JP5117361B2 - Rack and pinion steering system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a rack and pinion type steering device used in, for example, a vehicle.

  As a conventional rack and pinion type steering device, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

Briefly, this rack and pinion type steering device includes a housing having a retainer accommodating portion whose one end is open to the outside and a gear accommodating portion facing the other end of the retainer accommodating portion, and is accommodated in the gear accommodating portion. A pinion shaft having pinion teeth on the outer periphery, and a rack shaft having rack teeth that are housed and arranged in the gear housing portion so as to intersect the pinion shaft and mesh with the pinion teeth on the front side facing the pinion shaft, A rack retainer that is slidably accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion and supports the back side of the rack shaft by a support portion provided on one end side, and one end of the retainer accommodating portion provided in series with the rack retainer And an urging member that is interposed between the adjustment member and the rack retainer and urges the rack retainer toward the back side of the rack shaft. The biasing force of the biasing member, that is, the biasing force of the rack shaft to the pinion shaft can be adjusted by moving the adjusting member forward and backward. It is possible to maintain the meshing state.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-81870

  By the way, the size of the empty space around the retainer accommodating portion varies depending on the specification of the vehicle to which the steering device is applied, the drive type, and the like. For example, in the case of a front engine / front drive type vehicle, since a so-called differential device (differential device) is arranged around the retainer accommodating portion, the allowable protrusion amount of the retainer accommodating portion including the adjusting member Will be greatly limited.

  On the other hand, since the rack retainer is accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion via a predetermined minute radial gap, the length of the rack retainer in the axial direction is required to appropriately slide the rack retainer. It is necessary to secure enough.

  However, in the rack and pinion type steering device, since the adjusting member is arranged in series in the axial direction with respect to the rack retainer, the retainer is provided by the axial length of the adjusting member accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion. The amount of protrusion of the housing portion is increased, which causes a technical problem that the length of the rack retainer in the axial direction cannot be sufficiently secured depending on the vehicle.

  The present invention has been devised by paying attention to such a technical problem, and is a rack that can suppress an increase in the size of the housing (retainer accommodating portion) while sufficiently securing the axial length of the rack retainer. A pinion type steering device is provided.

  In particular, the present invention is characterized in that the adjustment member and the rack retainer are superposed in the radial direction.

  According to the present invention, since the adjustment member and the rack retainer are polymerized in the radial direction, the amount of protrusion of the retainer accommodating portion can be reduced by the amount of the polymerization, and thereby, depending on the vehicle specifications and the like. Even when the protruding amount of the retainer accommodating portion is limited, the axial length of the rack retainer can be sufficiently secured.

  In other words, it is possible to achieve both a reduction in the size of the housing based on a reduction in the amount of outward protrusion of the retainer housing portion and a sufficient axial length of the rack retainer. Regardless, good slidability of the rack retainer can be ensured.

  Embodiments of a rack and pinion steering device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a rack and pinion type steering apparatus according to the present invention. This rack and pinion type steering apparatus is a steering system linked to a steering wheel 1 as shown in FIG. A shaft 2, a pinion shaft 3 connected to the steering shaft 2 coaxially via a torsion bar (not shown) so as to be relatively rotatable, and having pinion teeth 3 a on the outer periphery on the front end side, so as to intersect the pinion shaft 3 And a rack shaft 4 having rack teeth 4a meshing with the pinion teeth 3a on the front side facing the pinion shaft 3, and both ends of the rack shaft 4 are linked to the steered wheels WL and WR of the vehicle. Yes.

  As is well known, by rotating the steering wheel 1, the steering shaft 2 is rotated and the torsion bar is twisted. By the elastic force of the torsion bar generated based on the torsional deformation of the torsion bar, The pinion shaft 3 rotates following the steering shaft 2. As a result, the rotational motion of the pinion shaft 3 is converted into the linear motion of the rack shaft 4 by a rack and pinion mechanism composed of the pinion shaft 3 and the rack shaft 4, and both the rack shaft 4 moves in the left-right direction. The steered wheels WL and WR are steered.

  In the rack and pinion type steering device, the torque sensor 5 disposed on the outer peripheral side of the connecting portion of the steering shaft 2 and the pinion shaft 3 generates the steering torque by the driver with the relative rotational displacement amount of the shafts 2 and 3. A so-called assist torque is applied to the pinion shaft 3 via the speed reduction mechanism 7 from the electric motor 6 that is detected and controlled based on the detection result, thereby assisting the driver's steering force.

  The pinion shaft 3 and the rack shaft 4 constituting the rack and pinion mechanism are housed in a gear housing portion 9 provided on the lower side in the housing 8. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the gear housing portion 9 intersects the rack housing chamber 9a for housing the rack shaft 4 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and the rack housing chamber 9a so as to face the front side of the rack shaft 4. And a pinion storage chamber 9b that rotatably stores the pinion shaft 3.

  Further, the housing 8 extends from the rack housing chamber 9a to the back side of the rack shaft 4 so as to be substantially orthogonal to the rack housing chamber 9a, and has one end opened to the outside and the other end racked. A substantially cylindrical retainer receiving portion 11 configured to face the back surface of the shaft 4 is provided. A retainer mechanism 10 that holds an appropriate meshing state between the pinion shaft 3 and the rack shaft 4 is housed inside the retainer housing portion 11.

  The retainer mechanism 10 is disposed adjacent to the rear surface side of the rack shaft 4 and supports the rear surface of the rack shaft 4 via a support surface 12a (support portion) having a substantially semicircular cross section formed on one end side. The coil retainer 12 is screwed to one end portion of the retainer accommodating portion 11, closes one end opening of the retainer accommodating portion 11, and moves forward and backward to adjust the preload to the coil spring 14 described later, thereby adjusting the coil spring 14. An adjustment member 13 for adjusting the urging force of the rack retainer 12 is held in a state in which a preload is applied by the adjustment member 13 in a recess 12b drilled along the axial direction at the other end of the rack retainer 12, and the pinion gear 3a Coil spring 14 that is a biasing member that biases the rack shaft 4 via the rack retainer 12 in a direction in which the rack gear 4a is engaged with the coil gear 14a. To have.

  The rack retainer 12 is accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion 11 so as to be slidable in the axial direction with a small radial clearance, and the radial clearance is fitted to the outer periphery of the other end of the rack retainer 12. By being blocked by known O-rings 15a and 15b, the interior of the retainer accommodating portion 11 is held liquid-tight. The O-rings 15 a and 15 b also have a role of ensuring an appropriate axial center position of the rack retainer 12 by elastically holding the rack retainer 12 in the retainer housing portion 11.

  A male screw portion 11a is formed in a predetermined axial region on the outer periphery on one end side of the retainer housing portion 11, while a female screw that engages with the male screw portion 11a is formed on the inner peripheral side of the adjustment member 13. The adjustment member 13 is formed at one end of the retainer accommodating portion 11 so that the other end side of the rack retainer 12 and the adjustment member 13 overlap in the radial direction based on the screw structure. It is screwed to the outer periphery.

  On the inner side of the adjustment member 13, a pedestal portion 13b protruding from the outside to the inside is projected at the center position, and one end of the coil spring 14 is supported by the pedestal portion 13b. ing. Here, the pedestal portion 13b has an outer diameter set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the recess 12b of the rack retainer 12, and is configured to support the coil spring 14 while being fitted in the recess 12b. Has been. Thereby, the length of the coil spring 14 can be set shorter, and as a result, it is possible to secure more polymerization allowance (polymerization amount) between the other end side of the rack retainer 12 and the adjustment member 13. Yes.

  Furthermore, an annular concave support surface 13c is formed on the inner side of the adjustment member 13 in a range facing the other end surface of the rack retainer 12 in the outer peripheral area of the pedestal portion 13b. A well-known disc spring 16 is interposed between the other end surface of the rack retainer 12. The support surface 13c is configured such that its axial position is located on the outer side (outside) of the inner end of the female screw portion 13a, thereby the other end side of the rack retainer 12 and the adjusting member. A sufficient polymerization allowance with 13 is ensured.

  The disc spring 16 suppresses rattling of the rack retainer 12 and suppresses strong collision of the rack retainer 12 against the adjustment member 13 when the coil spring 14 bottoms out due to excessive input from the rack shaft 4 side. Playing a role. Here, the disc spring 16 is restricted in radial movement by the pedestal portion 13b, which is one step portion provided on the inner peripheral side of the support surface 13c, and is used for forming a notch in the support surface 13c. Accordingly, movement in the radial direction is also restricted by the other step 13d formed on the outer peripheral side. That is, the disc spring 16 is stably held on the support surface 13c by the both step portions 13b and 13d.

  A known lock nut 17 is arranged in series on the outer periphery of one end side of the retainer accommodating portion 11 adjacent to one end side of the adjustment member 13, and the adjustment member 13 is moved to the housing 8 by the lock nut 17. It is fastened and fixed to the outer periphery of one end portion of the retainer accommodating portion 11. The lock nut 17 is provided with an engagement portion 17a on the outer periphery of the lock nut 17 for engaging with a lock nut fastening tool which is a predetermined tool (not shown). Tightening is performed by inserting and engaging a lock nut fastening tool.

  In order to assemble the retainer mechanism 10 in the rack and pinion type steering apparatus according to the present embodiment configured as described above, first, the retainer accommodating portion in the housing 8 in which the pinion shaft 3 and the rack shaft 4 are already accommodated. 11 is inserted into the outer periphery of the rack retainer 12 with O-rings 15a and 15b fitted on the outer periphery thereof, and is pushed in until the support surface 12a comes into contact with the rear surface of the rack shaft 4. The coil spring 14 is inserted and temporarily assembled therein.

  Next, a lock nut 17 is screwed onto the outer periphery of one end of the retainer accommodating portion 11, and the lock nut 17 is temporarily assembled to the housing 8 by being advanced to an appropriate axial position, and then on the support surface 13c. The adjusting member 13 in which the disc spring 16 is disposed is screwed to the outer periphery of the one end portion of the retainer accommodating portion 11 (first step according to the invention of claim 12 of the present application). Subsequently, the adjustment member 13 is moved forward and backward to adjust the urging force of the coil spring 14, and then the lock nut 17 is tightened to the adjustment member 13 side to fix the adjustment member 13 to the housing 8 (claims in this application). 12), the assembling of the retainer mechanism 10 is completed.

  From the above, according to this embodiment, the adjustment member 13 is screwed onto the outer periphery of one end of the retainer accommodating portion 11 and the other end of the rack retainer 12 and the adjustment member 13 are overlapped in the radial direction. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the retainer accommodating portion 11 can be reduced by the amount of polymerization, compared to the conventional case. For this reason, even when the amount of protrusion of the retainer housing portion is limited by the specifications of the vehicle, the axial length of the rack retainer 12 can be sufficiently secured, and thus the rack retainer 12 can be satisfactorily secured. Slidability can be obtained.

  In other words, by adopting the unique configuration in which the rack retainer 12 and the adjustment member 13 are superposed in the radial direction, the housing 8 is increased in size by reducing the amount of outward protrusion of the retainer accommodating portion 11. It is possible to achieve both suppression of the above and securing a sufficient axial length of the rack retainer 12, and it is possible to ensure good slidability of the rack retainer 12 regardless of the specifications of the vehicle.

  In addition, in this embodiment, in the adjustment member 13, the outer diameter of the pedestal portion 13b is set slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the recess 12b of the rack retainer 12, so that the adjustment member 13 is fitted in the recess 12b. Since the coil spring 14 is configured to be supported, the axial length of the coil spring 14 can be set shorter. As a result, more polymerization allowance between the other end side of the rack retainer 12 and the adjusting member 13 can be secured, and as a result, it contributes to a further reduction in the outward protrusion amount of the retainer accommodating portion 11. be able to.

  Further, since the axial position of the support surface 13c is configured to be located outside the inner end of the female screw portion 13a, a larger amount is provided between the other end side of the rack retainer 12 and the adjustment member 13. It is possible to secure a polymerization allowance. As a result, the amount of outward protrusion of the retainer housing portion 11 is further reduced.

  3 and 4 show a first modification based on the first embodiment. In the configuration of the first embodiment, the outer diameter of the lock nut 17 is set to be smaller than that of the adjusting member 13. It is set larger than the outer diameter.

  That is, the outer diameter D2 of the lock nut 17 is set larger than the outer diameter D1 of the adjustment member 13, and when the adjustment member 13 is viewed from the other end side along the axial direction, as shown in FIG. The engaging portion 17 a of the lock nut 17 is exposed on the outer peripheral side of the adjusting member 13. Thereby, a lock nut fastening tool (not shown) is inserted in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 from the other end side of the adjustment member 13, and the lock nut 17 can be tightened from the axial direction.

  Therefore, according to the first modification, the outer diameter D2 of the lock nut 17 is set larger than the outer diameter D1 of the adjustment member 13, and the engagement portion 17a is exposed to the outer peripheral side of the adjustment member 13. With this configuration, the lock nut fastening tool can be inserted into the lock nut 17 and the lock nut 17 can be tightened not only from the radial direction but also from the axial direction. Accordingly, even if it is difficult to insert or rotate the lock nut fastening tool in the outer peripheral region of the retainer housing portion 11 due to restrictions such as the shape of the apparatus, problems associated with such restrictions can be avoided. The tightening operation of the lock nut 17 can be performed, and the degree of freedom of the tightening operation of the lock nut 17 can be improved.

  5 and 6 show a second modification based on the first embodiment. In the configuration of the first embodiment, the outer diameter D1 of the adjustment member 13 and the lock nut 17 The outer diameter D2 is set to the same size, and the same fastening tool can be engaged with the outer circumferences of the both 13 and 17 continuously in the axial direction. Joint portions 13e and 17b are provided.

  Based on this configuration, in this embodiment, when the retainer mechanism 10 is assembled, when the adjustment member 13 and the lock nut 17 are temporarily assembled to the outer periphery on one end side of the retainer accommodating portion 11, a predetermined as shown in FIG. The temporary assembly of the adjusting member 13 and the lock nut 17 with respect to the retainer accommodating portion 11 is performed simultaneously with one fastening tool T0. And after adjusting the urging | biasing force of the coil spring 14 with the adjustment member 13, while fixing the adjustment member 13 with the 1st fastening tool T1 which is a predetermined tool as shown in FIG. The fixing member 13 is fixed to the housing 8 by tightening the lock nut 17 with a second fastening tool T2 which is a separate predetermined tool.

  Therefore, according to the second modification, the first and second engaging portions 13e and 17b that can be engaged with the outer periphery of the adjusting member 13 and the lock nut 17 in succession by the same fastening tool. Since the provisional assembly work can be performed with the adjusting member 13 and the lock nut 17 by using the one fastening tool T0, the assembly workability of the retainer mechanism 10 can be improved.

  In addition, by providing the engaging portions 13e and 17b on the outer circumferences of the adjusting member 13 and the lock nut 17, not only from the axial direction but also from the radial direction, the temporary assembly and tightening of the both 13 and 17 are performed. be able to. As a result, when adjustment of the urging force of the coil spring 14 becomes necessary after the device is mounted on the vehicle, the vehicle-side structure is disposed adjacent to the retainer accommodating portion 11, so that the fastening tool is viewed from the axial direction. Even in the case where T0 cannot be inserted, it is possible to perform the temporary assembly and tightening work of the both 13 and 17, and the degree of freedom of the temporary assembly and tightening work of the both 13 and 17 can be improved. .

  FIG. 7 shows a third modification based on the first embodiment. In the configuration of the first embodiment, the lock nut 17 is eliminated, and instead of the adjustment member 13. A caulking portion 13f is provided at one end portion, and the adjusting member 13 is fixed to the outer periphery of the one end portion of the retainer accommodating portion 11 by the caulking portion 13f.

  Therefore, according to the third modified example, since the adjustment member 13 is fixed to the housing 8 by caulking, the first embodiment in which the adjustment member 13 is fixed by tightening the lock nut 17. Compared to the above, the fixing work of the adjusting member 13 can be performed more easily. As a result, the assembling workability of the retainer mechanism 10 is improved.

  8 and 9 show a second embodiment of a rack and pinion type steering apparatus according to the present invention. The adjustment member 13 is provided with a retainer accommodating portion 11 based on the configuration of the first embodiment. It is comprised so that it may screw to the inner periphery of one end part.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 8, also in the retainer mechanism 10 according to this embodiment, the outer shapes of the retainer accommodating portion 11, the rack retainer 12, and the adjusting member 13 are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the rack retainer 12 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the adjusting member 13 and the adjusting member 13 is stored on the inner peripheral side of the retainer receiving portion 11. This is different from the configuration of the form.

  Specifically, a female screw portion 11b is formed in a predetermined axial region of the inner circumference of the retainer housing portion 11 on the one end side, while a male screw that is screwed into the female screw portion 11b on the outer periphery of the adjustment member 13 A portion 13g is formed, and the adjustment member 13 is screwed to the inner periphery of one end portion of the retainer accommodating portion 11 so that the other end side of the rack retainer 12 and the adjustment member 13 overlap in the radial direction. And the lock nut 17 is screwed by the outer periphery of the other end part of the adjustment member 13 exposed outward from the one end opening part of this retainer accommodating part 11, and this lock nut 17 is with respect to the one end surface of the retainer accommodating part 11. By tightening, the adjustment member 13 is fixed to the housing 8 (inner periphery of one end of the retainer accommodating portion 11).

  In the case of the retainer mechanism 10 having the above-described configuration, the rack retainer 12 is accommodated on the inner peripheral side of the adjustment member 13, and therefore, a procedure different from that of the first embodiment, that is, As shown in FIG. 9, the retainer mechanism 10 is assembled by a procedure of so-called subassembly of the retainer mechanism 10 and housing the subassembly in the retainer housing portion 11.

  More specifically, first, the disc spring 16 is disposed on the support surface 13c of the adjusting member 13, while the O-rings 15a and 15b are fitted on the outer periphery of the rack retainer 12, and the inner periphery of the rack retainer 12 is also disposed. The coil spring 14 is fitted on the side.

  Thereafter, the rack retainer 12 is inserted into the adjustment member 13 together with the coil spring 14 accommodated on the inner peripheral side (first step according to the invention of claim 11), whereby the sub-assembly of the retainer mechanism 10 is completed. To do.

  Next, the adjustment member 13 is screwed onto the inner periphery of one end of the retainer accommodating portion 11, and the sub-assembly of the retainer mechanism 10 has already been accommodated with the pinion shaft 3 and the rack shaft 4 as shown in FIG. It accommodates in the retainer accommodating part 11 of the housing 8 (2nd process which concerns on invention of this-application Claim 11). Subsequently, after adjusting the urging force of the coil spring 14, as shown in FIG. 8, the lock nut 17 is screwed onto the outer periphery of the other end of the adjustment member 13, and the lock nut 17 is inserted into the retainer housing portion 11. By tightening to the end face side and fixing the adjusting member 13 to the housing 8, the assembly of the retainer mechanism 10 is completed.

  From the above, according to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be achieved such that the amount of outward protrusion of the retainer housing portion 11 can be reduced. Of course, since the adjusting member 13 is configured to be screwed to the inner periphery of one end of the retainer accommodating portion 11, the retainer mechanism 10 can be sub-assembled. As a result, the degree of freedom in assembling the retainer mechanism 10 can be improved, and the assembling work of the retainer mechanism 10 can be easily performed. As a result, it is possible to contribute to a reduction in the assembly man-hours of the retainer mechanism 10 and to reduce the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, since the assembly workability of the retainer mechanism 10 is improved, the assembly of the retainer mechanism 10 is also suppressed in erroneous assembly.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of each of the embodiments described above. For example, the assist method of the rack and pinion type steering device can be freely changed according to the specifications of the automobile to which the steering device is applied. That is, in addition to the so-called pinion assist system that applies the assist force from the electric motor 6 to the pinion shaft 3 described above, the so-called column that applies the assist force from the electric motor to the column shaft connected to the steering wheel. Even when applied to any assist method such as an assist method, the effects of the above-described embodiments can be obtained as long as the rack and pinion type steering device is used.

  Furthermore, in the first modification of the first embodiment, with respect to the configuration in which the engaging portion 17a of the lock nut 17 is exposed to the outer peripheral side of the adjustment member 13, the engaging portion 17a is not necessarily the lock nut 17. For example, the engaging portion 17a may be formed on the outer surface of the lock nut 17 so that the engaging portion 17a is exposed from the adjusting member 13. In other words, any configuration can be adopted for the engaging portion 17a as long as the engaging portion 17a can be engaged when a tool is inserted and inserted along the axial direction from the other end side of the adjusting member 13.

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a rack and pinion steering device according to the present invention, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part A in FIG. 2 for explaining a main part of the present invention. 1 is a schematic view showing an entire rack and pinion type steering device according to the present invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the retainer accommodating part vicinity which shows the 1st modification of 1st Embodiment of the rack and pinion type steering device which concerns on this invention, and demonstrates the characteristic of the said modification. It is the arrow view seen from the B direction of FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the vicinity of a retainer accommodating portion, illustrating a second modification of the first embodiment of the rack and pinion type steering device according to the present invention and illustrating features of the modification. In the modification, it is a perspective view which shows the aspect at the time of temporarily assembling an adjustment member and a lock nut on the outer periphery of a retainer accommodating part with one fastening tool. It is an expanded sectional view of the retainer accommodating part vicinity which shows the 3rd modification of 1st Embodiment of the rack and pinion type steering device which concerns on this invention, and demonstrates the characteristic of the said modification. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the vicinity of a retainer accommodating portion, illustrating a second embodiment of a rack and pinion type steering device according to the present invention and illustrating features of the embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view of the retainer accommodating part vicinity explaining the assembly | attachment procedure of the retainer mechanism in the Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Pinion shaft 4 ... Rack shaft 8 ... Housing 10 ... Retainer mechanism 11 ... Retainer accommodating part 12 ... Rack retainer 13 ... Adjustment member 14 ... Coil spring (biasing member)

Claims (10)

A housing having a retainer accommodating portion whose one end opens to the outside and a gear accommodating portion facing the other end of the retainer accommodating portion;
A pinion shaft housed in the gear housing portion and having pinion teeth on one end side outer periphery;
A rack shaft that is housed and disposed so as to intersect the pinion shaft in the gear housing portion, and has rack teeth that mesh with the pinion teeth on the front side facing the pinion shaft;
A rack retainer which is slidably accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion and supports the back side of the rack shaft by a support portion which is provided on one end side;
An urging member that is accommodated and disposed on the other end side of the rack retainer in the retainer accommodating portion, and that urges the rack retainer toward the back side of the rack shaft;
An adjustment member whose one end side is screwed to the outer periphery on one end side of the retainer accommodating portion via a male screw portion formed on the outer periphery on one end side of the retainer accommodating portion, and adjusts the urging force of the urging member based on the advancing / retreating amount And comprising
A rack and pinion type steering device, wherein the adjustment member and the rack retainer are superposed in a radial direction. The rack and pinion type steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment member is fixed by caulking to the retainer housing portion. The rack and pinion type steering device according to claim 1 , wherein a first engagement portion with which a predetermined tool is engaged is provided on an outer periphery of the adjustment member. A lock nut screwed into the male screw portion and arranged in series on one end side of the adjustment member;
The rack and pinion type steering apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment member is fixed to the housing by tightening the lock nut toward the adjustment member. The lock nut has an engaging portion with which a predetermined tool is engaged,
The rack and pinion type steering according to claim 4 , wherein the engagement portion is provided so as to be exposed from the adjustment member when viewed in the axial direction from the other end side of the adjustment member. apparatus. The rack and pinion type steering device according to claim 4 , wherein an engagement portion with which a predetermined tool is engaged is provided on an outer periphery of the lock nut. A first engagement portion that engages with a predetermined tool is provided in the entire axial direction of the outer periphery of the adjustment member,
The second engaging portion that engages with the predetermined tool is provided in the entire axial direction of the outer periphery of the lock nut so as to be continuous with the first engaging portion in the axial direction. Item 5. The rack and pinion type steering device according to Item 4 . A housing having one end opened to the outside and a retainer housing portion having a female screw portion on the inner circumference on one end side and a gear housing portion facing the other end of the retainer housing portion;
A pinion shaft housed in the gear housing portion and having pinion teeth on one end side outer periphery;
A rack shaft that is housed and disposed so as to intersect the pinion shaft in the gear housing portion, and has rack teeth that mesh with the pinion teeth on the front side facing the pinion shaft;
A rack retainer which is slidably accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion and supports the back side of the rack shaft by a support portion which is provided on one end side;
An urging member that is accommodated and disposed on the other end side of the rack retainer in the retainer accommodating portion, and that urges the rack retainer toward the back side of the rack shaft;
One end side is screwed to the inner circumference of one end of the retainer housing portion so as to overlap with the rack retainer in the radial direction, and an adjustment member that adjusts the urging force of the urging member based on the amount of advancement and retraction is provided. ,
A first step of inserting the biasing means and the rack retainer on the inner peripheral side of the adjustment member;
And a second step of screwing the adjustment member onto the inner periphery of the one end side of the retainer accommodating portion. A housing having one end opened to the outside and a retainer housing portion having a male screw portion on an outer periphery on one end side and a gear housing portion facing the other end of the retainer housing portion;
A pinion shaft housed in the gear housing portion and having pinion teeth on one end side outer periphery;
A rack shaft that is housed and disposed so as to intersect the pinion shaft in the gear housing portion, and has rack teeth that mesh with the pinion teeth on the front side facing the pinion shaft;
A rack retainer which is slidably accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion and supports the back side of the rack shaft by a support portion which is provided on one end side;
An urging member that is accommodated and disposed on the other end side of the rack retainer in the retainer accommodating portion, and that urges the rack retainer toward the back side of the rack shaft;
An adjustment member that is screwed to one end side outer periphery of the retainer housing portion so as to overlap with the rack retainer in the radial direction, and adjusts the urging force of the urging member based on the advancement and retraction amount;
A lock nut that is arranged in series on one end side of the adjustment member in the outer periphery on one end side of the retainer accommodating portion, and that fixes the adjustment member to the housing by tightening to the adjustment member side;
A first step of screwing the adjustment member to an outer periphery on one end side of the retainer housing portion after screwing the lock nut on the outer periphery on one end side of the retainer housing portion;
A second step of fixing the adjustment member to the housing by tightening the lock nut to the adjustment member side after adjusting the urging force of the urging member by moving the adjustment member forward and backward. A method for manufacturing a rack and pinion type steering device. A housing having one end opened to the outside and a retainer housing portion having a male screw portion on an outer periphery on one end side and a gear housing portion facing the other end of the retainer housing portion;
A pinion shaft housed in the gear housing portion and having pinion teeth on one end side outer periphery;
A rack shaft that is housed and disposed so as to intersect the pinion shaft in the gear housing portion, and has rack teeth that mesh with the pinion teeth on the front side facing the pinion shaft;
A rack retainer which is slidably accommodated in the retainer accommodating portion and supports the back side of the rack shaft by a support portion which is provided on one end side;
An urging member that is accommodated and disposed on the other end side of the rack retainer in the retainer accommodating portion, and that urges the rack retainer toward the back side of the rack shaft;
An adjustment member that is screwed to one end side outer periphery of the retainer housing portion so as to overlap with the rack retainer in the radial direction, and adjusts the urging force of the urging member based on the amount of advancement and retraction thereof,
The adjustment member has a female thread portion on the inner periphery on one end side, and a support surface for supporting the other end of the rack retainer on the inner side portion,
The method of manufacturing a rack and pinion type steering apparatus, wherein the support surface is configured to be positioned outside the inner end of the female screw portion in the axial direction.

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