Rotation angle limiter

Abstract

The utility model relates to a rotation angle limiter which comprises a shell, and a first circumferential stopper is arranged on the inner wall of the shell; the driving ring is used for rotating relative to the shell after receiving the torque and is provided with a second circumferential stopper; the inner ring is located in the shell, and at least one raceway groove is formed in the outer wall of the inner ring in the circumferential direction; the at least one rolling body is used for rolling in the at least one raceway groove; when the driving ring rotates in the first direction, the second circumferential backstops push the rolling bodies to roll along the raceway grooves until at least one rolling body abuts against the first circumferential backstops of the shell, and the driving ring is limited to continuously rotate relative to the shell in the first direction. The limiter has the advantages of being small in friction, low in noise, small in size, high in strength and easy to install and maintain.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to vehicle line control steering technical field especially relates to a kind of limit stop that limit the rotation angle of the steering shaft of vehicle steering system. BACKGROUND

[0002] Automobile steer-by-wire (SBW) refers to the absence of direct mechanical structure connection between steering wheel and wheels, and the steering wheel controls the wheels through steering column assembly and cable.

[0003] In the conventional steering system with mechanical connection between steering wheel and wheels, the steering angle of steering wheel is indeed limited by existing mechanism. However, in the case of steer-by-wire system, as the traditional mechanical connection is cancelled, the steering wheel can theoretically rotate infinitely in one direction. Such unlimited rotation can cause the components of steering column assembly to be at risk of overload or damage. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively limit the steering angle of steering wheel.

[0004] The device for limiting the steering angle of steering wheel in related art has some limitations. For example, due to the limitation of installation space, the stop surface cannot be formed in any size, resulting in small bearing force and easy overload or damage. In addition, some devices for limiting the steering angle of steering wheel have complex parts, high cost, loud noise, large weight, large size, large friction, etc., which also increase the overall burden of steer-by-wire system. SUMMARY

[0005] To overcome the problems in related art, the present disclosure provides a rotation angle limiter.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a rotation angle limiter is provided, comprising: a housing, an inner wall of which is provided with a first circumferential stop; a drive ring for accepting torque and rotating relative to the housing, which is provided with a second circumferential stop; an inner ring located in the housing, an outer wall of the inner ring being arranged with at least one rolling groove in the circumferential direction; and at least one rolling body for rolling in the at least one rolling groove; wherein when the drive ring rotates in a first direction, the second circumferential stop pushes the rolling body to roll along the rolling groove until at least one rolling body abuts against the first circumferential stop of the housing, limiting the drive ring from continuing to rotate in the first direction relative to the housing.

[0007] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the housing is provided with a stop rolling groove of a predetermined circumferential length, and the end of the stop rolling groove forms the first circumferential stop; the inner wall of the drive ring is provided with a drive rolling groove of a predetermined circumferential length, and the end of the drive rolling groove forms the second circumferential stop.

[0008] In some embodiments, the raceway groove comprises at least an initial outer raceway groove and a terminal outer raceway groove arranged axially in parallel, wherein the terminal of the drive raceway groove of the drive ring pushes a rolling element against the terminal of the initial outer raceway groove of the inner ring, driving the inner ring to rotate relative to the outer shell, until the terminal outer raceway groove of the inner ring pushes another rolling element against the terminal of the stop raceway groove of the outer shell, limiting the drive ring from continuing to rotate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the inner ring is divided into at least a first inner ring, a second inner ring and an intermediate ring along the axial direction, wherein the intermediate ring is sleeved outside the first inner ring and the second inner ring, and the first inner ring transmits the torque received from the drive ring to the intermediate ring, and the intermediate ring further transmits the torque to the second inner ring.

[0010] In some embodiments, one end of the first inner ring is provided with the initial outer raceway groove, and the other end is abutted against the second inner ring and provided with a first outer raceway groove, one end of the second inner ring is provided with the terminal outer raceway groove, and the other end is abutted against the first inner ring and provided with a second outer raceway groove, and the inner wall of the intermediate ring is provided with a first inner raceway groove and a second inner raceway groove, which form a first raceway and a second raceway for accommodating rolling elements with the first outer raceway groove and the second outer raceway groove, respectively.

[0011] In some embodiments, the intermediate ring is assembled by two half rings through positioning pins.

[0012] In some embodiments, one end of the drive ring in the axial direction is provided with a first drive raceway half groove, the rotation angle limiter is provided with a first supplemental ring, the first supplemental ring is provided with a second drive raceway half groove, and the first drive raceway half groove and the second drive raceway half groove are spliced into the drive raceway groove in the axial direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first supplemental ring has an L-shaped cross section, a radial part of the first supplemental ring forms the second drive raceway half groove, and an axial part of the first supplemental ring is sleeved on the outer wall of one end of the drive ring in the axial direction and is detachably fixedly connected with the drive ring through positioning pins.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer shell is provided with a first stop raceway half groove, the rotation angle limiter is provided with a second supplemental ring, the second supplemental ring is provided with a second stop raceway half groove, and the first stop raceway half groove and the second stop raceway half groove are spliced into the stop raceway groove in the axial direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the shell is formed with a protruding ring towards the axial direction, the protruding ring is provided with the first stopper raceway half slot; the second supplemental ring is in the shape of inverted L in cross section, the radial part of the second supplemental ring is provided with the second stopper raceway half slot, and the axial part of the second supplemental ring is sleeved on the outer wall of the protruding ring and detachably connected with the shell through the positioning pin.

[0016] The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: the overall structure of the rotation angle limiter of the present disclosure ensures effective transmission of torque, and the transmission of torque is realized through rolling of the steel ball in each raceway, thereby reducing friction between each part, reducing noise, and prolonging service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a steering column assembly according to an example embodiment;

[0019] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a steering column assembly according to an example embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a rotation angle limiter according to an example embodiment;

[0021] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a rotation angle limiter according to an example embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5 is an exploded view of a rotation angle limiter according to an example embodiment;

[0023] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a spline ring according to an example embodiment;

[0024] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a first supplemental ring according to an example embodiment;

[0025] Figure 8 is an assembly view of a spline ring and a first supplemental ring according to an example embodiment;

[0026] Figure 9 is a matching view of a spline ring, a first supplemental ring and a first inner ring according to an example embodiment;

[0027] Figure 10 is a perspective view of an assembly of a middle ring, a first inner ring and a second inner ring.

[0028] Figure 11 is Figure 9 is a sectional view of the driving raceway at the position where the driving raceway groove and the initial outer raceway groove meet;

[0029] Figure 12 is Figure 9 is a schematic view of the end of the driving raceway groove pushing the steel ball and the end of the initial outer raceway groove being limited;

[0030] Figure 13 is Figure 10 is a sectional view of the first raceway at the position where the first outer raceway groove and the first inner raceway groove meet;

[0031] Figure 14 is Figure 10 is a schematic view of the end of the first outer raceway groove pushing the steel ball and the end of the first inner raceway groove being limited. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same drawings refer to the same or similar elements. The following exemplary embodiments described in the following description are not representative of all the embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0033] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the axial direction A, the radial direction R and the circumferential direction W refer to the axial direction A, the radial direction R and the circumferential direction W of the rotation angle limiter 100, respectively. In addition, "driving connection" means that driving force / torque can be transmitted between two components, and the two components can be directly connected or connected through various transmission mechanisms or connection structures to achieve the above function. The term "torsionally rigid connection" means that two elements are connected in a manner that does not rotate relative to each other, which can be achieved via a press fit (i.e., an interference fit) or by integrally forming the two components mentioned. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art depending on the circumstances.

[0034] To solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a rotation angle limiter 100. As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the rotation angle limiter 100 is arranged in a steering column assembly. The steering column assembly at least includes an input shaft 200, a torsion bar 300, an output shaft 400 and a housing 500. The input shaft 200 starts to rotate after receiving torque from the outside (for example, a steering wheel). The torsion bar 300 is press-fitted at both ends with the input shaft 200 and the output shaft, so that the torque received by the input shaft 200 can be transmitted to the output shaft through the torsion bar 300. The rotation angle limiter 100 is mounted at the end of the output shaft, and is in a spline fit with the output shaft, so as to achieve the torsion connection between the rotation angle limiter 100 and the output shaft. Due to the effect of the rotation angle limiter 100, the rotation angle of the input shaft 200 is limited, so as to achieve the rotation angle limiting of the steering wheel.

[0035] As shown, the rotation angle limiter 100 includes a housing 60, a driving ring 10, an inner ring and at least one rolling body. The inner wall of the housing 60 is provided with a first circumferential stop, and the driving ring 10 is provided with a second circumferential stop. The driving ring 10 can rotate relative to the housing 60 after receiving the torque of the output shaft, and the inner ring is located in the housing 60. The outer wall of the inner ring is arranged with at least one rolling groove in the circumferential direction, and at least one rolling body can roll in the at least one rolling groove. Figures 3 to 5

[0036] When the driving ring 10 rotates in the first direction, the second circumferential stop of the driving ring 10 pushes the rolling body 101 to roll along the rolling groove of the inner ring, until the at least one rolling body 101 abuts against the first circumferential stop of the housing 60, so as to limit the driving ring 10 from continuing to rotate in the first direction relative to the housing 60, thereby limiting the final torque transmission of the driving ring 10 from the output shaft 400, and then achieving the final and accurate rotation angle limiting of the input shaft 200 or the steering wheel.

[0037] The rolling groove of the inner ring can be only one. The rolling groove can be a spiral groove around the outer wall of the inner ring, or can be an annular groove with a preset circumferential length. One or more rolling bodies 101 can be arranged in the rolling groove, so as to facilitate the decomposition and balance of the load in the circumferential direction. As known from the above, the torque transmission is through the rolling of the rolling body in the at least one rolling groove, which reduces the friction between the parts when rotating relative to each other during the rotation angle limiting, reduces the noise and prolongs the service life.

[0038] In addition, the rotation angle limiter 100 of the present disclosure further includes a first supplemental ring 20, a second supplemental ring 70, a retainer 80 and a sealing ring 90. The structure and rotation angle limiting principle of the rotation angle limiter 100 of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0039] The driving ring 10 and the output shaft can be torsionally connected through interference fit, connecting piece or the like. In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 4 ​As shown, the drive ring 10 can be a splined ring, meaning that the inner wall of the drive ring 10 is provided with an internal spline 11, and the outer wall of the output shaft 400 is equipped with a corresponding external spline (not shown in the figure). Through the cooperation of the internal spline 11 and the external spline, the drive ring 10 and the output shaft 400 achieve a torsional connection, and the drive ring 10 can receive and transmit torque from the output shaft 400 for rotation. Through the spline cooperation, the external spline is set on the outer wall of the output shaft 400, which not only allows for the transmission of greater torque while keeping the shaft diameter of the output shaft 400 unchanged, but also provides a stronger limiting force for the input shaft 200. At the same time, it makes full use of the radial space, making the overall structure more compact and efficient.

[0040] Furthermore, one axial end of the drive ring 10 (such as...) Figure 4 The lower end shown may be provided with a drive sleeve 12. The inner diameter of the drive sleeve 12 may be larger than the inner diameter of the inner spline 11. The stepped wall formed by the drive sleeve 12 and the portion of the drive ring 10 with the inner spline 11 is used to limit the axial movement A of the first inner ring 30 described below. The inner wall of the axial end of the drive sleeve 12 is provided with a drive raceway groove 13 of a preset circumferential length. The preset circumferential length means that the two ends of the drive raceway groove 13 are not connected in the circumferential direction. The circumferential end of the drive raceway groove 13 forms the second circumferential stop described above.

[0041] In one specific embodiment, to facilitate the installation of the rolling element 101, such as Figure 9 As shown, the drive raceway groove 13 can be formed by the drive ring 10 and the first supplementary ring 20. In this embodiment, the rolling element 101 can be a steel ball, and the following description will use a steel ball as an example.

[0042] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, the drive sleeve 12 at one axial end of the drive ring 10 forms a first drive raceway semi-groove 131 at the junction of the end face and the inner wall. As can be seen from the longitudinal section, this first drive raceway semi-groove 131 is one-quarter of a circular groove. The first supplementary ring 20 has an L-shaped cross-section, and its radial portion 21 is located at the lower end of the drive sleeve 12 of the drive ring 10 (see reference). Figure 4 As shown). Figure 7 As shown, the radial portion 21 of the first supplementary ring 20 includes a second drive raceway semi-groove 23, which also forms a quarter of a circular groove. Figure 9 As shown, the first drive raceway half-groove 131 and the second drive raceway half-groove 23 are joined together along the axial direction A to form a drive raceway groove 13 that is equivalent to half of a circular groove.

[0043] like Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the axial portion 22 of the first supplementary ring 20 is sleeved on the outer wall of the drive sleeve 12 of the drive ring 10. The axial portion 22 of the first supplementary ring 20 can be torsionally connected to the drive sleeve 12 in an anti-torsion manner, or it can be detachably fixedly connected to the drive ring 10 through the positioning pin 102 as in this embodiment.

[0044] like Figure 7 As shown, a locating pin 102 is pre-pressed onto the first supplementary ring 20. (As indicated...) Figure 8 As shown, the drive sleeve 12 of the drive ring 10 is then pressed onto the first supplementary ring 20, and the locating pin 102 ensures the absolute positional accuracy of the two during the pressing process. Finally, as shown... Figure 9 As shown, the first supplementary ring 20 and the drive sleeve 12 of the drive ring 10 together form a drive raceway groove 13, which is equivalent to half of a circular groove. This drive raceway groove 13 cooperates with the initial outer raceway groove 31 of the first inner ring 30 described below to form a complete drive raceway with a circular cross-section, allowing the rolling element 101 to roll smoothly inside it.

[0045] The inner ring can be a single component, meaning there can be only one inner ring, or multiple independent rings can be arranged side-by-side along the axial direction according to the required defined rotation angle. It is understood that in this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more, and other quantifiers are similarly used.

[0046] In embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the example, the inner ring consists of a first inner ring 30, a second inner ring 40, and an intermediate ring 50 arranged side by side along the axial direction A, and the first inner ring 30, the second inner ring 40, and the intermediate ring 50 can rotate relative to each other.

[0047] The first inner ring 30 is as follows Figure 4 The upper end 312 shown is provided with an initial outer raceway groove 31, and the first inner ring 30 is provided with it as shown in the figure. Figure 4 The lower end shown abuts against the second inner ring 40 and is provided with a first outer raceway groove 32. The initial outer raceway groove 31 and the first outer raceway groove 32 are arranged in parallel, and both the initial outer raceway groove 31 and the first outer raceway groove 32 are semi-circular grooves.

[0048] The second inner ring 40 is as follows Figure 4 The upper end shown abuts against the first inner ring 30 and is provided with a second outer raceway groove 41, the second inner ring 40 being as shown in the figure. Figure 4 The lower end is provided with an outer raceway groove 42. The second outer raceway groove 41 is parallel to the outer raceway groove 42 and is also a semi-circular groove.

[0049] It is further understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various structures, but these structures should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish structures of the same type from each other, and do not indicate a particular order or importance. In fact, the expressions "first", "second", etc. can be used interchangeably. For example, the first inner ring 30 can also be referred to as the second inner ring 40 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and similarly, the second inner ring 40 can also be referred to as the first inner ring 30.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4 , the intermediate ring 50 is sleeved outside the first inner ring 30 and the second inner ring 40, and the inner wall of the intermediate ring 50 is provided with a first inner raceway groove 51 and a second inner raceway groove 52, the first inner raceway groove 51 and the first outer raceway groove 32 form a first raceway accommodating the rolling body 101, and the second inner raceway groove 52 and the second outer raceway groove 41 form a second raceway 105 accommodating the rolling body 101. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the rolling body 101 to be loaded into the first raceway and the second raceway 105, as shown in Figure 10 , the intermediate ring 50 is assembled by two semicircular rings through positioning pins 102.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5 , the outer shell 60 is a shell with a receiving cavity and an opening, and the opening end is provided with a flange 61 (as shown in Figure 5 ), which is fixedly connected with the shell 500 of the steering column assembly by bolts, ensuring the position of the outer shell 60 stable, so that the outer shell 60 can contain the final torque transmission received by the driving ring 10 from the output shaft 400, thereby realizing the final accurate limiting of the rotation angle of the input shaft 200 or the steering wheel.

[0052] In addition, as shown in Figure 3 , the outer shell 60 is fixedly connected with the shell 500 of the steering column assembly, so that all key structures including the driving ring 10, the first inner ring 30, the second inner ring 40, the intermediate ring 50, the first supplemental ring 20, the second supplemental ring 70, the sealing ring 90 and the retainer 80 are safely wrapped in the receiving cavity of the outer shell 60, not only ensuring the working environment reliability and stability of each rotating part, but also effectively protecting the internal components from external factors, improving the overall performance and durability of the limiter 100.

[0053] Further, the inner wall of the outer shell 60 is provided with a stop raceway groove 62 with a predetermined circumferential length, the stop raceway groove 62 and the end outer raceway groove 42 of the second inner ring 40 form a stop raceway 106 accommodating the steel ball 101, and the circumferential end of the stop raceway groove 62 forms a first circumferential stop of the outer shell 60. By limiting the movement of the rolling body 101 in the stop raceway 106, the containment of the final torque transmission and the limiting of the rotation angle are realized.

[0054] In the present embodiment, in order to facilitate the installation of the steel balls 101 in the stopper raceway 106, as shown in Figure 4 The bottom wall of the outer shell 60 is axially protruded to form a protruding ring 63 which is radially spaced from the inner wall of the outer shell 60. The protruding ring 63 is provided with a first stopper raceway half slot 631 which is a quarter of a circular slot at the transition between the axial end of the protruding ring 63 and the inner wall. The second supplemental ring 70 has an inverted L-shaped cross section, and the radial portion 72 of the second supplemental ring 70 is located at the upper end of the protruding ring 63 as shown in Figure 4 The radial portion 72 of the second supplemental ring 70 has a second stopper raceway half slot 73 which is a quarter of a circular slot. The first stopper raceway half slot 631 and the second stopper raceway half slot 73 are combined along the axial direction A to form a semicircular stopper raceway slot 62.

[0055] The axial portion 71 of the second supplemental ring 70 is sleeved on the outer wall of the protruding ring 63 and detachably connected with the outer shell 60 through the positioning pin 102, which not only facilitates the assembly of the steel balls 101 in the stopper raceway 106, but also ensures the accurate alignment and stable connection of the second supplemental ring 70 and the outer shell 60 during installation.

[0056] In some embodiments, the rotation angle limiter 100 can be provided with two driving raceways 103 which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Similarly, the rotation angle limiter 100 can be provided with two circumferentially spaced first raceways 104, second raceways 105 and stopper raceways 106. In other embodiments, three or more of the above-mentioned raceways can be provided in the circumferential direction, which is not limited here.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 4 The rotation angle limiter 100 further comprises a ring-shaped retainer 80 which is provided with a pocket hole for limiting the steel balls 101. Each of the driving raceways 103, the first raceways 104, the second raceways 105 and the stopper raceways 106 in each layer is provided with an independent retainer 80.

[0058] In the present embodiment, each layer is provided with two driving raceways 103, two first raceways 104, two second raceways 105 and two stopper raceways 106, and the retainer 80 is provided with four pocket holes, each of which can constrain the relative position of the steel balls 101 in the two raceways in the same layer, preventing the steel balls 101 from freely rolling in the raceways and generating noise. For example, the retainer 80 retains the steel balls 101 in the middle of the driving raceways 103 as shown in Figure 5 and the first raceways 104 as shown in Figure 11

[0059] ​When the driving ring 10 receives the torque transmitted by the output shaft, the torque is first transmitted to the first inner ring 30 through the steel balls 101 in the driving raceway 103, and then transmitted to the intermediate ring 50 through the steel balls 101 in the first raceway 104. Then, the intermediate ring 50 transmits the torque to the second inner ring 40 through the steel balls 101 in the second raceway 105, and the rotation of the second inner ring 40 is restrained by the end of the stop raceway 106 limiting the steel balls 101. The transmission and restraint of the torque will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 1, the two circumferential ends of the driving raceway groove 13 composed of the driving ring 10 and the first supplemental ring 20 are aligned with the two circumferential ends of the initial outer raceway groove 31 of the first inner ring 30 in the state that the driving ring 10 is not rotated. At this time, the steel balls 101 are limited by the pockets of the retainer 80 in the middle part of the driving raceway 103. Figure 13 As shown in FIG. 2, when the output shaft transmits the torque to the driving ring 10 and rotates the driving ring 10 clockwise (the direction is indicated by an arrow D1). The driving ring 10 and the first supplemental ring 20 rotate relative to the outer shell 60 and the first inner ring 30, and the driving raceway groove 13 starts to be circumferentially misaligned with the initial outer raceway groove 31 until the end of the driving raceway groove 13 abuts against the steel balls 101, pushing the steel balls 101 to move in the initial outer raceway groove 31 in the clockwise direction. Finally, the steel balls 101 abut against the end of the initial outer raceway groove 31, and the driving ring 10 drives the first inner ring 30 to rotate clockwise relative to the intermediate ring 50 and the outer shell 60.

[0061] Figure 11 As shown in FIG. 3, when the first inner ring 30 is not rotated relative to the intermediate ring 50, the two circumferential ends of the first outer raceway groove 32 of the first inner ring 30 are aligned with the two circumferential ends of the first inner raceway groove 51 of the intermediate ring 50, and the steel balls 101 are limited by the pockets of the retainer 80 in the middle part of the first raceway 104.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 4, when the first inner ring 30 is driven by the driving ring 10 to rotate clockwise relative to the intermediate ring 50, the first outer raceway groove 32 of the first inner ring 30 starts to be circumferentially misaligned with the first inner raceway groove 51 of the intermediate ring 50, and after the end of the first outer raceway groove 32 abuts against the steel balls 101, the steel balls 101 are pushed to move in the first inner raceway groove 51 in the clockwise direction until the steel balls 101 abut against the end of the first inner raceway groove 51. At this time, the torque of the first inner ring 30 is transmitted to the intermediate ring 50, driving the intermediate ring 50 to rotate clockwise relative to the second inner ring 40 and the outer shell 60. Figure 12 As shown in FIG. 5, when the intermediate ring 50 is not rotated relative to the second inner ring 40 and the outer shell 60, the two circumferential ends of the first inner raceway groove 51 of the intermediate ring 50 are aligned with the two circumferential ends of the second inner raceway groove 52 of the second inner ring 40, and the steel balls 101 are limited by the pockets of the retainer 80 in the middle part of the second raceway 105.

[0063] Figure 13 As shown in FIG. 6, when the intermediate ring 50 is driven by the first inner ring 30 to rotate clockwise relative to the second inner ring 40 and the outer shell 60, the first inner raceway groove 51 of the intermediate ring 50 starts to be circumferentially misaligned with the second inner raceway groove 52 of the second inner ring 40, and after the end of the first inner raceway groove 51 abuts against the steel balls 101, the steel balls 101 are pushed to move in the second inner raceway groove 52 in the clockwise direction until the steel balls 101 abut against the end of the second inner raceway groove 52. At this time, the torque of the intermediate ring 50 is transmitted to the second inner ring 40, driving the second inner ring 40 to rotate clockwise relative to the outer shell 60.

[0064] ​​Similarly, when the intermediate ring 50 is driven to rotate clockwise by the first inner ring 30, the second inner raceway groove 52 of the intermediate ring 50 begins to be circumferentially offset from the second outer raceway groove 41 of the second inner ring 40. After the end of the second inner raceway groove 52 abuts against the steel ball 101, it pushes the steel ball 101 to move clockwise within the second outer raceway groove 41 until the steel ball 101 abuts against the end of the second outer raceway groove 41. The torque of the intermediate ring 50 is then transmitted to the second inner ring 40, and the second inner ring 40 rotates clockwise relative to the outer shell 60.

[0065] As the second inner ring 40 rotates, its outer raceway groove 42 at its end is circumferentially offset from the stop raceway groove 62 of the outer casing 60. After the end of the outer raceway groove 42 comes into contact with the steel ball 101, it pushes the steel ball 101 to move clockwise within the stop raceway groove 62 until the steel ball 101 reaches the end of the stop raceway groove 62. At this point, the steel ball 101 prevents the second inner ring 40 from rotating further, thereby limiting the continued rotation of the drive ring 10.

[0066] It can be seen that the torque received by the drive ring 10 is transmitted layer by layer through the first inner ring 30, the middle ring 50, and the second inner ring 40 until the outer shell 60 restrains the torque, thus finally achieving the limit of the steering wheel's rotation angle.

[0067] Additionally, it should be noted that the maximum rotation angle that the drive ring 10 can rotate depends on the preset circumferential length of each raceway and the number of inner rings. By changing the preset circumferential length of each raceway and the number of inner rings, the maximum rotation angle that the drive ring 10 can rotate is ultimately changed.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figure 14 and Figure 4 Figure 5 As shown, the rotation angle limiter 100 also includes a sealing ring 90. The axial portion of the sealing ring 90 is tightly clamped between the outer wall of the drive sleeve 12 of the drive ring 10 and the inner wall of the housing 60 through an interference fit, effectively preventing the leakage of internal grease and maintaining the lubrication state of the internal components. The radial portion of the sealing ring 90 is installed in an annular groove at the open end face of the housing 60 and is flush with the open end face of the housing 60, which not only enhances the sealing effect but also ensures a clean appearance, further preventing external dust, moisture, and other contaminants from entering the interior of the housing 60, protecting the internal structures from contamination and corrosion, and extending service life.

[0069] In summary, the rolling of the steel ball 101 within the raceway replaces sliding friction, significantly reducing friction between components, reducing energy loss and heat generation. Due to reduced friction, the noise generated during operation of the limiter 100 is significantly reduced, providing a quieter operating environment. Low friction and precise mechanical fit reduce wear, improve the durability of each component, and thus extend the service life of the entire limiter 100.

[0070] In addition, through the constraint of the steel ball 101 and the raceway groove constituting each raceway, not only the torque can be transmitted between the spline groove, the first inner ring 30, the intermediate ring 50, the second inner ring 40, but also the axial assembly positioning between the above-mentioned multiple rings can be achieved, so as to control the axial assembly gap.

[0071] In addition, the positioning pins 102 between the driving ring 10 and the first supplemental ring 20, the positioning pins 102 of the intermediate ring 50, and the positioning pins 102 between the second supplemental ring 70 and the housing 60 are all of the same size, which is good in versatility and increases the assembly accuracy of the product.

[0072] It should be noted that "and / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent the three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. The character " / " generally represents that the front and rear associated objects are in an "or" relationship. The singular form "a" and "the" are also intended to include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0073] It can be further understood that the terms "upper end", "lower end", "inner wall", "outer wall" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation.

[0074] It can be further understood that, although the operations are described in a particular order in the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should not be understood as requiring the operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a serial order, or requiring all of the operations to be performed to obtain the desired result. In a particular environment, multi-tasking and parallel processing can be advantageous.

[0075] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility model disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include known or customary practice in the art of the present disclosure not specifically disclosed. The specification and examples are only considered as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0076] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is only limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rotation angle limiter (100), characterized in that, Comprising: a housing (60) with an inner wall provided with a first circumferential stop; a driving ring (10) for receiving torque and rotating relative to the housing (60), the driving ring (10) being provided with a second circumferential stop; an inner ring located in the housing (60), an outer wall of the inner ring being provided with at least one raceway groove in the circumferential direction; and at least one rolling element (101) for rolling in the at least one raceway groove; wherein when the driving ring (10) rotates in a first direction, the second circumferential stop pushes the rolling element (101) to roll along the raceway groove until at least one rolling element (101) abuts against the first circumferential stop of the housing, limiting the driving ring (10) from continuing to rotate in the first direction relative to the housing (60).

2. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 1, wherein: the inner wall of the housing (60) is provided with a stop raceway groove (62) with a predetermined circumferential length, and an end of the stop raceway groove (62) forms the first circumferential stop; the inner wall of the driving ring (10) is provided with a driving raceway groove (13) with a predetermined circumferential length, and an end of the driving raceway groove (13) forms the second circumferential stop.

3. The rotation angle limiter according to claim 2, wherein: the raceway groove comprises at least an initial outer raceway groove (31) and a terminal outer raceway groove (42) arranged in parallel in the axial direction, wherein an end of the driving raceway groove (13) of the driving ring (10) pushes a rolling element (101) to abut against an end of the initial outer raceway groove (31) of the inner ring, driving the inner ring to rotate relative to the housing (60) until an end of the terminal outer raceway groove (42) of the inner ring pushes another rolling element (101) to abut against an end of the stop raceway groove (62) of the housing (60), limiting the driving ring (10) from continuing to rotate.

4. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 3, wherein: the inner ring is divided into at least a first inner ring (30), a second inner ring (40) and an intermediate ring (50) in the axial direction, and the intermediate ring (50) is sleeved outside the first inner ring (30) and the second inner ring (40), wherein the first inner ring (30) receives torque of the driving ring (10) and transmits the torque to the intermediate ring (50), and the intermediate ring (50) transmits the torque to the second inner ring (40).

5. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 4, wherein: one end of the first inner ring (30) is provided with the initial outer raceway groove (31), and the other end abuts against the second inner ring (40) and is provided with a first outer raceway groove (32), one end of the second inner ring (40) is provided with the terminal outer raceway groove (42), and the other end abuts against the first inner ring (30) and is provided with a second outer raceway groove (41). ​ The inner wall of the intermediate ring (50) is provided with a first inner race groove (51) and a second inner race groove (52), which form a first raceway (104) and a second raceway (105) accommodating rolling bodies (101) with the first outer race groove (32) and the second outer race groove (41) respectively.

6. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 4, wherein, The intermediate ring (50) is assembled by two half circular rings through a positioning pin (102).

7. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 2, wherein, An axial end of the driving ring (10) is provided with a first driving raceway half groove (131), the rotation angle limiter (100) is provided with a first supplementary ring (20), the first supplementary ring (20) is provided with a second driving raceway half groove (23), and the first driving raceway half groove (131) and the second driving raceway half groove (23) are spliced into the driving raceway groove (13) along the axial direction (A).

8. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 7, wherein, The first supplementary ring (20) has an L-shaped cross section, a radial part (21) of the first supplementary ring (20) forms the second driving raceway half groove (23), an axial part (22) of the first supplementary ring (20) is sleeved on the outer wall of the axial end of the driving ring (10) and is detachably fixedly connected with the driving ring (10) through a positioning pin (102).

9. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The housing (60) is provided with a first stop raceway half groove (631), the rotation angle limiter (100) is provided with a second supplementary ring (70), the second supplementary ring (70) is provided with a second stop raceway half groove (73), and the first stop raceway half groove (631) and the second stop raceway half groove (73) are spliced into the stop raceway groove (62) along the axial direction (A).

10. The rotation angle limiter (100) according to claim 9, wherein, The bottom wall of the housing (60) is protruded axially to form a protruding ring (63), and the protruding ring (63) is provided with the first stop raceway half groove (631); The second supplementary ring (70) has an inverted L-shaped cross section, a radial part (72) of the second supplementary ring (70) has the second stop raceway half groove (73), and an axial part (71) of the second supplementary ring (70) is sleeved on the outer wall of the protruding ring (63) and is detachably connected with the housing (60) through a positioning pin (102).

Images