JP6090079B2 - Steering knuckle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering knuckle for a vehicle.

  Conventionally, a steering knuckle connected to a lower arm, a tie rod, or the like while rotatably supporting a wheel is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The steering knuckle includes a main body portion to which a wheel support is attached, and an arm portion that extends from the main body portion in the vehicle front-rear direction and to which a tie rod is coupled.

JP 2007-022250 A

  In the steering knuckle described above, if there is an input for turning the wheel from the tie rod, a bending load is applied to the arm portion. This bending load tends to concentrate near the base (base) of the arm portion, and therefore, a large stress tends to be generated near the base portion of the arm portion.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for reducing stress generated in the vicinity of a base portion of an arm portion to which a tie rod in a steering knuckle is coupled.

In order to solve the above problems, a steering knuckle according to an aspect of the present invention includes a main body portion to which a wheel support is connected, an arm portion extending from the main body portion and having a connecting portion of a tie rod, and the main body portion and the arm. At least one of the parts includes a recess provided on a transmission path from a connecting part of a load applied to the arm part to the main body part by an input from the tie rod, and distributing the load to the main body part side. The main body has an insertion hole for a fastening member and a fastening seat surface for connecting the wheel support to the main body. The concave portion is provided in a region between the fastening seat surface and the coupling portion on the surface facing the inner side in the vehicle width direction on the side where the fastening seat surface is provided, and is provided in the vicinity of the fastening seat surface. The end of the recess on the fastening seat surface side is in contact with the side of the fastening seat surface. According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce stress generated in the vicinity of the base portion of the arm portion to which the tie rod in the steering knuckle is coupled.

  Furthermore, in any one of the above aspects, the concave portion may have a shape in which the length in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the arm portion increases as it approaches the main body portion side from the connecting portion side. Thereby, the stress which arises in the base part vicinity of an arm part can be reduced more reliably.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique for reducing the stress which arises in the base part vicinity of the arm part with which the tie rod in a steering knuckle is connected can be provided.

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a steering knuckle according to an embodiment when viewed from the inner side in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a schematic structure of the steering knuckle according to the embodiment when viewed from the lower side of the vehicle. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a fastening seat surface, a tie rod mounting arm portion, and a recess. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3A and 3B are views showing a three-dimensional model in the vicinity of the recess of the steering knuckle. FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram for explaining the transmission of a load when no recess is provided. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram for explaining the transmission of a load when a recess is provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a steering knuckle according to an embodiment when viewed from the inner side in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a schematic structure of the steering knuckle according to the embodiment when viewed from the lower side of the vehicle. 1A and 1B, FR represents the front in the vehicle front-rear direction, IN represents the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and UP represents the upper side of the vehicle.

  The steering knuckle 1 is used in, for example, a strut type suspension device, and includes a main body portion 10, a suspension mounting arm portion 20, a lower arm mounting portion 30, a brake caliper mounting portion 40, a tie rod mounting arm portion 50, and a recess 60. .

  The main body 10 has an opening 12 at the center thereof into which a wheel support for rotatably supporting the wheel is inserted. The wheel support is, for example, a hub bearing. Further, the main body 10 has a plurality of fastening member insertion holes 14 around the opening 12 for connecting the wheel support to the main body 10. In the present embodiment, the main body 10 has three insertion holes 14, the first insertion hole 14 is disposed above the opening 12, and the second insertion hole 14 is below the opening 12. The third insertion hole 14 is disposed in front of the vehicle from the first insertion hole 14 and below the opening 12 and behind the vehicle through the first insertion hole 14.

  Each insertion hole 14 is provided such that its central axis 14L extends in the vehicle width direction. Each insertion hole 14 has a fastening seat surface 16 at the peripheral edge of the opening end on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. For example, a wheel support is connected to the main body 10 as follows. That is, with the wheel support inserted into the opening 12, the fastening hole on the wheel support side is overlapped with the insertion hole 14 of the main body 10. Then, the bolt as the fastening member is inserted from the outer side in the vehicle width direction into the insertion hole on the wheel support side and the insertion hole 14 of the main body portion 10, and screwed into the nut as the fastening member abutted against the fastening seat surface 16. . As a result, the wheel support is connected to the main body 10. In this embodiment, the fastening seat surface 16 has a floating boss shape (see FIG. 2B, FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B). It may have a counterbore shape.

  The suspension mounting arm portion 20 is formed so as to extend upward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper portion of the main body portion 10. The suspension attachment arm portion 20 is provided with two suspension attachment portions 22 for connecting to the suspension device.

  The lower arm attachment part 30 is provided in the lower part of the main-body part 10, and a lower arm is connected. Two brake caliper mounting portions 40 are provided on the vehicle front side of the main body portion 10, and a brake caliper is mounted.

  The tie rod mounting arm portion 50, that is, the knuckle arm is provided on the vehicle rear side of the main body portion 10. The tie rod mounting arm portion 50 extends from the main body portion 10 to the vehicle rear side and the vehicle inner side. In the present embodiment, the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 protrudes from the vicinity of the fastening seat surface 16 provided on the main body portion 10. The surface of the main body 10 on the side on which the fastening seat surface 16 is provided and the surface on the same side of the tie rod mounting arm 50 are smoothly continuous except for the region in which the recess 60 is provided. The tie rod mounting arm portion 50 has a connecting portion 52 to which a tie rod of a steering mechanism is connected at the tip thereof. The connecting part 52 has a connecting hole 54 to which the tie rod end is connected. The connecting hole 54 is provided such that its central axis 54L extends in the vehicle vertical direction.

  The recess 60 is provided on at least one surface of the main body 10 and the tie rod mounting arm 50. The recess 60 may be provided only on the surface of the tie rod mounting arm 50 or only on the surface of the main body 10, or may be provided across the main body 10 and the tie rod mounting arm 50. In the present embodiment, a recess 60 is provided in the vicinity of the base portion of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50. Hereinafter, the recess 60 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C), FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B).

  FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a fastening seat surface, a tie rod mounting arm portion, and a recess. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3A and 3B are views showing a three-dimensional model in the vicinity of the recess of the steering knuckle. FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram for explaining the transmission of a load when no recess is provided. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram for explaining the transmission of a load when a recess is provided. In FIG. 4B, for the sake of convenience, the extending range of the recess 60 is shown shaded.

  The concave portion 60 is provided on a transmission path from the connecting portion 52 to the main body portion 10, for example, a load applied to the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 by an input from the tie rod in at least one of the main body portion 10 and the tie rod mounting arm portion 50. Provided. The recess 60 provided on the transmission path disperses the load and transmits the load to the main body 10 side, that is, to the downstream side of the recess 60.

  In the present embodiment, the recess 60 is provided in a region R between the fastening seat surface 16 and the connecting portion 52 on the side where the fastening seat surface 16 is provided, that is, on the surface of the steering knuckle 1 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. . The tie rod mounting arm 50 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape at least at the base, and is provided with a recess 60 on the surface facing inward in the vehicle width direction.

  Preferably, the recess 60 is provided in a region overlapping with a line C (see FIG. 1A) connecting the insertion hole 14 of the main body 10 and the connecting portion 52 of the tie rod mounting arm 50 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. This line C is, for example, a line connecting a point on the central axis 54L of the connecting hole 54 and a point on the central axis 14L of the insertion hole 14, and further on the central axis 54L and inside the hole of the connecting hole 54. This is a line that connects the point 54LC located at the center of the insertion hole 14 and the point 14LC located on the center axis 14L. The line C corresponds to the shortest path in the transmission path from the connecting part 52 of the bending stress applied to the tie rod mounting arm part 50 to the main body part 10. Or the steering knuckle 1 has the recessed part 60 in the center area | region of the vehicle up-down direction in the base of the tie rod attachment arm part 50. As shown in FIG. With such an arrangement, it is possible to more reliably exhibit the stress reduction effect due to the load dispersing action of the recess 60 described later.

  Further, the recess 60 is preferably provided in the vicinity of the fastening seat surface 16. The phrase “provided in the vicinity” means, for example, that the end of the recess 60 on the fastening seat surface 16 side is positioned closer to the fastening seat surface 16 than the center of the line C in the extending direction of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50. This means that the recess 60 is provided. In the present embodiment, the recess 60 has an end portion of the side surface 16a that extends in the vehicle width direction from the surface of the main body portion 10 and has an end portion on the fastening seat surface 16 side constituting a floating boss of the fastening seat surface 16. It is provided so that it may touch. By disposing the recess 60 in the vicinity of the fastening seating surface 16, it is possible to more reliably exhibit the stress reduction effect due to the load dispersing action of the recess 60 described later. There is no particular limitation on the position of the end of the recess 60 on the connecting portion 52 side, and the recess 60 may be provided so that the end contacts the connecting portion 52. It is preferable that the end portion is disposed away from the connecting portion 52. That is, it is preferable that a region where the concave portion 60 does not extend is present adjacent to the coupling portion 52 on the surface facing the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50.

  The depth E of the recess 60, in other words, the length of the recess 60 in the vehicle width direction, or the distance in the vehicle width from the deepest portion of the recess 60 to the surface of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 adjacent to the recess 60 is, for example, 1 mm or more. is there. Further, the length F in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 is, for example, not less than the diameter of the insertion hole 14 or not less than 10 mm at the maximum portion. The length G in the direction parallel to the extending direction of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 is, for example, 5 mm or more at the maximum portion. The ratio of the length in the vehicle width direction of the tie rod mounting arm 50 in the region where the recess 60 is provided to the depth of the recess 60 is, for example, 10: 1 to 2: 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the recess 60 is orthogonal to the extending direction of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 as viewed from the vehicle width direction as it approaches the main body portion 10 side from the connecting portion 52 side. It has a shape in which the length F in the direction increases. By having such a shape, it is possible to more reliably exhibit the stress reduction effect by the load dispersing action described later of the recess 60. The recess 60 shown in FIG. 4B has a substantially semicircular shape, and is provided such that the curved portion (arc) is located on the connecting portion 52 side and the straight portion (string) is located on the fastening seat surface 16 side. However, the shape of the recess 60 is not particularly limited to this. For example, the recess 60 may have a triangular shape, and may be provided such that one vertex is located on the connecting portion 52 side and the opposite side of the vertex is located on the fastening seat surface 16 side.

  The recess 60 can be formed by reducing the thickness of the connection region between the main body 10 and the tie rod mounting arm 50, that is, stealing a part of the surface of the connection region. Thus, by forming the recess 60 by stealing the meat, an increase in the weight of the steering knuckle 1 due to the formation of the recess 60 can be avoided.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the recess 60 is not provided on the transmission path from the connecting portion 52 of the load P applied to the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 to the fastening seat surface 16, the load P is mainly the shortest. Is transmitted to the fastening seating surface 16 through the transmission path (line C in FIG. 1A). In this case, the load is concentrated in the vicinity of the base of the tie rod mounting arm 50, particularly in the region Q near the connecting portion 52 in the R-shaped side surface 16a of the fastening seating surface 16 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). As a result, the stress generated in the region Q tends to increase.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the recess 60 is provided on the transmission path from the connecting portion 52 of the load P applied to the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 to the fastening seat surface 16, the connecting portion 52 The load P that travels on the shortest path toward the main body 10 side is dispersed by the recesses 60. A part of the load P is transmitted to the fastening seating surface 16 side via the region where the concave portion 60 does not extend on the inner surface in the vehicle width direction of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50, that is, the upper and lower end regions of the base. . That is, the load P is dispersed by the recess 60, and a part of the load P is transmitted to the fastening seat surface 16 by bypassing the recess 60. Accordingly, the load P advances toward the main body 10 while being distributed over a wider range of the tie rod mounting arm 50 than in the case where the recess 60 is not provided. Thereby, since the concentration of the load P in the region Q can be relaxed, the stress generated in the region Q can be reduced.

  Further, as a method of reducing the stress generated at the base portion of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50, it is conceivable to build up the base portion of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 to increase the section modulus of the portion. Doing so will increase the weight of the steering knuckle. In addition, when building up, there are restrictions on the places where it can be built up in order to secure the space between the steering knuckle 1 and other parts in the vicinity of the base of the tie rod mounting arm 50 and the space for inserting a cutting tool or the like. . For this reason, it was difficult to efficiently fill up.

  For example, the stress reduction effect with respect to the amount of build-up can be enhanced by building up in the central region of the base portion of the tie rod attachment arm portion 50 so as to extend in the extending direction of the tie rod attachment arm portion 50. However, in order to ensure the clearance between the above-described other parts and the like, the base portion of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 sometimes has to be built up so as to extend in the vertical direction. In this case, the stress reduction effect on the buildup amount is relatively low, and it was necessary to increase the buildup amount in order to obtain a constant stress reduction effect.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the load P is dispersed by the recess 60, thereby suppressing an increase in stress generated in the vicinity of the base portion of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50. And the recessed part 60 can be formed by stealing a part of surface of the main-body part 10 and / or the tie-rod attachment arm part 50. FIG. For this reason, the stress generated in the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 can be reduced while suppressing an increase in the weight of the steering knuckle 1. Further, the formation of the recess 60 is not restricted in securing a clearance with other parts. For this reason, the recessed part 60 has a large freedom degree of arrangement | positioning compared with the case where it builds up.

  As described above, the steering knuckle 1 according to the present embodiment has the concave portion 60 that disperses the bending load applied to the tie rod mounting arm 50 and transmits it to the main body 10 side at the base of the tie rod mounting arm 50. . By providing the recess 60, the load that travels through the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 toward the main body portion 10 is dispersed, so that the stress generated near the base portion of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the tie rod mounting arm portion 50 projects from the vicinity of the fastening seat surface 16 of the main body portion 10. The recessed portion 60 is provided in a region R between the fastening seat surface 16 and the connecting portion 52. In the configuration in which the fastening portion of the hub bearing is disposed in the vicinity of the base of the tie rod mounting arm portion 50, the stress tends to increase in a region Q on the straight line connecting the fastening portion and the connecting portion 52 and in the vicinity of the fastening seat surface 16. It is in. On the other hand, since the load concentrated on the region Q can be dispersed by providing the recess 60 as described above, the stress generated in the region Q can be reduced.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes can be added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and the embodiments to which such modifications are added. Are also included within the scope of the present invention. New embodiments generated by the combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications have the effects of the combined embodiments and modifications.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering knuckle, 10 Main body part, 14 Insertion hole, 16 Fastening seat surface, 50 Tie rod mounting arm part, 52 Connection part, 60 Recessed part, C line, P load, R area | region.

Claims (2)

A main body to which the wheel support is connected;
An arm portion extending from the body portion and having a connecting portion of a tie rod;
At least one of the main body part and the arm part is provided on a transmission path from the connection part to the main body part for a load applied to the arm part by an input from a tie rod, and distributes the load to the main body part side. A recess for transmission ,
The main body has an insertion hole and a fastening seat surface for a fastening member for connecting a wheel support to the main body,
The concave portion is provided in a region between the fastening seat surface and the connecting portion on the surface facing the vehicle width direction on the side where the fastening seat surface is provided, and is provided in the vicinity of the fastening seat surface,
The steering knuckle is characterized in that an end portion of the concave portion on the fastening seat surface side is in contact with a side portion of the fastening seat surface . 2. The steering knuckle according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has a shape in which a length in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the arm portion increases as it approaches the main body portion side from the connecting portion side.