WO2023181098A1

WO2023181098A1 - Steering device and method for manufacturing steering device

Info

Publication number: WO2023181098A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/013046
Authority: WO
Inventors: 良一時岡; 康行野沢
Original assignee: 株式会社ジェイテクト
Priority date: 2022-03-22
Filing date: 2022-03-22
Publication date: 2023-09-28

Abstract

A steering device (100) comprises: an input shaft body (110); a fixed member (120); a movable member (130) that supports the input shaft body (110); an upper-side guidance mechanism (140) that is disposed at an upper position and guides the movable member (130); and a lateral-side guidance mechanism (160) that is disposed laterally from the input shaft body (110) and guides the movement of the movable member (130). The upper-side guidance mechanism (140) includes: an upper-side fixed rail (141) that is fixed to the fixed member (120) and has a first track (145) facing one side thereof and a second track (146) facing another side; an upper-side movable rail (142) that has a third track (149) opposing the first track (145) and a fourth track (150) opposing the second track (146); a first rolling-element row (143) disposed between the first track (145) and the third track (149); and a second rolling-element row (144) disposed between the second track (146) and the fourth track (150).

Description

Steering device and method for manufacturing the steering device

The present invention relates to a steering device that can expand the space in front of a driver by moving an operating member such as a steering wheel operated by the driver in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle.

In the state of automatic driving level 4 or higher, where the system is responsible for automatic driving of the vehicle, the driver does not need to hold the steering wheel because the driver does not need to be responsible for operating the vehicle. Therefore, if the steering wheel moves during automatic driving to ensure a wide space in front of the driver, comfort or safety for the driver can be improved. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a steering device in which the stroke of an operating member is increased by expanding and contracting in a two-stage structure, and the steering wheel can be stored in a folded state. This eliminates the steering wheel from the space in front of the driver when the vehicle is retracted, expanding the space in front of the driver and improving safety.

International Publication No. 2019/193956

Conventionally, in a telescoping steering device, it has been desired to suppress rattling of operating members such as a steering wheel due to vibrations of the vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above requirements, and aims to provide a steering device that can stably support an operating member against vibrations of a vehicle, and a method of manufacturing the steering device.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is a steering device that steers a vehicle, and includes an input shaft body to which an operating member is attached, a fixed member fixed to the vehicle, and a steering device that steers a vehicle. a movable member that rotatably supports an input shaft; an upper guide mechanism that is disposed above the input shaft in a vertical direction and guides movement of the movable member in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a lateral guide mechanism that is disposed on a side of the input shaft body in the width direction of the vehicle and guides movement of the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the upper guide mechanism is fixed to the fixed member. , an upper fixed rail having a first track facing one side in the vertical direction and a second track facing the other side; and a third track slidably attached to the upper fixed rail and facing the first track. , and an upper movable rail having a fourth track opposite to the second track, and a first rolling element row that is a plurality of rolling element rows arranged between the first track and the third track. It has a second rolling element row that is a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the second orbit and the fourth orbit.

In order to achieve the above object, another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a steering device, which comprises a steering device for steering a vehicle, comprising: an input shaft body to which an operating member is attached; a fixed member that rotatably supports the input shaft; a movable member that is arranged above the input shaft in the vertical direction and guides movement of the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an upper guide mechanism; and a lateral guide mechanism that is disposed on the side of the input shaft body in the width direction of the vehicle and guides movement of the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the upper guide mechanism , an upper fixed rail fixed to the fixed member and having a first track facing one side in the vertical direction and a second track facing the other side; an upper movable rail having a third track facing the track and a fourth track facing the second track; and a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the first track and the third track. A method for manufacturing a steering device comprising a first rolling element row and a second rolling element row that is a plurality of rolling element rows arranged between the second track and the fourth track, the method comprising: The upper guide mechanism is installed between the fixed member and the movable member, and a load is applied to at least one of the fixed member and the movable member to preload the first rolling element row and the second rolling element row. is applied, and the lateral guide mechanism is attached between the fixed member and the movable member to allow the preload to remain.

According to the present invention, it is possible to apply preload to the rolling elements to prevent play in the rail mechanism and to stably support the operating member.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a steering system including a steering device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a steering device according to an embodiment. It is a front view showing a fixed member, a movable member, an upper guide mechanism, and a side guide mechanism. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the first step of the method for manufacturing the steering device. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the second stage of the method for manufacturing the steering device. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the third stage of the method for manufacturing the steering device. It is a front view which shows the first modification of an upper side guide mechanism. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a second modification of the upper guide mechanism. It is a front view which shows the third modification of an upper side guide mechanism. It is a front view which shows the fourth modification of an upper side guide mechanism.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a steering device and a method for manufacturing a steering device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are provided as an example to explain the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. For example, the shapes, structures, materials, components, relative positional relationships, connection states, numerical values, formulas, contents of each step in the method, order of each step, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples. It may contain content not listed. Furthermore, although geometric expressions such as parallel and perpendicular are sometimes used, these expressions do not indicate mathematical rigor and include substantially permissible errors, deviations, and the like. Furthermore, expressions such as "simultaneously" and "identical" also include a substantially permissible range.

Furthermore, the drawings are schematic diagrams with emphasis, omission, or ratio adjustment as appropriate to explain the present invention, and the actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios differ from the drawings. Further, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis that may be shown in the drawings indicate orthogonal coordinates arbitrarily set for the purpose of explaining the drawings. In other words, the Z-axis is not necessarily an axis along the vertical direction, and the X-axis and Y-axis are not necessarily in a horizontal plane.

Further, below, multiple inventions may be comprehensively described as one embodiment. Further, some of the contents described below are explained as optional components related to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the configuration of a steering system 200 according to an embodiment. The steering system 200 according to the present embodiment is a device that is mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car, bus, truck, construction machine, or agricultural machine that can switch between a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the steering system 200 includes a steering device 100 having an operating member 210 operated by a driver, and a steering mechanism section 230 that steers steered wheels 220. The steering system 200 is a system that, for example, in a manual driving mode, reads the rotation angle of the operating member 210 using a sensor, etc., and steers the steered wheels 220 by reciprocating the rack shaft 231 from side to side based on the signals from the sensor, etc. It is. Such a system is called, for example, a SBW (Steer By Wire) system.

In the steering mechanism section 230, the steering wheel 220 connected to the rack shaft 231 via the tie rod 232 is steered by movement of the rack shaft 231 in the width direction of the vehicle (the left-right direction in FIG. 1). Specifically, in the manual driving mode, the steering actuator 233 operates based on a signal indicating the rotation angle of the operating member 210 and the like transmitted from the steering device 100. As a result, the rack shaft 231 moves in the width direction of the vehicle, and the steered wheels 220 are steered. That is, the steered wheels 220 are steered in accordance with the operation of the operating member 210. In the automatic driving mode, the steering actuator 233 operates based on signals transmitted from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for automatic driving included in the vehicle, and thereby the steering actuator 233 operates without depending on the operation of the operating member 210. The steering wheel 220 is steered. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which the driving force of the steering actuator 233 is transmitted to the rack shaft 231 using a belt, the method of transmitting the driving force of the steering actuator 233 to the rack shaft 231 is particularly limited. There isn't. For example, the driving force of the steering actuator 233 may be transmitted to the rack shaft 231 via a pinion gear fixed to the rotating shaft of the steering actuator 233.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the steering device 100 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 2, the steering device 100 is illustrated when the movable member 130 is in a protruding position relative to the fixed member 120. The "protruding position" is a position where the driver can operate the operating member 210 during manual driving.

The steering device 100 according to the present embodiment includes an input shaft body 110, a fixed member 120, a movable member 130, an upper guide mechanism 140, and a side guide mechanism 160.

The input shaft body 110 is a rod-shaped member to which an operating member 210 operated by the driver for steering the vehicle is attached to the tip, and is rotatably supported by the movable member 130. A reaction force generator, a rotation angle sensor, and the like are attached to the input shaft body 110, and a reaction force is applied to the operation member 210 when the driver operates the operation member 210. Further, the rotation angle sensor outputs a signal for synchronizing the rotational position of the operating member 210 with the turning angle of the turning wheel 220.

The fixing member 120 is a member that is fixedly attached to reinforcement, which is one of the structural members included in the vehicle body. Although the manner in which the fixing member 120 is attached to the vehicle body is not limited, in the case of the present embodiment, the fixing member 120 is attached in a suspended state from a reinforcement extending in the width direction of the vehicle body. The cross-sectional shape of the fixed member 120 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable member 130 (Y-axis direction in the figure) is an L-shape rotated 90 degrees to the right, and has a plate-shaped fixed top plate portion 121 and a width. A fixed wall portion 122 is provided that extends in a hanging manner on one side (X- side in the figure) of the fixed top plate portion 121 in the direction (X-axis direction in the figure).

A moving device 125 for moving the movable member 130 is attached below the fixed member 120 (Z- side in the figure). The type of moving device 125 is not particularly limited, but in the case of this embodiment, the moving device 125 is connected to a fixed member via a fixed bracket 126 so as to extend in the moving direction of the movable member 130 (Y-axis direction in the figure). 120, a movable nut 138 that meshes with the feed screw 127 and reciprocates in the moving direction of the movable member 130 by rotation of the feed screw 127, and a motor that rotates the feed screw 127. A drive device 128 is provided.

The movable member 130 is a member that is attached to the fixed member 120 so that it can reciprocate between an advanced position and a retracted position by an upper guide mechanism 140, a lateral guide mechanism 160, and a moving device 125. The input shaft body 110 that holds the operating member 210 is rotatably attached to the movable member 130 . In the case of this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the moving direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) of the movable member 130 is a shape obtained by rotating an L-shape by 90 degrees to the right, and the plate-shaped movable top plate portion 131 and a movable wall portion 132 extending in a hanging shape on one side (X- side in the figure) of the movable top plate portion 131 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure). The movable wall portion 132 is thicker than the fixed wall portion 122 in the width direction, and is provided with a through hole 135 through which a harness connected to an operation switch or the like is inserted.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the fixed member 120, the movable member 130, the upper guide mechanism 140, and the lateral guide mechanism 160.

The upper guide mechanism 140 is disposed above the input shaft body 110 (Z+ side in the figure) in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the figure), and is located above the movable member 130 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (Y-axis direction in the figure). It is a mechanism for guiding the movement of, and includes an upper fixed rail 141, an upper movable rail 142, a first rolling element row 143, and a second rolling element row 144.

The upper fixed rail 141 is fixed to the fixed member 120 and includes a first track 145 facing one side in the vertical direction and a second track 146 facing the other side. In the case of the present embodiment, the upper fixed rail 141 includes a first fixed part 147 fixed to the lower surface of the fixed top plate part 121, and a first fixed part 147 which is fixed to the lower surface of the fixed top plate part 121, and a first fixed part 147 which is separated from the fixed top plate part 121 as it moves away from the side guide mechanism 160. It is formed of a plate-shaped member including a first separating part 148 extending from the fixing part 147. The first track 145 is located at the tip of the first spacing section 148 and on the surface of the first spacing section 148 on the fixing member 120 side. The second track 146 is located at the proximal end of the first spacing section 148 and on the surface of the first spacing section 148 on the movable member 130 side. In the case of this embodiment, in the vertical direction, one direction is upward, and the other direction is downward. The first spacing portion 148 moves away from the fixed member 120 in stages, and the first track 145 has a wider distance from the fixed member 120 than the second track 146. The first orbit 145 and the second orbit 146 are flat, and the first orbit 145 and the second orbit 146 are arranged in parallel.

The upper movable rail 142 is a member that is slidably attached to the upper fixed rail 141 and includes a third track 149 facing the first track 145 and a fourth track 150 facing the second track 146. . In the case of this embodiment, the upper movable rail 142 includes a second fixed part 151 fixed to the upper surface of the movable top plate part 131, and a second fixed part 151 that extends from the second fixed part 151 apart from the movable top plate part 131. It is formed of a plate-shaped member including a second spacing section 152 arranged between the first spacing section 148 and the fixed top plate section 121 . The third track 149 is the tip of the second spacing section 152 and is arranged between the first spacing section 148 and the fixed top plate section 121 by bending the tip of the second spacing section 152 . The bent portion of the second spacing section 152 is arranged so as to bypass the tip of the first spacing section 148. The third track 149 and the fourth track 150 are arranged on the same surface of the second spacing part 152. A portion of the second spacing portion 152 where the fourth track 150 is arranged bulges toward the second track 146. The third orbit 149 and the fourth orbit 150 are flat and arranged parallel to the first orbit 145 and the second orbit 146.

The first rolling element row 143 is a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the first track 145 and the third track 149, and is held by the first retainer 153 along the moving direction of the movable member 130. has been done. The second rolling element row 144 is a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the second track 146 and the fourth track 150, and is held by the first retainer 153 along the moving direction of the movable member 130. has been done.

The lateral guide mechanism 160 is arranged on the side of the input shaft body 110 in the width direction of the vehicle (the X-axis direction in the figure), and guides the movement of the movable member 130 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (the Y-axis direction in the figure). This mechanism includes a fixed lateral rail 161, a movable lateral rail 162, a third row of rolling elements 163, and a fourth row of rolling elements 164.

The lateral fixed rail 161 is fixed to the fixed member 120 and includes a fifth track 165 facing upward in the vertical direction and a sixth track 166 facing downward. In the case of the present embodiment, the lateral fixed rail 161 protrudes from the third fixed portion 167 fixed to the surface of the fixed wall portion 122 on the movable member 130 side, and from both upper and lower ends of the third fixed portion 167, respectively. It is formed of a plate-shaped member including a first protrusion 168 and a second protrusion 169. The fifth track 165 is arranged on the upper surface of the tip of the first protrusion 168 . The sixth track 166 is arranged on the lower surface of the tip of the second protrusion 169 . The fifth track 165 and the sixth track 166 are groove-shaped extending in the direction of movement of the movable member 130 and contact the rolling elements constituting the third rolling element row 163 at two points.

The lateral movable rail 162 is fixed to the movable member 130 and includes a seventh track 170 facing downward in the vertical direction and an eighth track 171 facing upward. In the case of the present embodiment, the lateral movable rail 162 projects from the fourth fixed portion 172 fixed to the surface of the movable wall portion 132 on the fixed member 120 side, and from both upper and lower ends of the fourth fixed portion 172. It is formed of a plate-shaped member including a third protrusion 173 and a fourth protrusion 174. The seventh track 170 is arranged on the lower surface of the tip of the third protrusion 173. The eighth track 171 is arranged on the upper surface of the tip of the fourth protrusion 174 . The seventh track 170 and the eighth track 171 are groove-shaped and extend in the moving direction of the movable member 130, and contact the rolling elements constituting the fourth rolling element row 164 at two points.

The third rolling element row 163 is a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the fifth track 165 and the seventh track 170, and is held by the second retainer 175 along the moving direction of the movable member 130. has been done. The fourth rolling element row 164 is a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the sixth track 166 and the eighth track 171, and is held by the second retainer 175 along the moving direction of the movable member 130. has been done.

As described above, in the lateral guide mechanism 160, there are two sets of the fifth track 165 and the seventh track 170, and the sixth track 166 and the eighth track 171, which face each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the figure). .

The positional relationship between the upper guide mechanism 140 and the lateral guide mechanism 160, which are respectively attached between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130, is such that the upper fixed rail 141 is connected to the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144. , and the upper movable rail 142 provides a preload in the compression direction. That is, by attaching the lateral guide mechanism 160 between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130, the distance between the fixed top plate part 121 and the movable top plate part 131 can be determined. The determined distance is a distance that can apply preload in the compression direction to the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144.

In the present embodiment, the normal lines at the contact points of the rolling elements with the first raceway 145, second raceway 146, third raceway 149, and fourth raceway 150 in the upper guide mechanism 140 are in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the figure), respectively. ). In other words, the contact angle of the rolling elements in the upper guide mechanism 140 is 0 degrees.

There are two contact points between the fifth raceway 165, sixth raceway 166, seventh raceway 170, and eighth raceway 171 and the rolling elements in the lateral guide mechanism 160, and the normal line at each contact point is relative to the vertical direction. It's leaning. In other words, the contact angle of the rolling elements in the lateral guide mechanism 160 is greater than 0 degrees, and in this embodiment is 45 degrees. By attaching the lateral guide mechanism 160 to the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130, the vertical and widthwise positions of the movable member 130 relative to the fixed member 120 are determined.

Due to the above-described relationship between the structure of the lateral guide mechanism 160 and the structure of the upper guide mechanism 140, the upper guide mechanism 140 is adapted to the positional relationship in the width direction between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 determined by the lateral guide mechanism 160. This can be handled by shifting the upper fixed rail 141 and the upper movable rail 142. Therefore, for example, even if the upper guide mechanism 140 and the lateral guide mechanism 160 are not arranged strictly parallel to the moving direction of the movable member 130, the upper fixed rail 141 of the upper guide mechanism 140 and the upper movable The structure that allows movement (displacement) of the rail 142 in the width direction of the vehicle suppresses an increase in sliding load. Furthermore, since strictness is not required in arranging the lateral guide mechanism 160 and the upper guide mechanism 140 in parallel to the moving direction of the movable member 130, the installation work of the lateral guide mechanism 160 and the upper guide mechanism 140 is easy. Become more efficient. As a result, the manufacturing efficiency of the steering device 100 can be improved and manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

Also, depending on the vertical positional relationship between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 determined by the lateral guide mechanism 160, the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144 of the upper guide mechanism 140 are vertically aligned. A preload in the direction of compression can be generated. As a result, even if the dimensional tolerance of the upper guide mechanism 140 is large, the upper movable rail 142 tightly contacts the upper fixed rail 141 via the rolling elements, and the wobbling of the movable member 130 with respect to the fixed member 120 is suppressed. becomes possible. Furthermore, since the upper guide mechanism 140 does not require strict dimensional tolerances, the upper guide mechanism 140 can be easily manufactured. As a result, the manufacturing efficiency of the steering device 100 can be improved and manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

Next, a method for manufacturing the steering device 100 will be explained. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the first step of the method for manufacturing the steering device 100. As shown in the figure, first, an upper guide mechanism 140 is attached between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130. The attachment method is not particularly limited, and examples include fastening and welding. Further, the posture in which the upper guide mechanism 140 is attached between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 is not limited to the posture shown in FIG. 4, and any posture with good work efficiency can be adopted.

Next, a force is applied to the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 to apply preload to the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144. The method of applying the preload is not particularly limited, and for example, as shown in FIG. . In the movable member 130, by applying a load toward the fixed member 120 (indicated by the white arrow in the figure) at a position closer to the fixed wall portion 122 than the second row of rolling elements 144, the first rolling element row 144 , and the second rolling element row 144 may be given a preload (arrow in the figure). Specifically, when a load is applied, the distance between the second raceway 146 and the fourth raceway 150 narrows, thereby applying a preload to the second rolling element row 144. This results in a lever mode in which the load position of the movable member 130 is the point of effort, the second row of rolling elements 144 is the fulcrum, and the first row of rolling elements 143 is the point of action. A moment about the center is generated, and the third track 149 located at the tip of the second spacing part 152 approaches the first track 145. As a result, a preload in the compression direction is also applied to the first rolling element row 143.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, a lateral guide mechanism 160 is placed between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 while maintaining the preload applied to the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144. is installed to maintain the preload applied to the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144. The attachment method is not particularly limited, and examples include fastening and welding. For example, when the lateral guide mechanism 160 is attached by fastening, a hole through which the fastening member passes is provided in the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130. Preferably, the holes are elongated along the direction of the preload applied. According to this, even when the dimensional tolerance of the upper guide mechanism 140 is wide, by adjusting the fastening position with respect to the elongated hole, the lateral side is inserted between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 at a position where a predetermined preload is maintained. A guiding mechanism 160 can be attached. Note that as a result of adjusting the distance between the movable member 130 and the fixed member 120, the position of the through hole of the movable member 130 and the position of the through hole of the fixed member relative to the lateral guide mechanism 160 are slightly shifted, and the lateral guide mechanism 160, the movable member 130 may tilt slightly, but since the tilt is small, it is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the upper fixed rail 141, upper movable rail 142, fixed member 120, and movable member 130. Is possible. Therefore, the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 can be connected without any gap by the lateral guide mechanism 160.

Finally, the force applied in the direction of narrowing the distance between the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 is released. Even after the force is released, since the fixed member 120 and the movable member 130 are connected by the lateral guide mechanism 160 whose contact angle is inclined with respect to the direction of the preload, the fixed top plate part 121 and the movable top plate part 131 can be maintained and the preload can be maintained.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the embodiments of the present invention may be realized by arbitrarily combining the components described in this specification or by excluding some of the components. The present invention also includes modifications obtained by making various modifications to the above-described embodiments that a person skilled in the art can conceive without departing from the gist of the present invention, that is, the meaning of the words written in the claims. It will be done.

For example, the upper guide mechanism 140 applies preload in the compression direction to the first rolling element row 143 and the second rolling element row 144 by shortening the distance between the fixed top plate part 121 and the movable top plate part 131. Instead, as shown in FIG. 7, as a first modification, the upper guide mechanism 140 widens the distance between the fixed top plate part 121 and the movable top plate part 131 so that the first row of rolling elements 143 and A preload in the compression direction may be applied to the two rolling element rows 144.

Specifically, the upper fixed rail 141 includes a first fixing part 147 fixed to the lower surface of the fixed top plate part 121 and a first separating part 148 extending from the first fixing part 147 away from the fixed top plate part 121. It is formed of a plate-like member with . The first spacing section 148 is bent so as to bypass the tip of the second spacing section 152 and is arranged between the second spacing section 152 and the movable top plate section 131 . The first track 145 is located at the proximal end of the first separating portion 148 and on the surface on the movable member 130 side. In the first modification, in the vertical direction, one direction is downward, and the other direction is upward. The second track 146 is the tip of the first spacing part 148 and is arranged on the same plane as the first track 145 of the first spacing part 148 . The second track 146 is arranged on the surface of the first separating part 148 on the fixing member 120 side. The first track 145 and the second track 146 are respectively arranged on mutually opposing surfaces of the curved first separation part 148. The second separating part 152 of the upper movable rail 142 extends from the second fixing part 151 so as to move away from the movable top plate part 131 as it moves away from the side guide mechanism 160, and the tip part approaches the movable top plate part 131 and extends away from the movable top plate part 131. There is. As a result, in the movable member 130, by applying a tensile load in a direction away from the fixed member 120 to a position closer to the fixed wall portion 122 than the second rolling element row 144, the fixed top plate portion 121 and the movable top plate When the distance from the portion 131 increases, a preload in the compression direction is applied to the second rolling element row 144. Then, it becomes a lever mode in which the tensile load loading position of the movable member 130 is the point of force, the second row of rolling elements 144 is the fulcrum, and the first row of rolling elements 143 is the point of action, and the tip of the second spacing part 152 is the fixed top plate part. A moment is generated in the second separating portion 152 in the direction approaching the distance 121 . As a result, a preload in the compression direction is also applied to the first rolling element row 143.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the shapes of the upper fixed rail 141 and the upper movable rail 142 are changed so that the tool can easily reach the fastening member 180 as a second modification. It is also possible to provide fastening portions 181 that do not interfere with each other in the vertical direction.

Specifically, the upper fixed rail 141 includes a first fixed part 147 fixed to the lower surface of the fixed top plate part 121, a second fixed part 147 extending away from the fixed top plate part 121, and a second fixed part 147 extending away from the fixed top plate part 121. A first separating part 148 is disposed between the part 152 and the movable top plate part 131, and a first separating part 148 extends from the first fixed part 147 to the other side in the width direction (X+ side in the figure) and is fixed to the fixed top plate part 121. The fastening portion 181 is formed of a plate-like member. The first track 145 is located at the tip of the first separating portion 148 and on the surface on the fixing member 120 side. The second track 146 is disposed on the same surface of the upper fixed rail 141 as the first track 145 and on the surface of the first fixed portion 147 on the movable member 130 side. In the second modification, one direction in the vertical direction is upward, and the other direction is downward. A portion of the first fixed portion 147 where the second track 146 is arranged is spaced apart from the fixed top plate portion 121.

In the second modification, as in the embodiment, by applying a load toward the fixed member 120 in a position closer to the fixed wall portion 122 than the second rolling element row 144 in the movable member 130, the first rotation Preload can be applied to the moving body row 143 and the second rolling body row 144.

Specifically, as the load is applied, the distance between the second raceway 146 and the fourth raceway 150 narrows, thereby applying preload to the second rolling element row 144. Then, by forming a lever mode in which the load position of the movable member 130 is the point of effort, the second row of rolling elements 144 is the fulcrum, and the first row of rolling elements 143 is the point of action, the second spaced part 152 is connected to the second rolling element. A moment is generated around the row 144, and the third track 149 disposed at the tip of the second spacing part 152 approaches the first track 145. As a result, preload in the compression direction is also applied to the first rolling element row 143.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, as a third modification, the upper fixed rail 141 is provided with a second track 146 of the first fixed part 147 in order to generate a strong moment in the second separating part 152. The portion may have a structure in which it comes into contact with the fixed top plate portion 121 and is not easily bent.

Furthermore, the shape of the upper fixed rail 141 and the shape of the upper movable rail 142 may be interchanged, and the shape of the lateral fixed rail 161 and the shape of the lateral movable rail 162 may be interchanged. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, as a fourth modification, the second spacing section 152 is bent so as to bypass the tip of the first spacing section 148 to connect the first spacing section 148 and the fixed top plate section 121. placed in between. The third track 149 is arranged at the base end of the second spacing section 152. In the fourth modification, in the vertical direction, one direction is downward, and the other direction is upward. The fourth track 150 is the tip of the second spacing part 152 and is arranged on the same plane as the third track 149 of the second spacing part 152. The third track 149 and the fourth track 150 are arranged on mutually opposing surfaces of the curved second spacing section 152, respectively. The first separating part 148 of the upper fixed rail 141 extends from the first fixing part 147 so as to move away from the fixed top plate part 121 as it moves away from the side guide mechanism 160, and the tip part approaches the fixed top plate part 121 and extends away from the fixed top plate part 121. There is. As a result, by applying a tensile load in a direction away from the fixed member 12- to a position on the fixed wall part 122 side from the second rolling element row 144 in the movable member, the fixed top plate part 121 and the movable top plate part 131 increases, a preload in the compression direction is applied to the second rolling element row 144. Then, the tip of the second spacing section 152 presses the base end of the first spacing section 148 via the second rolling element row 144, and the first spacing section 148 is fixed with the first fixing section 147 as a fulcrum. By separating from the member 120, the distal end portion of the first spacing portion 148 presses the base end portion of the second spacing portion 152 against the movable member 130 via the first rolling element row 143, and a moment is generated. As a result, a preload in the compression direction is also applied to the first rolling element row 143.

Furthermore, the steering device 100 may include a tilt mechanism that tilts the moving direction of the movable member 130. In this case, the fixed member 120 may be swingably attached to the vehicle body, and the movable member 130 may be swingably attached to the fixed member 120.

The present invention is useful as a steering device that can expand the space in front of the driver. Therefore, it can be used in vehicles equipped with wheels or track surfaces, such as passenger cars, buses, trucks, agricultural machines, construction machines, etc., which can be driven manually and automatically.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Steering device, 110... Input shaft body, 120... Fixed member, 121... Fixed top plate part, 122... Fixed wall part, 125... Moving device, 126... Fixed bracket, 127... Feed screw, 128... Rotation drive device, 130... Movable member, 131... Movable top plate portion, 132... Movable wall portion, 135... Through hole, 138... Movable nut, 140... Upper guide mechanism, 141... Upper fixed rail, 142... Upper movable rail, 143... First Rolling element row, 144... Second rolling element row, 145... First track, 146... Second track, 147... First fixed part, 148... First spacing part, 149... Third track, 150... Fourth track, 151... Second fixed part, 152... Second separation part, 153... First retainer, 160... Lateral guide mechanism, 161... Lateral fixed rail, 162... Lateral movable rail, 163... Third rolling element row, 164... Fourth rolling element row, 165... Fifth track, 166... Sixth track, 167... Third fixed part, 168... First protrusion, 169... Second protrusion, 170... Seventh track, 171... Third track Eight tracks, 172... Fourth fixed part, 173... Third protrusion, 174... Fourth protrusion, 175... Second retainer, 180... Fastening member, 181... Fastening part, 200... Steering system, 210... Operation member , 220... Steering wheel, 230... Steering mechanism section, 231... Rack shaft, 232... Tie rod, 233... Steering actuator, 300... Workbench

Claims

A steering device for steering a vehicle,
an input shaft body to which an operating member is attached;
a fixing member fixed to the vehicle;
a movable member that rotatably supports the input shaft;
an upper guide mechanism that is disposed above the input shaft body in the vertical direction and guides movement of the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a lateral guide mechanism that is disposed on a side of the input shaft in the width direction of the vehicle and guides movement of the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
The upper guide mechanism is
an upper fixed rail fixed to the fixed member and having a first track facing one side in the vertical direction and a second track facing the other side;
an upper movable rail that is slidably attached to the upper fixed rail and has a third track that faces the first track and a fourth track that faces the second track;
A first row of rolling elements arranged between the first raceway and the third raceway, and a row of rolling elements arranged between the second raceway and the fourth raceway. A steering device including a second rolling element row that is a moving body row.
The positional relationship between the upper guide mechanism and the lateral guide mechanism, which are respectively attached between the fixed member and the movable member, is such that the first rolling element row and the second rolling element row are preloaded in the compression direction. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the steering device has a positional relationship such that:
The upper fixed rail is
a first fixing portion fixed to a surface of the fixing member on the movable member side;
a first separating part extending from the first fixing part in the width direction of the vehicle and spaced apart from the fixing member;
The upper movable rail is
a second fixing portion fixed to a surface of the movable member on the fixed member side;
a second spacing portion extending from the second fixed portion in the width direction of the vehicle and spaced apart from the movable member;
The first spacing part is arranged between the second spacing part and the movable member,
The steering device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first track is arranged at a distal end of the first separating part, and the third track is arranged at a distal end of the second separating part.
The upper fixed rail is
a first fixing portion fixed to a surface of the fixing member on the movable member side;
a first separating part extending from the first fixing part in the width direction of the vehicle and spaced apart from the fixing member;
The upper movable rail is
a second fixing portion fixed to a surface of the movable member on the fixed member side;
a second spacing portion extending from the second fixed portion in the width direction of the vehicle and spaced apart from the movable member;
The first spacing part is arranged between the second spacing part and the movable member,
The first track is disposed at the distal end of the first spacing part, and the third track is disposed at the proximal end of the second spacing part, or the first track is disposed at the proximal end of the second spacing part. The steering device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the third track is disposed at a base end portion, and the third track is disposed at a distal end portion of the second spacing portion.
The first orbit, the second orbit, the third orbit, and the fourth orbit are planes,
The lateral guide mechanism is
a lateral fixed rail fixed to the fixed member and having a fifth track and a sixth track;
a lateral movable rail that is slidably attached to the lateral fixed rail and has a seventh track that opposes the fifth track and an eighth track that opposes the sixth track;
a third rolling element row that is a row of a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the fifth raceway and the seventh raceway; and a plurality of rolling element rows that are arranged between the sixth raceway and the eighth raceway. a fourth rolling element row which is a row of moving bodies;
the contact angle of each of the plurality of rolling elements of the third rolling element row with respect to the fifth orbit and the seventh orbit; and the contact angle of each of the plurality of rolling elements of the fourth rolling element row with respect to the sixth orbit and the eighth orbit. The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein all contact angles are larger than 0°.
A method for manufacturing a steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising:
installing the upper guide mechanism between the fixed member and the movable member;
applying force to the fixed member and the movable member to preload the first rolling element row and the second rolling element row;
A method for manufacturing a steering device, wherein the lateral guide mechanism is installed between the fixed member and the movable member to maintain the preload.