JPS6327009Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an attachment device for attaching a dust cover to a tie rod end in a steering device.

The tie rod end of the steering device is connected to the nutcle arm via a ball stud, but in order to prevent dust from entering between the ball stud and tie rod end and to maintain the sealing property, a material such as rubber or the like is placed between them. A dust cover is installed. In this case, conventionally, the dust cover was assembled to the tie rod end by embedding an endless metal ring in the dust cover and fitting the ring into the tie rod end. However, according to this assembly structure,
When installing the dust cover, it is necessary to press the part of the dust cover with the embedded metal ring into the tie rod end with great force. As a result, a crack develops in a part of the dust cover, and this crack expands over time, eventually causing the metal ring to separate from the dust cover, impeding the seal between the ball stud and tie rod end. I was afraid.

This invention was made based on the above recognition,
The aim is to provide a tie rod end and dust cover attachment device which avoids the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is equipped with a coil spring that is wound around the outer periphery of the fitting part of the dust cover fitted to the tie rod end so that the coil center goes around, and the elastic force of the spring causes the dust cover to be attached to the tie rod end. We propose a mounting device for mounting a dust cover on a tie rod end in a steering device, which is characterized in that the dust cover is fastened to the tie rod end of a steering device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, and the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional art will be specifically clarified with reference to the drawings.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a tie rod end, and a ball stud 3 is inserted into a hole 2 drilled in the tie rod end.
The ball portion 4 is fitted. 5 is a seat member for a ball stud housed in the hole 2, 6 is a coil spring, and 7 is a cover for closing the hole 2.
Grease injected from the grease nipple 7' is sealed in the hole 2.

A knuckle arm (not shown) fits into the stud part 8 of the ball stud 3, and the nut (also not shown) is screwed onto the screw 9 of the stud part 8, thereby attaching the knuckle arm to the ball stud 3. It will be done.

In order to prevent dust from entering between the outer surface of the ball portion of the ball stud 3 and the inner surface of the hole of the tie rod end 1, a dust cover 10 made of a flexible material such as rubber is provided between the ball stud 3 and the tie rod end 1. It is attached to. In this case, the upper end 11 of the dust cover 10 is fitted to the ball stud 3 using the same assembly structure as the conventional one, but the lower end 12 is fitted to the mounting device according to the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Yotsutte tie rod end 1
is attached to.

Before explaining the details of the mounting device according to the present invention, an example of the conventional assembly structure briefly described above will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, an endless metal ring 13 is embedded in the lower end 12 of the dust cover 10, and the lower end 12 of the dust cover is fastened and fixed to the tie rod end 1 by this ring 13. To attach the dust cover 10 to the tie rod end 1, its lower end 12 is press-fitted into the step 14 formed on the outer surface of the tie rod end 1, and with the diameter of the metal ring 13 expanded, the lower end 12 is inserted into the step 14. Fit into place. At this time, in order to prevent the dust cover 10 from slipping out from the tie rod end 1 after it has been fitted, it is necessary to fit the cover tightly into the tie rod end 1. Therefore, when assembling the dust cover 10, a strong force is applied. must be added to fit the metal ring 13 into the tie rod end 1.
However, if such a large force is applied to the dust cover 10, since this cover is made of an elastic material such as rubber, the dust cover portion 10a located between the metal ring 13 and the tie rod end 1 will be damaged.
However, as described above, cracks 15 were generated, and as these cracks 15 gradually expanded, there was a risk that the ring 13 would separate from the dust cover 10, as shown in FIG.

Therefore, in the configuration according to the present invention, a coil spring 20 extending annularly as shown in FIG. 3 is provided on the outer periphery of the fitting part of the dust cover 10 fitted to the tie rod end 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. wrapped around it. That is, the coil spring 20
The center of the coil is wound around the outer periphery of the fitting portion of the dust cover 10. Therefore, the dust cover 10 is tightened and fixed to the tie rod end 1 by the elastic force of the spring 20. In this case, in the illustrated embodiment:
An annularly extending recess 21 is formed on the outer periphery of the lower end 12 of the dust cover, and a coil spring 20 engages in this recess 21 with its elastic force, and an annular projection 22 is formed on the tie rod end 1. . Therefore, the dust cover 10 is reliably engaged with the tie rod end 1, and the cover 10 is prevented from coming off.

To assemble the dust cover 10 to the tie rod end 1, wrap the coil spring 20 around the recess 21 of the dust cover 10 in advance, fit this cover 10 onto the tie rod end 1, and insert its lower end 12 into the step 14 of the tie rod end 1. To, the second
It can be press-fitted as shown in the figure. During press-fitting, the annularly extending coil spring 20 expands in the radial direction R (FIG. 3) and tightens the dust cover 10 with its elastic force. For this reason, dust cover 1
0 tightly adheres to the tie rod end 1 and can perform its sealing function without any trouble.

Also, attach the coil spring 20 to the dust cover 1.
Of course, the lower end 12 of the cover 10 may be fitted into the step 14 of the tie rod end 1 before the cover 10 is attached to the dust cover 10, and then the coil spring 20 may be wound around the recess 21 of the dust cover 10. In this case, in order to simplify the work of winding the spring 20, a non-endless coil spring 20 is wound around the cover 10 as shown in FIG. 6, and then each end of the spring 20 is connected. You can. For this connection, a special connection member may be used, but as shown in FIG.
The diameter of the wound coil of the spring 20 is sequentially reduced so that a becomes tapered, and this part is screwed inside the coil of the other end 20b of the spring 20, and both ends 20a and 20b are screwed. There is no need to use a special connecting member if the connectors are engaged with each other.

In this invention, a coil spring is used as the mounting device for attaching the dust cover to the tie rod end, so there is no need to embed a metal ring in the dust cover as in the past, and this effectively eliminates the inconvenience of cracks occurring in the dust cover. Can be suppressed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the dust cover fitted to the tie rod end by the mounting device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a single coil spring. A perspective view, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2, illustrating a conventional configuration example, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the metal ring is peeled off from the dust cover, and FIGS.
The figure is a perspective view showing another embodiment. 1...Tie rod end, 10...Dust cover, 20...Coil spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A steering wheel comprising a coil spring wound around the outer periphery of a fitting part of a dust cover fitted to a tie rod end so that the center of the coil revolves, and the dust cover is tightened to the tie rod end by the elastic force of the spring. A mounting device for attaching a dust cover to the tie rod end of a device.