Steering apparatus equipped with ring type support yoke

Abstract

A steering apparatus having a ring type support yoke is provided. The apparatus includes a rack bar provided with a rack gear at one side of the outer circumference thereof, a support provided on the other side of the outer circumference of the rack bar, and a support yoke surrounding the rack bar so as to come into contact with the support, thereby reducing manufacturing costs of the steering apparatus through reducing the number of the parts supporting the support yoke, and shortening the manufacturing period of the steering apparatus through dispensing with the adjusting process for adjusting the degree of engagement between the rack gear and the pinion gear.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a steering apparatus according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating a support yoke according to the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a steering apparatus of an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components. Further, in the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a steering apparatus of an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the steering apparatus of an automobile includes a cylindrical rack bar 301, a support yoke 303 surrounding the rack bar 301, a bush 305 surrounding the support yoke 303, a resilient member 307 provided between the support yoke 303 and the bush 305, and a protrusion 309 formed on the outer circumference of the support yoke 303.

A rack gear 312 is formed on one side of the outer circumference of the rack bar 301 so as to be engaged with the pinion gear 312, and a support 313 is formed on the other side so as to come into contact with the inner circumference of the support yoke 303. The support 313 may be formed with two or more ones, and a part of the outer circumference of the rack bar 313 may protrude, but it is not limited thereto. In addition, the support 313 may be formed by planarizing the outer circumference of the rack bar 301.

The support yoke 303 is formed like a ring surrounding the rack bar 301 such that the inner circumference thereof comes into contact with the support 313, supporting the other side of the rack bar 301. That is, one side of the rack bar 301 is supported by the pinion gear 312, and the other side thereof is supported by the support yoke 303.

In addition, a portion of the inner circumference of the support yoke 303 contacting the support 313 may be formed such that it protrudes to a certain level.

Thus, contrary to the prior art, the present invention does not need additional separate parts supporting the support yoke 303, reducing the number of parts and the manufacturing costs of the steering apparatus.

Meanwhile, since the support 313 is formed on the outer circumference of the rack bar 301 parallel with the axial direction of the rack bar 301, it is supported by the support yoke 303 when the rack bar 301 linearly moves in the axial direction, or even does not linearly move. Although the number of the support 313 is preferably two as shown in FIG. 4, it is not essentially limited thereto.

As seen above, according to the present invention, after the support yoke 303 is installed on the rack bar 301, the pinion gear 312 is made engaged with the rack gear 311, so that unlike the prior art, the adjusting process for adjusting the degree of engagement between the rack gear and the pinion gear through the adjustment of the yoke plug is not needed.

The bush 305 is formed to surround the outer circumference of the support yoke 303, and the resilient member 307 is provided between the support yoke 303 and the bush 305. Thus, noises or vibrations possibly occurring between the rack gear 111 and the pinion gear 312 can be absorbed by the resilient member 307. Meanwhile, the resilient member 307 may be rubber, but it is not limited thereto.

The protrusion 309 is formed on the outer circumference of the support yoke 303 opposite to the rack gear 311, so that when installing the support yoke 303 on the rack bar 301, an operator can check the direction of the rack gear 311 with his/her own eyes, thereby preventing the support yoke from being installed in a misdirection.

Meanwhile, the resilient member 307 preferably extends up to the midway between the protrusion 309 and the bush 305, but it is not limited thereto.

As set forth before, the present invention provides an effect of reducing manufacturing costs of the steering apparatus through reducing the number of the parts supporting the support yoke.

Further, the present invention provides an effect of shortening the manufacturing period of the steering apparatus through dispensing with the adjusting process for adjusting the degree of engagement between the rack gear and the pinion gear.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A steering apparatus comprising: a rack bar provided with a rack gear at one side of the outer circumference thereof;a support provided on the other side of the outer circumference of the rack bar; anda support yoke surrounding the rack bar so as to come into contact with the support.

2. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inner circumference of the support yoke contacting the support protrudes to a certain level.

3. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a bush is provided to surround the support yoke.

4. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a resilient member is provided between the outer circumference of the support yoke and an inner circumference of the bush.

5. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the outer circumference of the support yoke is provided, at one side, with a protrusion.

6. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resilient member extends up to a midway between the protrusion and the bush.

7. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steering apparatus comprises two supports.