JPH0261771U - - Google Patents

Description

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of an annular spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention fitted onto a rack shaft, and Fig. 2 shows an annular spacer fitted onto an annular lock plate at the end of the rack shaft. Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing an annular spacer according to another embodiment, and Figure 4 shows the annular spacer of Figure 3 being fitted onto an annular lock plate at the end of the rack shaft. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing an annular spacer according to still another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing an annular spacer according to still another embodiment, and FIG. The figure shows a connecting portion between a rack shaft and a tie rod, which are part of a rack-and-pinion steering device, and FIG. 8 is a front view of a conventional annular spacer that is externally fitted onto an annular lock plate in the connecting portion. It is. 4... Rack shaft, 6... Ball joint, 7... Socket, 9... Tie rod, 11... Annular lock plate,
20, 20A, 20B, 20C... Annular spacer, 21... Metal ring, 22A, 22B, 22C... Elastic ring, 23, 23A, 23B, 23C... Projecting piece.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) The socket end of a ball joint that connects the rack shaft and tie rod and the rack shaft in order to specify the stroke amount of the rack shaft used in a rack-and-pinion type steering device of an automobile. The annular spacer is fitted onto the small diameter portion of the annular lock plate which is fitted across the end portion of the annular spacer. It has a thin elastic protruding piece that protrudes radially inward from the inside of the ring, and the wall thickness near the tip of this protruding piece is larger than the wall thickness near its root, and the protruding piece is bent. The lock plate is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the annular lock plate in a bent state, and is compressed and sandwiched between the annular spacer portion facing the outer circumferential surface via the bent protruding piece. Features an annular spacer. (2) Installed across the socket end of the ball joint that connects the rack shaft and tie rod and the rack shaft end in order to specify the stroke amount of the rack shaft used in the rack and pinion type steering device of an automobile. The annular spacer is fitted onto the small diameter portion of the annular lock plate, and includes a metal ring and an attachment part inside the metal ring, and the attachment part connects the inside of the metal ring radially inwardly. It has a thin elastic protruding piece that protrudes from the ring, and the protruding piece is bent and fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the annular lock plate so as to face the outer circumferential surface via the bent protruding piece. The inner diameter of the portion of the annular spacer portion located near the tip of the bent protruding piece is the same as that of the annular spacer portion. An annular spacer characterized in that the inner diameter of the bent protruding piece is smaller than the inner diameter of the portion located near the base of the protruding piece. (3) The annular spacer according to claim 2, wherein the wall thickness near the tip of the protruding piece is greater than the wall thickness near the root thereof.