KR19980038833A - Front wheel alignment device and method for parking - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front wheel alignment device and method for parking, particularly suitable for a motor vehicle using an electric power steering system that generates auxiliary steering force. The device of the present invention processes inputs of sensors and switches. Means for controlling the power steering to automatically align the front wheels; a means for visually displaying the current wheel condition; and means for recognizing the driver's wheel alignment needs. Judging, calculating the front wheel alignment angle, displaying the current front wheel state, comparing the alignment angle with a reference value, judging the state of the front wheel alignment switch if the alignment angle is above the reference value, Process of aligning the front wheel by controlling the power steering controller when the front wheel alignment switch is on By automatically aligning the front wheels, especially when parked in a confined space, if the wheels are rotated a lot, the front wheels are aligned with a simple switch operation when parking or starting, thus avoiding contact accidents that may occur during rapid start and after starting. To prevent it.

Description

Front wheel alignment device and method for parking

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front wheel alignment device and method for parking, and more particularly, to a vehicle using an electric power steering system that generates auxiliary steering force. When the parking switch is on, the input of the steering angle sensor is processed. It calculates the angle of the front wheel that needs to be aligned, displays it, and recognizes it to the driver. When the alignment angle is higher than the reference value, when the driver presses the wheel alignment switch, the front wheel is automatically aligned by controlling the electric power steering device.

Normally, when parking in a tight space, the steering wheel will be bent a lot, so the front wheels are not neat. Therefore, after parking, the wheels should be aligned to prevent contact accidents even after a quick start after the next start.

But aligning the front wheel every time after parking is quite cumbersome and easy to forget.

Therefore, in order to prevent contact accidents that may occur when the wheels are not aligned after starting, a means for easily aligning the front wheels during parking is required.

The object of the present invention proposed by this request is to calculate the angle of the front wheel that needs to be aligned if the parking switch is on, display it and recognize it to the driver, and when the driver presses the wheel alignment switch, the front wheel is controlled by controlling the electric power steering system. It is to provide a front wheel alignment device and method for automatic alignment.

To this end, the device of the present invention processes the inputs of sensors and switches to control the power steering to automatically align the front wheels, to visually display the current wheel condition and to recognize the driver's wheel alignment needs. Characterized in that comprises a.

In addition, the front wheel alignment method for parking according to the present invention, the process of determining the state of the parking switch, the process of calculating the front wheel alignment angle, the process of displaying the current front wheel state, the process of comparing the alignment angle with the reference value, alignment If the angle is equal to or greater than the reference value, the process of determining the state of the front wheel alignment switch, and if the front wheel alignment switch is on, characterized in that it comprises a step of aligning the front wheel by controlling the power steering controller.

1 is a block diagram of a front wheel alignment device during parking of the present invention

2 is a flow chart of the front wheel alignment controller of FIG.

3 is a flow chart of the power steering controller of FIG.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: wheel alignment controller 110: wheel alignment switch

120: display unit 130: parking switch

140: steering angle sensor 200: electric power steering device

201: steering wheel 202: steering shaft

203: universal joint 204: torque sensor

205,207: gearbox 206: gear rack

208: Tie Rod 209: Wheels

210: vehicle speed sensor 211: power steering controller

212 battery 213 electric motor

214: reducer 215: engine

216,218 Pulley 217 Belt

219: generator

As shown in FIG. 1, the front wheel alignment device according to the present invention includes a wheel alignment switch 110 for providing a front wheel alignment request of a driver to the wheel alignment controller 100 and a display unit 120 displaying a current front wheel state. And, an electric power steering device 200 that processes signals input from the torque sensor 204, the vehicle speed sensor 210, and the wheel alignment controller 100 to generate a steering force or steering force for front wheel alignment, and a wheel alignment switch. The front wheel is aligned by processing the inputs of the 110, the parking switch 130, and the steering angle sensor 140 to determine whether the front wheel is aligned, and outputting the wheel alignment signal to the power steering device 200 when the wheel alignment is required. It is composed of a wheel alignment controller 100 to be.

The operation and control flow of the front wheel alignment device of the present invention having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

The wheel alignment controller 100 may determine a state of a parking switch, calculate a front wheel alignment angle, display a current front wheel state, compare the alignment angle with a reference value, and determine the alignment angle as a reference value. If the above is the process of determining the state of the front wheel alignment switch, and if the front wheel alignment switch is turned on, the front wheel is automatically aligned by performing a process of aligning the front wheel by controlling the power steering controller.

This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 showing the control flow of the wheel alignment controller 100.

First, the wheel alignment controller 100 determines whether the driver parks the car and puts the gear lever in the parking position by detecting the state of the parking switch 130 (S10).

When the parking switch 130 is in the on state, the steering wheel 202 is installed on the steering shaft 202 to process the input of the steering angle sensor 140 for detecting the rotation angle of the steering shaft to calculate the alignment angle of the front wheel, and displays the current front wheel state. Output through 120 so that the driver can recognize (S11 ~ S12).

Subsequently, it is determined whether the angle to be aligned is smaller than the reference value (S13), and when it is smaller than the reference value, the front wheel does not need to be aligned.

However, if the alignment angle is more than the reference value, if the start and departure after starting in the unaligned state may cause a contact accident, the wheel alignment controller 100 determines that it is necessary to align the front wheel wheel alignment switch 110 is on Determine the recognition (S14).

If the driver aligns the wheels by manually rotating the steering wheel 201 while watching the current front wheel state displayed, the process is repeated (S11 to S14), and the driver presses the wheel alignment switch 110 provided with the wheel alignment controller. 100 outputs a wheel alignment signal to the power steering controller 211 (S15). At this time, information about the direction to be aligned is also output.

Subsequently, the wheel alignment controller 100 processes the input of the steering angle sensor 140 to calculate the alignment angle of the front wheel, and outputs the current state of the front wheel through the display unit, and continues if the alignment angle is greater than or equal to the reference value (S15 to S18). ) And repeats the wheel alignment signal when the alignment angle is smaller than the reference value (S19).

Hereinafter, the control flow of the electric power steering apparatus 200 used in the present invention and the power steering controller 211 which receives the wheel alignment signal of the wheel alignment controller 100 will be described.

First, the electric power steering apparatus 200 will be described. The electric power steering apparatus 200 includes a steering shaft 202 which can be freely rotated by the steering wheel 201 of the gear rack 206 through the universal joint 203. It is connected to the gearbox 205.

The rotational force of the steering shaft 202 is transmitted to the gear rack 206 via the pinion gear (not shown) by the universal joint 203.

The gearbox 205 is provided with a torque sensor 204 for detecting the torque of the steering shaft 202 and the detection output of the torque sensor 204 is input to the power steering controller 211.

A tie rod 208 is connected to both ends of the gear rack 206, and the wheel 209 is steered by the operation of the storage rack 206 and the tie rod 208.

The gearbox 207 of the gear rack 206 is connected to the electric motor 213 through the speed reducer 214 and the electric motor 213 is driven by the control signal of the steering controller 211.

A pulley 216 is installed on the rotation shaft of the engine 215, a pulley 218 is installed on the rotation shaft of the generator 218, and a belt 217 is wound between the pulley 216 and the pulley 218.

The output terminal of the generator 219 is connected to the battery 212 and the power steering controller 211 is connected to the output terminal of the battery 212.

When the steering wheel 201 is operated, the torque sensor 204 detects the torque of the steering shaft 202 and outputs a detection signal to the power steering controller 211. The electric motor 213 is operated by a control signal from the power steering controller 211 and provides auxiliary steering force to overcome road surface friction generated between the wheel 209 and the road surface.

Meanwhile, the power steering controller 211 processes signals input from the torque sensor 204 and the vehicle speed sensor 210 to determine three types of stop, low speed, medium and high speed, and correspondingly the electric motor 213. The power of the battery 212 is input to the electric motor 213 correspondingly to supply the auxiliary steering force.

The above has described the normal function of the electric power steering apparatus 200, and the front wheel alignment function will be described in detail with reference to the control flowchart of the power steering controller 211 of FIG.

The power steering controller 211 processes inputs of the torque sensor 204 and the vehicle speed sensor 210 to calculate the torque and the vehicle speed due to the rotational movement of the steering shaft 202 to determine whether the torque and the vehicle speed are zero (S20). S22).

If the torque and the vehicle speed are not all zero as a result of the determination, the normal power steering function described above is performed. In this case, the input of the wheel alignment signal of the wheel alignment controller 100 is disabled and ignored.

However, if the torque and the vehicle speed are both 0 as a result of the determination, the input of the wheel alignment signal of the wheel alignment controller 100 is enabled when there is no steering wheel movement in the stopped state. It is determined whether the wheel alignment signal is input (S25 ~ S26).

When the wheel alignment signal is input, the electric power of the battery 212 is input to the motor 213 according to the control signal, and the motor 213 supplies the steering force correspondingly to steer the wheel 209 (S27).

This is continued while the wheel alignment signal is input from the wheel alignment controller 100 (S25 to S27), and the alignment of the front wheel is within a predetermined range so that the wheel alignment controller 100 stops outputting the wheel alignment signal. Return to S20).

As described above, when the parking switch is in the on state, the steering wheel sensor input is processed to calculate the angle of the front wheel that needs to be aligned, and this is recognized by the driver. If the alignment angle is higher than the reference value, the front wheel is determined to be necessary. At this time, if the driver presses the wheel alignment switch, the electric power steering device is controlled to automatically align the front wheels. It is convenient because it is aligned, and it can prevent the contact accident which may occur in case of sudden start after starting.

The present invention has been described with reference to only one embodiment of the vehicle front wheel alignment device and method when parking as described in the claims, but is not limited to this and various applications and modifications will be possible to those skilled in the art.

Claims (4)

The wheel alignment switch 110 for providing the driver's front wheel alignment request to the wheel alignment controller 100, the display unit 120 displaying the current front wheel state, the torque sensor 204, the vehicle speed sensor 210, and the wheels. An electric power steering apparatus 200 that processes signals input from the alignment controller 100 to generate auxiliary steering force and steering force for front wheel alignment, the wheel alignment switch 110, the parking switch 130, and the steering angle sensor 140. Determining whether the front wheel is aligned by processing the input of, and if the wheel alignment is required, the wheel alignment controller 100 to output the wheel alignment signal to the power steering device 200 to align the front wheel is characterized in that it is configured Front wheel alignment device for parking. Determining a state of the parking switch 130, processing an input signal of the steering angle sensor 140, calculating a front wheel alignment angle, displaying a current front wheel state on the display unit 120, and Comparing the angle with the reference value, determining the state of the wheel alignment switch 110 when the alignment angle is equal to or greater than the reference value, and controlling the power steering controller 211 when the wheel alignment switch 110 is on. The front wheel alignment method for parking, characterized in that comprising the step of aligning. The method of claim 2, wherein the process of aligning the front wheels by controlling the power steering controller 211 comprises outputting a front wheel alignment signal to the power steering controller 211, and processing the input signal of the steering angle sensor 140 to align the front wheels. Calculating the angle and displaying the current front wheel state on the display unit 120, comparing the alignment angle with the reference value, and repeating the preceding steps if the alignment angle is greater than the reference value; The front wheel alignment method of parking, characterized in that comprises the step of stopping the output of the wheel alignment. In outputting the wheel alignment signal of claim 3 to the power steering controller 211, the power steering controller 211 processes inputs of the torque sensor 204 and the vehicle speed sensor 210 to rotate the steering shaft 202. If the wheel alignment signal is input while the torque and the vehicle speed calculated by the movement are calculated and the input of the wheel alignment signal having both the torque and the vehicle speed is enabled, the battery 212 is supplied to the electric motor 213 according to the wheel alignment control signal. Inputting the power of the motor and the electric motor (213) according to the steering wheel corresponding to the steering wheel (209) to align the front wheel to park the front wheel alignment, characterized in that made in a certain range.