JP4685519B2 - Electric power steering apparatus and sensor position adjusting method for electric power steering apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric power steering device and a sensor position adjusting method for the electric power steering device.

  The brushless motor has a rotor having a permanent magnet and a stator having a plurality of coils, and rotates the rotor by switching energization to the coils. In recent years, a motor of an electric power steering apparatus for a vehicle It is being applied to the department. For example, in a rack type electric power steering apparatus, a coaxial type brushless motor is used, a rack shaft is inserted into a rotating shaft of a rotor, and a stator is formed on a housing side fixed to the vehicle body side.

Some brushless motors are provided with a position detection sensor for detecting the rotational position of the rotor in order to determine the timing for switching the energization to the coil. In the case of an electric power steering device, a circular substrate is attached with a screw in a housing fixed to the vehicle body side, and a position sensor is attached on the circular substrate (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, when the position detection sensor is a resolver, there is one in which a resolver stator is fitted and fixed to a housing portion via a leaf spring member (for example, see Patent Document 2). The leaf spring member is provided with an adjustment portion, and when adjusting the cell point of the resolver, an engagement jig is inserted from an adjustment hole provided on the housing side. When the engagement jig is engaged with the adjustment portion and the leaf spring member is rotated about the axis, the resolver stator moves in the circumferential direction and the attachment position is adjusted.
JP 2004-352242 A JP 2003-158856 A

However, in the conventional electric power steering apparatus, the configuration of the apparatus is complicated to increase the number of parts so that the position detection sensor can be moved after the assembly work is completed. For this reason, there has been a problem that the size of the apparatus is increased and layout restrictions are increased. Further, it was necessary to take a waterproof measure to close the adjustment hole for inserting the engagement jig for rotating the leaf spring member. Thus, the main object is to easily adjust the position of the sensor and to improve the layout.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention that solves the above-described problem has a motor part that houses a rotor on the inner peripheral side of the stator, and a pair of housing parts that can be fixed to both ends of the motor part , to one of said pair of housing portions, said detecting portion of the sensor for detecting the position of the rotor of the motor unit is fixed, the motor section, about the axis relative to at least the one housing part It is relatively rotatable and is configured to be able to adjust the position of the detection unit and the motor unit, and at least one of the housing units is integrally formed with a vehicle body mounting member used for mounting on the vehicle body side. Thus , an electric power steering device is provided.
In this electric power steering apparatus, the motor part and one housing part are temporarily fixed relatively rotatably in the assembly process. At this time, since the detection unit is arranged so that the rotation position of the rotor of the motor unit can be detected, if one housing unit is rotated relative to the motor unit around the axis in this state, position detection is performed. The mounting position of the sensor is adjusted.
In addition, since at least one of the housing parts is integrally formed with a vehicle body attachment member, the electric power steering device can be used as it is attached to the vehicle body.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the pair of housing portions that can be fixed to both ends of the motor portion that houses the rotor on the inner peripheral side of the stator is abutted, and the motor portion is at least The position of the motor unit and the detection unit of the sensor for detecting the position of the rotor fixed to the one housing unit and rotated around the axis relative to the one housing unit within a predetermined range. The sensor position adjustment method of the electric power steering apparatus is characterized by performing adjustment.
In the sensor position adjusting method of the electric power steering apparatus, at least one housing portion is rotated relative to the motor portion so that the timing for switching the energization to the stator coil can be correctly detected by the sensor. When the assembly error of the sensor or the error of the sensor itself falls within zero or an allowable range, the relative rotation of one housing part is stopped, and one housing part is fixed to the motor part at this position.

  According to the present invention, since the motor portion is relatively rotatable with the housing portion temporarily fixed to the housing portion, the assembly angle can be adjusted while the detection portion for detecting the rotational position of the rotor is fixed to the housing portion. Become. Therefore, the configuration of the electric power steering device can be simplified. Since there is no need to insert an adjustment jig from the outside as in the prior art, the apparatus configuration is simplified and the layout is improved. Furthermore, waterproofing processing becomes easy. Further, since the position adjustment of the sensor becomes easy, the number of steps in the assembly process can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a rack-type electric power steering apparatus including a brushless motor, and FIG. 2 shows a partially enlarged view of FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric power steering apparatus 1 includes a gear box 4 connected to a steering shaft 3 of a steering wheel 2, and the gear box 4 is attached to a first housing portion 5 that is a bracket. ing. The first housing portion 5 is integrally provided with an attachment portion 6 that is a vehicle body attachment member. The other end portion of the motor portion 7 is fixed to one end portion side of the first housing portion 5. A second housing portion 8 that is a bracket is fixed to one end portion of the motor portion 7. A mounting portion 9 that is a vehicle body mounting member extends integrally with the second housing portion 8. And the rack shaft 10 is inserted so that the 1st housing part 5, the motor part 7, and the 2nd housing part 8 may be penetrated in order. The rack shaft 10 forms a rack and pinion mechanism in the gear box 4 and is movable in the axial direction in accordance with the operation of the steering wheel. Note that wheels are connected to both ends of the rack shaft 10 via knuckle arms (not shown) or the like.

  The first housing part 5 has a cylindrical base part 11, and one end part side of the base part 11 is expanded in diameter to form a connecting part 12. A mounting portion 6 is integrally extended to the base portion 11 and a gear box 4 is attached to the base portion 11. Moreover, the outer peripheral part of the angular bearing 13 is being fixed to the inner periphery of the connection part 12 of the 1st housing part 5 by press injection. Further, an annular groove 18 for inserting the seal member 17 is formed in the outer peripheral portion on the opening side of the connecting portion 12. An annular flange 20 protrudes radially outward from the annular groove 18 on the base 11 side. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the flange 20 further bulges radially outward at four locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a long hole 22 through which the bolt 21 passes is a predetermined length in the circumferential direction. It is formed in an arc shape so as to extend. The size of the long hole 22 is such that the bolt 21 can be slid in the circumferential direction, but the bolt 21 is not moved in the radial direction. Accordingly, the bolt 21 can move within the range of the circumferential length of the long hole 22.

  The motor unit 7 includes a stator 30 and a rotor 31 that is rotatably disposed inside the stator 30. The stator 30 includes a cylindrical housing 35 that is abutted against the flange 20 of the first housing portion 5, a laminated iron core 36, and a coil 38 that is wound around the laminated iron core 36 via an insulator 37. .

  The other end portion of the housing 35 of the stator 30 bulges radially outward at only four locations, and bolt holes 41 (screw holes) into which the bolts 21 are screwed are formed in the bulged portions 40, respectively. Yes. Similarly, one end portion of the housing 35 bulges outward in the radial direction at four locations in the circumferential direction, and bolt holes 41 (screw holes) into which the bolts 21 are screwed are formed in each of the bulged portions 40. A laminated iron core 36 in which metal core plates are laminated is press-fitted into the inner periphery of the housing 35. The stator winding forming the coil 38 is energized via a terminal 42 fixed to the housing 35, and a cable 43 for supplying power to the terminal 42 is connected to the outside of the housing 35 via a plug 44. Has been pulled out.

  The rotor 31 has a cylindrical rotation shaft 46 that protrudes in the axial direction from one end and the other end of the housing 35. The other end portion of the rotation shaft 46 is pivotally supported by press fitting into the inner peripheral portion of the angular bearing 13 of the first housing portion 5. Further, a resolver rotor 63 </ b> B constituting the resolver 63 is fixed to the outer periphery on the other end side of the rotating shaft 46 via a bracket 48. The resolver rotor 63B is composed of an annular permanent magnet having a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction. A rotor magnet 50 is fixed by a bracket 51 at a position facing the stator 30 on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft 46. The rotor magnet 50 has a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction. A ball nut 52 is fixed to the other end of the rotating shaft 46. The ball nut 52 forms a ball nut mechanism by interposing a plurality of balls 54 with a ball screw 53 formed on a part of the rack shaft 10. The ball nut 52 is supported by an angular bearing 13 provided on the inner periphery of the first housing portion 5 and rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 46.

  The second housing portion 8 has a connecting portion 56 that is fixed to the one end portion of the housing 35, and a base portion 57 extends from the one end portion side of the connecting portion 56 while reducing the diameter. A mounting portion 9 is integrally provided on the base 57. An annular groove 59 for inserting the seal member 17 is formed on the outer periphery on the opening side of the connecting portion 56, and an annular flange 60 projects radially outward from the annular groove 59 on the base 57 side. Has been. Further, the flange 60 further bulges outward in the radial direction at four locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the long holes 61 through which the bolts 21 fixed in a state where the housing 35 is abutted are extended in the circumferential direction. Is formed. The flange 60 and the long hole 61 have the same shape and arrangement as the flange 20 and the long hole 22 of the first housing part 5 shown in FIG. Therefore, the bolt 21 can move within the range of the length of the long hole 61 in the circumferential direction. Further, the outer peripheral portion of the bearing 62 is fixed inside the connecting portion 56. A resolver stator 63 </ b> A serving as a detection portion of a resolver 63 that is a position detection sensor is fixed to the inner periphery of the connecting portion 56 by an annular bracket 64 at one end side of the bearing 62. The resolver stator 63 </ b> A has a coil in which a winding is wound around a laminated iron core, and the winding is drawn from the plug 65 to the outside of the second housing portion 8.

  In this embodiment, the brushless motor includes the motor unit 7, the first housing unit 5, the angular bearing 13, the bearing 62, and the resolver 63. The support portion that rotatably supports the motor portion 7 and the first housing portion 5 includes a bolt hole 41 and a long hole 22. Similarly, the support portion that rotatably supports the motor portion 7 and the second housing portion 8 includes a bolt hole 41 and a long hole 61.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
First, the bolt 21 is loosely screwed in a state in which the end surface of one end of the housing 35 is abutted against the flange 60 of the second housing portion 8 to temporarily fix the second housing portion 8 and the housing 35. Further, an adjustment housing portion (not shown) is fixed to the other end portion of the housing 35. The adjustment housing portion has substantially the same shape as the first housing portion 5. By fixing the adjustment housing portion, the rotating shaft 46 of the rotor 31 is pivotally supported at two locations. Therefore, power is supplied from the cable 43 of the motor portion 7 to generate a magnetic field in the laminated iron core 36 and rotate. The child 31 is rotated. At this time, the detection error of the resolver 63 is checked from the timing of switching energization to the plurality of coils 38 and the rotation detection signal output from the resolver stator 63A, and this detection error becomes zero or predetermined. Only one of the second housing part 8 or the motor part 7 is rotated around the axis of the rotor 31 so as to be within the allowable range. At this time, the long hole 61 of the second housing part 8 moves relative to the bolt 21, and the assembly angle between the second housing part 8 and the motor part 7 changes. As a result, the position of the resolver rotor 63B with respect to the resolver stator 63A is adjusted, and the detection error is reduced. Here, the relative rotation amount of the motor part 7 with respect to the first housing part 5 at this time is recorded.

  When the position adjustment of the resolver 63 is performed, the bolt 21 is tightened to fix the motor unit 7 and the second housing unit 8. Further, the adjustment housing part is removed, and the first housing part 6 is fixed to the motor part 7 and then attached to the vehicle body. At this time, since the positions around the axis of the mounting portion 9 of the first housing portion 5 and the mounting portion 9 of the second housing portion 8 are determined in advance by the vehicle body, the motor when the position of the resolver 63 is adjusted. The first housing part 5 is fixed with bolts 21 so as to cancel the relative rotation amount of the part 7 so that the mounting parts 6 and 9 are fixed at correct positions with respect to the vehicle body.

  The electric power steering device 1 attached to the vehicle body in this manner operates so as to reduce the burden on the driver when the steering wheel 2 is steered. That is, when the driver rotates the steering wheel 2, steering torque is generated in the steering shaft 3 and the like. Therefore, the stator 30 is configured to generate auxiliary torque according to the direction and magnitude of the force of the steering torque. The coil 38 is energized. As a result, the rotor 31 is rotated by the magnetic field generated in the stator 30, and the ball screw 53 connected via the ball nut 52 and the ball 54, that is, the rack shaft 10 moves in the axial direction while rotating. Steering is assisted.

According to this embodiment, since the long hole 61 is provided in the flange 60 of the second housing portion 8 to which the resolver stator 63A is fixed, the resolver rotor 63B is disposed within the circumferential length of the long hole 61. The assembly angle between the motor unit 7 and the second housing unit 8 can be adjusted around the axis. As a result, the position adjustment of the resolver 63 can be performed from the outside of the brushless motor, and the adjustment work is facilitated. Further, it is not necessary to configure the resolver stator 63A so as to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the second housing portion 8. Therefore, the configuration of the second housing portion 8 is simplified, the number of parts can be reduced, the labor and labor of parts management can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Moreover, since it is not necessary to insert a position adjusting jig into the second housing portion 8 as in the prior art, the layout is excellent and waterproofing is facilitated.
Furthermore, since each housing part 5, 8 can rotate independently about the axis with respect to the motor part 7, the motor part 7 can be moved relative to the second housing part 8 when adjusting the position of the resolver 63. Even if it rotates, the 1st housing part 5 can be fixed with respect to the motor part 7 so that the rotation may be canceled. As a result, the positions of the mounting portions 6 and 9 around the axis line can be adapted to the fixed portion on the vehicle body side, and the electric power steering apparatus 1 can be correctly assembled to the vehicle body.

  A modification of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The electric power steering apparatus 70 includes a housing 72 in which the stator 30 of the motor unit 71 is extended toward one end of the rack shaft 10. A mounting portion 9 that is attached to the vehicle body extends integrally with the housing 72. Further, a bearing 62 is fixed in the housing 72, and the rotating shaft 46 is pivotally supported on the bearing 62. A flange 73 is provided at one end of the housing 72, and a long hole 74 is formed in the flange 73. The first housing part 75 (bracket) fixed to the housing 72 with the bolt 21 has a flange 76 and a bolt hole 77 (screw hole). A resolver stator 63A is fixed in the first housing part 75, and a resolver 63 is formed together with a resolver rotor 63B arranged on one end side of the rotating shaft 46. Further, a flange 78 and a bolt hole 79 (screw hole) are formed at one end of the first housing portion 75.

  The arrangement and shape of the flange 73 and the long hole 74 are the same as those of the flange 20 and the long hole 22 shown in FIG. The arrangement of the flanges 76 and 78 and the bolt holes 77 and 79 is manufactured in accordance with the arrangement and shape of the flanges 60 and 73 and the long holes 61 and 74. Therefore, when the motor part 71 and the first housing part 75 are fixed, the assembly angle of the first housing part 75 with respect to the housing 72 is adjusted around the axis by the support part composed of the long hole 74 and the bolt hole 77. Can do. Similarly, when the first housing portion 75 and the second housing portion 8 are fixed, the assembly angle of the second housing portion 8 with respect to the first housing portion 75 is set by the support portion including the long hole 61 and the bolt hole 79. It can be adjusted around the axis.

  In the electric power steering device 70, a long hole 74 for position adjustment is provided in the housing 72, and after the motor portion 71 and the first housing portion 75 are fixed, the second housing portion 8 is formed in the first housing portion 75. Other than assembling while adjusting the position, it has the same operations and effects as described above.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the electric power steering device 80 may include a motor part 81 and a first housing part 82 that is a bracket. The stator 83 of the motor unit 81 includes a housing 85 that extends to the other end side of the rack shaft 10. An attachment portion 9 attached to the vehicle body is integrally extended to the reduced diameter portion 86 of the housing 85. Further, the angular bearing 13 is fixed in the housing 85, and the ball nut 52 and the rotating shaft 46 are pivotally supported on the angular bearing 13. A flange 90 protrudes in the circumferential direction on one end portion side of the housing 85, and a screw hole 91 into which the bolt 21 is screwed is formed in the flange 90. The first housing portion 82 has a reduced diameter portion 93 extending from a holding portion 92 that is abutted against the housing 85. A flange 94 projects from the holding portion 92 in the radial direction. The flange 94 is provided corresponding to the flange 90 and has a long hole 95 extending in the circumferential direction. The arrangement and shape of the flange 94 and the long hole 95 are the same as those of the flange 20 and the long hole 22 shown in FIG.

  Here, a resolver stator 63 </ b> A is fixed by a bracket 64 on the inner peripheral portion of the holding portion 92 of the first housing portion 82. Further, a bearing 62 is fixed by press-fitting to the reduced diameter portion 93 side of the fixed position of the resolver stator 63A. Further, instead of providing the attachment portion 6 as shown in FIG. 1, the attachment member 100 is mounted on the reduced diameter portion 93 of the first housing portion 82 as a separate vehicle body attachment member. The attachment member 100 has an arcuate body portion 101 that extends along the outer periphery of the first housing portion 82, and the attachment portion 102 extends from the body portion 101. When adjusting the position of the resolver 63, the resolver 63 is rotated in the circumferential direction with the first housing portion 82 temporarily fixed to the motor portion 7. After the adjustment, the bolt 21 is tightened to fix the motor part 7 and the first housing part 82. Furthermore, after fixing the motor part 81 to the vehicle body side with the attachment part 9 of the housing 85, the attachment member 100 is attached to the reduced diameter part 93 of the first housing part 82, and the attachment part 102 of the attachment member 100 is fixed to the vehicle body side. To do.

  In the electric power steering apparatus 80, the attachment to the vehicle body side is facilitated by using the separate attachment member 100. In particular, since the position of the resolver 63 can be adjusted by rotating only the first housing portion 82, the working efficiency is improved.

The present invention can be widely applied without being limited to the above embodiments.
For example, the number and shape of the long holes 22, 61, 74, 102 are not limited to the embodiment. For example, the long hole may be provided in a substantially annular shape.
The electric power steering apparatus 1 may temporarily fix the first housing part 5 without using the adjustment housing part. In this case, the assembly angle between the motor portion 7 and the second housing portion 8 is adjusted with the first housing portion 5 temporarily fixed.

It is a lineblock diagram of a rack type electric power steering device containing a brushless motor concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is the elements on larger scale of FIG. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the long hole of a 1st bracket part. It is a block diagram which shows the other form of the electric power steering apparatus containing a brushless motor. It is a block diagram which shows another form of the electric power steering apparatus containing a brushless motor.

Explanation of symbols

1,70,80 Electric power steering device 6,9 Mounting part (body mounting member)
7, 71, 81 Motor part 8 Second housing part (one housing part)
10 Rack shaft 21 Bolt (screw member)
21, 61, 74 Long hole 41, 77, 79 Bolt hole (screw hole)
30, 83 Stator 31 Rotor 38 Coil (stator winding)
46 Rotating shaft 63 Resolver (sensor)
63A resolver stator (detector)
75, 82 First housing part (one housing part)
100 Mounting member (body mounting member)

Claims (2)

A motor unit housing a rotor on the inner peripheral side of the stator, and a pair of housing units that can be fixed to both ends of the motor unit;
The one of the pair of housing portions, the detection portion of the sensor for detecting the position of the rotor of the motor portion is fixed, the motor unit relative to the axis line with respect to at least the one housing part And is configured to be capable of adjusting the position of the detection unit and the motor unit ,
An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the housing parts is integrally formed with a vehicle body attachment member used for attachment to the vehicle body side . At least one housing part of a pair of housing parts that can be fixed to both ends of the motor part that houses the rotor on the inner peripheral side of the stator is abutted against the at least one housing part. The position of the motor unit and the detection unit of the sensor for detecting the position of the rotor fixed to the one housing unit and the motor unit are adjusted relative to each other within a predetermined range. A sensor position adjusting method for an electric power steering apparatus.

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