Steering apparatus for a vehicle

• US 20040003954A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sugitani, Nobuo, Tsurumiya, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 6,840,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/402
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/006 power actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/008 Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/02 responsive only to vehicle speed

Abstract

A steering apparatus for a vehicle is provided, which has a controller, a first device for detection of an amount of manipulation rendered to the controller, a second device for detection of an amount of steering of steerable wheels, a control unit for controlling an amount of steering based on at least the amount of manipulation and a third device for applying a reaction force to the controller. The apparatus has a feature that it includes the sensor for detection of a speed of the vehicle and the control unit determines the reaction force by multiplying a deviation between the amount of manipulation and the amount of steering by a coefficient for vehicle speed, which is adapted to be larger as the speed of the vehicle detected by the sensor increases.

Claims

1. A steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a controller which a driver manipulates for steering;

a first device for detection of an amount of manipulation rendered to the controller;

a second device for detection of an amount of steering of steerable wheels;

a control unit for controlling the amount of steering based on at least the amount of manipulation detected by the first device; and

a third device for applying a reaction force to the controller in a direction opposite to a direction of the manipulation according to a signal delivered by the control unit,

wherein the steering apparatus further comprises a sensor for detection of a speed of the vehicle, and the control unit determines the reaction force by multiplying a deviation between the amount of manipulation and the amount of steering by a coefficient for vehicle speed, which is adapted to be larger as the speed of the vehicle detected by the sensor increases.

2. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switch by which a driver can select a mode,

wherein the control unit determines a reaction force by introducing a coefficient for vehicle speed correlated with the mode selected by the driver with the switch.

3. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a reaction force by multiplying the deviation by a coefficient for compensation of frequency, which is adapted to decrease in a high frequency range of the deviation.

4. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the coefficient for compensation of frequency is adapted to take larger values in a medium frequency range than in a low frequency range.

5. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a switch by which a driver can select a mode,

wherein the control unit determines a reaction force by introducing a coefficient for compensation of frequency correlated with the mode selected by the driver with the switch.

6. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a switch by which a driver can select a mode,

wherein the control unit determines a reaction force by introducing a coefficient for compensation of frequency correlated with the mode selected by the driver with the switch.