JP4938619B2 - Misassembly prevention tool - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an erroneous assembly preventing tool for preventing erroneous assembly of a shaft end portion to a yoke.

As a conventional misassembly prevention tool, there exists a prevention tool of patent documents 1, for example.
In this erroneous assembling prevention tool, the fourth plate portion forming the blocking portion and the drive portion is held in a state where it is disposed in the slit formed in the cylindrical portion, while the bolt insertion hole entrance side of the first tab is located. While fixing the annular fixing portion coaxially with the bolt insertion hole, the fixing portion is fixed to the outer surface using a cylindrical fixing tool.
The fixture includes a sleeve press-fitted into the bolt insertion hole inlet, and an annular flange (outward flange) integral with the sleeve, and the annular ring is provided between the annular flange and the outer surface of the first tab. Hold the fixed part.
Note that the fixing portion, the blocking portion, and the driving portion are formed of an integrated sheet metal.
JP-A-4-368286 (FIGS. 2 to 4)

However, in the conventional misassembly prevention tool, the fixing part of the misassembly prevention tool is arranged coaxially with the bolt insertion hole, and the work of pressing the sleeve of the fixing tool into the bolt insertion hole as described above is required. Therefore, it takes time to assemble the misassembly prevention tool.
Further, since the shaft portion of the bolt used for attaching the shaft to the tubular portion is fixed through the fixing portion and the fixture, the fixing portion and the fixing device cannot be removed even if the prevention of erroneous assembly is completed. That is, the above-described conventional technique is a technique based on the idea that the misassembly prevention tool forms part of the yoke.

Further, since the sleeve of the fixing tool is press-fitted into the inlet of the bolt insertion hole, in order to allow the sleeve to be press-fitted, that is, in order to enable mounting of an erroneous assembly prevention tool, Processing that increases the diameter of the inlet is required (see FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1).
The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a misassembly prevention tool that can be easily attached and detached.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a mounting portion that is detachably mounted on a cylindrical portion of a yoke, and the insertion portion is elastically supported via a drive portion, and the insertion portion is connected to a pair of tabs. As a part or all of the bolt insertion holes are formed, and the drive unit is deformed, the insertion part is pushed by the end of the shaft inserted into the cylindrical part. It can be displaced in a direction away from between the bolt insertion holes.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a misassembly prevention tool that can be easily attached and detached. Moreover, since it can be removed, there is no need to attach a misassembly prevention tool to the outer periphery of the yoke after assembling the yoke to the shaft.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, the shaft 1 constituting the steering shaft in the automobile steering device is illustrated as the shaft and yoke to which the misassembly prevention tool is applied, and one end of the shaft 1 is connected to the shaft 1 by a joint. A case where the yoke 2 is assembled to the part will be described as an example. However, the misassembly prevention tool of this embodiment can be used in addition to the yoke assembly on the steering shaft.

(Yoke structure)
First, the structure of the yoke 2 will be described.
The yoke 2 includes a bifurcated yoke body 3 constituting a joint body, and a cylindrical portion 4 formed integrally with the yoke body 3. The cylindrical portion 4 is formed with a slit 5 extending in the axial direction from the hole end opposite to the yoke body 3 toward the yoke body 3 side. The slit 5 is located between the bifurcated yoke body 3 when viewed from the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 4.
A pair of tabs 6 and 7 protrude from the tubular portion 4. The pair of tabs 6 and 7 are disposed to face each other at a position sandwiching the slit 5 in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 4. In order to distinguish the pair of tabs 6 and 7, the bolt insertion side tab 6 is referred to as a first tab 6, and the other tab 7 is referred to as a second tab 7.

  Bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a are coaxially opened in the pair of tabs 6 and 7, respectively, and a female screw that engages with a bolt shaft portion is engraved in the bolt insertion hole 7a of the second tab 7. Has been. Note that the axes of the bolt insertion holes 6 a and 7 a are oriented in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the tubular portion 4 in plan view. The bolt insertion hole 7a is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1 only, but is not shown in other drawings. Furthermore, the female screw that is screwed with the bolt may be engraved in the bolt insertion hole 6 a of the first tab 6.

(Structure of misassembly prevention tool)
Next, the configuration of the misassembly prevention tool 10 of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the erroneous assembly preventing tool 10 of the present embodiment includes a mounting portion 20 that is detachably attached to the cylindrical portion 4 and a difference that is elastically supported by the mounting portion 20 via the drive portion 14. And the insertion portion 13. And in this embodiment, the said mounting part 20, the drive part 14, and the insertion part 13 are integrally molded and comprised. The misassembly prevention tool 10 is integrally formed by injection molding or the like using, for example, a resin as a material, or is made by processing a sheet metal.

The mounting portion 20 includes a first grip portion 11 and a second grip portion 12 that are in contact with the outer surface of the tubular portion 4, and a straddling portion 19 that connects the first grip portion 11 and the second grip portion 12. And consist of
The first gripping part 11 and the second gripping part 12 are arranged in the cylindrical part axial direction X with the formation positions of the tabs 6 and 7 interposed therebetween. The first grip portion 11 and the second grip portion 12 each include a pair of sandwiching portions 11a and 11b and 12a and 12b extending in opposite directions along the cylindrical portion circumferential direction Y. In this embodiment, as the case where the cross-sectional outline of the cylindrical part 4 is circular, each clamping part 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b is comprised from the circular-arc-shaped piece member. Each clamping part 11a, 11b, and 12a, 12b has elasticity in the direction which the cylindrical part 4 approaches and separates, and the space | interval of the front-end | tip of a pair of clamping parts 11a and 11b, 12a, 12b is cylindrical. It is set smaller than the diameter of the portion 4.

The straddling portion 19 connects a pair of straddling portion main bodies 16 and 17 extending in the axial direction X of the tubular portion, and one end portion (the insertion side of the shaft 1) of the striding portion main bodies 16 and 17 respectively. The intermediate plate 18 is made up of. The intermediate plate 18 also constitutes a part of the first grip portion 11. The pair of straddle part main bodies 16 and 17 are disposed to face each other in the cylindrical part circumferential direction Y with the slit 5 interposed therebetween. That is, the straddle part main bodies 16 and 17 are arranged so as to straddle the tabs 6 and 7, respectively, and the surfaces 16a and 17a facing the tabs 6 and 7 in the tubular part radial direction Z are the tabs 6 and 7, respectively. 7 has a contour shape that follows the contour along the axial direction X of the cylindrical portion. In the present embodiment, the outline of the tabs 6 and 7 along the axial direction X of the cylindrical part is substantially scalloped, and the surface of the straddle part main bodies 16 and 17 facing the tabs 6 and 7 is arcuate. It is the outline of.
And a pair of clamping part 11a, 11b which comprises the 1st holding part 11 is fixed to the said intermediate | middle board 18 or the one end part of a pair of straddle part main bodies 16 and 17. FIG. Further, the pair of sandwiching portions 12a and 12b constituting the second gripping portion 12 are fixed to the other end portions (the yoke body 3 side) of the pair of straddle portion main bodies 16 and 17, respectively.

  Moreover, the insertion part 13 is arrange | positioned between said pair of bridge | crossover part main bodies 16 and 17. FIG. The insertion portion 13 is supported by the intermediate plate 18 via the drive portion 14. The insertion portion 13 is a flat plate member that is disposed at a position that fits in the position of the slit 5 when viewed from the radial direction of the cylindrical portion, and the straddle portion 19 contacts the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 4. In the state of being attached in contact with each other, the state is inserted between the pair of tabs 6 and 7 (between the pair of bolt insertion holes 6 a and 7 a) and the slit 5 of the cylindrical portion 4. In the inserted state, a part of the insertion portion 13 overlaps the bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a when viewed from the axial direction of the bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a. In addition, the part of the insertion part 13 which overlaps with the bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a is referred to as an insertion prevention part 13a. In the present embodiment, the arrangement position and the shape of the bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a viewed from the axial direction are set so that the insertion preventing portion 13a is positioned on the yoke body 3 side portion above the bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a. (See FIG. 4).

  Further, the distal end portion of the insertion portion 13 protrudes into the tubular portion 4 and has a shape facing the shaft 1 inserted into the tubular portion 4. In addition, the part of the insertion part 13 which opposes the shaft 1 is called the insertion contact part 13b. The surface of the insertion contact portion 13b that faces the shaft 1 is an inclined surface that is inclined downward so as to approach the yoke body 3 toward the radial center of the cylindrical portion 4. In addition, in this embodiment, the shape of the insertion part 13 seen from the axial direction of the bolt insertion holes 6a and 7a is a triangular shape, and the end surface on the side facing the end of the shaft 1 faces downward (the shaft 1 side The case where it becomes the inclined surface which faced (refer FIG. 4) is illustrated.

  The drive unit 14 that supports the insertion portion 13 on the intermediate plate 18 elastically supports the insertion portion 13 on the intermediate plate 18 while being elastically deformable in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 4. Therefore, as the end portion of the shaft 1 inserted into the cylindrical portion 4 comes into contact with the insertion contact portion 13b and the insertion contact portion 13b is pushed into the yoke body 3, the insertion portion 13 is Then, it is rotationally displaced in the cylindrical portion radial direction Z around the drive portion 14. Here, when the insertion portion 13 is rotationally displaced until the end portion of the shaft 1 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 4 to a predetermined position or more, the insertion prevention portion 13a becomes the bolt insertion holes 6a, 7a. The shape of the insertion preventing portion 13a is set in a shape that does not prevent the insertion of the bolt into the inside.

(Function and effect)
(1) In the misassembly prevention tool 10 having the above-described configuration, the insertion portion 13 is inserted between the tabs 6 and 7 and into the slit 5 before inserting the shaft 1 into the cylindrical portion 4, as shown in FIG. As shown, the straddling portion 19 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the tubular portion 4. At this time, the pair of holding portions 11a and 11b are elastically deformed so as to open between the pair of holding portions 11a and 11b constituting the first gripping portion 11, and are fitted into the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 4, and the elastic deformation is performed. By releasing, the pair of sandwiching portions 11 a and 11 b are arranged along the outer surface of the tubular portion 4 and mounted in a state where the first gripping portion 11 is supported by the tubular portion 4. Similarly, the second grip portion 12 is also attached to the outer surface of the tubular portion 4. In addition, it mounts | wears so that the 1st holding part 11 may become the shaft 1 insertion side (side away from the yoke main body 3).

In this state, the straddle part main bodies 16 and 17 are in contact with the semicircular outer peripheral surfaces of the tabs 6 and 7, and the erroneous assembly preventing tool 10 is difficult to be displaced in the cylindrical part axial direction X. Become.
In this way, the misassembly prevention tool 10 can be attached to the cylindrical portion 4 simply by fitting the pair of holding portions 11a, 11b, 12a, and 12b constituting the first and second gripping portions 11 and 12, that is, with one touch. It becomes possible to attach detachably.

(2) In this state, when the shaft 1 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 4, in a state where the shaft 1 is not inserted until the shaft 1 hits the insertion contact portion 13b, as shown in FIG. Since the insertion preventing portion 13a is positioned between the pair of bolt insertion holes 6a, 7a, the bolt is inserted into the bolt insertion holes 6a, 7a of the first tab 6 from the bolt insertion holes 6a, 7a of the second tab 7. By preventing this, incorrect assembly is prevented.

Further, when the shaft 1 is inserted and the end portion of the shaft 1 abuts on the insertion contact portion 13b, the insertion contact portion 13b is pushed toward the yoke body 3 as the shaft 1 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the insertion portion 13 is rotationally displaced outward in the cylindrical portion radial direction Z with the drive portion 14 as the center, and in a state where the shaft 1 is inserted more than specified, there is no difference. The insertion preventing portion 13a is rotationally displaced to a position where the insertion of the bolt is not inhibited.
Thus, when the shaft 1 is inserted to the specified position, the bolt is screwed into the bolt insertion hole 6a of the first tab 6 and the bolt is screwed into the bolt insertion hole 6a of the first tab 6 and tightened. The shaft 1 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 4 by bringing the two portions close to each other.

(3) Further, when the assembly of the tubular portion 4 to the shaft 1 is completed, the pulling of the erroneous assembly prevention tool 10 in the direction away from the tubular portion 4 (outward of the tubular portion radial direction Z) is simply performed. The erroneous assembly prevention tool 10 can be easily detached from the tubular portion 4.
As described above, when the assembly of the shaft 1 and the yoke 2 is completed, the erroneous assembly preventing tool 10 is removed from the yoke 2, and therefore the layout of the arrangement position of the yoke 2 at the joint arrangement position in the vehicle body is severe. Even if it exists, the space which attaches the incorrect assembly | attachment prevention tool 10 becomes unnecessary. As a result, interference with other parts can be avoided by the amount that the misassembly prevention tool 10 is not disposed.

(4) The removed misassembly prevention tool 10 can be diverted to the assembly of the other shaft 1 and the yoke 2.
Moreover, since the misassembly prevention tool 10 of this embodiment is integrally molded, it becomes a compact prevention tool. Further, the erroneous assembly preventing tool 10 of the present embodiment does not constitute a part of the yoke 2 and it is not necessary to change the structure of the yoke 2 at all.

(application)
(1) In the above embodiment, the drive unit 14 that connects the intermediate plate 18 and the insertion portion 13 is formed of a member that can be elastically deformed in the cylindrical portion radial direction Z, but the drive unit 14 is plastically deformed. It may be like this. In this case, although it is necessary to apply a force to return to the original position every time it is used, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

(2) In the above embodiment, the case where the second gripping portion 12 on the yoke body 3 side (the side far from the shaft 1 insertion side) is configured in the same shape as the first gripping portion 11 is exemplified. It is not limited to. As shown in FIG. 5, the second grip portion 12 may have a shape that simply contacts the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 4. In the configuration of FIG. 5, an intermediate plate 21 is provided on the yoke body 3 side so as to be bridged between the ends of the pair of straddle body portions. The intermediate plate 21 constitutes a part of the second grip portion 12. Even in this case, the misassembly prevention tool 10 is attached to the tubular portion 4 by the pair of sandwiching portions 11 a and 11 b of the first gripping portion 11.

Here, after the yoke 2 is assembled to the shaft 1, when the shafts 1 are connected to each other in the vehicle body, it may be required to attach the misassembly prevention tool 10 again when suppressing backlash. Even in this case, if the contact area of the second gripping part 12 to the cylindrical part 4 is reduced in this way, the pair of clamping parts 12a, Even if the work space for attaching 12b is small, the work of removing the looseness by attaching the misassembly prevention tool 10 again becomes possible.
In addition, when the end part of the shaft 1 abuts on the insertion part 13 and the insertion part 13 is rotationally displaced, the misassembly prevention tool 10 itself can only be prevented from moving in the cylindrical part axial direction X. If there is a binding force.

(3) Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an end contact portion 22 that contacts the end surface of the tubular portion 4 on the yoke body 3 side may be provided on the second grip portion 12. If the end contact portions 22 are arranged so as to be fitted into the pair of yoke main bodies 3, the end contact portions 22 and further the misassembly prevention tool 10 are formed by the pair of yoke main bodies 3. It is possible to restrict rotational displacement in the circumferential direction Y. Further, even when there is no work space for attaching the pair of sandwiching portions 12a and 12b to the yoke 2 side portion of the cylindrical portion 4, the cylindrical portion 4 can be used to suppress backlash.

(4) Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, a protrusion 23 that can be inserted into the slit 5 may be provided for the second grip 12. In this case, by inserting the protrusion 23 into the slit 5, the displacement of the erroneous assembly preventing tool 10 in the circumferential direction Y of the tubular portion is restricted.
(5) Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the pair of sandwiching portions 12 a and 12 b may be provided only on the second gripping portion 12. Even in this case, the misassembly prevention tool 10 can be detachably attached to the cylindrical portion 4 by the three-point support.

(6) Moreover, in each said embodiment, the insertion part 13 is pushed by the edge part of the shaft 1 by arrange | positioning the drive part 14 to the 1st holding part 11 side (shaft 1 insertion side), and the insertion part 13 is cylindrical. The structure is described as being rotationally displaced outward in the radial direction Z, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the drive unit 14 side may be disposed on the yoke body 3 side. In this case, the insertion portion 13 is pushed by the end portion of the shaft 1 so that the insertion portion 13 is rotationally displaced inward in the cylindrical portion radial direction Z, so that the insertion prevention portion 13a overlaps the lower portion of the insertion hole. To the initial setting (state under no-load condition).

(7) Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the insertion contact part 13b of the insertion part 13 is made into the inclined surface, it does not need to be made into an inclined surface in particular. The insertion contact portion 13b may be in a position where it comes into contact with the end portion of the shaft. However, when the inclined surface is pushed by the shaft end portion, the insertion contact portion 13b slides relative to the shaft end portion so that the insertion contact portion 13b slides. Displacement can be smoothed.

It is a perspective view explaining the structure of the yoke which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining the composition of the incorrect assembly prevention tool concerning the embodiment based on the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the assembly | attachment state to the cylindrical part of the incorrect assembly | attachment prevention tool which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the behavior of the insertion part which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining another structure of the misassembly prevention tool which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining another structure of the misassembly prevention tool which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining another structure of the misassembly prevention tool which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining another structure of the misassembly prevention tool which concerns on embodiment based on this invention. It is a perspective view explaining another structure of the misassembly prevention tool which concerns on embodiment based on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shaft 2 Yoke 3 Yoke main body 4 Cylindrical part 5 Slit 6 Tab 7 Tab 6a, 7a Bolt insertion hole 10 Misassembly prevention tool 11 1st holding part 11a, 11b Each holding part 12 2nd holding part 12a, 12b Holding part 13 Insertion part 14 Drive part 16, 17 Stretching part main body 18, 21 Intermediate plate 19 Stretching part 20 Mounting part 22 End part contact part 23 Projection part X Cylindrical part axial direction Y Cylindrical part radial direction Z Cylindrical shape Diameter direction

Claims (10)

Into the cylindrical portion with respect to a cylindrical portion formed with a slit extending in the axial direction, and a yoke having a pair of tabs protruding outward from the cylindrical portion and opposed to each other in the circumferential direction across the slit With the shaft ends inserted, the yoke and the shaft are assembled by bringing the pair of tabs close together by tightening the bolts inserted into the bolt insertion holes formed coaxially with the pair of tabs. Used when
In the state of insufficient insertion of the shaft with respect to the cylindrical portion, a misassembly prevention tool for preventing tightening of the bolt,
A mounting portion detachably mounted on the cylindrical portion;
An insertion part in which a part or the whole is located between the bolt insertion holes respectively formed in the two tabs;
A drive unit that supports the mounting unit in a state in which the insertion unit is displaceable in a direction away from between the bolt insertion holes by being pushed by an end of a shaft inserted into the cylindrical unit. A misassembly prevention tool characterized by comprising. The mounting portion includes a first gripping portion and a second gripping portion that are arranged in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion with the tab forming position interposed therebetween and respectively contact with the cylindrical portion; the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion; And a straddling part that connects
The at least first gripping part of the first gripping part and the second gripping part has a pair of clamping parts extending in opposite directions along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical part. Misassembly prevention tool.   The said extending | stretching part is arrange | positioned so that the said tab may be straddled, and the surface which opposes a tab in a cylindrical part radial direction becomes a shape along the outer peripheral surface of the said tab. Misassembly prevention tool.   The erroneous assembly preventing tool according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first gripping part is disposed on a shaft insertion side of the cylindrical part.   5. The misassembly prevention tool according to claim 2, wherein the second gripping portion has an end contact portion that contacts the end surface of the cylindrical portion.   The misassembly prevention tool according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the second gripping portion has a projection portion to be inserted into the slit of the cylindrical portion. The insertion part is formed in a flat plate shape,
The erroneous assembly preventing tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drive unit has a shape that can be deformed in a cylindrical part radial direction.   8. The misassembly prevention tool according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit is located on the shaft insertion side with respect to the insertion portion. 9.   The error described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a surface of the insertion portion that can contact the shaft is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the shaft axis. Assembly prevention tool.   The misassembly prevention tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the mounting portion, the driving portion, and the insertion portion are integrally formed.

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