JP5832924B2 - Power steering device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power steering device that applies a steering assist force to a steering mechanism in accordance with steering information such as a steering angle and steering torque of a steering shaft, and in particular, an improved wiring harness wiring structure used in the power steering device. About.

  In an electric power steering device mounted in an engine room of a vehicle, an electric motor is driven and controlled based on steering information such as a steering angle and a steering torque detected by a sensor member, and a steering assist force is applied to the steering mechanism. Is granted. For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the wire harness as a signal line for electrically connecting the vehicle-mounted devices such as the sensor member, the control unit, and the electric motor avoids interference with other devices. The cable is routed along the outer surface of the housing supported on the vehicle body side, and is fixed to the housing using an attachment member such as a band or a clip.

JP 2010-70024 JP

  The present invention is a novel power steering device capable of reducing the number of mounting members such as bands and clips that are separate from the housing and holding the wire harness with respect to the housing while avoiding interference with other devices. The purpose is to provide.

In the present invention, the movement of the wire harness relative to the housing is restrained by the three first to third locking portions provided on the housing supported on the vehicle body side via the vibration isolating member and the wire harness is held in the housing.・ Fix it. The housing includes a rack bar accommodating portion that accommodates the rack bar so as to be movable forward and backward, a retainer accommodating portion that is formed so as to project radially outward from the rack bar accommodating portion, and that accommodates the rack retainer, and the rack bar. And a sensor housing portion that extends along the axial direction of the pinion shaft so as to surround the periphery of the pinion shaft. . A wire harness ( wire harness for sensors) is connected to a sensor housing portion of a housing in which a sensor member is housed on one end side, and is connected to a control unit on the other end side. The first, second, and third locking portions are arranged in order from one end side of the wire harness.

  The first locking portion is a protruding portion having a protruding shape that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the retainer receiving portion of the housing, and has a locking surface that faces the sensor receiving portion. The wire harness routed from the retainer to the retainer housing portion abuts to restrict the movement of the wire harness in the direction toward the locking surface.

  A 2nd latching | locking part is provided in the outer wall surface of the sensor accommodating part which accommodates a sensor member, and latches the elastic force of a wire harness by latching the opposite side to the side which a 1st latching | locking part latches at least. On the other hand, the wire harness is locked so as to oppose the biasing direction of the wire harness biased by the reaction generated by the first locking portion.

  The third locking portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rack bar accommodating portion, and the reaction that the second locking portion is generated by locking at least the side opposite to the side locked by the second locking portion. The wire harness is locked so as to oppose the biasing direction of the wire harness biased by.

  According to the present invention, the wire harness is locked by the first, second, and third locking portions respectively provided in the sensor housing portion, the retainer housing portion, and the rack bar housing portion of the housing extending in different directions. Thus, the wire harness can be held on the housing side, and the wire harness can be prevented from interfering with other devices in the engine room. In particular, in the present invention, the first locking portion is integrally formed on the housing as a protruding portion protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the retainer accommodating portion, so that attachment members such as clips and bands can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The block diagram which shows simply the power steering apparatus of the vehicle which concerns on the Example of this invention. The perspective view which shows the said power steering apparatus. The top view which looked at the housing vicinity of the power steering device which concerns on 1st Example of this invention from the vehicle upper side. The top view which looked at the housing vicinity of the power steering device of the said 1st Example from the vehicle front side. The perspective view which expands and shows the part by which the wire harness of the power steering device of 1st Example is routed. Sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. The top view which looked at the housing vicinity of the power steering device which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention from the vehicle upper side. The top view which looked at the housing vicinity of the power steering device of the said 2nd Example from the vehicle front side. Sectional drawing which shows the power steering apparatus which concerns on 3rd Example of this invention, and is equivalent to the cross section in alignment with the AA of FIG.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to illustrated embodiments. 1 to 6 show an electric power steering apparatus for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a steering wheel 11 disposed in a driver's cab of a vehicle and a steered wheel 12 that is a front wheel of the vehicle are mechanically connected by a steering mechanism. This steering mechanism can transmit torque to the steering shaft 15 coaxially via a torsion bar 16 and a steering shaft 15 that is rotatably connected to the steering wheel 11 via an intermediate shaft 13 and a universal joint 14. And a rack bar 18 provided on the outer periphery of a rack 18A that meshes with the pinion 17A provided on the outer periphery of the pinion shaft 17. The pinion shaft 17 and the rack bar 18 A steering mechanism including a rack and pinion mechanism is configured. The rack bar 18 is supported in a housing 20 supported on the vehicle body side so as to be capable of linear reciprocating movement in the axial direction via a sliding bearing (not shown). Both ends of the rack bar 18 projecting from the housing 20 to both sides in the vehicle width direction are connected to the corresponding steered wheels 12 via ball joints 21A, tie rods 21B, knuckle arms 21C, and the like, respectively.

  With such a configuration, when the driver rotates the steering wheel 11, the intermediate shaft 13 and the steering shaft 15 are rotated around the shaft and the torsion bar 16 is twisted. The pinion shaft 17 rotates following the steering shaft 15 by the elastic force. The rotational motion of the pinion shaft 17 is converted into a linear motion along the axial direction of the rack bar 18 by the rack and pinion mechanism, and the knuckle arm 21C is pulled in the vehicle width direction via the ball joint 21A and the tie rod 21B. The steered wheels 12 are steered.

  The sensor housing portion 22 of the housing 20 that surrounds the pinion shaft 17 includes a steering angle sensor 23 that detects the steering angle of the steering shaft 15 as a sensor member that detects various types of steering information, and steering by torsion of the torsion bar 16. A torque sensor 24 that detects a steering torque generated in the steering shaft 15 by using a relative rotation angle difference between the shaft 15 and the pinion shaft 17 is accommodated. Thus, by arranging the rudder angle sensor 23 in the vicinity of the torque sensor 24 arranged around the torsion bar 16, both 23 and 24 are arranged in the same sensor housing portion 22, and the sensor members are concentrated. The wiring path is shortened, simplified, and the number of parts is reduced. However, the present invention is not limited to the structure of such an embodiment. For example, the present invention has a structure in which the steering angle sensor 23 is arranged in the passenger compartment near the steering wheel and only the torque sensor 24 is arranged in the sensor housing portion 22. Is also applicable.

  A control unit (ECU) 25 as a control unit has a function of storing and executing various control processes, and applies a steering assist force to the steering mechanism based on the steering information such as the steering angle, the steering torque, and the vehicle speed. The electric motor 26 to be driven is controlled. A worm 27 is provided at the tip of the output shaft of the electric motor 26, and the worm 27 meshes with a large-diameter worm wheel 28 that rotates integrally with the pinion shaft 17. The worm 27 and the worm wheel 28 constitute a reduction mechanism that reduces the rotational power of the electric motor 26 and transmits it to the pinion shaft 17. A portion where both ends of the rack bar 18 and the tie rod 21B are connected by the ball joint 21A is covered with a protective boot 29 having a bellows shape (see FIG. 2).

  In-vehicle devices such as the sensors 23 and 24, the control unit 25, and the electric motor 26 are electrically connected by a wire harness 30 as a signal line in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled. Specifically, as the wire harness 30, the sensor wire harness 30 </ b> A that connects the steering angle sensor 23 and the torque sensor 24 in the sensor housing portion 22 and the control unit 25, and the control unit 25 and the electric motor 26 are connected. And a motor wire harness 30B.

  Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the housing 20 is elastically supported on the vehicle body side via a plurality of vibration isolation members 31, and is fixed to a gear housing 32 and an upper side of the gear housing 32. The sensor housing 33 and the reduction gear housing 34 fixed to the lower side of the gear housing 32 are roughly configured.

  The gear housing 32 is integrally cast of a metal material, and has a cylindrical rack bar accommodating portion 35 that accommodates the rack bar 18 so as to be able to advance and retreat, and a diameter from the outer peripheral surface of the rack bar accommodating portion 35. And a retainer housing portion 36 integrally formed so as to project outward in the direction. The retainer accommodating portion 36 has a short cylindrical shape, and one end thereof is integrally connected to the outer peripheral surface of the rack bar accommodating portion 35. A rack retainer 37 is accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion 36 so as to be movable forward and backward. The rack retainer 37 has a rack bar along a predetermined retainer axial direction Z1 substantially orthogonal to both the rack bar axial direction Z2 and the pinion axial direction Z3 so that the rack bar 18 and the pinion shaft 17 mesh with each other at the intersection. By urging 18, the rack bar 18 is pressed against the pinion shaft 17.

  In the present specification, the axial direction of the rack bar 18 and the rack bar accommodating portion 35 substantially along the vehicle width direction is defined as the rack bar axial direction (second axial direction) Z2, and the axial direction of the steering shaft 15 and the pinion shaft 17 is defined. The biasing direction of the rack retainer 37 perpendicular to the pinion axis direction (third axis direction) Z3 and both directions Z2 and Z3 is referred to as the above-described retainer axis direction (first axis direction) Z1. In the pinion axis direction Z3, the lower end side inclines toward the vehicle front side with respect to the vertical direction due to a layout request or the like, and the lower end side in the vehicle width direction also inclines in one direction (right direction in FIG. 3).

  The gear housing 32 is integrally provided with a sensor housing mounting portion 38 as a part of the sensor housing portion 22. The sensor housing mounting portion 38 is orthogonal to the rack bar housing portion 35 at a position opposite to the retainer housing portion 36 (vehicle rear side) with the rack bar 18 in between with respect to the retainer axial direction Z1 substantially along the vehicle longitudinal direction. It is an incidental formation. A metal sensor housing 33 is fixed to the upper side of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 by using a plurality of fixing bolts 40. The sensor housing mounting portion 38 and the sensor housing 33 allow the periphery of the pinion shaft 17 to be surrounded by the sensor housing mounting portion 38. The sensor housing portion 22 that extends in the pinion axial direction Z3 so as to enclose is generally configured. A flange portion 41 having a predetermined axial thickness is formed at a corner portion of the sensor housing 33 through which the fixing bolt 40 passes.

  A sensor cover 43 is fixed to the opening of the sensor housing 33 by using a plurality of screws 44. By removing the sensor cover 43, the sensors 23, 24, A circuit board (not shown) is mounted and replaced. The reduction gear housing 34 that houses the worm 27, the worm wheel 28, and the like constituting the reduction mechanism is fixed to the lower portion of the gear housing 32 using a plurality of bolts 45. The electric motor 26 is fixed to the housing 20 side using bolts 46 on the lower side of the rack bar housing portion 35 adjacent to the reduction gear housing 34.

  The wire harness 30 is wrapped with a resin tape 49 so as to bundle a plurality of electric wires 48 and is covered with a protective tube 50 made of an elastic material such as rubber having a predetermined thickness, and can be appropriately bent and deformed. It is configured as a collective part. At both ends of the wire harness 30, connectors 51 (51 </ b> A to 51 </ b> D) that simultaneously perform electrical connection and fixation with a corresponding on-vehicle device are provided. In the sensor wire harness 30A, the sensor-side connector 51A on one end side is fixed to the sensor housing 22 using a fixing component 55 such as a screw, and is electrically connected to the internal sensors 23 and 24 and the circuit board. The other end side connector 51B (see FIG. 2) is fixed to the control unit 25 and is electrically connected to the control unit 25. The motor wire harness 30B has a connector 51C (see FIG. 2) at one end fixed to the control unit 25 and is electrically connected to the control unit 25, and the connector 51D at the other end is an electric motor. 26 is fixed to the motor-side harness connection portion 52 provided in the motor 26 and is electrically connected to the electric motor 26. In other words, the sensor wire harness 30A and the motor wire harness 30B are connected to the sensor housing portion 22 on one end side and connected to the motor side harness connection portion 52 of the electric motor 26 on the other end side. The wire harness 30 is configured. In addition, wiring of such a wire harness is appropriately performed according to the layout of the in-vehicle device. For example, in the case where the control unit is built in the drive motor harness connection part, the sensor housing part and the motor side harness connection are connected. The parts are directly connected by a single wire harness.

  A plurality of C-shaped bands 53 for holding the wire harnesses 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B in the rack bar housing portion 35 are provided in the rack bar housing portion 35 at appropriate intervals.

  Next, a wiring structure for the housing 20 of the sensor wire harness 30 </ b> A (hereinafter simply referred to as “harness 30 </ b> A”), which is a main part of the present embodiment, will be described in detail. The harness 30A is routed downward along the pinion axial direction Z1 from the sensor-side connector 51A on one end side to the outer wall surface of the sensor housing portion 22, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the retainer housing portion 36. So that it bends to the side in the vicinity of the portion that is (or is closest to) and changes its direction from a downward posture to a horizontal posture, and bypasses the corner of the sensor housing portion 22 provided with the fixing bolt 40. The rack bar accommodating portion 35 is pulled in the right direction in FIGS. 3 and 4 along the rack bar axial direction Z2 so as to hug the rack bar accommodating portion 35 while crossing obliquely toward the vehicle rear side. The

  The sensor-side connector 51A on one end side of the harness 30A is placed on the mounting surface of the sensor housing 33 along the pinion axial direction Z3. Accordingly, in the vicinity of the sensor-side connector 51A, the plurality of electric wires 48 of the harness 30A are drawn from the connector 51A outward in the radial direction of the pinion shaft 17.

  Here, the sensor housing 33 is provided with a clip 54 as an attachment member for fixing and holding the harness 30A on the housing side at a position close to the connector 51A, that is, a position immediately below the connector 51A. As shown in FIG. 5, the clip 54 is clamped so as to surround three sides of the harness 30A by a U-shaped holding portion 54B attached to a base portion 54A fixed to the sensor housing 33, and the longitudinal direction of the harness 30A. The movement in the direction and the radial direction is restricted. By this clip 54, the plurality of wires 48 of the harness 30 </ b> A protruding from the sensor-side connector 51 </ b> A to the outside in the radial direction of the pinion shaft 17 are bent substantially 90 degrees in a U shape immediately after that, It is held in a posture that extends downward along the outer wall surface.

  In this embodiment, the end of the protective tube 50 near the sensor-side connector 51A is set at a position below the clip 54, that is, a position far from the sensor-side connector 51A, and a portion extending from the connector 51A to the clip 54 is set. The harness 30A is not provided with a thick protective tube 50, and in the vicinity of the connector 51A, the resin tape 49 is also omitted to expose the plurality of electric wires 48. In other words, the rigidity of the harness 30A in the vicinity of the connector 51A is intentionally reduced, and this facilitates bending and bending deformation, and the plurality of electric wires 48 protruding from the connector 51A in the radial direction can be made compact with a large curvature. By curving, the jump-out of the harness 30A is suppressed.

  In the portion of the harness 30A that bypasses the periphery of the sensor housing portion 22 and is routed from the retainer housing portion 36 to the rack bar housing portion 35, the latch portion that locks the harness 30A to the housing side. As shown, a first locking portion 61, a second locking portion 62, and a third locking portion 63 are provided in order from one end side where the sensor-side connector 51A is provided.

  The first locking portion 61 is a protruding portion that integrally protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the retainer housing portion 36 radially outward, and has a locking surface 64 that faces the sensor housing portion 22. The harness 30A is pressed against the locking surface 64. The first locking portion 61 has a triangular shape with a predetermined width that rises smoothly from the outer peripheral surface of the retainer accommodating portion 36 and gradually increases in radial direction toward the vehicle rear side. The locking surface 64 is an end surface on the vehicle rear side of the first locking portion 61 having a protruding shape, and is a flat surface along the mold dividing direction Z4 (see FIG. 6) when the gear housing 32 described later is cast. . When the harness 30 </ b> A comes into contact with the locking surface 64, the movement of the harness 30 </ b> A in the direction toward the locking surface 64 is restricted / restricted.

  The second locking portion 62 has a rib shape protruding on the outer wall surface in the vicinity of the corner portion of the sensor housing mounting portion 38, and has a semicircular arc uniform cross-sectional shape and substantially the pinion axial direction Z3 (specifically, As described later, it extends along the parting direction Z4), and is disposed on the opposite side of the retainer axial direction Z1 opposite the locking surface 64 of the first locking portion 61 with the harness 30A interposed therebetween. Yes. As shown in FIG. 3, the second locking portion 62 locks the first locking portion 62 against the elastic force of the harness 30 </ b> A by locking the side opposite to the side locking the first locking portion 61. The harness 30A is locked so as to face the first biasing direction (the direction opposite to the arrow H2 in FIG. 3) of the harness 30A urged by the reaction H1 generated by the stopping portion 61. That is, the second locking portion 62 restricts / restrains the movement of the harness 30 </ b> A in the direction toward the outer surface of the rib-shaped second locking portion 62.

  The third locking portion 63 has a bracket 65 as an attachment member for holding the harness 30 </ b> A in the rack bar housing portion 35, and the bracket 65 is fixed to the outer periphery of the rack bar housing portion 35 with a screw 66. By fixing to 67, the harness 30 </ b> A is fixed between the distal end portion of the channel-shaped bracket 65 and the attachment portion 67 in a state in which movement in all directions including the longitudinal direction is restricted by the tightening force of the screw 66. Yes. The third locking portion 63 locks at least the side opposite to the side where the second locking portion 62 locks so that the harness 30A is always pressed against the second locking portion 62. Thus, the harness 30A is opposed to the second biasing direction (the direction opposite to the arrow H3 in FIG. 3) of the harness 30A urged by the reaction H2 generated by the second locking portion 62 against the elastic force of the harness 30A. Is locked.

  With these first to third locking portions 61 to 63, the harness 30A is restricted from moving in the direction toward the corner portion of the sensor housing portion 22 by the intermediate second locking portion 62, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the first locking part 61 and the third locking part 63 on both sides are held in a posture bent in a direction approaching the sensor housing part 22. That is, the harness 30 </ b> A receives forces in the directions H <b> 1 and H <b> 3 approaching the sensor housing portion 22 from the first locking portion 61 and the third locking portion 63 on both sides as a reaction of the elastic force and the restoring force due to its own rigidity. The intermediate second locking portion 62 is held in a state where it receives a force in the direction H2 away from the sensor housing portion 22 which is substantially opposite to the directions H1 and H3.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the harness 30A is held on the housing side by the first to third locking portions 61 to 63 while maintaining a predetermined tension, and inadvertent movement and bending of the harness 30A are suppressed. Thus, interference with other devices can be suppressed. Further, since the first locking portion 61 having a protruding shape and the second locking portion 62 having a rib shape are formed integrally with the gear housing 32, a clip or a band for locking the harness 30A. It is possible to reduce the number of separate mounting members, such as a bracket and a bracket, and to simplify and reduce costs by reducing the number of parts.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the gear housing 32 of the first embodiment is cast by a mold having a mold dividing surface 68 along the radial direction of the rack bar accommodating portion 35, so that the mold orthogonal to the mold dividing surface 68 is used. The split direction Z4 is inclined with respect to the pinion axis direction Z3. For this reason, the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 that is integrally formed with the gear housing 32 is a surface along the dividing direction Z4, and the rib-shaped second protruding from the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38. The outer surface of the locking part 62 is also a surface along the dividing direction Z4. Further, the locking surface 64 of the first locking portion 61 is also a flat surface along the dividing direction Z4 as described above. Therefore, the first and second locking portions 61 and 62 can be shaped so as not to cause an undercut with respect to the dividing direction Z4 of the gear housing 32, and the castability of the gear housing 32 is not hindered. The first and second locking portions 61 and 62 can be integrally formed when the gear housing 32 is cast.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the first locking portion 61 and the second locking portion 62 that are arranged close to each other at a short distance of about the radius of the rack bar housing portion 35 are parallel with the harness 30 </ b> A interposed therebetween. Since the harness 30A is sandwiched in parallel from both sides, generation of force in the pulling direction can be suppressed and the harness 30A can be stably held.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the harness 30 </ b> A is a bent portion that bends greatly from an obliquely downward posture to a lateral posture along the pinion axial direction Z <b> 3 in a section from the clip 54 toward the first locking portion 61. Is provided. Here, in this embodiment, since the harness 30A is held in the obliquely downward posture along the pinion axis direction Z3 by the clip 54, the harness 30A is strongly pressed against the upper surface of the retainer accommodating portion 36. In addition, the locking surface 64 of the projection-shaped first locking portion 61 formed in the retainer housing portion 36 faces the harness 30A inclined forward along the pinion axial direction Z3 in the vehicle front-rear direction. Because of the shape, the harness 30 </ b> A is strongly pressed against the locking surface 64 of the first locking portion 61. Although the clip 54 and the first locking portion 61 provide a large bent portion between the two 54 and 61, a sufficient pressing force / surface pressure on the housing side is ensured, and the harness 30A is secured. It can be stably held on the housing side.

  In addition, an end portion of the protective tube 50 near the sensor is arranged in a section from the clip 54 where the large bent portion is provided to the first locking portion 61, in other words, a portion where the protective tube 50 is not present in this section. By setting, the rigidity of the harness 30A is intentionally weakened. Accordingly, the harness 30A can be easily bent, and the harness 30A can be compactly routed along the outer surface of the housing.

  The rib-shaped second locking portion 62 bulges from the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 and extends along the outer wall surface, so that it is sufficient for the elastic force of the harness 30A. The harness 30A can be securely locked even if the harness 30A has strength and the routing position of the harness 30A is slightly shifted.

  At the corner portion of the sensor housing portion 22 around which the harness 30A is routed, the sensor housing 33 and the sensor housing mounting portion 38 of the gear housing 32 are fastened and fixed by a fixing bolt 40 whose axial direction is the pinion axial direction Z3. The sensor housing mounting portion 38 is formed with a bolt hole 40A having a female screw into which the fixing bolt 40 is screwed. Here, since the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 extends along the dividing direction Z4 and is inclined with respect to the pinion axial direction Z3, the bolt hole 40A is inclined with respect to the outer wall surface. The lower end of the bolt hole 40A is open to the outer wall surface. A piece of metal due to processing may remain on the peripheral edge of the opening of the bolt hole 40A. If the harness 30A interferes with this portion, the harness 30A may be damaged.

  In the present embodiment, the second locking portion 62 is disposed close to the opening peripheral edge of the bolt hole 40A so that the harness 30A does not interfere with the opening peripheral edge of the bolt hole 40A. It extends so as to pass the side of the peripheral edge of the opening, and protrudes outward from the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 so as to be away from the peripheral edge of the opening. This second locking portion 62 regulates the movement of the harness 30A in the direction toward the opening peripheral edge of the bolt hole 40A while compactly routing the harness 30A around the corner portion of the sensor housing mounting portion 38, and both 30A , 40A can be avoided.

  Moreover, the strength of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 around the fixing bolt 40 can be improved by the second locking portion 62. That is, the second locking portion 62 also serves as a bolt boss portion that improves the rigidity and strength against the fastening force of the fixing bolt 40.

  In contrast to the first and second locking portions 61 and 62 formed integrally with the gear housing 32 in this way, the third locking portion 63 is a separate bracket 65 that restrains the movement of the harness 30A in all directions. Is used. That is, by securely holding the harness 30A so as not to move in the longitudinal direction by the clips 54 and the brackets 65 on both sides, the bending of the harness 30A between the both 54 and 65 is suppressed. The harness 30 </ b> A can be held in a state where it is strongly pressed against the first locking portion 61 and the second locking portion 62 provided therebetween. Therefore, the harness 30 </ b> A can be stably held on the housing side while the first locking portion 61 and the second locking portion 62 have a simple protrusion shape or rib shape.

  In this embodiment, the rib-shaped second locking portion 62 is formed on the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38. However, depending on the layout, the rib-shaped second locking portion 62 may be formed on the outer wall surface of the sensor housing 33. May be formed integrally.

  In the following second and third embodiments, only different parts from the first embodiment will be described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the rib shape of the second locking portion 62A protruding from the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion 38 is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, in the second embodiment, the rib shape of the second locking portion 62A is triangular. Thus, the surface pressure with respect to harness 30A can be raised by making the rib shape of 2nd latching | locking part 62A into the cross-sectional shape where the front-end | tip sharpened, and the retention strength of harness 30A can be raised.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the second locking portions 62 and 62A are formed in a rib shape that protrudes from the outer wall surface of the housing in order to avoid interference with the peripheral edge of the bolt hole 40A. However, the shape of the second locking portion is not limited to this, and may be an appropriate protruding shape, flat shape, or curved shape that abuts on the wire harness and restrains its movement.

  The third embodiment shown in FIG. 9 differs from the first embodiment in the mold parting surface 68B for casting the gear housing 32 and the parting direction Z4B. In other words, in the third embodiment, the parting surface 68B is set in a direction perpendicular to the pinion axis Z3, and the parting direction Z4B is set in a direction parallel to the pinion axis direction Z3. Then, the locking surface 64B of the first locking portion 61B having a protrusion shape and the outer surface of the second locking portion 62B having a rib shape are parallel surfaces along the dividing direction Z4B. Similar to the example, the gear housing 32 is shaped so as not to cause an undercut when cast.

  In the third embodiment as described above, the following functions and effects can be obtained in addition to the functions and effects similar to those of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the locking surface 64 of the first locking portion 61 is substantially along the vertical direction, whereas in the third embodiment shown in FIG. The locking surface 64B of the one locking part 61B is inclined along the pinion axial direction Z3, that is, the lower side is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to enter the inner side (front side). For this reason, the harness 30 </ b> A enters the inside of the locking surface 64 </ b> B, and the harness 30 </ b> A can be prevented from coming out upward and the retainability of the harness 30 </ b> A can be improved.

  Technical ideas other than the inventions described in the scope of claims that can be understood from the above description are listed below.

  [1] The power steering device according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion has a rib shape protruding from an outer wall surface of the sensor housing portion.

  According to this configuration, similarly to the first locking portion, the rib-shaped second locking portion can be formed integrally with the housing, and further reduction of bands and clips separate from the housing is possible. Can be achieved.

  [2] The power steering device according to [1], wherein the second locking portion has a rib shape having a triangular cross-section formed to protrude from an outer wall surface of the sensor housing portion.

  According to this configuration, similarly to the first locking portion, the rib-shaped second locking portion can be formed integrally with the housing, and further reduction of bands and clips separate from the housing is possible. In addition, by making the rib shape a triangular cross-section with a sharp tip, the surface pressure on the wire harness can be increased and the holding power of the wire harness can be increased.

[3] A gear housing in which the housing is formed with the rack bar housing portion and the retainer housing portion, and a sensor housing fixed to a sensor housing mounting portion formed in the gear housing using a fixing bolt. Have
The sensor housing portion includes the sensor housing mounting portion and the sensor housing;
On the outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion, a tip of a bolt hole into which the fixing bolt is screwed is opened,
2. The power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion is provided at a position close to an opening peripheral portion of the bolt hole on an outer wall surface of the sensor housing mounting portion.

  According to such a configuration, even if the metal piece remains in the opening peripheral portion of the bolt hole, the wire harness is provided by the second locking portion disposed in the vicinity of the opening peripheral portion of the bolt hole. And interference with the opening peripheral edge of the bolt hole.

[4] The housing includes a gear housing in which the first locking portion is integrally formed,
2. The power steering device according to claim 1, wherein the locking surface of the first locking portion is a flat surface parallel to a mold split direction of a mold for casting the gear housing.

  According to this structure, the 1st latching | locking part can be made into the shape which does not produce an undercut at the time of casting of a gear housing, and does not inhibit the castability of a gear housing.

[5] The housing includes a gear housing in which the second locking portion is integrally formed,
The second locking portion has a rib shape integrally protruding from the outer wall surface of the gear housing,
2. The power steering device according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the second locking portion is a flat surface parallel to a mold split direction of a mold for casting the gear housing.

  According to this structure, the 2nd latching | locking part can be made into the shape which does not produce an undercut at the time of casting of a gear housing, and does not inhibit the castability of a gear housing.

  [6] The power steering device according to [4] or [5], wherein the mold dividing direction is inclined with respect to an axial direction of the pinion shaft.

  [7] The power steering device according to [4] or [5], wherein the mold dividing direction is parallel to the pinion axis.

  [8] The power steering according to [1], wherein the locking surface of the first locking portion and the outer surface of the second locking portion having a rib shape face each other in parallel. apparatus.

  According to this configuration, since the wire harness is sandwiched in parallel between the first locking portion and the second locking portion, generation of force in the pulling direction is suppressed, and the wire harness is stably Can be held.

  [9] A mounting member for holding the wire harness on the sensor housing portion side between a portion connected to the sensor housing portion and a portion latched to the first locking portion. The power steering device according to claim 1.

  According to this configuration, the wire harness is held in a downward posture along the sensor housing portion by an attachment member such as a clip, and the force for pressing the wire harness against the outer peripheral surface of the retainer housing portion is secured, and the wire harness is held. Can be improved.

[10] The wire harness includes a plurality of electric wires and a protective tube that covers the electric wires,
The power steering device according to [9], wherein an end portion of the protective tube on the sensor housing portion side is disposed between the attachment member and the first locking portion.

  In such a section between the mounting member and the first locking portion, the wire harness is bent largely from the downward posture along the sensor housing portion to the lateral posture by being abutted against the outer peripheral surface of the retainer housing portion. It becomes the form to do. By placing the end of the protective tube in the section where the large bent part is provided and providing the part that is not covered by the protective tube, the rigidity of the wire harness is reduced and the wire harness is made compact. Can be circulated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Steering wheel 12 ... Steering wheel 15 ... Steering shaft 17 ... Pinion shaft 18 ... Rack bar 20 ... Housing 22 ... Sensor accommodating part 23 ... Steering angle sensor (sensor member)
24 ... Torque sensor (sensor member)
25 ... control unit 26 ... electric motor 30 (30A, 30B) ... wire harness 32 ... gear housing 35 ... rack bar housing part 36 ... retainer housing part 37 ... rack retainer 61 ... first locking part 62 ... second locking part 63 ... Third locking portion 64 ... Locking surface

Claims (1)

A steering mechanism having a steering shaft that rotates as the steering wheel rotates, a pinion shaft that rotates as the steering shaft rotates, and a rack bar that meshes at a portion that intersects the pinion shaft;
A rack retainer that urges the rack bar toward the pinion shaft so as to mesh with the pinion shaft;
A housing that is supported on the vehicle body side. The housing is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a rack bar accommodating portion that accommodates the rack bar so as to be movable forward and backward, and radially outward from the rack bar accommodating portion. A retainer receiving portion that is formed so as to protrude to the front and that can be moved forward and backward, and is connected to the rack bar receiving portion at a position opposite to the retainer receiving portion with the rack bar interposed therebetween, and the pinion shaft A sensor housing portion extending along the axial direction of the pinion shaft so as to surround the periphery,
And a sensor member that is housed in the sensor housing portion and detects steering information that is a steering angle of the steering shaft or a steering torque generated in the steering shaft;
An electric motor that is drive-controlled based on the steering information and applies a steering assist force to the steering mechanism;
A signal line for transmitting a signal based on the steering information detected by the sensor member to the electric motor side, is connected to one end side of the sensor housing part, a sensor other end is connected to the control unit A wire harness,
Formed to protrude on an outer peripheral surface of the retainer housing portion, said has a sensor housing portion opposite to the locking surface, that the sensor wire harness this locking surface abuts, toward this locking surface A first locking portion for restricting movement of the sensor wire harness;
It is provided on the outer wall surface of the sensor accommodating portion, and locks the other end side of the sensor wire harness with respect to the portion contacting the first locking portion, and at least the first locking portion is engaged. By locking the opposite side to the side to be stopped, facing the bias direction of the sensor wire harness biased by the reaction generated by the first locking portion against the elastic force of the sensor wire harness A second locking portion for locking the sensor wire harness,
Provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rack bar housing portion, and the other end side of the wire harness for sensor than the portion contacting the second locking portion is locked, and at least the second locking portion is By engaging the side opposite to the side to be locked, the sensor wire harness is engaged with the sensor wire harness so as to face the biasing direction of the sensor wire harness biased by the reaction generated by the second locking portion. A third locking portion to stop;
A power steering apparatus comprising:

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