Device for pressing a gear rack against a pinion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815489-B2
Application number	US-201314414521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2013
Priority date	Jul 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A device for pressing a rack against a pinion, comprises a housing, a thrust piece which is shiftably guided in the housing along a pressing axis, a bearing element which can axially be fixed at the housing, an axially pressurized force introduction member, and wedge members which each support on the thrust piece, on the bearing element and on the force introduction member, wherein at least three wedge members uniformly distributed in circumferential direction are provided, and wherein the force introduction member urges the wedge members radially to the outside and the thrust piece axially away from the bearing element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for pressing a rack against a pinion comprising
a housing,
a thrust piece which is shiftably guided in the housing along a pressing axis,
a bearing element which can axially be fixed at the housing,
an axially pressurized force introduction member, and
wedge members which each are supported on the thrust piece, on the bearing element and on the force introduction member,
wherein at least three wedge members uniformly distributed in a circumferential direction are provided,
wherein the force introduction member urges the wedge members radially to the outside and the thrust piece axially away from the bearing element;
wherein the thrust piece, the wedge members and the force introduction member are separate and distinct components;
wherein the wedge members are moveable relative to each other; and
the wedge members only move radially to the outside, wherein the movement radially to the outside of the wedge members is introduced by the force introduction member when the rack is pressed against the pinion.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the wedge members are made of plastics.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein two wedge members adjacent in the circumferential direction each are connected by a flexible coupling element.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the wedge members and the coupling element are formed integrally.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein axially between the bearing element and the thrust piece an element elastic in an axial direction is provided.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the force introduction member includes a cone portion with which it supports on substantially complementarily formed contact surfaces of the wedge members.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an end face of the thrust piece facing the wedge members includes a cone-shaped portion on which substantially complementarily formed contact surfaces of the wedge members are supported.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a spring element is provided, which are supported on the force introduction member and on the thrust piece, so that the force introduction member is axially urged away from the thrust piece.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a spring element is provided, which are supported on the force introduction member and on the bearing element, so that the force introduction member is axially urged away from the bearing element.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein, as seen radially from inside to outside, the wedge members flare in a wedge-like manner in an axial direction.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a supporting element is provided, which limits a backward movement of the thrust piece.

12. A rack-and-pinion steering system for motor vehicles comprising
a housing,
a rack shiftably mounted in the housing,
a pinion which engages with the rack, and
the device according to claim 1 , which urges the rack against the pinion.

13. A device for pressing a rack against a pinion comprising
a housing,
a thrust piece which is shiftably guided in the housing along a pressing axis,
a bearing element which can axially be fixed at the housing,
an axially pressurized force introduction member, and
wedge members which each are supported on and continually contact the thrust piece, the bearing element and the force introduction member,
wherein at least three wedge members uniformly distributed in a circumferential direction are provided,
wherein the force introduction member urges the wedge members radially to the outside and the thrust piece axially away from the bearing element;
wherein the thrust piece, the wedge members and the force introduction member are separate and distinct components; and
the wedge members only move radially to the outside, wherein the movement radially to the outside of the wedge members is introduced by the force introduction member when the rack is pressed against the pinion.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the wedge members are made of plastics.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the wedge members are movable relative to each other.

16. The device according to claim 13 , wherein two wedge members adjacent in the circumferential direction each are connected by a flexible coupling element.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the wedge members and the coupling element are formed integrally.

18. The device according to claim 13 , wherein axially between the bearing element and the thrust piece an element elastic in an axial direction is provided.

19. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the force introduction member includes a cone portion with which it supports on substantially complementarily formed contact surfaces of the wedge members.

20. The device according to claim 13 , wherein an end face of the thrust piece facing the wedge members includes a cone-shaped portion on which substantially complementarily formed contact surfaces of the wedge members are supported.

21. The device according to claim 13 , wherein a spring element is provided, which are supported on the force introduction member and on the thrust piece, so that the force introduction member is axially urged away from the thrust piece.

22. The device according to claim 13 , wherein a spring element is provided, which are supported on the force introduction member and on the bearing element, so that the force introduction member is axially urged away from the bearing element.

23. The device according to claim 13 , wherein, as seen radially from inside to outside, the wedge members flare in a wedge-like manner in an axial direction.

24. The device according to claim 13 , wherein a supporting element is provided, which limits a backward movement of the thrust piece.

25. A rack-and-pinion steering system for motor vehicles comprising
a housing,
a rack shiftably mounted in the housing,
a pinion which engages with the rack, and
the device according to claim 13 , which urges the rack against the pinion.

Assignees

• Trw Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Lingemann Markus

Classifications

• F16H2055/281

  Cylindrical or half-cylindrical bushings around the rack, e.g. using special wedges to reduce play · CPC title

• F16H55/283

  using pressure yokes · CPC title

• B62D3/123 Primary

  characterised by pressure yokes · CPC title

• Y10T74/19623

  Backlash take-up · CPC title