Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hitoshi Suda

Yoshio Kakizaki

Takayuki Fujii

Takashi Kuribayashi

Hirokazu Kitazawa

Kazuhiro Kishimoto

Yoshitaka Katashima

Osamu Tsurumiya

Junichi Yoshida

Susumu Ohta

Satoshi Shimada

Naofumi Inomata

Kazuyuki Iwasaki

In an electric steering actuator comprising an electric motor having a hollow output shaft, a steering shaft passed through the hollow center of the output shaft of the electric motor, and a ball-screw mechanism provided between the output shaft and the steering shaft for converting the rotary movement of the output shaft into a longitudinal movement of the steering shaft. The ball-screw mechanism comprises a threaded section of the steering shaft, and a nut member which threadably engages with the threaded section of the steering shaft via steel balls, and is secured to the output shaft of the electric motor via a serration coupling or the like which achieves an axially free but rotatively fast coupling between the two parts. Thus, the overall axial dimension of the actuator can be reduced, and the step of joining these two parts is significantly simplified in terms of both effort and time while the number of component parts is also reduced. In particular, by installing the ball-screw mechanism in the first casing section in an axially immobile manner, removal of the rotor or the motor assembly is substantially simplified, thereby making the actuator easier to manufacture and service. Also, the motor can be interchanged without affecting the ball-screw mechanism.

Electric steering actuator

In an electric steering actuator comprising an electric motor having a hollow output shaft, a steering shaft passed through the hollow center of the output shaft of the electric motor, and a ball-screw mechanism provided between the output shaft and the steering shaft for converting the rotary movement of the output shaft into a longitudinal movement of the steering shaft, a rotation preventing mechanism is provided for preventing the rotation of the steering shaft around its axial line. The rotation preventing mechanism comprises a guide pin extending in the casing in parallel with the axial line of the steering shaft, and a fork member engaging the guide pin between two prongs thereof. Because the rotation preventing mechanism can be formed by using a guide pin made of a stock steel or other metallic member, such as a cold finished steel bar, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Furthermore by using a fork member defining an open slot for engagement with the guide pin, the assembling process is simplified, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In particular, by interposing a plastic slider between the pin and the fork member, metallic noises are avoided, and a smooth operation is ensured at a low cost.

An electronic control board assembly has a large-current control unit and a small-current control unit connected to the large-current control unit. The large-current control unit has an insert-molded board with lead frames embedded therein. The insert-molded board has a first component mounting surface and a first component soldering surface facing away therefrom. A first group of components are mounted on the first component mounting surface and have leads extending through the insert-molded board and soldered to the lead frames. The small-current control unit has a printed wiring board which has a second component mounting surface and a second component soldering surface facing away therefrom. A second group of components are mounted on the second component mounting surface and have leads extending through the printed wiring board and soldered to interconnections patterned on the second component soldering surface. The lead frames have ends extending through the printed wiring board and soldered to the interconnections. The first component soldering surface and the second component soldering surface face outwardly.

Electronic control board assembly including embedded lead frames for

An electrically operated steering apparatus for use on a motor vehicle has a cylindrical housing, an axially movable rack shaft disposed in the housing for steering steerable wheels coupled to the rack shaft, and an electric motor disposed in the cylindrical housing around the axially movable shaft for moving the axially movable shaft. A power supply for supplying electric energy to the electric motor is disposed outside of the cylindrical housing. A motor control circuit for generating a motor control signal based on a detected steering torque is disposed in the cylindrical housing. A motor driver circuit is disposed in the cylindrical housing for energizing the electric motor with the electric energy supplied from the power supply based on the motor control signal. An insert-molded board is disposed in the housing and electrically interconnecting the electric motor, the motor control circuit, and the motor driver circuit. The insert-molded board comprises electric conductors and a body of synthetic resin molded around the electric conductors.

Electrically operated steering apparatus

An instrument panel for vehicles including a base and a trough-shaped meter casing fastened to the base by stays disposed in the meter casing. Each of the stays includes a pair of leg portions which are angularly inclined relative to a principal direction in which severe impacts are likely to occur against the meter casing. When the meter casing is subjected to impacts, the leg portions of the stays give way and buckle such that the meter casing is displaced or yields without being broken or damaged. The impacting force is thus absorbed, and a person in the vehicle who collides with the meter casing is protected from serious injury.

Instrument panel with a yieldable meter casing

A vehicle instrument panel attaching structure wherein the instrument panel is attached to a body frame of the vehicle by means of stays which are disposed in side portions of the instrument panel so as to yieldably connect the instrument panel to the body frame of the vehicle. A predetermined clearance is defined between the instrument panel and the body frame of the vehicle in the assembled condition, so as to accommodate yielding movements of the stays. By virtue of the attaching structure, the instrument panel is yieldingly movable relative to the vehicle body frame when subjected to substantial impacts, thereby protecting a driver or a passenger from injury under unusual conditions such as during a collision of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Hitoshi Suda