JPH0448670B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a vehicle equipped with an operating device that steers both the front wheels and the rear wheels by steering operation of the steered wheels, even when the rear wheel steering system becomes free. The steering wheel is held in a neutral steering position.

The rotation required for rear wheel steering is output from the front wheel steering system via the linkage member as rotation of a swing link, eccentric pin, etc., and the front and rear wheels are rotated so that the steering ratio of the front and rear wheels is changed in proportion to the steering angle. Vehicle steering device that steers the wheels simultaneously
No. 47743) was previously provided by the applicant.

According to such a steering device, it is possible to steer the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels by operating a small steering angle of the steered wheels, and it is also possible to steer the rear wheels in the opposite direction by operating a large steering angle.
Therefore, in addition to improving maneuverability during high-speed driving, it is also possible to increase the steering angle to obtain a small turning radius when making U-turns or maneuvering in and out of parking lots. The turning properties are improved.

In a vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned steering system, the present invention maintains the rear wheels at a neutral steering position and makes the steering angle zero even when the rear wheel steering system becomes free. It was done for a purpose.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention includes a rear wheel steering mechanism that is connected via a linkage member to a front wheel steering mechanism that operates in conjunction with a steered wheel, and that steers the rear wheels. A steering device for a vehicle that steers rear wheels includes a rotating member of the rear wheel steering mechanism that rotates when the steered wheels are steered, and a vehicle body side bracket for rotatably supporting the rotating member. The present invention is characterized in that a rubber bushing having a restoring force for urging and holding the rear wheel to return to the neutral steering position is interposed between the fixed shaft and the fixed shaft fixed to the steering wheel.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a front and rear wheel steering device to which the present invention is applied, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are lines taken along arrows 2-2 and 3-3 in FIG. FIG.

A drive pinion 201 shown in FIG. 1 is integrated with the tip of a steering shaft of a steering wheel (handle) not shown, and this drive pinion 201 and a rack 203 formed on the right half of a rack shaft 202 are integrated. On the other hand, a driven pinion 205 is meshed approximately horizontally with a rack 204 formed on the left half of the rack shaft 202. Both racks 203,
204 is formed opposite to the rack shaft 202 in the front and back.

Although not shown, right and left knuckle arms that support the axles of the front wheels are connected to both ends of the rack shaft 202 via respective tie rods.

In this way, the front wheel steering mechanism is composed of the steering wheel, the steering shaft, the drive pinion 201, the rack shaft 202, the rack 203, the tie rod, the knuckle arm, and the like.

The base of an offset arm 207 is fixedly integrated with the pinion shaft 206 of the driven pinion 205, and the front end of a push-pull link 208 is pivotally connected to the tip of the offset arm 207.

Push-pull link 20 which is a linkage member
8 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and its rear end is
Connecting arm 2 arranged in the left and right direction of the vehicle
It is pivoted towards the left end of 11.

At the left and right center portions of the connecting arm 211,
A sleeve 212 passes through the sleeve 212 vertically and is welded together, and a collar 214 is attached to the inner circumference of the sleeve 212 with a baked rubber bushing 213 interposed therebetween.

This sleeve 212 is rotatably installed vertically between upper and lower vehicle body side bracket plates 290, 290 fixed at the left and right center of the vehicle body, and is attached to the inner circumference of the sleeve 212 via a baked rubber bushing 213 in a collar 214. Fix the pin 215 vertically,
This pin 215 is attached to the bracket plate 290, 2.
Fixed at 90. Thereby, the connecting arm 211 is pivoted to the vehicle body so as to be horizontally swingable about the pin 215, which is a fixed shaft, as a fulcrum.

At both left and right ends of the connecting arm 211,
U-shaped planar rod brackets 216, 216 that open rearward and outward are fixed to the rod brackets 216, 216, and both ends of left and right radius slots 221, 221 are connected to pins 217, 217, respectively.
Supported by.

An upper inner end of a knuckle arm 223 is connected to the rear end of the radius rod 221 via a ball joint 222, and a rear wheel 225 is supported on an axle shaft 224 that protrudes outward from the knuckle arm 223.

Furthermore, the inner end of the radius slot 221 is so-called A.
Arm type lower arm 231 outer end bifurcated part 2
32 by a pin 226, and the inner end of the lower arm 231 is supported by a pin 235 on a vehicle side arm bracket 291 fixed to a vehicle body component and having a generally U-shaped plan view and opening outward. .

That is, a support hole 233 is formed at the inner end of the lower arm 231.
A rubber bushing 280 having a strong restoring force is baked into the support hole 233 in a substantially front-to-back direction.
Furthermore, a collar 234 is attached to the inner circumference of the rubber bush 280.
Burn the above pin 23 into this collar 234.
The pin 235, which is a fixed shaft, is fixed to the front and rear walls 291a, 291a of the arm bracket 291, which is U-shaped in plan.

In the above, when the offset arm 207 is oriented in the left-right direction (the tip is on the right in the illustration),
This is initially set as the neutral position for steering.

In this way, the connecting arm 211, radius rod 221, knuckle arm 223, lower arm 231, etc. constitute a rear wheel steering mechanism.

When the steering wheel is operated, the offset arm 207 rotates and the push-pull link 2
The radius rods 221, 221 move back and forth in opposite directions through the back and forth movement of the connecting arm 211 and the horizontal swing of the connecting arm 211, and the knuckle arms 223, 223 swing around the inner ends of the lower arms 231, 231 as fulcrums. move the rear wheel 225,
225 is steered.

That is, at a small steering angle of 1/4 turn from the initial neutral position of the offset arm 207, the rear wheels can be steered in the same direction as the front wheels with a small steering angle, and furthermore, the rotating member can steer the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels. A connecting arm 2
11 and the lower arms 231, 231 are pivotally supported to the vehicle body via rubber bushes 213, 280, 280, respectively, which are return spring members forming a neutral holding device, so that the rear wheels can quickly return to the neutral position. The responsiveness of the vehicle when running at high speeds is extremely good.

In particular, in this embodiment, since the inner end of the lower arm 231 is swingably supported by the rubber bush 280, which is a return spring member with a strong restoring force, the inner end of the lower arm 231 is supported in the order of the steering force transmission path from the steered wheels. Even if the rear wheel steering system after the pinion shaft 206 becomes free, the rear wheels 225 can be held at the neutral steering position.

Note that the present invention is applicable not only to the above embodiments but also to other types of longitudinal steering devices.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, there is a rotating member of the rear wheel steering mechanism that rotates when the steering wheel is steered, and a bracket fixed to the vehicle body side to rotatably support the rotating member. A rubber bush with a restoring force to urge and hold the rear wheels back to the neutral steering position is interposed between the fixed shaft and the rear wheel steering system, so even if the rear wheel steering system becomes free, This zero steering angle state can be maintained by setting the steering angle of the rear wheels to zero.

In this way, even if the rear wheel steering system becomes free,
Since the steering angle of the rear wheels can be set to zero, it is easy to assemble the vehicle's steering system or to neutralize the front and rear wheels during maintenance, improving work efficiency.In addition, since they are connected by a linkage member, The ability to return the steering wheel during steering is also improved, making it possible to improve operability for the driver.

Further, since a rubber bushing is provided between the rotating member and the fixed shaft, the amount of operation during rear wheel steering is small, and the holding device can be made smaller.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a front and rear wheel steering device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG.
A sectional view taken along the arrow 2-2 line in the figure.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow 3-3 line in the figure. 208... Linkage member, 211, 231...
...Rotating member, 213,280...Rubber bushing,
215, 235... fixed shaft, 290, 291...
Vehicle side bracket.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A rear wheel steering mechanism is provided which is connected to a front wheel steering mechanism interlocked with the steered wheels via a linkage member and steers the rear wheels, and the rear wheels are steered together with the front wheels by the steering operation of the steered wheels. A steering device for a vehicle configured to steer a vehicle includes a rotating member of a front and rear wheel steering mechanism that rotates when a steering wheel is steered, and a bracket fixed to a vehicle body side to rotatably support the rotating member. A steering system for a vehicle, characterized in that a rubber bushing having a restoring force for urging and holding a rear wheel back to a neutral steering position is interposed between a fixed shaft and a fixed shaft.