Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Toyota Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Naito

Akio Hashimoto

Naoji Sakakibara

Toshio Onuma

Hiroshi Nakashima

Katsuhiko Hattori

Takehiko Fushimi

Shuuetsu Suzuki

Mutsumi Miyashiro

Akihide Kamiya

Michitaka Terada

Hiroshi Kondou

Youitirou Arai

A pressure vibration damping device in a liquid supply passage for supplying a liquid from a pump to a hydraulic device such as a fluid pressure type suspension of a vehicle, including a pressure pulse absorbing means adapted to be able to accept and return a small amount of the liquid from and to said liquid supply passage so as to absorb momentary changes in the flow rate of the liquid in the liquid supply passage, and a liquid column vibration damping means adapted to be able to apply a substantial flow resistance principally to a high velocity flow of the liquid in the liquid supply passage at a part thereof between the pump and the pressure pulse absorbing means, the high flow velocity being due to pulse flows of the liquid induced by a resonance of pulsating output of the pump and the pressure pulse absorbing means and substantially higher than a mean flow velocity of the liquid corresponding to a normal rate of supply of the liquid through the liquid supply passage.

Pressure vibration damping device in combination of liquid column

An electric power steering system includes a steering torque detecting device for detecting a steering torque applied between an input shaft connected to a steering wheel and an output shaft connected to a steering gear in response to an elastic deformation of an elastic member connecting the input shaft with the output shaft, an electric motor whose rotation is controlled by a control signal from a control device in response to a detecting signal from the steering torque detecting device, and a clutch device interposed between the electric motor and the output shaft and controlling an intermittent transmission of the rotation of the electric motor to the output shaft in response to the elastic deformation of the elastic member. Thereby, it is possible to improve the safety performance, the reliability and the steering wheel feeling of an electric power steering system.

Electric power steering system

A torque detecting device, which is typically used for detecting a steering torque in a motor vehicle, includes a mechanism for converting the torque applied to an input shaft to an axial force between the input shaft and an output shaft. A slider is fitted about the output shaft movably axially along the output shaft and rotatably about its own axis with the output shaft. The axial movement of the slider is electrically detected. An elastic body is provided for returning the input shaft to its neutral position. The converting mechanism has a pin extending through the input shaft at right angles thereto and having two ends projecting therefrom. A pair of slits each having a pair of ends are formed in the output shaft. Each of the ends of the pin is located in one of the slits engageably with either end thereof. A bearing is secured to one end of the pin. A spiral groove is formed in the slider and one end of the pin extends into the groove to dispose the bearing therein.

Torque detecting device

An electric power steering apparatus comprising an axial conversion mechanism includes a slider for converting the relative rotation between an input shaft and an output shaft to an axial deviation. A first sensing unit senses axial deviation of the slider. It includes a lever with a torque sensing element fixed thereto with the lever fixed at one end and supported at the other end by the slider. A second sensing unit senses the direction of rotation, or the direction and torque of rotation, of a steering wheel. A controller compares the output signals from the first and second sensing units and controls the direction and torque of rotation of an electric motor which contributes to the steering force. The comparison value between the signals from the first and second sensing units is used to stop the motor when the comparison value is outside a predetermined range.

Electric power steering apparatus

A power steering system uses an electric motor to produce an auxiliary torque which is added to the torque applied to the steering wheel of a vehicle by the driver. The system includes a couple mechanism for coupling the motor to the steering shaft. The system further includes a converting mechanism for converting a part of rotating force in the motor in an axial force and installed in the coupling mechanism and an elastic member for absorbing the axial force and installed in the coupling mechanism. This permits the elastic member to absorb the momentary shock occurred at starting condition of motor due to backlash of gears in the coupling mechanism.

Motor driven power steering system

A power steering system uses an electric motor to produce an auxiliary torque which is added to the torque applied to the steering wheel of vehicle by the driver. The system includes first detecting mechanism for detecting the rotating direction and rotating torque value applied to a steering shaft by a driver and producing a steering torque signal for responding to the steering torque applied to the driver, control circuit connected to the first detecting mechanism for controlling the energization of an electric motor according to the steering torque signal, coupling mechanism for coupling the motor to the steering shaft, releasing mechanism for releasing the connection between the motor and the coupling mechanism, converting mechanism for converting a part of rotating force of the motor into axial thrust force and installed in the coupling mechanism, said detecting mechanism for detecting the direction of the axial thrust force, and comparing circuit for comparing the output responding to the rotating direction of steering shaft in the first detecting mechanism with the output in the second detecting mechanism and generating a driving signal for driving the releasing means when the compared result is different from a preset condition. This permits the driver to rotate the steering shaft freely without a load of the motor when the motor is locked.

A torque detector is provided, which functions in such a manner that as torque is applied between an input shaft and an output shaft, an angular displacement is produced between the input shaft and the output shaft, this angular displacement is converted into an axial displacement by means of a torque-axial displacement converting mechanism to bend a cantilever fixed between a housing and the torque-axial displacement converting mechanism, by means of a strain gage attached to the cantilever the deformation of the cantilever is converted into a change of electric resistance, and by causing a current to flow through the strain gage the torque applied between the input shaft and the output shaft is converted into a voltage.

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Toyota, Japan

Hiroshi Naito