Motor-driven power steering apparatus

• US 7,604,087 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Showa Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Showa Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Senda, Shunya, Tamaki, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Winner; Tony H.
• Application Number:
  US11/444,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20070144823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 180/204, 180/446, 701/41, 701/42
• US Class Current: 180/446
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/02 Steering position indicators ; Steering position determination; Steering aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0466 for returning the steering wheel to neutral position

Abstract

In a motor-driven power steering apparatus which converts a rotation of an electric motor into a linear stroke of a rack shaft by a power transmission mechanism, and steers a wheel coupled to the rack shaft, there is provided an automatic neutral restoring means for judging a vehicle stop and a manual steering rest, and rotating the electric motor as to restore a detected steering angle of a steering angle sensor to a neutral position so as to execute an automatic steering, when the steering angle is out of the neutral position.

Claims

1. A motor-driven power steering apparatus for converting rotation of an electric motor into a linear stroke of a rack shaft by a power transmission mechanism and steering a wheel coupled to the rack shaft, comprising:

an automatic neutral restoring means for judging a vehicle stop and a manual steering rest, and for rotating the electric motor in such a manner as to restore a detected steering angle of a steering angle sensor to a neutral position so as to execute an automatic steering, when the steering angle is out of the neutral position,

wherein when the automatic neutral restoring means judges the vehicle stop cancel or the manual steering rest cancel under the automatic steering, the automatic neutral restoring means cancels the automatic steering.

2. A motor-driven power steering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the automatic neutral restoring means previously determines a proper steering angular velocity in correspondence to the steering angle and restores the steering angle to the neutral position by using the detected steering angle of the steering angle sensor, the automatic neutral restoring means drives and controls the electric motor in such a manner as to make the angular velocity of the automatic steering by the electric motor in conformity with the proper steering angular velocity.

3. A motor-driven power steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the automatic neutral restoring means judges the vehicle stop on the basis of the detected result of the vehicle speed sensor, and judges the manual steering rest on the basis of the detected result of the steering torque sensor.

4. A motor-driven power steering apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the automatic neutral restoring means previously defines a proper angular velocity signal map which is optimum for returning the steering angle of the steering wheel to the neutral position in correspondence to each of the steering angles, on the basis of the steering angle of the automatic steering serving as a parameter, previously defines a correction current signal map for the electric motor necessary for achieving each of the angular velocity signals, on the basis of the angular velocity signal serving as a parameter, and stores the proper angular velocity signal map and the correction current signal map in a memory, and

the automatic neutral restoring means reads the proper steering angular velocity signal in correspondence to the detected steering angle signal of the steering sensor from the maps, calculates an actual steering angular velocity on the basis of the detected steering angle signal, and reads a correction current signal of the electric motor necessary for making the calculated steering angular velocity in conformity with the proper steering angular velocity signal form the correction current signal map, thereby driving and controlling the electric motor.

5. A motor-driven power steering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic neutral restoring means judges the vehicle stop on the basis of the detected result of the vehicle speed sensor, and judges the manual steering rest on the basis of the detected result of the steering torque sensor.

6. A motor-driven power steering apparatus for converting rotation of an electric motor into a linear stroke of a rack shaft by a power transmission mechanism and steering a wheel coupled to the rack shaft, comprising:

an automatic neutral restoring means for judging a vehicle stop and a manual steering rest, and for rotating the electric motor in such a manner as to restore a detected steering angle of a steering angle sensor to a neutral position so as to execute an automatic steering, when the steering angle is out of the neutral position,

wherein when the automatic neutral restoring means previously determines a proper steering angular velocity in correspondence to the steering angle and restores the steering angle to the neutral position by using the detected steering angle of the steering angle sensor, the automatic neutral restoring means drives and controls the electric motor in such a manner as to make the angular velocity of the automatic steering by the electric motor in conformity with the proper steering angular velocity, and

wherein the automatic neutral restoring means previously defines a proper angular velocity signal map which is optimum for returning the steering angle of the steering wheel to the neutral position in correspondence to each of the steering angles, on the basis of the steering angle of the automatic steering serving as a parameter, previously defines a correction current signal map for the electric motor necessary for achieving each of the angular velocity signals, on the basis of the angular velocity signal serving as a parameter, and stores the proper angular velocity signal map and the correction current signal map in a memory, and

the automatic neutral restoring means reads the proper steering angular velocity signal in correspondence to the detected steering angle signal of the steering sensor from the maps, calculates an actual steering angular velocity on the basis of the detected steering angle signal, and reads a correction current signal of the electric motor necessary for making the calculated steering angular velocity in conformity with the proper steering angular velocity signal from the correction current signal map, thereby driving and controlling the electric motor.

7. A motor-driven power steering apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the automatic neutral restoring means judges the vehicle stop on the basis of the detected result of the vehicle speed sensor, and judges the manual steering rest on the basis of the detected result of the steering torque sensor.