RACK-PINION TYPE STEERING APPARATUS
Disclosed is a rack-pinion type steering apparatus. According to the present invention, since air can flow into the interior of a gearbox from the exterior of the gearbox, unlike in the conventional structure in which an internal air flow into the gearbox is blocked at a portion of a rack-pinion type steering apparatus connected with the gearbox through a rack housing and a bellows, a problem of increasing internal pressure of the bellows in a predetermined case can be solved, and accordingly, generation of noise due to the collision between an inner peripheral surface of the bellows and an inner ball joint can be prevented.
1 . A rack-pinion type steering apparatus comprising:
an input shaft coupled to an inside of a housing and having a pinion gear engaged with a rack gear at a lower portion thereof;
a bearing coupled to an outer peripheral side of the input shaft and supported by an inner peripheral surface of the housing to be fixed;
a plug installed at an upper portion of the bearing and through which the input shaft passes; and
a seal member through which the input shaft passes and coupled to an upper portion of the plug,
wherein ventilators are formed in one or both of the plug and the seal member.
2 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seal member comprises:
a body press-fitted with and coupled to the positioning recess formed at an upper portion of the plug; and
an attaching part extending from an inner peripheral surface of the body radially inward and attached to an outer peripheral surface of the input shaft,
wherein the ventilator formed in the seal member is axially formed in one or both of the body and the attaching part.
3 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the ventilator formed in the body is recessed radially inward from an outer peripheral surface of the body.
4 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the ventilator formed in the plug is recessed radially outward from an inner wall of the positioning recess.
5 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a boss is formed at a lower end of the body.
6 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the boss is formed of a resilient material.
7 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a cover extending radially outward and spaced apart from an upper portion of the ventilator formed in the body by a predetermined interval is provided at an upper portion of the body.
8 . The rack-pinion type steering apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a bending portion bent downward is formed at an end of the cover.