Electrically conductive steering column bearing

Abstract

This utility model discloses a conductive steering column bearing, comprising: an outer sleeve; a plurality of rolling elements evenly spaced circumferentially on the inner side of the outer sleeve; a cage disposed on the inner circumferential side of the outer sleeve and near a first axial end for retaining the plurality of rolling elements; a stamped outer ring disposed on the inner circumferential side of the outer sleeve and near a second axial end; a stamped inner ring disposed on the inner circumferential side of the plurality of rolling elements, wherein the stamped inner ring, cage, stamped outer ring, and outer sleeve form raceways for the plurality of rolling elements; and an elastic body disposed between the outer sleeve and the stamped inner ring and elastically abutting against the stamped outer ring. The conductive steering column bearing provided by this utility model has self-aligning capability, thereby improving the bearing's service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bearing technology, and in particular to a conductive steering column bearing. Background Technology

[0002] The upper column tube ball bearing needs to withstand axial loads, radial loads, and moment loads generated by road surface excitation during operation, resulting in complex loading conditions. To ensure the accuracy of steering wheel steering, the upper column tube bearing must always be in a state of zero backlash and zero wobble. To ensure the driver's user experience, the bearing must have performance requirements such as no sticking or abnormal noise. Due to the impact loads on the road surface, the bearing must have high rigidity. During the manufacturing process of the automotive steering column, there will be some misalignment between the steering input shaft and the column tube. Therefore, the bearing must have a certain degree of self-aligning performance to compensate for this misalignment effect. To reduce the overall cost of the steering column system, the upper column tube bearing must also have a certain degree of electrical conductivity.

[0003] Traditional solid ring steering column bearings have stringent assembly requirements. Excessive interference fit can easily lead to cracking of the inner ring. During use, they have poor stability and it is difficult to maintain the basic requirements of no clearance, no shaking, no jamming, and no abnormal noise. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a conductive steering column bearing that has good assembly adaptability, low manufacturing cost, and is not prone to cracking.

[0005] Based on the above problems, the technical solution provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0006] A conductive steering column bearing, comprising:

[0007] coat;

[0008] Multiple rolling elements are evenly spaced and arranged circumferentially on the inner side of the outer sleeve;

[0009] A retainer, disposed circumferentially inside the outer sleeve and near the first axial end, is used to retain the plurality of rolling elements;

[0010] A stamped outer ring is disposed on the circumferential inner side of the outer sleeve and near the second axial end;

[0011] A stamped inner ring is disposed on the circumferential inner side of the plurality of rolling elements, and the raceway of the plurality of rolling elements is formed between the stamped inner ring, the cage, the stamped outer ring and the outer sleeve;

[0012] An elastomer is disposed between the outer sleeve and the stamped inner ring and elastically abuts against the stamped outer ring.

[0013] In some embodiments, the outer sleeve includes a first sleeve, a second sleeve, and a crimping portion connected sequentially from a first end to a second end in an axial direction. The inner diameter of the first sleeve matches the outer diameter of the cage, the outer diameter of the second sleeve is larger than that of the first sleeve and matches the inner diameter of the steering column tube, and the crimping portion is bent from the end of the second sleeve toward the first sleeve. A first raceway surface is formed between the first sleeve and the second sleeve.

[0014] In some embodiments, the stamped outer ring is clearance-fitted with the second sleeve, and a second raceway surface is formed on the side facing the rolling element.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first raceway surface and the second raceway surface are inclined surfaces that are inclined to the axial direction of the outer casing.

[0016] In some of these embodiments, the cross-section of the stamped outer ring is pentagonal.

[0017] In some embodiments, the gap between the stamped outer ring and the second body is 0.3mm to 0.5mm.

[0018] In some embodiments, a wavy groove is formed on the outer wall of the stamped inner ring, and the groove in the middle forms the raceway with the first raceway surface and the second raceway surface.

[0019] In some embodiments, the retainer includes an annular frame and a plurality of retaining bodies disposed circumferentially on the annular frame, with a plurality of pockets formed between adjacent retaining bodies for inserting the plurality of rolling elements, and each retaining body having a slot with one end open.

[0020] In some embodiments, the stamped inner ring has guide portions at both axial ends that cooperate with the steering input shaft.

[0021] In some of these embodiments, the elastomer is a wave spring, a butterfly spring, or a diaphragm spring.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are:

[0023] (1) By compressing or releasing the compression of the elastomer, the bearing can achieve an adjustable preload state inside the bearing, thereby compensating for the misalignment between the steering input shaft and the column tube caused by machining errors, so that the entire bearing has a certain self-aligning capability.

[0024] (2) The outer sleeve plays a certain role in wrapping and also acts as the raceway for the rolling elements, reducing the number of parts, improving the rigidity of the bearing, and reducing the risk of wobbling;

[0025] (3) The stamped outer ring and the outer sleeve are clearance fit. During the compression of the elastomer by the stamped outer ring, it is not easy for interference to occur between the stamped outer ring and the outer sleeve, which would cause scraping noise in the bearing.

[0026] (4) The cage can accommodate multiple rolling elements and guides the rolling elements. The slots between the pockets make it easy for the cage to deform in order to compensate for the machining error caused by the raceway. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a conductive steering column bearing of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the outer casing in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cage structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stamped outer ring in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the stamped inner ring in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] in:

[0034] 1. Outer shell; 1-1. First body; 1-2. Second body; 1-3. Press-fit part; 1-4. First raceway surface;

[0035] 2. Cage; 2-1. Annular body; 2-2. Cage; 2-3. Pocket; 2-4. Groove;

[0036] 3. Rolling elements;

[0037] 4. Stamped outer ring; 4-1. Second raceway surface; 4-2. Outer ring surface; 4-3. End face;

[0038] 5. Elastomers;

[0039] 6. Stamped inner ring; 6-1. Groove; 6-2. Guide section. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The above solution will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The implementation conditions used in the embodiments can be further adjusted according to the conditions of specific manufacturers, and the implementation conditions not specified are usually the conditions in conventional experiments.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention provides a conductive steering column bearing, including an outer sleeve 1, multiple rolling elements 3, a cage 2, a stamped outer ring 4, a stamped inner ring 6, and an elastomer 5. The outer sleeve 1, rolling elements 3, stamped outer ring 4, stamped inner ring 6, and elastomer 5 are all metal parts, while the cage 2 is a plastic part.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the outer sleeve 1 includes a first sleeve 1-1, a second sleeve 1-2, and a crimping part 1-3 connected sequentially from the first end to the second end in the axial direction. The inner diameter of the first sleeve 1-1 matches the outer diameter of the cage 2. The outer diameter of the second sleeve 1-2 is larger than that of the first sleeve 1-1 and matches the inner diameter of the steering column tube. The crimping part 1-3 is bent from the outer end of the second sleeve 1-2 toward the first sleeve 1-1, forming a first raceway surface 1-4 between the first sleeve 1-1 and the second sleeve 1-2.

[0043] Multiple rolling elements 3 are evenly spaced on the inner circumferential side of the outer sleeve 1, and the rolling elements 3 are made of metal steel balls.

[0044] Cage 2, which is disposed circumferentially inside the outer sleeve 1 and near the first axial end, is used to retain a plurality of rolling elements 3, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cage includes an annular frame 2-1 and multiple retainers 2-2 arranged circumferentially on the annular frame 2-1. Multiple pockets 2-3 are formed between adjacent retainers 2-2 for inserting multiple rolling elements 3. Each retainer 2-2 has a slot 2-4 open at one end. The slots 2-4 between adjacent pockets 2-3 serve two purposes: reducing weight and facilitating deformation of the cage 2 to compensate for machining errors caused by the stamping raceway. Steel balls are placed in the pockets 2-3, which then constrain the rolling elements 3 and guide them in circular motion along the raceway.

[0045] The stamped outer ring 4 is located on the circumferential inner side of the outer sleeve 1 and near the second axial end. The stamped outer ring 4 has a clearance fit with the second sleeve 1-2, and a second raceway surface 4-1 is formed on the side facing the rolling element 3. The first raceway surface 1-4 and the second raceway surface 4-1 are inclined surfaces that are axially inclined with respect to the outer sleeve 1, which facilitates processing and can reduce friction.

[0046] like Figure 4As shown, the cross-section of the stamped outer ring 4 is pentagonal. The end face 4-3 that abuts against the elastic body 5 is perpendicular to the outer ring face 4-2. The contact between the stamped outer ring 4 and the elastic body 5 allows the preload of the elastic body 5 to be transmitted to the rolling element 3, thus eliminating internal clearance in the bearing. The clearance between the outer ring face 4-2 of the stamped outer ring 4 and the second sleeve 1-2 is 0.3mm to 0.5mm. Therefore, during the compression or resetting of the elastic body 5, the stamped outer ring 4 is less likely to interfere with the irregular outer sleeve 1 due to misalignment, causing scraping noise, excessive torque, or free clearance within the bearing.

[0047] The stamped inner ring 6 is located on the circumferential inner side of multiple rolling elements 3. The stamped inner ring 6, cage 2, stamped outer ring 4 and outer ring 1 form a raceway for multiple rolling elements 3. The raceway has a double V-shaped structure. The rolling elements 3 and the raceway are in three-point or four-point contact. The contact angle of the bearing is 25°~30°.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, a wavy groove 6-1 is formed on the outer wall of the stamped inner ring 6, and the V-shaped groove 6-1 in the middle cooperates with the first raceway surface 1-4 and the second raceway surface 4-1 to form the aforementioned raceway. Guide portions 6-2 that cooperate with the steering input shaft are provided at both axial ends of the stamped inner ring 6, facilitating the assembly of the steering input shaft and preventing excessive assembly load. The inner diameters at both ends of the stamped inner ring 6 are matched with the outer diameter of the steering input shaft, and the pressure generated by the interference fit is less likely to affect the groove 6-1 of the stamped inner ring 6, thus improving assembly stability.

[0049] The elastic body 5 is disposed between the outer sleeve 1 and the stamping inner ring 6 and elastically abuts against the stamping outer ring 4. The elastic body 5 can be a wave spring, a butterfly spring or a diaphragm spring.

[0050] The working principle of this utility model is as follows:

[0051] When there is a machining error between the steering shaft and the column tube, the stamped outer ring 4 has a movable space inside the outer sleeve 1. It can deform by compressing or releasing the elastomer 5, so that the bearing can achieve a state of adjustable preload, thereby enabling the entire bearing to have self-aligning capability.

[0052] In summary, this bearing has a simple structure, self-aligning capability to compensate for machining errors between the steering shaft and the column tube, and is less prone to excessive installation force and cracking, thus improving the product stability of the steering column.

[0053] The above examples are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this utility model, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it accordingly. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. An electrically conductive steering column shaft bearing, characterized in that, include: coat; Multiple rolling elements are evenly spaced and arranged circumferentially on the inner side of the outer sleeve; A retainer, disposed circumferentially inside the outer sleeve and near the first axial end, is used to retain the plurality of rolling elements; A stamped outer ring is disposed on the circumferential inner side of the outer sleeve and near the second axial end; A stamped inner ring is disposed on the circumferential inner side of the plurality of rolling elements, and the raceway of the plurality of rolling elements is formed between the stamped inner ring, the cage, the stamped outer ring and the outer sleeve; An elastomer is disposed between the outer sleeve and the inner stamping ring and elastically abuts against the outer stamping ring.

2. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 1, wherein: The outer sleeve includes a first sleeve, a second sleeve, and a crimping part connected sequentially from a first end to a second end in the axial direction. The inner diameter of the first sleeve matches the outer diameter of the cage. The outer diameter of the second sleeve is larger than that of the first sleeve and matches the inner diameter of the steering column tube. The crimping part is bent from the end of the second sleeve toward the first sleeve. A first raceway surface is formed between the first sleeve and the second sleeve.

3. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 2, wherein: The stamped outer ring is clearance-fitted with the second sleeve, and a second raceway surface is formed on the side facing the rolling element.

4. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 3, wherein: The first raceway surface and the second raceway surface are inclined surfaces that are inclined to the axial direction of the outer jacket.

5. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 4, wherein: The cross-section of the stamped outer ring is pentagonal.

6. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 4, wherein: The gap between the stamped outer ring and the second body is 0.3mm to 0.5mm.

7. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 6, wherein: A wavy groove is formed on the outer wall of the stamped inner ring, and the groove in the middle forms the raceway with the first raceway surface and the second raceway surface.

8. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 1, wherein: The retainer includes an annular frame and a plurality of retaining bodies arranged circumferentially on the annular frame. A plurality of pockets are formed between two adjacent retaining bodies for inserting the plurality of rolling elements. Each retaining body is provided with a slot with one end open.

9. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 1, wherein: The stamped inner ring has guide portions at both axial ends that cooperate with the steering input shaft.

10. The conductive steering column shaft of claim 1, wherein: The elastic body is a wave spring, a butterfly spring, or a diaphragm spring.

Images