gradually increases in a direction away from the positioning groove.

10. A vehicle comprising a diverter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.