JPH0727261Y2 - Rubber boots for tilt-type steering posts - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a rubber boot used for a tilt type steering post of an industrial vehicle such as a forklift.

(Prior Art) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a tilt type steering post in a conventional forklift. As shown in the figure, the steering shaft comprises an upper shaft 1 and a lower shaft 2, and both shafts 1 and 2 are connected by a universal joint 3 so as to be bendable. On the other hand, a jacket member for covering the steering shaft is also composed of an upper jacket member 4 and a lower jacket member 5, like the shaft, and both jacket members 4 and 5 are connected by a tubular rubber boot 12.

Then, the rubber boot 12 has the upper and lower jacket members 4, 5
The outer jacket member 4 and the upper jacket member 4 respectively.
Is fixed by clamping the fitting portion from the outside with a clamp 6, but is simply fitted to the lower jacket member 5.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower end side of the lower jacket member 5 is fixed to the steering gear box 7,
The upper jacket member 4 is provided with a tilt bracket 8 having a long hole that projects forward approximately in the middle of the outer surface, and the tilt bracket 8 is used to adjust a fixing bolt 10 to a fixed bracket 9 mounted on the frame side of a front protector or the like. Is fixed by. When the adjustment bolt 10 is loosened, the upper jacket member 4 can be tilted back and forth with the upper shaft 1 and the universal joint 3 as a pivotal fulcrum through the guide member 11 attached to the upper shaft 1 of the steering shaft. There is.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional rubber boot 12 described above, since the fitting portion externally fitted to the upper jacket member 4 is simply tightened from the outside by the clamp 6, the entire circumference of the jacket is surrounded. It is difficult to obtain a completely sealed state over
As shown in FIG. 5, a gap c may occur between the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion of the rubber boot 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket 4. When such a gap c is present, in a vehicle such as a forklift truck that is often used for outdoor cargo handling work or left outdoors, rainwater may cause the gap c to flow through the gap c as shown by an arrow in the figure during rainy weather. There was a problem that it penetrated into the inside of the jacket.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention aims to enhance the waterproofness of the fitting surface between the upper jacket and the rubber boot,
To that end.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention is configured as follows to solve the above problems.

A tubular rubber boot arranged to cover the bendable steering shaft and used to connect the upper and lower jacket members facing each other at a predetermined interval in the axial direction at a portion corresponding to the bent portion of the steering shaft. In the above, the fitting portion with the upper jacket member is formed in a double cylinder structure, and the fitting portion is formed with an appropriate number of passages that open the bottom of the cylinder hole to the outer surface side. It is configured such that the end of the tubular member is fitted and clamped from the outside by a clamp.

(Operation) According to the rubber boot of the present invention configured as described above,
Even if rainwater or the like enters through the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion and the outer peripheral surface of the jacket, the intruding water is discharged from the passage at the bottom of the cylindrical hole to the outside of the boot. Prevent it from flowing into.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Since the tilt type steering post itself is not different from the conventional one, the same reference numerals as those of the conventional one are used and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the rubber boot 12 of the present embodiment, the lower fitting portion 13 that fits with the upper end portion of the lower jacket member 5 simply covers the outer periphery of the jacket member 5 from the outside.
Although it is so-called externally fitted, the upper fitting portion 14 that fits with the lower end portion of the upper jacket member 4 is formed by an outer cylindrical portion 14a and an inner cylindrical portion 14b that are continuous on the lower side.
It is formed into a heavy cylinder structure, and both cylinder parts 14a, 14b
The lower end portion of the upper jacket member 4 is fitted in the circular space portion 15 formed therebetween.

The circular space portion 15 is set to be slightly larger than the wall thickness of the upper jacket member 4 so that the upper jacket member 4 can be easily fitted therein. In addition, the upper fitting portion 14 is provided with an appropriate number of drainage channels 16 that allow the bottom portion of the circular space portion 15 to communicate with the boot outer surface side in the circumferential direction at appropriate intervals. And
The rubber boot 12 is clamped and fixed by the clamp 6 with the lower end portion of the upper jacket member 4 fitted in the circular space portion 15 of the upper fitting portion 14.

In this way, when the rubber boots 12 are assembled,
As shown in FIG. 2, a gap c may exist between the outer peripheral surface of the upper jacket member 4 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 14a of the upper fitting portion 14 of the rubber boot 12 as in the conventional case. . Therefore, rainwater or the like may intrude through the gap c when carrying out cargo work outdoors in rainy weather, or when it is left outdoors, or when the vehicle is washed. The invading water will be discharged to the outside of the boot through the drainage channel 16 as shown by the arrow in the figure.

In this embodiment, the fitting portion of the rubber boot 12 is described as a circle, but the shape is not limited to this.

(Effect of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the rubber boot of the present invention, even if rainwater or the like enters from the fitting surface with the jacket member, it can be discharged out of the boot, and the waterproof effect is obtained. This is greatly improved, and troubles and the like caused by water entering the steering gear side along the steering shaft can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an A portion of the drawing, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a tilt type steering post and its periphery, FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a conventional example, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a B portion of FIG. 1 ... Upper shaft 2 ... Lower shaft 4 ... Upper jacket member 5 ... Lower jacket member 6 ... Clamp 12 ... Rubber boot 14 ... Upper fitting part 14a ... Outer cylindrical part 14b ... Inner cylindrical part 15 ... Circular space part 16 ... Drainage channel

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A connecting member which is arranged so as to cover a bendable steering shaft, and which is provided at a portion corresponding to the bending portion of the steering shaft so as to connect upper and lower jacket members facing each other at a predetermined interval in the axial direction. A tubular rubber boot that is configured to have a double-cylinder structure in which a fitting portion with an upper jacket member is formed by an outer tubular portion and an inner tubular portion, and a bottom portion of a space portion formed between both tubular portions is an outer surface. A rubber boot for a tilt-type steering post in which a proper number of drainage channels communicating with the side are formed, and the lower end portion of the upper jacket member is inserted into the space portion and clamped from the outside by a clamp.