JP2540125Y2 - Steering device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering device having a torque sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is an electric power steering apparatus as a power steering apparatus for assisting a force for operating a steering wheel of an automobile. In this configuration, a torque applied to a steered wheel is detected, and an electric motor provided in a steering mechanism is rotated according to the detected torque.

[0003] As the torque detecting means, for example, a magnetic coupling corresponding to a torsion of a torsion bar connecting an input shaft connected to a steered wheel and an output shaft connected to a steering unit is provided. A non-contact type torque sensor that has a magnetic coupling portion that changes and detects torque from a voltage of a sensor coil provided inside the detector main body according to a change in the magnetic coupling state is used.

[0004] In addition, a motor vehicle is provided with an electric horn that emits a horn. The electric circuit of this horn is one in which a battery power source, a horn, a horn switch, the input shaft, a torsion bar, and an output shaft are connected in series and grounded to a vehicle body. When the horn is operated, the horn switch is turned on, so that the horn current flows from the battery power supply to the input shaft, the torsion bar, and the output shaft via the horn and the horn switch.
At this time, the horn current does not flow through the cylinder housing the input shaft.

[0005]

However, in the steering apparatus having the torque sensor as described above, when a DC current is applied to the input shaft to operate the horn as described above, the DC current is generated around the input shaft and the output shaft. In this case, a magnetic field is generated, so that the magnetic field generates noise in the sensor output of the torque sensor.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steering device having a configuration in which a current for operating a horn does not adversely affect a detection result of a torque sensor.

[0007]

A steering device according to the present invention is housed in a metal cylinder, one end of which is connected to a steering wheel, and a torque sensor for magnetically detecting a steering torque at the other end. A steering shaft provided with a support provided in the cylindrical body, and a predetermined current is supplied from one end to the steering shaft.
A first resin-made resin that is externally fitted to one end of the cylindrical body and internally fitted to the cylindrical body
The bearing comprising a member and a second member made of a conductive material in which a part thereof is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, and externally fitted to the steering shaft;
A part thereof includes a ring-shaped member made of a conductive material in contact with the second member of the bearing.

[0008]

[Action] In the present invention, the bearing is provided with a tubular member <br/> between the conductive material made of a ring-shaped member and one end portion of the steering shaft, and a second member made of conductive material bearing and has a current flowing to the steering shaft from the one end portion flows into the cylindrical body through the second member in the ring member and the bearing, the magnetic field generated around the steering shaft in the vicinity of the torque sensor becomes one minute, The current does not affect the detection result of the torque sensor.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing the configuration of the steering device according to the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes an input shaft connected to a steering wheel. The input shaft 11 is coaxially connected to an output shaft 12 connected to a steering mechanism (not shown) via a torsion bar (not shown). ing. A non-contact type torque sensor 3 is provided at a connection between the input shaft 11 and the output shaft 12. The torque sensor 3 has a magnetic coupling portion (not shown) whose magnetic coupling changes according to the torsion of the torsion bar, and a sensor provided inside the detector main body according to the change of the magnetic coupling state. The torque is detected from the voltage of a coil (not shown). The input shaft 11 is inserted into a cylindrical input shaft case 2 having one end connected to the housing of the torque sensor 3. The input shaft 11 of the input shaft 11 thus inserted is A groove 110 having a predetermined width is formed around the outer peripheral portion of the other end of the second member 2 in the axial direction.

The other end of the input shaft case 2 has a first
A cylindrical bearing 4 in which a metal conductive member 41 serving as a second member for conducting current is attached to a part of a resin cylindrical bearing body 40 serving as a member is fitted from the outside in the axial direction. ing. The other end of the input shaft 11 in the groove 110 is fitted with a C-shaped retaining ring 6, which is one of the ring-shaped members for conducting current, and the C-shaped retaining ring 6 and the bearing 4 in the groove 110.
A corrugated plate spring 5, which is one of the current-conducting ring-shaped members, is interposed therebetween. The movement of the bearing 4 to the outside in the axial direction of the input shaft case 2 is restricted by the corrugated spring 5.

In the figure, reference numeral 8 denotes a horn which emits a horn, and an electric circuit for operating the horn 8 is constituted by connecting a battery power source 7, a horn 8, a horn switch 9 and a shaft end of an input shaft 11 in series in this order. The DC current flowing from the battery power supply 7 to this electric circuit is supplied to the horn 8 and the horn switch 9.
Through the input shaft 11.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the bearing body 40 of the bearing 4, FIG. 3 is a schematic side view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the conductive member 41 of the bearing 4. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bearing body 40 of the bearing 4 has a flange portion 43 having a diameter larger than that of the cylindrical portion 42 at the other end of the cylindrical portion 42 having a reduced diameter at one end. A groove 430 having a predetermined width is formed in an annular shape on the axially outer end face of the flange 43, and a groove having a predetermined width extending in the axial direction from the groove 430 on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42. The grooves 420 , 420 , 420 are equally arranged in the circumferential direction. The conductive member 41 has a groove as shown in FIG.
An annular base portion 411 having substantially the same size as 430 has a shape in which strip-shaped pillar portions 412, 412, 412 are vertically arranged on one end face of the annular base portion 411 in the circumferential direction. The conductive member 41 is inserted into the bearing body 40 configured as described above.

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the conductive member 41 is inserted into the bearing body 40, and FIG. 6 is a schematic side view thereof. When the conductive member 41 is charged into the bearing body 40, the groove 420,
The pillars 412, 412, 412 of the conductive member 41 are inserted into 420,..., Whereby the base 411 of the conductive member 41 is inserted into the groove 430 of the bearing body 40. In a state where the conductive member 41 is loaded into the bearing body 40, the column 41 of the conductive member 41
2,412,412 are exposed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 of the bearing body 40, and the base 411 of the conductive member 41 is exposed on the end surface of the flange 43 of the bearing body 40.

As shown in FIG. 7, the bearing 4 constructed as described above is mounted on the input shaft case 2 from the cylindrical portion 42 side of the bearing body 40.
Is inserted into. FIG. 7 is a schematic enlarged sectional view near the bearing 4 of the steering device according to the present invention. Input shaft case 2
When the bearing 4 is inserted into the bearing 4, the bearing 4 is inserted until the flange 43 of the bearing body 40 contacts the end face of the input shaft case 2.
The flange 43 prevents the input shaft case 2 from moving inward in the axial direction. The bearing 4 and the C-shaped retaining ring 6 are arranged such that the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated spring 5 contacts the base 411 of the conductive member 41 and the inner peripheral surface thereof contacts the input shaft 11 and the C-shaped retaining ring 6. Interposed between Thus, input shaft case 2
The bearing 4 inserted in the conductive member 41 has the column portions 412, 412,
412 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the input shaft case 2 and the base 41
1 is in contact with the corrugated leaf spring 5. As a result, the input shaft 11
The input shaft case 2 is electrically conductive with the input shaft case 2 via a C-shaped retaining ring 6, a corrugated spring 5, and a conductive member 41.

As described above, the input shaft 11 and the input shaft case 2 can be electrically connected to each other through the C-shaped retaining ring 6, the corrugated plate spring 5, and the conductive member 41. Since the electric resistance value is smaller than that of the input shaft 11, most of the DC current I flowing through the input shaft 11 for operating the horn 8 is shown in FIG.
As shown by a solid line arrow, the fluid flows into the input shaft case 2 via the C-shaped retaining ring 6, corrugated spring 5, and conductive member 41. Thus, the DC current I for operating the horn 8 is
, The current i flowing from the input shaft 11 side to the output shaft 12 side via the torsion bar becomes small, and the influence on the torque sensor 3 due to the magnetic field caused by the operating current of the horn 8 is suppressed. .

Further, since the bearing body 40 of the bearing 4 is made of resin as described above, the cost of the apparatus is reduced.

[0018]

[Effect of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the operation
Since the ring-shaped member made of conductive material and the second member of the bearing are interposed between one end of the steering shaft , which is the side connected to the steering wheel, and the cylindrical body, the flow from the one end to the steering shaft was made. Most of the current flows to the cylinder via the ring-shaped member and the second member of the bearing, and the current flowing to the steering shaft becomes very small. Therefore, the magnetic field generated around the steering shaft near the torque sensor becomes very small. The present invention has an excellent effect that the current does not adversely affect the detection result of the torque sensor.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a configuration of a steering device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a configuration of a bearing body of the bearing.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a bearing body of the bearing.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a configuration of a conductive member of the bearing.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state where a conductive member is inserted into the bearing body.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state where a conductive member is inserted into the bearing body.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of a bearing of the steering device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Shaft case 3 Torque sensor 4 Bearing 5 Corrugated spring 11 Input shaft 40 Bearing body 41 Conductive member I Current

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A steering shaft housed in a metal cylinder, one end of which is connected to a steering wheel, and a steering shaft provided at the other end with a torque sensor for magnetically detecting a steering torque is provided in the cylinder. In a steering device, which is supported by a bearing and allows a predetermined current to flow to the steering shaft from one end side, a first resin-made resin that is externally fitted to one end of the steering shaft and internally fitted to the cylindrical body. A bearing comprising a member and a second member made of a conductive material, a part of which is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body; and a fitting which is fitted to the steering shaft and a part of which is in contact with the second member of the bearing. And a ring-shaped member made of a conductive material.