JPH1170880A - Steering position adjustment control device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To improve quietness during operation of a motor and improve operability. A steering position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a steering wheel, and a motor for driving the steering position adjusting mechanism.
81, rotation sensors 176, 18 for detecting motor rotation
6 and the deviation of the actual control speed from the preset target control speed when the steering position adjusting mechanism is operated.
A control device 19 for duty-controlling 1,181;
The motors 171 and 181 are driven by the FETs 41 to 48.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the control of a position adjusting mechanism of a steering wheel in a vehicle, and more particularly to a method of moving a steering wheel up and down or forward and backward when a user (driver) gets on and off. In addition, the present invention relates to control of a steering position adjustment mechanism that improves mechanical performance and avoids mechanical fixation at the end position of the movable range in the steering position adjustment mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vehicle, if a driver removes a vehicle key from a key cylinder with an engine off in order to make it easier for a driver to get on and off the vehicle, a control unit determines that a request to get off is made and automatically tilts up. In addition, there is known a steering position adjusting device that improves a getting on and off property by advancing a steering wheel to change a position of the steering wheel in a vertical direction or a front and rear direction according to a driver's body shape.

In this device, a swing column and a moving column are provided on a fixed column supporting a steering wheel,
It moves the vehicle up and down or back and forth to adjust the position of the steering wheel, which is called a tilt and telescopic device.When the driver inserts the vehicle key into the key cylinder, the driver automatically tilts down and the steering wheel moves. It is going backward.

In such a device, a motor for moving the steering wheel up and down or back and forth is controlled by a control device using a relay for a motor driver.

[0005] The supply of power to the control device is performed by a battery. Normally, the voltage of the battery fluctuates in the range of 8 to 16 volts, and the controller can operate normally if the voltage is 8V. For this reason, the motor must be driven within a range where the control device operates normally even when the battery voltage drops,
Operation is possible even at a driving voltage of 6V.

As described above, since the motor that can be driven even at a driving voltage of 6 V is driven at 12 V when the battery is normal, the motor immediately rotates at a high speed even with a short energization time, making fine adjustment difficult. I will. Therefore, when fine adjustment of the vertical angle of the steering wheel is performed, 1
The control method by fine-tuning the motor so that the motor energization time by the switch operation is fixed and the steering wheel is moved by 1 degree by operating and pressing the operation switch only once (May 1991
(Published by Toyota Motor Corporation) on page 3-105.

[0007]

However, when the motor is driven by the relay of the motor driver, if the load fluctuates during the operation of the motor due to the temperature or the like, the number of revolutions fluctuates and a beat sound is generated. However, the driver feels poor when operating the motor. As described above, when the motor is controlled by the relay, there is a problem in terms of quietness particularly in a luxury car.

When the motor is controlled by a relay, speed control is difficult because the relay cannot perform high-speed switching. For example, when a vehicle key is removed from a key cylinder and automatically operated, a quick movement is performed. When the switch is used to finely adjust the position of the steering wheel, the motor moves quickly and the adjustment becomes difficult. When fine adjustment is required, the operation switch must be pressed many times, which is troublesome for the driver.

Further, when a stopper at the end of the movable range is constituted by a screw mechanism in the steering position adjusting mechanism, when the position of the steering wheel reaches the end and hits the stopper at a high speed, the screw mechanism becomes equivalent to the battery voltage. In some cases, a screw thrust that is screwed in by the driving force of the motor to generate mechanical fixation is generated, and the mechanical fixation is not released at the time of restarting, and the steering position adjustment mechanism may not operate. This phenomenon occurs particularly remarkably when the battery voltage drops after being left for a long time in a state where the position of the steering wheel is in contact with the end stopper. For this reason, it was necessary to provide an impact buffering member such as a cushion in the stopper portion to prevent mechanical fixation.

When the reversing operation of the steering position adjusting mechanism is started and the motor is driven by a motor driving force corresponding to the battery voltage at the same time as the operation is started, the operating speed sharply increases, and the screw mechanism in the steering position adjusting mechanism is rotated. In addition, hitting sound and impact sound are generated due to the backlash and the like of the gear mechanism. This is unpleasant for the driver in terms of feeling.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has improved quietness and operability. Further, the present invention has been made to improve the mechanical position of the steering position adjusting mechanism at the end position of the movable range. It is an object to provide a steering position adjustment control device that avoids sticking.

[0012]

The technical means taken to solve the above problems include a steering position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a steering wheel, a motor for driving the steering position adjusting mechanism, and a motor for driving the steering wheel. A rotation speed sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the motor, and calculating a deviation between a preset target speed of the motor and an actual speed from the rotation speed sensor when the steering position adjusting mechanism is operated, and calculating the deviation according to the deviation. A control device having a motor drive circuit for changing the duty ratio of a signal to be energized and performing speed control to vary the energized current to the motor, wherein the motor is driven by an FET of the drive circuit. That is, the rotation speed is controlled to be constant. .

According to the above configuration, since the motor is driven by the FET, the duty can be controlled. As a result, excessive energy can be prevented from being supplied by changing the duty ratio to the motor operating at 6 V at normal temperature, and the rotation of the motor can be suppressed. Therefore, the motor is quiet when the motor is operated, the silence is improved, and the motor can be used for a luxury car. Further, if the motor is driven by the duty control, the motor speed can be varied.

[0014] More preferably, the control device detects whether a vehicle key is removed from the vehicle and automatically moves the position of the steering wheel, and a manual mode in which the position of the steering wheel is moved by operating an operation switch. A mode discriminating means for discriminating between the automatic mode and the manual mode, and a high-speed target rotational speed set in the automatic mode by the mode discriminating means; and a low-speed target rotational speed in the manual mode. If the motor is controlled so as to reach the target rotation speed, the motor is driven at a high speed in the automatic mode, and the improvement of getting on and off at an early timing is secured. In the manual mode, the motor is driven at a low speed. By controlling the motor so that more pre-constant rotational speed set, consisting facilitate particularly adjusted in manual mode. As a result, the switch can be operated to the required position by one switch operation without requiring the switch operation many times.

Further, the technical means taken to avoid mechanical fixation at the end position of the movable range in the steering position adjusting mechanism includes a steering position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a steering wheel, and the steering position adjusting mechanism. A motor that drives the motor, a position sensor that detects the position of the steering wheel, a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the motor, and a target speed of the motor is preset according to the position of the steering wheel, and the steering position When the adjusting mechanism is operated, a deviation between the target speed of the motor based on the actual position from the position sensor and the actual speed from the rotation speed sensor is calculated, and the duty ratio of a signal to be supplied to the motor is changed according to the deviation. It has a motor drive circuit that performs control and makes the current flowing to the motor variable. And a control device for controlling the steering position, wherein the motor is driven by an FET of a drive circuit to be controlled to the target speed set by the position of the steering wheel. .

According to the above configuration, the motor speed can be controlled in accordance with the position of the steering wheel, and the motor can be prevented from mechanically sticking due to high-speed contact with the stopper at the end position of the movable range in the steering position adjusting mechanism. Speed can be adjusted.

More specifically, the target speed of the motor is set so as to gradually decrease from a position a predetermined distance before the target stop position of the steering wheel to a target stop position when the operation of the motor is stopped. Mechanical fixation that occurs when the position is the end position of the movable range can be reliably avoided.

Further, when the position of the steering wheel is stopped at the end point of the movable range of the steering position adjusting mechanism, the control device controls the motor to return the position of the steering wheel by a predetermined amount from the end point of the movable range. Is performed, the position of the steering wheel is not left at the end point of the movable range of the steering position adjusting mechanism, and the above-described mechanical fixation at the end point of the movable range due to the decrease in battery voltage is avoided. be able to.

Further, the technical means taken to avoid the generation of a tapping sound or an impact sound at the start of the reversing operation is to set the target speed of the motor at the start of the operation by a predetermined amount from the operation start position of the steering wheel. Is set so as to gradually increase to the position. As a result, the operating speed of the motor does not suddenly increase, and a sharp collision between screws or gears due to the backlash of the screw mechanism and the gear mechanism in the steering position adjustment mechanism can be avoided, and the sound of the striking sound can be reduced. And the generation of impact noise can be suppressed.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A steering position adjustment control device (hereinafter referred to as a steering device) 1 adjusts the vertical position of the steering wheel 2 by a tilt mechanism 17 or the front and rear position by a telescopic mechanism 18 in a vehicle or the like. 1 to 4.

The steering device 1 mainly includes a fixed column 11, a movable column 12 that moves in the axial direction with respect to the fixed column 11, a swing column 13 that is pivotally supported by the movable column 12, and swings. Lower shaft 1 supported
4. A center shaft 15 into which the lower shaft 14 is inserted to transmit rotation, an upper shaft 16 into which the steering wheel 2 is fitted to transmit the rotation operation of the steering wheel 2 to the center shaft 15, and a tilt to move the position of the steering wheel 2 up and down. The control device 1 that controls the mechanism 17, the telescopic mechanism 18 that moves back and forth, and the motors 171 and 181 of the tilt mechanism 17 and the telescopic mechanism 18.
9 is provided.

The fixed column 11 is fixed to a body of the vehicle by a mounting bracket 25, and the movable column 12 is movable with respect to the fixed column 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction (A direction). The movable column 12 is axially guided by a pin 20 provided on the fixed column 11.
The rotation is regulated. In addition, the swing column 13
The vehicle is pivotally supported by a pivot pin 21 fixed to the movable column 12 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction (B direction) of the vehicle.

The lower shaft 14 is rotatably supported by a bearing 55 disposed near the end with respect to the fixed column 11, and the left end of the lower shaft 14 shown in FIG. 1 is linked to the front wheels of the vehicle. A spline 1 extending in the axial direction of the lower shaft is provided around the right end of the lower shaft 14 in the drawing.
41 are formed. The center shaft 15 is rotatably disposed in the movable column 12 and is arranged coaxially with the lower shaft 14. The center shaft 15 has a cylindrical portion 151 at the left end in the figure.
A spline 152 extending in the axial direction of the center shaft 15 is formed on the inner periphery of the center shaft 15. In the cylindrical part 151,
The right end in the drawing of the lower shaft 14 is inserted, and the spline 141 of the lower shaft 14 is engaged with the spline 152. By the engagement of the splines 141 and 152, the center shaft 15 can rotate integrally with the lower shaft 14, and can move in the vehicle front-rear direction (the direction A in the drawing) with respect to the lower shaft 14. Upper shaft 16
Is rotatably supported by a cylindrical member 22 fixed to the swing column 13, and includes a lower shaft 14 and a center shaft 1.
5 and coaxially. The left end of the upper shaft 16 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the center shaft 15 via a ball joint 23.
3, the upper shaft 16 can rotate integrally with the center shaft 15, and can swing with respect to the center shaft 15 in the vertical direction (B direction) of the vehicle. A steering wheel 2 (not shown) is fitted and fixed to the right end of the upper shaft 16.

(Tilt Mechanism) The tilt mechanism 17 swings the swing column 13 in the vertical direction of the vehicle with respect to the pins 21 of the movable column 12 to move the position of the steering wheel 2 up and down. The tilt mechanism 17 is provided with a tilt motor 171 which is rotatably supported on the movable column 12 by a pin 26 and which can rotate about a rotation center C, and three planetary gears around a sun gear as shown in FIG. A gear mechanism 172 disposed in a ring having internal teeth, and a screw shaft 174 for transmitting rotation of the gear mechanism 172.
And a screw shaft 17 provided on the swing column 13.
4 and a nut member 175 that meshes with the nut 4.

The motor 171 for tilting includes the fixed column 1
1, a gear mechanism 172 is provided in a motor housing provided integrally with or separately from the fixed column 11, and a rotation speed sensor comprising a Hall IC for detecting rotation of the motor 171 by a Hall element. 176 is provided in the motor housing 177 so that the rotation speed of the motor 171 can be detected. Speed sensor 176
A signal is output by detecting a change in magnetic flux due to rotation of a magnet provided on a motor output shaft, and the number of rotations of the motor can be detected.

When the tilt motor 171 rotates, FIG.
Is driven, the rotation of the gear mechanism 172 is then transmitted to the screw shaft 174, and the position of the nut member 175 provided on the swing column 13 is changed by the rotation of the screw shaft 174. Become. As a result, the tilt motor 171 rotates about the rotation center C, the swing column 13 rotates about the pivot pin 21, and the position of the swing column 13 changes in the B direction.

(Telescopic mechanism) The telescopic mechanism 18 is for moving the movable column 13 with respect to the fixed column 11 in the front-rear direction (A direction) of the vehicle. The telescopic mechanism 18 includes a telescopic motor 181, a gear mechanism 182 having first and second gears provided on an output shaft of the motor 181 as shown in FIG.
, And a nut member 185 fixed to the moving column side.

A motor 181 for telescoping is mounted on the side surface of the fixed column 11, a gear mechanism 182 has a first gear connected to an output shaft of the motor 181, and a second gear is a first gear.
Since the screw is engaged with the gear and the screw shaft 184 is fitted therein, the rotation of the motor 181 causes the screw shaft 184 to rotate integrally.
The nut member 185 is fixed to the moving column 12 via a mounting bracket, and the screw shaft 184
Screwed. As a result, when the screw shaft 184 rotates, it moves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (the direction A in the drawing). Also, in this case, the motor 181
Speed sensor 18 composed of a Hall IC for detecting the rotation of the motor
6 is provided on the motor housing portion 187 of the fixed column 11 so that the rotation speed of the motor 181 can be detected. The rotation speed sensor 186 detects a change in magnetic flux due to the movement of a magnet provided on the motor output shaft, and outputs a signal based on the change in the magnetic flux to detect the motor rotation speed.

Next, the operation of the steering device 1 will be described. When the driver operates the steering wheel 2, the upper shaft 16, the center shaft 15, and the lower shaft 14 rotate integrally, and as a result, the front wheels of the vehicle are steered.

(Tilt Mechanism) When the tilt motor 17 is driven by a predetermined angle by the controller 19 so as to drive the tilt mechanism 17, the gear mechanism 172 and the screw shaft 174 rotate integrally. Then, by screwing the screw shaft 174 and the nut member 175, the nut member 175 moves in the direction A. As a result, the motor 171 rotates around the rotation center C, and the swing column 13 and the cylindrical member 22 move with respect to the movable column 12. Illustration B with pivot pin 21 as a fulcrum
Rocks in the direction. At this time, since the upper shaft 16 is connected to the center shaft 15 via the ball joint 23, the upper shaft 16 also swings with respect to the center shaft 15 in the direction B in the drawing with the swing column 13.
As a result, the steering wheel 2 moves in the illustrated B direction (vehicle vertical direction), and the vertical position of the steering wheel 2 is adjusted.

The rotation of the motor 171 and the swing column 1
3 in the B direction, and thus the B of the steering wheel 2
Since the position in the direction is related one-to-one with the gear mechanism 172, the screw shaft 174, and the nut member 175, the position in the B direction of the steering wheel 2 can be calculated from the rotation speed of the motor 171. The number sensor 176 also serves as a position sensor of the steering wheel 2 in the B direction.

(Telescopic mechanism) When the telescopic motor 181 is driven by a predetermined angle by the control device 19, the gear mechanism 182 and the screw shaft 184 rotate integrally. Then, due to the screw engagement between the screw shaft 184 and the nut member 185, the nut member 185 becomes A
, And as a result, the movable column 12 moves in the direction A in the drawing with respect to the fixed column 11. Therefore, the swing column 13 supported by the movable column 12 via the pivot pin 21
The cylindrical member 22 also moves integrally in the direction A in the drawing, and the upper shaft 16 and the center shaft 15 also move integrally in the direction A in the drawing. As a result, the steering wheel 2 moves in the illustrated direction A (vehicle front-rear direction), and the front-rear position of the steering wheel 2 is adjusted.

The rotation of the motor 181 and the moving column 1
2 in the direction A, and thus the steering wheel 2
Since the position in the direction is related one-to-one via the gear mechanism 182, the screw shaft 184, and the nut member 185, the position in the A direction of the steering wheel 2 can be calculated from the number of rotations of the motor 181. The number sensor 186 also serves as a position sensor of the steering wheel 2 in the direction A.

Next, the tilt mechanism 17 and the telescopic mechanism 1
The control device 19 for controlling the control unit 8 will be described. The control device 19 is provided below the fixed column 11, as shown in FIG. The control device 19 is supplied with power from a battery 49 and operates.
9 through the power supply circuit 39 to the microcomputer 1
In this case, a constant voltage is always supplied to the microcomputer 191 even if the battery voltage fluctuates. The control device 19 includes an input port 192, an output port 193, a CPU 194, a ROM 19
5, a microcomputer 191 including a RAM 196 and a timer 197. The controller 19 is electrically connected to a key switch (auto switch) 31, a tilt operation switch 32 for manually operating the tilt mechanism 17, and a telescopic operation switch 33 for manually operating the telescopic mechanism 18. ing. The key switch 31 is turned on when a vehicle key is inserted into the key cylinder, and is turned off when the vehicle key is removed from the key cylinder. Tilt operation switch 32 and telescopic operation switch 33
Is installed in a place where the driver can operate, the tilt operation switch 32 operates the tilt mechanism 171 to tilt up and tilt down, and the telescopic operation switch 33 operates the telescopic mechanism 181 to perform steering. The position of the wheel 2 is moved back and forth.

Signals from these switches are supplied to input ports 192 through amplifier circuits 198a to 198c, respectively.
From the CPU 194.
In response to these signals, the output port 193 outputs a tilt motor 171 and a telescopic motor 181 via a tilt motor drive circuit (driver circuit) 199a and a telescopic motor drive circuit (driver circuit) 199b, respectively. Is configured to output a signal. The driver circuits that drive the motors 171 and 181 use FETs 41 to 48 that can perform high-speed switching.
The motors 171 and 181 are controlled by a pulse signal based on a duty ratio.

Each of the motors 171 and 181 is provided with a rotation speed sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the motor. The detected signal (sine wave) is shaped into a rectangular wave by a pulse detection circuit 198d and an input port 192. , Is input to the microcomputer 191. This rotation speed sensor also functions as a position sensor of the steering wheel 2 as described above.

The ROM 195 stores a program shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later, and the CPU 194 executes the program. The RAM 196 temporarily stores variable data necessary for executing the program.

Next, the processing of the control device 19 will be described. Since the control of the motor 171 of the tilt mechanism 17 and the control of the motor 181 of the telescopic mechanism 18 are basically the same,
Here, an outline of the control will be described. First, as a first example, the processing of the control device 19 in the case where the invention described in claim 2 is adopted as a superordinate concept of the invention described in claim 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step 101, a switch operation has been performed, that is, either the tilt switch 32 or the telescopic switch 33 has been operated, or an operation of removing and inserting a vehicle key from a key cylinder has been performed. It is determined that the state has changed.
Next, when either the tilt switch 32 or the telescopic switch 33 is operated by the driver, the manual mode is set, and when the vehicle key is removed from the key cylinder, the automatic mode is set. . Then, in step 102, it is determined whether or not the mode is the manual mode. In the case of the manual mode, the manual target speed is read in step 103, and in the case of the automatic mode instead of the manual mode, the automatic target speed is read in step 104. The motor rotation speed of the two target speeds for manual operation and automatic operation is stored in the RAM 196 in advance so that the motor has a constant speed. For manual operation, the rotation speed VHD (70) is set so that fine adjustment can be easily performed.
0 rpm) is set as the speed V0. In the case of the automatic mode, the steering wheel 2 is moved quickly and the high-speed rotation speed VOT is set so that the getting on / off property can be secured in a short time.
(1400 rpm) is set as the speed V0.

Thereafter, in step 105, the motor 17
The actual speed VM of each of the rotation speed sensors 17
6, 186, and a speed deviation ΔV (= VM−V0) between the actual speed and the target speed is calculated. Step 10
In step 6, it is determined whether the speed deviation ΔV is positive or negative. If negative, step 107 is performed, and if positive, step 108 is performed. In step 107, since the motor rotation speed is lower than the target control speed, the duty is gradually increased with respect to the load. That is, the duty ratio is changed in the range of 50% to 100% with the drive duty DT obtained by adding the on-duty to the reference duty (see FIG. 7). Here, the reference duty indicates that the duty ratio of the pulse signal for driving the motor is 50%, the load when the motor is driven at the duty ratio of 50% is detected, and the motor rotation speed is determined to be constant. Duty control is performed as follows. As shown in FIG. 8, the on-duty refers to the deviation amount of the speed deviation and the duty ratio (the maximum is 50%).
%), And this on-duty has a different rate of change between the automatic mode and the manual mode, and is set to have a duty ratio at which the motor can rotate at a higher speed in the automatic mode than in the manual mode. .

In step 108, since the motor rotation speed is higher than the target control speed, the duty ratio obtained by subtracting the on-duty from the reference duty is set to the drive duty DT.
In step 109, a pulse signal is output to the control device 19 at the duty ratio set in steps 107 and 108, and the motors 171 and 18 are output.
1 is driven. That is, in the case of driving the tilt mechanism 17, the motor 171 is driven, and in the case of the telescopic mechanism 18, the motor 181 is driven. In the next step 110, the actual speed Vm1 of the motors 171 and 181 is read again. In step 111, it is determined whether or not the actual motor speed Vm1 matches the target control speed.

If the actual motor speed Vm1 has not reached the target control speed, the process returns to step 105 to repeat the same processing from step 105 to step 110 in order to match the target control speed. V
If m1 matches the target control speed, step 112
I do. In step 112, the steering wheel 2
It is determined whether or not the swing column 13 of the tilt mechanism 17 or the movable column 12 of the telescopic mechanism 18 that has moved the movable range has reached the limit (end) of the movable range. Here, the detection of the end portion that is the limit of the movable range is performed even if a drive signal is output to the motor 171 or 181 within a predetermined time.
If the signal from 186 does not appear, it is determined that the end of the movable limit has been reached. If the end has not been reached, the control is continued, but if the end has been reached, the control ends. .

In the first example, the use of the FET in the motor driver makes it possible to switch the rotation direction of the motor at high speed and to control the duty.

Further, in the automatic mode, the motor is driven at a high speed, and the getting on / off property can be secured at an early timing. In the manual mode, the motor is driven at a low speed. The ring will be good.

Next, as a second example, a processing example of the control device 19 in a case where the invention described in claim 4, claim 5, or claim 6 is adopted with the invention described in claim 3 as a superordinate concept. Will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step 201, as a process before the control is started, the steering wheel 2 at the start of operation is set.
Is read and the stop target position at the end of the operation is input. Further, the target speed V0 of the motors 171 and 181 based on the position of the steering wheel 2 is read in advance.
The target speed V0 is determined by the tilt mechanism 17, the telescopic mechanism 1
In the vicinity of the both ends of the movable range of No. 8, the distance is set so as to gradually decrease toward both ends (see FIG. 10).

Then, in the next step 202, the motor 1
The control routine of steps 71 and 181 is entered. First, the current position of the steering wheel 2 and the actual speed VM of each of the motors 171 and 181 are detected by the rotation speed sensors 176 and 186. In step 203, the target speed V0 of the motor is determined based on the current position of the steering wheel 2.
Is set. This target speed is preferentially reset so that the position of the steering wheel 2 gradually increases from zero from the operation start position to a predetermined position (FIG. 11).
Also, when the motor has reached a position a predetermined amount before the stop target position at the end of control, gradually decrease from that position to the stop target position, and preferentially set it to zero at the stop target position. The process is repeated (see FIG. 12). In step 204, the speed deviation Δ between the actual speed of the motor and the target speed
V (= VM−V0) is calculated, and in step 205, the appropriate drive duty DT (= ΔV · K + DT0) to be given to the motor is calculated based on the speed deviation ΔV. Here, K is a proportionality constant, and DT0 is a drive duty currently given to the motor. Drive duty DT is 0%
It changes in the range of １００100%. In step 206, a pulse signal is output to the control device 19 at the duty ratio set in step 205 to drive the motors 171 and 181.

Next, at step 207, it is determined whether or not the position of the steering wheel 2 has reached the target stop position. If it has reached the stop target position, this control has reached its purpose. However, the process proceeds to the next step 208 in order to perform the end processing described later. If the target stop position has not been reached, the process returns to step 202 in order to move the steering wheel 2 to the next position.
The processing up to 7 is repeated, and the control is continued.

At step 208, it is determined whether or not the position of the steering wheel 2 has reached the end of the movable range. If the end point of the movable range has not been reached, the control is terminated as it is. If the end point of the movable range has been reached, the control is terminated after performing the end point processing of step 209. Here, the end point processing is to prevent the position of the steering wheel 2 from being left at the end point of the movable range.
This refers to a process of returning the position of the steering wheel 2 from the end point of the movable range to a predetermined position. The end point processing is performed by outputting a reverse pulse signal for inverting the motor to the control device 19 at a predetermined duty ratio and inverting the motor until the steering wheel 2 returns to the predetermined position (see FIG. 13).

Also in the second example, duty control is possible by using an FET in the motor driver.

When the position of the steering wheel approaches the end position of the movable range, the rotation speed of the motor is suppressed, and mechanical fixation at the end position can be prevented. Further, since the end point processing is performed, the terminal is not left at the terminal position, and the problem of mechanical sticking at the terminal position due to a decrease in battery voltage can be solved.

In addition, at the start of the operation of the steering device,
The motor speed does not suddenly increase, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a tapping sound or an impact sound due to the backlash or the like of the screw mechanism and the gear mechanism in the steering position adjusting mechanism.

[0054]

According to the present invention, a steering position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a steering wheel, a motor for driving the steering position adjusting mechanism, a rotation speed sensor for detecting a rotation speed of the motor, and the steering position adjusting mechanism When operating a mechanism, a deviation between a preset target speed of the motor and an actual speed from the rotation speed sensor is calculated, and a duty ratio of a signal to be supplied to the motor is changed according to the deviation to perform speed control. And a control device having a motor drive circuit for varying the current supplied to the steering position adjustment control device, wherein the motor is driven by the FET of the drive circuit and is controlled to have a constant rotational speed. The motor can switch the rotation direction of the motor at high speed by the FET, and the duty can be controlled. In addition, no switching noise is produced as in the case where a relay is used in the driver portion of the motor, and the motor becomes quiet when the motor is operated, thereby improving quietness. Therefore, this device can be applied to a luxury car.

The control device detects whether a vehicle key is removed from the vehicle and automatically moves the position of the steering wheel, and a manual mode in which the position of the steering wheel is moved by operating the operation switch. A mode discriminating unit for discriminating whether the mode is the automatic mode or the manual mode, and a high-speed target rotational speed is set in the automatic mode by the mode discriminating unit, and a low-speed target rotational speed is set in the manual mode. A target rotation speed setting means for setting, and controlling the motor so that the target rotation speed is attained. In the manual mode, since the motor is driven at a low speed, the steering position can be easily controlled. The control device. Further, in the case of the manual mode in this device, the switch operation is not required many times, and it is possible to operate to the required position by one switch operation, so that the operation feeling is improved.

Further, by making the motor speed sensor also function as a steering wheel position sensor, it is possible to control the motor speed in accordance with the position of the steering wheel. As a result, when the position of the steering wheel approaches the end position of the movable range, the rotation speed of the motor is suppressed, sudden collision with the stopper can be avoided, mechanical fixation at the end position can be prevented, and furthermore, by performing the end point processing In addition, it is possible to avoid leaving the battery at the terminal position, and it is also possible to solve the problem of mechanical sticking at the terminal position due to a decrease in battery voltage. In addition, it is possible to suppress a sudden increase in the motor speed at the start of the operation of the steering device, and to suppress the occurrence of a tapping sound and an impact sound due to the backlash of the screw mechanism and the gear mechanism in the steering position adjustment mechanism. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a main part cross section of a steering position adjustment control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the steering position adjustment control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tilting motor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an axial cross section of the steering position adjustment control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a connection diagram showing a connection with a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a motor torque and a rotation speed in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence between a speed change amount and a duty ratio according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a position of a steering wheel and a target rotation speed of a motor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a target rotation speed of a motor near an operation start position of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a target rotation speed of a motor near a stop target position of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating end point processing at the end position of the movable range of the steering wheel according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Steering Wheel 17 Tilt Mechanism (Steering Position Adjusting Mechanism) 18 Telescopic Mechanism (Steering Position Adjusting Mechanism) 19 Controller 32 Tilt Switch (Operation Switch) 33 Telescopic Switch (Operation Switch) 41-48 FET 171 Tilt Motor 176 , 186 Rotation speed sensor (position sensor) 181 Telescopic motor

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masakazu Ozawa 2-1-1 Asahi-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Pref. Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A steering position adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of a steering wheel, a motor for driving the steering position adjusting mechanism, a rotation speed sensor for detecting a rotation speed of the motor, and a motor for operating the steering position adjusting mechanism. Calculates a deviation between a preset target speed of the motor and an actual speed from the rotation speed sensor, performs a speed control by changing a duty ratio of a signal to be supplied to the motor according to the deviation, and controls a current supplied to the motor. And a control device having a motor drive circuit that makes the motor variable. A steering position adjustment control device, wherein the motor is driven by an FET of the drive circuit and is controlled to have a constant rotational speed. Adjustment control device. An automatic mode for automatically moving the position of the steering wheel by detecting whether a vehicle key is removed from the vehicle and a manual mode for moving the position of the steering wheel by operating an operation switch; A mode discriminating means for discriminating between the automatic mode and the manual mode, and a high-speed target revolution number set in the automatic mode by the mode discrimination means, and a low-speed target revolution number in the manual mode. And a target rotation speed setting means for controlling the motor so as to reach the target rotation speed.
3. The steering position adjustment control device according to claim 1. 3. A steering position adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of a steering wheel, a motor for driving the steering position adjusting mechanism, a position sensor for detecting a position of the steering wheel, and a rotation for detecting a rotation speed of the motor. A target speed of the motor is preset according to a number sensor and a position of the steering wheel. When the steering position adjustment mechanism is operated, the target speed of the motor and the actual speed from the rotation speed sensor are determined by the actual position from the position sensor. A steering device comprising: a control device having a motor drive circuit that calculates a deviation from the speed, changes the duty ratio of a signal to be supplied to the motor according to the deviation, performs speed control, and varies the supplied current to the motor. In the adjustment control device, the motor is an FE of a drive circuit.
A steering position adjustment control device driven by T and controlled to have the target speed set by the position of the steering wheel. 4. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the target speed of the motor is set so as to gradually decrease from a position a predetermined distance before the target stop position of the steering wheel to a target stop position when the operation is stopped. 4. The steering position control device according to 3. 5. The steering position according to claim 3, wherein the target speed of the motor is set so as to gradually increase from an operation start position of the steering wheel to a predetermined amount at the start of operation. Control device. 6. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the control device returns the steering wheel by a predetermined amount from the end of the movable range when the position of the steering wheel is stopped at the end of the movable range of the steering position adjusting mechanism. The steering position control device according to claim 3, wherein the control is performed.