US-12623714-B2 - Housing cover unit for a transmission and power steering drive housing, and steering unit for a vehicle

US12623714B2US 12623714 B2US12623714 B2US 12623714B2US-12623714-B2

Abstract

The disclosure describes a housing cover unit for a transmission and power steering drive housing, comprising a housing cover and a control unit for regulating the position and/or speed of a power steering drive. To this end, the control unit is arranged on and attached to the housing cover. Also shown is a steering unit for a vehicle.

Inventors

Guido Liesenfeld
Vamsi Adabala
Musthafa Hathiari

Assignees

ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
ZF Automotive UK Limited

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221209
Priority Date: 20211209

Claims (12)

1 . A housing cover unit for a transmission and power steering drive housing, comprising a housing cover and a control unit for regulating a position or a speed of a power steering drive, wherein the control unit comprises at least two components, at least one of which is a heat-emitting component, wherein the at least two components are arranged on and attached to the housing cover in a physically distributed manner such that at least one heat-emitting component is thermally coupled to the housing cover, wherein the housing cover is configured to transmit heat from the heat-emitting component to the environment, wherein the housing cover has a receiving space for at least one component of the control unit, the receiving space being accessible from outside only via a single insertion opening, and wherein the housing cover unit further comprises a motor position sensor attached to the housing cover and electrically connected to the control unit, the motor position sensor being configured to detect a position or a speed of a driveshaft led through the opening in the housing cover.
2 . The housing cover unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein other at least one component of the control unit can be inserted into the receiving space only via the single insertion opening.
3 . The housing cover unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the receiving space is situated at a side of the transmission and power steering drive housing.
4 . The housing cover unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing cover has an outer side and an opposite inner side, and the at least one component of the control unit is arranged on the outer side.
5 . The housing cover unit as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the inner side of the housing cover has a centering collar for centering the housing cover unit on the transmission and power steering drive housing, and at least one component of the control unit is arranged in the radial direction outside the centering collar on the housing cover.
6 . A steering unit for a vehicle, comprising a steering column, a transmission and a power steering drive coupled to the steering column via the transmission, a one-piece transmission and power steering drive housing and a housing cover unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission and power steering drive housing receives the transmission and the power steering drive and has a mounting opening for the introduction of the power steering drive, and wherein the housing cover unit is attached to the transmission and power steering drive housing and closes the mounting opening.
7 . The steering unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the transmission comprises a worm gear and a driveshaft, wherein the worm gear, used as an output drive gear of the transmission, is co-rotationally coupled to the steering column, and the driveshaft is co-rotationally coupled to a rotor of the power steering drive, and wherein the driveshaft is provided with a worm gearing and meshes with the worm gear.
8 . The steering unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the driveshaft merges into the worm gearing in one piece.
9 . The steering unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the driveshaft is arranged in two parts, and the two parts are co-rotationally coupled to each other, wherein the rotor of the power steering drive is co-rotationally coupled to the first part, and the second part comprises the worm gearing.
10 . The steering unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the driveshaft is supported via two bearing units, wherein the rotor of the power steering drive and the worm gearing are arranged on the driveshaft between the two bearing units.
11 . The steering unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the steering unit comprises a sealing element, and the one-piece transmission and power steering drive housing comprises a receiving space for the power steering drive and a receiving space for the transmission, wherein the sealing element is seated on a driveshaft between a worm gearing and a rotor and seals off the two receiving spaces from each other.
12 . The steering unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the transmission and power steering drive housing is a one-piece housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to German Priority Application No. 102021214051.3, filed Dec. 9, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates to a housing cover unit for a transmission and power steering drive housing, and a steering unit for a vehicle. BACKGROUND Such steering units are known from the prior art. In everyday speech, they are frequently designated power steering systems because of the power steering drive. These steering units comprise, amongst other things, a housing, a steering column and a power steering drive which is coupled to the steering column via a transmission and is driven by an electric control unit. Known housings are often designed in two parts, there being a separate transmission housing and a separate power steering drive housing Known steering units of this type are frequently configured in such a way that they can be used in various vehicles with comparatively little effort on adaptation. At the same time, in the steering unit sector, it is attempted to keep an associated installation volume as small as possible in order that only a comparatively small installation space within the vehicle is demanded by the steering unit. Added to the desired low installation volume of a power steering drive is the fact that known control units from the prior art often tend to heat up excessively, such that sensitive electronic components of the control unit can be damaged. SUMMARY The prior art fails to show an improved steering unit which is compact and has improved heat management of the control unit. According to the disclosure, a housing cover unit for a transmission and power steering drive housing is provided, comprising a housing cover and a control unit for regulating the position and/or speed of a power steering drive. To this end, the control unit is arranged on and attached to the housing cover. The control unit is thus integrated in the housing cover. This arrangement is particularly space-saving as compared with conventional arrangements on the housing of a transmission or of a power steering drive. In addition, the waste heat generated by the control unit can be dissipated to the housing cover, which serves as a heat sink. According to the disclosure, the control unit comprises at least two components, which are arranged on and attached to the housing cover in a physically distributed manner. As a result of the distributed arrangement on the housing cover, the temperature distribution of highly heat-emitting components of the control unit, such as, for example, resistors or coils, can be improved via the housing cover. In this way, the probability of failure of heat-sensitive electronic components of the control unit is reduced. In particular, it is also conceivable that the control unit comprises more than two components, which are all arranged and fixed on the housing cover in a physically distributed manner. With a finely structured distribution of the control unit into a plurality of components, a still better heat distribution on the housing cover can be achieved. The housing cover can have a receiving space for at least one component of the control unit, which is accessible from outside only via a single insertion opening, via which at least one component of the control unit can be inserted into the receiving space, wherein the receiving space is situated at the side of the transmission and power steering drive housing. On the one hand, the receiving space is easily accessible from outside and, on the other hand, the at least one component of the control unit is enclosed well by the receiving space, so that a good transfer of heat between the housing cover and the at least one component is achieved and the at least one component is seated safely in the housing. Of course, the at least one component of the control unit that is described previously and below can also mean the entire control unit. According to the disclosure, the housing cover has an outer side and an opposite inner side, and the at least one component of the control unit is arranged on the outer side, which is better for the dissipation of heat. The outer side according to the present invention is defined in that in an installed state, in which the housing cover unit with the housing cover is mounted on the transmission and power steering drive housing, the side of the housing cover that faces away from the transmission and power steering drive housing is meant. When at least one component is arranged on the outer side the latter is always accessible for possible maintenance, so that the housing cover unit does not have to be removed from the transmission and power steering drive housing. Thus, an uncomplicated replacement of defective electronic components of the control unit is made possible. According to the disclosure, the inner side of the housing cover has a centering collar for cen