Segmented Steering Gear Bearing for High Tilting Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power steering systems in motor vehicles face issues with gear play due to component tolerances, thermal expansions, and wear, leading to unwanted noises during alternating steering maneuvers, and conventional ball bearings require large structural space to achieve high load-bearing capacity.
Innovation Solution
A fixed bearing for the steering gear utilizing a ball bearing with doubly curved guide grooves and multi-part bearing shells, allowing for a compact design with high load-bearing capacity, where the inner and outer bearing shells are formed as separate parts to accommodate larger shoulder overlap and reduce tilting loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional single-piece bearing shells with single-row deep-groove ball bearings are used, then the ball bearing can be assembled with standard procedures, but the load-bearing capacity is significantly reduced due to limited shoulder overlap with the balls
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing shell is divided into multiple segments (first bearing shell segment, second bearing shell segment, etc.) that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows the guide grooves to have extended shoulders that overlap the balls over a larger area, significantly increasing the load-bearing capacity while maintaining assembly feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The guide grooves are designed with doubly curved form instead of conventional single-curved grooves. This dimensional change in the groove geometry creates extended shoulders that increase the contact area with the balls, thereby enhancing load-bearing capacity without requiring larger bearing dimensions
2Strength
If the ball bearing is dimensioned to be larger to increase support surface area, then the load-bearing capacity improves, but the structural space required in the steering gear is correspondingly enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The guide grooves are designed with doubly curved form (curved in both radial and axial directions) rather than conventional single-curved grooves. This curved geometry concentrates the load over a larger area of the balls without increasing the overall bearing dimensions, thereby maintaining compact size while enhancing load-bearing capacity
3Strength
If the shoulders of the guide grooves are designed to overlap the balls extensively to handle high tilting loads, then the load-bearing capacity increases, but the annular gap between bearing shells must be reduced, complicating assembly
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the bearing shell into multiple segments, the assembly process is simplified because each segment can be positioned independently. The segments are designed with features that facilitate alignment and connection, allowing extensive shoulder overlap to be achieved without creating assembly difficulties
Solution Approach 2:
Connection elements (such as retaining rings, clips, or interlocking features) are introduced as intermediaries to join the bearing shell segments. These intermediaries facilitate the assembly process by providing alignment references and secure attachment mechanisms, enabling extensive shoulder overlap without compromising manufacturability
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 solution enables a compact and high-load-bearing-capacity ball bearing arrangement that minimizes gear play and noise during steering, while maintaining the structural integrity and reducing the adverse effects of tilting loads on the ball bearing's service life.
Implementation Method 1
the outer ring and the bearing sleeve are connected by means of multiple torsion webs which are twisted in the event of the outer ring rotating relative to the bearing sleeve. After the assembly of the steering gear, the torsion webs are twisted such that the elastic restoring action thereby generated effects the spring loading of the pinion shaft
Implementation Method 2
a ball bearing which has an inner bearing shell, which is provided for receiving a pinion shaft of the steering gear, and an outer bearing shell, which is received in a bearing sleeve, wherein the inner bearing shell and the outer bearing shell each have at least one guide groove for receiving and guiding balls of the ball bearing
Data Source
AI summary
A fixed bearing for a steering gear includes a bearing sleeve, and ball bearing having an inner bearing shell and outer bearing shell. The inner shell is configured to hold a pinion shaft of the steering gear. The outer shell is held in the sleeve. Each shell respectively has at least one guide groove to hold and guide bearing balls, and a pivot ring with an outer ring and inner ring pivotably connected via at least one torsion web. The inner ring is connected to the sleeve. The outer ring is configured to mount the fixed bearing in a steering gear housing. At least one shell is formed from partial shells, each partial shell defining at least a portion of the respective guide groove. The multi-part design enables relatively large guide groove shoulders and a correspondingly relatively high ball bearing load-bearing capacity even under a relatively high tilting load during steering gear operation.