JPH0246430B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a steering structure for a cab-over type vehicle, and more specifically, a steering structure in which a steering shaft is divided into an upper and lower structure in order to absorb reaction force from the road surface, and these are connected by a joint. This invention relates to an improved arrangement position of the flexible joint.

In conventional cab-over type cars,
As an example is shown in Publication No. 134319, since the steering gear box is located at a location exposed to the outside under the floor panel, it is common that the joint is also located at a location exposed to the outside. It was hot. As a result, water, mud, dust, etc. kicked up by the wheels can get onto the joint and make it dirty.
There was a problem that it could penetrate inside the device and accelerate the deterioration of performance.

In order to avoid such problems, it is conceivable to arrange a flexible joint on the floor panel, but this has the drawback of narrowing the interior space of the vehicle and also makes the interior of the vehicle look unsightly.

The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional example, and includes providing a through hole in the bottom plate of a cross member that is welded to the lower surface of the floor panel to become a closed cross-section member and that constitutes a frame member of the vehicle body. A floor panel insertion hole is provided at a location corresponding to the upper plate portion of the cross member, a steering shaft is inserted through the insertion hole and the through hole, a steering gear box is attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate portion, and the interior of the cross member is It is characterized by a joint that connects the upper and lower parts of the steering shaft in the space.

The present invention will be specifically described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

The illustrated embodiment relates to a steering system with a rack and pinion steering gear. 1 is a steering wheel, 2 is an upper steering shaft, 3 is a lower steering shaft, 4 is a steering column, and 5 is a steering gear box incorporating the above-mentioned steering gear. The operating rod 6, which constitutes the rack of the steering gear, is connected to the left and right front wheels via a center lever, tie rod, and knuckle arm (not shown).

The steering shaft 7 includes the upper steering shaft 2 and the lower steering shaft 3.
are connected by a universal joint 8. Further, the lower steering shaft 3 is divided into upper and lower parts below the floor panel 9, and these divided parts 3
a and 3b are connected by a flexible joint 10. This flexible joint 1
0, the yoke 20 fixed to the lower end of the upper divided part 3a and the yoke 21 fixed to the upper end of the lower divided part 3b are crossed by 90 degrees, and both yokes 20, 2
Both yokes 20 and 21 are bolted using bolts and nuts 23 and 24 with a rubber plate or a flat plate 22 interposed between them.

The floor panel 9 is provided with an insertion hole 11 through which the steering shaft 7 is inserted, and the upper divided portion 3a of the lower steering shaft 3 is inserted through the insertion hole 11. Also, this insertion hole 11 and the steering shaft 7
A cap-shaped seal 12 that seals the gap between
is attached to the periphery of the insertion hole 11.

A side frame 13 is attached to the bottom surface of the floor panel 9.
and a cross member 14 are disposed, and the cross-coupling portion 15 of both is located below the insertion hole 11. Both the side frame 13 and the cross member 14 have a hat-shaped cross section, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and are welded to the lower surface of the floor panel 9 to become a closed cross section member, and serve as a frame member of the vehicle body. It consists of In the cross-coupling section 15, as shown in FIG.
A side frame 13 and a cross member 14 are connected via a reinforcement 16 using spot welding. On the cross member 14 side of the cross joint portion 15, the overlapping area between the cross member 14 and the reinforcement 16 is made wide in order to increase strength and rigidity. A through hole 17 for inserting the lower divided portion 3b of the lower steering shaft 3 is provided in this overlapping portion, while
A plurality of small holes are provided around it, and a nut 18 is welded onto each small hole.

The steering gear box 5 is attached to the lower surface of the cross member 14 directly below the through hole 17 using a bolt 19 screwed into the nut 18. The steering shaft 7 passes through the through hole 17 at its lower divided portion 3b, and the flexible joint 10 is accommodated within the cross member 14. The lower divided portion 3b is a steering gear box 5.
It acts as an input shaft for the steering gear built into the.

The present invention can be configured in various ways other than those shown in the above embodiments. For example, instead of the flexible joint 10, a general joint 10 may be used. Moreover, the steering shaft 7
The upper steering shaft 2 and the lower steering shaft 3 are connected by a universal joint 8, but other configurations such as one in which both are integrally connected in a straight manner may be used. Also, although the above embodiments relate to steering systems with rack and pinion steering gears, the present invention may be implemented in other types of steering systems.

Since the present invention has the above configuration, the following effects can be achieved.

The joint that connects the upper and lower parts of the steering shaft is located below the floor panel and is surrounded by a cross member, which prevents it from getting dirty with water, mud, dust, etc., and improves durability. can be achieved.
Moreover, it does not narrow the interior space of the vehicle or make it look bad.

The steering shaft penetration from the inside of the cabin to the outside of the cabin can be sealed in two stages: at the insertion hole in the floor panel and at the bottom plate through-hole of the cross member (which has a closed cross-section structure). Improves sex. Moreover, since the through hole on the bottom plate side of the cross member is sealed with the steering gear box, there is no need for a sealing member such as a dust boot, and a simple boot can be installed in the insertion hole on the floor panel side, resulting in a simpler structure. Although it is simple, it can ensure sealing performance. Note that the steering gear box side can also be sealed at the same time.

Since the steering gear box is mounted using a cross member, a special bracket for mounting the steering gear box is not required, and as a result, the structure can be simplified.
Furthermore, since the internal space of the cross member is effectively utilized and the joint is accommodated therein, other parts can be placed in the space outside the cross member that was conventionally occupied by the joint, which is advantageous in terms of layout.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal side view of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the main part thereof, and Fig. 3 shows the cross-joint part of the cross member and side frame with a part of the floor panel cut away. FIG. 3a...Upper divided part, 3b...Lower divided part, 5
... Steering gear box, 7 ... Steering shaft, 9 ... Floor panel, 10 ... Joint, 11 ... Insertion hole, 14 ... Cross member, 17 ... Through hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A through hole is provided in the bottom plate of a cross member that is welded to the lower surface of the floor panel to become a closed cross-section member and constitutes a frame member of the vehicle body, and is inserted into the floor panel at a location corresponding to the upper plate of the cross member. A hole is provided, a steering shaft is inserted through the insertion hole and the through hole, a steering gear box is attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate part, and a joint for connecting the upper and lower divided parts of the steering shaft is arranged in the internal space of the cross member. A steering structure for a cab-over type car that is characterized by: