JP2014031088A - Steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering device capable of miniaturizing a power supply device in a circumferential direction of a column shaft.SOLUTION: A steering device comprises a steering component 30 and a communication power supply device 40. The steering component 30 performs a rotation operation of a column shaft 11. The communication power supply device 40 includes a power transmission device attached to a column housing 18, and a power reception device 60 housed in the steering component 30 to receive the power from the power transmission device 50 by radio communication. The power transmission device 50 and the power reception device 60 are formed on only a portion in a circumferential direction of the column shaft 11.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering apparatus having a steering component for rotating a column shaft.

  A conventional steering device has a rotary transformer as a power feeding device. The power supply apparatus includes a coil disposed on the rotating portion side that rotates together with the steering component, and a coil disposed on the fixed portion side. The power feeding device supplies power to an expansion ignition device for inflating an air bag in the steering component. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a conventional steering device.

JP 2002-272019 A

  In the steering device of Patent Document 1, each of the pair of coils of the power feeding device is formed so as to surround the column shaft over the entire circumference of the column shaft. For this reason, it is difficult to reduce the size of the power feeding device in the circumferential direction of the column shaft.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering device that can reduce the size of a power feeding device in the circumferential direction of a column shaft.

  (1) The first means is “a steering component for rotating the column shaft, a power transmission device attached to the column housing for accommodating the column shaft, and a radio communication from the power transmission device accommodated in the steering component. And a power feeding device in which at least one of the power transmitting device and the power receiving device is formed only in a part in the circumferential direction of the column shaft.

  In the steering device, since at least one of the power transmission device and the power reception device is formed only in a part of the column shaft in the circumferential direction, both the power transmission device and the power reception device are formed over the entire circumference of the column shaft. Compared with the assumed configuration, the power feeding device can be downsized in the circumferential direction of the column shaft.

  (2) The second means is “attached to the steering component, a steering switch for operating the in-vehicle functional component, a control device for controlling the operation of the in-vehicle functional component, and the steering component, The steering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission device that transmits a signal based on an operation of the steering switch to the control device by wireless communication.

  In the above steering device, since the transmission device transmits a signal based on the operation of the steering switch to the control device by wireless communication, a configuration in which the transmission device and the control device are connected by a cable or the like can be omitted. . For this reason, it is avoided that the wire is damaged by applying a load to the wire as the steering component is rotated.

  (3) The third means is that “the power feeding device is housed in the steering component and has a power source capable of storing power, the power receiving device supplies power to the power source, and the power source is The steering device according to claim 2, wherein power is supplied to the steering switch and the transmission device.

  In the steering device, when power is not supplied from the power transmission device to the power receiving device, power is supplied to the steering switch and the transmission device by the stored power of the power source. For this reason, electric power can be supplied to the steering switch and the transmission device regardless of the rotational position of the steering component.

  (4) The fourth means is that “the power transmission device includes a primary coil, the power reception device includes a secondary coil, and the primary coil and the 2 when the steering component is in a neutral position. The steering coil according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the next coils face each other.

When the vehicle travels, the vehicle travels straight, that is, the period during which the steering component is in the neutral position is longer than the period during which the vehicle turns, that is, the period during which the steering component is in a rotational position other than the neutral position.
In view of this point, in the steering device of the present invention, when the steering component is in the neutral position, the primary coil and the secondary coil face each other. For this reason, when the steering component is in the neutral position, it is possible to efficiently supply power from the power transmission device to the power reception device. Therefore, the period during which power is efficiently supplied from the power transmission device to the power reception device during vehicle travel is increased.

  (5) The fifth means is that "the secondary coil generates an alternating power according to a change in magnetic field based on the alternating power supplied to the primary coil, and the steering device generates a voltage of the secondary coil. The steering apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the turn signal lamp as the in-vehicle functional component is turned off based on the above.

  The present invention provides a steering device capable of reducing the size of a power feeding device in the circumferential direction of a column shaft.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the steering device of embodiment. The front view which shows the front structure of the steering components in the steering device of embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial cross-sectional structure of a steering component and a column housing in the steering device of the embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the communication electric power feeder of embodiment. The perspective view which shows the perspective structure of the column shaft of embodiment, a primary coil, and a secondary coil. The graph which shows the relationship between the steering angle in the steering device of embodiment, and a receiving voltage. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the light extinction control performed by the control apparatus in the steering apparatus of embodiment.

The configuration of the steering device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The steering device 1 includes a steering device body 10, an assist device 20, a steering component 30, a communication power supply device 40, and a control device 80. The steering device 1 has a configuration as a column assist type electric power steering device that assists the operation of the steering component 30 by the assist device 20. The communication power supply device 40 corresponds to a “power supply device”.

  The steering apparatus body 10 includes a column shaft 11, an intermediate shaft 12, a pinion shaft 13, a rack shaft 14, a rack and pinion mechanism 15, two tie rods 16, a rack housing 17, and a column housing 18. The steering device body 10 integrally rotates the column shaft 11, the intermediate shaft 12, and the pinion shaft 13 as the steering component 30 rotates. The steering device body 10 causes the rack shaft 14 to move straight in the longitudinal direction by the rotation of the pinion shaft 13. The steering device body 10 changes the steering angle of the steered wheels 2 via the knuckle 3 by causing the rack shaft 14 to advance straight.

The pinion shaft 13 has a pinion gear 13 </ b> A over a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the pinion shaft 13.
The rack shaft 14 has a rack gear 14 </ b> A over a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the rack shaft 14. The rack shaft 14 is meshed with the pinion gear 13A of the pinion shaft 13 in the rack gear 14A.

  The rack and pinion mechanism 15 includes a pinion gear 13A and a rack gear 14A. The rack and pinion mechanism 15 converts the rotation of the pinion shaft 13 into straight travel of the rack shaft 14 by the meshing of the pinion gear 13A and the rack gear 14A.

  The rack housing 17 is formed of a metal material. The rack housing 17 has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the rack shaft 14. The rack housing 17 accommodates a part of the tie rod 16, the pinion shaft 13, and the rack shaft 14.

  The column housing 18 is made of a metal material. The column housing 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape that covers the column shaft 11. The column housing 18 accommodates a part of the communication power supply device 40 and the assist device 20.

  The assist device 20 includes an assist motor 21, a worm shaft 22, and a worm wheel 23. The assist device 20 has a configuration in which the worm shaft 22 and the worm wheel 23 mesh with each other. The assist device 20 has a configuration in which a worm shaft 22 is connected to an assist motor 21 and a worm wheel 23 is fixed to the column shaft 11. The assist device 20 applies a force to rotate the column shaft 11 to the column shaft 11 by transmitting the rotation of the assist motor 21 to the worm wheel 23 via the worm shaft 22.

  The communication power supply device 40 is accommodated in the steering component 30 and in the column housing 18. The communication power supply apparatus 40 includes a power transmission apparatus 50 and a power reception apparatus 60 (both refer to FIG. 3). In the communication power supply device 40, the power transmission device 50 supplies power to the power reception device 60 by electromagnetic induction between the power transmission device 50 and the power reception device 60.

  The control device 80 is used to drive the assist device 20 and a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory (ROM, RAM, rewritable nonvolatile memory, etc.) that stores an operation program of the CPU. Drive circuit (both not shown). The control device 80 controls the amount of assist in changing the lighting state of the direction indicator lamp 5 and the operation of the steering component 30 by the assist device 20. The direction indicator lamp 5 corresponds to an “in-vehicle functional component”.

  The configuration of the steering component 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The left direction indicates a direction toward the left side when the steering component 30 is viewed from the front. Further, the right direction indicates a direction toward the right side when the steering component 30 is viewed from the front.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the steering component 30 includes a steering component body 31 and a direction instruction changeover switch 32 as a steering switch. The steering component 30 rotates twice in each of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction with respect to the neutral position of the steering component 30, that is, rotates 720 ° as a steering angle in each of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction. The neutral position of the steering component 30 indicates the position of the steering component 30 when the vehicle goes straight. When the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the steering angle is “0 °”.

  The steering component body 31 is made of a nonmagnetic resin material. The steering component body 31 has a steering portion 31A and a device housing portion 31B. The steering component main body 31 has a configuration in which a device accommodating portion 31B is positioned inside a steering portion 31A formed in an annular shape. The steering component body 31 has a configuration in which a separately formed steering portion 31A and a device accommodating portion 31B are coupled to each other. The steering component main body 31 has a configuration in which the tip end portion of the column shaft 11 (see FIG. 3) is fixed in the device housing portion 31B. The steering component main body 31 rotates the column shaft 11 by the operator holding the steering portion 31A and rotating the steering portion 31A and the device housing portion 31B.

  The direction instruction changeover switch 32 is attached to the device housing portion 31B. The direction indication changeover switch 32 includes a left direction indication switch 32A, a right direction indication switch 32B, and a transmission antenna (not shown). In the direction instruction changeover switch 32, the left direction instruction switch 32A is attached to the left portion of the device housing portion 31B, and the right direction switch 32B is attached to the right portion of the device housing portion 31B.

  The left direction indicating switch 32A and the right direction indicating switch 32B are turned on when pressed. The left direction instruction switch 32A is turned off by being pressed while the left direction instruction switch 32A is on. The right direction switch 32B is turned off when the right direction switch 32B is pressed while the right direction switch 32B is on.

  When the left direction switch 32A is in the ON state, the communication power supply device 40 transmits a signal indicating that the left direction switch 32A is in the ON state by wireless communication using the transmission antenna (hereinafter, “left indicator lamp ON signal”). To device 70. When the left direction indicating switch 32A is in the OFF state, the left direction indicating switch 32A similarly transmits a signal indicating that the left direction indicating switch 32A is in the OFF state (hereinafter, “left indicating lamp OFF signal”) to the transmitting device 70. When the left direction indicator switch 32A is in the on state, the left direction indicator lamp 5A is in a blinking state. When the left direction indicator switch 32A is in the OFF state, the left direction indicator lamp 5A is turned off.

  When the right direction switch 32B is in the ON state, the signal indicating that the right direction switch 32B is in the ON state (hereinafter, “right indicator lamp ON signal”) is transmitted to the transmission device 70 by wireless communication using the transmission antenna. . When the right direction switch 32B is in the off state, the right direction switch 32B similarly transmits a signal indicating that the right direction switch 32B is in the off state (hereinafter, “right indicator light off signal”) to the transmission device 70. In addition, when the right direction indicating switch 32B is in the ON state, the right direction indicating lamp 5B is in a blinking state. When the right direction indicating switch 32B is in the OFF state, the right direction indicating lamp 5B is turned off.

The configuration of the communication power supply device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the communication power supply device 40 includes a power transmission device 50, a power reception device 60, and a transmission device 70. In the communication power supply device 40, the power transmission device 50 is housed in the column housing 18, and the power reception device 60 and the transmission device 70 are housed in the device housing portion 31 </ b> B of the steering component 30. The communication power supply device 40 has a configuration in which the power transmission device 50 and the power reception device 60 face each other when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position. In the communication power supply device 40, the power reception device 60 and the transmission device 70 rotate integrally with the column shaft 11 as the steering component 30 rotates. In the communication power supply device 40, the power transmission device 50 does not rotate with respect to the rotation of the column shaft 11 due to the rotation of the steering component 30.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the power transmission device 50 is connected to the DC power supply 4. The power transmission device 50 includes a power transmission control unit 51, a primary coil 52, and an oscillator 53. The power transmission device 50 has a configuration in which an oscillator 53 is connected to the power transmission control unit 51, and a primary coil 52 is connected to the oscillator 53. The power transmission device 50 is positioned below the column shaft 11 (see FIG. 3). The power transmission device 50 is formed only in a part of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. In the plan view of the steering component 30, the size of the power transmission device 50 is equal to the size of the power reception device 60 (see FIG. 2).

  The power transmission control unit 51 is configured by a microcomputer. The power transmission control unit 51 controls the amount of power supplied to the primary coil 52 and the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 53. The primary coil 52 is composed of a conductive wire. The primary coil 52 forms a magnetic field around it when electric power is supplied to the conductive wire. The oscillator 53 generates alternating power having a predetermined frequency supplied to the primary coil 52.

  The power reception device 60 includes a secondary coil 61, a power supply circuit 62, a power reception control unit 63, a power supply 64, and a voltage detection unit 65. The power reception device 60 has a configuration in which a power supply circuit 62 is connected to the secondary coil 61, a power reception control unit 63 is connected to the power supply circuit 62, and a power supply 64 is connected to the power reception control unit 63. The power reception device 60 has a configuration in which a voltage detection unit 65 is connected between a power reception control unit 63 and a power source 64. The power receiving device 60 is formed only in a part of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction.

  The secondary coil 61 is composed of a conductive wire. The power supply circuit 62 includes a rectifier bridge formed by combining four diodes and a capacitor that smoothes the current that has passed through the rectifier bridge. The power supply circuit 62 is connected to the secondary coil 61. The power source 64 is constituted by a rechargeable secondary battery. The power supply 64 supplies power to the direction instruction changeover switch 32 (see FIG. 2) and the transmission device 70. The power reception control unit 63 is configured by a microcomputer. The power reception control unit 63 performs charge control for controlling DC power supplied to the power source 64 in accordance with the degree of charge of the power source 64. The voltage detection unit 65 includes a voltage sensor (not shown). The voltage detection unit 65 detects the voltage of power supplied to the power supply 64 by the power reception control unit 63 (hereinafter “power reception voltage”). The power reception control unit 63 detects the voltage of the power supply 64 every predetermined period. That is, the power reception control unit 63 obtains a signal corresponding to the voltage that is the detection result of the voltage detection unit 65 every predetermined period.

  The transmission device 70 includes a reception unit 71, a transmission control unit 72, and a transmission unit 73. The receiving unit 71 receives a left indicator lamp on signal, a right indicator lamp on signal, a left indicator lamp off signal, and a right indicator lamp off signal by wire. The transmission control unit 72 is configured by a microcomputer. The transmission controller 72 transmits a left indicator lamp on signal, a right indicator lamp on signal, a left indicator lamp off signal, and a right indicator lamp off signal to the transmitter 73. The transmitter 73 has a circuit board and a copper foil antenna pattern formed on the circuit board. The transmitter 73 transmits a left indicator lamp on signal, a right indicator lamp on signal, a left indicator lamp off signal, and a right indicator lamp off signal to the control device 80 by wireless communication.

With reference to FIG. 5, the structure of the primary coil 52 and the secondary coil 61 is demonstrated.
In the primary coil 52, the conductive wire is wound around the central axis J1 in a spiral shape. The central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 is parallel to the central axis JC of the column shaft 11. The primary coil 52 has a shape in which the dimension P1 of the outer diameter is larger than the dimension T1 in the thickness direction.

  In the secondary coil 61, the conductive wire is wound in a spiral shape around the central axis J2. The outer diameter dimension P2 of the secondary coil 61 is equal to the outer diameter dimension P1 of the primary coil 52. The dimension T2 in the thickness direction of the secondary coil 61 is equal to the dimension T1 in the thickness direction of the primary coil 52. The central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 is parallel to the central axis JC and the central axis J1 of the column shaft 11. In the radial direction of the column shaft 11, the distance D2 between the central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 and the central axis JC of the column shaft 11 is the distance between the central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and the central axis JC of the column shaft 11. It is equal to the distance D1 between.

  When the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the secondary coil 61 is located at the same location as the primary coil 52 in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11. Specifically, in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11, the position of the central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and the position of the central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 are coaxial. Therefore, in the axial direction of the column shaft 11, the primary coil 52 faces the secondary coil 61 over the entire surface thereof.

With reference to FIG. 4, the power feeding operation of the power transmission device 50 and the power reception device 60 will be described.
The power transmission control unit 51 controls the oscillator 53 to supply alternating power having a predetermined frequency to the primary coil 52. The primary coil 52 generates alternating magnetic flux when supplied with alternating power. The secondary coil 61 generates alternating power by interlinking with the alternating magnetic flux of the primary coil 52. The power supply circuit 62 converts the alternating power of the secondary coil 61 into DC power. The power reception control unit 63 supplies DC power to the power source 64.

  The charging control executed by the power reception control unit 63 of the power reception device 60 will be described. The full charge voltage indicates a voltage corresponding to the full charge of the power supply 64, and is set in advance according to the type of the secondary battery of the power supply 64.

  In the charge control, the power reception control unit 63 outputs a charge request signal to the power transmission device 50 when the current voltage of the power supply 64 is smaller than the full charge voltage. The power transmission control unit 51 of the power transmission device 50 supplies alternating power to the primary coil 52 based on the charge request signal. The power reception control unit 63 increases the amount of DC power supplied to the power supply 64 as the difference between the current voltage of the power supply 64 and the full charge voltage increases.

  In the charge control, the power reception control unit 63 stops the supply of DC power to the power supply 64 when the power supply 64 is fully charged, that is, when the current voltage of the power supply 64 is equal to the full charge voltage. Then, the power reception control unit 63 outputs a charge stop signal to the power transmission device 50. The power transmission control unit 51 stops the supply of alternating power to the primary coil 52 based on the charge stop signal.

  The power reception control unit 63 transmits a charge request signal and a charge stop signal to the power transmission control unit 51 through the primary coil 52 by supplying alternating power of a predetermined frequency for signal transmission to the secondary coil 61. . The power transmission control unit 51 controls the alternating power supplied to the primary coil 52 based on the charge request signal and the charge stop signal.

  In addition, the power reception control unit 63 transmits a charge request signal to the power transmission device 50 regardless of the charge control in the blinking state of the direction indicator lamp 5 (see FIG. 1). That is, in the communication power supply device 40, power is supplied from the power transmission device 50 to the power reception device 60 over the period in which the direction indicator lamp 5 is blinking.

  With reference to FIG. 6, changes in the received voltage due to the rotation operation of the steering component 30 will be described. FIG. 6 is a graph showing changes in the received voltage when the steering component 30 is rotated clockwise from the neutral position. In the following description with reference to FIG. 6, each component related to the steering apparatus 1 to which a reference numeral is attached indicates each component described in FIGS. 3 and 4.

  When the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, that is, when the steering angle is “0”, the area where the secondary coil 61 faces the primary coil 52 (hereinafter, “coil facing area”) is maximized. The voltage has a maximum value (hereinafter, “maximum power receiving voltage Vmax”).

  When the steering component 30 rotates clockwise from the neutral position, the secondary coil 61 rotates clockwise with respect to the primary coil 52. For this reason, a coil opposing area becomes small. As a result, the received voltage decreases. When the steering angle θ1 becomes larger, the coil facing area becomes “0”. At this time, the received voltage is “0”.

  In a state where the received voltage is “0”, when the steering component 30 further rotates clockwise and reaches the steering angle θ2, the secondary coil 61 starts to face the primary coil 52 again. For this reason, when the steering angle is equal to or larger than the steering angle θ2, the power reception voltage is larger than “0”. As the steering component 30 rotates clockwise, that is, as the steering angle changes from the steering angle θ2 toward 360 °, the coil facing area increases. For this reason, the power reception voltage increases toward the maximum power reception voltage Vmax. When the steering component 30 makes one rotation, that is, when the steering angle is 360 °, the power reception voltage becomes the maximum power reception voltage Vmax.

  As the steering component 30 further rotates clockwise, that is, as the steering angle increases from 360 °, the coil facing area decreases. For this reason, the power reception voltage decreases from the maximum power reception voltage Vmax. When the steering angle becomes larger than the steering angle θ3, the coil facing area becomes “0”. At this time, the received voltage is “0”.

  In a state where the power reception voltage is “0”, when the steering component 30 further rotates clockwise and the steering angle becomes the steering angle θ4, the secondary coil 61 starts to face the primary coil 52 again. For this reason, when the steering angle is equal to or greater than the steering angle θ4, the power reception voltage is greater than “0”. As the steering component 30 rotates clockwise, that is, as the steering angle changes from the steering angle θ4 to 720 °, the coil facing area increases. For this reason, the power reception voltage increases toward the maximum power reception voltage Vmax. When the steering component 30 rotates twice, that is, when the steering angle is 720 °, the power reception voltage becomes the maximum power reception voltage Vmax.

  After the steering component 30 is rotated in the clockwise direction over the steering angle θ3 or more, when the steering component 30 performs a rotation operation toward the neutral position (hereinafter referred to as “switchback operation”), the steering angle θ2 is changed from the steering angle θ3. As the steering angle changes over time, the received voltage changes as follows. That is, the power reception voltage increases from “0” toward the maximum power reception voltage Vmax, and decreases from the maximum power reception voltage Vmax to “0”. Hereinafter, such a change in the received voltage is referred to as “determination voltage tendency”.

  The determination voltage tendency does not occur even when the steering component 30 is rotated over the steering angle θ3 to 720 °. For this reason, when the determination voltage tendency is generated when the steering component 30 is rotated from a steering angle equal to or larger than the steering angle θ3, it is predicted that the switch-back operation is performed over a predetermined amount. Since the same applies to the case where the steering component 30 is rotated counterclockwise, the description thereof is omitted.

  By the way, when the direction indicator lamp 5 (see FIG. 1) is blinking, turning off the direction indicator lamp 5 by operating the direction indicator selector switch 32 makes the operation of the operator complicated, and the direction indicator lamp 5 is turned off. It can also cause forgetting. For this reason, it is preferable to turn off the direction indicating lamp 5 regardless of the operation of the direction indicating changeover switch 32 when the direction indicating lamp 5 is lit. Therefore, the control device 80 turns off the direction indicator lamp 5 based on the fact that the direction indicator lamp 5 is blinking and the switch back operation is performed for a predetermined amount in the extinction control.

  A method by which the control device 80 determines that the switchback operation has been performed over a predetermined amount will be described. Note that the transmission device 70 transmits a change in the received voltage to the control device 80 based on the ON state of the direction indication changeover switch 32. The transmission device 70 transmits a change in the received voltage to the control device 80 over a period in which the direction indicator lamp 5 is blinking. And the control apparatus 80 starts the memory | storage of the change of a received voltage based on the direction indication switch 32 being an ON state. The control device 80 stores the change in the received voltage in the memory over the period in which the direction indicator lamp 5 is blinking. When the direction indicator lamp 5 is turned off, the control device 80 stops storing the change in the received voltage, and erases the stored change in the received voltage (hereinafter, “history data”) in the memory.

  The control device 80 acquires the first determination voltage tendency by rotating the steering component 30 from the steering angle θ2 to the steering angle θ3. The control device 80 acquires the second determination voltage tendency by being rotated from the steering angle θ3 to the steering angle θ2. This second determination voltage tendency corresponds to the switching operation. Therefore, the control device 80 determines that the switch-back operation has been performed over a predetermined amount based on the fact that the determination data has two determination voltage trends in the history data.

  With reference to FIG. 7, a procedure for turning off the light will be described. In the following description with reference to FIG. 7, each component related to the steering apparatus 1 to which a reference numeral is attached indicates each component described in FIG. 1.

  In step S11, control device 80 determines whether either left direction indicator lamp 5A or right direction indicator lamp 5B is blinking. The control device 80 determines that the right direction indicator lamp 5B is blinking when the right indicator lamp ON signal is received in step S11. The control device 80 determines that the left direction indicator lamp 5A is blinking when the left indicator lamp ON signal is received in step S10. Control device 80 determines that left direction indicator lamp 5A and right direction indicator lamp 5B are not blinking when the right indicator lamp on signal and the left indicator lamp on signal are not received in step S11. And the control apparatus 80 once complete | finishes a process.

  In step S12 and step S14, control device 80 determines whether or not there is a determination voltage tendency twice in the history data. When the determination is positive in steps S12 and S14, control device 80 determines that the switchback operation has been performed over a predetermined amount. On the other hand, when negative determination is made in steps S12 and S14, control device 80 determines that the switchback operation has not been performed over a predetermined amount.

  The control device 80 determines whether or not the right direction indicating switch 32B has been operated again in step S13. The control device 80 performs the determination in step S13 based on whether or not a right indicating lamp off signal has been received.

  The control device 80 determines whether or not the left direction instruction switch 32A has been operated again in step S15. The control device 80 makes the determination in step S15 based on whether or not a left indicator lamp off signal has been received.

  When the right direction indicator light 5B is blinking (“right” in step S11), the control device 80 determines that the determination in step S12 is affirmative, or the determination in step S12 is negative and the determination in step S13 is affirmative. Turn off the direction indicator lamp 5B.

  When the left direction indicator lamp 5A is blinking (“left” in step S11), the control device 80 determines that the determination in step S14 is affirmative, or the determination in step S14 is negative and the determination in step S15 is positive. Turn off the direction indicator lamp 5A.

  The operation of the steering device 1 will be described. The comparative steering device has a configuration including a power transmission device in which a primary coil is formed over the entire circumference of the column shaft and a power receiving device in which a secondary coil is formed over the entire circumference of the column shaft.

  In the steering device 1, the power transmission device 50 is formed only in a part of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. That is, the power transmission device 50 is not formed in a portion other than a portion of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. For this reason, in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11, the power transmission device 50 can be made smaller than the power transmission device of the comparative steering device.

  In the steering device 1, the power receiving device 60 is formed only in a part of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. That is, the power receiving device 60 is not formed in a portion other than a portion of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. For this reason, in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11, the power receiving device 60 can be made smaller than the power receiving device of the comparative steering device.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the steering device 1 has a steering angle range in which power is not supplied from the power transmitting device 50 to the power receiving device 60 in accordance with the rotation operation of the steering component 30 (hereinafter, “non-supply angle range”). . Examples of the non-supply angle range include a range from the steering angle θ1 to θ2 and a range from the steering angle θ3 to θ4. For this reason, in the non-supply angle range, there is a concern that the power supply 64 is not charged and the power of the power supply 64 is depleted and the power is not supplied to the transmission device 70.

  However, it is predicted that the period during which the operator rotates the steering component 30 during vehicle travel is short. That is, it is predicted that the period during which the operator maintains the steering component 30 in the neutral position is longer than the period during which the operator rotates the steering component 30 during vehicle travel.

  In view of this point, in the steering device 1, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the secondary coil 61 is positioned with respect to the primary coil 52 so that power can be supplied from the power transmission device 50 to the power reception device 60. To do. For this reason, in a state where the power source 64 is not fully charged, the period during which the power source 64 is charged is longer than the period during which the power source 64 is not charged. Therefore, it is suppressed that the power of the power supply 64 is depleted and that the power cannot be supplied to the transmission device 70 due to the power shortage of the power supply 64.

  Further, when power is required for the transmission device 70 in the non-supply angle range, the power supply 64 supplies power to the transmission device 70. As a result, power is supplied to the transmission device 70 even in the non-supply angle range.

The steering device 1 of the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) In the steering device 1, the power transmission device 50 and the power reception device 60 are formed only in a part of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the power feeding device in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11 as compared with a configuration in which both the power transmission device and the power receiving device are formed over the entire circumference of the column shaft. it can.

  (2) The steering device 1 includes a power source 64 that charges the power supplied from the power transmission device 50 to the power reception device 60. According to this configuration, power is supplied from the power supply 64 to the transmission device 70 in the non-supply angle range. For this reason, electric power can be supplied to the transmission device 70 regardless of the rotational position of the steering component 30.

  (3) The transmission device 70 transmits the operation of the direction instruction changeover switch 32 as a signal to the control device 80 by wireless communication. According to this configuration, it is possible to omit a configuration in which the transmission device and the control device are connected by wire such as a cable. For this reason, it is avoided that the wire is damaged by applying a load to the wire as the steering component 30 is rotated.

  (4) In the steering device 1, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the primary coil 52 and the secondary coil 61 face each other. According to this configuration, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, it is possible to efficiently supply power from the power transmission device 50 to the power reception device 60. Therefore, the period during which power is efficiently supplied from the power transmission device 50 to the power reception device 60 during vehicle travel is increased.

  (5) When the control device performs the extinguishing control based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection device (not shown), the control device receives a signal corresponding to the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection device. CAN communication (Controller Area Network) is used. For this reason, since it is necessary for the control device to receive the signal of the steering angle detection device through CAN communication over the extinction control, the load on the control device increases. On the other hand, the control apparatus 80 performs light extinction control based on the received voltage. According to this configuration, since the signal of the rudder angle detection device is not used, an increase in the load on the control device 80 in the turn-off control is suppressed.

  (6) In the steering device 1, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and the central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 are coaxial. According to this configuration, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the magnetic efficiency between the primary coil 52 and the secondary coil 61 is the highest. Therefore, the power supply efficiency from the power transmission device 50 to the power reception device 60 is the highest.

  The present invention includes an embodiment different from the above embodiment. Hereinafter, the modification of the said embodiment as other embodiment of this invention is shown. The following modifications can be combined with each other.

  The communication power supply device 40 of the embodiment has a configuration in which the power receiving device 60 includes a power source 64. On the other hand, the communication power supply device 40 of the modification has a configuration in which the power receiving device 60 and the power source 64 are individually formed. In the communication power supply apparatus 40 according to the modification, the power source 64 supplies power to the transmission apparatus 70. Moreover, the communication power supply apparatus 40 of another modification does not have the power supply 64.

  The communication power supply device 40 of the embodiment has a configuration in which the power transmission device 50 and the power reception device 60 are formed only in a part in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11. On the other hand, the communication power supply device 40 of the modified example has a configuration in which the power transmission device 50 is formed only in a part in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11 and the power reception device 60 is formed over the entire circumference of the column shaft 11. Moreover, the communication power supply apparatus 40 of another modification has a configuration in which the power transmission apparatus 50 is formed over the entire circumference of the column shaft 11 and the power reception apparatus 60 is formed only in a part of the column shaft 11 in the circumferential direction. .

  The communication power supply device 40 of the embodiment has a configuration in which the central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and the central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 coincide when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position. On the other hand, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the communication power supply apparatus 40 according to the modification has a different central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61. In the communication power supply apparatus 40 of this modification, the central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and the central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 are different from each other in a range in which the primary coil 52 and the secondary coil 61 have portions facing each other. . In short, when the steering component 30 is in the neutral position, the central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and the central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 are within a range in which the primary coil 52 and the secondary coil 61 can be interlinked. May be different. In addition, the communication power supply device 40 of another modified example has a central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 and a central axis of the secondary coil 61 when the steering angle measured by a steering angle detection device (not shown) is “0”. J2 has a matching configuration.

  In the primary coil 52 of the embodiment, the outer diameter dimension P1 is larger than the thickness direction dimension T1. On the other hand, the primary coil 52 of the modification has a dimension T1 in the thickness direction larger than the dimension P1 of the outer diameter. The primary coil 52 of this modification is formed as a rod-like coil having a central axis J1 of the primary coil 52 as a longitudinal axis. According to this configuration, the power transmission device 50 can be downsized in the radial direction of the column shaft 11 as compared with the power transmission device 50 of the embodiment.

  In the secondary coil 61 of the embodiment, the outer diameter dimension P2 is larger than the thickness direction dimension T2. On the other hand, the secondary coil 61 of the modification has a dimension T2 in the thickness direction larger than the dimension P2 of the outer diameter. The secondary coil 61 of this modification is formed as a rod-like coil having a central axis J2 of the secondary coil 61 as a longitudinal direction. According to this configuration, the power transmission device 50 can be downsized in the radial direction of the column shaft 11 as compared with the power reception device 60 of the embodiment.

  The communication power supply apparatus 40 of the embodiment has a configuration in which the outer diameter dimension P1 of the primary coil 52 and the outer diameter dimension P2 of the secondary coil 61 are equal to each other. On the other hand, the communication power supply apparatus 40 of the modification has a configuration in which the outer diameter dimension P1 of the primary coil 52 and the outer diameter dimension P2 of the secondary coil 61 are different from each other.

  -The communication electric power feeder 40 of embodiment has the structure where the dimension T1 of the thickness direction of the primary coil 52 and the dimension T2 of the thickness direction of the secondary coil 61 are mutually equal. On the other hand, the communication power supply device 40 of the modification has a configuration in which the dimension T1 in the thickness direction of the primary coil 52 and the dimension T2 in the thickness direction of the secondary coil 61 are different from each other.

  The power receiving device 60 according to the embodiment includes one secondary coil 61 and one power supply circuit 62. On the other hand, the power receiving device 60 according to the modification includes two secondary coils 61 and two power supply circuits 62. In the power receiving device 60 of this modification, each secondary coil 61 is connected to each power supply circuit 62. The secondary coil 61 is adjacent in the circumferential direction of the column shaft 11. The power reception control unit 63 transmits to the transmission device 70 a coil signal indicating which secondary coil 61 is fed. The transmission control unit 72 of the transmission device 70 generates a right indicator lamp on signal and a left indicator lamp on signal based on the coil signal, and transmits them to the controller 80. According to this configuration, when the operator rotates the steering component 30, the power reception control unit 63 determines which of the secondary coils 61 is supplied with power, thereby determining the rotation direction of the steering component 30. Can do. For this reason, the lighting state of the direction indicator lamp 5 can be changed by rotating the steering component 30. That is, the operation of the direction instruction changeover switch 32 by the operator can be omitted.

  The transmission device 70 of the embodiment has a configuration in which the reception unit 71 receives a left indicator lamp on signal, a right indicator lamp on signal, a left indicator lamp off signal, and a right indicator lamp off signal by wire. On the other hand, the transmission device 70 according to the modification has a configuration in which the reception unit 71 receives a left indicator lamp on signal, a right indicator lamp on signal, a left indicator lamp off signal, and a right indicator lamp off signal by wireless communication. Further, the direction instruction changeover switch 32 of the modification has a transmission antenna for wirelessly communicating a signal to the reception unit 71. In addition, the receiving unit 71 has a receiving antenna for wirelessly communicating the signal of the direction indication changeover switch 32.

The steering component 30 according to the embodiment includes an annular steering portion 31A. On the other hand, the steering component 30 of the modified example has a pair of steering portions 31A formed in an arc shape or a rod shape.
The steering component 30 of the embodiment rotates twice in the clockwise direction and twice in the counterclockwise direction. On the other hand, the steering component 30 of the modified example rotates 1.5 turns clockwise and 1.5 turns counterclockwise.

  The steering device 1 according to the embodiment includes a direction instruction changeover switch 32. On the other hand, the steering device 1 of the modified example has a direction instruction switching lever instead of the direction instruction switching switch 32. The user operates the blinking state of the left direction indicator lamp 5A and the right direction indicator lamp 5B by operating the direction indication switching lever. Further, the steering apparatus 1 of another modification has a left direction instruction lever and a right direction instruction lever instead of the direction instruction changeover switch 32.

  In the charging control, the power reception control unit 63 of the power receiving device 60 of the embodiment determines the amount of direct current to be supplied to the power supply 64 based on the magnitude of the difference between the current voltage of the power supply 64 and the full charge voltage. On the other hand, in the charge control, the power reception control unit 63 according to the modified example is independent of the magnitude of the difference between the current power supply 64 voltage and the full charge voltage when the current power supply 64 voltage is lower than the full charge voltage. A constant amount of direct current is supplied to the power supply 64.

  -The control apparatus 80 of embodiment performs light extinction control based on a receiving voltage. On the other hand, the control device 80 according to the modified example performs the turn-off control based on the steering angle signal of the steering angle detection device (not shown). The control device 80 of this modification turns off the direction indicator lamp 5 when the change amount of the steering angle in the direction in which the steering component 30 moves toward the neutral position is equal to or greater than the threshold value when the direction indicator lamp 5 is blinking. The threshold value is set in advance, for example, 90 °.

  In the steering device 1 according to the embodiment, the control device 80 performs the turn-off control. On the other hand, in the steering device 1 according to the modified example, the auxiliary control device formed individually independently of the control device 80 performs the light-off control. In the steering apparatus 1 of this modified example, the transmission device 70 transmits a left indicator lamp on signal, a right indicator lamp on signal, a left indicator lamp off signal, and a right indicator lamp off signal to the auxiliary controller.

  In the steering device 1 of the embodiment, a steering switch for at least one of the operation of the acoustic device as the in-vehicle functional component and the operation of the car navigation device as the in-vehicle functional component can be attached to the steering component 30.

  In the steering device 1 according to the embodiment, a steering switch for operating the headlamp as the in-vehicle functional component and a steering switch for operating the wiper as the in-vehicle functional component can be attached to the steering component 30. According to this configuration, the headlamp and the wiper control switch can be omitted. For this reason, the combination switch arrange | positioned between steering components and a front panel (not shown) is omissible. As a result, the portion of the column shaft 11 between the steering component 30 and the front panel can also be used as an energy absorbing mechanism. Therefore, the length of the energy absorbing mechanism can be increased as compared with the conventional steering device.

  In the steering device 1 according to the embodiment, the transmission device 70 is attached to the steering component 30. On the other hand, the steering apparatus 1 according to the modification uses a mobile device such as a smartphone as the transmission device 70. The portable device is attached to the device housing portion 31B of the steering component 30. In the steering device 1 of this modification, a signal from the direction instruction changeover switch 32 is transmitted to the portable device by wireless communication. The portable device transmits the received signal to the control device 80 by wireless communication.

  -Steering device 1 of another modification has a left direction indicator switch and a right direction indicator switch as an application of portable equipment. The operator changes the lighting state of the left direction indicator lamp 5A and the right direction indicator lamp 5B by operating the left direction indicator switch and the right direction indicator switch of the portable device.

  -Steering device 1 of another modification changes the lighting state of left direction indicator lamp 5A and right direction indicator lamp 5B in conjunction with the car navigation device mounted in the vehicle. Specifically, the mobile device receives audio for guiding left and right turns of the vehicle by the car navigation device. Then, the portable device transmits a right indicator lamp on signal and a left indicator lamp on signal to the control device 80 based on the voice of the car navigation device. The control device 80 blinks the left direction indicator lamp 5A and the right direction indicator lamp 5B based on each indicator lamp ON signal.

  The steering device 1 of the embodiment has a configuration as a column assist type electric power steering device. On the other hand, the steering device 1 according to the modification has a configuration as a pinion assist type, dual pinion assist type, rack coaxial type, or rack parallel type electric power steering device.

  The steering device 1 of the embodiment has a configuration as an electric power steering device having the assist device 20. On the other hand, the steering device 1 according to the modification has a configuration as a mechanical steering device in which the assist device 20 is omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering device, 5 ... Direction indicator light (vehicle-mounted functional component), 11 ... Column shaft, 18 ... Column housing, 30 ... Steering component, 32 ... Direction indication changeover switch (steering switch), 40 ... Communication electric power feeder (power feeder) ), 50... Power transmission device, 52... Primary coil, 60... Power reception device, 61... Secondary coil, 64.

Claims (5)

A steering component that rotates the column shaft;
A power transmission device attached to a column housing that accommodates the column shaft; and a power reception device that is accommodated in the steering component and receives power from the power transmission device by wireless communication, and at least one of the power transmission device and the power reception device And a power feeding device formed only on a part of the column shaft in the circumferential direction. A steering switch attached to the steering component for operating the in-vehicle functional component, a control device for controlling the operation of the in-vehicle functional component, and a signal attached to the steering component and based on the operation of the steering switch by wireless communication The steering device according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission device that transmits the control device to the control device. The power feeding device is housed in the steering component and has a power source capable of storing electricity,
The power receiving device supplies power to the power source;
The steering device according to claim 2, wherein the power supply supplies power to the steering switch and the transmission device. The power transmission device has a primary coil,
The power receiving device has a secondary coil,
The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil face each other when the steering component is in a neutral position. The secondary coil generates alternating power with a change in magnetic field based on the alternating power supplied to the primary coil,
The steering device according to claim 4, wherein the steering device turns off a direction indicator lamp as the in-vehicle functional component based on a voltage of the secondary coil.