Floating Bearing Segmented Connecting Part Steering Gear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floating bearings for steering gears require high forces for relative movement between the inner and outer rings, leading to inefficiencies in gear play compensation due to thermal expansion and wear.
Innovation Solution
A floating bearing design with a flexible connecting part, featuring projections and a sleeve made of elastomer material, allows for reduced deformation forces by enabling rolling or sliding motion between the inner and outer rings, minimizing the forces required for relative movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the inner ring and outer ring are connected via a flexible connecting part made of elastic material, then the relative movement between the rings is enabled, but relatively high forces are required for the displacement due to deformation of the connecting part
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting part is segmented into a rigid portion (integrally formed with inner or outer ring) and a flexible portion (separate elastic element). This segmentation allows the rigid part to provide structural support while the flexible part enables controlled deformation and relative movement, reducing the force required compared to a fully flexible connecting part.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting part combines rigid material (for the integrally formed portions) and elastic material (for the flexible portion). This composite structure leverages the strength of rigid materials and the flexibility of elastic materials, achieving both structural integrity and low-force relative movement capability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the pinion shaft is mounted in a floating bearing to eliminate gearing play, then noise from alternating tooth abutment is reduced, but the forces required for relative movement of the bearing rings increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the connecting part into rigid and flexible portions, the bearing achieves effective elimination of gearing play through controlled relative movement while reducing the force required for this movement, thereby maintaining noise reduction benefits without the penalty of high deformation forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the connecting part by using different materials with different stiffness properties in different portions. This parameter change allows the bearing to maintain the relative movement necessary for eliminating gear play noise while requiring lower forces for operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The improved floating bearing reduces the forces needed for relative movement, enhancing the efficiency of gear play compensation and noise reduction in steering gears, while maintaining effective holding of the inner and outer rings together.
Implementation Method 1
The connecting part is formed from an elastic material, in particular from an elastomer
Implementation Method 2
a section of a pinion shaft of the steering gear is mounted with the interposition of a rolling bearing
Implementation Method 3
enabling rolling or sliding motion between the inner and outer rings
Data Source
AI summary
A floating bearing for a steering gear, having an inner ring for receiving a pinion shaft of the steering gear and having an outer ring which surrounds the inner ring and which serves for the mounting of the floating bearing in a housing of the steering gear, wherein the outer ring and the inner ring form an annular gap between them and wherein the outer ring and the inner ring are connected to one another by means of at least one flexible connecting part such that said outer ring and inner ring are movable relative to one another in at least one radial direction, is characterized in that the outer ring and/or the inner ring form, within the connecting part, at least one projection which projects into the annular gap such that the spacing between the outer ring and inner ring is smaller in the region of the projection than in the remaining section of the annular gap.