Piston for power steering and power steering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a piston for a power steering machine and a power steering machine. The piston comprises: a first end portion, which is provided with a sealing portion for sealingly contacting with the inner wall of a housing of the power steering machine; a second end portion, which is provided with an engaging portion for engaging with a steering output shaft of the power steering machine, and is constructed so that the maximum radial dimension of its cross section is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first end portion, and the cross-sectional profile at the end face of the second end portion is not located within the area defined by the same circumference. The application of the present invention can effectively save the consumption of manufacturing materials for components such as housings and pistons, and help reduce the overall weight of the power steering machine, and at the same time has a positive effect on achieving lightweighting of the entire machine, reducing energy consumption, and reducing product manufacturing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a power steering system, in particular to a piston used for a power steering machine and a power steering machine. Background Art

[0002] At present, various types of power steering machines have been widely used. They can help users achieve steering operations of power equipment, devices or systems such as vehicles by using methods such as hydraulic or pneumatic assistance. However, these existing power steering machines still have some defects or shortcomings. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The figures show the basic structures of a piston 1' and a housing 2' in an existing power steering machine. These existing parts still need to be further improved in aspects such as structural construction, manufacturing material loss, working performance, production cost, etc. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a piston for a power steering machine and a power steering machine, thereby effectively solving or alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] First, according to one aspect of the present invention, a piston for a power steering machine is provided, the piston comprising:

[0005] A first end portion is provided with a sealing portion for sealingly contacting an inner wall of a housing of the power steering machine; and

[0006] The second end portion is provided with an engaging portion for engaging with a steering output shaft of a power steering machine and is constructed so that the maximum radial dimension of its cross section is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first end portion, and the cross-sectional profile at the end face of the second end portion is not located in an area defined by the same circumference.

[0007] In the piston for a power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the second end portion is configured to include:

[0008] A first side surface including a first planar section and a first extended section connected to each other;

[0009] a second side surface including a second planar section and a second extended section connected to each other;

[0010] a top portion connected to the first planar section and the second planar section and configured to be in mating contact with an inner wall of the housing; and

[0011] A bottom portion is connected to the first extension section and the second extension section and together form a dovetail shape; and / or a cross-sectional profile of the second end portion at the engagement portion exceeds an area defined by a circumference where the cross-sectional profile of the first end portion is located.

[0012] In the piston for a power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the top portion is configured to be in an arc surface shape, and / or the top portion is provided with a groove.

[0013] In the piston for a power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the first side surface and the second side surface are symmetrically arranged with respect to a central axis of the piston.

[0014] In the piston for a power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the sealing portion is configured as one or more grooves for accommodating a seal, and / or the piston is manufactured through forging and machining, wherein the machining includes grinding, milling or broaching.

[0015] In the piston for a power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the piston further includes an intermediate portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, and the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the intermediate portion is not greater than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second end portion.

[0016] Secondly, according to another aspect of the present invention, it provides a power steering machine, the power steering machine comprising:

[0017] Steering input shaft;

[0018] A housing having a hydraulic chamber, wherein the hydraulic chamber has a machined arc surface;

[0019] A piston for a power steering machine as described in any one of the above items, which is installed in the housing and the second end portion is in sliding contact with the arc surface of the housing, and the piston is connected to the steering input shaft to reciprocate relative to the housing along the axial direction of the housing; and

[0020] The steering output shaft is meshed with the meshing portion of the piston to output power outwards.

[0021] In the power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the housing comprises:

[0022] a first section that internally receives the first end of the piston; and

[0023] The second section is connected to the first section and contains the second end of the piston therein, and the second section is configured such that the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of at least a part thereof is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first section.

[0024] In the power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the housing further comprises an intermediate section between the first section and the second section, and the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of at least a portion of the intermediate section is not greater than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second section.

[0025] In the power steering machine according to the present invention, optionally, the power steering machine further comprises two end covers respectively mounted at two ends of the housing, wherein one of the end covers is provided with a through hole for the steering input shaft to pass through.

[0026] From the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the characteristics, features and technical advantages of the piston for a power steering machine and the various technical solutions of the power steering machine provided by the present invention will be clear, wherein the design concept, structure and effect of the present invention are illustrated by way of example. For example, while ensuring the performance requirements of the power steering machine, the manufacturing material consumption and occupied space of parts such as the housing and the piston can be effectively saved, which will help to reduce the overall weight of the power steering machine, significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of the product, and promote the lightweighting of the whole machine, reduction of energy consumption and optimization of space layout of the equipment, device or system (such as a vehicle, etc.) equipped with the power steering machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, these drawings are designed for explanatory purposes only and are only intended to conceptually illustrate the structural configurations herein, and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0028] Figure 1 The present invention is a side view structural schematic diagram of a piston in an existing power steering machine.

[0029] Figure 2 The present invention is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a housing in an existing power steering machine.

[0030] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of a power steering machine according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic side view of the structure of the piston in the power steering mechanism embodiment is shown.

[0032] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the partial cross-sectional structure of the housing in the power steering embodiment shown.

[0033] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 The cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the power steering machine embodiment is shown.

[0034] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 The longitudinal sectional structural schematic diagram of the power steering machine embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] First of all, it should be noted that the piston for a power steering machine and the structural composition, characteristics and advantages of the power steering machine of the present invention will be specifically described below in an exemplary manner. However, all descriptions are only used for illustration and do not constitute any limitation to the present invention.

[0036] In this document, the technical terms "first" and "second" are only used for the purpose of distinguishing expressions and are not intended to indicate their order and relative importance. The technical terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "front", "back", "inside", "outside" and their derivatives should be linked to the orientations in the drawings. Unless explicitly stated, the present invention may adopt a variety of alternative orientations.

[0037] In addition, for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned herein, the present invention still allows any combination or deletion between these technical features (or their equivalents), so as to obtain more other embodiments of the present invention that may not be directly mentioned herein. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings, the same or similar parts and features may be marked in only one or several places in the same drawing.

[0038] First, in Figure 3 The three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of a power steering machine according to the present invention is schematically shown in the figure. In the embodiment of the power steering machine, a piston embodiment for a power steering machine according to the present invention is provided. The technical solution of the present invention is exemplarily explained through these embodiments below.

[0039] In the given embodiment, the power steering machine 100 may include a piston 1, a housing 2, a steering input shaft 4 and a steering output shaft 5. Specifically, the housing 2 has a hydraulic chamber, which may have a machined arc surface, and the piston 1 is arranged inside the housing 2 and is in sliding contact with the above-mentioned arc surface of the housing 2, and the piston 1 is also connected to the steering input shaft 4 and the steering output shaft 5 respectively, and is used to output the kinetic energy (such as hydraulic energy, air pressure energy, etc.) provided by, for example, an oil pump or an air compressor driven by a power device (such as an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, etc.) through the steering output shaft 5 to form an increased energy steering power, so as to overcome the problem of insufficient force applied by the user such as the vehicle driver. It should be understood that the power steering machine according to the present invention may include but is not limited to, for example, a hydraulic power steering machine, a pneumatic power steering machine, etc. For the sake of clarity, in Figure 3 , Figure 6and Figure 7 The accompanying drawings do not specifically show the relevant components involved in hydraulic or pneumatic operations, but it should be understood that for these relevant components and other common or conventional components in the power steering machine, those skilled in the art can refer to the prior art without further elaboration in this article.

[0040] See also Figure 4 , the figure shows the general structure of the piston in the power steering machine embodiment by way of example. Figure 4 As shown, the piston may include a first end 11, a second end 12 and a middle portion 13. A sealing portion 110 may be provided on the first end 11 so as to be used for sealing contact with the inner wall of the housing 2 of the power steering machine 100. In an optional case, one or more grooves 110 may be directly provided on the first end 11 to form the sealing portion 110, so that a sealing member such as an O-ring may be installed in the groove 110 for sealing contact with the inner wall of the housing 2. Of course, the specific structural form, arrangement position, and number of the grooves are allowed to be flexibly set and adjusted according to actual application requirements.

[0041] The second end portion 12 may be provided with a meshing portion 120 so as to mesh with the steering output shaft 5 of the power steering machine 100 through the meshing portion 120, thereby realizing power transmission from the reciprocating motion of the piston 1 relative to the housing 2 to the rotational motion of the steering output shaft 5. Generally speaking, the meshing portion 120 may be provided with a plurality of teeth according to specific needs, and corresponding teeth 51 may be provided on the steering output shaft 5, and the power transmission operation is completed by meshing or disengaging the above teeth.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second end 12 is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first end 11, that is, the piston 1 can form a step-like overall profile in its axial direction. With such a structural design, the piston 1 can be Figure 1 Compared with the existing piston 1' shown in the figure, the manufacturing material at the second end 12 can be significantly reduced, and the weight of the piston can be reduced, and the cost of the piston can be reduced. At the same time, since the effective sealing area can still be provided by the sealing portion 110 on the first end 11, that is, the sealing area with the same effect as that achieved by the existing piston structure can be maintained, the piston 1 can still meet the performance requirements for the piston while saving considerable raw materials.

[0043] In addition, for traditional piston products, they are usually produced by rotating body processing, so the cross-sectional profiles at the end faces of these pistons will be located on the same circumference or within the area defined by the circumference. In contrast, the second end 12 of the piston 1 can be constructed so that the cross-sectional profile at its end face 126 may not be located within the area defined by the same circumference, which will enable the piston 1 to engage with the steering output shaft 5 more stably and reliably, and also greatly help the piston 1 to continuously and stably reciprocate in the housing 2, thereby effectively improving the reliability and safety of the power steering machine.

[0044] See also Figure 7 In an optional case, the second end portion 12 may be configured to include a first side surface 121 , a second side surface 122 , a top portion 123 , and a bottom portion 124 . Among them, the first side 121 is located on the left side of the figure and includes a first planar section 1211 and a first extension section 1212 connected to each other, the second side 122 is on the left side of the figure and includes a second planar section 1221 and a second extension section 1222 connected to each other, and the top 123 is connected to the above-mentioned first planar section 1211 and the second planar section 1221, and is constructed to be suitable for mating contact with the inner wall of the shell 2 so that the force can be borne by the top 123, and the above-mentioned first side 121 and the second side 122 will not contact the inner wall of the shell 2, and therefore will not bear the force from the inner wall of the shell 2, and the bottom 124 is connected to the above-mentioned first extension section 1212 and the second extension section 1222 and together form a dovetail shape, which protrudes outward and exceeds the area defined by the circumference at the end face 126.

[0045] In the above exemplary dovetail shape structure, the top 123 can be optionally constructed to form an arc surface. At the end face 126 of the second end 12, since the first extension section 1212 and the second extension section 1222 both extend beyond the circumference of the top 123 to form a dovetail shape, the cross-sectional profile of the end face 126 is not on the same circumference, that is, it exceeds the area defined by the circumference. Of course, the above structure is only an exemplary description, and the present invention fully allows the use of any other structural form to achieve the cross-sectional profile at the end face 126 of the second end 12 is not located on the same circumference, so as to obtain the good technical effects discussed above.

[0046] In addition, in an optional case, the second end 12 can be constructed to have the following structural form, that is, the cross-sectional profile of the second end 120 at the meshing portion 120 exceeds the area defined by the circumference of the cross-sectional profile of the first end 11, which will be beneficial to improving the working performance of the piston 1, not only enabling it to engage with the steering output shaft 5 more stably and reliably, but also enabling it to move more continuously and stably in the housing 2. Compared with the piston according to the present invention, the existing piston products do not have the above structural structure. This is because in the prior art, people in the industry have long been accustomed to using the rotating body processing method to produce and manufacture pistons, so the cross-sectional profile of the meshing portion on the existing piston is impossible to exceed the area defined by the circumference of the cross-sectional profile of the end of the piston. In the technical solution of the present invention, due to the use of a piston structural design and processing and manufacturing method different from the prior art, the structural structure discussed above that is significantly different from the existing piston can be achieved, which will be described in more detail later.

[0047] In addition, in an optional case, a groove 125 may be provided at the top 123 of the second end portion 12, and the groove 125 may be used as a receiving space for a component (such as a ball) for reducing the frictional contact between the top 123 and the inner wall of the housing 2, and thus further saving materials. Figure 7 As shown, the first side surface 121 and the second side surface 122 are arranged symmetrically relative to the central axis of the piston 1, which will facilitate reliable installation and reciprocating motion of the piston 1 inside the housing 2 and facilitate processing and manufacturing.

[0048] In addition, the middle portion 13 is arranged between the first end portion 11 and the second end portion 12, and can be optionally arranged so that the maximum radial dimension of its cross section is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second end portion 12, which will be beneficial to further reduce the manufacturing material of the piston 1, reduce the weight of the piston, and reduce the cost of the piston.

[0049] Of course, in some embodiments, the middle portion 13 may be configured such that the maximum radial dimension of its cross section is equal to the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second end portion 12. That is to say, in some applications, the middle portion 13 may be incorporated into the second end portion 12 having an outer profile with the same radial dimension of the cross section, so that the middle portion 13 may be actually omitted, so that the piston 1 only has the first end portion 11 and the second end portion 12 with different radial dimensions of the cross section.

[0050] In addition, it should be understood that the above-mentioned middle portion 13 can actually have one or more components, and these components can have size differences in the radial dimensions of the cross-section, so as to better meet various different application requirements and obtain the good effects of saving piston manufacturing materials, reducing weight, and reducing manufacturing costs as described above.

[0051] It should be pointed out that, as pistons are commonly used parts, they have long been manufactured and used in large quantities in the industry. These piston products are usually produced by rotating body processing. After extensive research, the inventors of this case found that there is still considerable room for improvement in the existing piston products in terms of structural structure, manufacturing process, etc., especially that they not only unnecessarily consume considerable manufacturing materials, but also have adverse effects on product weight, occupied space, etc. However, since these existing pistons are already well known and widely used, especially their basic structure, composition, material loss, manufacturing process, etc. have long been taken for granted by industry insiders and have become standard models, so before the present invention was proposed, these problems including the problems listed above have not been fully recognized and have not been well solved for a long time. The piston proposed by the inventor may include two or more parts each having different cross-sectional radial dimensions, and the cross-sectional profile at the meshing portion may exceed the area defined by the circumference of the cross-sectional profile of parts such as the first end portion. For example, forging and machining processes (such as grinding, milling, broaching, etc.) may be used for manufacturing. These problems existing in the prior art have been successfully solved, and the piston and power steering machine according to the present invention may have obvious technical advantages that cannot be provided by existing piston products and power steering machine products.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7In the power steering machine 100, the housing 2 may include a first section 21 and a second section 22, and the first end 11 and the second end 12 of the piston 1 are respectively accommodated in the first section 21 and the second section 22. In an optional case, the second section 22 may be constructed such that the maximum radial dimension of a part or all of its cross section is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first section 21. That is to say, the inner diameter of the second section 22 may be smaller than the inner diameter of the first section 21. Since the force (such as hydraulic pressure, gas pressure) applied to the piston 1 can be maintained unchanged when the diameter of the worm 3 connected to the piston 1 and the inner diameter of the first section 21 of the housing 2 are kept the same as those of the existing product, the manufacturing material of the housing can be quite effectively saved by reducing the radial dimension of the cross section of the second section 22, and the weight of the housing and the power steering machine can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the product and improving the competitiveness of the product.

[0053] As described above, the power steering housing provided according to the present invention is obviously different from, for example, Figure 2 In one embodiment, by adopting the above structural design of the present invention, not only the space volume of the housing 2 can be greatly reduced, but also the material consumption of the housing 2 can be reduced by 15%, which has positive significance for the power steering itself and the equipment, device or system equipped with the power steering in terms of weight reduction of the whole machine, reduction of energy consumption, optimization of space layout, etc.

[0054] In addition, as an example, an intermediate section may be provided between the first section 21 and the second section 22 of the housing 2. In an optional case, the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of a part or all of the intermediate section may be less than or equal to the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second section 22. It should be noted that the intermediate section may also be provided with two or more components, and these components may have different sizes in the radial dimensions of the cross section, so as to better meet various application requirements and achieve the above-mentioned purposes of saving housing manufacturing materials, reducing weight, and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0055] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, in the given power steering machine embodiment, the power steering machine 100 can be provided with a front end cover 23 and a rear end cover 24, which are respectively mounted at both ends of the housing 2, and a through hole 230 can be provided on the front end cover 23, so that the power input shaft 4 can pass through the through hole 230 and connect with the piston 1 to transmit power thereto. Of course, in some embodiments, only one end cover can be provided in the power steering machine, which can be flexibly set and selected according to the actual application requirements.

[0056] The above is only an example to explain in detail the piston for power steering and the power steering according to the present invention. These examples are only used to illustrate the principle and implementation method of the present invention, but not to limit the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, those skilled in the art can also make various modifications and improvements. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should belong to the scope of the present invention and be defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A piston (1) for a power steering machine (100), characterized in that: The piston (1) comprises: A first end portion (11) provided with a sealing portion (110) for sealingly contacting an inner wall of a housing (2) of a power steering machine (100); and The second end portion (12) is provided with an engagement portion (120) for engaging with a steering output shaft (5) of a power steering machine (100), and is configured such that the maximum radial dimension of its cross section is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first end portion (11), and the cross-sectional profile at the end surface (126) of the second end portion (12) is not located within an area defined by the same circumference, Wherein, the second end portion (12) is configured to include: A first side surface (121), comprising a first plane section (1211) and a first extension section (1212) connected to each other; A second side surface (122), comprising a second planar section (1221) and a second extended section (1222) connected to each other; a top portion (123), which is connected to the first planar section (1211) and the second planar section (1221), and is configured to be in mating contact with the inner wall of the housing (2); and a bottom portion (124) connected to the first extension section (1212) and the second extension section (1222) and forming a dovetail shape together; and / or The cross-sectional profile of the second end portion (12) at the meshing portion (120) exceeds the area defined by the circumference of the cross-sectional profile of the first end portion (11).

2. The piston (1) for a power steering machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The top portion (123) is configured to be in the shape of an arc surface, and / or the top portion (123) is provided with a groove (125).

3. The piston (1) for a power steering machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The first side surface (121) and the second side surface (122) are arranged symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the piston (1).

4. The piston (1) for a power steering machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing portion (110) is configured as one or more grooves for accommodating a sealing member, and / or the piston (1) is manufactured through forging and machining, wherein the machining includes grinding, milling or broaching.

5. The piston (1) for a power steering machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The piston (1) further comprises an intermediate portion (13) located between the first end portion (11) and the second end portion (12), wherein the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the intermediate portion (13) is not greater than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second end portion (12).

6. A power steering machine (100), characterized in that: The power steering machine (100) comprises: Steering input shaft (4); A housing (2) having a hydraulic chamber, wherein the hydraulic chamber has a machined arc surface; A piston (1) for a power steering machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is installed in the housing (2) and the second end portion (12) is in sliding contact with the arc surface of the housing (2), and the piston (1) is connected to the steering input shaft (4) to perform reciprocating motion relative to the housing (2) along the axial direction of the housing (2); and A steering output shaft (5) is meshed with the meshing portion (120) of the piston (1) to output power outwards.

7. The power steering machine (100) according to claim 6, wherein: The housing (2) comprises: a first section (21) which internally accommodates the first end (11) of the piston (1); and A second section (22) is connected to the first section (21) and accommodates the second end (12) of the piston (1) therein, and the second section (22) is constructed so that the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of at least a part thereof is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the first section (21).

8. The power steering machine (100) according to claim 7, wherein: The shell (2) further comprises an intermediate section located between the first section (21) and the second section (22), wherein the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of at least a portion of the intermediate section is not greater than the maximum radial dimension of the cross section of the second section (22).

9. The power steering machine (100) according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein: The power steering machine (100) further comprises two end covers (23, 24) respectively mounted at the two ends of the housing (2), wherein one of the end covers is provided with a through hole (230) for the steering input shaft (4) to pass through.

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