Quick-mount bushing structure for a steering knuckle

Abstract

This application provides a quick-installation bushing structure for a steering gear, belonging to the field of automotive manufacturing technology. The device includes: a mounting sleeve, an upper bushing, a lower bushing, and an anti-rotation boss. The mounting sleeve is installed on the automotive steering gear; the upper bushing has a square structure, with its outer wall fitting against one end of the mounting sleeve; the lower bushing has a circular structure and is located at the end of the mounting sleeve furthest from the upper bushing; the anti-rotation boss protrudes from the surface of the steering gear housing, its contour matching the square outer wall of the upper bushing to form a close contact. This device replaces the traditional anti-rotation method of fixing with nuts and wrenches by using the shape matching of the upper bushing and the anti-rotation boss, eliminating multiple operation steps, enabling quick single-person operation, significantly shortening assembly time, and the coaxial threaded through holes forming a continuous channel, allowing bolts to pass through all components and tighten at once, avoiding the cumbersome process of step-by-step alignment and achieving one-time installation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of automotive steering systems, electric power steering (EPS) is a common key component, and its installation and fixation usually rely on rubber bushings to achieve cushioning, shock absorption and positioning.

[0003] In the existing technology, EPS steering gears with rubber bushings generally adopt a through-hole bushing structure. The installation process requires a combination of bolts, nuts, and washers to complete the fixation: first, the bolts are passed through the mounting holes of the bushing and the frame; then the washers and nuts are installed in sequence; workers need to use a wrench to fix the nuts to prevent them from spinning freely, then use a pneumatic wrench to tighten the bolts, and finally use a torque wrench to calibrate to the preset torque.

[0004] Traditional solutions have obvious drawbacks. The entire installation process is time-consuming and requires the cooperation of multiple workers, resulting in low assembly efficiency and high labor costs, making it difficult to meet the demand for rapid assembly in automated production. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a quick-installation bushing structure for steering gears. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art or related technologies.

[0006] Therefore, this application provides a quick-installation bushing structure for steering gears, which allows for rapid and convenient assembly, reduces labor costs and assembly time, and improves assembly efficiency.

[0007] The quick-installation bushing structure for a steering gear provided in this application includes a mounting sleeve, an upper bushing, a lower bushing, and an anti-rotation boss. The mounting sleeve is installed on the automotive steering gear; the upper bushing has a square structure, and its outer wall is fitted against one end of the mounting sleeve; the lower bushing has a circular structure and is located at the end of the mounting sleeve away from the upper bushing; the anti-rotation boss protrudes from the surface of the steering gear housing, and the outline of the anti-rotation boss is adapted to fit and abut against the square outer wall of the upper bushing.

[0008] In some embodiments, the mounting sleeve, the upper bushing, and the lower bushing are all provided with axially penetrating threaded holes at their axial centers.

[0009] In some embodiments, the three threaded through holes have the same internal thread specification and collinear axes.

[0010] In some embodiments, the upper bushing and the lower bushing are disposed at both ends of the mounting sleeve.

[0011] In some embodiments, the upper bushing and the lower bushing are made of rubber.

[0012] In some embodiments, the square corners of the upper bushing are provided with a rounded transition structure.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided in this application includes at least the following technical effects: This application provides a quick-installation bushing structure for steering gear, which offers fast and convenient assembly, reducing labor costs and assembly time, and improving assembly efficiency. The upper bushing has a square outer wall that fits against one end of the mounting sleeve, while the lower bushing has a circular outer wall that fits against the other end of the mounting sleeve, forming a complete bushing assembly. This assembly is pre-installed in the steering gear's preset mounting position. At this point, the anti-rotation boss and the square outer wall of the upper bushing are in close contact, restricting the upper bushing's rotation. After the bolt passes through the mounting sleeve and the lower bushing, it directly engages with the threaded inner wall of the upper bushing. Since the upper bushing is restricted from rotation by the anti-rotation boss, it can be fixed simply by tightening the bolt, without the need for additional tools. After installation, the square structure of the upper bushing remains in contact with the anti-rotation boss, preventing circumferential loosening of the bushing due to vibration during vehicle operation. The mounting sleeve provides overall structural rigidity, and the upper and lower bushings respectively provide cushioning and positioning functions from both ends.

[0014] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent in the following description or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the bushing according to some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the bushing according to some embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper bushing structure of some embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper bushing structure of some embodiments of this application.

[0016] in, Figures 1 to 4 The correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows: 1. Install the sleeve; 2. Upper bushing; 3. Lower bushing; 4. Anti-rotation boss. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0018] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0019] The following reference Figures 1 to 4 This application describes a quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear provided according to some embodiments.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a quick-installation bushing structure for a steering gear according to some embodiments of this application includes a mounting sleeve 1, an upper bushing 2, a lower bushing 3, and an anti-rotation boss 4. The mounting sleeve 1 is installed on the vehicle steering gear; the upper bushing 2 has a square structure, and its outer wall is fitted against one end of the mounting sleeve 1; the lower bushing 3 has a circular structure and is located at the end of the mounting sleeve 1 away from the upper bushing 2; the anti-rotation boss 4 protrudes from the surface of the steering gear housing, and the outline of the anti-rotation boss 4 is adapted to fit and abut against the square outer wall of the upper bushing 2.

[0021] In this embodiment, the upper bushing 2 has a square outer wall that fits against one end of the mounting sleeve 1, and the lower bushing 3 has a circular outer wall that fits against the other end of the mounting sleeve 1, forming a complete bushing assembly. The assembly is pre-installed in the preset mounting position of the steering gear. At this time, the anti-rotation boss 4 and the square outer wall of the upper bushing 2 have formed a close contact, restricting the rotation of the upper bushing 2. After the bolt passes through the mounting sleeve 1 and the lower bushing 3, it directly engages with the inner thread of the upper bushing 2. Since the upper bushing 2 is restricted from rotating by the anti-rotation boss 4, it can be fixed by simply tightening the bolt. No additional tools are needed to fix the bushing. After installation, the square structure of the upper bushing 2 and the anti-rotation boss 4 remain in contact, preventing the bushing from loosening circumferentially due to vibration during vehicle operation. The mounting sleeve 1 provides overall structural rigidity, and the upper bushing 2 and the lower bushing 3 respectively bear the functions of buffering and positioning from both ends.

[0022] In this design, the shape matching of the upper bushing 2 and the anti-rotation boss 4 eliminates the step of using a wrench to fix the nut to prevent free rotation in the traditional installation. It can be completed by a single person, reducing labor costs and assembly time.

[0023] In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the mounting sleeve 1, upper bushing 2 and lower bushing 3 are all provided with threaded through holes that run axially through the shaft center; the three threaded through holes have the same internal thread specification and their axes are collinear.

[0024] In this embodiment, the threaded through holes of the mounting sleeve 1, upper bushing 2 and lower bushing 3 are all fully penetrated along their own axial direction, forming a continuous channel from the bottom of the lower bushing 3 to the top of the upper bushing 2. The bolt can be inserted into the lower bushing 3 at once, and then passed through the mounting sleeve 1 and upper bushing 2 in sequence and locked. There is no need to align the parts or adjust the bolt angle multiple times, which shortens the assembly time.

[0025] In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the upper bushing 2 and the lower bushing 3 are installed at both ends of the mounting sleeve 1.

[0026] In this embodiment, the upper bushing 2 and the lower bushing 3 are respectively placed at both ends of the mounting sleeve 1 to form a force-bearing structure supported at both ends. This allows the stress on the mounting sleeve 1 to be evenly distributed through the bushings at both ends when it is subjected to bolt tightening force and vehicle vibration. The stress is absorbed by the axial sides of the bushings, thereby improving the vehicle's NVH performance.

[0027] In some possible embodiments, the upper bushing 2 and the lower bushing 3 are made of rubber.

[0028] In this embodiment, the elastic deformation capability of the rubber can compensate for the slight dimensional deviation between the mounting sleeve 1 and the bushing, ensuring a tight fit on both sides and avoiding assembly jamming caused by rigid fit. At the same time, the rubber has excellent vibration absorption performance. The upper bushing 2 and the lower bushing 3 are connected between the steering gear and the frame, which can absorb the vibration generated by the steering system during vehicle operation, such as the impact caused by road bumps and the mechanical vibration during steering operation. This can reduce the noise transmitted to the vehicle body. In addition, the contact between the rubber material and the metal is a flexible contact, which can avoid direct friction and rigid collision between metal parts.

[0029] In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the square corners of the upper bushing 2 are provided with a rounded transition structure.

[0030] When the steering gear uses a quick-installation bushing structure, the square upper bushing 2 fits against one end of the mounting sleeve 1, and the circular lower bushing 3 fits against the other end of the mounting sleeve 1. The three components form a complete bushing assembly through threaded through holes with collinear axes. This assembly is pre-installed in the steering gear's preset assembly position. At this time, the anti-rotation boss 4 on the surface of the steering gear housing fits against the square outer wall of the upper bushing 2, restricting the axial rotation of the upper bushing 2 through shape constraint. The bolt is inserted through the threaded through hole of the lower bushing 3, passing through the threaded through holes of the mounting sleeve 1 and the upper bushing 2 in sequence, and finally connecting with the upper bushing 3. The inner wall threads of sleeve 2 directly engage. Since the upper bushing 2 is restricted from rotating by the anti-rotation boss 4, it can be installed simply by tightening the bolts. No additional tools are needed to fix the bushing. After installation, the square structure of the upper bushing 2 and the anti-rotation boss 4 remain in contact, preventing the bushing from axially loosening due to vibration during vehicle operation. The mounting sleeve 1 provides overall structural rigidity. The rubber upper bushing 2 and lower bushing 3 respectively play the roles of buffering and positioning from both ends. Through elastic deformation, they absorb the vibration and impact of the steering system, ensuring connection stability and shock absorption effect.

[0031] In this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. The term "multiple" refers to two or more, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] In this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0036] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear, characterized in that, include: Mounting sleeve, installed on the car steering gear; The upper bushing has a square structure, and the outer wall of the upper bushing is in contact with one end of the mounting sleeve; The lower bushing has a circular structure and is located at the end of the mounting sleeve away from the upper bushing; An anti-rotation boss is provided on the housing surface of the steering gear. The outline of the anti-rotation boss is adapted to the square outer wall of the upper bushing and forms a close contact.

2. The quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting sleeve, the upper bushing, and the lower bushing are all provided with axially penetrating threaded holes at their axial centers.

3. The quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear according to claim 2, characterized in that: The three threaded through holes have the same internal thread specification and their axes are collinear.

4. The quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper bushing and the lower bushing are disposed at both ends of the mounting sleeve.

5. The quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear according to claim 4, characterized in that: The upper bushing and the lower bushing are made of rubber.

6. The quick-install bushing structure for a steering gear according to claim 5, characterized in that: The square corners of the upper bushing are provided with a rounded transition structure.

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