Power-assisted steering system of a motor vehicle

• US 20060011407A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Reinelt, Wolfgang, Klier, Willy, Schuster, Wolfgang, Grossheim, Reinhard
• Application Number:
  US11/134,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20060011407A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/426
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/008 Changing the transfer ratio between the steering wheel and the steering gear by variable supply of energy, e.g. by using a superposition gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/065 characterised by specially adapted means for varying pressurised fluid supply based on need, e.g. on-demand, variable assist

Abstract

The invention relates to a power-assisted steering system of a motor vehicle with a steering handing device for specifying a steering wheel angle as a measure of a desired steering angle for at least one steerable wheel of the motor vehicle, a steering gear with a pinion, which converts a pinion angle, which depends on the steering wheel angle, into the steering angle of the at least one steerable wheel of the motor vehicle, superimposing means for producing an additional angle and for producing the pinion angle from superimposing the additional angle on the steering wheel angle and a servo drive with an electronically controllable hydraulic pump for realizing a variable moment support, the amount, flowing through the electronically controllable hydraulic pump being determined as a function of a rotational speed of the pinion angle ({dot over (δ)}_G) and controlled by a control signal (i_d) of a control device of the steering system.

Claims

1. Power-assisted steering system of a motor vehicle comprising:

a steering handing device for specifying a steering wheel angle (δ

_S) as a measure of a desired steering angle (δ

_Fm) for at least one steerable wheel of the motor vehicle,

a steering gear with a pinion, which converts a pinion angle (δ

_G) which depends on the steering wheel angle (δ

_S), into the steering angle (δ

_Fm) of the at least one steerable wheel of the motor vehicle;

superimposing means for producing an additional angle (δ

_M) and for producing the pinion angle (δ

_G) from superimposing the additional angle (δ

_M) on the steering wheel angle (δ

_S), and

a servo drive with an electronically controllable hydraulic pump for realizing a variable moment support,

the amount flowing through the electronically controllable hydraulic pump being determined as a function of a rotational speed of the pinion angle ({dot over (δ

)}_G) and controlled by a control signal (i_d) of a control device of the steering system.

2. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the amount flowing through the electronically controllable hydraulic pump additionally is determined as a function of the vehicle speed (v_X) and controlled by a control signal (i_d) of the control device of the steering system.

3. The steering system of claims 1 or 2, wherein the superimposing means for producing the additional angle (δ

_M) have a control drive, especially an electric motor, and a superimposing transmission for producing the pinion angle (δ

_G) from a superimposition on the steering wheel angle (δ

_S) and the additional angle (δ

_M).

4. The steering system of claims 1 or 2, wherein the control drive is triggered for producing the additional angle (δ

_M) by a control signal (δ

_Md) of the control device of the steering system.

5. The steering system of claims 1 or 2, wherein the amount flowing through the electronically controllable hydraulic pump is increased, especially proportionally, when the rotational speed of the pinion angle ({dot over (δ

)}_G) is also increased.

6. The steering system of claims 1 or 2, wherein the control device obtains the rotational speed of the pinion angle ({dot over (δ

)}_G) and the vehicle speed (v_X) as input quantities, especially from sensors of further vehicle systems or calculates these by means of further input quantities using a suitable model, especially of the steering system.

7. Method for operating a steering system, which runs on the control device of the steering system of claim 1 wherein the amount flowing through the electronically controllable hydraulic pump, is determined by a hydraulic useful function of the control device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the hydraulic useful function has at least two partial functions as follows:

a first partial function initiating suitable measures when the input quantities (v_X, {dot over (δ

)}_G) of the control device are incorrect, and

a second partial function determining the control signal (i_d) for controlling the amount flowing through the electronically controllable hydraulic pump.

9. Computer program with program coding means for carrying out a method of operating a power-assisted steering system of one of the claims 7 or 8, wherein the program is carried out on a microprocessor of a computer, especially on the control device of the steering system.

10. Computer program product with program coding means, which are stored on a computer-readable data storage device, in order to carry out a method of operating a power-assisted steering system of one of the claims 7 or 8, wherein the program is carried out on a microprocessor of a computer, especially on the control device of the steering system.

11. Control device for a steering system equipped to carry out a computer program of claim 9.