Steering head bearing arrangement

Abstract

A steering head bearing arrangement for mounting a wheel module for a motor vehicle is provided with a steering rod connectable to a steering actuator and a wishbone, and a bearing flange connectable with a support frame of the motor vehicle, first and second roller bearings arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod, and a retaining ring screwed onto the steering rod for biasing the second roller bearing against the first roller bearing. By biasing the substantially spaced apart roller bearings against each other by means of the screwed-on retaining ring, radial and axial play of the steering rod in the bearing flange can be largely eliminated, thereby allowing to avoid wear-intensive peak stresses and allowing robust mounting of a steering rod of a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A steering head bearing arrangement for mounting a wheel module for a motor vehicle, the steering head comprising: a steering rod connectable to a steering actuator and a wishbone, a bearing flange connectable directly or indirectly to a support frame of the motor vehicle, a first roller bearing arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod in the bearing flange, a second roller bearing arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod in the bearing flange, and a retaining ring screwed onto the steering rod for biasing the second roller bearing against the first roller bearing.

2. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a rotation angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the steering rod is arranged on a rear of the retaining ring facing away from the roller bearings.

3. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the rotation angle sensor has a scanning direction aligned in an axial direction of the steering rod.

4. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the rotation angle sensor is connected to the bearing flange, wherein the rotation angle sensor optically scans the rear of the retaining ring.

5. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein a mounting flange for centering reception of a steering actuator connectable to the steering rod is connected to the bearing flange, wherein the mounting flange at least partially covers the rotation angle sensor and/or the sensor receiving ring receiving the rotation angle sensor axially and/or radially.

6. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a cleaning element for mechanical cleaning of the retaining ring is provided.

7. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a steering actuator for introducing a steering movement into the steering rod is provided substantially coaxially with the steering rod, wherein the steering actuator is positively coupled with the steering rod, in particular via a Hirth toothing.

8. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the steering rod, with the bearing flange, forms a labyrinth seal on a lower axial side of the bearing flange in a direction of gravity, in particular wherein the labyrinth seal has an annular web inserted in an annular groove.

9. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the steering rod is oriented substantially vertically, in particular wherein a steering head angle α of a steering axle of the steering rod to a horizontal base is 70°≤α≤95°.

10. A wheel module for a motor vehicle having a wheel for moving the motor vehicle, a steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 1 for mounting the steering rod on a support frame of the motor vehicle, a wishbone connected to the steering rod to form an articulation point radially offset from the wheel, a rocker articulated to the articulation point of the wishbone and to the wheel and a shock absorber connected to the rocker and the wishbone for damping vibrations of a relative movement of the wheel.

11. A steering head bearing arrangement for mounting a wheel module for a motor vehicle, the steering head comprising: a steering rod connectable to a steering actuator and a wishbone; a bearing flange connectable directly or indirectly to a support frame of the motor vehicle; a first roller bearing arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod in the bearing flange; a second roller bearing arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod in the bearing flange; a retaining ring screwed onto the steering rod for biasing the second roller bearing against the first roller bearing; and a rotation angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the steering rod arranged on a rear of the retaining ring facing away from the roller bearings.

12. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 11, wherein a cleaning element for mechanical cleaning of the rotation angle sensor and/or the retaining ring is provided.

13. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 11, wherein a steering actuator for introducing a steering movement into the steering rod is provided substantially coaxially with the steering rod, wherein the steering actuator is positively coupled with the steering rod, in particular via a Hirth toothing.

14. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 11 wherein the steering rod, with the bearing flange, forms a labyrinth seal on a lower axial side of the bearing flange in a direction of gravity, in particular wherein the labyrinth seal has an annular web inserted in an annular groove.

15. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 11 wherein the steering rod is oriented substantially vertically, in particular wherein a steering head angle α of a steering axle of the steering rod to a horizontal base is 70°≤α≤95°.

16. A wheel module for a motor vehicle having a wheel for moving the motor vehicle; a steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 11 for mounting the steering rod on a support frame of the motor vehicle; a wishbone connected to the steering rod to form an articulation point radially offset from the wheel; a rocker articulated to the articulation point of the wishbone and to the wheel; and a shock absorber connected to the rocker and the wishbone for damping vibrations of a relative movement of the wheel.

17. A steering head bearing arrangement for mounting a wheel module for a motor vehicle, the steering head comprising: a steering rod connectable to a steering actuator and a wishbone; a bearing flange connectable directly or indirectly to a support frame of the motor vehicle; a first roller bearing arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod in the bearing flange; a second roller bearing arranged in the bearing flange for mounting the steering rod in the bearing flange; a retaining ring screwed onto the steering rod for biasing the second roller bearing against the first roller bearing; and a cleaning element for mechanical cleaning of the retaining ring is provided.

18. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 17, wherein a steering actuator for introducing a steering movement into the steering rod is provided substantially coaxially with the steering rod, wherein the steering actuator is positively coupled with the steering rod, in particular via a Hirth toothing.

19. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 17 wherein the steering rod, with the bearing flange, forms a labyrinth seal on a lower axial side of the bearing flange in a direction of gravity, in particular wherein the labyrinth seal has an annular web inserted in an annular groove.

20. The steering head bearing arrangement according to claim 17 wherein the steering rod is oriented substantially vertically, in particular wherein a steering head angle α of a steering axle of the steering rod to a horizontal base is 70°≤α≤95°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In the following, the steering head and wheel module are explained by way of example with reference to the attached drawings using preferred exemplary embodiments. In the figures:

[0019] FIG. 1: shows a schematic diagram of a wheel module,

[0020] FIG. 2: shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the wheel module of FIG. 1, and

[0021] FIG. 3: shows a schematic cutaway view of a steering head bearing arrangement of the wheel module of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The wheel module 10 shown in FIG. 1 for a motor vehicle designed as a multi-track passenger car has a steering rod 14 which can be rotated by a steering actuator 12. The steering rod 14 can be directly or indirectly rotatably mounted on a support frame 18 of the motor vehicle via a steering head bearing arrangement 16, in particular, wherein the steering rod 14 is mounted immovably in the axial direction of the steering rod 14, for example by an axial bearing. A wishbone 20 is attached to the steering rod 14 and forms an articulation point 24 on the horizontal level of an axis of rotation 38 of a wheel 22 of the wheel module 10 to be steered. At the articulation point 24 a rocker 26 is connected to the wheel 22 in a pivoted manner, whereby the rocker 26 is connected at the other end thereof in an articulated and coaxial manner to the wheel 22. A shock absorber 28 is attached to the wheel 22 and/or to the rocker 26, which is attached at the other end thereof to the steering rod 14 and/or to the wishbone 20. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a level control device 30 is provided between the shock absorber 28 and the steering rod 14. The wheel 22 can in particular be driven and/or decelerated by a wheel hub drive 32.

[0023] As depicted in FIG. 2, a fastening lug 34 can protrude radially from the steering rod 14, which is designed as a hollow shaft, to which the shock absorber 28 and optionally also the wishbone 20 is attached. This makes it possible to arrange the shock absorber 28 and/or the wishbone 20 axially next to the wheel 22. A steering axis 36, which in particular is essentially vertical, runs completely in front of the axis of rotation 38 of the wheel 22, so that even with different diameters of the wheel 22, the steering axle 36 runs as a secant through the wheel 22 in front of the axis of rotation 38. This ensures a positive caster for the wheel 22. When the steering actuator 12 rotates the wheel 22, the shock absorber 28, arranged next to the wheel 22 in an installation space-saving manner, can be entrained so that a steering angle of the steering rod 14 is not limited by the shock absorber 28. In principle, the wheel 22 can therefore perform any number of revolutions.

[0024] The steering head bearing arrangement 16 depicted in detail in FIG. 3 has a bearing flange 40 fastened to the support frame 18, in which the steering rod 14 is rotatably mounted. For this purpose, a lower first roller bearing 42 and an upper second roller bearing 44 are provided, which are each pressed into the bearing flange 40. On the shaft end of the steering rod 14 facing the steering actuator 12, a retaining ring 46 is screwed on, which presses the second roller bearing 44 onto the first roller bearing 42 and thereby biases the roller bearings 42, 44 against one another without play. Here, at the lower end of the bearing flange 40, a shoulder of the steering rod 14 is pulled onto the bearing flange 40 against gravity so that the first roller bearing 42 can be clamped between the steering rod 14 and the bearing flange 40 without play and the bearing flange 40 and the relatively rotatable steering rod 14 can form a labyrinth seal 48. On a rear of the retaining ring 46 facing away from the roller bearings 42, 44, a rotational angle sensor 52, which is received by a sensor receiving ring 50, is provided at a slight distance in the axial direction from the retaining ring 46. The rotation angle sensor can be aligned in the axial direction and can scan optical markings on the rear of the retaining ring 46, for example by means of a photo element. A mounting flange 54 is screwed to the upper end of the bearing flange 40, by means of which the steering actuator 12 can be centered and/or fastened. The mounting flange 54 can at least partially cover the sensor mounting ring 50 and the rotation angle sensor 52 in the manner of a cover. The steering actuator 12 has an electric motor 56, which can drive an output shaft 60 via a gear stage 58, which in turn is positively coupled to the steering rod 14 via a Hirth toothing 62 to be able to turn the wheel 22 of the wheel module 10 by a steering angle monitored by the rotation angle sensor 30.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0025] 10 wheel module [0026] 12 steering actuator [0027] 14 steering rod [0028] 16 steering head bearing arrangement [0029] 18 support frame [0030] 20 wishbone [0031] 22 wheel [0032] 24 articulation point [0033] 26 rocker [0034] 28 shock absorber [0035] 30 level control device [0036] 32 wheel hub drive [0037] 34 fastening lug [0038] 36 steering axle [0039] 38 axis of rotation [0040] 40 bearing flange [0041] 42 first roller bearing [0042] 44 second roller bearing [0043] 46 retaining ring [0044] 48 labyrinth seal [0045] 50 sensor receiving ring [0046] 52 rotation angle sensor [0047] 54 mounting flange [0048] 56 electrical motor [0049] 58 gear stage [0050] 60 output shaft [0051] 62 Hirth toothing