STEERING SYSTEM ACTUATOR, AND USE OF THE ACTUATOR IN A STEER-BY-WIRE STEERING SYSTEM

Abstract

An actuator of a steering system having a housing (2), a spindle drive arranged in the housing (2) which includes an axially movable spindle (5) that engages with a spindle nut (6) mounted in a fixed position. The spindle has at least one fastening end (8, 9), and at least one bearing journal (10, 11) arranged and able to move in the housing (2). The journal is connected to the at least one fastening end (8, 9) of the spindle (5), with at least one joint connection component (3, 4) which is arranged outside the housing (2) and is connected to the at least one bearing journal (10, 11). The at least one bearing journal (10, 11, 110) has a constriction (10v, 11v) that forms a flexible zone (122).

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An actuator of a steering system comprising: a housing (2), a spindle drive being arranged in the housing (2) which comprises an axially movable spindle (5) that engages with a spindle nut (6) mounted in a fixed position, the spindle having at least one fastening end (8, 9), at least one bearing journal (10, 11) being arranged and being able to move in the housing (2), the at least one bearing journal being connected to the at least one fastening end (8, 9) of the spindle (5), with at least one joint connection component (3, 4) which is arranged outside the housing (2) and being connected to the at least one bearing journal (10, 11), and the at least one bearing journal (10, 11, 110, 111) having a constriction (110v, 111v) that forms a flexible zone (122).

12. The actuator according to claim 11, wherein the at least one bearing journal (10, 11, 110, 111) is substantially cylindrically shaped at end areas (110l, 110r, 111l, 111r), and the flexible zone (122) is formed therebetween.

13. The actuator according to claim 11, wherein the flexible zone (122) of the at least one bearing journal (10, 11, 110) is either outside or inside a slide bearing (12, 13) of the housing (2).

14. The actuator according to claim 12, wherein the two cylindrical end areas (110l, 110r, 111l, 111r) of the at least one bearing journal (10, 11, 110) have a same diameter or different diameters (d1, d2), and the diameter of the constriction (110v, 111v), forming the flexible zone (122), is smaller than the diameter (d1, d2) of the end areas (110l, 110r, 111l, 111r).

15. The actuator according to claim 11, wherein the constriction (110v, 111v) is in a form one of an all-round groove (122r), a furrow and a notch (105a).

16. The actuator according to claim 15, wherein the all-round groove (122r) or the furrow or the notch (105a) is either U-shaped or V-shaped.

17. The actuator according to claim 15, wherein the all-round groove is in the form of an annular groove (122r).

18. The actuator according to claim 11, wherein at least at one of the fastening end, the spindle (105) has an all-round notch (105a) and after the all-round notch (105a), the spindle (105) merges into a fastening end (108) which has a thread (108a) for frictional and interlocking connection to the bearing journal (110).

19. The actuator according to claim 11, wherein an end of the bearing journal (110), facing away from the spindle, has an annular flange (121) on which the spindle is supported against a joint fork (104).

20. Use of an actuator of a steering system having a housing (2), a spindle drive arranged in the housing (2) which comprises an axially movable spindle (5) that engages with a spindle nut (6) mounted in a fixed position, the spindle having at least one fastening end (8, 9), and at least one bearing journal (10, 11) arranged and able to move in the housing (2), the at least one bearing journal is connected to the at least one fastening end (8, 9) of the spindle (5), with at least one joint connection component (3, 4) which is arranged outside the housing (2) and is connected to the at least one bearing journal (10, 11), the at least one bearing journal (10, 11, 110, 111) has a constriction (110v, 111v) that forms a flexible zone (122), and the actuator being used in a rear axle steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle.

21. An actuator of a steering system comprising: a housing, a spindle drive being arranged in the housing and having an axially movable spindle that engages with an axially fixed spindle nut, the spindle having opposite first and second fastening ends, the first fastening end being supported by a first bearing journal and the second fastening end being supported by a second bearing journal such that the spindle is axially movable relative to the housing, the first bearing journal being connected to a first joint connection component and the second bearing journal being connected to a second joint connection component, the first and the second connection components being arranged outside the housing, the first bearing journal having a constriction that forms a flexible zone that is axially arranged between the first fastening end of the spindle and the first joint connection component, and the second bearing journal having a constriction that forms a flexible zone that is axially arranged between the second fastening end of the spindle and the second joint connection component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] An example embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be described in greater detail below, so that further features and/or advantages may emerge from the description and/or the drawings, which show:

[0020] FIG. 1: An actuator of a rear axle steering system for a motor vehicle, according to the prior art

[0021] FIG. 2: A detailed view of a bearing journal according to the present invention, and

[0022] FIG. 3: An actuator of a steering system, according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a known actuator 1, also called a servomotor 1, with a housing 2 fixed on an axle carrier of a motor vehicle, and two joint forks 3, 4 arranged diametrically opposite one another, also generally called joint connection components 3, 4, for connecting to track control arms (not shown). The actuator 1 comprises a spindle drive with an axially displaceable (i.e. adjustable) spindle 5 which can be driven via a spindle nut 6 by means of an electric motor 7. In the area of the spindle nut 6, the spindle 5 has a self-locking movement thread 5a in the form of a trapezium thread, which engages with a corresponding internal thread 6a of the spindle nut 6. When the spindle nut 6 rotates, the spindle 5, which is prevented from rotating (in a manner not shown), is caused to move axially (to the left or to the right in the drawing). The spindle has two opposite spindle or fastening ends 8, 9 which, for their part, are connected permanently to bearing journals 10, 11. The bearing journals 10, 11 are guided in the housing in slide bearings 12, 13 and are connected to the two joint forks 3, 4 by respective screw-bolts 14, 15.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a bearing journal 110 according to the invention, for an actuator of a steering system for a motor vehicle. The same or analogous components in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same indexes as in FIG. 1, but increased by 100. The bearing journal 110 is rod-shaped and has a cylindrical casing 110b which is interrupted by a constriction 10v in the form of an annular groove 122r. The spindle 105 has a fastening end 108 with a thread 108a. A joint connection component 104 in the form of a joint fork 104 is shown in part, i.e. in its fastening area. The joint fork 104 forms the connection to a steering linkage (not shown) for a wheel, for example a rear wheel of the motor vehicle. The joint fork 104 has a through-bore 104a through which a fastening bolt 114 passes.

[0025] In the direction toward the spindle 105 the bearing journal 110 has a first threaded blind hole 119 and at the opposite end a second threaded blind hole 120. At its end in the area of the second threaded blind hole 120 the bearing journal 110 has an annular flange 121 with an approximately circular, ring-shaped contact surface 121a. Between the first blind hole 119 or end area 110l and the second threaded blind hole 120 or end area 110r the bearing journal 110 has a flexible zone 122, which compared with the adjacent end areas 110l, 110r has a smaller diameter and a smaller area moment of inertia. The flexible zone 122 is in this case in the form of an all-round annular groove with an approximately semicircular profile, so that a gradual diameter reduction is produced. The bearing journal 110 is connected on one side to the fastening end 108 of the spindle 105 and on the other side by means of the fastening bolt 114 to the joint fork 104. The fastening area 108 is screwed into the first threaded blind hole 119. The spindle 105 has an all-round rounded notch 105a, which also acts as a more flexible part on the spindle. The joint fork 104 is clamped firmly against the contact surface 121a of the annular flange 121 by means of the screw-bolt 114, so that a rigid connection is formed.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an actuator 1 illustrated in a manner similar to FIG. 1. On the left is shown a bearing journal 111 clamped by means of a screw-bolt 15. The bearing journal 111 has a central area 122 with a smaller diameter compared with the diameters d1 and d2 of the end areas 111l, 111r, which is therefore more flexible compared with the end areas. The cylindrical surface of the end area 111l slides in the slide bearing 13, which is arranged in the housing 2. The end area 111l has a diameter d1 which is larger than the diameter d2 of the end area 111r.

[0027] The bearing journal 110 shown on the right in FIG. 3 has a continuous cylindrical outer diameter d3, interrupted approximately in the middle by a V-shaped notch 110v. The bearing journal 110 slides with its cylindrical outer surface in the area to the left and right of the notch 110v in the slide bearing 12, which is arranged in the housing 2 of the actuator 1.

[0028] The transverse forces Q shown, act obliquely on the joint forks 103, 104 and produce bending moments on the actuator 1 and thus also on the bearing journals 110, 111, which these can absorb by virtue of the respective constriction 110v, 111v or the flexible zone 122 created thereby, so that the spindle 5 is selectively exposed to substantially less bending stress. The joint fork 103 has a shape with obliquely angled fork ends, in order to allow for the obliquely acting transverse forces Q.

INDEXES

[0029] 1 Actuator [0030] 2 Housing [0031] 3 Joint fork [0032] 4 Joint fork [0033] 5 Spindle [0034] 6 Spindle nut [0035] 6a Trapezium thread [0036] 7 Electric motor [0037] 8 Spindle end [0038] 9 Spindle end [0039] 10 Bearing journal [0040] 11 Bearing journal [0041] 12 Slide bearing [0042] 13 Slide bearing [0043] 14 Screw-bolt [0044] 15 Screw-bolt [0045] 103 Joint fork [0046] 104 Joint fork [0047] 104a Through-bore [0048] 105 Spindle [0049] 105a Notch [0050] 108 Fastening end, spindle end [0051] 108a Thread [0052] 110 Bearing journal [0053] 110l End area [0054] 110r End area [0055] 110v Constriction [0056] 111 Bearing journal [0057] 111l End area [0058] 111r End area [0059] 111v Constriction, notch [0060] 112 Slide bearing [0061] 114 Screw-bolt [0062] 119 First threaded blind hole [0063] 120 Second threaded blind hole [0064] 121 Annular flange [0065] 121a Contact surface [0066] 122 Flexible zone [0067] 122r Groove, annular groove [0068] Q Transverse force [0069] d1 Diameter [0070] d2 Diameter [0071] d3 Diameter