JPH02200569A - Steering gear - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve safety by providing a steering adjusting means for adjusting the rotational range and/or rotational resistance of a steering wheel according to the running speed of an automobile. CONSTITUTION:When an automobile starts its straight running, the main spindle of a transmission gear is rotated, and this rotation is converted into pulse signals by a speed detector 3A at all times. These signals are subjected to the specific processing and displayed as the speed at a speed indicator. On the other hand, the speed data is outputted to a control device 38 and incorporated into a comparator 9. Each time the speed data incorporated into the comparator 9 is increased by 10Km/h, the comparator 9 takes in the rotational range data corresponding to the speed data stored in a memory 8 and outputs the signal corresponding to this range data to a controller 10. The step motor 17 of a rotational range adjusting device 5 is operated by the control signals from the controller 10 so as to move a cylinder body 12 toward a steering handle by a fixed quantity, and thereby the operating quantity of the steering handle 2 is regulated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a steering device for an automobile, particularly a range in which a steering wheel (hereinafter referred to as a steering wheel) is rotated.
The present invention relates to a steering device that can regulate the vehicle's traveling speed (hereinafter referred to as vehicle speed) within a range that allows the vehicle to travel safely, and can also apply appropriate rotational resistance to steering wheel operation.

[Conventional technology]

A turning motion of an automobile traveling straight is performed by converting a rotational motion of a steering wheel into a motion that changes the steering angle of the front wheels of the automobile.

Therefore, in principle, when the driver rotates the steering wheel by a large amount, the vehicle makes a large turn, and conversely, when the driver rotates the steering wheel by a small amount, the amount of turning of the vehicle decreases accordingly. However, when a car is traveling at high speed, there is a strong inertia force acting on the car in the direction of travel, so even if the driver turns the steering wheel to make a large turn, the car will not move. Instead of turning along the intended trajectory, only the direction of the vehicle is changed, causing a so-called sideslip phenomenon, which can lead to an accident such as rollover.

Furthermore, the frictional resistance between the tire tread and the road surface decreases as the vehicle travels at high speeds, so even if the steering wheel is turned suddenly, the vehicle loses running stability and may skid.

Therefore, when turning a car traveling at high speed, the driver should
It is required to rotate the handle gently and within a small range.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, conventional steering devices allow free steering operation, and avoidance of dangers such as skidding caused by sudden steering depends solely on the driving technique of the driver. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is impossible to avoid the risk of making a large steering operation or suddenly turning the steering wheel while driving at high speed.

Additionally, drivers who are inexperienced with high-speed driving may have to pay excessive attention when operating the steering wheel because they have not yet mastered the safe range of steering wheel rotation while driving at high speeds. there were.

An object of the present invention is to provide a highly safe steering device that is capable of regulating the rotational range and/or rotational resistance of the steering wheel in stages according to the vehicle speed, thereby preventing sudden steering especially when driving at high speeds. It is about providing.

Means for Solving CIU] Therefore, in the present invention, in a steering device that controls the steering angle of the wheels, the steering device has a rotation range and/or a rotation resistance of the steering wheel depending on the traveling speed of the automobile. The fact that a steering adjustment means is provided is a VF characteristic.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the rotation range and rotation resistance of the handle are
Automatically adjusts according to vehicle speed. In other words, while driving at low to medium speeds, you are allowed to freely operate the steering wheel, but once the vehicle speed reaches a high speed range, the range in which the steering wheel can be rotated is restricted, and if necessary, the steering wheel may be rotated. The operating resistance for rotational operation is also increased.

As a result, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the steering wheel can only be operated within the range within which the vehicle can travel safely, thereby avoiding causes such as skidding.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of a steering device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1 showing the overall configuration, a steering device 1 includes a handle 2,
The steering wheel is roughly divided into a steering adjustment means 3 that adjusts the rotation range of the steering wheel 2 according to the vehicle speed, and a transmission means 4 that transmits the rotational movement of the steering wheel 2 to the front wheels.

As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 2 is rotatably provided at its center of rotation with a steering column 2A having a worm gear 2B formed at its tip end. Steering adjustment means 3 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, this steering adjustment means 3 includes a vehicle speed detector 3A, a control device 3B that processes an output signal from the vehicle speed detector 3A in a predetermined manner and outputs a rotation range control signal, and The rotation range adjusting device 5 is controlled by a signal.

The vehicle speed detector 3A converts the rotation of the main shaft of the transmission into a pulse signal, externally displays this pulse signal visually with a speedometer (not shown), and outputs vehicle speed data to the control device 3B. It looks like this.

The control device 3B also includes a storage device 8 that stores in advance appropriate rotation range data of the steering wheel 2 corresponding to the vehicle speed data, and a storage device 8 that inputs the vehicle speed data and stores the rotation range of the steering wheel corresponding to the vehicle speed data. It is comprised of a comparator 9 that selects rotation range data from the device 8 and outputs it, and a controller 10 that converts the output signal of the comparator 9 into a control signal for the rotation range adjustment device 5. At this time, the storage device 8 is 1 in this embodiment.
Rotation range data for vehicle speeds every 0 km+m are stored step by step in a matrix. Specifically, the fifth
As is clear from the figure, the left and right rotation range of the steering wheel is 60 degrees at a vehicle speed of 60 km/h, and the same rotation range is 20 degrees at a vehicle speed of 80 km/h. It has been α.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotation range adjusting device 5 includes a cylindrical body 12 through which the steering column 2A is inserted, and a power bag U13 for moving the cylindrical body 12 in its axial direction. and a pair of guide members 14.14 for guiding the axial movement of the cylindrical body 12, and an engagement member 15A that is fitted and fixed to the steering column 2A and provided via a fixed cylinder 15B. 15.

The cylindrical body 12 is formed with a symmetrical notch +2A cut out from one end side, and the engaging element 15A is engaged with this notch 1.2A to restrict the rotation range of the handle 2. It is now possible to do so.

In addition, protrusions 12B, 12B are provided at opposing positions on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 12 to slidably engage with the guide groove 14A of the in-marked guide member 14, and the outer peripheral surface of the other end example A male threaded portion 1'2C is formed on the surface.

The power device 13 includes a gear 16 that is screwed into the male threaded portion 12C, and a gear 116A formed on the outer peripheral surface of the gear 16.
The step motor 17 has a pinion gear 17A at the tip of its output shaft and is rotatable in forward and reverse directions. At this time, the step motor 17 is operated based on a control signal output from the controller IO, and moves the cylindrical body 12 back and forth in the axial direction by an amount corresponding to the control signal. Note that the retainer 15 is attached to the handle 2.
is located in the middle of the notch 12A in the width direction when it is in a neutral position, that is, when the vehicle is traveling straight.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be explained.

When the vehicle starts traveling straight ahead (see middle part of Figure 5), the main shaft of the transmission rotates, and this rotation is detected by the vehicle speed detector 3A.
is converted into a pulse signal as needed. This pulse signal is processed in a predetermined manner and displayed as a vehicle speed on a speedometer (not shown), while vehicle speed data is output to the control device 3B and taken into the comparator 9. Every time the vehicle speed data taken into this comparator 9 increases by 10 ki, the comparator 9 takes in rotation range data corresponding to the vehicle speed data stored in the storage device 8, and sends a signal corresponding to this rotation range data to the controller 10. Output to.

Now, if the vehicle speed is (i0 km/h), the corresponding rotation range is 60 degrees left and right with respect to the neutral position N of the steering wheel 2, as is clear from Fig. 5, and a total rotation angle of 120 degrees. A signal is output from the controller 10 to allow this, and in response to this output signal, the step motor 17 of the rotation range adjusting device 5 is operated, and the cylinder 12 is moved by a predetermined amount toward the handle 2 in FIG. It will be done.

Next, each time the vehicle speed increases by 10 b/h, the comparator 9 sequentially retrieves rotation range data corresponding to the vehicle speed data from the storage device 8. For example, when the vehicle speed increases to 80 m/h, the comparator 9 reads the rotation range data corresponding to the vehicle speed data. It takes in rotation range data that allows an angle of 20 degrees and outputs a control signal to the controller 10, and the controller IO controls the step motor 17.
The operation will be controlled. On the other hand, when the vehicle speed decreases, the operation is controlled so that the cylinder 12 moves backward in the opposite direction to that described above, that is, in the direction away from the handle 2, every time the vehicle speed decreases by 10 km/h.

Note that the rotation range adjustment device 5 narrows the rotation range of the steering wheel 2 in proportion to the increase in vehicle speed;
At speeds above 00 km/h, the rotation of the handle 2 is restricted to the same angle, so that the handle 2 does not become completely fixed.

According to the first embodiment, the driver can rotate the steering wheel according to the vehicle speed within a safe range without worrying about his senses, and also prevents the driver from operating the steering wheel carelessly. Even if something happens, there are restrictions on the rotation of the steering wheel, so there are no dangerous steering operations that could cause the car to skid.

Further, since the step motor 17 is employed as the power device 13 for moving the cylinder 12 forward and backward, the cylinder 12 can be moved minutely and with high precision.

Further, in the memory word W8 of the steering adjustment means 3, rotation range data is stored in advance in correspondence with the vehicle speed data, and each time the vehicle speed data increases by 10 km/h, the corresponding data is taken into the comparator 9 and the controller Since the control signal is given to 10, the device can be simplified without performing complicated arithmetic processing.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 6 to 8. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

The second embodiment is characterized in that a rotational resistance adjustment device 6 that imposes an appropriate load on the rotational operation of the handle 2 is provided alongside the rotational range adjustment device 5 of the first embodiment.

The rotational resistance adjusting device 6 includes a wheel 18, brake shoes 19, 19, a hydraulic cylinder 20, and a hydraulic device 21 that adjusts the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 20, which are housed inside the cylinder 12. has been done.

The wheel 18 is fixed to the steering column 2A with a set screw 22. Also, brake shoe 1
9.19 is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 23 at one end thereof, and a brake band 19A made of rubber or the like is provided on the inner surface of each of them.
19A is installed. The hydraulic cylinder 20 has two piston rods 2OA that can move forward and backward in relative directions so as to connect the free end sides of the brake shoes 19 and 19 to each other.
, 20B, and there are always two piston rods 2.
OA and 20B are held in a state where they protrude from each other.

Further, the hydraulic device 21 is configured to force-feed oil to the hydraulic cylinder 20 based on a control signal output from the controller 10, so that the piston rods 2OA and 20B in the protruding state are moved to the cylinder 20, respectively.
A load is applied that makes the rotation operation of the handle 2 heavier.

In the first embodiment, the storage device 8 in the comparison control device 3B is configured to store rotation range data corresponding to vehicle speed data in advance, but in the second embodiment, rotation resistance data corresponding to vehicle speed is also stored. This is stored in advance, and the rotational resistance of the steering wheel is increased in proportion to the increase in vehicle speed.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be explained.

The vehicle speed data output from the vehicle speed detector 3A is inputted to the comparator 9, and every time the vehicle speed increases by 10 km/h, the comparator 9 stores rotation range data and rotation resistance data of the steering wheel 2 corresponding to the vehicle speed data. 8 and transfers it to the controller IO. This controller lO
converts into a signal to control the step motor 17 of the power unit 13 based on the rotation range data, and converts into a signal to control the hydraulic device 21 based on the rotation resistance data. Here, when the hydraulic system 21 is activated, the piston rods 2OA and 20B are moved backward and the free end sides of the respective brake shoes 19 are drawn toward each other, so that the piston rods 2OA and 20B are connected to the wheel 18 via the brake pads I9A and 19A. is designed to apply a tightening force that corresponds to the vehicle speed. Other structures and functions are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment.

According to the configuration of the second embodiment, since rotational resistance is also added, it becomes possible to restrict the lightness and weight of the steering wheel operation itself, thereby increasing the steering stability especially when driving at high speeds. This can add higher safety.

Although the rotation resistance adjustment device 6 in the second embodiment is configured to be used in combination with the rotation range adjustment device 5, it is not necessarily limited to this (it may be provided alone. However, in this case, Since the rotation range is not regulated, it is necessary to apply stronger rotational resistance depending on the vehicle speed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the rotational resistance adjusting device 6 may be an application of a disc brake machine 414. That is, a configuration including a disc 41 fitted into the steering column 2A and a brake device 42 including a brake pad 46 that clamps the disc 41 and restricts the rotation of the disc is also applicable.

In each of the embodiments described above, the rotation range adjustment device 5 and the rotation resistance adjustment device 6 are provided in the middle of the two steering column members, but they are installed in other parts, for example, the transmission means 4.
It may be provided at a shaft portion in the middle of the handle, and in short, it is sufficient as long as the rotation range and rotation resistance of the handle are adjusted as a result.

In addition, the control device 3B determines whether the vehicle speed is IOkm/11
An example has been described in which the rotation range data and rotation resistance data corresponding to the vehicle speed are captured and output every time the vehicle speed increases. For example, the rotation range and rotation resistance data may be controlled every time the vehicle speed increases by 5 km/h, or It can also be finely or coarsely controlled. Furthermore, even if the vehicle speed reaches OK+++/h due to an emergency, brake operation, etc., the rotation range adjustment device and the rotation resistance adjustment device are set in advance so that the restriction will not be immediately lifted accordingly. The previous restricted state may be maintained until a predetermined period of time has elapsed to prevent the steering wheel from suddenly becoming free to operate. Note that the rotation range data and rotation resistance data corresponding to the vehicle speed data stored in advance in the device 8 in Items 1 and 9 are not limited to the values set in each of the above embodiments, but are used to determine the driving performance of the vehicle. This can be set as appropriate depending on the wheel height, tire size, etc.

Furthermore, the power mechanism of the cylindrical body 12 may be simplified by using a cylinder or the like that can move forward and backward, instead of relying on the stencil mortar 17 or the like. However, in order to control the movement of the cylindrical body 12 finely and with high precision, it is advantageous to employ the step motor 17 as in the embodiment described above.

Furthermore, a lower limit of vehicle speed at which the rotation range adjustment device and the rotation resistance adjustment device start operating may be set, and the design may be such that these devices do not operate at vehicle speeds that do not cause skidding or the like even if the steering wheel is suddenly turned. It is possible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention as described above, the rotation range and/or rotation resistance of the steering wheel is regulated in stages according to the vehicle speed,
Particularly, the present invention has the effect of providing a highly safe steering device that prevents sudden steering during high-speed driving.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the first embodiment;
The figure is a perspective view of the rotation range adjusting device, Figure 3 is a plan view thereof, Figure 4 is a block diagram of the steering adjustment means in the first embodiment, and Figure 5 shows the relationship between the vehicle speed and the rotation range of the steering wheel. 6 is a sectional view of the main part of the rotational resistance adjustment device in the second embodiment, FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the steering adjustment means in the second embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a 21st
1j is a front view showing a main part of a modification of the embodiment. FIG. l... Steering device, 2... Handle, 3...
- Steering adjustment means, 5... rotation range adjustment device,
6... Rotation resistance adjustment device, 12... Cylindrical body, 12A.
... Notch, I5... Engagement tool, 19... Brake shoe 20... Hydraulic cylinder.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a steering device that controls the steering angle of a wheel, the steering device has a rotation range and/or
Alternatively, a steering device comprising a steering adjustment means for adjusting rotational resistance.