Vehicle steering arrangement and method of making same

• US 10,112,639 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schulz, John F., Riefe, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole T
• Application Number:
  US15/191,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/02 vehicle-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/183 adjustable between in-use and out-of-use positions, e.g. to improve access
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/22 Alternative steering-control elements, e.g. for teaching purposes

Abstract

A single vehicle steering arrangement is provided. The steering arrangement includes a steering wheel and at least one human machine interface configured to allow a human to steer the vehicle, the human machine interface being a component separate from the steering wheel.

Claims

1. A steering arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel; and

at least one human machine interface configured to allow a human to steer the vehicle, the human machine interface being a component separate from the steering wheel, the at least one human machine interface in operable communication with a steer-by-wire system of the vehicle, the steering wheel in operable communication with the steer-by-wire system of the vehicle, the steering wheel and the at least one human machine interface independently rotatable relative to each other.

2. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one human machine interface comprises a dial.

3. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel and the at least one human machine interface are redundantly employed to steer the vehicle.

4. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel continues to operate when the additional human machine interface is not available.

5. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the additional human machine interface continues to operate when the steering wheel is not available.

6. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is retractable out of an extended steering position to a retracted position when the vehicle is being steered by an autonomous driver assisted steering system.

7. A steering arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel; and

at least one human machine interface configured to allow a human to steer the vehicle, the human machine interface being a component separate from the steering wheel, the steering wheel being retractable out of an extended steering position to a retracted position when the vehicle is being steered by the additional human machine interface, the human machine interface located closer in proximity to a seat back of a driver'"'"'s seat relative to a distance between the retracted position of the steering wheel and the seat back of the driver'"'"'s seat.

8. The vehicle steering arrangement of claim 7, wherein the steering wheel is mechanically operationally connected to steered wheels of the vehicle.