Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Yoshikazu Kameda

Hirotaka Kamano

Osamu Yasuike

Takahito Ishino

Koichi Nishimura

Junro Yamamoto

Masahiko Asano

Eisaku Kakiuchi

Mitsuyuki Ouchi

Mitsugu Kikuchi

Nobuyuki Kawabata

Hayato Yoshino

Masaki Nakaoka

Tadao Ota

Nobuaki Miyazaki

Mitsuyuki Ohuchi

Mitugu Kikuti

A control device for a steer-by-wire type vehicle calculates a target turn angle being represented as a function of a steering angle of a steering wheel, and controls a turning device such that a turn angle of a wheel becomes the target turn angle. A variation range of the steering angle includes: an effective steering range in which the steering angle is an effective maximum steering angle or smaller; and an adjustment steering range in which the steering angle is between the effective maximum steering angle and a predetermined maximum steering angle. The target turn angle calculated according to the effective maximum steering angle is an effective maximum turn angle. The control device variably sets the function according to a road surface condition such that the effective maximum turn angle in a case of a low-&#x3bc; condition is smaller than that in a case of a high-&#x3bc; condition.

Control device for vehicle

To provide a steering device capable of highly precisely controlling turning angles of steered wheels without changing a layout of members. Provided is a steering device (A) including: a center arm () having one end portion configured to swing in a right-and-left direction with respect to a vehicle body (BD) in synchronism with rotation of a steering shaft (); a rod member (A), which is coupled to the one end of the center arm (), and is configured to move in the right-and-left direction, to thereby change turning angles of steered wheels (WR and WL); and a rod-member drive device () configured to linearly move the rod member (A) in the right-and-left direction through use of a driving force source. The rod member (A) is supported such that movement of the rod member (A) in the right-and-left direction of the vehicle body (BD) is allowed, but movement of the rod member (A) in a front-and-rear direction and an up-and-down direction of the vehicle body (BD) is restricted. The one end portion the center arm () and the rod member (A) are coupled so as to be relatively movable in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body (BD).

Steering device

An automatic tilting vehicle comprises left and right front wheels and a rear wheel. A control unit controls a vehicle tilting device so that the tilt angle of the vehicle becomes the target tilt angle. The control device is configured to swingingly vibrates the vehicle in the lateral direction by tilting the vehicle by the vehicle tilting device, to estimate a height of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a resonance period of swinging vibration of the vehicle, and to correct the target tilt angle such that a perpendicular passing through the estimated center of gravity passes within a range of a triangle formed by connecting grounding points of the left and right front wheels and a grounding point of the rear wheel.

Automatic tilting vehicle

An automatic tilting vehicle includes left and right wheels rotatably supported by carriers, a vehicle tilting device, and a control unit. The vehicle tilting device includes a swing member swinging about a swing axis, an actuator that swings the swing member, a pair of tie rods pivotally connected to the swing member and the carriers. The control unit controls the actuator so that the tilt angle of the vehicle conforms to a target tilt angle and determines that the vehicle tilting device is abnormal when a relationship between the swing angular velocity of the swing member and the tilt angular velocity of the vehicle deviates from an allowable range.

A steering control device includes: an assist controller configured to carry out, by an assist torque, an assist control of alleviating an operation force of a steering wheel; an assist torque computer configured to compute a target assist torque in which an attenuation torque for suppressing a steering angle speed of the steering wheel is superimposed on a reference torque; and an active-passive determination processor configured to compute a steering mode determination value representing a steering mode by a driver with respect to the steering wheel in accordance with a product of the steering angle speed and a steering torque at a time of a steering operation of the steering wheel by the driver as well as a product of the steering angle and a time differential value of the steering torque at the time of the steering operation.

Steering control device

A groove member, a reaction force generating member and an elastic member comprise a power steering apparatus where an input shaft adapted to be coupled to a steering wheel engages an output shaft adapted to be connected to wheels to be steered. The groove member has a groove and rotates together with one of the input shaft and the output shaft. The reaction force generating member is supported by the other of the input shaft and the output shaft and is unmovable in the radial direction with respect to one of the input shaft and the output shaft and movable in the axial direction of the input shaft and the output shaft by a distance not exceeding a predetermined value. The elastic member urges one of the groove member and the reaction force generating member toward the other of the groove member and the reaction force generating member. Thus, it is possible to prevent the input shaft and the output shaft from forming an operational angle therebetween unless the steering torque inputted to the input shaft exceeds a predetermined value. The steering wheel of the invention disclosed herein provides the driver with a feel of rigidity as well as a feel of nimbleness by generating a steering assisting torque corresponding to the operational angle formed.

Power steering apparatus

An adjusting mechanism in a control valve assembly for a power cylinder in a power-assisted steering system of an automotive vehicle for adjusting a steering effort to be applied to a steering wheel placed in a neutral position, wherein the adjusting mechanism is provided with an adjusting-element located outside a housing of the control valve assembly to be operated for adjusting a load applied to the components of the control valve assembly.

Control valve assembly for power cylinder in power-assisted steering

A flexible shaft structure comprises: a core wire having flexibility; holding portions provided on the core wire; a first wire wound around the core wire substantially at right angles with respect to an axial line of the core wire; and a second wire which is spirally wound around the first wire and of which both ends are respectively fixed to the holding portions. Accordingly, when an input-side holding portion rotates about a shaft, the rotational torque is transmitted to an output-side holding portion by the second wire. In this case, since the second wire is wound around the first wire wound around the core wire, the winding diameter of the second wire for transmitting rotational torque can be enlarged. As a result, tensile force acting on the second wire becomes smaller and stress acting on the core wire via the first wire or the holding portions accordingly becomes smaller.

Growing community of inventors

Gotemba, Japan

Yoshikazu Kameda