Jtekt Corporation

Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Hino Motors, Ltd.

Tomonari Yamakawa

Hajime Tanaka

Satoshi Suto

Jiro Nakano

Masayoshi Takeda

Akihiko Shiina

Satoshi Motoyama

Sadahiro Kawahara

Yasuhiro Saitou

Hidetaka Otsuki

Naoshi Ichinose

Hirokazu Okuyama

Hirofumi Yasui

Yasuaki Tsuji

Sunao Tsuchimochi

Masaki Nakaoka

Nobuhiko Kojima

Syuuichi Yonemura

Yutaka Mori

Kyosuke Haga

Nobuo Kamiya

Katsunori Yamada

Mitsuru Asai

Keisuke Izutani

Tomoya Yamatani

Masaya Segi

Satoshi Matsuda

Kenji Takahashi

Kazushi Suzuki

Masanori Natsume

Tetsushi Kawamura

Hiroaki Arashima

Hitoshi Sasaki

Nobuaki Nonoyama

Yutaka Ohnuma

A convoy travel system includes a plurality of vehicles and is configured such that the plurality of vehicles form a convoy and travel. The plurality of vehicles include a preceding vehicle and following vehicles configured so as to follow the preceding vehicle by means of automatic driving. The preceding vehicle is equipped with a steering information acquisition unit configured so as to acquire steering information pertaining to steering of the preceding vehicle, and a transmission unit configured so as to transmit the steering information to the following vehicles. The following vehicles are equipped with a reception unit configured so as to receive the steering information, and an automatic driving control unit configured so as to begin a steering angle control for avoiding a collision with an obstruction when the steering information indicates the execution of emergency steering for avoiding a collision with the obstruction.

Convoy travel system

A travel assistance device configured to execute travel assistance when a plurality of vehicles form a vehicle group and travel in a line. The travel assistance device includes: a first control unit configured to, if there is lane-change instruction for the vehicle group, cause an end-of-line vehicle to change lanes, such vehicle being the vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles forming the vehicle group that is positioned at the end of the line; and a second control unit configured to, following the lane change of the end-of-line vehicle, allow a lane change for at least one vehicle that is other than the end-of-line vehicle and that is one of the vehicles forming the vehicle group.

Travel assistance device

A steering apparatus is provided which can suppress unintended movement of a steering wheel when a clutch is engaged. When a power switch is turned off and a steering wheel is steered, a reaction force control circuit makes a reaction force motor to generate a steering reaction force stronger than a normal steering reaction force to give a driver an appropriate feeling of response according to a steering torque. The strong steering reaction force is applied to a steering shaft to suppress steering of the steering wheel. A steering operation control circuit executes steering operation control, that is, control that makes an actual steered angle equal to a target steered angle based on a steering angle, and then a clutch is engaged. The clutch is engaged after confirmation of an immovable state of steered wheels, and thus rotation of the steering wheel unintended by the driver is suppressed.

Steering apparatus

An ECU acquires a steering torque detected by a torque sensor (step S). The ECU drives an electromagnet of a solenoid actuator (step S). The ECU drives a steering operation motor in accordance with the direction of the detected steering torque acquired in step Sto apply, to an output shaft of a clutch, a torque acting in such a direction that a torque being exerted on a clutch mechanism is reduced (step S). When a predetermined time has elapsed since driving of the steering operation motor in step S(step S: YES), the ECUreverses a driving direction of the steering operation motor to apply, to the output shaft of the clutch, a torque acting in a direction opposite to the direction of the last torque applied (step S).

Vehicular steering system

A second shaft is configured by a shaft portion extending outside a housing in which a nutation gear mechanism is housed, a housing portion, and a cylindrical portion. A communicating hole, through which an outside and an inside of the housing portion communicate with each other, is formed in the shaft portion. A preload applying mechanism includes a preload adjusting plug that is screwed to the housing portion and is able to be operated from outside through the communicating hole, a wave washer compressed in accordance with a position of the preload adjusting plug, and a lock nut that is screwed to the housing portion of the second shaft so as to press the preload adjusting plug toward the nutation gear mechanism.

Transmission ratio variable device

In a manufacturing method for a hollow rack shaft, and a hollow rack shaft, a tubular member () having a planar flat portion () that is formed in part of a tubular body portion () is sandwiched and held between a cope () and a drag () that has a tooth-shaped portion () substantially symmetrical with rack teeth () so that a surface () of the flat portion () is in contact with the tooth-shaped portion (). A back die () having a plurality of protrusions () is arranged so that the protrusions () face groove portions () of the tooth-shaped portion () across the flat portion (), and the back die () is pressed against the flat portion () to form the rack teeth () to thereby manufacture the rack shaft.

Manufacturing method for hollow rack shaft, and hollow rack shaft

A variable transmission ratio mechanism is provided on an intermediate portion of a steering shaft, and is able to change a transmission ratio between a shaft on the steering wheel side and a shaft on the steered wheel side by transmitting the sum of rotation of the first shaft and rotation of a rotary shaft of a motor to the second shaft. The variable transmission ratio mechanism is provided with a lock mechanism that restricts the operation of the variable transmission ratio mechanism. When the fact that a rate of change in torque that acts on the steering shaft exceeds a predetermined rate is detected, a period of time until the torque that acts on the steering shaft reaches a torque determination value is estimated. On the condition that the estimated time is shorter than or equal to a predetermined period of time, the lock mechanism is activated.

Vehicle steering system

A steering-force transmitting apparatus including (a) an operating-member-side shaft; (b) a turning-device-side shaft offset from the operating-member-side shaft; and (c) a rotation transmitting mechanism having (c-1) an axially protruding portion provided in one of the two shafts and (c-2) a radially extending groove provided in the other of the two shafts such that the axially protruding portion is engaged in the radially extending groove. The rotation transmitting mechanism is configured to change a rotational phase difference between the two shafts while causing one of the two shafts to be rotated by rotation of the other of the two shafts. An axially end portion of a main body portion of one of the two shafts and an axially end portion of the other of the two shafts overlap with each other in the axial direction.

Steering-force transmitting apparatus for vehicle

A transmission ratio variable mechanism is provided with: an input member and an output member capable of rotation about a first axis; an inner race for differentially rotatably coupling to each member; an outer race for rotatably supporting the inner race via a rolling element; and a transmission ratio variable mechanism-use electric motor for rotation-driving the outer race. A second axis which is a center line of the inner race and the outer race is inclined to the first axis. A first concave-convex engaging section for engaging one side end surface of the inner race and a power transmission surface of the input member corresponding to the one end surface are arranged. There is provided a second concave-convex engaging section for engaging the other end surface of the inner race and a power transmission surface of the output member.

Transmission ratio variable mechanism and motor vehicle steering system including the same

A steering apparatus includes a first shaft coupled to a steering wheel, a second shaft arranged to be eccentric relative to the first shaft, and a joint mechanism for coupling the first shaft and the second shaft to each other. The joint mechanism includes a cam having a cam groove that extends in a direction perpendicular to the first shaft, a cam follower that can slide in the cam groove, an eccentric pin for coupling the second shaft and the cam follower to each other at a position eccentric relative to the second shaft. An outer cylinder serving as a protective member is arranged concentrically with the eccentric pin, so as to surround the outer circumference of the eccentric pin. At least part of the eccentric pin and the outer cylinder is arranged in the cam groove.

A cam follower includes an oval rotational body which is rotationally supported on a fixed pin, and in which an outer circumferential shape thereof is an oval, a long axis of the oval is longer than a width of the cam groove, and a short axis of the oval is shorter than the width of the cam groove, the oval rotational body being biased and being rotated by a biasing spring in one direction about the fixed pin. As a consequence, when a steering wheel is in a neutral position, the outer circumferential surface of the cam follower comes into contact with both side surfaces of the cam groove in the width direction of the cam groove and gaps therebetween can be eliminated. As a result, neutral stability of the steering wheel and steering feeling during straightforward traveling are improved.

Steering apparatus for vehicle

A motor vehicle steering system includes a transmission ratio variable mechanism capable of changing a transmission ratio, and a steering-assist-force imparting mechanism. The transmission ratio variable mechanism is provided with an input member and an output member capable of rotation about a first axis, a first bearing ring for differentially rotatably coupling to each of the input and output member, a second bearing ring for rotatably supporting the first bearing ring via a rolling element, and an electric motor for rotation-driving the second bearing ring. A second axis that is a center line of the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring is inclined relative to the first axis.

Motor vehicle steering system

A steering apparatus includes an input shaft that transmits a steering force input from a steering wheel and an output shaft that transmits a steered force by which wheels are steered. The output shaft is arranged at a position that is radially offset from the input shaft. One of an eccentric cam and an adapting plate that form an eccentric pin mechanism is connected to the input shaft. The output shaft is connected to the other one of the eccentric cam and the adapting plate. A first connecting portion of the input shaft, which is connected to the eccentric pin mechanism, is connectable to a second connecting portion of the output shaft, which is connected to the eccentric pin mechanism.

A pressure sensoris provided with a connecter housinghaving a pressure sensing elementarranged on an end surface thereof, a sensor housingconstructed to have the connecter housinginserted thereinto, a pressure chamberdefined between the end surface of the connecter housingand the sensor housing, and a compensation circuitfor performing the processing and operation of a measured signal of the pressure sensing elementto output the measured signal. The compensation circuitis composed of a data communication interface sectionfor receiving the compensation data radio-transmitted thereto, a memory sectionfor storing the compensation data, a compensation data writing sectionfor taking thereinto the compensation data from the data communication interface sectionand for writing the compensation data in the memory section, and a signal processing sectionfor performing the processing and operation of the measured signal based on the compensation data stored in the memory section

Pressure sensor

A pressure sensor is provided with a semiconductor device that is capable of detecting a pressure, a terminal that is connected to the semiconductor device by a bonding wire, a housing having an accommodation space for the semiconductor device, the bonding wire, and the terminal, a diaphragm for sealing the accommodation space, and working fluid that is sealed in the accommodation space and transmits a pressure applied to the diaphragm to the semiconductor device. The working fluid is silicone-based oil, and the terminal and the housing are sealed by fluorine-based adhesive.

Growing community of inventors

Hoi-gun, Japan

Tomonari Yamakawa