Rack-and-pinion gear mechanism for steering mechanism of motor vehicle, has compression spring that compensates reaction forces between rack and pinion shaft and has portion melted and re-solidified in locking engagement with housing

• Main Authors: SICKERT DIRK, ODENTHAL FRANK, ENGELS FRANK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 27.06.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BLASTING; DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS ORMACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS,CLIPS, WEDGES, JOINTS OR JOINTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GEARING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A longitudinally movable rack (110) is mounted in a housing (101) and connected to a rotary pinion shaft (102). A compression spring (123) compensates the reaction forces between the pinion shaft and the rack. The spring has a closing nut (25) having a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the housing, and a portion that can be melted and res-olidified in a locking engagement with the housing. An Independent claim is also included for a rack-and-pinion gear mechanism production method. L'invention concerne un mécanisme à crémaillère, notamment un mécanisme de direction à crémaillère, avec un carter (101) dans lequel un arbre de pignon (102) est monté à rotation autour d'un axe (103), l'arbre de pignon (102) étant relié à une crémaillère (110) qui est montée à translation axiale dans le carter (101), et avec un dispositif de contre-pression (112, 123) pour compenser les forces de réaction entre l'arbre de pignon (102) et la crémaillère (110), présentant un élément de pression (112) et un écrou d'ajustement/ obturation entre lesquels s'appuie un ressort (123), l'écrou d'ajustement/ obturation (25) étant constitué d'un matériau qui présente un point de ramollissement/ fusion, de telle sorte que l'écrou d'ajustement/ obturation (25), lorsqu'il est installé dans le carter (101), peut être localement ramolli et/ ou fondu sans détérioration du carter (101), et que des régions partielles ramollies et/ ou fondues puis re-solidifiées de l'écrou d'ajustement/ obturation (25) se trouvent en engagement positif avec le carter (101).