Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Sumio Takizawa

Masanobu Ishikawa

Masumi Nishikawa

Hakumi Ishii

Yuji Yokoya

Hiroshi Watanabe

Kazunori Sakamoto

Minoru Izawa

Tsuneo Hida

Kenichi Kikuchi

Hideo Kegasa

An imaginary limit position is determined on the basis of a position where an overload condition is detected, and such imaginary limit position is stored. Subsequent to the storage, an extent of movement is limited to that defined by the limit position. An operational mode which re-establishes a stored position is provided. In response to the detection of an overload condition, a motor is reversed to move the attitude back through a small stroke, whereupon the motor is deenergized. When a manual switch is turned on, the motor is driven over an incremental time interval and is then deenergized temporarily. After a given time interval, the motor is again driven. Where a pluarlity of motors are driven simultaneously, the timing of initiating to drive each motor is displaced relative to each other by a small time increment during which a transient current occurs upon initiating the drive.

Apparatus for controlling attitude of vehicle mounted device

A screw-nut type driving mechanism having a rotatable screw shaft, a nut engaged with the screw shaft and a driven member secured to the nut. The nut has an axially tapered outer surface which is formed with external threads. The driven member has an internally threaded, axially tapered hole with which the nut is threadably engaged. A retaining plate is provided to hold the nut on the driven member to prevent rotation of the nut.

Screw-nut type mechanism

A link connecting structure includes a first and a second link member, a pin disposed between the two link members and having a tapered portion which engages with a complementary tapered hole in the second link member, and a resilient member for always urging the first link member in the direction of the second link member.

Link connecting structure

An electrically operated tiltable vehicle steering mechanism includes an electric motor of a reversible type which is adapted to drive through a speed reduction mechanism a screw shaft of a screw-nut mechanism. The screw-nut mechanism includes a nut which is engaged with the screw shaft and connected with a tiltable bracket supporting a steering shaft. Stoppers are provided to limit the stroke of the movement of the nut. The stopper includes a stopper plate made of a metallic material of a low frictional coefficient and a rubber cushion. The stopper is located with the stopper plate faced to the nut for engagement therewith and the rubber cushion maintained in contact with the housing of the screw-nut mechanism. The mechanism is provided with a clutch means for allowing a slip between the motor and the screw nut mechanism when the excessive load is applied to a torque transmission mechanism.

Electrically operated tiltable vehicle steering mechanism

A telescopic steering mechanism for automotive vehicles includes first and second support members telescopically coupled with each other for relative movement, a first shaft rotatably carried by the first support member, a second shaft rotatably carried by the second support member and telescopically coupled with the first shaft for rotation therewith, a feed screw shaft arranged in parallel with the first and second shafts and rotatably carried by the first support shaft, and a feed nut fixedly mounted on the second support member and threadedly coupled over the feed screw shaft for effecting relative movement of the support members in accordance with rotation of the feed screw shaft. In the above arrangement: the first support member is integrally formed thereon with an elongated guide lug which is arranged in parallel with the first and second shafts; the second support member is integrally formed thereon with a support portion which is axially movably coupled over the elongated guide lug and resiliently engaged with the elongated guide lug, and the feed screw shaft is assembled to be slightly displaceable in a radial direction on the first support member.

Telescopic steering mechanism for automotive vehicle

A telescopic assembly includes a yoke supported for rotation on a stationary member, a shaft fitted in telescoping relation inside the yoke, rotatably supported by a movable bracket and capable of being reciprocated together with the movable bracket relative to the yoke, a screw rotatably retained by a stationary bracket, and a nut threadedly engaged with the screw and fixed to the movable bracket. When the screw is rotated, the nut provided on the movable bracket moves axially along the screw so that the movable bracket is moved toward or away from the stationary bracket. Hence, the shaft supported by the movable bracket is displaced axially forward or backward, depending upon the direction of screw rotation, relative to the yoke, thereby enabling the portion of the shaft projecting from the yoke to be adjusted in length.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Sumio Takizawa