JPH06221333A - Joint structure and method for fixing same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide joint structure and a method for fixing the same where a bolt hole is closed certainly when a shaft is not inserted up to a sufficient depth into a hub while the bolt hole can be securely opened after the shaft is inserted at the sufficient depth into the hub. CONSTITUTION:An assistant member 46 is provided for assisting tightening operation of a hub 26 to a shaft 14, and comprises an inserting portion 46a to be inserted into an inserting hole 28 integrally with the shaft 14 in inserting the shaft 14 into the inserting hole 28 and a stopper portion 46b connected integrally with the inserting portion 46a and intruding between a pair of lugs 34. The assistant member 46 closes bolt holes 44 formed on the pair of lugs 34 in a state where the shaft 14 is not inserted up to a predetermined depth into the inserting hole 28. If the shaft 14 is inserted at the predetermined depth into the inserting hole 28, the stopper portion 46b releases the closed state of the bolt hole 44.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joint structure and a method of assembling the joint structure. For example, when a steering main shaft of an automobile or the like is connected to a steering gear shaft, the tip of the steering main shaft is used as a universal joint hub. The present invention relates to a joint structure that is fitted in a formed hole and fastened with a fastening bolt or the like, and a method of assembling the joint structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A steering shaft in an automobile vehicle is often connected to a steering gear shaft through an intermediate shaft connected by a universal joint because of layout considerations. In this case, the shaft and the hole are connected by a spline connection. That is, a male spline is engraved on the joint of the steering shaft and a female spline is engraved on the hole of the hub of the corresponding universal joint, and after fitting both splines, tighten the hub side with the tightening bolt. ,
The joint of the steering shaft can be fixed to the universal joint hub.

By the way, when such a spline connection is adopted, there is a concern that torque transmission failure may occur due to assembly failure. In other words, if the tightening bolts are tightened while the spline is shallowly fitted and the engagement margin is insufficient, the spline blade edge will be damaged after the line is turned off or after the product is put on the market, and the meshed state will be lost. Can become unhealthy.

As a structure for connecting the steering shaft and the hub for avoiding such troubles, a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-11717 has been known. In this coupling structure, a leaf spring that is pushed and deformed by the steering shaft as the steering shaft enters is attached to the hub side of the universal joint, and the steering shaft is inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth. When not in use, this leaf spring closes the bolt hole for the hub tightening bolt, and when the steering shaft is inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth, the leaf spring is pushed by the steering shaft and deforms. Withdrawing from the position that closes the hole, it is possible to insert the tightening bolt. That is,
When the steering shaft is not inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth, the fastening bolts cannot be assembled.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the bolt holes are closed and opened by the deformation of the leaf spring, the variation of the shape of the leaf spring in the natural state and the elastic deformation method. Variations in the shape of the leaf springs cause variations, so even if the steering shaft is not inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth, the leaf springs can be retracted from the bolt holes and bolts can be inserted. Alternatively, there is a problem that the leaf spring may not be retracted from the bolt hole and the bolt may not be inserted even though the steering shaft is inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth. It was

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to securely close the bolt holes when the shaft is not inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a joint structure and a method of assembling the joint structure in which the bolt holes are surely opened after the shaft is inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and to achieve the object, a joint structure of the present invention comprises a cylindrical main body having an insertion hole in which a spline is formed on the inner circumference, The main body portion is provided with a crack formed along the axial direction of the main body portion, a hub having a pair of ear-shaped portions provided on both sides of the split portion, and a shaft having a spline formed on the outer periphery thereof, By inserting the shaft into the insertion hole and inserting a bolt into a bolt hole formed by penetrating both of the pair of ear-shaped portions and tightening the pair of ear-shaped portions so as to approach each other, the hub is attached to the hub. In a joint structure designed to fasten the shaft,
An auxiliary member for assisting a fastening operation between the hub and the shaft is further provided, and the auxiliary member is pushed by an end portion of the shaft when the shaft is inserted into the insertion hole,
An insertion portion that is integrally inserted into the insertion hole with the shaft, and is integrally connected to the insertion portion, and enters between the pair of ear-shaped portions as the insertion portion is inserted into the insertion hole. The stopper portion, in a state where the shaft is not inserted to a predetermined depth in the insertion hole, closes the bolt holes of the pair of ear-shaped portions, and as the shaft is inserted into the insertion hole, It has a stopper part which slides integrally with the insertion part and which releases the closed state of the bolt hole when the shaft is inserted to a predetermined depth of the insertion hole.

Further, in the joint structure according to the present invention, in the state where the bolt is inserted into the bolt hole of the pair of ear-shaped portions, the stopper portion is brought into contact with the bolt and the auxiliary member is inserted into the insertion hole. It is characterized in that a locking portion is formed to lock the hole so that it does not enter the hole to a depth greater than necessary. Further, in the joint structure according to the present invention, the insertion portion is made of an elastic body that is fitted into the insertion hole in a lightly press-fitted state.

Further, in the method for assembling the joint structure according to the present invention, a cylindrical main body having an insertion hole in which a spline is formed on the inner circumference, and a main body formed along the axial direction of the main body. A shaft having a spline on the outer circumference is inserted into a hub having a split and a pair of ears provided on both sides of the split, and the shaft is formed by penetrating both of the pair of ears. In a method of assembling a joint structure in which the shaft is fastened to the hub by inserting a bolt into the bolt hole and tightening the pair of ear-shaped portions in a direction to approach each other, the hub is inserted into the insertion hole. A first step of inserting an auxiliary member having an insertion portion and a stopper portion that is integrally connected to the insertion portion and that is inserted between the pair of ear-shaped portions, and from the rear of the insertion portion,
A second step of inserting the shaft into the insertion hole;
A third step of inserting the shaft together with the insertion portion to a predetermined depth of the insertion hole, and inserting the shaft and the insertion portion to a predetermined depth of the insertion hole and forming the stopper portion. In a state in which the recessed portion and the bolt hole are aligned so that the bolt can be inserted into the bolt hole, the bolt is inserted into the bolt hole and the pair of ear-shaped portions are brought close to each other. And a fourth step of tightening so as to allow it to be performed.

[0010]

As described above, since the joint structure and the method of assembling the same according to the present invention are configured, the auxiliary member slides integrally with the shaft between the position for closing the bolt hole and the position for opening the bolt hole. By doing so, the bolt hole can be surely closed in a state where the shaft is not inserted to the predetermined position, and the bolt hole can be surely opened after the shaft is inserted to the predetermined position.

Further, since the stopper portion of the auxiliary member is formed with the locking portion, the auxiliary member is prevented from being inserted into the hub more than necessary and protruding from the opposite side. However, it is prevented from interfering with surrounding members. Further, since the auxiliary member is made of an elastic body and is attached to the hub in a lightly press-fitted state, the auxiliary member does not fall off from the hub when the hub and the shaft are assembled, and the assemblability of the hub and the shaft is improved. .

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example in which the joint structure of one embodiment is applied to the joining of a steering shaft and an intermediate shaft of an automobile.

In FIG. 1, the steering wheel 12
The steering shaft 14 whose upper end is directly connected and fixed to
It is rotatably supported by a cylindrical steering column 20 attached to a steering support member 16 arranged in the vehicle width direction via a column support member 18 and the like. The lower end of the steering shaft 14 is connected to the intermediate shaft 24, which is connected to a steering gear shaft (not shown) via the universal joint 22. That is, the lower end of the steering shaft 14 is fixed to the hub 26 of the universal joint 22.

Next, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint structure of one embodiment. In FIG. 2, the hub 26 is
As shown in the drawing, a cylindrical hub body 30 having an insertion hole 28 in which a female spline 28a is formed on the inner peripheral surface, and a crack 32 formed in the hub body 30 along the axial direction of the hub body 30, From a pair of ears 34 provided on both sides of the split 32, and a pair of yokes 40 formed at the tip of the hub body 30 and having a shaft hole 38 for supporting the cross shaft pin 36. It is configured. A pair of ears 34
After the steering shaft 14 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the hub body 30, a bolt hole 44 is formed for inserting a bolt 42 that tightens the pair of ear-shaped portions 34 so as to be close to each other.

On the other hand, a male spline 14a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the steering shaft 14, and is fitted with a female spline 28a of the hub body 30 so that the steering shaft 14 and the hub body 30 do not rotate relative to each other. It is designed to be combined. In addition, a recess 14b is provided at a portion inward from the tip of the steering shaft 14.
When the bolt 42 is inserted into the hub body 30, the bolt 42 is engaged with the hub body 30 to prevent the steering shaft 14 from coming off the hub body 30.

In order to ensure the assembling of the hub body 30 and the steering shaft 14, the auxiliary member 46 inserted between the hub body 30 and the steering shaft 14 is provided in this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary member 46 has a cross-shaped insertion portion 46a that fits into the insertion hole 28 of the hub body 30, and a stopper portion 46b integrally connected to the insertion portion 46a. It has and. The stopper portion 46b includes
An insertion hole 48 for inserting the above-described bolt 42 is formed.

The auxiliary member 46 is made of an elastic material such as synthetic resin, and the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the insertion portion 46a formed in a cross shape is the insertion hole 2 of the hub body 30.
The diameter is slightly larger than the inner diameter of 8, and the insertion portion 46a
Is inserted into the insertion hole 28 in a lightly press-fitted state. However, the resistance force when the insertion portion 46a is press-fitted into the insertion hole 28 is set to a force that can be easily pushed in by a human force. In addition, the stopper portion 46b is formed in a shape in which a piece of the insertion portion 46a formed in a cross shape is extended in the insertion direction, and the thickness thereof is set to be slightly smaller than the width of the split 32 of the hub body 30. There is. Therefore,
The stopper portion 46 b is configured to enter between the pair of ear-shaped portions 34 as the insertion portion 46 a is inserted into the insertion hole 28.

Next, the procedure for assembling the joint structure constructed as described above will be described. First, as a pre-stage of attaching the steering shaft 14 to the hub 26,
From the state shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG.
The insertion portion 46a of No. 6 is slightly inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the hub body 30. In this state, the insertion portion 46a
Is inserted into the insertion hole 28 in a lightly press-fitted state, the auxiliary member 46 is held in the illustrated state with respect to the hub body 30. Further, in this state, the stopper portion 46b has entered between the cracks 32 (the pair of ear-shaped portions 34) of the hub body 30. At this time, the bolt hole 44 formed in the pair of ear-shaped portions 34 and the insertion hole 48 formed in the stopper portion 46b are displaced from each other, so that the bolt 42 is blocked by the stopper portion 46b and the bolt hole 44.
Can't enter.

From this state, as shown in FIG.
The tip of the steering shaft 14 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 from the rear of 6a. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the steering shaft 14 and the auxiliary member 46 are advanced to a predetermined depth of the hub body 30 while pushing the insertion portion 46a with the tip portion of the steering shaft 14. When the steering shaft 14 and the auxiliary member 46 enter the predetermined depth shown in FIG. 4, the bolt holes 44 formed in the pair of ear-shaped portions 34 and the insertion holes 48 formed in the stopper portions 46b are aligned with each other. Therefore, the bolt 42 can enter the bolt hole 44, and the pair of ear-shaped portions 34 can be tightened. In this way, when the steering shaft 14 has entered the hub body 30 to a predetermined depth, the recess 14 b of the steering shaft 14 is
Since the bolt 42 is engaged with the steering shaft 14, the steering shaft 14 is no longer pulled out from the hub 26, and the steering shaft 14 is securely coupled to the hub 26.

If the auxiliary member 46 as in the present embodiment is not used, the bolt 42 does not move even if the steering shaft 14 is insufficiently advanced into the hub 26 as shown in FIG. Can be inserted into the bolt hole 44 and can be assembled. In this way, when the steering shaft 14 is assembled in a state where the amount of the steering shaft 14 entering the hub 26 is insufficient, the steering shaft 14 may come off the hub 26 after the vehicle is put on the market. Occurs and is a problem. On the other hand, if the auxiliary member 46 is used as in the present embodiment, FIG.
In the state as shown in Fig. 4, the bolt 42 cannot be assembled, and as shown in Fig. 4, the bolt can be assembled only after the steering shaft is inserted into the hub 26 by a sufficient length. It is possible to reliably prevent such wrong assembly.

After the auxiliary member 46 is inserted into the hub 26, as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG.
In the case where “a” jumps out from the tip of the hub body 30, the yoke 49 on the intermediate shaft side interferes with the auxiliary member 46,
It is possible that the operation of the universal joint does not go smoothly. Therefore, the stopper portion 46b of the auxiliary member 46 is formed with a locking portion 46c that is locked by the bolt 42, so that the auxiliary member 46 does not enter the hub body 30 more than necessary.

As described above, the joint structure of this embodiment is provided with an auxiliary member for preventing the tightening bolt from being assembled when the steering shaft is not inserted into the hub to a sufficient depth. Therefore, it is possible to surely prevent the wrong assembly of the steering shaft and the hub. Also, since the auxiliary member has a locking portion that is locked by a tightening bolt so that the auxiliary member does not enter the hub to a depth more than necessary, it prevents the smooth operation of the universal joint from being hindered. It

The present invention can be applied to modifications and variations of the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the description has been made such that the insertion hole 48 for inserting the bolt 42 is formed in the stopper portion 46b of the auxiliary member 46, but as shown in FIG. 5, the stopper portion 46b of the auxiliary member 46 is formed. Instead of forming the insertion hole 48, the notch 50 may be formed. Even with such a shape, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the embodiment. A chamfered portion 46d is formed on the right shoulder portion of the auxiliary member 46 so as not to interfere with the yoke on the intermediate shaft side.

[0024]

As described above, according to the joint structure and the assembling method thereof of the present invention, the auxiliary member slides integrally with the shaft between the position where the bolt hole is closed and the position where the bolt hole is opened. Thus, the bolt hole can be surely closed in the state where the shaft is not inserted to the predetermined position, and the bolt hole can be surely opened after the shaft is inserted to the predetermined position.

Further, since the stopper portion of the auxiliary member is formed with the locking portion, the auxiliary member is prevented from being inserted into the hub more than necessary and protruding from the opposite side. However, it is prevented from interfering with surrounding members. Further, since the auxiliary member is made of an elastic body and is attached to the hub in a lightly press-fitted state, the auxiliary member does not fall off from the hub when the hub and the shaft are assembled, and the assemblability of the hub and the shaft is improved. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example in which a joint structure according to an embodiment is applied to join a steering shaft and an intermediate shaft of an automobile.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint structure of one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which an auxiliary member and a steering shaft are slightly inserted into the hub.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the auxiliary member and the steering shaft are completely inserted into the hub.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Steering Wheel 14 Steering Shaft 16 Steering Support Member 18 Column Support Member 20 Steering Column 22 Universal Joint 24 Intermediate Shaft 26 Hub 28 Insertion Hole 30 Hub Body 32 Crack 34 Ear-Shaped 36 Cross Shaft Pin 38 Shaft Hole 40 Yoke 42 Bolt 44 Bolt Hole 46 Auxiliary member 48 Insertion hole 50 Notch

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A tubular main body having an insertion hole in which a spline is formed on the inner circumference, a crack formed in the main body along the axial direction of the main body, and provided on both sides of the crack. A bolt having a pair of ears and a shaft having a spline formed on the outer circumference thereof, the bolt being formed by inserting the shaft into the insertion hole and penetrating both of the ears. In a joint structure configured to fasten the shaft to the hub by inserting a bolt into the hole and fastening the pair of ear-shaped portions in a direction in which they approach each other, the fastening operation between the hub and the shaft is assisted. An auxiliary member is further provided, and the auxiliary member is pushed by an end portion of the shaft when the shaft is inserted into the insertion hole, and is inserted into the insertion hole integrally with the shaft. And a stopper part that is integrally connected to the insertion part and that enters between the pair of ear-shaped parts as the insertion part is inserted into the insertion hole, wherein the shaft is a predetermined part in the insertion hole. In a state where the shaft is not inserted to the depth of, the bolt holes of the pair of ear-shaped portions are closed, and the shaft slides integrally with the insertion portion as the shaft is inserted into the insertion hole, and the shaft is inserted into the insertion hole. A joint structure comprising: a stopper portion that releases the closed state of the bolt hole when the hole is inserted to a predetermined depth. 2. The stopper portion contacts the bolt in a state where the bolt is inserted into the bolt hole of the pair of ear-shaped portions, and the auxiliary member enters the insertion hole to a depth more than necessary. The joint structure according to claim 1, wherein a locking portion that locks so as not to be formed is formed. 3. The joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is made of an elastic body that is fitted into the insertion hole in a lightly press-fitted state. 4. A tubular main body having an insertion hole in which a spline is formed on the inner circumference, a crack formed in the main body along the axial direction of the main body, and provided on both sides of the crack. A shaft having a spline on the outer periphery is inserted into a hub having a pair of ears, and a bolt is inserted into a bolt hole formed through both of the pair of ears to insert the pair of ears. A method for assembling a joint structure, wherein the shafts are fastened to the hub by tightening the shaft-shaped portions in a direction in which they are close to each other, wherein the hub is integrally connected to the insertion portion to be inserted into the insertion hole. And a second step of inserting an auxiliary member having a stopper portion inserted between the pair of ear-shaped portions, and a second step of inserting the shaft into the insertion hole from the rear of the insertion portion. And the above A third step of inserting the shaft with the insertion portion to a predetermined depth of the insertion hole; the shaft and the insertion portion are inserted to the predetermined depth of the insertion hole, and are formed in the stopper portion. In a state in which the relief portion and the bolt hole are aligned and the bolt can be inserted into the bolt hole, the bolt is inserted into the bolt hole to bring the pair of ear-shaped portions close to each other. And a fourth step of tightening as described above.