Power steering device
First Claim
1. A power steering device of a motor vehicle which has a steering wheel and steered road wheels, comprising:
- a steering mechanism through which turning of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steered road wheels of the vehicle;
a power assist mechanism that assists the operation of the steering mechanism when receiving a pressurized hydraulic fluid;
a hydraulic pump that feeds the power assist mechanism with the pressurized hydraulic fluid when driven;
an electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump when energized;
a battery unit that produces an electric power for energizing the electric motor;
a sensor member that senses both a toque applied to the steering mechanism through the steering wheel and a direction in which the steering wheel is turned; and
a control unit that controls operation of the electric motor, the control unit being configured to control the electric power fed from the battery unit to the electric motor in accordance with the torque and the direction sensed by the sensor;
wherein the battery unit comprises a plurality of lead-acid batteries that are connected in series, each lead-acid battery including a spirally wound positive plate, a spirally wound negative plate, a spirally wound insulating plate that is spirally wound and sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, a cylindrical battery case that puts therein the spirally wound positive, negative and insulating plates and an electrolyte that is provided in the cylindrical battery case.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power assist mechanism is provided that assists operation of a steering mechanism when receiving a pressurized hydraulic fluid. A hydraulic pump feeds the power assist mechanism with the pressurized hydraulic fluid when driven. An electric motor drives the hydraulic pump. A battery unit is provided for energizing the electric motor. A control unit is provided for controlling the electric power from the battery unit to the electric motor. The battery unit comprises a plurality of lead-acid batteries that are connected in series. Each lead-acid battery comprises a spirally wound positive plate, a spirally wound negative plate, a spirally wound insulating plate that is spirally wound and sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, a battery case that puts therein the spirally wound positive, negative and insulating plates and an electrolyte that is provided in the battery case.
11 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A power steering device of a motor vehicle which has a steering wheel and steered road wheels, comprising:
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a steering mechanism through which turning of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steered road wheels of the vehicle;
a power assist mechanism that assists the operation of the steering mechanism when receiving a pressurized hydraulic fluid;
a hydraulic pump that feeds the power assist mechanism with the pressurized hydraulic fluid when driven;
an electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump when energized;
a battery unit that produces an electric power for energizing the electric motor;
a sensor member that senses both a toque applied to the steering mechanism through the steering wheel and a direction in which the steering wheel is turned; and
a control unit that controls operation of the electric motor, the control unit being configured to control the electric power fed from the battery unit to the electric motor in accordance with the torque and the direction sensed by the sensor;
wherein the battery unit comprises a plurality of lead-acid batteries that are connected in series, each lead-acid battery including a spirally wound positive plate, a spirally wound negative plate, a spirally wound insulating plate that is spirally wound and sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, a cylindrical battery case that puts therein the spirally wound positive, negative and insulating plates and an electrolyte that is provided in the cylindrical battery case. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A power steering device of a motor vehicle which has a steering wheel and steered road wheels, comprising:
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a steering mechanism through which turning of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steered road wheels;
a hydraulic power cylinder having first and second work chambers defined therein, the power cylinder assigning the operation of the steering mechanism when receiving a pressurized hydraulic fluid in one of the first and second work chambers;
a reversible hydraulic pump that has first and second intake/exhaust ports that are connected to the first and second work chambers of the hydraulic power cylinder respectively, the reversible hydraulic pump feeding one of the first and second work chambers with the pressurized hydraulic fluid when rotated in either one of normal and reversed directions;
a three-phase electric motor that drives the reversible hydraulic pump when energized by a three-phase alternating current electric power;
a battery unit that produces a direct current electric power;
a sensor member that senses both a torque applied to the steering mechanism through the steering wheel and a direction in which the steering wheel is turned; and
a control unit that is energized by the electric power and controls operation of the three-phase electric motor, wherein the control unit includes a section that inverts the direct current electric power from the battery unit to the three-phase alternating current electric power fed to the electric motor, and a section that controls the electric power from the battery unit to the electric motor in accordance with the torque and the direction that are sensed by the sensor member. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A power steering device of a motor vehicle which has a steering wheel and steered road wheels, comprising:
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a steering mechanism through which turning of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steered road wheels;
a hydraulic power cylinder having first and second work chambers defined therein, the power cylinder assisting the operation of the steering mechanism when receiving a pressurized hydraulic fluid in one of the first and second work chambers;
a reversible hydraulic pump that has first and second intake/exhaust ports that are connected to the first and second work chambers of the hydraulic power cylinder respectively, the reversible hydraulic pump feeding one of the first and second work chambers with the pressurized hydraulic fluid when rotated in either one of normal and reversed directions;
an electric motor that rotates the reversible hydraulic pump in normal and reversed directions;
a battery unit including a plurality of lead-acid batteries that are connected in series, each lead-acid battery comprising a spirally wound positive plate, a spirally wound negative plate, a spirally wound insulating plate that is spirally wound and sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, a battery case that puts therein the spirally wound positive, negative and insulating plates and an electrolyte that is provided in the battery case;
a power module that controls an electric power that is produced by the battery unit and fed to the electric motor;
a steering load detecting section that detects a steering load that is applied to the steering mechanism through the steering wheel; and
a control module that controls the power module in accordance with the steering load detected by the steering load detecting section. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification