Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Elements
Patent
1990-11-30
1993-01-05
Stodola, Daniel P.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Elements
74492, 74493, 403 4, 464160, G05G 110, B62D 118
Patent
active
051760436
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates generally to a system for assembling a drive element connected to a driven element, capable of being rotated. This can be, for example, the assembly of a motor vehicle steering wheel and an associated steering column.
It is known that, in such an assembly, there can often arise the problem of adjusting the relative positions of the two elements, once assembled. This may, indeed, involve the angular relative position, on one hand and/or the axial relative position, on the other hand.
The Applicant has already described, notably in document EU-A-0 148 794, regarding an assembling system of the type in question, a device for adjusting the angular position of the driving and driven elements, including an interposed ring with respectively inner and outer surfaces including splines suitable for cooperating with complementary splines comprised by the said elements to form thus two couplings, at least one of them having helicoidal grooves. This ring was associated with a translation control means, so that a translatory movement of this ring causes one of the elements to be angularly displaced. The control means in question advantageously consisted of a screw having an axis parallel to the axes of rotation of the assembled elements and, through cooperation with the ring, on one hand, and the driving element, on the other hand, was able to ensure, through a controlled rotation, the translation of the ring.
The element bearing the ring was, for example, a motor vehicle steering column, while the other element formed the hub of the steering wheel assembled to the said column.
The control screw was advantageously annular and coaxial with the two elements, engaging, by its inner surface, with a heel provided for this purpose on an axial extension of the ring and, by its threaded outer surface, with the hub, tapped for this purpose, the steering column-ring coupling comprising rectilinear grooves, while the ring-hub coupling comprised at least one, but preferably, a series of helicoidal grooves.
The general object of the present invention is an advantageous development of thus known assembly systems, in particular in their applications to the assembly of a motor vehicle steering wheel with an associated steering column, but without any exclusion of other applications, such as, for example, the assembly of a timing gear and a cam shaft.
A more particular object of the invention is a reduction in the play liable to occur within the assembly, at the same time facilitating the manufacture and the mounting of the parts that constitute it.
Another object of the invention is the combining of the angular adjustment with an axial adjustment of the relative position of the assembled elements.
The present invention has, as a starting point, a particular form of embodiment that had proved particularly advantageous in practice among the various forms of embodiment of the aforementioned prior angular adjustment device; this is an angular adjustment ring having a generally polygonal cross-section with helicoidally developed faces cooperating with an inner surface, having a matching shape, of the driving member, in particular the hub, while the coupling of the driven member, in particular the steering column, is of the longitudinally grooved type.
Experience has shown that the angular adjustment ring thus designed, explicitly mentioned for the first time in publication JP 244665/1986 in the name of the applicant, was particularly economical to manufacture, at the same time offering easier mounting and high security.
The normal conditions for manufacturing this type of adjustment ring, using an appropriate continuous extrusion process, have revealed, however, the practical necessity of accepting tolerances liable to lead to a certain play in the coupling between the helicoidal faces and the matching inner surface of the hub. Now, this play in the coupling with the driving element, in particular a hub, is added to the existing and conventionally tolerated play in the splined coupling on the driven element, in particu
REFERENCES:
patent: 1490649 (1924-04-01), Vanderbeek
patent: 3647028 (1972-03-01), Platus
patent: 4624596 (1986-10-01), Eckendorff
patent: 4819961 (1989-04-01), Henigue
Gayoso Tony A.
Stodola Daniel P.
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