BODY MOUNTED SLIDING STEERING COLUMN WITH OFFSET FEEDBACK ACTUATOR

• US 20190016365A1
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc. (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Inventors: Swamidason, Sai Maharaja, Bailey, Aaron R., McKeefery, Martin J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,556,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/183 adjustable between in-use and out-of-use positions, e.g. to improve access
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/185 adjustable by axial displacement, e.g. telescopically B62D1/183, B62D1/187, B62D1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/14 Dashboards as superstructure sub-units other dashboard aspects B60K
• 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

Abstract

A steering apparatus for a vehicle that utilizes steer-by-wire controls and may selectively be operated in an autonomous mode comprises a body mounted sliding steering column. The body mounted sliding steering column includes an arm that slides between a stowed position and a use position on at least one rail attached to a frame of the vehicle. The arm supports a steering column that may also be adjustable between a retracted position and an extended position. The arm also houses a force feedback motor in force-transmitting communication with the steering column.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a frame defining a passenger cabin having a front and a back;

a plurality of parallel rails mounted to the frame near the front of the passenger cabin;

a sliding steering assembly, comprising;

an arm having two ends, the first end slidably connected to the plurality of parallel rails and the second end supporting a housing;

a steering column extending from the housing; and

a steering wheel affixed to an end of the steering column; and

a force feedback motor configured to selectively exert a rotational force on the steering column.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the force feedback motor is mounted inside the arm near the first end of the arm, the force feedback motor connected to the steering column via a belt.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a tensioner mounted inside the arm between the force feedback motor and the steering column, the tensioner in contact with the belt.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the sliding steering assembly is selectively movable on the plurality of parallel rails between a first position and a second position, the first position located farther from the back of the passenger cabin than the second position.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the steering column comprises a first section rotatably connected to the arm, a second section slidably engaged with the first section, and a third section slidably engaged with the second section.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the steering column is adjustable between a retracted position, in which a distal end of the first section overlaps a distal end of the second section and the distal end of the second section overlaps a distal end of the third section, and an extended position, in which a proximal end of the first section overlaps the distal end of the second section and a proximal end of the second section overlaps the distal end of the third section.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the steering wheel is affixed to the proximal end of the third section.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the sliding steering assembly further comprises an electric motor configured to selectively adjust the steering column between the retracted position and the extended position.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an electric motor configured to selectively move the arm between the first position and the second position.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the sliding steering assembly further comprises an electric motor configured to selectively adjust an angle between the steering column and a horizontal plane.

11. A sliding steering column comprising:

a plurality of rails connected, in parallel, to a vehicle;

a steering assembly slidably mounted at one end on the plurality of rails, the steering assembly comprising;

a telescoping steering column connected to a second end of the steering assembly;

a force feedback motor configured to selectively rotate the telescoping steering column; and

a steering wheel mounted on a free end of the telescoping steering column.

12. The sliding steering column of claim 11, wherein the telescoping steering column comprises a plurality of sections, each of the plurality of sections slidably engaged with another of the plurality of sections.

13. The sliding steering column of claim 11, wherein the steering assembly is moveable on the plurality of rails between a first position and a second position, and the telescoping steering column is adjustable between a retracted position and an extended position.

14. The sliding steering column of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of rails is connected, in parallel, to an A-frame of the vehicle.

15. The sliding steering column of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of rails is connected, in parallel, to a cross-car beam of the vehicle.

16. A movable steering apparatus, comprising:

an arm having a first end slidably mounted on at least one rail, the at least one rail affixed to an interior surface of a vehicle;

a steering column extending from a second end of the arm, the steering column rotatably mounted to the arm;

a steering wheel attached to the steering column; and

a force feedback motor in force-transmitting communication with the steering column.

17. The movable steering apparatus of claim 16, wherein the force feedback motor is in force-transmitting communication with the steering column via a belt.

18. The extendable steering apparatus of claim 16, wherein the force feedback motor is mounted proximate the at least one rail.

19. The extendable steering apparatus of claim 16, wherein the steering wheel is movable between a first position closer to a perimeter of a passenger cabin of the vehicle and a second position farther from the perimeter of the passenger cabin of the vehicle.

20. The extendable steering apparatus of claim 19, wherein in the first position the steering column is retracted and the arm is located at a first end of the at least one rail, and in the second position the steering column is extended and the arm is located at a second end of the at least one rail, the first end opposite the second end.