Actuator for turning a steering wheel in automatic steering systems

• US 10,384,709 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agjunction LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agjuntion LLC
• Inventors: Joughin, Alan Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Winner, Tony H
• Application Number:
  US15/784,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20180105200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/04 electrical, e.g. using an electric servo-motor connected to, or forming part of, the steering gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0403 characterised by constructional features, e.g. common housing for motor and gear box
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0409 Electric motor acting on the steering column
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/046 Controlling the motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/06 with parallel axes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

A steering wheel actuator mechanism includes a frame assembly and a rotating assembly. The frame assembly is attached to a steering wheel column and the rotating assembly is attached around the steering wheel column and over the frame assembly. In one example, the frame assembly and the rotating assembly can be located around the steering wheel column without removing the steering wheel. The rotating assembly is inserted down into an opening formed in the frame assembly and rotationally engaged with a motor housed in the frame assembly. Actuators are attached to the rotating assembly and positioned to extend upwards through the steering wheel next to spokes in the steering wheel. The rotating assembly causes the actuators to move the spokes and rotate the steering wheel.

Claims

1. A steering wheel actuator mechanism, comprising:

a frame assembly that attaches around a steering wheel column;

a rotating assembly that rotates within the frame assembly; and

one or more actuators that extend up from the rotating assembly and through a steering wheel located on the steering wheel column and turn the steering wheel.

2. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein the actuators press against one or more steering wheel spokes to turn the steering wheel.

3. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein a first one of the actuators is located on a first lateral side of one of the spokes and a second one of the actuators is located on a second opposite lateral side of one of the spokes.

4. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein the actuators include slots that receive bolts that extend through the rotating assembly clamping the actuators into different circumferential positions relative to the rotating assembly.

5. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one of the actuators extends around one of the spokes of the steering wheel.

6. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein the frame assembly includes:

two opposing arms that extend around the steering wheel column forming a central opening for receiving the rotating assembly; and

a spacer that connects front ends of the two opposing arms together in front of the steering wheel column.

7. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 6, wherein the two opposing arms are at least partially bendable or hinged to pull apart and receive the rotating assembly and then move back into an original position to hold the rotating assembly.

8. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein:

the rotating assembly is concentrically aligned with a circular opening in the frame assembly; and

the rotating assembly includes teeth or a channel extending around an outside perimeter that engages with a motor gear, chain, or belt that is coupled to a motor.

9. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 8, including:

a bracket attached to a bottom surface of the frame assembly; and

a clamp attached to a top face of the bracket that extends up into a circular opening formed in the frame assembly in a substantially co-planar alignment with the teeth or channel on the outside perimeter of the rotating assembly.

10. The steering wheel actuator mechanism of claim 1, wherein the frame assembly is attached to the steering wheel column and the rotating assembly inserted into the frame assembly around the steering wheel column without removing the steering wheel.

11. An apparatus for rotating a steering wheel, comprising:

a frame assembly including a central opening to extend around a steering wheel column;

a rotating assembly configured to insert into and rotate within the central opening in the frame assembly; and

one or more actuators attached to the rotating assembly and extending up against the steering wheel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, including:

a bracket attached to a bottom side of the frame assembly; and

a clamp attached to a top side of the bracket to attach to the steering wheel column and extend up into the central opening in the frame assembly in a substantially coplanar alignment with at least a portion of the rotating assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the frame assembly includes:

two opposing arms that extend around the steering wheel column forming the central opening and front ends forming a front opening for receiving the steering wheel column; and

a spacer that connects the front ends of the two opposing arms together.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the frame assembly further includes an enclosure extending between back ends of the two arms that contains a user interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a motor attached underneath the frame assembly; and

a shaft connecting the motor to a gear rotationally coupled to the rotating assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, includes multiple holes extending through the rotating assembly in a substantially round circle for receiving bolts that hold the actuators to selectable circular positions along a top face of the rotating assembly.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the actuators include elongated slots for receiving the bolts.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the rotating assembly includes at least two semi-circular sections attachable together to form a substantially circular ring, each of the at least two semi-circular sections including a bottom gear layer that includes teeth or a channel that extends around an outside perimeter and a top mounting layer that attaches to the actuators.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the rotating assembly further includes a concave channel that extends around a perimeter of the mounting layer that receives bearings that are rotationally coupled to the frame assembly and partially extend into the circular opening to suspend the rotating assembly in the central opening.

20. A method for attaching a steering wheel actuator mechanism including a frame assembly and a rotating assembly to a steering wheel, comprising:

attaching the frame assembly to a steering wheel column;

attaching the rotating assembly around the steering wheel column and over the frame assembly;

inserting the rotating assembly down into an opening formed in the frame assembly and coupling the rotating assembly to a motor in the frame assembly;

attaching actuators to the rotating assembly so the actuators extend upwards through the steering wheel and sit against spokes in the steering wheel; and

rotating the steering wheel by rotating the rotating assembly causing the actuators to rotate and move the spokes in the steering wheel.

21. A method according to claim 20 including:

attaching the frame assembly to the steering wheel column without removing the steering wheel; and

attaching the rotating assembly around the steering wheel column and over the frame assembly without removing the steering wheel.