Apparatus for controlling a steering angle of a rear wheel

• US 4,811,969 A
• Filed: 06/09/1987
• Issued: 03/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Mizuho
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weaver, Ross
• Application Number:
  US07/060,002
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 280/91, 280/99, 280/661, 280/701
• US Class Current: 280/5.522
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/41 Elastic mounts, e.g. bushings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4193 worm gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/006 Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor B62D7/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/159 characterised by computing methods or stabilisation processes or systems, e.g. responding to yaw rate, lateral wind, load, road condition

Abstract

This invention provides an apparatus for controlling the steering angle of a rear wheel in which a vehicle speed and a steering angle of a front wheel are detected and a rear wheel is controlled to toe-in in response to the vehicle speed and steering angle of the front wheel during high speed turning. Turning stability and control during high speed turning is improved.

Claims

1. Apparatus for controlling steering angles of right and left rear wheels comprising:

means for detecting a vehicle speed and a steering angle of a front wheel;

means responsive to said detecting means for controlling a toe-in quantity of said rear wheels in relation to said vehicle speed and steering angle of said front wheel during high speed turning, said apparatus including means for increasing the toe-in quantity in accordance with an increase of said vehicle speed and said steering angle of said front wheel.

2. Apparatus for controlling the steering angles of right and left rear wheels according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for determining a target steering angle of each rear wheel and for controlling actual detected steering angles toward said target steering angles.

3. Apparatus for controlling the steering angles of right and left rear wheels according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for controlling the rear wheels to be in reverse phase to the front wheel steering angle during low speed turning.

4. Apparatus for controlling the steering angles of right and left rear wheels according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for controlling the rear wheels to toe-out during low speed turning.

5. Apparatus for controlling the steering angles of right and left rear wheels according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for controlling the rear wheels to have a constant toe quantity during low speed turning.