JP2578649Y2 - Connection structure of drag link in steering device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a link structure for a drag link in a steering device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a car such as a truck or a one-box car in which a driver's seat is located ahead of front wheels, a so-called center arm type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-121977. Steering devices may be employed.

The center arm type steering device is provided with a center arm which can be swung about a fixed axis near the center of the vehicle body, and left and right tie rods are connected to ends thereof, and the center arm is swung by a drag link. By doing so, the steering angle is given to the left and right steered wheels.

In the center arm type steering device, the drag link swings the center arm in conjunction with the turning operation of the steering wheel.
In a manually-steered vehicle, the greater the distance between the pivot axis of the center arm and the axis of connection of the drag link, the less the force required to pivot the center arm. Therefore, the steering force for rotating the steering wheel is reduced, and the operability of the steering wheel is improved.

[0005]

In recent years, a power steering device is often mounted to further reduce the steering force of a steering wheel.

In the above power steering device,
Since the turning operation force of the steering wheel can be amplified and transmitted to the drag link, the steered wheels can be steered with a smaller steering force than a manual steering device.

When the steering wheel is rotated left and right from the neutral position, the force for returning the steered wheels to the neutral position acts on the steering wheel via the center arm or the drag link. Is rotated back. In order to improve the operability of the steering wheel, it is necessary to appropriately set the return power.

In the case of a manual steering device,
The balance between the force required to turn the steering wheel and the return power transmitted from the drag link to the steering wheel is maintained, and the return rotation of the steering wheel is performed relatively favorably.

However, in the power steering device, the return turning power acting on the drag link from the center arm is not transmitted to the steering wheel as it is. That is, since the power steering device is interposed between the center arm and the steering wheel, the power steering device acts as a load, and the return of the steering wheel becomes poor.

Conventionally, in order to avoid the above-mentioned inconvenience, a manual steering device and a power steering device are used.
The gear ratio of the steering gear is changed, or the length of the center arm or the knuckle arm is set to two types to support both the manual steering device and the power steering device.

As a result, the number of parts increases,
Production equipment will also increase. Further, the production process becomes complicated, and the work cannot be rationalized. Therefore, there arises a problem that the manufacturing cost rises.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and can be applied to both a manual steering device and a power steering device without increasing the number of parts and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a drag link connection structure that can be applied in common.

[0013]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means. That is, the invention of the present application includes a center arm to which the ends of the left and right tie rods and the end of the drag link are respectively connected, and which is swingably supported by a suitable portion of the vehicle body frame, and the center arm is moved by the drag link. In a steering device configured to push the tie rod by swinging to steer a steered wheel, the center arm and the drag link are connected to a bottom wall portion connected to the center arm, A connecting shaft of the drag link is connected via a substantially U-shaped bracket having a pair of side walls supported in a bridging manner, and a connecting shaft center of the bottom wall to the center arm; The connecting axis for the drag link on the side wall is displaced in the radial direction with respect to the pivot axis of the center arm. And it is provided Te.

[0014]

In the drag link connecting structure according to the present invention, the center arm and the drag link are connected via a substantially U-shaped bracket. The bracket includes a bottom wall connected to the center arm, and a pair of side walls on which a connection shaft of the drag link is supported in a bridging manner.

Further, in the bracket, a connection axis of the bottom wall with respect to the center arm is provided;
A connection axis for the drag link in the side wall portion is provided so as to be deviated in a radial direction with respect to a pivot axis of the center arm.

Therefore, when the bracket is rotated by 180 degrees around the connection axis on the bottom wall, the connection axis on the side wall moves in the radial direction with respect to the swing axis of the center arm. Let me do. In addition, the movement amount can be adjusted in multiple steps only by preparing a plurality of brackets having different deviation amounts.

Therefore, two types of distances between the pivot axis of the center arm and the coupling axis of the drag link can be set with one bracket. By preparing a plurality of brackets, various distances can be set. As described above, by employing the bracket, the distance from the pivot axis of the center arm to the connection axis of the drag link can be changed, and the efficiency with which the return rotation power is transmitted to the drag link can be changed. .

Therefore, in the case of the manual steering device, while the distance from the pivot axis of the center arm to the coupling axis of the drag link is set long,
In the case of a power steering device, the above-described distance can be set short by rotating the bracket by 180 degrees, and the transmission efficiency of the return power can be increased. Further, the return rotation power can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the power steering device.

For this reason, the return rotation force acting on the drag link from the center arm can be easily adjusted with little change in the conventional structure. As a result,
There is no need to change the steering gear ratio or prepare two types of center arms or knuckles to support both manual steering devices and power steering devices. Therefore, the number of parts and production maintenance can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be significantly reduced.

Further, it is possible to cope with both the manual steering device and the power steering device only by assembling the bracket by rotating it by 180 degrees. Also, fine adjustment of the return rotation power can be performed only by preparing a plurality of brackets having different amounts of deviation.
In addition, the assembling work is extremely easy, and the number of assembling steps can be reduced to improve the production efficiency.

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments according to the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a steering device 1 according to the present embodiment converts a rotation of a steering wheel 2 into a linear motion by a steering gear device 3, and a drag reciprocated by the steering gear device 3. A center arm 5 that is swingably supported around a fixed shaft provided at an appropriate portion of the vehicle body frame via a link 4 is configured to swing. The center arm 5 is formed in a substantially heart shape in plan view and includes a drive arm portion 6 extending diagonally forward, and left and right tie rods 8 and 9 are connected to both sides, respectively. Knuckle arms 10 and 11 are connected to the tip portions of these tie rods 8 and 9, respectively.
Steering wheels (not shown) are configured to be steered through the knuckle arms 10 and 11 that are swung by the tie rods 8 and 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, a bracket 12 is connected to the distal end of the drive arm 6, and the drag link 4 and the center arm 5 are connected via the bracket 12. I have.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the bracket 12 is formed by bending a strip-shaped sheet metal material, and is connected to the tip of the drive arm 6 so as to be overlapped. The bottom wall portion 13 is formed in a substantially U-shape including a pair of side wall portions 14, 14 rising in substantially perpendicular directions from both side edges of the bottom wall portion 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall 13 has
A connection hole 15 is formed. On the other hand, both side wall portions 14
Connecting holes 18 for supporting a connecting bolt 17 provided at the distal end of the drag link 4 in a bridging manner.
Is provided.

At the end of the drive arm 6, a bolt insertion hole 1 through which the connection bolt 16 is inserted so as to be relatively non-rotatable.
9 is formed, the bracket 12 is connected to the drive arm portion by the connection bolt 16 and the nut 20 screwed to the tip of the connection bolt 16 and the connection hole 15 and the bolt insertion hole 19. 6 is connected to the tip. The bolt insertion hole 19 and the connection bolt 16 are serrated with each other, and the connection bolt 16 and the drive arm unit 6 are held so as to be unable to rotate relative to each other.

A bolt insertion hole 22 is formed at the distal end of the drag link 4 at a right angle to the extending direction. Then, the dragging is performed by the connecting holes 18, 18 provided on both side walls of the bracket 12, the connecting bolt 17 which is inserted through the bolt insertion hole 22, and the nut 27 which is screwed to the tip of the connecting bolt 17. The link 4 and the bracket 12 are rotatably connected around the connection bolt 17. A bush 23 made of resin is interposed between the drag link 4 and the side walls 14, 14 of the connection bolt 17 and the bracket 12, and the drag link 4 is connected to the connection bolt 17 or the bracket 12. Is reduced so that the drag link 4 can drive the drive arm 6 smoothly.

In the connection structure of the drag link according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the axis 15a of the connection hole 15 provided in the bottom wall portion 13 and the side wall portions 14, 14 are provided. Of the connection holes 18, 18 provided in the
18a are provided displaced by H in the radial direction with respect to the pivot axis 26a of the center arm 5 in plan view. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
When the bracket 12 is rotated by 180 degrees around the connection axis 15a with respect to the center arm 5, the connection axis of the drag link 4 is moved by 2H.

The connection axis 18a of the drag link 4
Is moved with respect to the pivot axis 26a of the center arm 5, so that the efficiency of the driving force transmitted from the drag link 4 to the center arm 5 changes.

That is, when the connecting axis 18a of the drag link 4 moves away from the swing axis 26a of the center arm 5, the center arm 5 can be swung with a smaller force, and the center arm 5 can be swung. , The return turning power of the steered wheels transmitted to the drag link 4 is also reduced accordingly.

On the other hand, the connection axis 1 of the drag link 4
When the center arm 8a approaches the swing axis 26a of the center arm 5, the driving force required to swing the center arm 5 increases, and the return rotation transmitted to the drag link 4 from the center arm 5 increases. The power also increases.

That is, the efficiency of the force transmitted from the drag link 4 to the center arm 5 can be easily changed only by changing the mounting posture of the bracket 12.

As a result, it is possible to very easily cope with both the manual steering device and the power steering device only by changing the mounting direction of the bracket 12, and it is possible to adjust the return of the steering wheel in both steering devices very easily. it can. Further, it is not necessary to set two types of steering gear ratios or to prepare two types of center arms or knuckle arms as in the related art. For this reason, the number of parts can be reduced, and production equipment does not increase. Therefore, production costs can be significantly reduced.

In addition, the drag link connection structure according to the present embodiment can be applied to a manual steering device and a power steering device by a very simple operation of rotating the bracket 12 by 180 degrees for connection. Also, the assembling work does not become complicated.

Further, since the structure of the conventional steering device can be applied with almost no change,
There is no need to change the mold or the like.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The shape of the center arm, the connection structure between the tie rod and the center arm, and the connection structure between the drag link and the steering gear are not limited to the embodiments, but can be applied to various embodiments.

In the embodiment, one bracket is
Although the case of turning by 80 degrees has been described as an example, a plurality of brackets having different amounts of deviation may be prepared, and the return rotation power may be adjusted in multiple stages according to the characteristics of the power steering device and the like.

Further, the type of the steering gear is not limited to the embodiment, and various types such as a hydraulic type can be adopted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a steering device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where the bracket in FIG. 2 is rotated by 180 degrees.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-OO-IV in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 Steering wheel 4 Drag link 5 Center arm 8 Tie rod 9 Tie rod 12 Bracket 13 Bottom wall 14 Side wall 15a Connection axis for center arm 18a Connection axis for drag link 26a Center axis for swing of center arm

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A 3-121977 (JP, U) JP-A-53-11991 (JP, U) JP-A 54-1834 (JP, U) JP-A 57- 166972 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 60-60900 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 62-32873 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Application 3-24476 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. ⁶ , DB name) B62D 7/16

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An end of a left and right tie rod and an end of a drag link are connected to each other, and a center arm is swingably supported by an appropriate portion of a vehicle body frame.
In a steering device configured to push the tie rod by swinging the center arm by the drag link and steer a steered wheel, the center arm and the drag link are attached to the center arm. The bottom wall to be connected and the drag link are connected via a substantially U-shaped bracket having a pair of side walls that support the connection shaft of the drag link in a bridging manner. A steering shaft, wherein a connection axis with respect to the arm and a connection axis with respect to the drag link on the side wall are offset in a radial direction with respect to a swing axis of the center arm. Connection structure of drag link.