JP3738931B2 - Car steering device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering device for an automobile with a chassis frame. Specifically, the present invention relates to an engine mounted on a chassis frame formed by connecting a plurality of cross members to a pair of left and right side members, a steering mechanism for steering front wheels, and a steering mechanism attached to the cross member. The present invention relates to a steering apparatus for an automobile having a peripheral part such as a steering gear box incorporating a steering gear to be connected. The present invention also relates to a steering apparatus for an automobile having a steering column that transmits the operating force of a steering wheel to the steering gear via a steering shaft and an intermediate shaft with respect to the structure around the steering apparatus of the automobile. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
As for an automobile steering device, generally, as disclosed in JP-A-2-171383, a steering column is first incorporated with a steering shaft and a steering gear for connecting a steering mechanism for steering a front wheel. The steering gear box is connected with an intermediate shaft. Then, three universal joints are arranged between the steering shaft, the intermediate shaft and the steering gear so as to have a bent portion, and these universal joints are arranged separately in the front bonnet and the cab. .
[0003]
In addition, this intermediate shaft part has a fitting part with a built-in slide mechanism, and has a buffering function so that the overall length of the intermediate shaft itself is shortened when an excessive force is applied to the front of the vehicle from the outside. It is
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In general, in the front bonnet of an automobile, in addition to the engine, engine auxiliary equipment such as a radiator can be arranged in a narrow space on the chassis frame with a gap between them to make the front bonnet shape compact. Required by design. In such a front bonnet, a steering column that transmits the steering operation force of the driver to a steering mechanism that steers the front wheels needs to be disposed.
For this reason, there has been a demand for a steering apparatus having a steering column with as few universal joints as possible, which is suitable for space-saving with such a small gap.
Further, in order to improve the driver's steering operation feeling, there has been a demand for a steering device in which the number of universal joints is reduced and the rigidity of the steering column is increased.
[0005]
Further, the steering device is required to have a buffering function so that the entire length of the intermediate shaft on the steering column is shortened when an excessive force is applied from the outside to the front of the vehicle. However, since the steering column of the steering device is originally bent at the universal joint and arranged in the vehicle, the bending at this bent portion is effectively used as a buffer function, and the buffer function portion of the intermediate shaft is omitted. It was necessary to carry out cost reduction while simplifying.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the number of universal joints in the steering device is two, and the positions of the two universal joints are intermediate shafts. As for the first and second universal joints of the intermediate shaft, the first universal joint is arranged on the extension line of the steering shaft, and the second universal joint is arranged on the input part extension line of the steering gear. Further, the heights of the two universal joints are set to be substantially aligned with the side members of the chassis frame, and the second universal joint of the intermediate shaft is disposed in front of the engine. The first universal joint was placed on the side of the engine with a height higher than the second universal joint. Further, the intermediate shaft is supported by the cross member of the chassis frame in front of the vehicle from the front wheel support shaft via the steering gear, and the two universal joints are also in front of the vehicle from the front wheel support shaft.
[0007]
The intermediate shaft has a two-part structure comprising an intermediate shaft lower and an intermediate shaft upper by a first universal joint, connects the intermediate shaft upper to the steering shaft, and connects the intermediate shaft lower to the second universal joint. Connected to the steering gear.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 1 is an overall side view of an automobile equipped with the steering device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front structural plan view of the automobile shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a structural plan view below the engine in FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the front structure of the automobile shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an overall view of the intermediate shaft, FIG. 6 is a state diagram showing the main parts when an excessive force is applied from the outside to the front of the vehicle on which the steering device of the present invention is mounted, and FIG. It is a state figure of an intermediate shaft.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1, an automobile equipped with the steering device of the present invention has engine accessories such as an engine 7 and a radiator 20 disposed in the front part of the vehicle, and a cab 22 is partitioned by a dash panel 18. . The steering column 1 extends from the cab 22 in a front bonnet 19 that is a vehicle front space partitioned by the dash panel 18.
The steering column 1 transmits an operation force applied to the steering wheel 28 by the driver to the steering gear 23 via the steering shaft 9 and the intermediate shaft 10. The steering gear 23 is built in the steering gear box 8 and attached to the cross member 5 that connects the side members 2 and 3 of the chassis frame via the steering gear box 8.
Two cross members 4, 5 connect the side members 2, 3 at least on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the front wheel 15, and the cross member 6 is disposed below the engine 7 on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the front wheel 15. .
[0011]
The vehicle parts in the front bonnet 19 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the engine 7 is sandwiched between the front members 15 between the side members 2 and 3 of the chassis frame. In the position. A radiator 20 is attached to the cross member 5 in front of the engine 7.
[0012]
The steering shaft 9 extends inside the chassis frame of the side member 3 forward of the vehicle, and has one end connected to the steering wheel 28 in the cab 22 and the other end connected to the intermediate shaft 10. The intermediate shaft 10 is connected by a joint 24.
[0013]
The intermediate shaft 10 has two first and second universal joints 11 and 12, and the positions of the two universal joints 11 and 12 are arranged so that one of the second universal joints 12 is disposed on the input portion extension line of the steering gear 23. The other first universal joint 11 is arranged on the extension line of the steering shaft 9 that extends inward of the chassis frame of the side member 3 forward of the vehicle.
Further, the positional relationship in the height direction of the two universal joints 11 and 12 in the front bonnet is such that the height is substantially the same as that of the side members 2 and 3 of the chassis frame, and is aligned with the side members 2 and 3. The second universal joint 12 is arranged to be in front of the engine, and the other first universal joint 11 is higher than the second universal joint 12 from the ground surface. It is arranged on the side of the engine 7.
[0014]
The intermediate shaft 10 has a two-part structure of an intermediate shaft lower 14 and an intermediate shaft upper 13 via a first universal joint 11, and the intermediate shaft upper 13 is connected to the steering shaft 9 within a front bonnet 19. . Similarly, in the front bonnet, the intermediate shaft lower 14 is connected to the steering gear 23 via the second universal joint 12.
The details of the connection between the intermediate shaft upper 13 and the steering shaft 9 are also shown in FIG. The connecting portion holds the intermediate shaft upper 13 and the steering shaft 9 by a joint 24 and is connected by a bolt 25.
In addition, it is preferable to arrange | position the damper 26 which absorbs a vibration in this intermediate shaft lower 14. FIG. The intermediate shaft lower 14 prevents the vibration of the vehicle transmitted through the steering shaft 9 and transmitted to the driver via the steering wheel 28.
[0015]
Further, the two first and second universal joints 11 and 12 are located in front of the vehicle from the front wheel support shaft 17. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the two universal joints 11 and 12 are substantially the same height as the side members 2 and 3 of the chassis frame from the ground surface, and the side members 2 and 3 and these universal joints 11 and 12 are lateral. It is almost lined up. That is, when viewed from the side, the side members 2 and 3 and the universal joints 11 and 12 appear to overlap each other.
[0016]
As for the vehicle parts below the engine 7, as shown in FIG. 3, the steering gear box 8 connects a steering mechanism 21 for steering the front wheels 15 to a steering gear 23, and the steering gear box 8 is attached to the cross member 5. ing. The cross member 5 also supports the radiator 20 at the same time, and the cross member 4 is disposed in the vehicle front direction. The radiator 20 is on the vehicle front side of the cross member 5, is in a position opposite to the steering gear box 8, and a certain distance from the radiator 20 is secured.
The differential gear case 16 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the steering gear box 8 and is located almost directly below the engine 7.
[0017]
When an excessive force is applied from the outside to the front surface of the automobile having such a structure, when the automobile is viewed from the side, main vehicle parts in the front bonnet 19 are as shown in FIG. The position of the steering shaft 9 hardly changes. When the front part of the chassis frame is deformed and the cross members 4 and 5 are displaced rearward of the vehicle, the intermediate shaft 10 bends rearward of the vehicle with the universal joint 11 between the intermediate shaft upper 13 and the intermediate shaft lower 14 as a fulcrum. .
In this embodiment, the steering gear box 8 connected to the intermediate shaft lower 14 via the steering gear 23 contacts the differential gear case 16 when the cross member 5 to which the steering gear box 8 is attached is displaced rearward of the vehicle. After that, it is displaced simultaneously.
[0018]
The radiator 20 attached to the cross member 5 is also displaced at the same time as the cross member 5, but has a certain distance from the steering gear box 8 and does not come into contact with the universal joints 11 and 12. . Furthermore, since the universal joints 11 and 12 have substantially the same height from the ground surface as the side members 2 and 3 of the chassis frame, they do not easily come into contact with the cross member 5 or the like unless the chassis frame is greatly deformed. On the other hand, the engine 7 has a small displacement even when an excessive force is applied from the outside to the front of the automobile in this way, and even if it is displaced, it is a small displacement toward the rear of the vehicle. For this reason, it does not contact the universal joints 11 and 12.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention, the number of universal joints of the mechanism for transmitting the steering operation force from the steering wheel 28 to the steering gear 8 is set to two in the front bonnet 19 having a small clearance, so that the steering column 1 suitable for space saving is used. A steering apparatus having the following can be provided. And since the number of universal joints can be reduced from three to two to increase the rigidity of the steering column 1, the driver's steering operation feeling can be improved.
In the present invention, the intermediate shaft 10 is divided into a two-part structure of the intermediate shaft lower 14 and the intermediate shaft upper 13 by the first universal joint 11, and the intermediate shaft upper 13 is connected to the steering shaft 9 in the front bonnet 19. . For this reason, assembly, attachment / detachment, maintenance, and the like of the steering column 1 can be performed collectively in the front bonnet.
[0020]
Further, in the present invention, the two universal joints 11 and 12 are disposed in front of the vehicle with respect to the front wheel support shaft 17. Further, the positions of the two universal joints 11 and 12 are on the steering column 1 in the front bonnet 19 and one of the second universal joints 12 is disposed on the input portion extension line of the steering gear 23 and the other first joint is connected. The universal joint 11 is disposed on the extension line of the steering shaft 9 that extends forward of the vehicle inside the chassis frame of the side member 3. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the two universal joints 11 and 12 have substantially the same height as the side members 2 and 3 of the chassis frame from the ground surface. The universal joint 11 is arranged on the side of the engine with the height from the ground surface higher than that of the universal joint 12. Then, there is an advantage that the radiator 20 can be disposed on the cross member 5 with a certain distance from the universal joints 11 and 12. Further, the intermediate shaft is supported on the cross member 5 of the chassis frame in front of the vehicle from the front wheel support shaft 17 via the steering gear 23, and the two universal joints 11 and 12 are also in front of the vehicle from the front wheel support shaft 17.
For this reason, when an excessive force is applied from the outside to the front of the vehicle, the universal joints 11 and 12 can be bent without the engine 7, the radiator 20 and the like coming into contact with each other. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively utilize the bending at the bent portion as a buffer function, omit the buffer function portion on the steering column 1 that has been conventionally required, simplify the structure, and reduce the cost. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall side view of an automobile equipped with a steering device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front structure of the automobile shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a structural plan view below an engine in FIG. 2;
4 is an enlarged view of the front structure of the automobile of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is an overall view of an intermediate shaft.
FIG. 6 is a state diagram showing main parts when an excessive force is applied from the outside to the front of the vehicle on which the steering device of the present invention is mounted.
7 is a state diagram of the intermediate shaft in FIG. 6. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Steering column 2 Side member 3 Side member 4 Cross member 5 Cross member 6 Cross member 7 Engine 8 Steering gear box 9 Steering shaft 10 Intermediate shaft 11 First universal joint 12 Second universal joint 13 Intermediate shaft upper 14 Intermediate shaft lower 15 Front wheel 17 Front wheel support shaft 19 Front bonnet 23 Steering gear 28 Steering wheel

Claims (2)

A chassis frame formed by connecting a plurality of cross members to a pair of left and right side members, an engine mounted on the chassis frame, a steering mechanism for steering front wheels, and the steering mechanism attached to the cross member Steering of an automobile with a chassis frame comprising a steering gear box having a steering gear coupled to the steering wheel, a steering shaft for transmitting the operating force of the steering wheel, and an intermediate shaft coupled to the steering shaft and the steering gear at both ends thereof In the apparatus, the intermediate shaft has two first and second universal joints, the first universal joint is disposed on an extension line of the steering shaft, and the second universal joint is inserted into the steering gear. The two universal joints are arranged so as to be substantially aligned with the side members of the chassis frame, and the second universal joint of the intermediate shaft is arranged in front of the engine. And the first universal joint is made higher than the second universal joint and is arranged on the side of the engine, and the intermediate shaft is connected to the chassis frame crossing the front wheel support shaft via the steering gear. A steering apparatus for an automobile, wherein the steering apparatus is supported by a member, and the two universal joints are arranged in front of the vehicle with respect to the front wheel support shaft .  The intermediate shaft has a two-part structure comprising an intermediate shaft lower and an intermediate shaft upper by the first universal joint, connects the intermediate shaft upper to the steering shaft, and connects the intermediate shaft lower to the first shaft. 2. A steering apparatus for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the steering gear is connected to the steering gear via a universal joint.

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