Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Jtekt Corporation

Toru Suzuki

Yoshihide Ohara

Yoshiaki Suzuki

Hiroshi Kawakami

Tatsuhiro Yamamoto

Kazutaka Awata

Yuichi Ichie

A telescopic-type steering system includes an upper tube and a lower tube that are coupled to each other such that relative displacement between the upper tube and the lower tube is allowed. The steering system includes a coupling wire that is at least partially formed of an insulating member and that has one end portion and the other end portion that are electrically insulated from each other. In the steering system, the upper tube and the lower tube are coupled to each other by the coupling wire.

Steering system and coupling wire

A steering system includes a steering column which supports rotatably a steering shaft to which a steering wheel is connected and a pair of support mechanisms which support the steering column so as to tilt relative to a vehicle body. Each of the support mechanisms includes a support bracket having a column-side fastened portion and a body-side fastened portion, a fulcrum bolt, and a bush. A fastening hole through which a fastening bolt is inserted to fasten the support bracket to a fixed member is formed in the body-side fastened portion. Each of the support mechanisms includes an elastic member which can be compressed in an axial direction of the fulcrum bolt, and the support bracket is configured to oscillate relative to the steering column by the elastic member being compressed.

Steering system

A steering apparatus includes: a steering wheel, a shaft that transfers a rotational force from the steering wheel, a steering column that supports the shaft, a fitting bracket with which the steering column is fitted to a vehicle body-side member, a rotational force assist mechanism that applies a rotational force to the shaft, and a tilt mechanism that changes a tilt angle of the steering column. The fitting bracket includes a support portion that tiltably supports the steering column, and a secured portion secured to the vehicle body-side member. The fitting bracket is structured in such a manner that the secured portion and the support portion lie in the same plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft when the steering column is at a predetermined tilt angle that is within a range of tilt angle achievable by using the tilt mechanism.

Steering apparatus

An electric power steering unit includes an electric motor that applies assisting force with respect to a rotating operation of the steering wheel. In one embodiment, the steering torque TM detected by a steering torque sensor is converted into a command current value I* for the electric motor by a controller. The controller controls the driving of the electric motor in accordance with the command current value I*. The controller can calculate a differential value of the steering torque TM. Based on the calculated differential value, the inertia compensation control amount TM&prime; is added to the steering torque TM, thus reducing the steering operation load of the steering wheel at the start of a steering operation. The steering speed also can be detected. The inertia compensation control amount TM&prime; can be decreased with an increase in detected steering speed, thus avoiding an uncomfortable steering feel due to the difference in the steering speeds.

Growing community of inventors

Seto, Japan

Toru Suzuki