A bearing component for a vehicle steering gear

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of direction machine bearing, propose a kind of car direction machine bearing component, including rack shaft and direction machine bearing, the outer wall of direction machine bearing is provided with outer circulator, outer circulator includes two embracing members, embracing member is made of wear-resistant non-metallic material, the inside of embracing member is provided with circulation channel, the both ends of circulation channel are staggered distribution and all extend the inner wall of embracing member, the both ends of circulation channel are inserted with the guide groove on the outer wall of direction machine bearing and are connected with the movement track of ball, the butt joint position of two embracing members is provided with quick buckle. The utility model provides a kind of car direction machine bearing component in outer circulator, adopts embracing member and buckle and can realize quick combination, and radial size is relatively smaller, low in cost and convenient to dismounting and assembling;The wear resistance of outer circulator is better, can effectively reduce the abrasive dust of ball in spiral groove, is favorable for extending the actual service life of this component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of steering gear bearings, and particularly relates to a steering gear bearing component for automobiles. Background Technology

[0002] Steering gear bearings are a core component of a car's steering system. Their main function is to support the internal transmission components of the steering gear, reduce friction, and ensure smooth and precise steering. Their primary working principle is that when the driver turns the steering wheel, it drives the gear pair inside the steering gear, which transmits the motion to the steering wheels through components such as the steering rocker arm and tie rod, thus achieving steering. Steering gear bearings differ from ordinary bearings in that their inner ring is longer and its end is designed to nest with the steering gear, while the outer ring is fixed to the steering gear by a nut. In addition to the rollers between the inner and outer rings, the inner wall of the steering gear bearing also has multiple rings of balls. These balls engage with the helical grooves on the rack shaft to form a lead screw drive pair.

[0003] There are two main types of lead screw drives consisting of a steering gear bearing and a rack and pinion shaft: internal circulation and external circulation. External circulation steering gear bearings typically use a metal circulator. This has several drawbacks: firstly, it involves more components, making assembly slower and less efficient, and increasing costs; secondly, it has a larger radial dimension, placing greater demands on the radial dimensions of the area where the bearing is mounted on the steering gear; and thirdly, the internal processing of the metal circulator varies. A coarser processing level increases friction in the ball bearings, potentially increasing wear debris on the spiral circulation path, thus affecting the actual service life of the steering gear bearing. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model addresses the technical problems existing in the aforementioned steering gear bearings by proposing a vehicle steering gear bearing component that is reasonably designed, low in cost, easy to assemble quickly, has relatively small radial dimensions, good wear resistance, and is conducive to extending its actual service life.

[0005] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: This utility model provides a vehicle steering gear bearing component, including a rack shaft with a helical groove. A steering gear bearing is arranged on the rack shaft in the horizontal direction of the helical groove. The inner wall of the steering gear bearing is provided with balls that circulate with the helical groove. The outer wall of the steering gear bearing is provided with an external circulator. The external circulator includes two clamping members symmetrically distributed about the center of the steering gear bearing. The clamping members are made of wear-resistant non-metallic material. A circulation channel is provided inside the clamping members. The two ends of the circulation channel are staggered vertically and extend out of the inner wall of the clamping members. The two ends of the circulation channel are inserted into guide grooves provided on the outer wall of the steering gear bearing and are connected to the movement trajectory of the balls. A quick-locking buckle is provided at the mating position of the two clamping members. The quick-locking buckle is used to engage with the locking grooves provided on the clamping members.

[0006] Preferably, the clamping component includes an upper circulation body and a lower circulation body, the bottom surface of the upper circulation body is an upper curved surface, the bottom surface of the lower circulation body is a lower curved surface, the upper curved surface and the lower curved surface are connected to each other and cut the circulation channel into an upper channel and a lower channel.

[0007] Preferably, at least two pairs of positioning structures are provided on the mating surfaces of the upper and lower circulation bodies, and the positioning structures include positioning holes and positioning pins that are inserted into the positioning holes.

[0008] Preferably, the end of the circulation channel is provided with a connecting nozzle, which is used to connect the movement trajectory of the ball.

[0009] Preferably, the engagement member includes a cylindrical inner wall that mates with the steering gear bearing and an outwardly arched outer wall, with a crescent-shaped inner cavity provided between the arched outer wall and the cylindrical inner wall, and reinforcing ribs provided in the inner cavity.

[0010] Preferably, the arched outer wall is provided with connecting sections on both sides, the upper and lower ends of the connecting sections are triangular, and the slot is located in the middle of the connecting sections.

[0011] Preferably, the quick-release buckle includes an outer section, with a pair of U-shaped hooks that meander towards the slot at both the upper and lower ends of the outer section, and a pair of V-shaped clamping sections in the middle of the outer section, with the V-shaped openings of the two clamping sections facing away from each other.

[0012] Preferably, the steering gear bearing includes a three-ear outer ring seat, the outer wall of which is provided with at least one annular sealing groove, the inner ring of which is provided inside, and a plurality of rollers are provided between the inner ring and the three-ear outer ring seat, and two sealing end caps are provided on the outer side of the moving circumference of the rollers.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model provides a steering gear bearing component for automobiles. The external circulator uses a clamping part and a snap-fit ​​to achieve quick assembly. Moreover, its radial dimension is relatively small, resulting in low cost and easy disassembly and assembly. The external circulator has good wear resistance, which can effectively reduce the wear debris of the balls in the spiral groove, thus helping to extend the actual service life of this component. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 A perspective view of a vehicle steering gear bearing component provided in an embodiment; Figure 2 A perspective view of an automotive steering gear bearing component in another direction, provided for an embodiment; Figure 3 A front view of a vehicle steering gear bearing component provided for an embodiment; Figure 4 Front view of the inner and outer circulators provided in the embodiment; Figure 5 A perspective view of the inner ring and outer circulator in the assembled state provided for the embodiment; Figure 6 Exploded views of the inner and outer circulation devices provided in the embodiment; Figure 7 A perspective view of the clamping component in its split state provided in the embodiment; Figure 8 A perspective view of the clamping member provided in the embodiment in a split state from another direction; Figure 9 A front view of the clamping component provided in the embodiment; Figure 10 A side view of a vehicle steering gear bearing component provided for an embodiment; Figure 11 for Figure 10 An enlarged schematic diagram of a vehicle steering gear bearing component at point A; In the above figures: 1. Rack and pinion shaft; 11. Helical groove; 2. Steering gear bearing; 21. Guide groove; 22. Three-ear outer ring seat; 23. Inner ring; 24. Sealing end cap; 25. Sealing gasket groove; 3. External circulator; 31. Engaging component; 311. Circulation channel; 311a. Upper channel; 311b. Lower channel; 311c. Connecting nozzle; 312. Slot; 313. Upper circulation body; 314. Lower circulation body; 315. Upper curved surface; 316. Lower curved surface; 317. Positioning structure; 317a. Positioning hole; 317b. Positioning post; 318. Inner wall of cylindrical surface; 319. Arched outer wall; 3110. Inner cavity; 3111. Reinforcing rib; 3112. Connecting section; 32. Quick snap; 321. Outer wrapping section; 322. U-shaped hook; 323. Clamping section. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other. For ease of description, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" appearing below only indicate that they correspond to the upper, lower, left, and right directions in the accompanying drawings and do not limit the structure.

[0017] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the following specification.

[0018] Examples, such as Figures 1-11 As shown, this utility model provides a vehicle steering gear bearing component, including a rack shaft 1. The rack shaft 1 is provided with a helical groove 11 and helical teeth. The helical teeth cooperate with the steering gear shaft in the steering tube of the steering gear to provide power transmission to the rack shaft 1. A steering gear bearing 2 is provided on the rack shaft 1 in the horizontal direction of the helical groove 11. The inner wall of the steering gear bearing 2 is provided with balls that circulate with the helical groove 11. The outer wall of the steering gear bearing 2 is provided with an external circulator 3, which includes two components about the center of the steering gear bearing 2. Symmetrically distributed clamping members 31 are made of wear-resistant non-metallic material. The clamping members 31 have a circulation channel 311 inside. The two ends of the circulation channel 311 are staggered and extend out of the inner wall of the clamping member 31. The two ends of the circulation channel 311 are inserted into the guide groove 21 on the outer wall of the steering gear bearing 2 and are connected to the movement trajectory of the ball. The mating position of the two clamping members 31 is provided with a quick buckle 32, which is used to engage with the slot 312 on the clamping member 31.

[0019] Specifically, the steering gear bearing 2 provided by this utility model includes a three-ear outer ring seat 22. The inner wall of the three-ear outer ring seat 22 is machined with a groove structure for rolling elements, i.e., rollers. The outer wall of the three-ear outer ring seat 22 is provided with three ear holes for nesting and installation with the vehicle's steering gear. The three-ear outer ring seat 22 has at least one annular sealing gasket groove 25 on its outer wall biased towards the inside of the steering gear. The sealing gasket groove 25 is used to install a sealing gasket, which can ensure the sealing and dustproof performance of the steering gear bearing 2 when installed on the steering gear. The three-ear outer ring seat 22 has an inner ring 23 inside. Several rollers are arranged between the inner ring 23 and the three-ear outer ring seat 22. The rollers can be spherical rollers or tapered rollers, etc. Two sealing end caps 24 are provided on the outer side of the roller's movement circumference. The sealing end caps 24 are stuck on the inner wall of the three-ear outer ring seat 22. In this way, the roller, as a rolling element, can maintain good centering and rotational balance between the inner ring 23 and the three-ear outer ring seat 22. It also helps the vehicle's steering driving force to be converted into axial tension through the lead screw transmission pair formed by the steering gear bearing 2 and the rack shaft 1. The tension is transmitted to the tie rod to complete the subsequent steering action.

[0020] In this device, the external circulator 3 uses a clamping part 31 and a quick-release buckle 32 to achieve rapid assembly and disassembly. The balls obtain circulating power under the transmission of the screw drive pair formed by the steering gear bearing 2 and the rack shaft 1, and complete external circulation in the circulation channel 311 and the spiral channel inside the steering gear bearing 2, so that the rack shaft 1 can stably and smoothly complete the power transmission, effectively realizing the functions of supporting and transmitting power. Furthermore, the radial dimension of the external circulator 3 provided by this utility model is relatively small, which helps to reduce the installation space requirements of this device on the steering gear. The external circulator 3 is made of wear-resistant non-metallic materials, such as polyimide and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in high-performance engineering plastics. On the one hand, it is easy to shape to meet the curve forming requirements of the circulation channel 311. On the other hand, it can effectively reduce the wear debris of the balls in the spiral groove 11, which helps to extend the actual service life of this component. Moreover, the cost is low, no complicated machining steps are required, and it is easy to mass-produce.

[0021] To improve the production efficiency of the clamping component 31, the clamping component 31 provided by this utility model adopts a segmented molding and reassembly fixing method. Specifically, the clamping component 31 includes an upper circulation body 313 and a lower circulation body 314. The bottom surface of the upper circulation body 313 is an upper curved surface 315, and the bottom surface of the lower circulation body 314 is a lower curved surface 316. The upper curved surface 315 and the lower curved surface 316 are connected to cut the circulation channel 311 into an upper channel 311a and a lower channel 311b. The upper curved surface 315 and the lower curved surface 316 help to ensure the structural strength of the channel structure on their respective curved surfaces, while ensuring the uniformity and stability of the channel path. The upper channel 311a and the lower channel 311b can be combined to form a complete circulation channel 311, and the channel path meets the circulation transition requirements of the ball. In terms of production, segmented molding makes it easier to control the quality of the inner surface of the channel, reduces the molding difficulty of the circulation channel 311, and helps to ensure the circulation guidance efficiency of the ball after the external circulator 3 is put into use.

[0022] To improve the quality of the clamping component 31, at least two pairs of positioning structures 317 are provided on the mating surfaces of the upper circulation body 313 and the lower circulation body 314 provided by this utility model. Each positioning structure 317 includes a positioning hole 317a and a positioning post 317b inserted into the positioning hole 317a. The positioning post 317b can be designed close to the reinforcing rib 3111 of the clamping component 31 to ensure that the positioning structure 317 has a certain structural strength. For the clamping component 31, segmented molding followed by assembly using the positioning structures 317 as positioning nodes can effectively ensure the quality of the circulation channel 311. Furthermore, during the actual assembly process, adhesive can be applied to the upper curved surface 315 and the lower curved surface 316 to ensure the integrity of the clamping component 31 and meet the requirements for the cyclic movement of the ball bearings.

[0023] To improve the circulation efficiency of the balls between the helical channel inside the steering gear bearing 2 and the external circulator 3, the two engaging parts 31 provided by this invention provide two external circulation paths with height and angle differences. The two external circulation paths and the helical channel inside the steering gear bearing 2 form a complete circulation path, which reduces the axial span of the ball circulation in actual circulation and completes the connection from different helical positions, which is beneficial to improving the circulation accuracy of the balls and improving the steering smoothness of the steering gear.

[0024] Furthermore, the end of the circulation channel 311 is provided with a connecting nozzle 311c, which is used to connect the movement trajectory of the ball. The connecting nozzle 311c has a wedge-shaped structure, and its end face abuts against the end of the guide groove 21 and connects exactly to the break point of the spiral channel. The surface of the connecting nozzle 311c facing the spiral groove 11 on the rack shaft 1 adopts a break design. The end of the break contacts the groove wall of the spiral groove 11 on the rack shaft 1, cutting off the ball's continued movement path on the spiral groove 11, so that the ball can effectively enter the external circulator 3 and then return to the spiral groove 11 through the external circulator 3, thereby ensuring the external circulation efficiency of the ball.

[0025] To improve the external circulation performance of the ball bearings, the clamping component 31 provided by this invention includes a cylindrical inner wall 318 that mates with the steering gear bearing 2 and an outwardly arched outer wall 319. A crescent-shaped inner cavity 3110 is provided between the arched outer wall 319 and the cylindrical inner wall 318, and a reinforcing rib 3111 is provided in the inner cavity 3110. The inner cavity 3110 and the reinforcing rib 3111 are integrally formed. The reinforcing rib 3111 is used to ensure the structural strength of the clamping component 31, while the shape of the inner cavity 3110 provides sufficient tortuous curvature for the circulation channel 311, reducing the probability of the ball bearings getting stuck in the tortuous position of the circulation channel 311.

[0026] To improve the quick-connect performance of the engaging component 31 and the snap fastener, the arched outer wall 319 provided in this invention has mating sections 3112 on both sides. The upper and lower ends of the mating sections 3112 are triangular, and the slot 312 is located in the middle of the mating sections 3112, forming a ridge protrusion on the side of the mating sections 3112. The triangular end faces prevent axial movement of the quick-connect snap fastener 32, allowing the snap fastener to engage with the ridge protrusion. The depth of the slot 312 provides ample internal space for the quick-connect snap fastener 32, enabling it to both quickly engage and easily disengage using tools. The design is reasonable and highly practical.

[0027] Furthermore, the quick-release buckle 32 provided by this utility model includes an outer section 321. Both the upper and lower ends of the outer section 321 are provided with a pair of U-shaped hooks 322 that meander towards the slot 312. A pair of V-shaped clamping sections 323 are provided in the middle of the outer section 321, with the V-shaped openings of the two clamping sections 323 facing away from each other. The V-shaped surface of the V-shaped opening clamps the edge of the slot 312, i.e., the protruding part, while the U-shaped hooks 322 hook onto the protruding part. The U-shaped hooks 322 can only be disengaged from the protruding part by being turned outwards to a certain angle, and then a radial lever force can be applied to remove the quick-release buckle 32. Therefore, after the quick-release buckle 32 establishes a quick-locking relationship with the engaging member 31, its locking stability is good and can meet assembly requirements.

[0028] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any other way. Any person skilled in the art may make changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments for application in other fields. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model without departing from the technical solution of the present utility model shall still fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A steering gear bearing component for automobiles, comprising a rack shaft, the rack shaft having a helical groove, a steering gear bearing being disposed on the rack shaft in the horizontal direction of the helical groove, the inner wall of the steering gear bearing being provided with balls that circulate with the helical groove, characterized in that, The outer wall of the steering gear bearing is provided with an external circulator, which includes two clamping parts symmetrically distributed about the center of the steering gear bearing. The clamping parts are made of wear-resistant non-metallic material. The interior of the clamping parts is provided with a circulation channel. The two ends of the circulation channel are staggered and extend out of the inner wall of the clamping parts. The two ends of the circulation channel are inserted into guide grooves provided on the outer wall of the steering gear bearing and are connected to the movement trajectory of the ball. The mating position of the two clamping parts is provided with a quick-locking buckle, which is used to engage with the locking grooves provided on the clamping parts.

2. The automotive steering gear bearing component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping component includes an upper circulation body and a lower circulation body. The bottom surface of the upper circulation body is an upper curved surface, and the bottom surface of the lower circulation body is a lower curved surface. The upper curved surface and the lower curved surface are connected and cut the circulation channel into an upper channel and a lower channel.

3. A steering gear bearing component for automobiles according to claim 2, characterized in that, At least two pairs of positioning structures are provided on the docking surfaces of the upper and lower circulation bodies. The positioning structures include positioning holes and positioning pins that are inserted into the positioning holes.

4. A vehicle steering gear bearing component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The end of the circulation channel is provided with a connecting nozzle, which is used to connect the movement trajectory of the ball.

5. A vehicle steering gear bearing component according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The engagement component includes a cylindrical inner wall that mates with the steering gear bearing and an outwardly arched outer wall. A crescent-shaped inner cavity is provided between the arched outer wall and the cylindrical inner wall, and a reinforcing rib is provided in the inner cavity.

6. A steering gear bearing component for automobiles according to claim 5, characterized in that, The arched outer wall has connecting sections on both sides, and the upper and lower ends of the connecting sections are triangular. The slot is located in the middle of the connecting section.

7. A steering gear bearing component for automobiles according to claim 6, characterized in that, The quick-release buckle includes an outer section, with a pair of U-shaped hooks that meander towards the slot at both the top and bottom ends of the outer section, and a pair of V-shaped clamping sections in the middle of the outer section, with the V-shaped openings of the two clamping sections facing away from each other.

8. A vehicle steering gear bearing component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering gear bearing includes a three-ear outer ring seat, and at least one annular sealing groove is provided on the outer wall of the three-ear outer ring seat. An inner ring is provided inside the three-ear outer ring seat, and a plurality of rollers are provided between the inner ring and the three-ear outer ring seat. Two sealing end caps are provided on the outer side of the moving circumference of the rollers.

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