STEERING APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20110282550A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tada, Yoshinobu, Tamura, Norifumi, Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/146,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282550A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/02 vehicle-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/001 Mechanical components or aspects of steer-by-wire systems, not otherwise provided for in this maingroup

Abstract

A steering apparatus for a vehicle is provided in which since a steering wheel (12) is provided with a switch (20L, 20R) that outputs an electrical signal in response to an operation by a driver'"'"'s finger, and a vehicle wheel (W) is turned by operating a steering actuator (17) according to an electrical signal outputted by the switch (20L, 20R), a turning angle of the vehicle wheel (W) can be freely increased and decreased matching the driver'"'"'s intention merely by operating the switch (20L, 20R) without changing the hold on the steering wheel (12) in a state in which the steering wheel (12) is operated and the vehicle wheel (W) is turned. Moreover, since the switch (20L, 20R) is housed in a recess (12b) formed on a surface of a rim portion (12a) of the steering wheel (12) without projecting from the surface thereof, it is possible to reliably prevent the switch (20L, 20R) from being erroneously operated against a driver'"'"'s intention during operation of the steering wheel (12).

Claims

1. A steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising a steering wheel (12) that is operated by a driver so as to turn a vehicle wheel (W), an operating member (20L, 20R) that is provided on the steering wheel (12) and outputs an electrical signal in response to an operation by the driver, and a steering actuator (17) that turns the vehicle wheel (W) according to an electrical signal outputted by the operating member (20L, 20R), wherein

the operating member (20L, 20R) is housed in a recess (12b) formed on a surface of a rim portion (12a) of the steering wheel (12) so as not to project from the surface.

2. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering actuator (17) is operated according to an electrical signal outputted by operation of the steering wheel (12).

3. The steering apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the operating member (20L, 20R) is operated by a driver'"'"'s digit.