Passenger car steering column with carbon brush conductive structure

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of passenger car parts, and particularly discloses a passenger car steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure, which comprises a mandrel, a sleeve and a carbon brush assembly additionally arranged between the mandrel and the sleeve. The carbon brush assembly comprises a conductive part fixed on the inner wall of the sleeve or a related part, a carbon brush which is installed on the conductive part and forms sliding electric contact with the outer surface of the core shaft, and an elastic part which applies pressure to enable the carbon brush and the core shaft to keep continuous close contact. According to the utility model, a direct, low-resistance and stable conductive path between the mandrel and the sleeve is realized through the carbon brush, the reliability and the stability of conduction are obviously improved, and the normal operation and the driving safety of an electrical system of a passenger car are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bus component technology, specifically to a bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure. Background Technology

[0002] In the steering system of a bus, the steering column not only plays a crucial role in connecting the steering wheel and the steering gear, but also often needs to perform electrical functions, such as providing a conductive path for the horn or other electrical components mounted on the steering wheel.

[0003] Currently, in conventional bus steering column designs, the spindle and sleeve typically rotate relative to each other via bearings. To achieve electrical connection between the spindle and sleeve (and consequently, to the vehicle ground or other circuits), the common approach is to rely on metal-to-metal contact between the components to form a so-called "ground" path. This can be achieved through contact within the bearing itself or by using additional grounding tabs or grounding wires.

[0004] However, this traditional grounding method has inherent drawbacks. During long-term operation, the steering column of a bus is subjected to continuous mechanical rotation and vibration, and is exposed to complex environments (such as dust, moisture, and temperature changes). These factors can cause mechanical wear, surface oxidation, oil contamination, or momentary poor contact due to vibration at the grounding contact points, resulting in a gradual increase or instability in contact resistance. Increased and unstable resistance directly affects the performance of electrical components that rely on this path, such as causing the horn to become quieter, intermittent, or even not work at all, posing a serious safety hazard to the bus's safe operation. Furthermore, poor contact points may generate electrical sparks when current passes through, which also poses a certain risk.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a more reliable and stable conductive solution for bus steering column to overcome the problems caused by traditional grounding methods. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of this utility model is to address the technical problems of the existing bus steering column relying on grounding for conductivity, which can easily lead to increased resistance, unstable conductivity, and affect driving safety. The invention provides a bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure.

[0007] Technical solution: The present invention provides a bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure, comprising a spindle and a sleeve. The spindle is housed inside the sleeve and is rotatably connected by a bearing. A carbon brush assembly is provided between the spindle and the sleeve to establish a direct and reliable conductive path between the spindle and the sleeve.

[0008] The carbon brush assembly includes: a conductive element fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the sleeve or on a component associated with the sleeve, for introducing or drawing current from the sleeve (or its associated component); a carbon brush mounted and electrically connected to the conductive element, the working end face of which is designed to contact the outer surface of the mandrel; and an elastic element acting on the carbon brush or its support structure to apply a continuous pressure to ensure that the working end face of the carbon brush always maintains tight and effective electrical contact with the outer surface of the mandrel, maintaining a stable connection even when the mandrel rotates or vibrates.

[0009] Furthermore, the carbon brush is made of a carbon material with high conductivity and low wear.

[0010] Furthermore, the conductive element is a copper sheet.

[0011] Furthermore, the elastic element is a spring.

[0012] Furthermore, the mandrel is provided with a carbon brush contact surface, and the carbon brush contacts the carbon brush contact surface.

[0013] Furthermore, the sleeve is provided with a carbon brush mounting position, and the carbon brush assembly is mounted in the carbon brush mounting position.

[0014] Furthermore, the carbon brush assembly includes at least two carbon brushes, both of which are kept in contact with the outer surface of the mandrel by an elastic element.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a support sleeve, which is connected to or forms part of the sleeve and is provided with a locking structure; the carbon brush conductive structure is fixed to the sleeve or the support sleeve through the locking structure.

[0016] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are:

[0017] (1) Improved conductivity stability and reliability: By setting up a special carbon brush conductive structure, a direct, continuous and low impedance electrical connection between the mandrel and the sleeve is realized, overcoming the problem of increased contact resistance and instability caused by wear, oxidation, vibration and other factors in the traditional grounding method.

[0018] (2) Ensures the normal operation of electrical components: Stable conductivity ensures that electrical components such as the horn that rely on this path can work reliably, improving the driving safety of the bus.

[0019] (3) Extended service life: Carbon brushes can be made of carbon materials with high conductivity and low wear. Combined with the stable contact pressure provided by the elastic element, they can maintain good conductivity in long-term use, reducing the frequency of maintenance or replacement due to conductivity problems.

[0020] (4) The structure is relatively simple and easy to implement: The carbon brush conductive structure is compact and can be integrated into the existing steering column design with relatively small modifications, making it easy to produce and assemble. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the mandrel structure in this utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sleeve structure in this utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the carbon brush assembly in this utility model.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the support sleeve in this utility model.

[0026] The markings in the diagram are: 1. Mandrel; 2. Sleeve; 3. Carbon brush assembly; 4. Conductive component; 5. Elastic component; 6. Carbon brush; 7. Support sleeve; 8. Carbon brush contact surface; 9. Carbon brush mounting position; 10. Locking hole. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solution of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0028] Example 1: Refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the bus steering column with carbon brush conductive structure provided by this utility model mainly includes a spindle 1 and a sleeve 2. The spindle 1 is housed inside the sleeve 2 and is flexibly rotated through a bearing, which is the basis for the steering column to realize its basic mechanical function.

[0029] The key improvement of this invention lies in the provision of a carbon brush assembly 3 between the mandrel 1 and the sleeve 2. This carbon brush assembly 3 is used to establish a direct and stable conductive path from the sleeve 2 to the mandrel 1.

[0030] like Figure 4 The carbon brush assembly 3 shown includes: a conductive element 4, a copper sheet 5, and a carbon brush 6. The conductive element 4 is made of copper sheet (or other highly conductive metal sheet), and is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the sleeve 2 at a preset carbon brush mounting position 9 by riveting, welding, screw fastening, or other suitable means. The conductive element 4 ensures a good electrical connection with the sleeve 2.

[0031] The carbon brush 6 is made of a carbon-based composite material with high conductivity and low wear, such as graphite-based or metallic graphite-based materials, to ensure good conductivity and long service life. The carbon brush 6 is mounted on the conductive element 4 and forms a reliable electrical connection with it (e.g., by welding, crimping, or mechanical clamping). The carbon brush 6 has a working end face that faces the spindle 1.

[0032] The elastic element 5 is a compression spring. One end of the elastic element 5 abuts against the carbon brush 6, and the other end abuts against the conductive element 4 or other fixed parts of the carbon brush conductive structure. When the elastic element 5 is compressed, it generates elastic force, which continuously pushes the carbon brush 6 against the mandrel 1, so that the working end face of the carbon brush 6 is always tightly pressed against the outer surface of the mandrel 1 with a certain constant pressure. In order to obtain a more optimized contact effect, a special carbon brush contact surface 8 with surface treatment (such as plating, polishing) can be set on the mandrel 1 at the position corresponding to the carbon brush 6 to reduce the coefficient of friction and contact resistance.

[0033] In actual operation, when the driver turns the steering wheel, the spindle 1 rotates relative to the sleeve 2. Due to the action of the elastic element 5, the working end face of the carbon brush 6 always slides on the outer surface of the spindle 1 (or the carbon brush contact surface 8), maintaining uninterrupted electrical contact. Current can be conducted through the path of sleeve 2 → conductive element 4 → carbon brush 6 → spindle 1, and vice versa.

[0034] To improve the reliability of conductivity or increase the allowable current, at least two carbon brush conductive structures can be provided. These carbon brushes can work in parallel and are distributed at different positions on the circumference of the mandrel 1.

[0035] To facilitate the installation and fixation of carbon brush assembly 3, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a support sleeve 7 is provided. This support sleeve 7 is fitted onto the outside of the sleeve 2, or is part of the structure of the sleeve 2. The support sleeve 7 is provided with a locking structure, such as... Figure 4 The locking hole 10 shown is used to securely install and fix the carbon brush assembly 3 to the sleeve 2 or support sleeve 7 with bolts or other locking components, so as to ensure that the carbon brush assembly 3 will not loosen under vibration or other working conditions.

[0036] This invention introduces a carbon brush conductive structure between the mandrel and sleeve of the steering column in a passenger vehicle, which has the following significant advantages:

[0037] Stable and reliable conductivity: The direct sliding contact between the carbon brush and the spindle, combined with the constant pressure provided by the elastic element, forms a stable and low-resistance conductive path, effectively avoiding the problems of increased resistance and fluctuation caused by changes in the contact surface condition (wear, oxidation, contamination, vibration) in traditional grounding methods.

[0038] Improved driving safety: Ensures the reliable operation of safety-related electrical components such as the horn, eliminating potential safety hazards caused by poor conductivity.

[0039] Extended component life: The use of wear-resistant and highly conductive carbon brush materials, along with a stable contact design, reduces malfunctions and maintenance caused by conductivity issues, thus extending the service life of the steering column as a whole or related components.

[0040] Good adaptability: This structure can adapt to the rotation and vibration of the steering column during vehicle operation and maintain good electrical conductivity.

[0041] As described above, although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should not be construed as limiting the present invention itself. Various changes in form and detail may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure, comprising a mandrel and a sleeve; the mandrel is housed inside the sleeve and rotatably connected via a bearing; characterized in that, A carbon brush assembly is provided between the mandrel and the sleeve to enable direct electrical conduction between the mandrel and the sleeve; The carbon brush assembly includes: A conductive component is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the sleeve; Carbon brushes are installed and electrically connected to the conductive element; An elastic element applies pressure to keep the carbon brush in contact with the outer surface of the mandrel.

2. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carbon brush is made of carbon material with high conductivity and low wear.

3. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive component is a copper sheet.

4. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring.

5. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mandrel is provided with a carbon brush contact surface, and the carbon brush contacts the carbon brush contact surface.

6. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve is provided with a carbon brush mounting position, and the carbon brush assembly is mounted in the carbon brush mounting position.

7. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carbon brush assembly includes at least two carbon brushes, both of which are kept in contact with the outer surface of the mandrel by an elastic element.

8. The bus steering column with a carbon brush conductive structure according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, It also includes a support sleeve, which is connected to or forms part of the sleeve and is provided with a locking structure; the carbon brush conductive structure is fixed to the sleeve or the support sleeve through the locking structure.

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