JPH0231975A - Steering device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent excessive rise in oil temperature by providing an oil temperature detecting means for detecting the oil temperature of a power steering and a driving means for driving a cooling fan when the oil temperature by the detecting means gets above a defined temperature. CONSTITUTION:A motor-driven cooling fan 34 for cooling a radiator 30 is provided right in front of the radiator 30. The cooling fan 34 consists of an electric motor 38 one terminal 38a of which is connected to the positive terminal of a storage battery 36 and a fan 40 which is coaxially connected to the driving shaft of the electric motor 38. The other terminal 38b of the electric motor 38 is connected in parallel to one terminal 28a of an oil temperature sensor 28 and one terminal 32a of a water temperature sensor 32. As oil temperature rises, the fan 40 is rotated to cool the oil temperature.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a steering device for an automobile equipped with a hydraulic power steering mechanism.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 10175/1983, there has been a hydraulic power steering mechanism that utilizes the driving force of an engine to assist the steering force with hydraulic pressure. Are known. on the other hand,
In this hydraulic power steering mechanism, the axial load on the front wheels increases, the load on the power steering mechanism increases, and the temperature of the hydraulic fluid that operates the power steering mechanism tends to rise. For this reason, technology has been adopted in which a cooling vibe is routed around the engine room to lower the oil temperature.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, in recent years, the capacity of engine rooms has become smaller due to lower bonnets, as well as increased displacement and increased output due to the adoption of turbochargers. As the number of auxiliary devices increases, the temperature inside the engine compartment tends to increase. For this reason, for example,
Even if you route the ring pipe into the engine room as described above in a narrow engine room,
As the temperature inside the engine room increases, the cooling effect decreases, resulting in a situation where the hydraulic oil temperature cannot be lowered. For this reason, the temperature of the hydraulic oil reaches 120° C., which exceeds the heat-resistant temperature of the oil seal of 100° C., even if only temporarily, and there is a problem that the oil seal may be damaged.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the invention is to shorten the routing distance of hydraulic oil piping so that the piping can be properly arranged even in a narrow engine room. To provide a steering device for an automobile that can prevent a rise in oil temperature and reliably protect an oil seal.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose, a steering device for an automobile according to the present invention is provided in an engine room, and a steering device for cooling the inside of the engine room is provided. A cooling fan, a hydraulic power steering means that transmits the steering force of the steering wheel to the front wheels in an assisted state, an oil temperature detection means that detects the oil temperature of the hydraulic power steering means, and the oil temperature detection means detects the oil temperature. The cooling fan is characterized by further comprising a driving means for driving the cooling fan when the oil temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

[Function] In the automobile steering system configured as described above, when the oil temperature of the power steering means detected by the oil temperature detection means exceeds a predetermined temperature, the engine compartment is cooled. The oil temperature will be lowered by driving the cooling fan. As a result, the piping routing distance can be set short, and
This will reliably prevent thermal damage to the oil seal.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, the configuration of an embodiment of a steering device for an automobile according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in the figure, a steering device 10 of this embodiment
is a steering wheel 12 disposed inside the vehicle;
A power steering mechanism 14 is disposed in the engine room and transmits the steering force generated by rotating the steering wheel 12 to the front wheels (not shown) in a hydraulically assisted state. In the following description, all components other than the above-mentioned steering wheel 12 are arranged in the engine room.

The power steering mechanism 14 is hydraulic, and hydraulic oil pressurized by a hydraulic pump 16 is supplied to the operating portion 18 of the power steering mechanism 14 via a supply pipe 20 as an assisting medium for assisting the steering force. There is. On the other hand, the operating portion 18 is connected to the power steering reservoir tank 22 via a return pipe 24 so that the hydraulic fluid used here as assist force is returned to the power steering reservoir tank 22. Further, the reservoir tank 22 and the hydraulic pump 16 are connected via a connecting pipe 26. The hydraulic pump 16 is configured to be driven by the driving force of an engine (not shown).

Here, an oil temperature sensor 28 is attached to the reservoir tank 22 to detect the temperature of the hydraulic oil stored therein as an oil temperature. This oil temperature sensor 28 is composed of a so-called bimetal switch, and is configured to set a predetermined temperature,
In this example, it is opened at 100°C or less,
It is set to be closed and conductive when the temperature rises above 100°C.

On the other hand, a radiator 30 for cooling engine cooling water is disposed in the front part of the engine room. A water temperature sensor 32 is attached to the radiator 30 to detect the temperature of the cooling water brought there as the engine temperature. The water temperature sensor 32, like the oil temperature sensor 28, is composed of a so-called bimetal switch, and has a predetermined set temperature, 80°C in this embodiment.
It is set to be open when the temperature is below 80°C, and to be closed and conductive when the temperature is higher than 80°C.

Furthermore, an electric cooling foot 234 mechanism for cooling the radiator 30 is disposed immediately in front of the radiator 30. The cooling fan mechanism 34 includes an electric motor 38 whose one terminal 38a is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 36, and a fan 40 which is coaxially connected to the drive shaft of the electric motor 38. here,
The negative terminal of the battery 36 is grounded.

Further, the other terminal 38b of the electric motor 38 is connected in parallel to one terminal 28a of the oil temperature sensor 28 and one terminal 32a of the water temperature sensor 32. Here, the other terminal 28b of the oil temperature sensor 28 and the other terminal 32b of the water temperature sensor 32 are both grounded.

As described above, since the connection state of the electric motor 38 is set, when at least either the oil temperature sensor 28 or the water temperature sensor 32 is closed, the electric motor is started in the power supply state, and the fan 40 is rotated to perform a cooling operation for the radiator 30. Incidentally, as the electric cooling fan mechanism 34 is driven, the cooling air passes through the engine room and connects to the above-mentioned piping 20.24.2 for the power steering mechanism 14.
In other words, this electric cooling fan mechanism 34 also functions as a cooling mechanism for the power steering mechanism 14.

Automobile steering device 10 configured as described above
The cooling operation will be explained below.

First, when the engine is started cold, the temperature detected by the engine water temperature sensor 32 is 80 degrees Celsius, which is the set temperature.
Since the cooling fan mechanism 34 is not activated, the engine cooling water temperature gradually increases. As described above, during warm-up operation when the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 32 is 80'C or lower, for example, if the driver turns the steering wheel 12 many times in an attempt to exit a narrow and winding alley, the steering wheel 12 Every time the wheel 12 is steered, the power steering mechanism 14 is activated and the temperature of the hydraulic oil increases.

Here, the oil temperature of this hydraulic oil is detected by an oil temperature sensor 28, and when the detected temperature by this oil temperature sensor 28 exceeds the set temperature of 100°C, this oil temperature sensor 28
The sensor switch comprising the battery 36 closes, allowing current to flow from the battery 36 to the electric motor 38. As a result, the electric cooling fan mechanism 34 is activated and the fan 40 rotates.

As the fan 4o rotates, cooling air passes through the engine room, and this cooling air cools the hydraulic oil in the piping 20, 24, 26 of the hydraulic power steering mechanism 14, and the oil temperature sensor 28 The temperature of the hydraulic oil is prevented from rising to a temperature higher than the set temperature of 100''C.

In this way, in this embodiment, the temperature of the hydraulic oil is always set below 100° C., which is the heat resistance limit of the oil seal, and thermal destruction of the oil seal is reliably prevented.

As detailed above, in this embodiment, the electric cooling fan mechanism 3 for cooling the radiator 3o
4, the temperature of the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 causes thermal breakdown of the oil seal even when the engine temperature has not risen to the predetermined set temperature of 80° C. and is not being driven. ℃ is detected, the electric cooling fan mechanism 34 is activated regardless of the detected engine temperature, and as the engine compartment is cooled, the hydraulic oil is also cooled, and the hydraulic oil is cooled. This will reliably prevent the temperature from rising above the detected temperature. As a result, the oil seal in the hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 is prevented from being destroyed by heat, and reliability is improved.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 is lowered by forcibly cooling the piping through which the hydraulic oil flows with the cooling air generated by the activation of the electric cooling fan mechanism 34. Therefore, it becomes possible to set the piping short without adopting a configuration in which the piping is routed long inside the engine room for the purpose of natural cooling (heat radiation) as in the past. As a result, even if the engine room is made narrower due to the low bonnet design that has been widely adopted in recent years, the piping can be shortened, so the hydraulic power steering system is well adapted to the low bonnet design. It becomes possible to appropriately suppress the temperature rise of 14.

It goes without saying that this invention is not limited to the configuration of the one embodiment described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the electric cooling fan mechanism 34 for cooling the radiator 3o is used as the fan mechanism for forcibly cooling the hydraulic power steering mechanism 14. ,
Without being limited to such a configuration, for example, the fan mechanism may include an auxiliary fan mechanism (not shown) for cooling the compressor of the air conditioner, or a power steering mechanism. It may also be configured to include a dedicated fan mechanism.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to start the electric fan mechanism 34 for the purpose of cooling the hydraulic oil of the power steering mechanism, an oil temperature sensor and a switch are provided between the other terminal of the electric motor 38 and the body. Although it has been described that the sensor 28 is provided, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the oil temperature from the oil temperature sensor 28 is 10
A control unit (not shown) that receives the detection result of exceeding 0° C. may be configured to output a drive signal to a driver (not shown) of the electric motor 38 to drive the electric motor 38.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, the automobile steering device according to the present invention is arranged in the engine room, and includes a cooling fan for cooling the engine room and an assisted steering force of the steering wheel. a hydraulic power steering means that transmits the information to the front wheels, an oil temperature detection means that detects the oil temperature of the hydraulic power steering means, and an oil temperature detected by the oil temperature detection means that is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. In some cases, the cooling fan is characterized by comprising a driving means for driving the cooling fan.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the routing distance of the hydraulic oil piping, to ensure good piping even in a narrow engine room, and to prevent an excessive rise in oil temperature, thereby ensuring a reliable oil seal. Thus, a steering device for an automobile that can protect the vehicle is provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of an embodiment of a steering device for an automobile according to the present invention. In the figure, 10... Steering device, 12... Steering wheel, 14... Power steering mechanism,
16... Hydraulic pump, 18... Working part, 20...
- Supply pipe, 22... Reservoir tank, 24... Return pipe, 26... Connection pipe, 28... Oil temperature sensor, 28a
;28b...terminal, 3o...radiator, 32...
Water temperature sensor, 32a: 32b...Terminal, 34...
・Electric cooling fan mechanism, 36... battery,
38... Electric motor, 38a; 38b... Terminal, 40... Fan.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A cooling fan disposed in an engine room to cool the inside of the engine room, a hydraulic power steering means for transmitting steering force of a steering wheel to front wheels in an assisted state, and the hydraulic The oil temperature detecting means detects the oil temperature of the power steering means, and the driving means drives the cooling fan when the oil temperature detected by the oil temperature detecting means exceeds a predetermined temperature. An automobile steering device featuring: