WO2003097429A1

WO2003097429A1 - Dual-linkage assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2003097429A1
Application number: PCT/DE2003/001582
Authority: WO
Inventors: Reinhard Buhl; André DIENER
Original assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
Priority date: 2002-05-16
Filing date: 2003-05-15
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Also published as: EP1503929A1; DE10222251B4; DE10222251A1; BR0304867A; BR0304867B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a dual-linkage assembly for the articulated connection of guide elements, preferably a motor vehicle steering linkage comprising a common linking part. According to the invention, each of the two links has a link housing that is connected to a respective guide element and a bearing shell that is accommodated in the housing and receives a rotatable and pivotable journal part that is coupled in a fixed manner to the common linking part. According to a first embodiment of the invention, a journal part (26) of a link (4) has an opening that runs along the longitudinal axis (24) of said journal part and through which a screw bolt region (23) of the journal part (17) of the other link (5) engages, a retaining nut (29) being located on the free end of the screw bolt region (23) facing away from the journal part (17) of the other link (5). According to another variant, both journal parts (26) of each link (4, 5) have a respective opening (24) that runs along the longitudinal axis of the journal part and through which openings a screw bolt (31) with a widened head region engages, said screw bolt having a detachable retaining nut (29) connected to the free end facing away from the head region (32). The disclosed variants have the advantage that the individual links of the dual-linkage assembly are simply mounted and can be easily replaced.

Description

Two joint arrangement

description

The invention relates to a two-joint arrangement for the articulated connection of guide elements, preferably a motor vehicle steering linkage, with a common articulation part according to the preamble of the independent claims 1 and 5.

Such two-joint arrangements are for example for steering linkages for

Motor vehicles known. The guide elements here are on the one hand the steering rod connected to a steering gear and on the other hand the tie rod serving to connect two pivotable wheel carriers. The tie rod and steering rod are each fastened via a ball joint to one of the wheel carriers to be pivoted synchronously in a pivot part called a pivot bearing. Such two-joint arrangements are very compact, but often form an inseparable connection of the joints, so that the entire two-joint arrangement must be renewed if one joint is worn.

In order to remedy this disadvantage, a joint connection with two ball joints is disclosed in the prior art, for example in DE 40 11 179 AI, in which the joint arrangement is designed in such a way that the first joint with a joint pin is designed in order to achieve a detachable design that requires little installation space is inserted into a continuous recess of the articulation part, the pivot pin having a thread. A joint part of the second joint with a corresponding thread is then screwed to the joint pin from the opposite direction, so that a fixed connection between the joint pin of both joints and the one arranged centrally between them Articulation part is brought about. The disadvantage of this further construction known from the prior art is in particular to emphasize the special design of the pivot pins, which is associated with a not inconsiderable manufacturing outlay and must therefore be regarded as cost-intensive.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a two-joint arrangement of the generic type which is less labor-intensive in terms of its production outlay, which is easy to assemble and which is advantageously designed with regard to the flow of force within the two-joint arrangement. These tasks are solved in conjunction with the generic part of claims 1 and 5 by the technical teachings disclosed in these subordinate claims.

Each of the two joints of the two-joint arrangement initially has an articulated housing connected to a respective guide element and a bearing shell accommodated within the articulated housing, in which a pin part which is fixedly coupled to the common articulation part is accommodated in a rotatable and pivotable manner.

According to the invention, a pin part of a joint is designed such that it has an opening running in the longitudinal axis of the pin part, through which the pin part of the second further joint engages with a screw bolt located thereon, with a retaining nut on the free end of the screw pin facing away from the pin part of the further joint is arranged. As already known from the prior art, the pin part of the further joint is guided through an opening in the articulation part of the axle support arranged centrally between the two joints.

For the joint of the two-joint arrangement in the pin part of which an opening is provided, one available in the prior art can be used

Ball sleeve joint are used. Thus, only the specially designed pin part of the further second joint now has to be produced for the two-joint arrangement on special components. The assembly of the two-joint arrangement is due to the simple plugging together of the joints used with them arranged guide elements in the form of a steering rod and a tie rod, and the fixing by means of a commercially available nut, so that it is possible to achieve further cost savings in relation to solutions known from the prior art.

Special configurations of the first solution variant of the invention, together with the technical teaching of claim 1, result from the subclaims which refer back to this.

It has proven particularly advantageous if the pin part of the further joint between the bearing area accommodated in the bearing shell and the screw bolt has a conical intermediate area which is received in a corresponding conical opening in the articulation part.

A high-strength connection of both components can be brought about by the cone connection between the pin part and the articulation part, the strength primarily depending on the tightening torque of the retaining nut placed on the screw bolt of the pin part.

In addition, according to an expedient development, the pin part of the further joint can have a tool holder on its free end facing the bearing area for blocking the rotational movement of the pin part about its longitudinal axis. The tool holder can be used as

Screw slot recess or be designed as a hexagon socket. The measure described makes it possible, in particular when the components are screwed together, to simply counter the tightening torque of the holding nut.

The further possible solution of the problem according to the invention disclosed in the independent claim 5 provides, for the two-joint arrangement for the articulated connection of guide elements, preferably a motor vehicle steering linkage with a common articulation part, that both pin parts of each joint each have an opening running in the pin longitudinal axis, through which a bolt with a widened head area extends, which has a retaining nut detachably connected to it at its free end facing away from the head area.

Similar to the solution variant 1 described above, for the ball joints belonging to the two-joint arrangement, in their pin part

Openings are provided, in each case a ball sleeve joint known from the prior art is used. Such joints are available on the market in different configurations. In order to implement the two-joint arrangement according to the invention, only the special production of the screw bolt connecting the two ball joints and the articulation part is necessary in accordance with the second solution variant. This is simple in design and therefore inexpensive to manufacture. The assembly of the two-joint arrangement in accordance with the second solution variant can be carried out just as easily as already explained in the explanation of the first solution example, in that the components used are plugged together and screwed together.

Special configurations of the second variant of the solution, together with the features of the independent claim 5, result from the claims which refer back to this.

It can be particularly advantageous that the screw bolt in the area of the pin part openings has a thread-free partial area which is slightly smaller in outer diameter than the respective pin part openings. This measure creates a sliding bearing between the pin part of each ball joint and the screw bolt, which has advantages due to assembly.

The openings in each pin part of the ball joints used are designed as through holes.

In addition, it has proven to be expedient to form the screw bolt between the bolt regions accommodated in the openings in the pin parts, the conical intermediate region being in one corresponding conical recess of the articulated part is received. As a result of this measure, the screw bolt is easily fixed within the articulation part arranged centrally between the ball joints during assembly, but can be removed again in the event of repairs in order to replace the ball joints. In addition, both of the solutions outlined offer the guarantee that if one of the two ball joints used is worn out, it can be replaced without having to replace the still intact further ball joint.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention according to claim 5, it may be useful to screw the bolt through a cylindrical bore

Pass through articulation part. At each of the two openings of the through-hole, a recess larger in diameter than the actual hole can be arranged, into which the pin part of each ball joint engages after the two-joint arrangement has been assembled. This technical measure prevents lateral displacement of the ball joints with respect to the articulation part.

A lateral displacement of the ball joints can also be brought about by gluing the pin parts onto the corresponding surface of the articulation part, it being possible to dispense with the above-mentioned depressions in the articulation part in the context of the structural design.

The two solution variants are explained in more detail below with the aid of an embodiment according to the invention with the aid of the attached drawings.

It shows:

1 shows the two-joint arrangement according to the invention as part of a

Steering linkage of a motor vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the two-joint arrangement in accordance with the first solution variant, FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through the disclosed second variant of the two-joint arrangement according to the invention,

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through a two-joint arrangement similar to the disclosed second variant of the solution,

Figure 5 is a sectional view through a further two-joint arrangement similar to the disclosed second variant

Figure 6 is a partial representation of the articulation part of the two-joint arrangement for fixing on the body side.

The steering linkage of a motor vehicle shown in FIG. 1 together with a front axle arrangement essentially consists of a steering rod 1 and a tie rod 2. The steering rod 1 and the tie rod 2 are fixed to a joint part 3 by means of a ball joint 4 and 5, respectively. The articulation part 3 in turn is part of a wheel carrier 6, which is rotatably supported on an axle body 9 by a support joint 7 and a guide joint 8. The free end 10 of the handlebar 1 opposite the ball joint 4 is in this

Design example via a so-called Pitman arm 11, for example connected to a steering gear not shown here for reasons of clarity. The tie rod 2, which is also connected to the articulation part 3 via the ball joint 5, serves to transmit the steering forces acting on the wheel carrier 6 from the steering rod 1 to the wheel carrier 12, which also belongs to the front axle, at the opposite free end of the axle body 9. Analogously to the articulated fastening of the wheel carrier 6, the wheel carrier 12 is also accommodated in a support joint 13 and a guide joint 8, whereby a rotary movement analogous to that of the wheel carrier 6 with respect to the axle body 9 is made possible. The linkage 2 is articulated to the wheel carrier 12 by means of a conventional ball joint 15.

Handlebar 1 and tie rod 2 are generally referred to as guide elements of the two-joint arrangement according to the invention, which is highlighted in its entirety in FIG. 1 by the circular representation with the designation D. The two-joint arrangement shown in FIG. 1 can be implemented according to the invention by two different solution variants.

A first solution variant is shown in detail in FIG.

From this figure again the articulation part 4 and the ends of the steering rod 1 and the tie rod 2 provided with the ball joints 4 and 5 can be seen. The interposition of the ball joints 4 and 5 between the steering rod 1 or the tie rod 2 and the articulation part 3 makes it possible to rotate and pivot between the components which are coupled to one another.

In detail, the two-joint arrangement is designed such that a pin part 17 is received in a joint housing 16 of the ball joint 5. The joint housing 16 is in this case made in one piece with the tie rod 2. At its first free end located within the ball joint 5, the pin part 17 consists of a spherical bearing region 18 which is supported by a bearing shell 19 located within the joint housing 16 and held by a closure cover 20.

Adjacent to the bearing area 18 of the pin part 17, viewed in the axial longitudinal direction of the pin part 17, conically extending areas 21 and 22 as well as a screw bolt area 23 provided with a screw thread. The conical area 22 of the pin part 17 is received in a corresponding conical recess 25 of the articulation part 3, whereas the screw pin area 23 is passed through an opening 24 in the form of a bore of a pin part 26 arranged inside the ball joint 4. The pin part 26 is in turn rotatably and pivotally mounted in a bearing shell 27 which is fixed in a joint housing 28 of the ball joint 4. The joint housing 28 is an integral part of the handlebar 1.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the bolt region 23 protrudes beyond the ball joint 4 with its free end facing away from the bearing region 18. A holding nut 29 is screwed onto this free end. To assemble the from the two ball joints 4 and 5 and the articulation part 3 existing two-joint arrangement, the pin part 17 of the ball joint 5 is first inserted through the conical recess 25 of the articulation part 3. Subsequently, the handlebar 1 with the ball joint 4 formed thereon as a ball sleeve joint is put on. Finally, the retaining nut 29 is placed on the free end of the bolt region 23 and screwed on up to the housing stop edge of the ball joint 4. In order to avoid twisting of the pin part 17 during this process, it is provided at its free end of the bearing area 18 with a tool holder designed as a screw slot recess 30 into which a screwdriver can be inserted.

If the holding nut 29 comes into contact with the upper housing edge of the ball joint 4, further rotation of the holding nut 29 in the tightening direction leads to the conical region 22 of the pin part 17 being drawn into the conical recess 25 of the link part 3, so that between the link part 3 and the pin part 17 a fixed connection is established. At the same time, the contact forces between the housing edges of the ball joint 4 and 5 are increased both on the holding nut 29 and on the articulation part 3, so that a play-free, firm connection of the entire two-joint arrangement is brought about. After completion of the assembly is only the part of the

Ball joint degrees of freedom given rotation or pivoting possibility of handlebar 1 and tie rod 2 relative to the articulation part 3.

As an alternative to the solution variant, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 2, a further solution is to construct a two-joint arrangement of the generic type in accordance with the illustration in FIG. 3.

Significant differences between the two possible solutions can be seen in the fact that, in the variant of FIG. 3, both the ball joint 4 and the ball joint 5 are constructed identically as ball sleeve joints. The use of two ball and socket joints results in inevitably another type of fastening between the handlebar 1, the articulation part 3 and the tie rod 2.

In the explanation of FIG. 3, the reference numbers already defined are used in all the cases in which identical components are present for solution variant 1 of FIG. 2.

In this respect, both the ball joint 4 and the ball joint 5 in the context of their design as a ball sleeve joint consist of a pin part 26 with a central cylindrical opening 24 designed as a bore, the respective pin part 26 being received in a bearing shell 27 so as to be rotatable and pivotable. The bearing shell 27 is in turn accommodated in the joint housing 28, which is an integral part of the steering rod 1 and the tie rod 2.

The only difference between the ball joints 4 and 5 is that the diameter of the opening 24 within the pin part 26 is smaller in the ball joint 4 than in the ball joint 5. The use of two ball-and-socket joints makes it necessary to connect the essential components of the steering rod 1 to the articulated part 3 and tie rod 2 by means of a screw 31. Viewed in the axial longitudinal direction, the screw bolt 31 consists of an end-side head region 32 designed as a hexagon, which is adjoined by a cylindrical region 33 arranged within the opening 24 of the ball joint 5. This area 33 is in turn adjoined by a conical area 22, which is received in a corresponding conical recess 25 of the articulation part 3 in analogy to the illustration in FIG. Another conical region 34 adjoins the conical region 22 and is received in the opening 24 of the pin part 26 of the ball joint 4. This cylindrical region 34 is provided with a threaded region 35 at its free end, which projects upwards from the opening 24 of the ball joint 4. A holding nut 29 is screwed onto the threaded area 35. The assembly of the entire two-joint arrangement is similar to that of the solution variant in FIG. 2 in that the screw bolts 31 are inserted through the corresponding openings 24 and the recess 25 of the plant part 3 and the ball joints 4 and 5, and the relevant components are braced against one another by means of the retaining nut 29. Here, the screw bolt is clamped by its conical area 22 within the conical recess 25 of the articulation part 3, so that only a relative movement between the components involved is possible in accordance with the degrees of freedom provided by the ball joints 4 and 5.

A particular advantage of the configuration variant 2 discussed last is that both the tie rod 2 and the handlebar 1 can be completely prefabricated.

For certain applications it can also be advantageous if the recess 25, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is designed as a cylindrical through-bore within the articulation part 3. As a result of this measure, the screw bolt 31 can have a cylindrical shape with a uniform diameter along its entire length, so that in particular the use of a conventional hexagon screw is also possible. The bracing of all components received by the bolt 31, in

Individual ball joints 4, 5 and articulation part 3 take place here between the copying area 32 of the screw bolt 31 and the retaining nut 29 screwed on at the opposite free end of the screw bolt 31.

In order to prevent a slight, lateral displacement of the ball joints 4 and 5 in relation to the articulation part 3 in this embodiment variant, it can be advantageous according to FIG. 5 to have a larger diameter in the articulation part 3 in the opening areas for the through bore 25 to arrange recesses 36 and 37 dimensioned as recess 25. The pin part 26 of the ball joints 4 and 5 engages in each of these recesses 36 and 37, the diameter of the recess being such that between the Corresponding interlocking parts a lateral displacement or slipping is not possible, which is particularly advantageous in the case of heavy loads compared to the pure tensioning of the components, as shown in FIG. 4. As an alternative to the introduction of the depressions 36, 37, in order to prevent relative movements between the pin parts 26 and the articulation part 3, it can also be provided that the pin parts are fixed in the immediate contact area with the articulation part 3 by an adhesive layer.

In addition, in the region of the regions adjacent to the openings of the recess 25 on the top and bottom of the articulation part, one can alternatively

Knurling are attached, which also counteracts a relative movement between the ball joints 4, 5 and the articulation part 3.

Knurling of this type can, of course, as is made clear again by the illustration in FIG. 6, also be attached to the bottom of the depressions 36 and 37. The knurling 38 prevents in particular a rotation of the pin parts 26, which are arranged within the recesses 36 and 37, relative to the articulation part 3.

Of course, the described design variants for avoiding relative movements between the articulation part 3 and the ball joints 4 and 5 can also be carried out in different combinations, for example by gluing the pin parts 26 within the recesses 36 and 37, respectively.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 handlebar

2 tie rods

3 articulation part

4 ball joint

5 ball joint

6 wheel carriers

7 ball joint

8 guide joint

9 axle beam

10 Free end

11 Pitman arm

12 wheel carriers

13 ball joint

14 guide joint

15 ball joint

16 joint housing

17 pin part

18 storage area

19 bearing shell

20 housing cover

21 Conical area

22 Conical area

23 bolt area 24 breakthrough

25 recess

26 pin part

27 bearing shell

28 joint housing

29 holding nut

30 screw slot recess

31 bolts

32 head area

33 cylindrical area

34 cylindrical area

35 thread range

36 deepening

37 deepening

38 knurling

Claims

claims

1. Two-joint arrangement for the articulated connection of guide elements, preferably a motor vehicle steering linkage with a common articulation part, in which each of the two articulations has a joint housing connected to a respective guide element and a bearing shell accommodated within the articulated housing, in which a pivotally and pivotably coupled one is connected to the common articulation part Pin part is included, characterized in that a pin part (26) of a joint (4) has an opening (24) running in the axis of the pin part, through which the pin part (17) of the further joint (5) with a bolt region located thereon (23) passes through, a retaining nut (29) being arranged on the free, the pin part (17) of the further joint (5) from the end of the screw region (23) facing away.

2. Two-joint arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the pin part (17) of the further joint (5) between the bearing region (19) accommodated in the bearing region (18) and the bolt region (23) has a conically shaped intermediate region (22), which in a corresponding conical recess (25) of the articulation part (3) is received.

3. Two-joint arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the pin part (17) of the further joint (5) has at its free end facing the bearing area (18) a tool holder for blocking the rotational movement of the pin part (17) about its longitudinal axis.

4. Two-joint arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the tool holder is designed as a screw slot recess (30).

5. Two-joint arrangement for the articulated connection of guide elements, preferably a motor vehicle steering linkage with a common articulation part, in which each of the two articulations has a joint housing connected to a respective guide element and a bearing shell accommodated within the articulated housing, in which a pivotally and pivotably connected one is coupled to the common articulation part The pin part is included, characterized in that both pin parts (26) of each joint (4, 5) each have an opening (24) running in the longitudinal axis of the pin part, through which a screw bolt (31) provided with a widened head region (32) extends which, at its free end facing away from the head region (32), has a retaining nut (29) detachably connected to it.

6. Two-joint arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the screw bolt (31) in the region of the pin part opening (24) has a thread-free outer diameter slightly smaller than the respective pin part opening (24) sized area (33, 34).

7. Two-joint arrangement according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the opening (24) of each pin part (26) is designed as a through hole.

8. Two-joint arrangement according to claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the screw bolt (31) between the in the openings (24) of the pin parts (26) received cylindrical regions (33, 34) has a conically shaped region (22) which in a corresponding conical recess (25) of the articulation part (3) is received.

, Two-joint arrangement according to Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the screw bolt (31) penetrating a recess in the articulation part (3) has a uniform cylindrical region (33) which extends over its entire length.

10. Two-joint arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (25) within the articulation part (3) in its outwardly directed end regions has at least one recess (36, 37) in which the respective pin parts (26) of the joints (4, 5) are included.

11. Two-joint arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the bottom regions of the recess (36, 37) each have a surface knurling (38).

12. Two-joint arrangement according to one of claims 5 to 10, characterized in that the surfaces of the articulation part (3) which bear against the pin parts (26) have surface knurling (38).