This disclosure relates to a protective device for a steering gear apparatus and, more specifically, to a boot shield for a boot seal associated with a steering gear tie rod and actuator.
The inner tie rod of a vehicle steering system is connected to a steering arm and to the rack of a rack and pinion steering system. The connection between the inner tie rod and the rack must accommodate pivotal movement about a plurality of axes. A ball and socket connection is therefore the preferred connection.
Ball and socket connections can wear out occasionally. Excessive wear, if it occurs, is generally due to lack of lubrication, extensive use over a period of years, excessive forces applied to the joint, or damage to a boot seal configured to seal the ball and socket from environmental contaminants. Such wear may involve failure of the threads that hold either the ball or the socket in place, or failure of the inner tie rod housing crimp that holds the ball in the inner tie rod housing or socket. A worn or loose ball and socket as well as loose threads can be identified by excess play in the steering wheel when the ball and socket are part of a front wheel steering system. Detection of a worn ball and socket or loose thread connections in a rear wheel steering system of a vehicle with four wheel steering is more difficult. Looseness in a rear wheel steering system, indicating that the threads or the housing crimp that hold a ball in the housing need to be inspected or repaired, may not be detectable by turning the steering wheel. Furthermore, the front wheel steering system and, more particularly, the rear wheel steering system is susceptible to stone impingement and other types of damage from road debris or off road usage.
The front steered wheels of a vehicle have a steering geometry that includes caster, camber and toe in. This geometry tends to turn the steered front wheels to a position that directs a vehicle straight forward if the operator releases the steering wheel or if there is a steering linkage failure.
The rear wheels of a vehicle with four wheel steering generally have negative caster. A failure in the steering linkage of the rear wheels of a vehicle may therefore make the vehicle unstable. Therefore, a boot shield covering a boot of a rear wheel steering system helps to maintain the integrity of the boot and protect the ball and socket interface against premature wear due to stone impingement and any other type of damage to the boot from road debris or off road usage.
A current boot shield 2 used on the steering linkage of the rear wheels of a vehicle is depicted in
The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies are over come or alleviated by a boot shield for protecting a boot includes a perimetrically continuous or integrally closed tube member open at first and second ends defining a length thereof; and a plurality of retention features extending radially inwardly from a perimeter defining the tube member, the plurality of retention features configured to resiliently engage a valley defined by a boot convolute of the boot disposed in a hollow cavity defined by the tube member, the plurality of retention features configured to secure the tube member to the boot axially while allowing the tube member to rotate relative to the boot.
In an exemplary embodiment, the boot shield is a molded cylinder open at both ends having integrally molded retention features equidistantly spaced from one another disposed at a one end of the cylinder and an opposite end of the cylinder flared radially outwardly. The boot shield is preferably employed as a slip on protection system for a boot covering an inner tie rod and steering actuator interface, where the boot includes a first end sealingly engaged with a housing of the steering actuator and a second end sealingly engaged with the inner tie rod.
The above-discussed and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following description and drawings.
Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several FIGURES:
Referring to
The steering rack 14 as shown in
The steering rack first end 26 has a steering rack bore 32 that is concentric with the rack axis 16. The rack bore 32 is preferably a threaded rack bore 34.
The inner tie rod connector assembly 46 includes an inner tie rod housing 48 and an inner end ball 50. The housing 48 has a shank 52 and a housing chamber 54. A shank threaded portion 56 screws into the threaded rack bore 34 to secure the tie rod housing 48 to the steering rack 14. The housing chamber 54 has an open end 58. A first bearing 60 is mounted in the chamber 54. The inner end ball 50 is seated on the first bearing 60. A second bearing ring 62 is telescopically received on the ball shank 64, seated on the inner end ball 50 and received in the housing chamber 54. The open end 58 of the housing chamber 54 is crimped to retain the second bearing ring 62 and the inner end ball 50 in the housing chamber.
The ball shank 64 is an integral part of the tie rod inner end 67 of the inner rod 66.
A flexible boot 80 is connected to the rack and pinion housing 12 and to the inner rod 66 in positions in which the inner tie rod assembly 46 is sealed from water, dust and other contaminants.
An exemplary embodiment of a boot shield 82 is disposed over flexible boot 80 to protect flexible boot 80 from stone impingement and any other type of damage caused by road debris or off road utility. Boot shield 82 is a perimetrically continuous tube member open at first and second ends defining a length thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, boot shield 82 is preferably a continuously formed cylinder having a plurality of spaced retention features or fingers 84 disposed at one end 86 and flared out an opposite end 88. However, boot shield 82 may be a tube member being hollow and elongated in any geometric shape other than a cylinder described in an exemplary embodiment. For example, boot shield may be an elongated triangular or more sided tube member. Furthermore, fingers 84 are not limited to extending from one end of boot shield 82, as fingers 84 may circumferentially extend from an intermediate portion defining boot shield 82.
An end 90 defining each retention feature or finger 84 shown in
Referring now to
It will be recognized by one skilled in the pertinent art that end 90 is further defined by tapering of cylinder 92 from which first member 98 extends therefrom as best seen with reference to
Boot shield 82 is preferably made from nylon, and more preferably from a heat stabilized nylon. However, it is contemplated that other suitable materials may be employed.
The above described exemplary boot shield replaces the prior art boot shield shown with respect to
It will be appreciated that the use of first and second or other similar nomenclature for denoting similar items is not intended to specify or imply any particular order unless otherwise stated.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, including the use of geometries other than a cylindrical boot shield. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the apparatus and method have been described by way of illustration only, and such illustrations and embodiments as have been disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting to the claims.