An optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear

Abstract

The present invention discloses an optimized and improved XEPS circulating ball steering gear, comprising: a housing; a screw rod, which is arranged in the housing; a rack nut, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the screw rod; a rocker arm, which is arranged at the lower end of the rack nut and meshed with the rack nut; a steel ball conduit, which is arranged on the rack nut; and a steel ball, which is arranged in a track between the screw rod and the rack nut. Through the application of the present invention, an optimized and improved XEPS circulating ball steering gear is proposed, in which both the screw rod and the rack nut adopt a double semicircular arc track, which is not only conducive to increasing the strength of the track, but also further reduces the rolling friction coefficient, ensuring that the steering gear is more stable during operation, so that the steering gear can achieve higher efficiency, high precision and low friction transmission while transmitting a larger torque; in addition, the square setting of the rack nut is conducive to reducing stress concentration, improving fatigue life, and achieving higher transmission efficiency and precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field, and in particular to an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the recirculating ball type electronically controlled steering gear has gradually occupied an important position in the field of automotive parts technology due to its advantages such as high transmission efficiency, easy operation, large steering force, good operational stability and long service life. As a typical recirculating ball type electronically controlled steering gear, the XEPS recirculating ball type steering gear realizes efficient steering transmission through the coordinated work of components such as screw, nut, conduit, gear fan rocker arm, housing and small steel ball. Among them, the small steel ball acts as a recirculating ball. After circling twice in the nut, it flows back to the nut through the conduit, thereby forming a closed circulation path. The small steel ball can effectively convert the sliding friction between the nut, screw and conduit into rolling friction with less resistance, which is conducive to improving the transmission efficiency; when the steering column drives the screw to rotate, the screw pushes the nut up and down, and the nut drives the steering rocker arm to swing back and forth through the gear, thereby realizing the steering operation of the vehicle.

[0003] However, the traditional recirculating ball steering gear still has some technical problems in practical applications: First, the raceway in the screw-steel ball-nut transmission pair is prone to pitting. Pitting refers to the excessive contact stress between the steel ball and the raceway in the mechanical system of rolling contact, which causes the surface material to fatigue and peel off due to repeated stress, forming tiny pits. Pitting will increase the friction and wear between the steel ball and the raceway, causing damage and deformation of the components, thereby reducing the fatigue life of the components. Secondly, the strength of the steering gear housing is insufficient, and it is easy to vibrate during operation, resulting in contact fatigue of the steering gear, which not only affects work efficiency, but also brings vibration and noise problems. Vibration and noise not only affect driving comfort, but may also have a negative impact on the structural integrity and service life of the steering gear. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, in order to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear, comprising:

[0005] shell;

[0006] A screw rod, wherein the screw rod is disposed in the housing;

[0007] A rack nut, wherein the rack nut is sleeved on the outer circumference of the screw;

[0008] A rocker arm, the rocker arm being arranged at the lower end of the rack nut and meshing with the rack nut;

[0009] A steel ball conduit, the steel ball conduit being arranged on the rack nut;

[0010] A steel ball is arranged in a track between the screw rod and the rack nut.

[0011] In another preferred embodiment, a steel ball through hole is provided on the rack nut, and both ends of the steel ball conduit are inserted into the steel ball through hole.

[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the screw comprises: a rod body and a screw track, the screw track is arranged in a double semicircular arc shape, the screw track is sleeved on the periphery of the rod body, and the steel ball can roll along the screw track.

[0013] In another preferred embodiment, the rack nut includes: a shell, a rack nut track and a rack, the rack nut track is arranged in a double semicircular arc shape, the rack nut track is arranged inside the shell and connected to the shell, and the rack is connected to the lower end of the shell.

[0014] In another preferred embodiment, the steel ball through hole is provided at the upper end of the shell, and the rack is meshed with the rocker arm.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, it further comprises: a rack nut reinforcement rib, wherein the rack nut reinforcement rib is disposed on the housing and fixedly connected to the housing.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment, a through hole is provided on the shell, and the steering system base portion extends into the through hole and is connected to the shell.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment, it further comprises: a cross reinforcement rib, wherein the cross reinforcement rib is arranged on the outer surface of the shell.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment, it also includes: support reinforcement ribs, an opening is provided on the shell, the opening and the through hole are respectively provided at two ends of the shell, one end of the rod body passes through the opening, and the support reinforcement ribs are provided on the shell and located at the lower end of the opening.

[0019] Due to the adoption of the above technical scheme, the present invention has the following positive effects compared with the prior art: through the application of the present invention, an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear is proposed, and both the screw rod and the rack nut adopt double semicircular arc tracks, which is not only conducive to increasing the strength of the track, but also further reduces the rolling friction coefficient, ensuring that the steering gear is more stable during operation, so that the steering gear can achieve higher efficiency, high precision and low friction transmission while transmitting greater torque, thereby improving the overall transmission performance of the steering gear; in addition, the square setting of the rack nut is conducive to reducing stress concentration, improving fatigue life, and achieving higher transmission efficiency and precision. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a housing of an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a screw rod of an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 The present invention is a schematic structural diagram of a rack nut of an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear.

[0024] In the attached figure:

[0025] 1. Shell; 2. Screw; 3. Rack nut; 4. Rocker arm; 5. Steel ball guide tube; 6. Steel ball; 21. Rod body; 22. Screw track; 31. Shell; 32. Rack nut track; 33. Rack; 34. Rack nut reinforcement rib; 11. Cross reinforcement rib; 12. Support reinforcement rib. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "front", "back", "lateral" and "vertical" is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention, rather than indicating or implying that the device or original referred to must have a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0028] It should be specially explained that the “horizontal” and “vertical” in the present invention are used to illustrate the approximate positional relationship, rather than a strict “horizontal plane” or “vertical plane”.

[0029] like Figure 1-4 As shown, an optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear of a preferred embodiment is shown, comprising:

[0030] Shell 1;

[0031] A screw 2, wherein the screw 2 is disposed in the housing 1;

[0032] A rack nut 3, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the screw rod 2;

[0033] A rocker arm 4, which is arranged at the lower end of the rack nut 3 and meshes with the rack nut 3;

[0034] A steel ball conduit 5, which is arranged on the rack nut 3;

[0035] The steel ball 6 is arranged in a track between the screw rod 2 and the rack nut 3 .

[0036] Further, as a preferred embodiment, a steel ball through hole is provided on the rack nut 3, and both ends of the steel ball conduit 5 are inserted into the steel ball through hole. Further, the steel ball 6 enters the track between the screw rod 2 and the rack nut 3 from one end of the steel ball conduit 5, and the steel ball 6 moves in the track between the screw rod 2 and the rack nut 3 for several cycles and then enters the steel ball conduit 5 from the other end of the steel ball conduit 5, thereby the steel ball 6 can realize cyclic rolling between the steel ball conduit 5 and the rack nut 3.

[0037] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the rocker arm 4 is connected to the steering mechanism (such as a steering tie rod) of the vehicle. Further, the rocker arm 4 can make the front wheels of the vehicle turn according to the driver's intention by rocking back and forth, ensuring that the driving direction of the vehicle is consistent with the rotation of the steering wheel.

[0038] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the screw 2 includes: a rod body 21 and a screw track 22, the screw track 22 is arranged in a double semicircular arc shape, the rod body 21 extends along the first direction, the screw track 22 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the rod body 21, and the steel ball can roll along the screw track 22.

[0039] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the rack nut 3 includes: a shell 31, a rack nut track 32 and a rack 33, the rack nut track 32 is arranged in a double semicircular arc shape, the rack nut track 32 is arranged inside the shell 31 and connected to the shell 31, and the rack 33 is connected to the lower end of the shell 31.

[0040] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the screw track 22 and the rack nut track 32 are both arranged in a double semicircular arc shape, which is beneficial to dispersing the concentrated pressure of the steel ball 6 on the screw track 22 and the rack nut track 32 during the rolling process, and can improve the bearing capacity and durability of the screw track 22 and the rack nut track 32, especially when the driving force of the screw 2 is large, which is beneficial to avoid pitting caused by stress concentration.

[0041] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the screw track 22 and the rack nut track 32 cooperate with each other, and the steel ball 6 can move in the track space formed between the screw track 22 and the rack nut track 32.

[0042] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the housing 31 is arranged in a square shape. Further, the housing 31 is arranged in a square shape so that the rack nut 3 is subjected to force more evenly, which is beneficial to reducing stress concentration and avoiding excessive local stress.

[0043] Further, as a preferred embodiment, a steel ball through hole is provided at the upper end of the housing 31 , and the rack 33 is meshed with the rocker arm 4 .

[0044] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, it also includes: a rack nut reinforcement rib 34 , which is arranged on both sides of one end of the shell 31 and fixedly connected to the shell 31 .

[0045] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the rack nut reinforcement rib 34 is arranged in an arc shape. Further, the rack nut reinforcement rib 34 is conducive to increasing the structural rigidity of the rack nut 3, making it difficult for the rack nut 3 to deform when subjected to external loads, and ensuring that the rack nut 3 remains stable during operation, reducing the displacement or loosening of the rack nut 3 caused by vibration or impact.

[0046] Further, as a preferred embodiment, a through hole is provided on the housing 1 , and the steering system base part extends into the through hole and is connected to the housing 1 .

[0047] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, it also includes: a cross reinforcement rib 11, which is arranged on the outer surface of the shell 1. Further, the cross reinforcement rib 11 is conducive to increasing the strength and rigidity of the shell 1, and can also effectively disperse the stress on the shell 1 to prevent stress concentration.

[0048] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, it also includes: a support reinforcement rib 12, an opening is provided on the housing 1, the opening and the through hole are respectively provided at both ends of the housing 1, one end of the rod body 21 passes through the opening, and the support reinforcement rib 12 is provided on the housing 1 and is located at the lower end of the opening. Furthermore, the support reinforcement rib 12 is used to improve the bending stiffness of the housing 1 and make the housing 1 have a higher damping coefficient, thereby ensuring that the steering gear can effectively absorb and dissipate vibration energy while maintaining stability and reliability during operation, reducing the generation of vibration and noise, and achieving good vibration reduction and noise reduction effects.

[0049] Further, as a preferred embodiment, see Figure 1 As shown, the cross reinforcement rib 11 is arranged close to the opening.

[0050] Further, as a preferred embodiment, the opening and the through hole are connected.

[0051] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: when the vehicle needs to be turned, the driver can output a steering torque by controlling the steering wheel. The steering torque will be transmitted to the screw 2 under the action of the motor to drive the screw 2 to rotate, and then drive the steel ball 6 to circulate and roll in the closed pipeline formed between the screw track 22 and the rack nut track 32. The sliding friction between the rack nut 3 and the screw 2 can be converted into rolling friction with smaller resistance through the rolling of the steel ball 6, thereby driving the rack nut 3 to translate along the first direction. Under the driving action of the external power source, the rack nut 3 will rotate or swing along the second direction. The second direction, the first direction and the vertical direction are arranged perpendicular to each other in pairs. The rack nut 3 transmits force to the rocker arm 4 through the rack 33, so that the rocker arm 4 can rock back and forth, thereby realizing the steering operation of the vehicle.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the implementation mode and protection scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, it should be aware that all solutions obtained by equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made using the description and illustrations of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear, characterized in that: include: shell; A screw rod, wherein the screw rod is disposed in the housing; A rack nut, wherein the rack nut is sleeved on the outer circumference of the screw; A rocker arm, the rocker arm being arranged at the lower end of the rack nut and meshing with the rack nut; A steel ball conduit, the steel ball conduit being arranged on the rack nut; A steel ball is arranged in a track between the screw rod and the rack nut.

2. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The rack nut is provided with a steel ball through hole, and the two ends of the steel ball conduit are inserted into the steel ball through hole.

3. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The screw comprises a rod body and a screw track. The screw track is arranged in a double semicircular arc shape and is sleeved on the periphery of the rod body. The steel ball can roll along the screw track.

4. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The rack nut comprises: a shell, a rack nut track and a rack, wherein the rack nut track is arranged in a double semicircular arc shape, the rack nut track is arranged inside the shell and connected to the shell, and the rack is connected to the lower end of the shell.

5. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The steel ball through hole is arranged at the upper end of the shell, and the rack is meshed with the rocker arm.

6. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 4 is characterized in that: Also includes: The rack nut reinforcement rib is arranged on the shell and fixedly connected to the shell.

7. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The shell is provided with a through hole, and the steering system base part extends into the through hole and is connected with the shell.

8. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Also includes: A cross reinforcement rib is arranged on the outer surface of the shell.

9. The optimized and improved XEPS recirculating ball steering gear according to claim 7 is characterized in that: It also includes: a supporting reinforcing rib, an opening is arranged on the shell, the opening and the through hole are arranged at two ends of the shell respectively, one end of the rod body passes through the opening, and the supporting reinforcing rib is arranged on the shell and located at the lower end of the opening.

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