Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Kanji Takeuchi

Yousuke Setaka

Takeshi Sawada

Tsuneyuki Egami

Mitsunori Takao

Hiroya Tsuji

Tomoaki Abe

Akio Tanaka

Hiroshi Fujita

Fumiaki Murakami

Masashi Kiyono

Sumio Yanase

Masanori Kondo

Masahiko Miyahara

Yuuji Hashiba

Hiroshi Tsuda

Masami Nagata

Kazunori Shimokawa

Tsutoma Kamizono

Masao Abe

Jirou Hayashi

Yosuke Setaka

Satoshi Arita

An electric power steering apparatus for recovering a steering wheel to its neutral position based on the speeds of the steered wheels of a vehicle. In response to a steering torque signal from a torque sensor, assisting torque by a motor is controlled in a torque servo system from a phase compensating filter to a current detecting unit. A microcomputer calculates a speed ratio of left and right wheels based on wheel speeds detected by wheel speed sensors. Recovery compensating torque is obtained from the speed ratio of the left and right wheels, and a corresponding signal is output to an addition calculating unit. The addition calculating unit adds the steering torque signal and the signal representing the recovery compensating torque to obtain a recovery compensated signal. Based on the recovery compensated signal, the assisting torque is controlled to recover the steering to its neutral position.

Electric power steering apparatus

An electric power steering device includes an output shaft connected to a steering mechanism of a steering system for power assisting the steering operation. The EPS includes a motor and a control circuit accommodated in a common motor housing. The motor housing comprises an end frame and a cup-shaped motor case hermetically covering the motor and the control circuit. The end frame is secured to a rack housing accommodating the steering mechanism, so that heat generated by the motor and the control circuit is transmitted to the rack housing.

Electric power steering device

In a control device for a small-scale series-type hybrid automobile using an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as power sources, energy generated by the drive motor is applied to a motor/generator through a generator inverter so that the motor/generator drives the internal combustion engine to apply a braking force thereto. In this way, energy generated during regenerative braking which cannot be absorbed by a saturated battery (for example, when the vehicle is travelling downhill) can be used to help brake the vehicle.

Control device for a hybrid automobile

An inverter control apparatus for driving a polyphase AC motor for preventing abrupt changes in motor drive currents when switching of one phase is stopped. The apparatus includes a signal generator for generating duty signals of drive signals of respective phases on the basis of a generated reference waveform and a signal modifier for selecting one of the duty signals of one phase, holding it at a predetermined level, and modifying the duty signals of other phases according to the value required to hold the selected duty signal. On the basis of three-phase signal voltage levels, a decision is made on voltage fixing phase intervals by a phase decision circuit, and shift values are determined by an adder at every voltage fixing phase interval. Shift values are selected by a multiplexer according to the outputs of the phase decision circuit and added to triangular wave voltage. Resultant sum values are compared with the three-phase signal voltages to form a three-phase PWM signal.

Inverter control apparatus using a two-phase modulation method

A front-wheel steering system, which has a clearance between a steering shaft and a pinion shaft so that the two shafts will be out of contact when the relative angular position of these shafts is within the range of the angle .theta..sub.1. A driving motor drives the pinion shaft 9 within the range of angle .theta.1 and a mechanical clutch 8 transmits transmitting the driving torque of the driving motor to the pinion shaft 9. This mechanical clutch 8 is designed to be disconnected by the driver's steering power when the relative angle has exceeded the angle .theta..sub.1.

Front-wheel steering system

A steering torque is transmitted from a steering wheel side rotary member to a steering shaft side rotary member through a plurality of elastic bodies, when a steering wheel is turned. The elastic bodies are provided around a rotational center of a steering shaft which bending parts. A relative rotation produced between the steering wheel side rotary member and the steering shaft side rotary member is detected by detecting coils, because the detecting coils detect the change of the reluctance of the magnetic circuit of the rotary members and the detecting coil.

Steering torque detecting device

A throttle valve control apparatus comprises a throttle valve element supported on a valve shaft, a wire for transferring a force of an accelerator operation part to the throttle valve element, a motor for driving the throttle valve, and a stopper member for transferring a driving force of the motor to the valve shaft. The stopper member has a gear part driven by the motor and a restraint part for restraining an opening degree of the throttle valve. A notch is provided near the restraint part. The driving force of the motor is transferred from the gear part to the stopper member at the time of traction control. The restraint part of the stopper member thus drives the throttle valve element in the close direction. The notch prevents the stopper member from coming in contact with the valve shaft.

Throttle valve control apparatus for vehicles

A torque detection apparatus for measuring a torque applied between a drive shaft and an output shaft which is applicable to an electric power steering system of a motor vehicle. The torque detection apparatus is provided between the drive and output shafts and comprises first and second rotating bodies which are respectively at one end portions coupled fixedly to the drive and output shafts, the first rotating body being rotatable in accordance with rotation of the drive shaft and the second rotating body being rotatable in accordance with rotation of said output shaft. The first and second rotating bodies are shaped cylindrically and the first rotating body has on its outer circumferential surface magnetic toothed portions and the second rotating body has on its inner circumferential surface magnetic toothed portions. The first and second rotating bodies are disposed coaxially so that the magnetic toothed portions are magnetically engaged with each other so as to form a first magnetic flux path and a second magnetic flux path. The torque between the drive and output shafts is measured on the basis of the difference between the amounts of the magnetic fluxes passing through the first and second magnetic flux paths.

Torque detection apparatus

A control apparatus for electrically operating a throttle valve adapted to adjust the amount of air drawn into an internal combustion engine to adjust the position of the throttle valve. The position and operating condition of an accelerator pedal are electrically detected to generate a signal in accordance with the accelerator position to drive an actuator adapted to operate the throttle valve, and also a desired throttle position established by the signal, the detected actual position of the throttle valve and the operating condition of the accelerator pedal are suitably compared and examined, thus monitoring to see whether the detection of the accelerator position is not faulty, whether the throttle valve is controlled to follow the desired throttle position and so on and thereby performing a safe control by using a substitute desired position upon occurrence of a faulty condition. Also, during the period of acceleration/deceleration, a driving signal is generated to operate the throttle valve to suit the engine operating condition. Further, when the actuator steps out of synchronism, an evacuation control is performed.

Throttle valve control apparatus

An intake air quantity control apparatus for use in a motor vehicle for controlling an intake air quantity introduced into an engine of the motor vehicle by controlling the opening degree of a throttle valve provided in an air intake passage of the engine. The intake air quantity control apparatus includes a stepping motor connected to the throttle valve and operatively coupled to an accelerating pedal of the motor vehicle so that the stepping motor drives the throttle valve in response to depression of the accelerating pedal. The stepping motor is arranged to be further controllable in response to a control signal from a control unit of the motor vehicle and thus comprising a stator having a plurality of magnetic poles and a plurality of windings respectively wound around the magnetic poles and excited by the control signal, a first rotor rotatable with respect to the stator in response to excitation of said windings of said stator, and a second rotor disposed between the stator and the first rotor. The second rotor is arranged so as not to receive a rotational torque with respect to the stator in response to the excitation of the windings and to allow transmission of magnetic fluxes from the stator to the first rotor.

Stepping motor and intake control apparatus therewith

A control apparatus for a brushless dc motor comprises: a parallel connection circuit including a plurality of series circuits connected in parallel; each series circuit having one armature coil and one field-effect transistor, one end of the parallel connection circuit being connected to one end of a dc power source; a free-wheeling diode connected across the parallel connection circuit; first semiconductor switch means connected between the other end of the parallel connection circuit and the other end of the dc power source; a plurality of second semiconductor switch means connected between respective gates of the field-effect transistors; and the one end of the dc power source; a plurality of reverse current blocking elements for preventing reverse currents from flowing into the second semiconductor switch means from the gates of the field-effect transistors; a plurality of comparators for detecting induced voltages developed across the armature coils; a drive circuit responsive to detection output signals from the comparators for sequentially driving the second semiconductor switch means so that the field-effect transistors are turned on and off to sequentially control the energization of the armature coils; and a rotor comprising a permanent magnet having a plurality of magnetic poles which is driven by magnetic fields produced by the sequential energization of the armature coils.

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Gamagori, Japan

Kanji Takeuchi