Bearing sealing structure for steering column and front panel

Abstract

The present invention discloses a bearing sealing structure for a steering column and a front panel, comprising a rubber dust cover and a rolling bearing. The steering column includes a steering intermediate shaft, and the rolling bearing is mounted on the steering intermediate shaft with a small gap. The rubber dust cover, while mounted on the rolling bearing, is also fixedly connected to the front panel. The bearing sealing structure also includes a damping ring, which is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of the rolling bearing and is used to fill the small gap between the rolling bearing and the steering intermediate shaft. The damping ring also provides friction to enable the steering intermediate shaft to drive the inner ring of the rolling bearing to rotate together, and also allows the rolling bearing to slide axially relative to the steering intermediate shaft. By adding the damping ring to the inner ring of the rolling bearing to eliminate the small gap between the rolling bearing and the steering intermediate shaft, the present invention completely eliminates the possibility of dust or muddy water entering the inner ring, thereby greatly improving the sealing performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile steering isolation, dust prevention and noise reduction, and in particular to a bearing sealing structure of a steering column and a front panel. Background Art

[0002] The dash panel of a car serves as the partition between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. It bears the bulk of the torsional rigidity, similar to the partition between the passenger compartment and the trunk. The heater, pedals, steering column, various cable ducts, and other similar components should all be considered in conjunction with this design. The dash panel connects to the floor and the front pillar at the front and below the dash panel. Regarding the engine compartment, the dash panel design should take into account the engine's vibration tolerance, windshield wipers, air intake system, fan placement, sound and thermal insulation, and various fasteners. The dash panel has numerous openings for control cables, levers, pipes, and wiring harnesses, and also accommodates the mounting locations of components such as the pedals and steering column. To prevent exhaust fumes, high temperatures, and noise from the engine compartment from entering the vehicle interior, the dash panel must be sealed and insulated. It must provide sufficient strength and rigidity in the event of an accident. Compared with other parts of the car body, the most important process technology for front panel assembly is sealing and heat insulation, and its quality often reflects the quality of vehicle operation.

[0003] For rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles, the powertrain layout requires the majority of the engine compartment space, preventing the steering system from being located behind the front axle. These vehicles often utilize a front-mounted trapezoidal steering column, with the steering intermediate shaft extending through the dash panel to connect to the steering gear. When the vehicle is wading through water or driving on poor road conditions for extended periods, a poor seal between the steering intermediate shaft and the dash panel can easily lead to mud and water entering the cockpit. Because the steering intermediate shaft rotates to perform steering operations, its seal with the dash panel is particularly critical. Currently, two sealing structures exist for this purpose:

[0004] 1) The steering intermediate shaft is fixed to the front panel through rolling bearings and brackets, and the steering intermediate shaft is sealed by rubber seals or bearing built-in sealing structure (hereinafter referred to as fixed type).

[0005] 2) The steering intermediate shaft and the front panel are sealed by a rubber dust cover structure. The lip of the rubber dust cover directly contacts the outer circle of the steering intermediate shaft for sealing. There is also a form of sealing using a sliding plastic bearing structure, and there is also a form of sealing using a combined structure of a rubber dust cover with a lip and a sliding plastic bearing (hereinafter collectively referred to as the combined type).

[0006] The advantages and disadvantages of the above two sealing structures are as follows:

[0007] 1) Fixed type: This structure has good protection performance, but the position of the steering intermediate shaft is fixed, which requires high precision of related parts. The assembly process of the vehicle parts is very poor and has limitations.

[0008] 2) Combined: The steering intermediate shaft and rubber dust cover allow for relative axial movement, facilitating assembly and accommodating large axial misalignments. However, with large radial misalignments, a gap will form between the sealing lip and the steering intermediate shaft, reducing sealing performance or even causing seal failure. Once muddy or water enters, the likelihood of abnormal steering noise is high. To ensure sealing performance, the lip design often uses a large interference fit. Furthermore, the sliding friction structure creates high rotational torque, hindering steering operation.

[0009] The applicant previously proposed a bearing structure for a steering intermediate shaft (CN203685845U), which can solve the shortcomings of the above-mentioned two sealing structures to a certain extent. However, since its bearing is fitted on the steering intermediate shaft with a small gap, although an oil storage groove is provided on the inner side of the bearing, the small gap between the bearing and the steering intermediate shaft still has the problem of inadequate sealing, and it is impossible to completely prevent foreign matter such as mud, water, and dust from entering therein, and its sealing performance needs to be further improved. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In view of this, the present invention provides a bearing sealing structure for a steering column and a front panel, aiming to solve the problem of loose sealing between the bearing and the steering intermediate shaft in the existing bearing sealing structure.

[0011] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0012] A bearing sealing structure for a steering column and a front panel, comprising a rubber dust cover and a rolling bearing; the steering column comprises a steering intermediate shaft, and the rolling bearing is assembled on the steering intermediate shaft with a small gap; the rubber dust cover is assembled on the rolling bearing and is also fixedly connected to the front panel; the bearing sealing structure also comprises a damping ring, which is fixedly assembled on the inner ring of the rolling bearing and is used to fill the small gap between the rolling bearing and the steering intermediate shaft. At the same time, the damping ring can also provide friction to enable the steering intermediate shaft to drive the inner ring of the rolling bearing to rotate together, and can also enable the rolling bearing to slide axially relative to the steering intermediate shaft.

[0013] As a further technical solution of the above solution, at least two rolling bearings are provided; a damping ring is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of each rolling bearing; and all rolling bearings are mounted in the rubber dust cover.

[0014] As a further technical solution of the above solution, a washer is provided between two adjacent rolling bearings.

[0015] As a further technical solution of the above solution, a load-bearing ring body is further provided between the rubber dust cover and the rolling bearing; the rolling bearing is assembled outside the load-bearing ring body, and the rubber dust cover is assembled outside the load-bearing ring body.

[0016] As a further technical solution of the above solution, a sealing ring is installed in the end of the bearing ring body, and the inner wall of the sealing ring is interference fitted on the steering intermediate shaft.

[0017] As a further technical solution of the above solution, the inner wall cross section of the sealing ring is in an "eight" shape, and its two side edges are closer to the outer surface of the steering intermediate shaft than the middle part.

[0018] As a further technical solution of the above solution, the bearing sealing structure further includes a locking member, which is used to lock the rubber dust cover to the bearing ring body.

[0019] As a further technical solution of the above solution, the bearing sealing structure further includes a locking member, which is used to lock the rubber dust cover to the rolling bearing.

[0020] As a further technical solution of the above solution, the bearing sealing structure further includes a pressure plate, which is used to press and fix the rubber dust cover to the front panel.

[0021] As a further technical solution of the above solution, the inner ring of the rolling bearing has an annular groove, and the damping ring is assembled in the groove.

[0022] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: on the basis of the existing rubber dust cover combined with rolling bearing to achieve sealing, by adding a damping ring to the inner ring of the rolling bearing to eliminate the small gap between the rolling bearing and the steering intermediate shaft, the possibility of dust or mud and water entering therein is completely eliminated, and the sealing performance is good; at the same time, it can also ensure that the steering intermediate shaft can rotate freely and slide axially, with a small rotational torque, adapt to the errors of the entire vehicle, and meet the assembly requirements; even if the steering intermediate shaft undergoes radial runout, it can be corrected in time by the damping ring and the rubber dust cover to ensure that it always has good sealing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the bearing seal body in the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 It is a partial structural diagram of the rolling bearing in the present invention.

[0026] The meanings of the numbers in the figure are: front panel 1, rubber dust cover 2, pressure plate 3, steering intermediate shaft 4, locking piece 5, bearing seal 6, sealing ring 7, load-bearing ring 8, rolling bearing 9, damping ring 10, washer 11, groove 12, rivet edge 13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, "several" means one or more, "many" means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of terms such as "first" and "second" in the description is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the bearing seal structure for a steering column and a front panel according to the present invention includes a rubber dust cover 2 and a bearing seal 6. The steering column includes a steering intermediate shaft 4, the bearing seal 6 is assembled on the steering intermediate shaft 4, and the rubber dust cover 2 is assembled on both the bearing seal 6 and the front panel 1.

[0032] The bearing seal 6 includes a rolling bearing 9, which is assembled on the steering intermediate shaft 4 with a small gap of less than 0.1 mm. As described in the prior art, this small gap can allow dust, mud, and water to enter, resulting in an incomplete seal. To address this issue, the present invention incorporates a damping ring 10 within the bearing seal 6. The damping ring 10 is fixedly assembled to the inner ring of the rolling bearing 9. Made of an elastomer, it fills the small gap between the rolling bearing 9 and the steering intermediate shaft 4. Simultaneously, the damping ring 10 provides friction, causing the steering intermediate shaft 4 to rotate with the inner ring of the rolling bearing 9, achieving an interference fit between the rolling bearing 9 and the steering intermediate shaft 4. This facilitates the rolling bearing 9's support for the steering intermediate shaft 4's rotation. Because the rolling bearing 9 operates by rolling friction, its rotational torque is low, facilitating easy rotation. The damping ring 10 also allows the rolling bearing 9 to slide axially relative to the steering intermediate shaft 4, accommodating vehicle tolerances and meeting assembly requirements.

[0033] When steering intermediate shaft 4 experiences significant radial runout, it transmits force to rolling bearing 9, causing radial displacement of the entire bearing seal 6 and deformation of the rubber dust cover 2. Damping ring 10 also has a certain degree of deformation capability. The combination of these two ensures adequate runout resistance. During runout, no gap forms between steering intermediate shaft 4 and damping ring 10, maintaining a good seal.

[0034] To strengthen the seal between the bearing seal 6 and the steering intermediate shaft 4, at least two rolling bearings 9 are provided in the bearing seal 6. Each rolling bearing 9 has a damping ring 10 fixedly mounted on its inner ring. All rolling bearings 9 are mounted within the rubber dust cover 2. The provision of multiple rolling bearings 9 and damping rings 10 creates a multi-stage sealing structure between the bearing seal 6 and the steering intermediate shaft 4. Even if the initial sealing structure fails, subsequent sealing structures can ensure a complete seal between the bearing seal 6 and the steering intermediate shaft 4. Adjacent rolling bearings 9 can also be separated by washers 11 to prevent interference between their movements.

[0035] Since the width of the rolling bearing 9 is narrow and it is difficult to ensure the installation position of the rolling bearing 9 after multiple rolling bearings 9 are provided, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the present invention further comprises a bearing ring 8 between the rubber dust cover 2 and the rolling bearing 9; the rolling bearing 9 is assembled within the bearing ring 8, and the rubber dust cover 2 is assembled outside the bearing ring 8. The bearing ring 8 effectively acts as an overfitting mechanism, facilitating the assembly of the rubber dust cover 2 and the rolling bearing 9, thereby providing sufficient support for the assembly positions of the rubber dust cover 2 and the rolling bearing 9.

[0036] A sealing ring 7 is installed at the end of the carrier ring 8. Its inner wall is interference-fitted onto the steering intermediate shaft 4. The sealing ring 7 can be installed only on the end of the carrier ring 8 closest to the engine compartment, as dust, mud, and water typically only enter from that location. However, to ensure a good seal, installing the sealing ring 7 on both ends of the carrier ring 8 is also acceptable. The sealing ring 7 provides an additional layer of protection for the damping ring 10. Dust, mud, and water must pass through the sealing ring 7 before reaching the damping ring 10, further ensuring a tight seal.

[0037] The inner wall of the sealing ring 7 has an "eight"-shaped cross-section, with its side edges closer to the outer surface of the steering intermediate shaft 4 than its center. The side edges always adhere closely to the outer surface of the steering intermediate shaft 4, while the center is spaced a certain distance from the outer surface of the steering intermediate shaft 4. This "eight"-shaped structure provides the sealing ring 7 with a double sealing effect. Even if dust or muddy water breaks through one edge, it is difficult to break through the other edge and will accumulate in the center.

[0038] Because the rubber dust cover 2 has a certain degree of flexibility, it is easily misaligned due to large vibrations after being assembled with the rolling bearing 9 or the load ring 8. To this end, the present invention also provides a locking member 5 for locking the rubber dust cover 2 to the rolling bearing 9 or the load ring 8, such as a clamp, so as to ensure that the rubber dust cover 2 and the rolling bearing 9 or the load ring 8 always maintain a good and stable connection.

[0039] At the same time, the present invention also performs riveting 13 on the edge of the bearing ring body 8 to prevent the sealing ring 7 from falling off. The riveting 13 can also prevent the sharp edge of the bearing ring body 8 from scratching other components.

[0040] The damping ring 10 can be directly connected to the inner ring of the rolling bearing 9 using an interference fit. However, due to axial sliding between the rolling bearing 9 and the steering intermediate shaft 4, long-term axial sliding may cause the damping ring 10 to separate from the inner ring of the rolling bearing 9, thereby affecting sealing performance. To this end, the present invention provides an annular groove 12 on the inner ring of the rolling bearing 9. The damping ring 10 is disposed in this groove 12, preferably interference fit within this groove 12, to ensure that the damping ring 10 is always assembled with the inner ring of the rolling bearing 9.

[0041] In addition to the common connection methods used in the prior art, the present invention also provides a pressure plate 3 for connecting the rubber dust cover 2 to the front panel 1. This pressure plate 3 is used to compress and secure the rubber dust cover 2 to the front panel 1, and can be connected by bolts or clamps. The pressure plate 3 increases the connection area between the rubber dust cover 2 and the front panel 1, making the connection less susceptible to deformation.

[0042] The rolling bearing 9 in the present invention can be a deep groove ball bearing, a needle roller bearing, an angular contact bearing, a self-aligning ball bearing, a self-aligning roller bearing, a thrust ball bearing, a thrust self-aligning roller bearing, a cylindrical roller bearing, a tapered roller bearing, a seated outer spherical ball bearing, etc.

[0043] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0044] The above preferred embodiments should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bearing sealing structure for a steering column and a front panel, comprising a rubber dust cover (2) and a rolling bearing (9); the steering column comprises a steering intermediate shaft (4), the rolling bearing (9) being mounted on the steering intermediate shaft (4) with a small gap; the rubber dust cover (2) being fixedly connected to the front panel (1) while being mounted on the rolling bearing (9); and characterized in that: The bearing sealing structure further comprises a damping ring (10), which is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of the rolling bearing (9) and is used to fill the small gap between the rolling bearing (9) and the steering intermediate shaft (4). At the same time, the damping ring (10) can also provide friction so that the steering intermediate shaft (4) drives the inner ring of the rolling bearing (9) to rotate together, and can also make the rolling bearing (9) slide axially relative to the steering intermediate shaft (4); The inner ring of the rolling bearing (9) has an annular groove (12), and the damping ring (10) is interference-fitted in the groove (12); A bearing ring (8) is further provided between the rubber dust cover (2) and the rolling bearing (9); the rolling bearing (9) is assembled inside the bearing ring (8), and the rubber dust cover (2) is assembled outside the bearing ring (8); A sealing ring (7) is installed in the end of the bearing ring body (8), and the inner wall of the sealing ring (7) is interference-fitted on the steering intermediate shaft (4); The inner wall cross section of the sealing ring (7) is in the shape of an "eight" and its two side edges are closer to the outer surface of the steering intermediate shaft (4) than the middle portion.

2. The bearing sealing structure according to claim 1, wherein: At least two rolling bearings (9) are provided; a damping ring (10) is fixedly mounted on the inner ring of each rolling bearing (9); and all rolling bearings (9) are mounted in the rubber dust cover (2).

3. The bearing sealing structure according to claim 2, wherein: A washer (11) is provided between two adjacent rolling bearings (9).

4. The bearing sealing structure according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing sealing structure further comprises a locking member (5), and the locking member (5) is used to lock the rubber dust cover (2) onto the bearing ring body (8).

5. The bearing sealing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The bearing sealing structure further comprises a pressing plate (3), and the pressing plate (3) is used to press and fix the rubber dust cover (2) to the front panel (1).

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