JP2000219145A - Power steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly set mesh of a rack tooth of a rack shaft and a pinion by a structure not generating hitting sound by a rack support part. SOLUTION: In a power steering device 10, a pinion 26 is supported on a gear housing 11 through a pinion adapter 30, and the pinion adapter 30 is formed by eccentrically arranging an outer peripheral support part 36 to be supported on the gear housing 11 and an inner peripheral part 37 for supporting the pinion 26. Therefore, mesh of a rack tooth of a rack shaft and the pinion can be properly set. Accordingly, steerage can be improved without increasing operating resistance of the rack shaft.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a power steering device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional power steering device, a rack shaft is supported by a gear housing so as to be linearly movable, and a pinion connected to the steering shaft is meshed with rack teeth of the rack shaft. At this time, a cap is screwed near the intersection of the gear housing rack shaft and the pinion, and the rack shaft is back-supported by a rack guide that is backed up by a spring on the cap, and the rack teeth of the rack shaft are pinioned. Pressed against.

[0003]

However, in the prior art, it is difficult to appropriately adjust the spring force of the spring for backing up the rack guide, and the steering resistance is impaired with an increase in the operating resistance of the rack shaft. . Also, there is a certain gap between the rack guide and the cap. For this reason, when the reaction force that the wheels receive from the road surface reaches the rack shaft, the rack guide compresses and displaces the spring in the range of the gap,
The rack guide hits the cap and produces a tapping sound.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a power steering device in which the rack teeth of the rack shaft and the pinion are appropriately meshed with each other by using a configuration that does not generate a tapping sound at the rack support portion.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a rack shaft is supported by a gear housing so as to be linearly movable, and a pinion connected to a steering shaft is meshed with rack teeth of the rack shaft. In the power steering device, the pinion is supported by a gear housing via a pinion adapter, and the pinion adapter includes an outer peripheral support portion that is supported by a steering body, and an inner peripheral support portion that supports the pinion. The center of support of the inner peripheral support is eccentrically arranged with respect to the center of support, and the angle of attachment of the pinion adapter to the steering body around the center of support of the outer peripheral support can be adjusted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the rack shaft is supported by a gear housing by a bush so as to be linearly movable.

[0007]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the following operations are provided.
There is a business. Outside supporting pinion adapter in gear housing
Support center O of peripheral support ₁And pinion to pinion adapter
Center O of the inner peripheral supporting portion supporting the_TwoAnd the eccentric amount
It is eccentrically arranged at e. Therefore, the gear housing
Adjusting the mounting angle position of the pinion adapter
Due to the eccentricity e, the pinion with respect to the gear housing
The center axis position of the motor is displaced. As a result,
Support shaft O for a housing_ThreeThe immobilized la
The relative position of the pinion relative to the
It will be. This allows the rack teeth on the rack shaft to
The engagement with the pinion can be set appropriately. Therefore,
The steering performance can be improved without increasing the operating resistance of the shaft.
Wear.

The rack shaft is supported by the gear housing via a bush or the like, and does not have a portion that causes a hitting sound.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a hydraulic power steering apparatus, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1, and FIG.
And FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a pinion adapter.

The hydraulic power steering device 10 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a rack shaft 12 is supported by a bush 13 on a gear housing 11 fixed to a vehicle body frame or the like by a bracket (not shown) so as to be linearly movable.
A power cylinder 14 is provided, and a piston 15 is provided on a rack shaft 12 passing through the power cylinder 14. 16
A and 16B denote a first chamber, a second chamber, and a first chamber of the power cylinder 14.
7 is an oil seal and 18 is a seal holder. And
In the hydraulic power steering 10, the rack shaft 12
The left and right tie rods (not shown) are connected to the steering wheel to assist the steering force of the steering wheel by the driver.

In the power steering device 10, a valve housing 21 of a control valve 20 is fixed to a gear housing 11. The control valve 20 is
As shown in FIG. 3, a steering shaft 22 that rotates in conjunction with a steering wheel is mounted on a valve body 21 by a bearing 23.
A rotor 24 provided on the steering shaft 22 and a sleeve 25 fixed together with a pinion 26 at the tip of a torsion bar 22A fixed to the steering shaft 22 to reduce the steering torque applied to the steering wheel. The corresponding torsion deformation of the torsion bar 22A causes the pump to be coaxially arranged so as to be relatively displaceable, and the switching between the pump-side supply passage 27 and the tank-side return passage 28 in the first chamber 16A and the second chamber 16B of the power cylinder 14 can be controlled. And The pinion 26 meshes with the rack teeth 12A of the rack shaft 12. That is, the power steering device 10 supplies the hydraulic oil from the pump to the control valve 2.
0 is sent to the power cylinder 14 to assist the steering force by the rack thrust generated thereby.

However, in the power steering apparatus 10, the rack teeth 12A of the rack shaft 12 and the pinion 26
The following configuration is provided to adjust the meshing with.

That is, the pinion 26 is connected to the pinion adapter 3
0 and is supported by the gear housing 11. At this time, the pinion 26 is pivotally supported by the pinion adapter 30 by the bearings 31 and 32, and is fixed together with the valve housing 21 to the screw hole 34 </ b> A provided in the flange 34 of the gear housing 11 by the bolt 33.

The pinion adapter 30 has a circular outer peripheral support portion 36 (diameter 2 a) fitted and supported in a support hole 35 provided in the gear housing 11, and a circular inner peripheral portion for supporting the pinion 26 by a bearing 31. Support 37 (diameter 2
b). The pinion adapter 30 also includes a circular support portion 38 that supports the pinion 26 with a bearing 32. Then, the pinion adapter 30 is connected to the outer peripheral support portion 36.
To support the center O _1, with a support center O ₂ of the inner peripheral support portion 37 is only disposed eccentrically eccentricity e, the gear housing 1
The support center O ₁ of the pinion adapter 30 and the outer peripheral support portion 36 of the valve housing 21 with respect to the first flange 34
To be able to adjust the mounting angle position around,
The mounting holes 30A and 21A for the bolts 33 provided in the pinion adapter 30 and the valve housing 21 are elongated.

The center of support of the steering shaft 22, the torsion bar 22A and the like supported by the valve housing 21 is set coaxially with the center of support (O ₂ ) of the pinion 26 supported by the pinion adapter 30. This coaxialization is achieved by fitting and supporting the pinion adapter 30 with a support hole 21B of the valve housing 21 at a part of the bearing 31 that supports the pinion 26, and coaxially fitting the steering shaft 22 and the torsion bar 22A to the pinion 26. Made by

According to this embodiment, the following operations are provided. A support center O ₁ of an outer peripheral support portion 36 supporting the pinion adapter 30 on the gear housing 11, and an inner peripheral support portion 37 supporting the pinion 26 on the pinion adapter 30.
Is eccentrically arranged with the support center O ₂ by the amount of eccentricity e. Therefore, the pinion adapter 30 for the gear housing 11
Is adjusted, the center axis position of the pinion 26 with respect to the gear housing 11 is displaced due to the presence of the eccentricity e. As a result, the relative meshing position of the pinion 26 with respect to the rack shaft 12 on which the support shaft O ₃ is fixed to the gear housing 11 is changed. Thereby, the mesh between the rack teeth 12A of the rack shaft 12 and the pinion 26 can be set appropriately. Therefore, the steering performance can be improved without increasing the operating resistance of the rack shaft 12.

The rack shaft 12 is supported by the gear housing 11 via a bush 13 and the like, and does not have a portion that causes a hitting sound.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the design may be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is also included in the present invention. For example, the present invention is applicable not only to a hydraulic power steering device but also to an electric power steering device. In the electric power steering device, a torque sensor provided with a pinion adapter supporting a pinion around a steering shaft is provided. Together with the gear housing can be fixed together.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the power steering apparatus, the engagement between the rack teeth of the rack shaft and the pinion is appropriately set by the configuration that does not generate a tapping sound at the rack support portion. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a hydraulic power steering device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a pinion adapter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Power steering device 11 Gear housing 12 Rack shaft 12A Rack teeth 22 Steering shaft 26 Pinion 30 Pinion adapter 36 Outer peripheral support part 37 Inner peripheral support part

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] February 3, 1999 (1999.2.3)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0006

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0006]

According to the present invention, a rack shaft is supported by a gear housing so as to be linearly movable, and a pinion connected to a steering shaft is meshed with rack teeth of the rack shaft. the power steering apparatus comprising, the pinion is supported in the gear housing via a pinion adapter pinion adapter gear
And an outer peripheral support portion supported in the housing, and a inner peripheral support portion for supporting the pinions, with eccentrically placed support center of the inner peripheral support portion to support the center of the periphery supporting member, Giaha
The mounting angle position of the pinion adapter around the support center of the outer peripheral support portion with respect to the housing can be adjusted.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A power steering device comprising: a gear housing supporting a rack shaft so as to be able to move linearly; and a pinion connected to a steering shaft meshing with rack teeth of the rack shaft, wherein the pinion is connected via a pinion adapter. The pinion adapter is supported by the steering body and has an outer peripheral support portion supported by the gear housing and an inner peripheral support portion that supports the pinion. The support center of the inner peripheral support portion is eccentrically arranged with respect to the support center of the outer peripheral support portion. A power steering device, wherein a mounting angle position of the pinion adapter with respect to the gear housing around a support center of the outer peripheral support portion can be adjusted. 2. The power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rack shaft is supported by a gear housing so as to be linearly movable by a bush.