GB2036672A

GB2036672A - A vehicle steering assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2036672A
Application number: GB7847570A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TRW Steering Systems Ltd
Current assignee: TRW Steering Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1978-12-07
Filing date: 1978-12-07
Publication date: 1980-07-02
Also published as: GB2036672B

Abstract

A vehicle steering assembly includes a longitudinally extending rack bar housing 1 attached to a frame part 4. The housing 1 has at least one flat extension surface 2 which is retained in contact with a flat surface 3 of the frame part 4 by means of a saddle 9 mounted around the housing and complementary nuts and bolts. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A vehicle steering assembly Technical field The invention relates to a vehicle steering assembly having a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack is longitudinally displaceable with improved mounting properties, the housing being particularly adapted to be mounted on the body of the vehicle.

Prior art A vehicle steering assembly is known in which a rack bar housing oftubular cross-section is mounted by means of a saddle or a strap on the body of a vehicle by the means of a U-bolt passing around the housing and through holes within the body and being retained in position by bolts. In an alternative embodiment a vehicle steering assembly has a rack bar housing, of tubular cross-section, mounted on the body of a vehicle by means of two saddles. The first saddle is mounted on the cross member of the body of the vehicle and the second saddle is mounted around the tubular rack bar housing and is attached by plain bolts to the first saddle, the housing being retained in position by means of bolts.However, there is a limit to the amount that the nuts on the U-bolts or the plain bolts may be tightened and during use the tubular housing may become loose and turn within the mountings. As a result the pinion can move out of line with the steering column and cause the column to fail to function properly.

Statement ofinvention and advantages To alleviate this problem, however, there is provided according to the invention a vehicle steering assembly comprising a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack member is longitudinal ly displaceable having at least one flat exterior surface which is capable of attachment to a frame part of the vehicle so that the said flat surface or surfaces abut in substantially face-to-face relationship with the frame part, to restrain rotational movement of the housing. The use of the flat surface of the housing means that the face of the housing can abut the surface of the body over a larger surface area of contact. This results in a firmer mounting for the housing and alleviates the problem of the housing turning when the nuts loosen on the bolts which retain the housing on the body of a vehicle.

Alternatively the housing may include flanges extending from the housing, which flanges are in face-to-face contact with the surface of the frame part on to which the housing is to be mounted.

Preferably the housing is a rack bar housing.

The vehicle gear assembly is preferably used in conjunction with a manual gear system rather than a power gear system.

Specific description The invention will now be illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle steering assembly according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a cross-section through A-A of Figure 1 being enlarged with respectto Figure 1.

In Figure 1 there is provided a rack bar housing having a flat surface 2 in contact with a flat surface 3 of a frame 4 retained in position by two saddles 9.

Figure 2 shows more clearly how one of the saddles 9 retains the rack bar housing in position on the flat surfaces, the other saddle 9 retaining the rack bar housing in the same way.

With reference to Figure 2 saddle 9 can be seen to be substantially U-shaped and comprises a cross member linking two side members, each of the side members having flanges 5 and 6 extending in a direction away from the cross member. Flanges 5 and 6 have a flat surface, each surface being adapted to engage the surface 3. Two bolts 7 and 8 retain the saddle upon the surface 3 by means of nuts 10 and 11 respectively, each nut 10 or 11 contacting the side of the flange 5 or 6 respectively remote from that side of the flange in contact with the surface 3. The housing 1 is therefore retained in position by the bolts 7 and 8 by holding the saddle 9 in contact with the surface 3. Flanges 5 and 6 are adapted to give a flush fit of surfaces 2 and 3 when the surface 2 is in contact with the surface 3. In this way undue stress is removed from the saddle 9 and the rack bar housing 1.By providing flat surfaces to engage the surface 3, flanges 5 and 6 provide an improved mounting for the rack bar housing 1 on the frame 4.

Rack bar housing 1 is substantially rectangular in cross-section and saddle 9 is adapted to receive the rack bar housing 1 so that the housing 1 fits substantially in face-to-face contact with the two side members and the cross member of the saddle 9. In this way the rack bar housing 1 is restrained from rotational movement within the saddle 9 in the case when the nuts 10 and 11 loosen slightly. A rack 12 is mounted within the rack bar housing 1, which rack bar has teeth 13 which engage a pinion 14 within a pinion housing 14b.

1. A vehicle steering assembly comprising a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack member is longitudinally displaceable having at least one flat exterior surface capable of attachment to a frame part of the vehicle so that the said flat surface or surfaces abut in substantially face-to-face relationship with the frame part, to restrain rotational movement of the housing.

2. A steering assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the flat exterior surface of the housing abuts a flat surface of the frame part in face-to-face contact.

3. A vehicle steering assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the housing is clamped to the frame part.

4. A vehicle steering assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims in which the housing is retained in place by means of a substantially Ushaped saddle passing around the housing, the saddle comprising two side members and a cross member, each side member having flanges extend

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

SPECIFICATION A vehicle steering assembly Technical field The invention relates to a vehicle steering assembly having a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack is longitudinally displaceable with improved mounting properties, the housing being particularly adapted to be mounted on the body of the vehicle.

Prior art A vehicle steering assembly is known in which a rack bar housing oftubular cross-section is mounted by means of a saddle or a strap on the body of a vehicle by the means of a U-bolt passing around the housing and through holes within the body and being retained in position by bolts. In an alternative embodiment a vehicle steering assembly has a rack bar housing, of tubular cross-section, mounted on the body of a vehicle by means of two saddles. The first saddle is mounted on the cross member of the body of the vehicle and the second saddle is mounted around the tubular rack bar housing and is attached by plain bolts to the first saddle, the housing being retained in position by means of bolts.However, there is a limit to the amount that the nuts on the U-bolts or the plain bolts may be tightened and during use the tubular housing may become loose and turn within the mountings. As a result the pinion can move out of line with the steering column and cause the column to fail to function properly.

Statement ofinvention and advantages To alleviate this problem, however, there is provided according to the invention a vehicle steering assembly comprising a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack member is longitudinal ly displaceable having at least one flat exterior surface which is capable of attachment to a frame part of the vehicle so that the said flat surface or surfaces abut in substantially face-to-face relationship with the frame part, to restrain rotational movement of the housing. The use of the flat surface of the housing means that the face of the housing can abut the surface of the body over a larger surface area of contact. This results in a firmer mounting for the housing and alleviates the problem of the housing turning when the nuts loosen on the bolts which retain the housing on the body of a vehicle.

Alternatively the housing may include flanges extending from the housing, which flanges are in face-to-face contact with the surface of the frame part on to which the housing is to be mounted.

Preferably the housing is a rack bar housing.

The vehicle gear assembly is preferably used in conjunction with a manual gear system rather than a power gear system.

Specific description The invention will now be illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle steering assembly according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a cross-section through A-A of Figure 1 being enlarged with respectto Figure 1.

In Figure 1 there is provided a rack bar housing having a flat surface 2 in contact with a flat surface 3 of a frame 4 retained in position by two saddles 9.

Figure 2 shows more clearly how one of the saddles 9 retains the rack bar housing in position on the flat surfaces, the other saddle 9 retaining the rack bar housing in the same way.

With reference to Figure 2 saddle 9 can be seen to be substantially U-shaped and comprises a cross member linking two side members, each of the side members having flanges 5 and 6 extending in a direction away from the cross member. Flanges 5 and 6 have a flat surface, each surface being adapted to engage the surface 3. Two bolts 7 and 8 retain the saddle upon the surface 3 by means of nuts 10 and 11 respectively, each nut 10 or 11 contacting the side of the flange 5 or 6 respectively remote from that side of the flange in contact with the surface 3. The housing 1 is therefore retained in position by the bolts 7 and 8 by holding the saddle 9 in contact with the surface 3. Flanges 5 and 6 are adapted to give a flush fit of surfaces 2 and 3 when the surface 2 is in contact with the surface 3. In this way undue stress is removed from the saddle 9 and the rack bar housing 1.By providing flat surfaces to engage the surface 3, flanges 5 and 6 provide an improved mounting for the rack bar housing 1 on the frame 4.

Rack bar housing 1 is substantially rectangular in cross-section and saddle 9 is adapted to receive the rack bar housing 1 so that the housing 1 fits substantially in face-to-face contact with the two side members and the cross member of the saddle 9. In this way the rack bar housing 1 is restrained from rotational movement within the saddle 9 in the case when the nuts 10 and 11 loosen slightly. A rack 12 is mounted within the rack bar housing 1, which rack bar has teeth 13 which engage a pinion 14 within a pinion housing 14b.

1. A vehicle steering assembly comprising a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack member is longitudinally displaceable having at least one flat exterior surface capable of attachment to a frame part of the vehicle so that the said flat surface or surfaces abut in substantially face-to-face relationship with the frame part, to restrain rotational movement of the housing.

2. A steering assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the flat exterior surface of the housing abuts a flat surface of the frame part in face-to-face contact.

3. A vehicle steering assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the housing is clamped to the frame part.

4. A vehicle steering assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims in which the housing is retained in place by means of a substantially Ushaped saddle passing around the housing, the saddle comprising two side members and a cross member, each side member having flanges extend ing in a direction away from the cross member of the U-shaped of the saddle, the flanges being adapted to contact the surface of the frame part to which the rack housing is to be mounted.

5. A vehicle steering assembly as claimed in Claim 4 in which the extending flanges have a flat contact surface each sustantially in face-to-face contact with the surface of the frame part on to which the housing is to be mounted.

6. A vehicle steering assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims in which the housing is a rack bar housing.

7. A vehicle steering assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A gear assembly comprising a vehicle steering assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims.

9. A gear assembly as claimed in Claim 8 in which the gear assembly is a manual gear assembly.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 6.7.79 Superseded claims 1 New or amended claims: Claim 4 deieted, appendant claims re-numbered and appendancies corrected.

1. A vehicle steering assembly comprising a longitudinally extending housing within which a rack member is longitudinally displaceable having at least one flat exterior surface extending parallel to the longitudinal axis which face is capable of attachment to a frame part of the vehicle so that said flat surface or surfaces abut in substantially face-toface relationship with the frame part, to restrain rotational movement of the housing, the housing being retained in place by means of a substantially U-shaped saddle passing around the housing, the saddle comprising two side members and a cross member, each side member having flanges extending in a direction away from the cross member of the U-shape of the saddle, the flanges being adapted to contact the surface of the frame part to which the rack housing is to be mounted.