JPH0617655Y2 - Electric motor output structure of electric power steering system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a motor output structure of an electric power steering device.

[Prior Art] An electric power steering device capable of fine control according to a running condition of a vehicle is under development as an alternative to a hydraulic power steering device that is widely used.

Examples of such electric power steering devices that have been conventionally developed include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 59-11965 and 60-25853, and the auxiliary power from the electric motor is used. It is configured to be transmitted to a steering output shaft or a rack shaft connected to the output shaft by a rack and pinion system via a clutch and a gear. At this time, the electric motor is controlled by the control device to output power according to the input torque.
In order to obtain this input torque information, an input torque detecting device is provided on the rotating shaft separately from the electric motor, the clutch, the gear and the like.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in the above-described conventionally developed electric power steering apparatus, the power transmission system of the electric motor and the input torque detection system are separately arranged, so the number of parts is reduced. It requires an additional mounting space as well as increasing the number of installations.

Therefore, as an inexpensive and compact electric power steering device with a reduced number of parts, a device as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 has been proposed.

That is, in this power steering device, as shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical input shaft 3 is rotatably supported by the upper cover 1 via the bearing 2, and the upper end portion of the input shaft 3 is separated from the upper cover 1 by the upper cover 1. It is protruding. A steering handle shaft 4 is integrated with the upper end of the input shaft 3. An upper end of a pinion shaft 5 as a steering gear shaft arranged coaxially with the input shaft 3 is supported by a lower end portion of the input shaft 3 via a bearing metal 6 so as to be relatively rotatable.

Further, the pinion shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the pinion case 9 via bearings 7 and 8. A torsion bar 10 as a torsion bar spring is arranged at the center of the input shaft 3, and the upper end of the torsion bar 10 is connected and fixed to the upper end of the input shaft 3 via a press-fit pin 11. The lower end of the torsion bar 10 is press-fitted into the pinion shaft 5 and spline-coupled.

The connection and fixation of the torsion bar 10 to the input shaft 3 by the press-fitting pin 11 is performed by press-fitting and fixing at the end of assembly in order to make the output value of the displacement sensor described later and the twisted state of the torsion bar 10 neutral. Be done.

A flange portion 12 is formed on the outer periphery of the intermediate portion of the input shaft 3, and a driven gear 13 is formed on the upper end portion of the pinion shaft 5. A housing 14 is provided between the upper cover 1 and the pinion case 9. A cylindrical gear housing 15 that surrounds the flange 12 of the input shaft 3 is formed in the housing 14.

An edge flange 16 is formed on the inner edge of the upper end of the gear housing 15. Further, an oscillating ring gear 17 having teeth formed on its inner periphery is rotatably fitted above the inner periphery of the gear housing 15, and the upper surface of the oscillating ring gear 17 has a flange portion 16 thereon.
It is regulated by. Further, a fixed ring gear 19 having teeth formed on the inner circumference is press-fitted into the lower inner edge of the gear housing 15 via a rotatable disc-shaped plate 18. The sun gear 20 is rotatably fitted to the input shaft 3, and the upper end surface of the sun gear 20 is restricted by the flange portion 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, three first pins 21 are attached to the lower side surface of the collar portion 12 at regular intervals.
A first planetary gear 22 is rotatably fitted in each of these. The first planetary gear 22 meshes with the swing ring gear 17 and the sun gear 20. Three second pins 23 are coaxially attached to the first pin 21 on the upper surface of the driven gear 13, and a second planetary gear 24 is rotatably fitted to each second pin 23. . This second planetary gear 2
Reference numeral 4 meshes with the fixed ring gear 19 and the sun gear 20.

As a result, when a rotational force is applied to the input shaft 3 via a handle (not shown), the pinion shaft 5 rotates via the torsion bar 10, and the first planetary gear 22, the second planetary gear 24, and the sun gear 20 swing. It rotates around the moving ring gear 17 and the fixed ring gear 19 while rotating. And
When the resistance on the pinion shaft 5 side is large, only the input shaft 3 rotates and the torsion bar 10 is twisted. At this time, the second planetary gear 24 neither revolves nor rotates, so that the sun gear 20 is in a fixed state, and the rotation of the input shaft 3 causes the first planetary gear 22 to rotate along with the revolution, thereby causing the swing ring gear 17 to rotate.
Rotate. The rotation amount of the rocking ring gear 17 depends on the input shaft 3
Is proportional to the relative rotation amount of the pinion shaft 5.

An electric motor 26 is fixed to the upper cover 1 with a bolt 25, and a rotating shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 is connected to a drive gear (drive gear) 29 via an electromagnetic clutch 28.

The structure of the electric motor output section from the rotary shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 to the drive gear 29 will be described.
On the side, the electromagnetic coil 51, the flywheel 52, and the boss 5
4, an electromagnetic clutch 2 including a rotor 55 and a clutch disc 58 mounted through an annular spring 56.
8 are provided.

That is, the rotating shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 is axially supported by the casing 26a of the electric motor via the bearing 27a. An electromagnetic coil 51 is fixed to the casing 26a of the electric motor 26 and is annularly arranged around the rotary shaft 27.
A flywheel 52 is arranged on the rotating shaft 27 with an appropriate gap from the end surface of the electromagnetic coil 51. A boss 54 is attached to the end of the rotary shaft 27 via a bearing 53 so as to be rotatable relative to the rotary shaft 27. This boss 5
A rotor 55 is integrally connected to the rotor 4. This boss 5
A leaf spring 56 is sandwiched between the rotor 4 and the rotor 55 via a pin 57 so as to rotate integrally with the boss 54 and the rotor 55. And, in the outer peripheral portion of the leaf spring 56,
An annular clutch disc 58 is mounted so as to rotate integrally with the leaf spring 56 through a pin 59 and to have a proper gap with the flywheel 52.

In this way, the electromagnetic coil 28 is constituted by the electromagnetic coil 51, the flywheel 52, the boss 54, the rotor 55, and the clutch disc 58 mounted through the leaf spring 56. In order to facilitate the management of the gap between the flywheel 52 and the flywheel 52, the electric motor assembly 50 is mounted in advance on the electric motor 26 side.

On the other hand, the shaft (output shaft) 60 of the drive gear 29 is coaxial with the rotary shaft 27 and both ends thereof are supported by the upper cover 1 and the housing 14 via bearings 61 and 62, and the end portion on the electric motor 26 side. Is installed so that it projects. And
When the electric motor assembly 50 is mounted on the upper cover 1, the protruding end 60a of the shaft 60 is fitted into the hole 55a formed in the center of the rotor 55 and is serrated.

Therefore, the protruding end 60a of the shaft 60 and the hole 5 of the rotor 55
The serration joint portion with 5a is set so as to have a proper play (gap) between the joint portions in order to facilitate the assembling.

On the other hand, the intermediate shaft 30 is rotatably supported by the upper cover 1 and the pinion case 9 so as to be adjacent to the motor output portion structural portion thus configured. A first reduction gear 31 that meshes with the drive gear 29 is provided on the upper portion of the intermediate shaft 30 (upper portion of the gear housing 15), and a driven gear 13 is provided on the lower portion of the intermediate shaft 30 (lower portion of the gear housing 15). A second decelerating gear 32 that meshes is provided.

Therefore, when the electromagnetic clutch 28 is connected, the driving force of the electric motor 26 is the driving gear 20 and the first reduction gear 3
It is transmitted to the pinion shaft 5 via the first and second reduction gears 32 and the driven gear 13 to rotate the pinion shaft 5.

A rack 34 is meshed with the steering gear 33 of the pinion shaft 5, and the rack 34 is connected to a tie rod 35. A steering receiving arm connected to a wheel to be steered is connected to the tie rod 35. That is, the rotational movement of the pinion shaft 5 is caused by the steering gear 33 and the rack 34.
Is transmitted to the tie rod 35 via the steering wheel and turns the wheel via the steering receiving arm.

The electric motor 26 is provided on the upper cover 1, and the gear housing 15 exists between the first reduction gear 31 and the second reduction gear 32, so that the electric motor 26 may interfere with the bellows or the like on the tie rod 35 side. Moreover, since the output system of the electric motor 26 up to the driven gear 13 does not become long, it does not interfere with the dash panel or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a drive groove 36 extending in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5) is formed on the outer side surface of the swing ring gear 17, and the tip of the drive pin 37 is formed in the drive groove 36. It is rotatably fitted. The drive pin 37 is disposed in a holding hole 38 formed in the housing 14, and the tip of the drive pin 37 has a restriction groove 3 formed in the swing ring gear 17, as shown in FIG.
9 is slidably fitted. The width direction of the restriction groove 39 is set to be substantially the same as the diameter of the drive pin 37. Then, the drive pin 37 is restricted so that it can move only in the longitudinal direction of the drive groove 36 by being fitted in the restriction groove 39, and its removal is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 14 is provided with a spool hole 40 in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the input shaft 3 and orthogonal to the holding hole 38. A spool 42 biased in one direction is slidably fitted. A displacement sensor 43 is provided in the housing 14 on the tip end side (the left end in FIG. 6) of the spool 42, and a sensor rod 44 of the displacement sensor 43 is arranged in the spool hole 40. The spool 42 and the sensor rod 44 are pin-coupled, and the base end of the drive pin 37 is attached to the spool 42 at the intersection of the holding hole 38 and the spool hole 40.

Therefore, when the swing ring gear 17 rotates, the spool 42 slides in the spool hole 40 via the drive pin 37 to drive the sensor rod 44, and the swing ring gear 17 moves.
The rotational displacement of is detected by the displacement sensor 43. Then, the detection value of the displacement sensor 43 is input to a control device (not shown), and the control device outputs an operation control signal of the electric motor 26 based on the detection value from the displacement sensor 43.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 45 is a cap that closes the holding hole 38, and 48 is an air hole formed in the spool 42.

When assembling the drive pin 37, first,
The drive pin 37 is passed through the holding hole 38 into the spool 42, and then the tip of the drive pin 37 is fitted into the regulation groove 39 so that the tip is fitted into the drive groove 36, and the holding hole 38 is closed by the cap 45. .

A pin 46 is erected on the upper surface of the swing ring gear 17, and one end of a ring spring 47 is attached to the pin 46.
The reference numeral 7 is attached to the housing 14 with the other end of the upper surface of the swing ring gear 17 being substantially half-circled. Therefore, a rotational force is biased to the swing ring gear 17, and this biasing force is transmitted to the first planetary gear 22, the sun gear 20, the second planetary gear 24, and the fixed ring gear 19 to remove the backlash of each part. There is. In addition, by the rotational force being applied to the swing ring gear 17, the spool 42 and the drive pin 37
Since the fitted state is stable, when the spool 42 moves, the spool 42 will not be twisted to cause unnecessary friction with the spool hole 40. Therefore, the displacement sensor 43 does not have a response delay.

In addition, the two ring springs 47 and the swing ring gear 17 are
It is conceivable that the friction of the oscillating ring gear 17 is completely prevented by disposing the oscillating ring gears 17 so that they are biased in the same rotational direction at two positions with the phase shifted.

Such an electric power steering apparatus has an advantage that the number of parts is reduced and the apparatus is inexpensive and compact, but there is a problem that an abnormal noise is generated from a structural portion of the electric motor output portion when the electric motor 26 is operated. There is. This abnormal noise is generated by the protruding end 60a of the shaft (output shaft) 60 and the rotor 55.
The play is provided at the serration joint portion with the hole 55a to facilitate the assembling. However, if this play is removed, the assembling of the shaft 60 and the rotor 55 becomes difficult.

Therefore, it may be considered to assemble the entire electric power steering device. In this case, although the abnormal noise can be eliminated, the shaft 60 of the drive gear 29, the shaft system of the input shaft 3, the intermediate shaft 30, and the electric motor 26 can be eliminated. Since the rotary shaft 27 and the three shaft systems must be assembled at the same time, there is a problem in that the workability of assembling the entire assembly is poor.

For this reason, it is possible to prevent abnormal noise from being generated from the structure of the electric motor output portion during the operation of the electric motor, to easily assemble the electric clutch, and to easily manage the gap of the electromagnetic clutch 28. Is expected to be developed.

The present invention has been devised under such circumstances, and it is possible to prevent abnormal noise from being generated from the motor output portion structural portion during operation of the motor, and to easily perform the assembly and the gap management of the electromagnetic clutch. An object is to provide a structure of an electric motor output part of an electric power steering device.

[Means for Solving the Problem] Therefore, the structure of the electric motor output portion of the electric power steering device of the present invention is such that the electric motor that operates based on the steering torque input to the steering wheel shaft and the rotating shaft of the electric motor are separated from each other. A power transmission gear mechanism having an output shaft for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor to the wheel steering shaft, and a clutch plate and a flywheel that oppose each other, and the output of the rotation shaft and the gear mechanism of the electric motor. In a motor output part of an electric power steering device having a clutch mechanism interposed between the shaft and the shaft, the flywheel is mounted on the rotary shaft side, and the clutch plate is mounted on the output shaft side. The clutch that can adjust the gearup between the clutch plate and the flywheel by moving the clutch plate in the axial direction of the output shaft. It is characterized in that a chig gap adjusting mechanism is provided.

[Operation] In the motor output structure of the electric power steering apparatus of the present invention described above, the flywheel is mounted on the rotary shaft side of the motor, and the flywheel is mounted on the output shaft side of the power transmission gear mechanism separated from the rotary shaft. Since the clutch plate is mounted, the flywheel is mounted on the electric motor side in advance to assemble it, and the clutch plate is mounted on the gear mechanism side in advance to assemble it. By assembling the flywheel and the clutch plate with a gap therebetween, the electric power steering device can be assembled. Therefore, it is not necessary to directly connect the electric motor side and the gear mechanism side at the time of assembling the assemblies, and rattling does not occur between the electric motor side and the gear mechanism side. Further, since both of these assemblies can be easily coupled and each subassembly can be easily assembled, unlike the whole assembly, the assembly of the entire apparatus can be facilitated.
The gap between the flywheel and the clutch plate can be reliably adjusted by moving the clutch plate in the axial direction by the clutch gap adjusting mechanism.

[Embodiment] The structure of an electric power output unit of an electric power steering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gap adjusting collar. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the rotor and the leaf spring, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the coupling structure of the output shaft and the rotor.

The overall structure of the electric power steering apparatus provided with the electric motor output section structure of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the electric power steering apparatus shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, except for the electric motor output section structure. Has been done. First, the overall configuration of this electric power steering device will be described.

This power steering device, as shown in FIG.
A cylindrical input shaft 3 is rotatably supported by the upper cover 1 via a bearing 2, and the upper end of the input shaft 3 is projected from the upper cover 1. A steering handle shaft 4 is coupled to the upper end of the input shaft 3. An upper end of a pinion shaft 5 as a steering gear shaft arranged coaxially with the input shaft 3 is supported by a lower end portion of the input shaft 3 via a bearing metal 6 so as to be relatively rotatable.

Further, the pinion shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the pinion case 9 via bearings 7 and 8. A torsion bar 10 as a torsion bar spring is arranged at the center of the input shaft 3, and the upper end of the torsion bar 10 is connected and fixed to the upper end of the input shaft 3 via a press-fit pin 11. The lower end of the torsion bar 10 is press-fitted into the pinion shaft 5 and spline-coupled.

The connection and fixation of the torsion bar 10 to the input shaft 3 by the press-fitting pin 11 is performed by press-fitting and fixing at the end of assembly in order to make the output value of the displacement sensor described later and the twisted state of the torsion bar 10 neutral. Be done.

A flange portion 12 is formed on the outer periphery of the intermediate portion of the input shaft 3, and a driven gear 13 is formed on the upper end portion of the pinion shaft 5. A housing 14 is provided between the upper cover 1 and the pinion case 9. A cylindrical gear housing 15 that surrounds the flange 12 of the input shaft 3 is formed in the housing 14.

An edge flange 16 is formed on the inner edge of the upper end of the gear housing 15. Further, an oscillating ring gear 17 having teeth formed on its inner periphery is rotatably fitted above the inner periphery of the gear housing 15, and the upper surface of the oscillating ring gear 17 has an edge flange 16
It is regulated by. Further, a fixed ring gear 19 having teeth formed on the inner circumference is press-fitted into the lower inner edge of the gear housing 15 via a rotatable disc-shaped plate 18. The sun gear 20 is rotatably fitted to the input shaft 3, and the upper end surface of the sun gear 20 is restricted by the flange portion 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, three first pins 21 are attached to the lower side surface of the collar portion 12 at regular intervals.
A first planetary gear 22 is rotatably fitted in each of these. The first planetary gear 22 meshes with the swing ring gear 17 and the sun gear 20. Three second pins 23 are coaxially attached to the first pin 21 on the upper surface of the driven gear 13, and a second planetary gear 24 is rotatably fitted to each second pin 23. . This second planetary gear 2
Reference numeral 4 meshes with the fixed ring gear 19 and the sun gear 20.

Therefore, when a rotational force is applied to the input shaft 3 via a handle (not shown), the pinion shaft 5 rotates via the torsion bar 10, and the first planetary gear 22 and the second planetary gear 2 are rotated.
4 and the sun gear 20 are rotated in the swing ring gear 17 and the fixed ring gear 19 to rotate, and when the resistance on the pinion shaft 5 side is large, only the input shaft 3 rotates and the torsion bar 10 is twisted. It is happening. At this time, since the second planetary gear 24 does not revolve or revolve, the sun gear 20 is in a fixed state, and the rotation of the input shaft 3 causes the first planetary gear 22 to revolve and rotate to rotate the swing ring gear 17. The rotation amount of the swing ring gear 17 is proportional to the relative rotation amount between the input shaft 3 and the pinion shaft 5.

An electric motor 26 is fixed to the upper cover 1 by a bolt 25, and a rotating shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 is connected to a drive gear (drive gear) 29 via an electromagnetic clutch (clutch mechanism) 85.

On the other hand, the intermediate shaft 30 is rotatably supported by the upper cover 1 and the pinion case 9. A first reduction gear 31 that meshes with the drive gear 29 is provided on the upper portion of the intermediate shaft 30 (upper portion of the gear housing 15), and a driven gear 13 is provided on the lower portion of the intermediate shaft 30 (lower portion of the gear housing 15). A second decelerating gear 32 that meshes is provided.
The drive gear 29, the first reduction gear 31,
The second reduction gear 32 and the driven gear 13 constitute a power transmission gear mechanism 80.

Therefore, when the electromagnetic clutch 85 is connected, the driving force of the electric motor 26 is transmitted through the power transmission gear mechanism 80, that is, the driving gear 20, the first reduction gear 31, the second reduction gear 32, and the driven gear 13. The pinion shaft 5 is rotated by being transmitted to the pinion shaft 5.

A rack 34 as a wheel steering shaft meshes with the steering gear 33 of the pinion shaft 5, and the rack 34 is connected to a tie rod 35. A steering receiving arm connected to a wheel to be steered is connected to the tie rod 35. That is, the rotational movement of the pinion shaft 5 is transmitted to the tie rod 35 via the steering gear 33 and the rack 34, and the wheels are turned via the steering receiving arm.

The electric motor 26 is provided on the upper cover 1, and the gear housing 15 exists between the first reduction gear 31 and the second reduction gear 32, so that the electric motor 26 may interfere with the bellows or the like on the tie rod 35 side. Moreover, since the output system of the electric motor 26 up to the driven gear 13 does not become long, it does not interfere with the dash panel or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a drive groove 36 extending in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5) is formed on the outer side surface of the swing ring gear 17, and the tip of the drive pin 37 is formed in the drive groove 36. It is rotatably fitted. The drive pin 37 is disposed in a holding hole 38 formed in the housing 14, and the tip of the drive pin 37 has a restriction groove 3 formed in the swing ring gear 17, as shown in FIG.
9 is slidably fitted. The width direction of the restriction groove 39 is set to be substantially the same as the diameter of the drive pin 37. Then, the drive pin 37 is restricted so that it can move only in the longitudinal direction of the drive groove 36 by being fitted in the restriction groove 39, and its removal is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 14 is provided with a spool hole 40 in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the input shaft 3 and orthogonal to the holding hole 38. A spool 42 biased in one direction is slidably fitted. A displacement sensor 43 is provided in the housing 14 on the tip end side (the left end in FIG. 6) of the spool 42, and a sensor rod 44 of the displacement sensor 43 is arranged in the spool hole 40. The spool 42 and the sensor rod 44 are pin-coupled, and the base end of the drive pin 37 is attached to the spool 42 at the intersection of the holding hole 38 and the spool hole 40.

Therefore, when the swing ring gear 17 rotates, the spool 42 slides in the spool hole 40 via the drive pin 37 to drive the sensor rod 44, and the rotational displacement of the swing ring gear 17 is detected by the displacement sensor 43. . Then, the detection value of the displacement sensor 43 is input to a control device (not shown), and the control device outputs an operation control signal of the electric motor 26 based on the detection value from the displacement sensor 43.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 45 is a cap that closes the holding hole 38, and 48 is an air hole formed in the spool 42.

When assembling the drive pin 37, for example, first, the drive pin 37 is passed through the holding hole 38 into the spool 42, and then the tip of the drive pin 37 is fitted into the regulation groove 39 so that the tip is fitted into the drive groove 36. The holding hole 38 is closed by the cap 45.

Further, a pin 46 is erected on the upper surface of the swing ring gear 17, and one end of a ring spring 47 is attached to the pin 46.
The ring spring 47 is attached to the housing 14 at the other end while making an approximately half circumference of the upper surface of the swing ring gear 17. Therefore,
Rotational force is applied to the rocking ring gear 17, and the applied force is applied to the first planetary gear 22, the sun gear 20, and the second planetary gear 24.
Also, the backlash of each part is removed by being transmitted to the fixed ring gear 19. Further, since the rotational force is applied to the swing ring gear 17 to stabilize the fitted state of the spool 42 and the drive pin 37, when the spool 42 moves, the spool 42 is twisted and twisted into the spool hole 40.
There is no useless friction between and. Therefore, the displacement sensor 43 does not have a response delay.

The structure of the electric motor output portion of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 is axially supported by a casing 26a of the electric motor via a bearing 27a. An electromagnetic coil 51 is annularly arranged in the casing 26a so as to surround the rotary shaft 27, and a flywheel 72 is provided on the rotary shaft 27 to form the electromagnetic coil 5.
It is arranged by press-fitting with an appropriate gap from the end face of No. 1. Then, the electric motor 26 is preassembled as the electric motor assembly 70 to which the electromagnetic coil 51 and the flywheel 72 are attached.

On the other hand, an output shaft 71 is disposed coaxially with the rotary shaft 27 and appropriately separated from the rotary shaft 27. This output shaft 71
Has an upper end supported by the upper cover 1 via a bearing 61 and a lower end supported by the housing 14 via a bearing 62, and has a drive gear 29 constituting a gear mechanism 80 mounted at an intermediate portion thereof. The upper end of the output shaft 71 and the inner ring of the bearing 61 are press-fitted to each other, and the gap adjusting collar 81 is interposed between the lower end of the output shaft 71 and the inner ring of the bearing 62. A lock nut 82 is attached to the lower end of the output shaft 71 in contact with the lower end of the inner ring of the bearing 62.

As shown in FIG. 2, the collar 81 has a threaded portion 81 on the inner circumference.
a is formed, the outer periphery of which is press-fitted into the inner ring of the bearing 62, and the threaded portion 8 of the inner periphery is formed.
The lower end of the output shaft 71 is screwed to 1a. A clutch gap adjusting mechanism 86 is configured by the collar 81 and the output shaft 71. Then, the output shaft 71 is moved forward and backward while rotating with respect to the collar 81 of the clutch gap adjusting mechanism 86 to adjust the gap, and then the output shaft 71 is rotated.
A lock nut 82 is attached to the lower end of the output shaft 71 to fix the shaft. Reference numeral 83 is a gap adjusting hole formed in the housing 14, and reference numeral 84
Is a lid member attached to the gap adjusting hole 83.

On the other hand, a rotor 75 is mounted on the upper end portion of the output shaft 71 protruding from the bearing 61 by serration or key connection, and the lock nut 73 is mounted on the upper end of the output shaft 71 from above the rotor 75 via a washer 73a. The rotor 75 is fixed to the output shaft 71 not only in the axial direction but also in the axial direction by mounting.

A ring 74 is attached to the rotor 75 via a pin 79, and a leaf spring 76 is sandwiched between the rotor 75 and the ring 74. As shown in FIG. 3, the ring 74 and the leaf spring 76 have a plurality of pin holes 74a and 76a formed in an annular shape.
The ring 74 and the leaf spring 76 are fixed to the rotor 75 in the axial direction by a pin 79 that is inserted into the pin holes formed in the rotor 75 and inserted through the a and 76a. Further, the leaf spring 76 connects the inner ring portion 76b aligned with the rotor 75, the outer ring portion 76c concentric with the inner ring portion 76b, and the inner ring portion 76b and the outer ring portion 76c. It is composed of a radial spring portion 76d.

An annular clutch disc (clutch plate) 78 rotates integrally with the leaf spring 76 and has a proper gap (gap) with the flywheel 72 at an outer ring portion 76c of the leaf spring 76 via a pin 77. Is installed as.

The rotor 75, the leaf spring 76, and the clutch disc 78 are mounted on the apparatus main bodies 1, 14, 9 in advance before the electric motor assembly 70 is assembled, and the main body side is assembled.

The electromagnetic clutch (clutch mechanism) 85 includes the electromagnetic coil 51, the flywheel 72, the rotor 75,
The flywheel 72 is composed of a leaf spring 76, a clutch disc 78, etc., and supplies power to the electromagnetic coil 51.
Is magnetized, the flywheel 72 attracts the clutch disc 78 by magnetic force and integrally couples with the clutch disc 78, and when the power supply to the electromagnetic coil 51 is cut off, the clutch disc 78 fly by the restoring force of the leaf spring 76. It is configured to return to its original state with the wheel 72 and an appropriate gap.

Since the electric motor output section structure of the electric power steering apparatus of the present embodiment is configured as described above, the apparatus is assembled as follows.

That is, the electromagnetic coil 51 and the flywheel 72 are attached to the electric motor 26 to assemble the electric motor assembly 70, and the rotor 75, the leaf spring 76, and the clutch disc 7 are assembled.
8 is attached to the device main bodies 1, 14 and 9 to assemble the main body side.

Then, the electric motor assembly 70 is assembled to the main assembly by the bolts 25, and the assembly of the electric power steering device is completed.

Therefore, when the assemblies are assembled together, the electric motor 26
Side (rotating shaft 27 side) and gear mechanism 80 side (output shaft 71 side)
There is no need to directly connect and, and there is no rattling between the electric motor 26 side and the gear mechanism 80 side. Therefore, generation of abnormal noise from the electric motor output portion structure portion is reliably prevented when the electric motor 26 is operated.

Further, since both of these assemblies can be easily coupled and the assemblies of the electric motor assembly 70 and the main body assemblies 1, 14 and 9 are not complicated in structure, they can be easily assembled, so that the entire apparatus can be assembled and assembled. Will also be easier.

The gap between the flywheel and the clutch plate can be reliably adjusted by moving the clutch disc 78 along with the output shaft 71 in the axial direction by the clutch gap adjusting mechanism 86 after the device is assembled.

That is, by removing the lid member 84 from the housing 14, opening the gap adjusting hole 83, and rotating the output shaft 71 screwed with the collar 81 with respect to the fixed collar 81, the output shaft 71 is rotated. The clutch disk 78 integrally fixed to the output shaft 71 is moved toward and away from the flywheel 72 axially fixed to the electric motor 26 by advancing and retracting (moving vertically in FIG. 1).

As a result, the gap between the clutch disc 78 and the flywheel 72 is adjusted to a predetermined size. After the adjustment, a lock nut 82 is screwed on the lower end of the output shaft 71 to fix the output shaft 71 in the axial direction.

In this way, since the gap can be adjusted easily and surely after the device is assembled, the trouble of managing the gap at the time of assembling the device is eliminated, and the device can be easily assembled also in this respect.

Further, when the electric power steering apparatus having the electric motor output section structure thus assembled is operated, when a steering handle (not shown) is operated to input a steering torque to the steering handle shaft 4, the steering torque is changed to this steering torque. Based on the electric motor 26 and the clutch mechanism (electromagnetic clutch) 85, the electromagnetic clutch 85
The output shaft 71 is connected to the rotary shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 via the electromagnetic clutch 85, and the electric motor 2
The rotational force of No. 6 is transmitted from the rotary shaft 27 and the output shaft 71 to the rack 34 as a wheel steering shaft through the value power transmission gear mechanism 86, and the wheels (not shown) are steered.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rotor 7 is attached to the output shaft 71 '.
5 ′ may be configured to be fixed in the axial direction and the axial direction by press fitting, and the flywheel 72 is not press fitted into the rotary shaft 27, but as shown in FIG.
Even if the flywheel 72 'is fixed to the rotary shaft 27' by attaching the flywheel 72 'to the rotary shaft 27' by serration or key connection, and attaching the lock nut 87 and the washer 87a to the tip of the rotary shaft 27 '. Good.

The present structure can also be applied to an electric power steering device having a main body structure other than this embodiment (see FIGS. 5 to 7).

[Advantages of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the electric motor output portion structure of the electric power steering apparatus of the present invention, the electric motor that operates based on the steering torque input to the steering wheel shaft, and the rotating shaft of the electric motor. A power transmission gear mechanism having an output shaft separated from the electric motor and transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor to the wheel steering shaft, a clutch plate and a flywheel that oppose each other, and the rotary shaft and the gear mechanism of the electric motor. In a motor output part of an electric power steering device having a clutch mechanism interposed between the output shaft of the output shaft and the output shaft, the flywheel is mounted on the rotary shaft side, and the clutch plate is mounted on the output shaft side. Is attached to the output shaft,
The structure of the electric motor output portion during operation of the electric motor is provided by the structure in which the clutch gap adjusting mechanism that can adjust the gap between the clutch plate and the flywheel by moving the clutch plate in the axial direction is provided. It is possible to prevent abnormal noise from being generated, and moreover, it is possible to easily assemble the entire device, and it is possible to easily and surely manage the gap of the clutch mechanism.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 show a structure of an electric motor output portion of an electric power steering apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gap adjusting collar, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a rotor and a leaf spring thereof, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the output shaft and the rotor of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the coupling structure, and FIGS. 5 to 7 show the electric power steering device proposed in the process of devising the electric motor output section structure of the present electric power steering device. Is its longitudinal section, and FIG. 6 is VI- in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VI, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 1 ... Top cover, 2 ... Bearing, 3 ... Input shaft, 4 ... Steering handle shaft, 5 ... Pinion shaft as steering gear shaft, 6 ... Bearing metal, 7,8 ... Bearing,
9 ... Pinion case, 10 ... Torsion bar, 11
...... Press-fitting pin, 12 ...... Flange part, 13 ...... Driven gear (driven gear), 14 ...... Housing, 15 ...... Cylindrical gear housing, 16 ...... Edge flange, 17 ...... Swing ring gear, 18 ...... Disc-shaped plate, 19 ... Stationary ring gear, 20 ... Sun gear, 21 ... First pin, 22 ... First planetary gear, 23 ... Second pin, 24 ... Second planetary gear, 25 ... ... Bolts, 26 ... electric motors, 26a ... electric motor casings, 27, 27 '... electric motor rotating shafts, 2
7a ... Bearing, 29 ... Drive gear, 30 ... Intermediate shaft, 31 ... First reduction gear, 32
...... Second deceleration gear, 33 ...... pinion shaft steering gear, 34 ...... rack as wheel steering shaft, 3
5 ... Tie rod, 36 ... Drive groove, 37 ... Drive pin, 38 ... Holding hole, 39 ... Restriction groove, 40 ...
Spool hole, 41 ... Spring, 42 ... Spool, 43 ...
Displacement sensor, 44 sensor rod, 45 cap, 46 pin, 47 ring spring, 48 air hole,
51 ... Electromagnetic coil, 61, 62 ... Bearing, 70
... Electric motor assembly, 71, 71 '... Output shaft, 7
2, 72 '... flywheel, 73 ... lock nut, 73a ... washer, 74 ... ring, 74a ...
Pin hole, 75, 75 '... Rotor, 76 ... Leaf spring, 7
6a ... pin hole, 76b ... inner ring part, 76c ... outer ring part, 76d ... radial spring part, 77 ... pin, 7
8 ... Annular clutch disc (clutch plate), 79 ...
... pin, 80 ... power transmission gear mechanism, 81 ... gap adjusting collar, 81a ... screw part, 82 ... lock nut, 83 ... gap adjusting hole, 84 ... lid member, 8
5 ... Electromagnetic clutch (clutch mechanism), 86 ... Clutch gap adjusting mechanism, 87 ... Lock nut, 87a ...
... washers.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A power transmission for transmitting a rotational force of the electric motor to a wheel steering shaft, the electric motor having an electric motor that operates based on a steering torque input to a steering wheel shaft, and an output shaft that is separated from a rotational shaft of the electric motor. An electric motor of an electric power steering device having a gear mechanism, a clutch plate having a clutch plate and a flywheel that oppose each other, and a clutch mechanism interposed between the rotary shaft of the electric motor and the output shaft of the gear mechanism. In the output section, the flywheel is mounted on the rotary shaft side, the clutch plate is mounted on the output shaft side, and the clutch plate is moved on the output shaft in the axial direction thereof. A clutch gap adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a gap between the flywheel and the flywheel is provided, and the electric power steering device is equipped with an electric power steering device. Machine output unit structure.