JP2007238055A - Lever device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lever device, in which, in assembling parts around a steering shaft to a car body, the assembling work can be simplified. <P>SOLUTION: On the car body 1, the lever device 2 is assembled to function as a combination switch for a vehicle. An insertion hole 8 is provided through a center part of the lever device 2, and the steering shaft 10 is inserted into the insertion hole 8 in a rotatable state. The lever device 2 includes a steering roll connector 4 capable of winding and rewinding wiring extended from a steering wheel, an absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5 for the steering wheel, and a torque detection mechanism 6 to detect torque added to the steering shaft 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lever device that is attached around a steering shaft and is operated when various devices are operated.

Conventionally, a general vehicle is equipped with a lever device that switches a blinking / lighting display of a direction indicator and a traveling system light with a single lever. An example of this type of lever device is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 and the like. In this type of lever device, when the lever is tilted upward or downward, the direction indicator corresponding to the direction of the operation blinks, and when the lever is tilted forward or backward, the headlight is turned off. When the passing state is established and the switch knob at the end of the lever is rotated, the operation system lights (headlight and taillight) are turned on.
JP 2000-11815 A

  By the way, the vehicle is equipped with a torque sensor that detects torque applied to the steering shaft when the steering wheel is operated. Thus, when this type of torque sensor and lever device are separate, when assembling the vehicle parts to the vehicle body, it is necessary to assemble these parts in separate operations, which is troublesome. There was a problem. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with a steering roll connector that electrically connects the airbag inflator and the airbag controller on the vehicle body side, and a steering angle sensor that detects the rotation angle (steering angle) of the steering. Therefore, the problem that the assembly work is troublesome also occurs in these parts.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a lever device capable of simplifying the assembling work when assembling parts around a steering shaft to a vehicle body.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, in a lever device having a lever operation position detection mechanism for operating various devices mounted on a vehicle by detecting the operation of the lever by contact means, the steering wheel operation The gist is that a torque detection mechanism for detecting torque applied to the steering shaft is sometimes provided.

  According to this configuration, since the torque detection mechanism is provided in the lever device that is a component around the steering shaft, the lever device is a device in which the torque detection mechanism is unitized. For this reason, if the lever device is assembled to the vehicle body, the torque detection mechanism is also assembled to the vehicle body at the same time, so that the assembly process is reduced by one compared to the case where the lever device and the torque detection mechanism are separate. Thus, it is possible to simplify the assembling work when assembling the parts around the steering shaft to the vehicle body.

  In the present invention, the torque detection mechanism is attached to the vehicle body side of the steering shaft, and is attached to the steering wheel side of the steering shaft and is synchronized with the steering shaft. An operation for meshing with the second main driving gear and the second main driving gear, meshing with the first main driving gear, meshing with the first main driving gear, and the second main driving gear. A side driven gear, a vehicle body side detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the first vehicle body side driven gear, an operation side detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the operation side driven gear, and a detection signal of the vehicle body side detection means, And the steering shaft torque based on the phase difference between the detection signals based on the detection signals of the operation side detection means. And summarized in that and a torque calculating means for calculating.

  According to this configuration, when the steering wheel is steered and the steering shaft rotates, the first main driving gear and the second main driving gear rotate, and accordingly, the vehicle body side driven gear and the operation side driven gear are rotated. At this time, the vehicle body side detection means detects the rotation angle of the vehicle body side driven gear, and the operation side detection means detects the rotation angle of the operation side driven gear. Here, for example, when the steering wheel is turned by an excessive force and the steering shaft is twisted, a phase difference occurs between the rotation angle of the vehicle body side driven gear and the rotation angle of the operation side driven gear, and the torque detection means This phase difference is calculated as the torque of the steering shaft. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to detect the torque generated in the steering shaft by using a simple structure in which the rotation angle of the gear is detected by the detecting means to obtain the torque.

The gist of the present invention is that the first main driving gear and the second main driving gear are connected by a torsion allowing member.
According to this configuration, when torque is applied to the steering shaft, the twisting of the steering shaft is promoted by the torsion permitting member, which is highly effective in calculating the torque.

  In the present invention, a plurality of the vehicle body side driven gears are provided, a plurality of the vehicle body side detection means are provided in accordance with the plurality of vehicle body side driven gears, and the torque calculation means is provided for one of the vehicle body side driven gears. By calculating the torque from the rotation angle and the rotation angle of the operation side driven gear, and also calculating the torque from the rotation angle of the other vehicle body side driven gear and the rotation angle of the operation side driven gear, The gist is to monitor the torque in a multiplex system.

  According to this configuration, since the torque applied to the steering shaft is viewed in a multiplex system, for example, even if a normally used torque detection mechanism fails, torque calculation is performed by other torque detection mechanisms. Highly effective in ensuring calculation accuracy.

  The gist of the present invention is that it includes a connector mechanism that electrically connects the electrical equipment provided on the steering wheel and the controller provided on the vehicle body side in a state in which the steering wheel is allowed to rotate.

  According to this configuration, since the lever device is provided with the connector function, the lever device is a device in which the connector mechanism is unitized. For this reason, when the lever device is assembled to the vehicle body, the connector mechanism is also assembled to the vehicle body at the same time. Therefore, the assembly process is reduced by one as compared with the case where the lever device and the connector mechanism are separately provided, and the steering mechanism. This further contributes to simplifying the assembly work when assembling the parts around the shaft to the vehicle body.

  In the present invention, a plurality of the vehicle body side driven gears, a plurality of vehicle body side detection means provided in accordance with the vehicle body side driven gears, and the steering shaft based on detection signals of the plurality of vehicle body side detection means The gist is provided with an angle detection mechanism having an angle detection means for calculating the absolute steering angle.

  According to this configuration, since the angle detection mechanism for the steering shaft is provided in the lever device, the lever device is a device in which the angle detection mechanism is unitized. For this reason, if the lever device is assembled, the angle detection mechanism is also assembled to the vehicle body at the same time, so the assembly process is reduced by one compared to the case where the lever device and the angle detection mechanism are separate, This further contributes to simplifying the assembly work when assembling the parts around the steering shaft to the vehicle body. Further, since the parts can be shared between the torque detection and the angle detection, the effect is high in reducing the number of parts.

  In the present invention, the steering shaft is divided into two parts on the vehicle body side and the operation side, one of the divided shafts is connected and fixed to the first main driving gear side, and the other is connected and fixed to the second main driving gear. The gist is that these divided shafts are connected by a finite rotation bearing that allows rotation only within a set range.

  According to this configuration, even if the torsion bar is broken and the steering shaft and the steering wheel can be separated while allowing the twisting of the steering shaft by the finite rotation bearing, for example, the finite rotation bearing has the split shaft. Since the connected state is maintained, a situation where the steering shaft does not rotate when the steering wheel is operated does not occur.

  In the present invention, the first main driving gear is connected and fixed to the steering shaft, the second main driving gear is connected and fixed to the steering wheel, and the steering shaft and the steering wheel allow rotation only within a set range. The gist is that they are connected by a finite rotation bearing.

  According to this configuration, even if the steering shaft is allowed to be twisted by the finite rotation bearing and the steering shaft and the steering wheel can be separated even if the torsion bar is broken, for example, the finite rotation bearing is used as the steering wheel. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the situation where the steering shaft does not rotate when the steering wheel is operated. Further, since the finite rotation bearing is disposed between the steering shaft and the steering wheel, it is not necessary to use a split shaft as the steering shaft, which contributes to simplification of the shaft structure.

  According to the present invention, when the parts around the steering shaft are assembled to the vehicle body, the assembling work can be simplified.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a vehicle lever device will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 1 is assembled with a lever device 2 that is operated when operating a direction indicator or a traveling system light. In the lever device 2 of this example, in addition to the combination switch mechanism 3 for detecting the lever operating position, a steering roll connector (SRC) 4 capable of drawing and winding the wiring extending from the steering wheel, a steering wheel Are provided with an absolute steering angle detection mechanism (SAS) 5 and a torque detection mechanism 6 applied to the steering shaft. The steering roll connector 4 corresponds to a connector mechanism, the combination switch mechanism 3 corresponds to a lever operation position detection mechanism, and the absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5 corresponds to an angle detection mechanism.

  The lever device 2 has a hollow case 7 and a case 7 made of a resin material. An insertion hole 8 extending in the thickness direction of the case 7 is provided through the center of the case 7, and a bottomless columnar column tube 9 is attached to the bottom of the insertion hole 8. The steering shaft 10 of the vehicle is inserted into the insertion hole 8 while being accommodated in the column tube 9 and is relatively rotatable. The steering wheel 12 is fixed to the front end of the steering shaft 10 so that the steering wheel 12 can rotate integrally by screwing a lock nut 11 to a screw portion 10a formed at the front end.

  The case 7 includes a stator 13 fixed to the vehicle body 1 with a plurality of screws (not shown), and a rotator 14 that is attached to be rotatable relative to the stator 13. An accommodation hole 13a extending in the thickness direction of the stator 13 is provided through the center of the stator 13, and a substantially cylindrical rotator 14 is attached to the accommodation hole 13a. The stator 13 includes a switch body 15 a that constitutes a body portion of the case 7 and a stator component 15 b that serves as a stator of the steering roll connector 4. The switch body 15a and the stator component 15b are disposed on a concentric shaft and are integrally fixed by a plurality of screws 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a storage space 17 is formed inside the switch body 15 a so as to surround the steering shaft 10. The accommodation space 17 accommodates a printed circuit board 18 on which various electrical components of the lever device 2 are mounted. The printed circuit board 18 includes a CPU 19 that performs overall control of the lever device 2, an EEPROM 20 (see FIG. 2) that stores various control programs and data, and a connector 21 that serves as a connection port when the lever device 2 is connected to an external device. And a driver circuit 22 that functions as an interface driver when the CPU 19 communicates with the outside. The CPU 19 constitutes torque calculation means and angle detection means.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a switch main body 23a of a turn signal switch 23 that functions as a switch for a direction indicator or a traveling system light is disposed at one end of the printed circuit board 18 (right end in FIG. 1). A rod-like turn signal lever 23b is supported on the switch body 23a so as to be exposed to the outside from the switch body 15a and tilted in a cross shape with the base end as a fulcrum. In addition, a switch contact (turn signal switch, dimmer / passing switch) 23c is built in the switch body 23a. The switch contact is switched according to the operation position of the turn signal lever 23b.

  A switch body 24a of a wiper lever switch 24 that functions as a wiper switch is disposed at the other end of the printed circuit board 18 (left end in FIG. 1). A rod-shaped wiper lever 24b is supported on the switch body 24a so as to be exposed to the outside from the switch body 15a while being tiltable in a cross shape with the base end as a fulcrum. In addition, a switch contact 24c is built in the switch body 24a. The switch contact 24c is switched according to the operation position of the wiper lever 24b. The switch contacts 23c and 24c constitute contact means.

  When the turn signal lever 23b is tilted upward or downward from the neutral position, the signal switch in the switch body 23a takes a contact state corresponding to the operation position, and the right direction indicator or the left direction indicator Blinks. Further, when the turn signal lever 23b is tilted forward or rearward, the contact state of the dimmer / passing switch in the switch body 23a is switched, and the headlight is turned on according to the operation position of the turn signal lever 23b. Take.

  The turn signal lever 23b returns to the neutral position in the course of operation when the steering wheel 12 is turned in the opposite direction to the previous operation after the right turn operation or the left turn operation. For example, when the turn signal lever 23b is operated to turn right, the turn signal lever 23b is held at the right turn instruction position, but when the steering wheel 12 is turned to the left, the turn signal lever 23b is turned right during the operation process. Return from the indicated position to the neutral position.

  When the wiper lever 24b is operated by one step from the initial position, the wiper switch in the switch body 24a takes a contact state corresponding to the operation position, and the wiper intermittently reciprocates. Further, when the wiper lever 24b is operated in two steps from the initial position, the wiper switch in the switch body 24a is switched to a contact state corresponding to the operation position, and the wiper continuously reciprocates at a low speed. When the three-stage tilt operation is performed from the initial position, the wiper switch is further switched to the contact state corresponding to the operation position, and the wiper continuously moves back and forth at high speed.

  In this example, the rotator 14 and the stator component 15 b constitute a case of the steering roll connector 4. The steering roll connector 4 is a connector that electrically connects an airbag inflator (electrical equipment) installed on the steering wheel 12 and an airbag controller installed on the vehicle body 1 side while allowing the steering wheel 12 to rotate. A storage space 25 is formed between the rotator 14 and the stator component 15b so as to surround the steering shaft 10. In the storage space 25, a flat cable 26 that connects the airbag inflator and the airbag controller is wound and accommodated in a spiral shape so as to surround the steering shaft 10.

  A plurality of locking claws 14 a extending in the opening direction of the insertion hole 8 protrude from the upper surface of the rotator 14. A plurality of locking holes 12a are formed in the bottom wall of the steering wheel 12 so as to form a pair with each locking claw 14a. The rotator 14 is assembled to the steering wheel 12 by locking each locking claw 14a in the corresponding locking hole 12a. For this reason, when the steering wheel 12 is rotated, the rotator 14 rotates synchronously with the steering wheel 12 in accordance with the rotating operation.

  On the bottom wall 14b of the rotator 14, a first main driving gear 27 having a substantially disc shape and having L teeth is fixed by a plurality of screws 28. The bottom wall 14b of the rotator 14 and the first main driving gear 27 are arranged on the same axis, and are in an attached state in which the steering shaft 10 is inserted through holes 14c and 27a formed at the center. The bottom wall 14b of the rotator 14 and the first main driving gear 27 receive the boss portion 10b formed in the middle of the steering shaft 10 and are locked to the screw portion 10c formed on the steering shaft 10 above the boss portion 10b. The nut 29 is fixed to the steering shaft 10 by screwing.

  The first driven gear 27 is engaged with and engaged with a first driven gear 30 having a substantially disc shape and having M teeth. A shaft portion 30 a extending in the axial direction of the steering shaft 10 protrudes from the center portion of the upper surface of the first driven gear 30. In addition, a magnet support portion 30c having a recess 30b on the printed board 18 side is formed on the back surface of the first driven gear 30. The first driven gear 30 is pivotally supported in a support hole 15c formed on the inner surface of the switch body 15a in a state where the shaft portion 30a is rotatable, and the magnet support portion 30c is supported on the printed circuit board 18 so as to be relatively rotatable. The installed state is taken.

  A magnet 31 that generates a magnetic field is attached to the recess 30b of the magnet support 30c. On the other hand, a first MRE (magnetoresistive element) 32 that detects the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 31 is mounted at a position accommodated in the recess 30 b on the printed circuit board 18. When the steering shaft 10 rotates and the first main driving gear 27 rotates, the first driven gear 30 rotates with it, the direction of the magnet 31 with respect to the first MRE 32 changes, and the direction of the magnetic field applied from the magnet 31 to the first MRE 32 changes. Change. The first MRE 32 detects the direction of the magnetic field that changes according to the rotational position of the first driven gear 30, and outputs an output signal Sa (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the direction of the magnetic field as a voltage value. The first driven gear 30 constitutes the vehicle body side driven gear, and the magnet 31 and the first MRE 32 constitute the vehicle body side detection means.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the vicinity of the first driven gear 30, a second driven gear 33 having a substantially disc shape and having N teeth is arranged in a state of being engaged with and engaged with the first main driving gear 27. . Since the mounting structure of the second driven gear 33 is basically the same as that of the first driven gear 30, its details are omitted. When the steering shaft 10 rotates and the first main driving gear 27 rotates, the second driven gear 33 rotates along with it. At this time, the direction of the magnet 34 attached to the second driven gear 33 changes with respect to the second MRE 35 for the second driven gear 33 mounted on the printed circuit board 18, and the direction of the magnetic field applied to the second MRE 35 changes. . The second MRE 35 detects the direction of the magnetic field that changes according to the rotational position of the second driven gear 33, and outputs an output signal Sb (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the direction of the magnetic field as a voltage value. The second driven gear 33 constitutes the vehicle body side driven gear, and the magnet 34 and the second MRE 35 constitute the vehicle body side detection means.

  The rotator 14 is formed with a bottomless cylindrical torsion bar 36 so as to surround the steering shaft 10. The torsion bar 36 is made of a metal material or a resin material that allows torsion. At the top of the torsion bar 36, a second main driving gear 37 having the same number of teeth and the same tooth position as the first main driving gear 27 is disposed. That is, the second main driving gear 37 is connected to the first main driving gear 27 via the torsion bar 36. The second main driving gear 37 has the same shape as the first main driving gear 27, and the number of teeth is set to the same L as that of the first main driving gear 27. The second main driving gear 37 is located on the same axial center as the first main driving gear 27 and is arranged so that the tooth position is the same in the axial direction of the steering shaft 10. The torsion bar 36 corresponds to a torsion permission member.

  The steering shaft 10 has a structure that is divided into two parts on the steering wheel 12 side and the vehicle body 1 side. In this example, the shaft on the vehicle body 1 side is the first divided shaft 38 and the shaft on the steering wheel 12 side is the second divided. The shaft 39 is used. These split shafts 38 and 39 are assembled into one part by being connected via a finite rotation bearing 40 at the connecting portion. The finite rotation bearing 40 allows relative rotation with the divided shafts 38 and 39 up to a predetermined rotation amount, and restricts the relative rotation when the divided shafts 38 and 39 rotate relative to each other beyond the allowable amount. To do.

  The finite rotation bearing 40 is disposed at substantially the same height as the torsion bar 36 in the axial direction of the steering shaft 10. In this example, when viewed from the torsion bar 36, the two main driving gears 27 and 37 are in an attached state in which the first main driving gear 27 is connected to the first split shaft 38, and the second main driving gear 37 is connected to the steering wheel 12 ( That is, the attachment state connected with the 2nd division | segmentation shaft 39) will be taken.

  When the steering wheel 12 is rotated, the first split shaft 38 and the second split shaft 39 are allowed to rotate by the finite rotation bearing 40, and the second split shaft 39 rotates with respect to the first split shaft 38. As a result, the torsion bar 36 is twisted as torque applied to the steering shaft 10. At this time, for example, even if the torsion bar 36 is damaged, the finite rotation bearing 40 holds the connection between the first divided shaft 38 and the second divided shaft 39, thereby ensuring the steering operation.

  The second driven gear 37 is engaged with and engaged with a third driven gear 41 having a substantially disc shape and having P teeth. The third driven gear 41 is disposed at a position facing the first driven gear 30 and the second driven gear 33. A shaft portion 41 a extending in the axial direction of the steering shaft 10 projects from the center portion of the upper surface of the third driven gear 41. Further, on the back surface of the third driven gear 41, a cylindrical magnet support portion 41c having a concave portion 41b on the printed circuit board 18 side is formed. The third driven gear 41 is pivotally supported in a support hole 15d formed on the inner surface of the switch body 15a in a state where the shaft portion 41a is rotatable, and the magnet support portion 41c is supported on the printed circuit board 18 so as to be relatively rotatable. The installed state is taken.

  A magnet 42 that generates a magnet is attached to the recess 41b of the magnet support portion 41c. On the other hand, a third MRE (magnetoresistive element) 43 for detecting the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 42 is mounted at a position accommodated in the recess 41 b on the printed circuit board 18. When the steering shaft 10 rotates and the second main driving gear 37 rotates, the third driven gear 41 rotates along with it, the direction of the magnet 42 relative to the third MRE 43 changes, and the direction of the magnetic field applied from the magnet 42 to the third MRE 43 changes. Change. The third MRE 43 detects the direction of the magnetic field that changes according to the rotational position of the third driven gear 41, and outputs an output signal Sc (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the direction of the magnetic field as a voltage value. The third driven gear 41 corresponds to the operation side driven gear, and the magnet 42 and the third MRE 43 constitute the operation side detection means.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 19 is electrically connected to the switch contact 23 c of the turn signal switch 23 and the switch contact 24 c of the wiper lever switch 24. The CPU 19 recognizes the operation position of each lever 23b, 24b based on the switch signal input from each switch contact 23c, 24c, and sends the switch information of the recognized lever operation position from the connector 21 via the driver circuit 22 to the CAN 21. It outputs to display system ECU by communication (Controller Area Network), and a direction indicator and a travel system light are operated.

  The CPU 19 inputs the output signal Sa from the first MRE 32 and the output signal Sb from the second MRE 35 via its own A / D terminals 19a and 19b, respectively, and the first rotation angle of the first driven gear 30 from the output signal Sa. In addition to obtaining θa, the second rotation angle θb of the second driven gear 33 is obtained from the output signal Sb. The CPU 19 detects the steering angle of the steering wheel 12 as an absolute angle (absolute steering angle θ) based on the rotation angles θa and θb and the phase difference Δω (see FIG. 4) between the rotation angles θa and θb. The absolute rudder angle θ resolution and rudder angle detection range detected by the CPU 19 are the number of teeth L of the first main driving gear 27, the number of teeth M of the first driven gear 30, and the number of teeth M of the second driven gear 33. It depends on the value. When the CPU 19 calculates the absolute steering angle θ by this calculation, the CPU 19 transmits the steering angle information corresponding to the absolute steering angle θ from the connector 21 to the various ECUs of the vehicle by CAN communication via the driver circuit 22.

  Further, the CPU 19 inputs the output signal Sc of the third MRE 43 through its own A / D terminal 19c, and calculates the third rotation angle θc of the third driven gear 41 from this output signal Sc. The CPU 19 determines the phase difference Δγ between the first rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30 (or the second rotation angle θb of the second driven gear 33 is acceptable) and the third rotation angle θc of the third driven gear 41 (see FIG. 5), and a torque T applied to the steering shaft 10 is calculated based on the phase difference Δγ. When calculating the torque T by this calculation, the CPU 19 transmits torque information corresponding to the torque T from the connector 21 to the various ECUs of the vehicle by CAN communication via the driver circuit 22. The output signals Sa to Sc correspond to detection signals.

Next, a specific calculation procedure of the absolute steering angle θ of the steering wheel 12 will be described.
By the way, since the number of teeth of the first main driving gear 27 is set to L and the number of teeth of the first driven gear 30 is set to M, when the first main driving gear 27 makes one rotation with the steering operation of the steering wheel 12, The first driven gear 30 rotates M / L. At this time, the first MRE 32 detects the rotation of the first driven gear 30 and outputs two AC signals (a sine wave signal Sa1 and a cosine wave signal Sa2) as shown in FIG. ) To the CPU 19. The periods of the sine wave signal Sa1 and the cosine wave signal Sa2 are set to be two periods when the first driven gear 30 makes one rotation.

  The CPU 19 converts the sine wave signal Sa1 and the cosine wave signal Sa2 input from the first MRE 32 into digital values, and obtains an arctangent value from the sine value and cosine value after the digital conversion, as shown in FIG. 4B. The arc tangent value is calculated as the first rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30. As shown in FIG. 4C, the first rotation angle θa is a value uniquely determined with respect to the actual angle θax of the first driven gear 30, and corresponds to 0 to 359 degrees of the actual angle θax. For example, it is calculated with a digital value of 0 to 359.

  Further, since the number of teeth of the second driven gear 33 is set to N, the second driven gear 33 rotates N / L when the second main driving gear 37 rotates once in accordance with the steering operation of the steering wheel 12. . At this time, when the second driven gear 33 rotates, the second MRE 35 outputs to the CPU 19 AC signals (sine wave signal Sb1 and cosine wave signal Sb2) shown in FIG. Output. The period of the sine wave signal Sb1 and cosine wave signal Sb2 of the second MRE 35 is set to be two periods when the second driven gear 33 makes one rotation. However, since the number of teeth of the first driven gear 30 and the second driven gear 33 is different, the AC signal output from the first MRE 32 and the AC signal output from the second MRE 35 when the first main driving gear 27 rotates. Will have different period widths.

  The CPU 19 converts the sine wave signal Sb1 and the cosine wave signal Sb2 input from the second MRE 35 into digital values, respectively, and calculates an arctangent value from the sine value and cosine value after digital conversion, as in the case of the first MRE 32. The arc tangent value is calculated as the second rotation angle θb of the second driven gear 33 (see FIG. 4B). As shown in FIG. 4C, the second rotation angle θb is a value uniquely determined with respect to the actual angle θbx of the second driven gear 33, and corresponds to 0 to 359 degrees of the actual angle θbx. For example, it is calculated with a digital value of 0 to 359.

  Subsequently, the CPU 19 calculates the phase difference Δω between the rotation angles θa and θb using the first rotation angle θa and the second rotation angle θb. The CPU 19 having calculated the phase difference Δω calculates the steering angle of the steering wheel 12 (steering shaft 10) as the absolute steering angle θ by using the rotation angles θa and θb obtained previously and the phase difference Δω. The absolute steering angle θ depends on the number of teeth of the first main driving gear 27, the first driven gear 30 and the second driven gear 33, and is in a range of, for example, 0 to 1440 degrees (that is, a range of four rotations of the steering wheel 12). ).

Next, a specific calculation procedure of the torque T generated in the steering shaft 10 will be described.
When the steering wheel 12 is steered, the steering wheel 12 may be rotated with an excessive force against the rotation allowable amount of the steering shaft 10. In this example, since the second split shaft 39 is connected to the first split shaft 38 via the finite rotation bearing 40, when the steering wheel 12 is rotated with an excessive force, the second split shaft 39 is The portion of the finite rotation bearing 40 is rotated with respect to the first split shaft 38. For this reason, the steering shaft 10 is twisted, and a torque T is generated in the steering shaft 10.

  Since the second main driving gear 37 also rotates when the steering shaft 10 rotates, the third driven gear 41 that meshes with the second main driving gear 37 also rotates with the rotation of the steering shaft 10. Here, when the steering shaft 10 is twisted, the second main driving gear 37 is slightly rotated more than the first main driving gear 27, so that the first rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30 is increased. Between the (second rotation angle θb) and the third rotation angle θc of the third driven gear 41, a phase difference Δγ corresponding to the magnitude of the torsional torque at that time is generated.

  The CPU 19 inputs the sine wave signal Sc1 and the cosine wave signal Sc2 as shown in FIG. 4A from the third MRE 43, and the calculation procedure of the third driven gear 41 is the same as the case of the first MRE 32 and the second MRE 35. A third rotation angle θc (see FIG. 4B) is calculated. As shown in FIG. 4C, the third rotation angle θc is a value uniquely determined with respect to the actual angle θcx of the third driven gear 41, and corresponds to 0 to 359 degrees of the actual angle θcx. For example, it is calculated with a digital value of 0 to 359.

  The CPU 19 determines the steering from the phase difference Δγ between the first driven gear 30 and the third driven gear 41 obtained using the first rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30 and the third rotation angle θc of the third driven gear 41. The torque T applied to the shaft 10 is calculated. In calculating the torque, first, the rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30 (or the rotation angle θb of the second driven gear 33 may be used) is an angle corresponding to the first main driving gear 27. Convert to. The CPU 19 calculates the first conversion angle θac of the rotation angle θa using the following equation (1).

θac = (M / L) × θa × 2 (1)
Similarly, the CPU 19 converts the rotation angle θc of the third driven gear 41 into an angle corresponding to the first main driving gear 27. Here, the third driven gear 41 is meshed with and engaged with the second main driving gear 37, but the second main driving gear 37 has the same shape and tooth position as the first main driving gear 27. If the conversion angle corresponding to the gear 37 is obtained, this becomes the conversion angle corresponding to the first main driving gear 27. The CPU 19 calculates a conversion angle θcc of the rotation angle θc using the following equation (2).

θcc = (P / L) × θc × 2 (2)
Here, in the formulas (1) and (2), the reason why θa and θc are multiplied by “2” is because the output is two cycles for each rotation of the driven gear. The CPU 19 calculates the difference (absolute value) between the converted angle θac and the converted angle θcc as a phase difference Δγ (= θac−θcc), and calculates the phase difference Δγ as the torque T. Here, if the torque T is not generated in the steering shaft 10, there is no phase difference Δγ between the converted angle θac and the converted angle θcc. However, when the steering shaft 10 is twisted and a torque T is generated, a phase difference Δγ is generated between the converted angle θac and the converted angle θcc as shown in FIG. 5, and the CPU 19 sets the phase difference Δγ as the torque T. calculate.

  Further, the CPU 19 calculates not only the torque T from the rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30 and the rotation angle θc of the third driven gear 41 in order to calculate the torque T in a double system, but also the second driven gear. The torque T is also calculated from the rotation angle θb of 33 and the third driven gear 41. In a normal case, the CPU 19 monitors the twist of the steering shaft 10 with the torque T calculated from the first rotation angle θa and the third rotation angle θc, but the torque T takes an abnormal value such as “0”. The twist of the steering shaft 10 is observed with the torque T calculated from the second rotation angle θb and the third rotation angle θc.

  As described above, in this example, the lever device 2 having the combination switch function is provided with the steering roll connector 4, the absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5 of the steering wheel 12, and the torque detection mechanism 6 applied to the steering shaft 10. . For this reason, the lever device 2 of this example is a device in which these plural mechanisms are unitized. Therefore, when the lever device 2 is assembled to the vehicle body 1, the steering roll connector 4, the absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5 and the torque detection mechanism 6 are assembled to the vehicle body 1 at the same time. As a result, the work of assembling the parts to the vehicle body 1 becomes easier.

  In addition, when the steering roll connector 4, the absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5, and the torque detection mechanism 6 are incorporated into the lever device 2, parts that can be shared among these mechanisms such as the case 7 and the printed board 18 appear. As a result, the parts cost required for the steering roll connector 4, the absolute rudder angle detection mechanism 5 and the torque detection mechanism 6 as a whole can be reduced as compared with the case where these mechanisms are separate, and the part cost can be reduced. There is.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By adding a steering roll connector 4, an absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5 of the steering wheel 12, and a torque detection mechanism 6 of the steering shaft 10 to the lever device 2 having the combination switch mechanism 3, these mechanisms are It is integrated. Accordingly, when the lever device 2 is assembled to the vehicle body 1, a plurality of types of mechanisms are assembled to the vehicle body 1, so that the number of assembly steps of the component assembly operation can be reduced, and the component assembly operation can be performed. It will be easy.

  (2) In the torque detection mechanism 6 of this example, the magnets 31 and 42 are attached to the gears 30 and 41, respectively, and the magnetic directions of the magnets 31 and 42 are detected by the MREs 32 and 43, respectively. The angles θa and θc are obtained, and the torque T of the steering shaft 10 is calculated from the rotation angles θa and θc. Therefore, the torque T of the steering shaft 10 can be calculated using a simple structure of the gears 30 and 41, the magnets 31 and 42, and the MREs 32 and 43.

  (3) When an excessive force is applied to the steering shaft 10, a torsion bar 36 is provided as a twisted portion. Therefore, when the torque T is applied to the steering shaft 10, the torsion bar 36 promotes torsion of the steering shaft 10, which is highly effective in calculating the torque T.

  (4) In the torque detection mechanism 6 of the present example, the torque T applied to the steering shaft 10 is viewed in the double system of the first driven gear 30 and the second driven gear 33, so the first driven gear 30 that is normally used. Even if the side breaks down, the torque T is seen on the second driven gear 33 side instead, which is highly effective in preventing erroneous detection of the torque T.

  (5) The steering shaft 10 has a two-divided structure, and the divided shafts 38 and 39 are connected by a finite rotation bearing 40. Therefore, the finite rotation bearing 40 can allow the steering shaft 10 to be twisted, and even if, for example, the torsion bar 36 is broken and the divided shafts 38 and 39 can be separated, the finite rotation bearing 40 is divided. The connected state of the shafts 38 and 39 is maintained, so that a situation in which the first divided shaft 38 does not rotate during the steering operation of the steering wheel 12 can be avoided.

In addition, this embodiment is not limited to the said structure, You may change into the following aspects.
As a structure for providing the finite rotation bearing 40, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, an undivided steering shaft 10 may be used and the finite rotation bearing 40 may be provided between the steering shaft 10 and the steering wheel 12. Good. In this case, the steering wheel 12 is fixed to the steering shaft 10 by screwing the lock nut 11 to the screw portion 10 a at the tip of the steering shaft 10 with the finite rotation bearing 40 sandwiched between the steering shaft 10 and the steering wheel 12. Is done. In this case, the steering shaft 10 and the first main driving gear 27 are fixed by a plurality of screws 51. In this structure, since the steering shaft 10 which is not divided is used, the problem of complication of the shaft structure caused by dividing the steering shaft 10 does not occur.

  The lever device 2 does not necessarily include all of the steering roll connector 4, the absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5, and the torque detection mechanism 6, and it is sufficient that at least only the torque detection mechanism 6 is incorporated.

  When detecting the rotation angles θa, θb, θc of the driven gears 30, 33, 41 by a magnetic method, the detecting means is not limited to the MREs 32, 35, 43, and may be, for example, a Hall element. Further, the detection means is not limited to the magnetic type, and other types such as an optical type may be employed.

  The torsion permission member is not limited to the torsion bar 36 having a cylindrical shape, and a spring that allows torsion when an external force is applied and returns to its original shape when the external force becomes “0”. It may be a member.

  -The torque detection mechanism 6 is not limited to the structure using a gear like this example. For example, instead of the torsion bar 36, when a cylindrical detection member in which a metal wire is stretched in a slanted state is prepared and a voltage is applied to the detection member in use, and a twist is applied Since the voltage value generated in the change changes, the change may be detected as the torque T.

  The absolute steering angle detection mechanism 5 is not limited to a calculation method for obtaining the absolute steering angle θ of the steering wheel 12 from the rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30 and the rotation angle θb of the second driven gear 33. For example, a magnet is attached to the first main driving gear 27, the magnetic field direction of the magnet is detected by MRE, and the absolute steering angle θ is determined from the rotation angle of the first main driving gear 27 and the rotation angle θa of the first driven gear 30. The calculated calculation method may be used.

Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below together with their effects.
(1) In any one of claims 2 to 8, the second main driving gear is formed on the rotator of the connector mechanism, and the second main driving gear is fixed to the first main driving gear via a torsion bar. In this case, the rotator, the torsion bar, the first main driving gear, and the second main driving gear can be handled as one component. For example, it is not necessary to use a structure in which only the second main driving gear is directly fixed to the steering shaft. The structure around the steering shaft is not complicated.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lever apparatus in one Embodiment. The plane sectional view of a lever device. The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a lever apparatus. (A) is a waveform diagram of an output signal output from each MRE, (b) is an explanatory diagram for explaining how to obtain the rotation angle of each driven gear, and (c) is a relationship between the calculated rotation angle and the actual angle. FIG. Explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to obtain | require the torque of a steering shaft. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lever apparatus in another example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle body, 2 ... Lever apparatus, 3 ... Combination switch mechanism as lever operation position detection mechanism, 5 ... Absolute steering angle detection mechanism as angle detection mechanism, 4 ... Steering roll connector as connector mechanism, 6 ... Torque detection mechanism DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Steering shaft, 12 ... Steering wheel, 19 ... CPU which comprises torque calculation means and angle detection means, 23b ... Turn signal lever which comprises lever, 24b ... Wiper lever which comprises lever, 23c, 24c ... Contact means Switch contacts constituting the vehicle body, 27... First driven gear, 30... First driven gear constituting the vehicle body side driven gear, 31... Magnet constituting the vehicle body side detection means, 32. 33: second driven gear constituting the vehicle body side driven gear, 34: magnetism constituting the vehicle body side detection means 35 ... a second MRE constituting the vehicle body side detection means, 36 ... a torsion bar as a torsion allowing member, 37 ... a second main driving gear, 38, 39 ... a split shaft, 40 ... a finite rotation bearing, 41 ... an operation side driven gear The third driven gear, 42 ... the magnet constituting the operation side detection means, 43 ... the third MRE constituting the operation side detection means, T ... the torque, θa, θb, θc ... the rotation angle, θ ... the absolute rudder angle, Sa, Sb, Sc: Output signal as a detection signal, Δγ: Phase difference.

Claims (8)

In a lever device having a lever operation position detection mechanism for operating various devices mounted on a vehicle by detecting the operation of the lever by contact means,
A lever device comprising a torque detection mechanism for detecting torque applied to a steering shaft when a steering wheel is operated. The torque detection mechanism is
A first main gear that is attached to the vehicle body side of the steering shaft and rotates synchronously with the steering shaft;
A second main gear that is attached to the steering wheel side of the steering shaft and rotates synchronously with the steering shaft;
A vehicle body side driven gear meshing with the first main driving gear and rotating with the first main driving gear;
An operation-side driven gear meshing with the second main driving gear and rotating with the second main driving gear;
Vehicle body side detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the vehicle body side driven gear;
Operation side detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the operation side driven gear;
Torque calculation means for calculating the torque of the steering shaft from the phase difference between the detection signals based on the detection signal of the vehicle body side detection means and the detection signal of the operation side detection means, The lever device according to claim 1.   The lever device according to claim 2, wherein the first main driving gear and the second main driving gear are connected by a torsion allowing member. A plurality of the vehicle body side driven gears are provided,
A plurality of the vehicle body side detection means are provided in accordance with the plurality of vehicle body side driven gears,
The torque calculation means calculates the torque from the rotation angle of one of the vehicle body driven gears and the rotation angle of the operation driven gear, and the rotation angle of the other vehicle driven gear and the operation driven gear. 4. The lever device according to claim 2, wherein the torque is monitored by a multiplex system by calculating the torque also from the rotation angle.   5. A connector mechanism for electrically connecting an electrical equipment provided on the steering wheel and a controller provided on a vehicle body side in a state in which the steering wheel is allowed to rotate. The lever device according to any one of the above. A plurality of the vehicle body driven gears provided;
A plurality of the vehicle body side detection means provided according to the vehicle body side driven gear;
6. An angle detection mechanism having angle detection means for calculating an absolute steering angle of the steering shaft based on a plurality of detection signals from the vehicle body side detection means. The lever device according to item.   The steering shaft is divided into two parts on the vehicle body side and the operation side, and one of these divided shafts is connected and fixed to the first main driving gear side, and the other is connected and fixed to the second main driving gear. The lever device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the shaft is connected by a finite rotation bearing that allows rotation only within a set range.   The first main driving gear is connected and fixed to the steering shaft, the second main driving gear is connected and fixed to the steering wheel, and the steering shaft and the steering wheel are finite rotation bearings that allow rotation only within a set range. It is connected, The lever apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-6 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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