JPH115547A - Connecting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connecting structure whereby a housing and an insertion member can be surely connected by using a ring member, quickly and without increasing a work cost, this ring member can be reused. SOLUTION: A ring member 23 arranged in an annular space, surrounded by a first peripheral groove 25 in the internal periphery of a housing 5 and a second peripheral groove 26 in the periphery of an insertion member 22 able to insert/extract it to/from this housing 5, is brought into contact with an inner surface of each peripheral groove 25, 26, so as to regulate axial direction relative movement of these housing 5 and insertion member 22. A recessed part 22b for arranging a pair of pinch parts 23c, 23d extended toward the diametric direction inward from a pair of end parts 23a, 23b mutually opposed with a space apart of this ring member 23 is formed so as to be connected to this second peripheral groove 26, also to be opened in one end surface side and a peripheral side of the insertion member 22. By narrowing a space of these pinch pants 23c, 23d, the ring member 23 in the annular space can be elastically deformed so as to form its peripheral diameter smaller than an internal peripheral diameter of the housing 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connection structure between a housing and an insertion member inserted into the housing, and is suitable for application to a rack and pinion type hydraulic power steering device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A rack and pinion type hydraulic power steering apparatus includes a housing that covers a rack that meshes with a pinion that is rotated by steering, a rack bush that closes one end of an oil chamber formed inside the housing, and a rack bush. Also has an insertion member inserted into the housing and the rack so as to be located on the outer side.
The insertion member prevents the rack bush from moving out of the housing. In addition, the insertion member prevents a member such as a ball joint integrated with the rack from moving inward of the housing, thereby restricting the stroke of the rack.

Conventionally, a circlip is arranged in a space surrounded by a first peripheral groove formed on the inner periphery of the housing and a second peripheral groove formed on the outer periphery of the insertion member. When the clip is in contact with the inner surface of each circumferential groove, the relative movement of the housing and the insertion member in the axial direction is restricted. To form such a circlip, the first
A through hole is provided on the outer periphery of the housing so as to be connected to the circumferential groove of
The linear member to be inserted from the through hole is connected to the insertion member, and then the insertion member is rotated to curve the linear member (Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Hei 6-87144 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Hei 6-37060). Gazette).

[0004] In some cases, the insertion member is screwed into the housing to restrict the axial relative movement between the housing and the insertion member.

[0005]

When a circlip as described above is used, it is necessary to form a through hole in the outer periphery of the housing. Then, in order to prevent muddy water, dust and the like from entering the housing through the through-hole, the through-hole is provided by a telescopic cover covering an end opening of the housing, a mounting rubber for fixing the housing to the vehicle body, or the like. Had to close. For this reason, there is a problem that the extendable cover becomes unnecessarily large, the arrangement of the mounting rubber is limited, and the degree of freedom in design is limited. Further, when the insertion member was removed from the housing for maintenance and inspection, the circlip could not be reused.

When the insertion member is screwed to the housing, there is a problem that it takes a long time to assemble and that the internal thread of the housing needs to be formed with an internal thread, thereby increasing the processing cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure that can solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a housing, an insertion member that can be inserted into and removed from the housing, a first peripheral groove formed on the inner periphery of the housing, and an outer periphery of the insertion member. A ring member disposed in an annular space surrounded by the second peripheral groove, and the ring member is in contact with the inner surface of each peripheral groove, whereby axial relative movement between the housing and the insertion member is restricted. Applies to interlocking structures.
The feature of the present invention is that the ring member has a pair of ends facing each other at an interval, and a pair of knobs extending radially inward from each end. An arrangement recess for the pair of knobs is formed so as to be continuous with the second peripheral groove and open at one end surface side and the outer peripheral side of the insertion member, and by narrowing the interval between the pair of knobs, The point is that the ring member in the annular space can be elastically deformed so that its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing. In connecting the housing and the insertion member in the above configuration,
First, the ring member is arranged at a position surrounding the second peripheral groove of the insertion member, and the pair of knobs are arranged in the concave portion of the insertion member. Next, a force is applied to the pair of knobs to reduce the distance therebetween. Thus, the ring member is elastically deformed so that its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing, and is arranged in the second circumferential groove. Next, the insertion member and the ring member are inserted into the housing,
And the second peripheral groove are opposed to each other. Next, the force for narrowing the interval between the pair of knobs is released. Thereby, the ring member is elastically deformed so as to increase the outer diameter in the annular space between the two circumferential grooves, and comes into contact with the inner surface of each circumferential groove. That is, the ring member can be arranged in the annular space without forming a through hole on the outer periphery of the housing, and the housing and the insertion member can be connected. After the connection, the outer diameter of the ring member is made smaller than the inner diameter of the housing, so that the insertion member can be pulled out of the housing. The ring member can be reused.

The inner diameter of the ring member in the natural state is larger than the outer diameter of the insertion member, and the outer diameter of the ring member in the natural state is different from that of the first circumferential groove with the ring member. Preferably, the diameter is larger than the diameter of the contact portion. Since the inner diameter of the ring member in the natural state is larger than the outer diameter of the insertion member, the ring member can be easily arranged at a position surrounding the second circumferential groove of the insertion member, and the assembling is performed quickly. be able to. Since the outer diameter of the ring member in the natural state is larger than the diameter of the contact portion of the first circumferential groove with the ring member, the ring member is elastically connected to the first member when the housing and the insertion member are connected to each other. The ring member can be pressed against the circumferential groove to prevent rattling of the ring member.

[0010] In the present invention, by the housing,
A rack that meshes with a pinion that is rotated by steering is covered, a through hole for the rack is formed in the insertion member, and the insertion member is a rack bush that closes one end of an oil chamber formed inside the housing. The rack member is inserted into the housing such that the rack bush is moved outward of the housing, and the member integrated with the rack is moved inward of the housing. Is preferably preventable. According to this configuration, the insertion member is connected to the housing by the ring member without forming a through hole in the outer periphery of the housing,
The movement of the rack bush to the outside of the housing and the movement of members such as a ball joint integrated into the rack to the inside of the housing can be prevented. Therefore, the size and arrangement restrictions of the telescopic cover that covers the end opening of the housing and the mounting rubber that fixes the housing to the vehicle body can be relaxed.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A rack and pinion hydraulic power steering apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 has an input shaft 2 connected to a steering wheel (not shown), a pinion 3 rotated by rotation of the input shaft 2, and meshes with the pinion 3. A rack 4 and a housing 5 that covers the rack 4 are provided. Each end of the rack 4 protrudes from openings 5a, 5b formed at both ends of the housing 5, and tie rods 8, 9 are attached to the protruding ends via ball joints 6, 7, respectively. Connected to the wheels. Thus, the steering is performed by rotating the pinion 3 and moving the rack 4 in the vehicle width direction.

A pair of seal members 10 and 11 for sealing between the inner periphery of the housing 5 and the outer periphery of the rack 4 are provided.
The piston 12 is attached to the. As a result, a pair of oil chambers 13 and 14 partitioned by the piston 12 are formed between the two seal members 10 and 11. Also,
A control valve 15 is provided on the outer periphery of the input shaft 2. The valve 15 is connected to a pressure oil supply pump and connected to each of the oil chambers 13 and 14 via pipes 16 and 17. And the oil is refluxed to the tank from the other side.
Thereby, the steering assist force is applied by the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston 12. A known valve can be used as the control valve 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, a seal member 10 for closing one end of one oil chamber 13 formed inside the housing 5 includes an annular rack bush 30 for supporting the rack 4 and this rack bush 30. O-ring 31 fitted into a circumferential groove formed on the outer periphery of the
And an oil seal 32 fitted into an annular concave portion formed on the inner periphery of the outer end of the cylinder.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an annular stopper (insertion member) 22 having a through hole 22a for inserting the rack 4 is provided in the housing 5 in the rack bush 3.
It is inserted so as to be located outside of 0. The stopper 22 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 5 through one end opening 5a. With the axis of the rack 4,
The axis of the cylindrical surface along the inner periphery of the housing 5 and the axis of the cylindrical surface along the outer periphery of the stopper 22 substantially match.

A first member formed on the inner periphery of the housing 5
The ring member 23 is disposed in an annular space surrounded by the peripheral groove 25 and the second peripheral groove 26 formed on the outer periphery of the stopper 22. When the ring member 23 contacts the inner surfaces of the respective circumferential grooves 25 and 26, the housing 5 and the stopper 22
Relative movement in the axial direction of the rack 4 is restricted.
The stopper 22 prevents the rack bush 30 from moving outside the housing due to the hydraulic pressure for generating the steering assist force. In addition, the one ball joint 6 is integrated with the rack 4 by the stopper 22.
Is prevented from moving in the housing, and the stroke of the rack 4 in one axial direction (to the right in FIG. 1) is restricted. Note that a step 5c is formed on the inner periphery of the other opening 5b of the housing 5, and the other ball joint 7 abuts on the step 5c, thereby preventing the rack 4 from moving inward of the housing 5. The stroke in the other axial direction of FIG.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the ring member 23 has a pair of end portions 2 facing each other at an interval.
3a and 23b, and a pair of knobs 23c and 23d extending radially inward from the ends 23a and 23b. As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, the ring member 23 is elastically deformed so as to reduce its outer diameter by reducing the distance between the pair of knobs 23c and 23d.

As shown in FIGS. 5 (1) and 5 (2), the stopper 22 has a recess 22b for arranging the pair of knobs 23c and 23d connected to the second circumferential groove 26 and the stopper 22. Are formed so as to open on one end surface side and the inner and outer peripheral sides. In the present embodiment, the concave portions 22b are formed at three positions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, but may be formed at at least one position. By forming a plurality of recesses 22b, the weight of the stopper 22 can be reduced.
Since 3d can be arranged, assemblability can be improved. The stopper 22 can be made of, for example, a sintered metal.

As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5A, the inner diameter of the ring member 23 in the natural state is larger than the outer diameter of the stopper 22.
Also, the outer diameter of the ring member 23 in the natural state is
The diameter of the first circumferential groove 25 is larger than the diameter of the contact portion with the ring member 23.

By reducing the distance between the pair of knobs 23c and 23d of the ring member 23 disposed in the annular space between the two circumferential grooves 25 and 26, the outer diameter of the ring member 23 is reduced to the inner diameter of the housing 5. It can be elastically deformed so as to be smaller.

In connecting the housing 5 and the stopper 22 in the above configuration, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the ring member 23 is arranged at a position surrounding the second peripheral groove 26 of the stopper 22. , A pair of knobs 23
c, 23d are arranged in the recess 22b of the stopper 22. Next, a force for reducing the distance between the pair of knobs 23c and 23d is applied to the pair of knobs 23c and 23d by using an appropriate tool such as pliers. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6B, the ring member 23 is elastically deformed so that its outer peripheral diameter is smaller than the inner peripheral diameter of the housing 5, and the second peripheral groove 26 is formed.
Place within. Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the stopper 22 and the ring member 23 are inserted into the housing 5 so that the first peripheral groove 25 and the second peripheral groove 26 face each other. Next, the force for narrowing the interval between the pair of knobs 23c and 23d is released. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6D, the ring member 23 is elastically deformed so as to increase the outer diameter in the annular space between the two circumferential grooves 25 and 26, and the ring members 23 Can touch the inner surface.

According to the above configuration, the ring member 23 is formed in the two circumferential grooves 25 without forming a through hole in the outer periphery of the housing 5.
The housing 5 and the stopper 22 can be arranged in an annular space between the housings 26. Therefore, the size and arrangement of the telescopic cover 18 that covers the end opening of the housing 5 and the mounting rubber 19 that fixes the housing 5 to the vehicle body can be reduced. After the connection, by making the outer diameter of the ring member 23 smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 5, the stopper 22 can be pulled out of the housing 5. The ring member 23 can be reused. By making the inner peripheral diameter of the ring member 23 in the natural state larger than the outer peripheral diameter of the stopper 22, the ring member 23 is connected to the second peripheral groove 26 of the stopper 22.
Can be easily arranged at a position surrounding the frame, and assembly can be performed quickly. Since the outer peripheral diameter of the ring member 23 in the natural state is made larger than the diameter of the contact portion of the first peripheral groove 25 with the ring member 23, the ring member 23 is connected when the housing 5 is connected to the stopper 22. First by elasticity
Of the ring member 2
3 rattling can be prevented. In a state where the ring member 23 is pressed against the first circumferential groove 25, the ring member 23
Is made smaller than the outer diameter of the stopper 22.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to a connection structure between a housing and an insertion member other than the rack and pinion type hydraulic power steering device.

[0024]

According to the present invention, the housing and the insertion member can be quickly and reliably connected using the ring member without increasing the processing cost, the ring member can be reused, and the rack and pinion hydraulic power By applying the present invention to a steering device, it is possible to provide a connection structure capable of improving the degree of freedom in design.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a cross section of a housing, a stopper, and a connecting portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the ring member according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a stopper (1) according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Is a plan view, (2) is a front view

FIGS. 6 (1) to (4) are explanatory diagrams of a connecting procedure between a housing and a stopper according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 3 pinion 4 rack 5 housing 6 ball joint 22 stopper (insertion member) 22a through hole 22b recess 23 ring member 23a, 23b end 23c, 23d knob 25 first circumferential groove 26 second circumferential groove 30 rack bush

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A housing, an insertion member that can be inserted into and removed from the housing, a first peripheral groove formed on an inner periphery of the housing, and a second peripheral groove formed on an outer periphery of the insertion member. A ring member disposed in an annular space, wherein the ring member is in contact with the inner surface of each circumferential groove, whereby the axial relative movement between the housing and the insertion member is regulated. Has a pair of ends facing each other at an interval, and a pair of knobs extending radially inward from each end, and the insertion member has an arrangement recess for the pair of knobs. The ring member in the annular space is formed so as to be continuous with the second peripheral groove and open at one end surface side and the outer peripheral side of the insertion member, and by narrowing the interval between the pair of knobs. The outer diameter is the housing A connection structure characterized in that the connection structure can be elastically deformed so as to be smaller than the inner diameter of the ring. 2. An inner peripheral diameter of the ring member in a natural state is larger than an outer peripheral diameter of the insertion member, and an outer peripheral diameter of the ring member in a natural state is a ring of the first peripheral groove. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the contact portion with the member is larger than the diameter of the contact portion. 3. A rack that meshes with a pinion that is rotated by steering is covered by the housing, an insertion hole for the rack is formed in the insertion member, and the insertion member is formed inside the housing. The oil bush is inserted into the housing so as to be located outside of the rack bush that closes one end of the oil chamber, and the rack bush is moved outward of the housing by the insertion member and integrated with the rack. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein movement of the member into the housing can be prevented.