Steering Gear Housing Mounting with Spherical Bearing Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical power steering systems experience 'sticky' steering and reduced efficiency due to distortion and angular displacement issues in the recirculating ball nuts, leading to stress on the steering gear housing, which affects the steering sensation and is costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A mounting arrangement with convex and planar bearing surfaces on the steering gear housing and vehicle body components, allowing for stress-free securing and reducing distortion, using a support foot with a spherical abutment face and a sleeve with a planar abutment face, enabling flexible resilience and cost-effective assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mounting arrangements are used with planar bearing surfaces, then the steering gear housing can be secured to the vehicle body, but stress and distortion occur due to manufacturing tolerances and body flexing, leading to sticky steering and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a convex spherical bearing surface on the steering gear housing that interfaces with a concave spherical bearing surface on the vehicle body. This curved geometry allows the housing to self-align and accommodate manufacturing tolerances and body flexing without generating stress concentrations, thereby eliminating the sticky steering problem while maintaining secure mounting
2Manufacturing precision
If precise machining of contact surfaces is performed to avoid distortion, then steering efficiency improves, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical bearing surfaces can be manufactured as integral features of the housing and body components through casting or forming processes, eliminating the need for expensive precision machining of flat contact surfaces. The curved geometry inherently accommodates tolerances, achieving both manufacturing efficiency and functional performance
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple mounting points are distributed on the housing, then secure mounting is achieved, but positioning all mountings on one casting becomes impossible, leaving residual inaccuracy and stress
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical interface geometry provides a single-degree-of-freedom rotational adjustment capability that accommodates misalignment between multiple mounting points. The curved surface allows the housing to self-correct positioning errors, achieving stable mounting without requiring high-precision positioning of individual mounting points on the casting
Data Source
AI summary
A securing arrangement for a steering gear housing is provided. The securing arrangement includes at least one steering gear securing portion formed on the steering gear housing and at least one bodywork securing portion formed on a bodywork component of a vehicle. Each steering gear securing portion has a steering gear bearing surface and each bodywork securing portion has a bodywork bearing surface configured to support a respective steering gear bearing surface so as to form a respective pair of bearing surfaces when the steering gear housing is arranged on the bodywork component. Each pair of bearing surfaces includes a convex bearing surface and a substantially planar bearing surface.