JP4015637B2 - Vehicle steering device - Google Patents

Description

According to the present invention, a part of a steering shaft connected to a steering handle provided in a passenger compartment through a dashboard opening from a steering gear box provided in an engine compartment is connected to a hollow upper portion on the passenger compartment side of the opening. The present invention relates to a vehicle steering apparatus configured by fitting a lower shaft inside a shaft.

  The intermediate shaft arranged in the steering torque transmission path for transmitting the steering handle operation to the steering gear box is configured by fitting the solid second shaft through the anti-vibration rubber inside the hollow first shaft. In addition, a spring member having a leaf spring is fixed to the first shaft so that the leaf spring of the spring member can be brought into contact with the flat surface formed on the second shaft when the vehicle is at least in a state other than the straight traveling state. This is known from US Pat.

According to this configuration, when the steering handle is operated, the steering torque is transmitted from one shaft to the other shaft via the spring member before the vibration isolating rubber reaches the elastic limit, so that the wheels are rotated with good responsiveness. You can steer. At this time, vibration from the steering gear box is blocked by an elastic spring member so that it is difficult to be transmitted to the steering handle side, and the vibration of the steering handle can be suppressed by attenuating the vibration by the vibration isolating rubber.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-170108

  By the way, when the intermediate shaft is configured by fitting the solid second shaft inside the hollow first shaft, vibration and noise from the steering gear box are reflected in the hollow portion of the first shaft and become large noise. There is a problem that it is transmitted to the vehicle interior via the steering shaft and the steering handle.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent vibrations of a steering gear box provided in an engine room from being transmitted as noise to a vehicle compartment via a steering shaft.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the steering shaft connected to the steering handle provided in the passenger compartment through the opening of the dashboard from the steering gear box provided in the engine compartment. Part of the vehicle steering device, wherein the lower shaft is fitted inside the hollow upper shaft closer to the passenger compartment than the opening, in which the upper shaft and the lower shaft are subjected to a load during a collision. sheared attached at shear pin to allow relative sliding of the both shafts, the hollow portion formed in the upper shafts bets that were housed easily collapse sound insulation material by relative sliding of the two shafts A vehicle steering device is proposed.

  The first, second and third steering shafts 18, 20, and 22 of the embodiment correspond to the steering shaft of the present invention.

According to the first aspect, since it is configured by the lower shaft fitted inside the upper shaft part a hollow steering shaft connecting the steering gear box and a steering wheel, with respect to the upper shaft at the time of collision of the vehicle Thus, the steering shaft can be prevented from being pushed up into the vehicle interior by sliding the lower shaft. Since housing the sound insulation material in the hollow portion formed in the upper shafts bets, it is possible to reduce the noise in the passenger compartment to prevent vibration of the steering gear box to echoing the hollow portion. Moreover, since the sound insulating material is easily crushed by the relative sliding of the upper shaft and the lower shaft, the relative sliding of both shafts is not hindered by the sound insulating material.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on examples of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering apparatus for an automobile, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. Is an exploded view of an elastic joint.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flange 14 a of the upper joint cover 14 on the vehicle compartment 11 side and the engine compartment 12 side are covered so as to cover the opening 13 a formed in the dashboard 13 that partitions the vehicle compartment 11 and the engine compartment 12. The flange 15a of the lower joint cover 15 is overlapped and fixed. At this time, three stud bolts 16a ... welded to the dashboard 13 pass through the flange 15a of the lower joint cover 15 and are fastened by nuts 16b ..., and the flange 14a of the upper joint cover 14 is fixed to the stud bolt 16a. The A second steering shaft 20 is connected to a lower end of a first steering shaft 18 extending downward from a steering handle 17 disposed in the passenger compartment 11 via an upper universal joint 19, and an elastic joint 21 is connected to the lower end of the second steering shaft 20. The third steering shaft 22 is connected via a lower universal joint 23 to the lower end of the third steering shaft 22.

  The pinion shaft 24 extends into a steering gear box 25 disposed in the engine room 12, and rotation of the pinion shaft 24 is converted into reciprocating movement of the rack bar by a rack and a pinion (not shown) housed therein. A hydraulic control valve 26 is provided on the outer periphery of the pinion shaft 24, and the hydraulic control valve 26 is operated by the steering torque input to the steering handle 17 to switch the driving direction of the hydraulic cylinder 27 provided in the steering gear box 25. Thus, a hydraulic power steering device that assists the steering operation of the driver with hydraulic pressure is configured.

  An elastic joint 21 and a lower universal joint 23 are housed in a space 28 defined by the upper joint cover 14 and the lower joint cover 15 that covers the opening 13a of the dashboard 13, and the second steering shaft 20 extending upward from the elastic joint 21. Passes through the opening 14 b formed in the upper joint cover 14, and the pinion shaft 24 extending downward from the lower universal joint 23 passes through the opening 15 b formed in the lower joint cover 15.

  A rubber grommet 29 is attached to the upper end of the hydraulic control valve 26 of the steering gear box 25, and the annular lip 29a abuts the lower joint cover 15 so as to surround the periphery of the opening 15b. Noise and dust are prevented from passing through the opening 15 b of the lower joint cover 15 and entering the passenger compartment 11.

  As is apparent from FIG. 3, the upper universal joint 19 that flexibly connects the first steering shaft 18 and the second steering shaft 20 includes a U-shaped joint half 31 fixed to the first steering shaft 18, and A U-shaped joint half 32 fixed to the second steering shaft 20 and a cross-shaped connecting pin 33 that connects both joint halves 31 and 32 are configured. The second steering shaft 20 includes a hollow upper shaft 34 fixed to the joint half 32 and a lower shaft 35 that is spline-fitted to the upper shaft 34. The upper shaft 34 and the lower shaft 35 are shear pins. 36, 36.

  Therefore, when the steering gear box 25 moves backward during a vehicle collision and a compressive load is applied to the second steering shaft 20 via the pinion shaft 24, the lower universal joint 23, the third steering shaft 22 and the elastic joint 21, the shear pin 36 36 are sheared and the lower shaft 35 slides upward with respect to the upper shaft 34, so that the steering handle 17 is prevented from being pushed up into the vehicle compartment 11.

  A cylindrical sound insulating material 37 made of sponge is accommodated in a hollow portion 34a surrounded by the hollow upper shaft 34, the joint half 32, and the solid lower shaft 35.

  4 to 7, the elastic joint 21 includes a pair of connecting bars 41A and 41B fixed to the lower end of the lower shaft 35 of the second steering shaft 20 and the upper end of the third steering shaft 22, respectively. A pair of connecting plates 42A, 42B disposed on the inner surfaces of the connecting bars 41A, 41B facing each other and a buffer rubber 43 sandwiched between the connecting plates 42A, 42B are provided, and these include four rivets 44A. 44A; 44B, 44B.

  The pair of connecting bars 41A and 41B are substantially rectangular members in which two rivet holes 41a and 41a are formed at both ends, and their phases are shifted by 90 °. The pair of connecting plates 42A and 42B are members in which two rivet holes 42a and 42a and two arc-shaped cutouts 42b and 42b are alternately formed at both ends of the circular plate at intervals of 90 °, and the phase is 90. Deviated from the position. The buffer rubber 43 is a disk-shaped member in which four rivet holes 43a are formed at intervals of 90 °, and thread bodies 43b are embedded so as to surround the rivet holes 43a.

  The two rivets 44A and 44A inserted from the two rivet holes 42a and 42a of the upper connecting plate 42A close to the second steering shaft 20 are connected to the two rivet holes 43a and 43a of the buffer rubber 43 and the lower side. The two collars 45A and 45A disposed in the two notches 42b and 42b of the connecting plate 42A and the two rivet holes 41a and 41a of the connecting bar 41A fixed to the upper end of the third steering shaft 22 are provided. It penetrates and is fastened by caulking. The two rivets 44B and 44B inserted from the two rivet holes 42a and 42a of the lower connection plate 42B close to the third steering shaft 22 are two rivet holes 43a and 43a of the buffer rubber 43, and Two rivet holes of two collars 45B, 45B disposed in the two notches 42b, 42b of the upper coupling plate 42B and a coupling bar 41B fixed to the lower end of the lower shaft 35 of the second steering shaft 22 41a and 41a are penetrated and it is fastened by caulking.

  As described above, the elastic joint 21 having the buffer rubber 43 is interposed between the second steering shaft 20 and the third steering shaft 22, so that vibrations generated in the steering gear box 25, particularly in the hydraulic control valve 26, are generated. The vibration can be prevented from being transmitted from the third steering shaft 22 to the second steering shaft 20 side, and the vibration transmitted to the steering handle 17 and the noise in the vehicle compartment 11 can be reduced.

  Further, if vibration that cannot be completely blocked by the elastic joint 21 is transmitted to the second steering shaft 20, it causes noise in the passenger compartment 11, but the sound insulation stored in the hollow portion 34 a of the upper shaft 34 of the second steering shaft 20. By storing the material 37, it is possible to reduce the noise in the passenger compartment 11 by suppressing the echo of the noise in the hollow portion 34a of the upper shaft 34.

  Further, the sound insulating material 37 is compressed when the lower shaft 35 slides upward with respect to the upper shaft 34 at the time of a vehicle collision, but the sound insulating material 37 made of sponge is easily crushed, so that the sliding upward of the lower shaft 35 is performed. Does not hinder movement.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims. It is .

Perspective view of automobile steering device 2-2 line enlarged sectional view of FIG. 3-3 enlarged sectional view of FIG. 4-4 enlarged arrow view of FIG. Sectional view along line 5-5 in FIG. 6-6 arrow view of FIG. Exploded view of elastic joint

Explanation of symbols

11 Car compartment 12 Engine room 13 Dashboard 17 Steering handle 18 First steering shaft (steering shaft)
20 Second steering shaft (steering shaft)
22 Third steering shaft (steering shaft)
25 Steering gear box 34 Upper shaft 34a Hollow portion 35 Lower shaft
36 Shear pin 37 Sound insulation material

Claims (1)

A steering shaft (18) connected to a steering handle (17) provided in the vehicle compartment (11) through an opening (13a) of the dashboard (13) from a steering gear box (25) provided in the engine room (12). , 20, 22), a vehicle steering apparatus in which a lower shaft (35) is fitted inside a hollow upper shaft (34) closer to the vehicle compartment (11) than the opening (13 a). In
The upper shaft (34) and the lower shaft (35) are joined by a shear pin (36) that shears by a load at the time of collision and allows the relative sliding of the shafts (34, 35). A vehicle steering system characterized in that a sound insulating material (37) that is easily crushed by relative sliding of the shafts (34, 35 ) is housed in a hollow portion (34a) formed in the upper shaft (34 ). .

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