Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Tsugiharu Matsunaga

Yasutaka Hayashi

Katsuhiko Hattori

Apparatus for controlling the steerable wheels of a power-assisted steering unit of a vehicle in which an angle detector is connected to the power assist unit and to a power controller. An abnormality detector is arranged between the steering shaft of the steering wheel and an output shaft of the angle detector to detect an abnormal state based on relative displacement of the steering shaft and the output shaft of the angle detector to produce a signal which is sent to the power controller. The steering shaft is controlled by the power controller to avoid the abnormal state based on the signal from the abnormality detector, a control signal from an electronic control unit based on steering angle of the wheels and a signal from a sensor detecting steering angle of the steering wheel.

Vehicle rudder angle control apparatus

In a steering gear having a steering correction function for causing a vehicle to correct steering when disturbance acts on a power steering gear or the vehicle, there are provided a connecting portion for connecting the input shaft to output shaft and for detecting the abnormal state; and a releasable portion for a drive unit operation of the steering drive unit interlocked with a connecting operation of the connecting mechanism. In a normally 'OFF' (disengagement) state of the clutch, a steering drive control device controls a steering drive unit in accordance with a steering command from a steering control device, and a steering driving force is transmitted from the steering drive unit to the steering device through a transmissional mechanism for the steering driving force, thereby performing steering. However, in an abnormal state, the clutch mechanically detects the abnormal state and is engaged from the 'OFF' state to an 'ON' (engagement) state to connect the input device and the steering device. During this connection, a force acting from the steering drive unit to the steering device is released by a releasable mechanism for a drive unit operation, thereby performing manual steering.

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Aichi, Japan

Tsugiharu Matsunaga