ELECTRIC POWER STEERING APPARATUS

• US 20080017438A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanda, Naotake, Niguchi, Noboru, Matsubara, Ken, Otsuki, Hidetaka
• Application Number:
  US11/778,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20080017438A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/443
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0403 characterised by constructional features, e.g. common housing for motor and gear box
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/225 Detecting coils
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/09 Machines characterised by wiring elements other than wires, e.g. bus rings, for connecting the winding terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/50 Fastening of winding heads, equalising connectors, or connections thereto

Abstract

In an electric power steering apparatus which includes a brushless motor composed of a cylindrical motor case with a bottom; a bracket for covering an opening of the motor case; an end housing for supporting a non-output-shaft side bearing located on one side; a bus bar housing in a ring shape for storing a plurality of bus bars; and a rotational angle sensor, and drives the brushless motor with a flow of current according to the detected steering torque, the end housing has a cylindrical section with a flange surrounding the end on one side and is inserted into the motor case from the opening until the flange comes into contact with the bottom of the motor case, the bus bar housing is placed to surround the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section of the end housing, and the rotational angle sensor is placed in the cylindrical section.

Claims

1. An electric power steering apparatus comprising:

a torque sensor for detecting steering torque applied to a steering member; and

a brushless motor for assisting steering,

wherein said brushless motor includes;

a rotary shaft;

two bearings supporting said rotary shaft at two positions;

a rotor which rotates coaxially with said rotary shaft;

a stator having a stator core and stator coils wound on the stator core;

a plurality of bus bars for connecting respectively to said stator coils;

a cylindrical motor case supporting an outer circumferential surface of the stator core with its inner circumferential surface and having a through-hole in a middle of a bottom provided at an end on one side;

an end housing for supporting the bearing on one side;

a bracket for supporting the bearing on the other side and covering an opening on the other side of said motor case;

a bus bar housing in a ring shape for storing said plurality of bus bars; and

a rotational angle sensor for detecting a rotating position of said rotor, and

said end housing includes a cylindrical section with a flange surrounding an end on one side, and is inserted into said motor case from the opening until the flange comes into contact with the bottom, said bus bar housing is placed to surround an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section of said end housing, and said rotational angle sensor is placed in said cylindrical section, and

said brushless motor is driven with a flow of a current according to the steering torque detected by said torque sensor.

2. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motor case is produced by press forming, and said bracket and end housing are produced by casting.

3. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said end housing is screwed to said motor case.

4. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an end cover for covering the bottom and through-hole of said motor case, wherein said end cover and said end housing are screwed to said motor case by a common screw.

5. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said brushless motor is a three-phase brushless motor, said bus bars are arranged to connect the stator coils in star, a connector or lead wires for supplying power is attached in a protruding manner to one side of the outer circumference of said motor case, and terminals of said connector or lead wires are inserted through a hole formed in the outer circumferential surface into said motor case and are fastened to terminals of said bus bars by screws.

6. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said end housing is inserted while applying pressure.