JP2005162124A - Steering force transmission device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify the structure of a steering force transmission device which is provided between a steering operation member and a steered device, and equipped with a variable transmission mechanism capable of changing rotation ratio. <P>SOLUTION: An input shaft 62 in which the rotation according to the operation of the steering operation member 20 is input, and an output shaft 80 outputting the rotation to the steered device 12, are coaxially disposed, and a motor shaft 152 of a motor 150 provided with a variable transmission mechanism (strain wave gearing mechanism) 82 is also coaxially disposed. A housing 60 accommodating the components is non-rotatably provided on a vehicle body. Since the housing 60 does not rotate, it is not necessary to pay special consideration in the treatment of the cable for supplying power to the motor 150, and therefore the structure becomes simple. Since three shafts 62, 80, 152 are coaxially disposed, the transmission device having a simple structure is realized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a device for transmitting an operation force of a steering operation member to a steering device for turning a wheel, and more particularly to a steering force transmission device capable of changing a rotation ratio between an input shaft and an output shaft.

A steering system installed in a vehicle is a system that steers wheels by operating an operation member such as a steering wheel, and a steering force transmission device that transmits an operation force of the operation member as a steering force to a steering device. Have. The transmission device is generally configured to transmit the rotation of the steering shaft in accordance with the operation of the operation member as the rotation of the input shaft of the steering device. In such a transmission device, the steering shaft A transmission device that can change the ratio of the rotation amount of the input shaft of the steering device to the rotation amount of the steering device, that is, a transmission device having a transmission ratio variable function has been studied, and has already been installed in an actual vehicle. Specifically, it is a transmission apparatus as described in the following patent document and non-patent document, for example. Note that the transmission device described in Non-Patent Document 1 is an implementation of the transmission device described in Patent Document 1 in an actual vehicle.
JP 2000-211151 A JP 2001-48032 A JP 2003-160057 A Land Cruiser 100 New car manual Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. August 2002

  All of the transmission devices described in the above-mentioned patent documents are provided with a motor as a power source for changing the transmission ratio, and the motor is accommodated in a housing. However, since these transmission devices have a structure in which the housing rotates with the rotation of the steering shaft, it is necessary to devise some sort of processing for the cable for supplying power to the motor. Therefore, in those transmission devices, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 3, and Non-Patent Document 1, the power supply cable is a spiral cable so that the power supply cable is abnormally pulled by the rotation of the housing. It is prevented from being loosened or loosened. However, the mechanism related to the spiral cable is complicated, and the transmission device has a problem that its structure must be complicated. In view of this situation, an object of the present invention is to obtain a steering force transmission device having a simplified structure.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a steering force transmission device according to the present invention includes an input shaft to which rotation according to the operation of the steering operation member is input, an output shaft that outputs rotation to the steering device, and rotation of both the shafts A transmission device having a variable transmission mechanism that transmits rotation between the two shafts in such a manner that the ratio can be changed. The motor shaft of the motor which is a power source in the mechanism, the input shaft, and the output shaft are arranged coaxially.

Effects and effects of the invention

  According to the steering force transmission device of the present invention, since the housing does not rotate, it is not necessary to give special consideration to the processing of the cable for supplying power to the motor. Is realized. Further, since the three shafts of the motor shaft, the input shaft, and the output shaft are coaxial, a transmission device with a clean structure is realized. The operation and effect of the steering force transmission device will be described in more detail in the following [Aspect of the Invention] section.

Aspects of the Invention

  In the following, some aspects of the invention that can be claimed in the present application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “claimable invention”, a concept including the present invention) will be exemplified and described. As with the claims, each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and is described in a form that cites the numbers of other sections as necessary. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the claimable inventions, and is not intended to limit the combinations of the constituent elements constituting those inventions to those described in the following sections. In other words, the claimable invention should be construed in consideration of the description accompanying each section, the description of the embodiments, etc., and as long as the interpretation is followed, another aspect is added to the form of each section. In addition, an aspect in which constituent elements are deleted from the aspect of each item can be an aspect of the claimable invention.

  In each of the following items, the combination of items (1) and (2) corresponds to claim 1, and the limitation of item (3) to claim 1 is added to claim 2. Any one of claims 1 and 2 with the limitation of (5) added to claim 3, claim 3 with the limitation of (6) added to claim 4, and any one of claims 1 to 4 In addition, the limitation of the item (9) is added to the claim 5, the limitation of the items (13) and (14) to any one of the claims 1 to 5 is added to the claim 6, and the claim 1 is added. In addition, any one of -5 to which the limitations of the items (12) and (15) are added corresponds to claim 7 respectively.

(1) a housing provided so as not to rotate with respect to the vehicle body;
An input shaft that is rotatably held in the housing and receives rotation according to the operation of the steering operation member;
An output shaft that is rotatably held in the housing and outputs rotation to a steering device that steers wheels;
A mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft, the motor having a motor fixed to the housing, and changing a rotational speed of the motor to change a rotation ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft. A steering force transmission device comprising a variable transmission mechanism that can be changed.

  In short, the steering force transmission device according to the aspect described in this section is, for example, a device that transmits rotation by interposing an input shaft and an output shaft with a variable transmission mechanism between them. The variable transmission mechanism according to this aspect is provided with a motor as a power source, and the motor is fixed to the housing. And since the said apparatus is arrange | positioned in a vehicle so that a housing cannot be rotated with respect to a vehicle body, the process of the cable (lead wire etc.) for supplying electric power from a vehicle body side to a motor shall be simple. Become. That is, according to the aspect described in this section, a steering force transmission device having a simplified structure is realized. In addition, as described above, since a spiral cable mechanism is not required, a compact steering force transmission device is realized. Further, since the spiral cable mechanism is not required, the thickness of the power feeding cable can be increased, and a motor with a large output can be employed. In addition, when the steering force transmission device includes a control cable that is an electric wire other than the power supply cable and is an electric wire for control, the processing of the control cable should be simplified according to the aspect described in this section. Can do.

  In the aspect described in this section, the phrase “the housing is provided so as not to rotate with respect to the vehicle body” means, for example, that the housing does not rotate. For example, it is possible to make the rotation impossible by fixing the housing to a part of the vehicle body. When the vehicle body is equipped with a steering device having a structure that has a rack and pinion mechanism and moves the steering rod in the vehicle width direction, the steering device, in detail, by fixing it to the housing of the steering device, If the housing can be made non-rotatable and has a steering column that includes a steering shaft and a steering tube that rotatably holds the housing, the housing cannot be made to rotate by being fixed to the column. It can be. The “motor fixed to the housing” does not necessarily require the motor casing to be fixed to the housing. For example, when the housing of the transmission device also serves as a motor casing, that is, when the stator is directly fixed to the housing, the motor is assumed to be fixed to the housing.

  For example, when the steering system is configured to include an operation device mainly composed of the steering column, the “input shaft” is a steering operation member (a steering wheel or the like) by being connected to the steering shaft. In some cases, rotation corresponding to the operation of “operation member” may be simply input. In this case, the steering shaft and the input shaft can be directly connected, and in an extreme case, a structure in which a part of the steering shaft also serves as the input shaft can be used. Further, instead of being directly connected, a flexible joint such as a universal joint may be interposed, or a gear mechanism may be connected. When the steering system includes an auxiliary rotation shaft such as an intermediate shaft, the auxiliary rotation shaft may be interposed between the input shaft and the steering shaft.

  In addition, for example, the steering device has the above-described structure, and includes an input shaft (hereinafter, referred to as a “steering input shaft”, for example, a pinion shaft). In this case, as in the case of the input shaft, the “output shaft” is connected to the steered input shaft to output rotation to the steered device. In that case, the steered input shaft and the output shaft can be directly connected, and in an extreme case, a structure in which a part of the steered input shaft also serves as the output shaft can be adopted. Further, as in the case of the input shaft, it is possible not to connect directly, but to connect with a flexible joint or the like or a gear mechanism or the like. Similarly, when the steering system includes an auxiliary rotating shaft such as an intermediate shaft, the auxiliary rotating shaft can be interposed between the output shaft and the steering input shaft. It is.

  In the embodiment described in this section, the configuration of the “variable transmission mechanism” is not particularly limited. For example, a strain wave gearing mechanism, a planetary gear mechanism, etc., which will be described later, can be adopted. It is. The “rotation ratio” means, for example, a ratio between the rotation amount of the input shaft (which is a concept including the rotation angle) and the rotation amount of the output shaft. It can also be considered as a ratio of rotational speed. Unless otherwise specified, in this specification, the “rotation ratio” is treated as the ratio of the rotation amount of the output shaft to the rotation amount of the input shaft.

  The rotation ratio can be controlled, for example, by providing a control device in the vehicle and using the control device. Specifically, it is possible to perform control such as changing the rotation ratio by controlling the rotation speed of the motor (strictly speaking, the rotation speed of the motor shaft). The purpose of the control for changing the rotation ratio is not particularly limited. Actually, for example, when the speed of the vehicle is high, in consideration of the running stability of the vehicle, in order to reduce the turning amount of the wheel with respect to the operation amount of the operation member, control such as reducing the rotation ratio, and vice versa In addition, when the speed of the vehicle is low, it is possible to perform control such as increasing the rotation ratio in order to increase the wheel turning amount with respect to the operation amount of the operation member in view of the ease of handling of the vehicle.

  (2) The steering force transmission device according to (1), wherein the input shaft, the output shaft, and a motor shaft that is a drive shaft of the motor are coaxially arranged.

  According to the aspect described in this section, by arranging the three shafts coaxially, for example, the motor itself can be disposed on a line connecting the input shaft and the output shaft, and the steering force transmission with a clean structure is achieved. The device is realized. That is, a steering force transmission device having a simplified structure in that sense is realized. In addition, since the three axes are coaxial, it is possible to avoid the motor from protruding in the direction intersecting the line connecting the input shaft and the output shaft. In this respect, a compact steering force transmission device is realized. Is done. That is, the transmission device according to the aspect of the present embodiment is less subject to restrictions regarding the space in which the transmission device is disposed, and the degree of freedom regarding the location where the transmission device is disposed is improved. The “motor shaft” is called by various names such as a drive shaft, an output shaft, and a motor main shaft, and may be integrated with or directly connected to the rotor included in the motor, and connected to the rotor via a reduction mechanism or the like. It may be done.

  (3) The steering force transmission device according to (2), wherein the motor shaft is hollow, and is arranged so that at least one of the input shaft and the output shaft is inserted through the motor shaft.

  If the three shafts are simply arranged in a straight line, the input shaft is connected to the operation member side and the output shaft is connected to the steered device side, and then the input shaft, the output shaft, and the variable transmission are connected. It is difficult to connect via a mechanism. One aspect of facilitating the coaxialization of the three axes is the aspect described in this section. In short, an aspect in which at least one of the input shaft and the output shaft is provided through the motor is included in the aspect described in this section. According to the aspect described in this section, the operation member side and the input shaft are connected on one side across the motor in the apparatus axial direction (direction along the three coaxial axes), and the other side A transmission device having a structure in which the steering device side and the output shaft are coupled to each other on the side can be easily realized.

  (4) Item (2) or (3) is arranged such that one of the input shaft and the output shaft is hollow, and the other of the input shaft and the output shaft is inserted through the one. Steering force transmission device.

  The aspect described in this section is another aspect for facilitating the coaxialization of the three axes. According to the aspect described in this section, on one side viewed from the motor in the device axis direction, the operation member side and the input shaft are connected, and the steered device side and the output shaft are connected. The transmission device can be easily realized. In addition, it can also be set as the aspect in which three axis | shafts are arrange | positioned in triple combining the aspect of the previous term.

  (5) The steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the variable transmission mechanism is a strain wave gearing mechanism.

  The strain wave gearing mechanism (sometimes called "strain wave gearing transmission mechanism" or "wave gear reduction mechanism". Also called so-called harmonic drive mechanism) is a compact transmission mechanism. Therefore, according to the aspect described in this section, a compact steering force transmission device is realized.

  (6) The strain wave gearing mechanism includes: (a) a first ring gear provided on one of the input shaft and the output shaft so as not to rotate relative thereto; and (b) the input shaft and the output shaft. A second ring gear provided on the other side of the first ring gear and having a different number of teeth from the first ring gear; (c) a flexible gear meshing with both the first ring gear and the second ring gear; According to (5), which is configured as a substantially elliptical cam, and includes a wave generator mounted on the outer periphery of the flexible gear and connected to the motor shaft so as not to rotate relative to the motor shaft. Steering force transmission device.

  In the aspect described in this section, the strain wave gearing mechanism as the variable transmission mechanism is limited to a specific form. A specific configuration will be described later in the [Example] section. The first ring gear and the second ring gear can also be called a first circular spline and a second circular spline, respectively, and the flexible gear can also be called a flex spline.

  (7) The steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the variable transmission device is a planetary gear mechanism.

  The planetary gear mechanism is widely used in various devices, devices, and the like, and is a practical speed change mechanism. Therefore, according to the aspect described in this section, a practical steering force transmission device is realized.

(8) The input shaft and the output shaft are arranged coaxially,
The planetary gear mechanism includes: (A) a first sun gear provided on the input shaft so as not to rotate relative thereto; and (B) a second sun gear provided on the output shaft not rotatable relative thereto and coaxially provided with the first sun gear. A sun gear; and (C) a planetary gear that meshes with both the first sun gear and the second sun gear and is circulated around the first sun gear and the second sun gear by rotation of the motor. (7) The steering force transmission device according to item (7).

  The aspect described in this section is an aspect in which the planetary gear mechanism as the variable transmission mechanism is limited to a specific form. A specific configuration will be described later in the [Example] section.

  (9) The steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (8), further including a motor shaft rotation lock mechanism that prohibits rotation of the motor shaft.

  When the variable transmission mechanism fails due to an abnormality in the control system, motor failure, etc., the steering force is not transmitted from the operating member to the steering device when the motor shaft is allowed to rotate freely. Can happen. According to the aspect described in this section, it is possible to easily cope with such a situation. That is, even when a failure occurs, a steering force transmission device that can guarantee the transmission of the steering force can be provided. The motor shaft rotation lock mechanism in this section can also be referred to as a stopper mechanism. For example, a locking portion (stopper) is provided on one of the motor shaft and the housing, and the other side is locked by the locking portion. What is necessary is just to make it a structure which provides a stop part and selectively implement | achieves the state which those engage with each other, and the state which does not engage.

  (10) At least one of the input shaft and the output shaft is configured to include a torsion bar in a part of the housing of the input shaft, and the steering force transmission device detects a torsion amount of the torsion bar. The steering force transmission device according to any one of items (1) to (9), comprising a twist amount detector.

  According to the aspect described in this section, it is possible to estimate the operation force applied to the operation member based on the detected twist amount of the torsion bar, in other words, the steering torque generated by the operation force. In the case of a steering system (so-called power steering system) having a mechanism for assisting the steering force in the steering device, it is possible to perform control so as to determine the assisting force using the detected twist amount. It is. Further, if the torsion bar can be incorporated into the transmission device as in the aspect described in this section, the power steering system can be further downsized. Note that an aspect in which a torsion bar exists between an input shaft and an output shaft can be considered that any of the axes includes the torsion bar, and the aspect is also described in this section. It shall be contained in the aspect.

  As the “twist amount detector”, for example, a device that directly measures the twist amount, such as a strain gauge attached to a torsion bar, can be employed. In addition, a device for measuring the rotational position (rotational angle position) of each portion of the input shaft or output shaft to which each of both ends or both ends of the torsion bar are connected, for example, an optical encoder, a resolver, An electromagnetic pickup or the like can also be employed. In that case, it is possible to indirectly detect the amount of twist by detecting the difference between the rotational positions of both ends. In other words, the twist amount detector is not limited to one constituted by only one device, and may be constituted by two or more devices.

  (11) The steering force transmission device includes a shaft rotation angle difference detector for detecting at least one of a difference and a ratio between the rotation angle of the input shaft and the rotation angle of the output shaft (1) Item 10. The steering force transmission device according to any one of Items 10 to 10.

  According to the aspect described in this section, the actual rotation ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft can be detected, and the steering transmission device can be accurately controlled. That is, the aspect described in this section is an aspect of an aspect including a rotation ratio detector for detecting a rotation ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft. The “axial rotation angle difference detector” is not limited to one configured by only one device. For example, in the same manner as the twist amount detector described above, there are two devices such as an optical encoder, a resolver, an electromagnetic pickup, etc., a device that measures the rotational position of the input shaft and a device that measures the rotational position of the output shaft. It may be configured to include.

  (12) The steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the housing is integrated with a housing of the steering device.

  The aspect described in this section is an aspect of an aspect in which the transmission device and the steering device are integrally configured, and can be considered as an aspect of an aspect in which the transmission device is fixed to the steering device. . If the steering force transmission device is provided in the steering device, there is a merit that the space in the vehicle interior can be widened, and according to the aspect described in this section, the merit can be enjoyed.

  (13) The steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the housing is detachably fixed to the housing of the steering device.

  The aspect described in this section is one aspect of the aspect in which the transmission device is fixed to the steering device. According to the aspect described in this section, it is possible to facilitate the work of assembling the steering system to the vehicle or the work such as maintenance of the steering system. The steering force transmission device described in this section is preferably configured such that both housings are fastened by a fastening material such as a bolt so that assembly work and separation work can be easily performed.

  (14) The steering force transmission device according to (13), wherein the output shaft is detachably fitted to the input shaft of the steering device.

  According to the aspect described in this section, it is possible to more easily perform the assembly operation and maintenance operation of the above-described steering system to the vehicle. As for the fitting between the output shaft and the input shaft of the steering device, for example, it is desirable that one is inserted into the other to be fitted, and the two shafts are not relatively rotatable by serration fitting or the like. It is desirable that it can be easily connected and disconnected.

  (15) The steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein at least a part of the output shaft also serves as an input shaft of the steering device.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the output shaft and the input shaft of the steering device are integrated, in other words, a mode in which both are integrated into one part. For example, a mode in which a pinion shaft in a turning device having a rack and pinion mechanism is used as an output shaft of the transmission device corresponds to a specific mode of the mode described in this section. According to the aspect described in this section, the components of the steering system can be reduced. The mode described in this section is a particularly effective mode in the mode in which the transmission device is fixed to the steering device, and further in the mode in which both are integrated.

  (16) The input shaft and the output shaft are connected to a rotating shaft on the operating member side and a rotating shaft on the steering device side through a gear mechanism, respectively (1) to (13) A steering force transmission device according to claim 1.

  According to the aspect described in this section, the degree of freedom in the connection between the input shaft or the output shaft and the rotation shaft, for example, the positional relationship between the two shafts connected (the distance between the axes, the angle formed by the axes, etc.) The degree of freedom can be increased. Moreover, it is also possible to give a speed reduction / acceleration function to those connected portions. The “rotating shaft on the operation member side” referred to in this section is a general term for rotating shafts connected to the input shaft, and for example, a steering shaft is one of them. When an intermediate shaft is interposed between the steering shaft and the input shaft, the shaft may be used as the rotating shaft, and the steering shaft or intermediate shaft may be connected via another auxiliary shaft. In the case of being coupled to the auxiliary shaft, the auxiliary shaft corresponds to the rotating shaft. Similarly, the “rotary shaft on the side of the steering device” referred to in this section is a general term for the rotational shaft connected to the output shaft, and for example, the input shaft of the steering device is one of them. As in the case of the rotating shaft on the operating member side, an auxiliary shaft such as an intermediate shaft can also be the rotating shaft on the steering device side.

  (17) The steering force transmission device according to item (16), wherein the gear mechanism includes a bevel gear.

  According to the aspect described in this section, it is possible to dispose the transmission device in a state where the axes of the input shaft or the output shaft and the rotation shaft intersect each other. More specifically, for example, when the input shaft and the output shaft are arranged coaxially, the transmission is performed so that their axes intersect with the axis of the rotation shaft on the operation member side and the turning device side. The device can be provided in the steering system.

(21) A steering shaft, a shaft housing that rotatably holds the steering shaft, and a steering operation member that is coupled to one end of the steering shaft. The steering shaft is operated according to the operation of the steering operation member. An operating device adapted to rotate;
(i) a housing, and (ii) a steering rod that is held in the housing so as to be movable in the axial direction, and that both end portions are connected to each of the left and right wheels, and a rack is formed in the middle portion, iii) a steering device that is rotatably held in the housing and includes an input shaft formed with a pinion that meshes with the rack, and the left and right wheels are steered by rotating the input shaft;
The operation is performed in a state where the input shaft of the steering shaft is connected to one end portion of the steering shaft where the steering operation member is not connected, and the output shaft of the steering shaft is connected to the input shaft of the steering device. A steering system comprising: a steering force transmission device according to any one of (1) to (17) interposed between a device and the steering device.

  This section relates to a steering system including any of the various aspects of the steering force transmission device described above as a component. A steering system in which any one of the steering force transmission devices is provided can receive the advantages described in the section related to the device according to the provided steering force transmission device. The steering system may include components that are not described in this section, such as an intermediate shaft. Further, the “steering device” may include an assisting mechanism that assists the steering force transmitted from the operation member side by using a motor as a power source. That is, the steering system described in this section may be a so-called power steering system.

  Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following examples, the present invention is implemented in various modes including various modes modified and improved based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the mode described in the above [Mode of Invention]. be able to.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 schematically shows a steering system provided with the steering force transmission device of the first embodiment. The steering system is a power steering system, and is roughly abbreviated as an operation device 10, a steering device 12, a steering force transmission device 14, and an electronic control unit 16 (hereinafter referred to as "ECU 16") as a control device. ), And includes them as components.

  The operation device 10 includes a steering wheel 20 as a steering operation member, and a steering column 22 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “column” 22). The column 22 includes a steering shaft 24 having a steering wheel 20 connected to one end thereof, and a steering tube 26 (hereinafter simply referred to as “tube 26”) as a shaft housing that rotatably holds the steering shaft 24. It is comprised including. The column 26 is fixed to the vehicle body by fixing the tube 26 to the reinforcement of the instrument panel.

  The steered device 12 is mainly configured by a housing 30 fixed to a vehicle body (specifically, a chassis) and a steered rod 32 provided on the housing 30 so as to be movable in an axial direction (left and right direction of the vehicle). . The steering device 12 has a pinion shaft 34 as an input shaft to which a steering force from the operation device 10 side is input. A rack 38 that meshes with a pinion 36 formed on the pinion shaft 34 is formed on the steered rod 32, and the pinion shaft 34 and the steered rod 32 are connected by a rack and pinion mechanism (see FIG. 2). . With such a structure, the steered rod 32 is moved in the axial direction by the rotation of the pinion shaft 34. Further, both end portions of the steered rod 32 are connected to respective integrated portions of the left and right tie rods 42 via ball joints 40, and the other end portions of the tie rods 42 are connected to the left and right ends via ball joints 44. The steering knuckles 48 that hold the respective steered wheels 46 are connected to the knuckle arm portions 50 of the steering knuckles 48. Furthermore, the steering device 12 includes an assist mechanism 52 that assists the steering force, and is configured to assist the movement of the steer rod 32 in the axial direction. Although illustration is omitted, a ball screw (male screw) is formed on the steered rod 32, and the steered device 12 includes a ball nut that has a bearing ball in the housing 30 and is screwed into the ball screw. An electric motor for rotating the ball nut is provided, and the movement of the steered rod 32 is assisted by the driving force of the motor.

  The steering force transmission device 14 is a device that performs the function of transmitting the rotation of the steering shaft 24 that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the steering wheel 20 to the pinion shaft 34 of the steering device 12. In other words, it is a device that transmits an operating force applied to the steering wheel 20 to the steering device 20 as a steering force. The steering force transmission device 14 is fixed to the steering device 12 by fastening its own housing 60 to the housing 30 of the steering device 12. The steering force transmission device 14 includes an input shaft 62, and one end portion of the input shaft 62 extending from the housing 60 is connected to one end portion of the intermediate shaft 66 via the universal joint 64. The other end of the intermediate shaft 66 is connected to the end of the steering shaft 24 opposite to the steering wheel 20 via a universal joint 68. The structure of the steering force transmission device 14, the variable transmission function, and the like will be described in detail later.

  The ECU 16 is a control unit mainly composed of a computer, and mainly performs two controls. One of them is control related to the assist mechanism 52 of the steering device 12 described above. As will be described in detail later, the steering force transmission device 14 includes a torsion bar and a torsion amount detector for detecting the torsion amount of the torsion bar, and the ECU 16 is based on the detected torsion amount. The operating force applied to the steering wheel 20 (specifically, operating torque) is estimated, and an assisting mechanism 52 (specifically, energy applied to the electric motor) is provided so as to exert an assisting force corresponding to the estimated operating force. To control.

  Another control is control related to the variable transmission mechanism of the steering force transmission device 14. As will be described in detail later, the steering force transmission device 14 has a function that can change the ratio of the rotation of the pinion shaft 34 of the steering device 12 to the rotation of the steering shaft 24, that is, a variable transmission function. The rotation ratio is controlled. More specifically, the vehicle is based on the wheel speed detected by a wheel speed sensor 70 provided on each wheel (only the one provided for one steered wheel 46 is shown in the figure). The variable transmission mechanism is controlled so that the traveling speed is estimated and the rotation ratio is in accordance with the estimated speed. More specifically, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the set threshold speed, the rotation ratio is controlled to decrease as the traveling speed increases, and conversely, the traveling speed of the vehicle is set. If it is less than or equal to the threshold value, the rotation ratio increases as the traveling speed decreases. By this control, when the vehicle is traveling fast, the turning angle (steering amount) of the steered wheel 46 with respect to the operation angle (operation amount) of the steering wheel 20 is reduced, so that the running stability of the vehicle is reduced. Conversely, when the vehicle is traveling slowly, the steering angle of the steered wheel 46 with respect to the operating angle of the tearing wheel 20 is increased, thereby improving the ease of steering operation. It becomes possible.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the steering force transmission device 14. The steering force transmission device 14 rotates the rotation of the housing 60, the input shaft 62 provided to be rotatable with respect to the housing 60, the output shaft 80 provided to be rotatable with respect to the housing 60, and the input shaft 62. And a variable transmission mechanism 82 that transmits the output shaft 80 in a state in which the ratio can be changed. The housing 60 is configured by assembling three sub-housings (an upper housing 84, a lower housing 86, and a lock mechanism housing 88). A flange portion 90 is provided in the lower housing 86, and fastening holes 92 are formed in the flange portion 90 at four equal positions on a circumference. The flange portion 90 is attached to the pedestal portion 94 with its flange surface in contact with the pedestal surface of the pedestal portion 94 provided in the housing 30 of the steering device 12. The pedestal portion 94 is provided with four female screw holes 96 at positions corresponding to the fastening holes 92. With the fastening holes 92 and the female screw holes 96 being aligned, a bolt 98 serving as a fastening material is used to connect the flanges. The part 90 and the base part 94 are fastened. In this way, the housing 60 of the steering force transmission device 14 is fixed to the housing 30 of the steering device 12, so that the steering force transmission device 14 is fixed to the steering device 12, and the housing 60 is fixed to the vehicle body. It is in a state in which it cannot be relatively rotated.

  The input shaft 62 is configured as a combination of an upper shaft 110, a lower shaft 112, and a torsion bar 114. The upper shaft 110 extends from the upper portion of the housing 60, and serrations are formed on the outer periphery of the extending portion. In the portion where the serration is formed, the universal joint 64 is connected, and rotation from the operating device 10 is input. The upper shaft 110 is a stepped hollow, and the lower shaft 112 is inserted into a lower portion having a large diameter portion. A bearing 116 is interposed between the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion of the upper shaft 110 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft 112, so that the upper shaft 110 and the lower shaft 112 can rotate relative to each other. The lower shaft 112 has a flange portion 118 at the lower portion, and a bottomed hole extending in the axial direction from the upper end portion. One end of the torsion bar 114 is serrated to the bottom of the bottomed hole. The other end of the torsion bar 114 is serrated to the upper end of the upper shaft 110. With such a configuration, the input shaft 62 allows the torsion bar 114 to be twisted, and the input shaft 62 itself is twisted accordingly.

  The lower portion of the output shaft 80 is a shaft portion 120, and an annular portion 122 that is integrally formed with the shaft portion 120 and has a larger diameter than the shaft portion 120 is provided on the output shaft 80. The flange portion 118 of the lower shaft 112 that constitutes the input shaft 62 is located along a flange portion that connects the annular portion 122 and the shaft portion 120 of the output shaft 80, and the flange portion 118 is the annular portion 122. It is supposed to be included in The shaft portion 120 is hollow, and the lower end portion of the lower shaft 112 constituting the input shaft 62 is fitted into the upper portion. A bushing 124 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the lower shaft 112 and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow hole of the shaft portion 120 so that the lower shaft 112 and the shaft portion 120 can be rotated relative to each other. Yes. The upper shaft 110 constituting the input shaft 62 is rotatably held by the upper housing 84 via the bearing 126 at the outer periphery thereof, and the shaft portion 120 of the output shaft 80 is supported by the lower housing via the bearing 128 at the outer periphery thereof. 86 is rotatably held. With the above-described structure, the input shaft 62 and the output shaft 80 are coaxially arranged and can rotate relative to each other, and both can rotate with respect to the housing 60. It is.

  A pinion shaft 34 that is an input shaft of the steering device 12 is rotatably provided in the housing 30 via a bush 130 below the pinion 36 and via a bearing 132 above the pinion 36. Serration external teeth 134 are formed on the upper part of the pinion shaft 34, while serration internal teeth 136 are formed on the lower part of the shaft portion 120 of the output shaft 80, and the steering force transmission device 14 is used as a steering device. In the state attached to 12, the output shaft 80 and the pinion shaft 34 are serrated. With such a structure, the rotation of the output shaft 80 is transmitted to the pinion shaft 34. Since the axial direction of the output shaft 80 and the pinion shaft 34 and the axial direction of the bolt 98 for fastening are parallel, the bolt 98 is tightened when the steering force transmission device 14 is assembled to the steering device 12. As a result, the output shaft 80 and the pinion shaft 34 are fitted together, so that the assembling work is easy.

  The turning device 12 will be described here. The turning rod 32 is held in the housing 30 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and a rack 38 formed on the turning rod 32 meshes with the pinion 36 of the pinion shaft 34. Has been. Further, a mechanism for backing up the steered rod 32 is provided on the back side of the rack 38 of the steered rod 32. More specifically, a support member 140 that supports the steered rod 32 from behind is disposed in a hole provided in the housing 30, and a cap 142 is screwed to the end of the hole. Since the compression coil spring 144 is provided therebetween, the steered rod 32 is backed up in order to ensure proper meshing between the rack 38 and the pinion 36.

  The variable transmission mechanism 82 is a strain wave gearing mechanism. As a power source of the strain wave gearing mechanism, the steering force transmission device 14 is provided with a motor 150. A motor shaft 152 that is an output shaft of the motor 150 is hollow, and is disposed in a state where the input shaft 62, specifically, the lower shaft 112 is inserted through the motor shaft 152. Bearings 154 and 156 are interposed between the inner peripheral surface of the motor shaft 152 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft 112, and the motor shaft 152 is held by the lower shaft 112 so as to be relatively rotatable. It can rotate with respect to the housing 60. A plurality of permanent magnets 158 are fixed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the motor shaft 152, and they constitute a rotor of the motor 150. A plurality of pole bodies 160 (in which a coil is wound around a core) are fixedly disposed on the inner surface of the housing 60 so as to face the permanent magnet 158, and each of these pole bodies 160 is a stator pole. As a result, they constitute a stator. With such a structure, the motor 150 is a so-called brushless motor. The rotational position of the motor shaft 152 (also referred to as a rotational angle or rotational phase), that is, the rotational angle position of the rotor is determined by the attachment ring 162 attached to the upper end of the motor shaft 152 and the inner surface of the housing 60. It is detected by a resolver 164 provided therebetween, and is controlled by an unillustrated motor control circuit to switch energization to the pole body 160 in accordance with the rotational angle position of the rotor. Further, the rotation speed of the motor 150 is controlled by using the detection signal of the resolver 164.

  The variable transmission mechanism 82, which is a strain wave gearing mechanism, supports the stator gear 180 as the first ring gear, the driven gear 182 as the second ring gear, the flexible gear 184 that meshes with them, and the flexible gear 184 to generate waves. And a wave generator 186 to be generated.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the variable transmission mechanism 82 as viewed from the axial direction. The configuration and function of the variable transmission mechanism 82 will be described with reference to this figure as well. The stator gear 180 is a ring gear formed with internal teeth. The stator gear 180 is fixed to the input shaft 62, specifically, the outer peripheral portion of the flange portion 118 of the lower shaft 112, and is not rotatable relative to the input shaft 62. Yes. The driven gear 182 is a ring gear in which internal teeth are formed. The driven gear 182 is fixed to the upper end portion of the inner peripheral portion of the annular portion 122 of the output shaft 80 and cannot rotate relative to the output shaft 80. Furthermore, the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182 are provided coaxially, the stator gear 180 that is the input side gear is positioned below in the direction of the output side, and the driven gear 182 that is the output side gear is the input. By being located in the upper side, which is the side direction, they are arranged side by side in the axial direction as if they were interchanged. The number of teeth of the stator gear 180 and the number of teeth of the driven gear 182 are different from each other. The stator gear 180 has 102 teeth, whereas the driven gear 182 has 100 teeth. The flexible gear 184 is a ring gear in which external teeth are formed, and is flexible by being relatively thin. The number of teeth of the flexible gear 184 is the same as that of the driven gear.

  The wave generator 186 functions as a generally elliptical cam, and is configured to include a support disk 188 having a generally elliptical disk shape and a bearing 190 fitted on the outer periphery of the support disk 188. The support board 188 is provided with a shaft hole at its center, and is connected to the motor shaft 152 so as not to be relatively rotatable with the motor shaft 152 fitted in the shaft hole. The bearing 190 is attached to the support plate 188 in a state where the outer periphery of the support plate 188 is fitted into the inner race 192 of the bearing 190. The outer race 194 of the bearing 190 is also relatively thin, so that it has flexibility. The flexible gear 184 is attached to the outer periphery of the bearing 190 so as not to rotate relative to the outer race 194 of the bearing 190. The flexible gear 184 is deformed into an ellipse by the wave generator 186, and meshes with the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182 at two locations on the major axis of the ellipse, and is completely separated from them at the minor axis. It is said that.

  When the stator gear 180 is rotated in a state where the rotation of the motor shaft 152 is prohibited, the flexible gear 184 circulates along the ellipse while moving the meshing position with elastic deformation together with the outer race 194 of the bearing 190. Accordingly, the driven gear 182 that meshes with the flexible gear 184 also rotates in the same direction as the stator gear 180. More specifically, it rotates at a rotation ratio corresponding to the gear ratio between the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182 (gear ratio 100/102, which is a value close to 1).

  Consider a case where the motor generator 152 is rotated by rotating the motor shaft 152. First, in order to simplify the explanation, if the stator gear 180 is fixed, when the wave generator 186 is rotated, the flexible gear 184 is elastically deformed and rotates while moving the meshing position. Since the number of teeth of the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182 is different, an amount of rotational phase difference corresponding to the difference in the number of teeth is generated between the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182. Specifically, a rotational phase difference of two teeth per one rotation of the wave generator 186 is generated. More specifically, in FIG. 3, if the wave generator 186 is rotated once in the clockwise direction, the driven gear 182 rotates counterclockwise by two teeth with respect to the stator gear 180. Actually, since the stator gear 180 rotates as the input shaft 62 rotates, the rotation ratio of the driven gear 182 to the stator gear 180 is determined by the relative rotation amount between the stator gear 180 and the wave generator 186. That is, if the rotation direction of the stator gear 180 and the rotation direction of the wave generator 186 are the same, the driven gear 182 is decelerated below the gear ratio, that is, with a rotation ratio that is smaller than the rotation ratio according to the gear ratio. It will be rotated. On the other hand, if the rotation direction of the stator gear 180 and the rotation direction of the wave generator 186 are opposite, the driven gear 182 is accelerated more than the gear ratio, that is, the rotation of a value larger than the rotation ratio according to the gear ratio. It will be rotated by the ratio. Note that the degree of acceleration and deceleration depends on the rotational speed of the wave generator 186, and therefore the rotational ratio can be arbitrarily changed by changing the rotational speed of the motor 150. Thus, the variable transmission mechanism 82 transmits the rotation of the input shaft 62 to the output shaft 80 so that the rotation ratio can be changed.

  Next, consider a case where the function of the motor 150 is lost. When disconnection or the like is caused, relatively free rotation of the motor shaft 152 is allowed. In that case, in the variable transmission mechanism 82, the wave generator 186 is allowed to freely rotate, so that appropriate rotation transmission between the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182 is not performed. In consideration of this, the steering force transmission device 14 includes a motor shaft rotation lock mechanism 200 that prohibits the rotation of the motor shaft 152 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “lock mechanism 200”). The lock mechanism 200 includes a solenoid mechanism, and includes an electromagnet 202 fixed to the inner surface of the lock mechanism section housing 88, and a plunger 204 provided to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the motor shaft 152. , And a compression coil spring 206 that urges the plunger 204 in a direction to approach the motor shaft 152. Locking teeth 208 that engage with the tip of the plunger 204 are formed on the outer periphery of the motor shaft 152 over the entire periphery. When the motor 150 is normal, the electromagnet 202 is energized, and the plunger 204 is attracted to the electromagnet 202, so that the engagement between the plunger 204 and the locking tooth 208 is released, and the rotation of the motor shaft 152 is allowed. Is done. When the function of the motor 150 is lost, the electromagnet 202 is demagnetized, and the plunger 204 is engaged with the locking teeth 208 by the urging force of the spring 206, so that the rotation of the motor shaft 152 is prohibited. If rotation of the motor shaft 152 is prohibited, rotation transmission according to the gear ratio between the stator gear 180 and the driven gear 182 is performed as described above. The lock mechanism 200 ensures proper rotation transmission between the input shaft 62 and the output shaft 80 when the motor 150 fails.

  Further, the steering force transmission device 14 includes two resolvers 210 and 212 separately from the resolver 164 described above. The resolver 210 is provided between the upper shaft 110 constituting the input shaft 62 and the inner surface of the housing 60, and is a device for detecting the rotational angle position of the upper shaft 110. The resolver 212 is provided between the attachment ring 214 fixed to the outer periphery of the lower shaft 112 constituting the input shaft 62 and the inner surface of the housing 60, and the rotational angle position of the lower shaft 112. Is a device for detecting. The relative rotational displacement between the upper shaft 110 and the lower shaft 112 can be detected from the detection signals of the two resolvers 210 and 212. Since the relative rotational displacement corresponds to the twist amount of the torsion bar 114, the resolvers 210 and 212 function as a twist amount detector. As described above, the operating force applied to the steering wheel 20 is estimated from the twist amount of the torsion bar, and the assisting force exerted by the assisting mechanism 52 is determined. The operation direction of the steering wheel 20 can also be estimated from the detection signals of the resolvers 210 and 212. Based on the estimation result, the rotation direction of the motor 150 included in the variable transmission mechanism 82, that is, the generation of waves. The direction of rotation of the vessel 186 is determined.

  The configuration, function, and the like of the steering force transmission device 14 of the present embodiment have been described above. Incidentally, the steering force transmission device 14 is provided with a motor 150 as a power source of the variable transmission mechanism 82. However, since the housing 60 is not rotatable with respect to the vehicle body, the processing of the power feeding cable is performed. However, a complicated mechanism such as the spiral cable mechanism as described above is not required. That is, in the present steering force transmission device 14, the processing of the power feeding cable is simplified. In addition, the processing of the control cable for the control function of the steering force transmission device 14 such as the lead cable from the resolvers 164, 210, and 212 and the power supply cable to the electromagnet 202 can be similarly simplified. It is. Further, the steering force transmission device 14 has three shafts of an input shaft 62, an output shaft 80, and a motor shaft 152 arranged coaxially, and employs a strain wave gearing mechanism for the variable transmission mechanism 82. Together with this, the structure is simplified and compact. Furthermore, the housing 60 of the steering force transmission device 14 is detachably fixed to the housing 30 of the steering device 12, and the output shaft 80 is detachably fitted to the pinion shaft 34 of the steering device 12. Therefore, the steering force transmission device 14 and the steering device 12 can be easily separated and assembled, and operations such as incorporation of the steering system into the vehicle and maintenance of the steering system can be easily performed. ing.

  FIG. 4 shows a steering force transmission device as a modification of the steering force transmission device 14. The steering force transmission device 230 is further integrated with the steering device 12 as can be seen from the steering force transmission device 14. Since most of the parts have the same configuration as the steering force transmission device 14, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted, and only the parts having different configurations will be described.

  The housing 60 of the steering force transmission device 230 is integrated with the housing 30 of the steering device 12 so that it cannot be easily separated. Further, the output shaft is formed integrally with the pinion shaft of the steered device 12 and serves also as the input shaft of the steered device 12. In short, both the shafts have a pinion shaft 232 formed as one part. The pinion shaft 232 is rotatably held in the housings 30 and 60 by the bush 130 and the bearing 128. A bottomed hole is provided in the upper part of the pinion shaft 232, and the bottom shaft 112 constituting the input shaft 62 is held through the bush 124 in the bottomed hole, and both shafts are relatively rotatable. Yes. Similar to the output shaft 80 in the steering force transmission device 14, the pinion shaft 232 is provided with an annular portion 122, and is coupled to the variable transmission mechanism 82 at the annular portion 122. The various functions and the like exhibited by the steering force transmission device 230 are the same as those of the steering force transmission device 14, and the description thereof is omitted.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the steering force transmission device of the second embodiment. The steering force transmission device 250 is fixed to the steering device 12 similarly to the steering force transmission device 14 of the first embodiment. Since the steering system including the steering force transmission device 250 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, the description thereof is omitted. Further, since the steering force transmission device 250 is configured to include the same or similar components as the steering force transmission device 14, the same reference numerals are used for them, and the description thereof will be simplified. To do.

  As in the first embodiment, the steering force transmission device 250 includes a housing 252, an input shaft 254, an output shaft 256, and a variable transmission mechanism 82. The housing 252 includes three sub housings (an upper housing 260, a lower housing 262, and a lock mechanism unit housing 264). The upper housing 260 and the lower housing 262 are fastened by a bolt 266 as a fastening material, and they can be easily separated. The lower housing 262 is integrated with the housing 30 of the steering device 12 to such an extent that it cannot be easily separated. In other words, the lower housing 262 can be considered as a part of the housing 30 of the steering device 12. That is, it can be said that the steering force steering apparatus 250 is an embodiment in which the housing 252 is integrated with the housing 30 of the steering apparatus 12. With the above structure, the steering force transmission device 250 is fixed to the steered device 12, and the housing 252 is provided so as not to rotate relative to the vehicle body.

  The input shaft 254 includes a stepped shaft portion 272 in which a bottomed hole 270 extending in the axial direction from the lower end portion is formed, and a flange portion 274 formed integrally with the shaft portion 272 at the lower end portion of the shaft portion 272. It is a thing of shape which has. The input shaft 254 extends from the upper portion of the housing 60, and serrations are formed on the outer periphery of the extending portion. In the portion where the serration is formed, the universal joint 64 is connected, and rotation from the operating device 10 is input.

  The output shaft 256 includes a main shaft 280 as a main shaft positioned above, a pinion shaft 282 that also serves as an input shaft of the steering device 12 positioned below, and a torsion bar 284 that connects the main shaft 280 and the pinion shaft 282. It is configured as an integrated one. The main shaft 280 is hollow, and a flange portion 286 that extends in the axial direction and an annular portion 288 that extends in the axial direction on the outer periphery of the flange portion 286 are integrally formed at an intermediate portion in the axial direction. ing. The pinion shaft 282 is formed with a bottomed hole extending in the axial direction from the upper end portion in the upper portion thereof, and the pinion 36 is formed in an intermediate portion in the axial direction. A lower end portion of the main shaft 280 is inserted into a bottomed hole of the pinion shaft 282 via a bush 290, and the main shaft 280 and the pinion shaft 282 are rotatable relative to each other. A torsion bar 284 is disposed inside the main shaft 280. The upper end of the torsion bar 284 is fixed to the upper end of the main shaft 280 by a pin 292 so that the torsion bar 284 and the main shaft 280 cannot be rotated relative to each other. The torsion bar 284 is serrated to the bottom of the bottomed hole of the pinion shaft 282, and the torsion bar 284 and the pinion shaft 282 are not relatively rotatable. With such a structure, the output shaft 256 allows the torsion bar 284 to be twisted, and the output shaft 256 itself is twisted accordingly.

  An upper portion of the main shaft 280 constituting the output shaft 256 is inserted into the bottomed hole 270 of the input shaft 254, and the bearing 300 is interposed between the inner peripheral surface of the bottomed hole 270 and the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion of the main shaft 280. By being interposed, the input shaft 254 and the main shaft 280 can be rotated relative to each other. The input shaft 254 is rotatably held on the inner surface of the upper housing 260 via a bearing 302. The pinion shaft 282 constituting the output shaft 256 has an intermediate portion held by both the lower housing 262 and the housing 30 of the steered device via a bearing 304, and a lower end portion of the pinion shaft 282 via the bush 306. , The lower housing 262 and the housing 30 are rotatably held. With the above-described structure, the input shaft 254 and the output shaft 256 are arranged coaxially and can rotate relative to each other, and both can rotate with respect to the housing 252. It is. About the structure of the steering apparatus 12 containing the pinion shaft 282, since it is the same as that of the thing of 1st Example, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The variable transmission mechanism 82 is a strain wave gearing mechanism similar to that of the first embodiment, and the steering force transmission device 250 is provided with a motor 150 as a power source of the strain wave gearing mechanism. . A motor shaft 152 that is an output shaft of the motor 150 is hollow, and is disposed in a state in which the input shaft 254 and the output shaft 256 are inserted through the motor shaft 152. More specifically, the motor shaft 152 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 252 by being rotatably held by the input shaft 254 via the bearing 320 and the bush 322. As in the first embodiment, a permanent magnet 158 constituting a rotor is arranged on the outer periphery of the motor shaft 152, and a pole body 160 constituting a stator is arranged on the inner surface of the housing 252, respectively. It is a so-called brushless motor. As in the first embodiment, the rotational position of the motor shaft 152 is detected by the resolver 164 and used for switching control of energization to the polar body 160, control of the rotational speed of the motor 150, and the like.

  The variable transmission mechanism 82 is a strain wave gearing mechanism as in the first embodiment, and includes a stator gear 180, a driven gear 182, a flexible gear 184, and a wave generator 186. Incidentally, the stator gear 180 is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the flange portion 274 of the input shaft 254, and the driven gear 182 is fixed to the annular portion 288 of the main shaft 280 constituting the output shaft 256. Since the configuration, operation, function, and the like of the variable transmission mechanism 82 are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here. The steering force transmission device 250 also includes a motor shaft rotation lock mechanism 200. Since the configuration of the lock mechanism 200 is the same as that of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The steering force transmission device 250 includes three resolvers 330, 332, and 334 separately from the resolver 164 described above. The resolver 330 is provided between the input shaft 254 and the inner surface of the housing 252 and is a device for detecting the rotational angle position of the input shaft 254. The resolver 332 is provided between the lower portion of the main shaft 280 constituting the output shaft 256 and the inner surface of the housing 252, and the resolver 334 is provided between the pinion shaft 282 constituting the output shaft 256 and the inner surface of the housing 252. These are devices for detecting the rotational angle positions of the main shaft 280 and the pinion shaft 282, respectively. The torsion amount of the torsion bar 284 can be detected from the detection signals of the resolver 332 and the resolver 334, and they function as a torsion amount detector. Further, the difference and ratio between the rotation angle of the input shaft 254 and the rotation angle of the output shaft 256 can be detected from the detection signals of the resolver 330 and the resolver 332 or the detection signals of the resolver 330 and the resolver 334. The shaft rotation angle difference detector functions as a detector. The result of detection by them is used to determine the assisting force and the rotation direction of the wave generator 186 as well as the case of the first embodiment, and to control the rotation ratio of the input shaft 254 and the output shaft 256. .

  The steering force transmission device 250 of the present embodiment can simplify the processing of the power supply cable and the like, similar to the first embodiment. The motor shaft 152, the input shaft 254, and the output shaft 256 are not only arranged coaxially with each other, but the input shaft 254 is inserted into the motor shaft 152 and a part of the output shaft 256 is inserted into the motor shaft 152. Yes. In other words, the motor shaft 152, the input shaft 254, and the output shaft 256, which are three shafts, are configured to be arranged in triplicate, and the steering force transmission device 250 is provided with the torsion bar 284. However, the axial length of the device is short and a compact steering force transmission device is obtained.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the steering force transmission device of the third embodiment. The present steering force transmission device 350 is disposed between a steering column and a steering device that constitute the operating device (see FIG. 1). For example, the housing 352 is fixed to a vehicle body by being fixed to a dash panel that is a partition wall between a vehicle compartment and an engine compartment or its reinforcement. That is, the housing 352 cannot be rotated with respect to the vehicle body. The steering force transmission device 350 has two bevel gear shafts (input-side bevel gear shaft 354, output-side bevel gear shaft 356) provided with bevel gears at one end, and each of them is not illustrated. The ends are connected to the steering column and the steering device via a universal joint, an intermediate shaft, and the like, and specifically to the steering shaft and the input shaft of the steering device that constitute the column. That is, the input side bevel gear shaft 354 and the output side bevel gear shaft 356 are auxiliary shafts, and function as a rotating shaft on the operating member side and a rotating shaft on the steering device side, respectively. Note that the steering force transmission device 350 does not include a torsion bar. However, when a power steering system is constructed using the steering force transmission device 350 and a torsion bar is required, for example, steering What is necessary is just to comprise so that a torsion bar may be provided in other parts, such as an apparatus.

  The steering force transmission device 350 includes a housing 352, an input shaft 360 that is rotatably provided with respect to the housing, an output shaft 362 that is rotatably provided with respect to the housing 352, and a rotation ratio of the input shaft 360. The variable transmission mechanism 364 that transmits to the output shaft 362 in a state that can be changed, and the input transmission that transmits the rotation of the input side bevel gear shaft 354 to the input shaft 360 and the rotation of the output shaft 362 to the output side bevel gear shaft 356. And an output gear mechanism 366. The housing 352 is composed of three sub housings (a variable mechanism housing 370, a gear mechanism housing 372, and an upper cover 374), which are assembled.

  The input shaft 360 has a shape divided into three parts formed integrally with each other, that is, a hollow shaft portion 380, a flange portion 382 provided at the upper end portion of the shaft portion 380, and an outer periphery of the flange portion 382. It is made into the shape which has the annular part 384 provided in. The output shaft 362 includes a main shaft 386 as a main shaft, and a flange 388 that is spline-fitted with the main shaft 386 at the upper end portion of the main shaft 386. The flange 388 is rotatably held by the input shaft 360 via the bearings 390 and 392 in a state of being included in the annular portion 384 of the input shaft 360, and the input shaft 360 is disposed at the upper portion of the shaft portion 380 at the bearing. The gear mechanism housing 372 is rotatably held via the 394. Further, the main shaft 386 constituting the output shaft 362 is disposed so as to be inserted through the input shaft 360 and is rotatably held by the gear mechanism housing 372 via a bearing 396 at the lower end portion. With such a configuration, the input shaft 360 and the output shaft 362 are arranged coaxially and can rotate relative to each other, and each is rotatably provided with respect to the housing 352. .

  The input / output gear mechanism 366 is a bevel gear mechanism, and is spline-fitted to the input-side bevel gear shaft 354, the output-side bevel gear shaft 356, and the shaft portion 380 of the input shaft 360 as main components. An input shaft bevel gear 410 and an output shaft bevel gear 412 formed integrally with a main shaft 386 constituting the output shaft 362 are included. The input side bevel gear shaft 354 and the output side bevel gear shaft 356 are rotatably held by the gear mechanism housing 372 via bearings 418, respectively. A bevel gear 420 formed at one end of the input side bevel gear shaft 354 meshes with the input shaft bevel gear 410 and a bevel gear 422 formed at one end of the output side bevel gear shaft 356 is connected to the output shaft bevel gear shaft. 412 is meshed. The input shaft bevel gear 410 is biased downward by a compression coil spring 424, and the main shaft 386 constituting the output shaft 362 is upwardly biased by a spring ring 426 (having a structure similar to a spring washer). By being biased, proper meshing in the bevel gear mechanism is secured.

  In the present steering force transmission device 350, the gear ratio between the bevel gear 420 and the input shaft bevel gear 410 formed on the input side bevel gear shaft 354, and the bevel gear 422 and the output shaft bevel formed on the output side bevel gear shaft 356. The gear ratio with the gear 412 is the same value. By making the gear ratios different from each other, it is possible to change the ratio between the rotation input from the operating device side and the rotation output to the steering device side, although it is fixed. Further, in a steering force transmission device that employs a bevel gear mechanism, by changing the angle of the bevel tooth, the axis line of the input side bevel gear shaft 354, the axis line of the output side bevel gear shaft 356, and the axis line of the device (input shaft 360) , The angle formed with the axis of the output shaft 362) can be arbitrarily changed, so that the degree of freedom with respect to the position where the device is deployed is high.

  The variable transmission mechanism 364 is a strain wave gearing mechanism. As a power source of the strain wave gearing mechanism, the steering force transmission device 350 is provided with a motor 440 (which is a brushless motor). The motor 440 includes a casing 442, and the motor 440 is fixedly provided to the housing 352 by fixing the casing 442 to the variable mechanism housing 370. The rotor 444 of the motor 440 has a generally cylindrical shape, the upper part of which is a support plate 448 that constitutes the upper part of the casing 442 via a bearing 446, and the lower part of which is the lower part of the casing 442 via a bearing 450. Each is held rotatably. A plurality of permanent magnets 452 are fixedly disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the rotor 444, and a plurality of polar bodies 454 constituting the stator are fixed to the inner surface of the casing 442 so as to face the permanent magnets 452. Arranged. The motor shaft 456 is fitted in the rotor 444 so as not to be relatively rotatable, and is positioned coaxially with the input shaft 360 and the output shaft 362. The rotational angle position of the rotor 444 is detected by a detector (not shown), and the motor 440 switches energization to the pole body 454 according to the rotational angle position of the rotor 444 by a motor control circuit (not shown). To be controlled.

  The variable transmission mechanism 364, which is a strain wave gearing mechanism, is similar to the previous embodiment in that the stator gear 470 as the first ring gear, the driven gear 472 as the second ring gear, and the flexible gear 474 meshing with them, And a wave generator 476 that supports the flexible gear 474 and generates a wave. The positional relationship between the stator gear 470 and the driven gear 472 is opposite to that of the previous embodiment. The stator gear 470 forms the output shaft 362 at the end of the annular portion 384 of the input shaft 360. The flange 388 is fixedly provided on the outer periphery of the flange 388. The wave generator 476 is connected to the motor shaft 456 so as not to be relatively rotatable. The structure of each component described above, the operation of the strain wave gearing mechanism, and the like are the same as those in the previous embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted here. The function of the variable transmission mechanism 364 is the same as that of the previous embodiment. By changing the rotation speed of the motor 440, the rotation ratio between the input shaft 360 and the output shaft 362, that is, from the operating device, The ratio of the rotation output to the steering device with respect to the input rotation can be arbitrarily changed.

  The steering force transmission mechanism 350 is also provided with a motor shaft rotation lock mechanism 480 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “lock mechanism 480”). In the drawing, the lock mechanism 480 is disposed inside the upper cover 374, although it is shown in a simplified manner. Briefly, the lock mechanism 480 includes a plunger 482 having a permanent magnet at the rear end and a generally donut-shaped electromagnet 484, and the plunger 484 is arranged to be inserted through the electromagnet 484. Yes. When the electromagnet 484 is energized, the plunger 484 is retracted by repulsive force, and when the electromagnet 484 is demagnetized, the plunger 484 is advanced by the attractive force of the permanent magnet. Locking teeth 486 are formed on the entire upper end of the rotor 444, and the plunger 484 engages with the locking teeth 486 in the advanced state to rotate the rotor 444, that is, a wave generator. The rotation of 476 is prohibited. Since the rotation transmission between the input shaft 360 and the output shaft 362 due to the operation of the lock mechanism 480 is the same as in the previous embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present steering force transmission device 350, by inserting the output shaft 362 through the input shaft 360, the variable transmission mechanism 364 can coaxially arrange the three shafts of the input shaft 360, the output shaft 362, and the motor shaft 456. It has been realized. Thus, the structure of the present steering force transmission device 350 is simplified. Further, in addition to the above-described coaxialization, a strain wave gearing mechanism is adopted, thereby making a compact transmission device. Further, as with the previous embodiment, the housing 352 is not rotatable with respect to the vehicle body, thereby simplifying the processing of the power supply cable and the like.

<Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the steering force transmission device of the fourth embodiment. Similar to the third embodiment, the present steering force transmission device 510 is provided between a steering column and a turning device that constitute the operating device. For example, the housing 512 is fixed to the vehicle body by being fixed to a dash panel that is a partition wall between a vehicle compartment and an engine compartment. As a result, the housing 512 cannot be rotated with respect to the vehicle body. The steering force transmission device 510 has two bevel gear shafts (input side bevel gear shaft 514, output side bevel gear shaft 516) as in the third embodiment. The connection between the side and those shafts, the function of those shafts, etc. are the same as those of the third embodiment. The configuration relating to the torsion bar in the power steering system is the same as that in the third embodiment.

  As in the third embodiment, the steering force transmission device 510 includes a housing 512, an input shaft 520 provided to be rotatable with respect to the housing, and an output shaft 522 provided to be rotatable with respect to the housing 512. The variable transmission mechanism 524 that transmits the rotation of the input shaft 520 to the output shaft 522 in a state in which the rotation ratio can be changed, and the rotation of the input side bevel gear shaft 514 are transmitted to the input shaft 520 and the rotation of the output shaft 522 is output. An input / output gear mechanism 526 that transmits to the side bevel gear shaft 516 is included. The housing 512 of the present steering force transmission device 510 is configured as a single unit by assembling a plurality of sub-housings, although not clearly shown in the figure.

  The input shaft 520 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an input shaft bevel gear 528 is coaxially and integrally formed at the lower end portion. The output shaft 522 has a rod shape, and an output shaft bevel gear 530 is coaxially and integrally formed in the vicinity of the lower end portion. Since the output shaft 522 is inserted into the input shaft 520, both are arranged coaxially. Two bearings 532 are interposed between the outer peripheral portion of the output shaft 522 and the inner peripheral portion of the input shaft 520, and both can be rotated relative to each other. The operating force transmission device 510 has an upper base shaft 534 (details will be described later) as a component of the variable transmission mechanism 524. A bottomed hole 536 is provided in the lower portion of the upper base shaft 534, and the output shaft 522 is rotatably held on the upper base shaft 534 via the bearing 538 while being inserted into the bottomed hole 536. The lower end portion is rotatably held by the housing 512 via the bearing 538. The shaft portion 540 of the upper base shaft 534 is rotatably held by the housing 512 via a bearing 542. With such a holding structure, each of the input shaft 360 and the output shaft 362 is provided to be rotatable with respect to the housing 512.

  The input / output gear mechanism 526 is a bevel gear mechanism as in the third embodiment, and is formed on the input side gear shaft 514, the output side bevel gear shaft 516, and the input shaft 520 as main components. The input shaft bevel gear 528 and the output shaft bevel gear 530 formed on the output shaft 522 are included. Each of the input side bevel gear shaft 514 and the output side bevel gear shaft 516 is rotatably held by the housing 512 via shafts 550 and 552 via a bearing 554. A bevel gear 556 formed at one end of the input side bevel gear shaft 354 meshes with the input shaft bevel gear 528, and a bevel gear 558 formed at one end of the output side bevel gear shaft 516 is connected to the output shaft bevel gear 530. To be meshed with. The input / output gear mechanism 526 also has the same gear ratio in each meshing manner as in the third embodiment. By changing the angle of the bevel gear, the angle between the axis line of the input side bevel gear shaft 514, the axis line of the output side bevel gear shaft 516 and the axis line of the device (the axis lines of the input shaft 520 and the output shaft 522) can be arbitrarily set. This can be changed to the same as in the third embodiment.

  In the present steering force transmission device 510, the variable transmission mechanism 524 is a planetary gear mechanism. The variable transmission mechanism 524 includes, as main components, a first sun gear 570 provided on the input shaft 520, a second sun gear 572 provided on the output shaft 522, and both the first sun gear 570 and the second sun gear 572. And a planetary gear 574 that meshes with each other. The first sun gear 570 is fitted to the upper end portion of the input shaft 520 so as not to be relatively rotatable, and the second sun gear 572 is fitted near the upper end portion of the output shaft 522 so as not to be relatively rotatable. The first sun gear 570 and the second sun gear 572 have the same outer diameter and the same number of teeth, and are coaxially spaced apart. Two thrust bearings 576 are disposed between the first sun gear 570 and the second sun gear 572, and are urged between the two thrust bearings 574 in a direction to separate them in the axial direction. A spring ring 578 is disposed, and the input shaft 520 is urged downward and the output shaft 522 is urged upward by the action of the urging force. Engagement is secured.

  The variable transmission mechanism 524 includes the above-described upper base shaft 534 and the lower base shaft 580 facing it. The lower base shaft 580 has a shape having a flange portion 582 and a boss portion 584 that are integrally formed with each other. The lower base shaft 580 is rotatably held by the housing 512 via a bearing 586 on the outer periphery of the boss portion 584 with the input shaft 520 and the output shaft 522 inserted through the boss portion 584. The first sun gear 570 and the second sun gear 570 are positioned between the flange portion 588 of the upper base shaft 534 and the flange portion 582 of the lower base shaft 580. In addition, a gear shaft 590 and a connecting member 592 are disposed with the input shaft 520 and the output shaft 522 sandwiched between the flange portions 582 and 588. The gear shaft 590 and the connecting member 592 are fixed to both flange portions 582 and 588, respectively, so that the upper base shaft 534 and the lower base shaft 580 rotate integrally. Has been.

  The planetary gear 574 is rotatably held on the gear shaft 590 via a bearing 594. The planetary gear 574 has two gear portions 596 and 598 that are separated from each other in the axial direction. The two gear portions 596 and 598 have the same diameter and the same number of teeth, and the lower gear portion 596 meshes with the first sun gear 570 and the upper gear portion 598 meshes with the second sun gear 572, respectively. ing. A drive gear 600 is fixedly fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the shaft portion 540 of the upper base shaft 384, and the drive gear 600 meshes with a worm 606 provided on the motor shaft 604 of the motor 602 attached to the housing 512. It has been made. By rotating the motor 602, the upper base shaft 534 and the lower base shaft 580 are rotated, whereby the planetary gear 574 is revolved around the first sun gear 570 and the second sun gear 572, that is, revolved.

  The variable transmission mechanism 524 is basically configured so that the rotation of the input shaft 520 is transmitted as the rotation of the output shaft 522 in the same direction. In a state where the rotation of the motor 602 is prohibited, the planetary gear 574 does not revolve, and the rotation of the input shaft 520 is transmitted to the output shaft 522 at the same rotational speed. If the motor 602 is rotated and the planetary gear 574 is rotated in the same direction as the input shaft 520, the rotation of the input shaft 520 is decelerated and transmitted to the output shaft 522. If the planetary gear 574 is rotated in the opposite direction, the rotation of the input shaft 520 is increased and transmitted to the output shaft 522. The degree of deceleration and acceleration depends on the rotational speed of planetary gear 574, that is, the rotational speed of motor 602. More specifically, the greater the difference between the rotational speed of the planetary gear 574 and the rotational speed of the input shaft 520, the greater the effect of deceleration and acceleration. In this way, the variable transmission mechanism 524 changes the rotation ratio of the output shaft 522 to the input shaft 520.

  The configuration, function, and the like of the steering force transmission device 510 have been described above. However, the steering force transmission device 510 is configured such that the housing 512 is not rotatable with respect to the vehicle body, as in the previous embodiment. Simplification of processing of power supply cables and the like is achieved. The control of the steering force transmission device 510, such as the control of the rotation speed of the motor 602, can be performed by the same method as in the previous embodiment. Further, similarly to the previous embodiment, it is possible to provide a motor shaft rotation lock mechanism.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a steering system in which a steering force transmission device according to a first embodiment is provided. It is sectional drawing which shows the steering force transmission apparatus of 1st Example. It is a schematic diagram of a strain wave gearing mechanism (variable transmission mechanism) viewed from the axial direction. It is sectional drawing which shows the steering force transmission apparatus as a modification of 1st Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the steering force transmission apparatus of 2nd Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the steering force transmission apparatus of 3rd Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the steering force transmission apparatus of 4th Example.

Explanation of symbols

10: Operating device 12: Steering device 14: Steering force transmission device 16: Electronic control unit (ECU) 20: Steering wheel (steering operation member) 24: Steering shaft 30: Housing 32: Steering rod 46: Steering wheel 34 : Pinion shaft (input shaft of steering device) 60: Housing 62: Input shaft 80: Output shaft 82: Variable transmission mechanism (strain wave gearing mechanism) 114: Torsion bar 150: Motor 152: Motor shaft 180: Stator gear ( 182: Driven gear (second ring gear) 184: Flexible gear 186: Wave generator 200: Motor shaft rotation lock mechanism 230: Steering force transmission device 232: Pinion shaft (output shaft) 250: Steering force transmission device 252: Housing 254: Input shaft 256: Force shaft 284: Torsion bar 350: Steering force transmission device 352: Housing 360: Input shaft 362: Output shaft 364: Variable transmission mechanism (strain wave gearing mechanism) 366: Input / output gear mechanism 440: Motor 456: Motor shaft 470 : Stator gear (first ring gear) 472: Driven gear (second ring gear) 474: Flexible gear 476: Wave generator 480: Motor shaft rotation lock mechanism 510: Steering force transmission device 512: Housing 520: Input shaft 522: Output shaft 524: Variable transmission mechanism 526: Input / output gear mechanism 570: First sun gear 572: Second sun gear 574: Planetary gear 602: Motor

Claims (7)

A housing provided so as not to rotate with respect to the vehicle body;
An input shaft that is rotatably held in the housing and receives rotation according to the operation of the steering operation member;
An output shaft that is rotatably supported by the housing and coaxially with the input shaft, and outputs rotation to a steering device that steers a wheel;
A mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft, the motor shaft being fixed to the housing and having a motor shaft as its own drive shaft disposed coaxially with the input shaft and the output shaft; And a variable transmission mechanism capable of changing a rotation ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft by changing a rotation speed of the motor.   The steering force transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the motor shaft is hollow, and is arranged such that at least one of the input shaft and the output shaft is inserted through the motor shaft.   The steering force transmission device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the variable transmission mechanism is a strain wave gearing mechanism.   The strain wave gearing mechanism includes: (a) a first ring gear provided on one of the input shaft and the output shaft so as not to rotate relative thereto; and (b) the other of the input shaft and the output shaft. A second ring gear provided so as not to rotate relative to the first ring gear and having a different number of teeth from the first ring gear; (c) a flexible gear meshing with both the first ring gear and the second ring gear; and (d) a substantially elliptical shape. The steering force transmission device according to claim 3, further comprising: a wave generator mounted on an outer periphery of the flexible gear and connected to the motor shaft so as not to rotate relative to the motor shaft. .   The steering force transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a motor shaft rotation lock mechanism that prohibits rotation of the motor shaft.   6. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is separably fixed to the housing of the steering device, and the output shaft is detachably fitted to the input shaft of the steering device. Steering force transmission device. The steering force transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing is integrated with a housing of a steering device, and at least a part of the output shaft also serves as an input shaft of the steering device.

Images