JP6747412B2 - Control unit, electric power steering device, steering system, and steer-by-wire system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control unit, an electric power steering device, a steering system, and a steer-by-wire system.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, an electric power steering device that assists a driver in steering a steering member has been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a motor and an ECU are integrally provided. Further, the ECU is provided with a power supply connector and a signal connector.

JP, 2016-36246, A

By the way, when a plurality of signals are input from the torque sensor, for example, in the case of multiplexing the signal input from the torque sensor, it is possible to divide the connector for each signal in order to ensure waterproofness for each signal. To be However, if the connector is divided for each signal, the size of the ECU increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a control unit, an electric power steering device, a steering system, and a steer-by-wire system capable of ensuring waterproofness of a connector. is there.

The control unit of the present invention includes a controller section (45, 450), a first connector section (51, 501), a second connector section (52, 502), a plurality of seal members (70), and a lock section ( 53, 63).

The controller unit has an inverter circuit (120, 167, 168, 220, 267, 268) and a control unit (150, 160, 250, 260). The inverter circuit converts the power of the motor (80, 85, 86) having the motor windings (180, 167, 168, 280, 267, 268). The control unit controls the on/off operation of the switching elements (121, 221) that form the inverter circuit.

The first connector unit is provided in the controller unit. The second connector portion is connected to the sensor portion (30) via the harness (39) and fits with the first connector portion. The seal member is provided between the first connector portion and the second connector portion. The lock part is fixed while the first connector part and the second connector part are fitted together.

One of the first connector portion and the second connector portion is a male connector, and the terminal accommodating chamber (55) provided with the male terminal (56) is defined by the partition portion (54) inside the male connector housing (52). , Is divided into a plurality. The other of the first connector portion and the second connector portion is a female connector, in which a female terminal (66) connected to a male terminal is embedded, and a terminal forming portion (65) inserted into each of the terminal accommodating chambers is provided. It is divided inside the female connector housing (62). The seal member is provided for each terminal accommodating chamber.
The sensor unit can output redundant signals of a plurality of systems. The terminal accommodating chamber and the terminal forming unit are provided for each system of signals from the sensor unit.
The motor has multiple sets of motor windings. The inverter circuit and the control unit are provided for each motor winding, and the signal output from the sensor unit is input to the control unit corresponding to each system.

In the present invention, the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers and the plurality of terminal forming portions are independent inside the housings of the first connector portion and the second connector portion, and the seal members are provided respectively. Accordingly, even if some of the terminal accommodating chambers are inundated due to damage of some sealing members or the like, it is possible to prevent the infiltration of water into the other terminal accommodating chambers and ensure the waterproof property. Further, as compared with the case where a plurality of connector housings are provided, it is possible to minimize the increase in size and increase in the number of parts.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a steering system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a driving device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the driving device according to the first embodiment. It is the IV-IV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of the arrow V in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view showing a connector unit by a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the 1st connector part by a 1st embodiment. It is the VIII-VIII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the IX-IX sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a perspective view showing the 2nd connector part by a 1st embodiment. It is the XI-XI sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the XII-XII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the connector unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the connector unit according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state of the sealing member in the state which connected the 1st connector part and 2nd connector part by 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a connector unit by a 2nd embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the drive device by a 3rd embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the drive by a 4th embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a sensor connector unit by a 5th embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the sensor connector unit by 5th Embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a sensor connector unit by a 6th embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steering system by 7th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steering system by 7th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steering system by 8th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steering system by 9th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steering system by 10th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steer-by-wire system by 11th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the steer-by-wire system by 11th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the steer-by-wire system by 11th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steer-by-wire system by 12th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steer-by-wire system by 13th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the steer-by-wire system by 14th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of a steer-by-wire system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of a steer-by-wire system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of a steer-by-wire system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of a steer-by-wire system.

Hereinafter, a control unit, an electric power steering device, and a steering system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, in a plurality of embodiments, the substantially same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

(First embodiment)
1 to 15 show a control unit, an electric power steering device, and a steering system according to the first embodiment. A steering system 90 including an electric power steering device 901 is shown in FIG. The steering system 90 includes a steering wheel 91 as a steering member, a steering shaft 92, a pinion gear 96, a rack shaft 97, wheels 98, and an electric power steering device 901.

The steering wheel 91 is connected to the steering shaft 92. The steering shaft 92 is provided with a torque sensor 30 as a sensor unit that detects the torque input to the steering shaft 92. A pinion gear 96 is provided at the tip of the steering shaft 92. The pinion gear 96 meshes with the rack shaft 97. A pair of wheels 98 are provided at both ends of the rack shaft 97 via tie rods or the like.

When the driver rotates the steering wheel 91, the steering shaft 92 connected to the steering wheel 91 rotates. The rotational movement of the steering shaft 92 is converted into a linear movement of the rack shaft 97 by the rack and pinion, and the pair of wheels 98 is steered at an angle corresponding to the displacement amount of the rack shaft 97.

The steering shaft 92 has a first shaft 93 connected to the steering wheel 91 and a second shaft 94 connected to the pinion gear 96. The first shaft 93 and the second shaft 94 are connected by a torsion bar (not shown). It The torque sensor 30 detects a change in the magnetic field according to the torsional displacement of the torsion bar. The torque sensor 30 is connected to the ECU 45 via the harness 39. In the present embodiment, the torque sensor 30 and the ECU 45 connected via the harness 39 are used as the control unit 46 (see FIG. 6).

The electric power steering device 901 includes the torque sensor 30, the drive device 40, and the like. The electric power steering device 901 operates the steering wheel 91 based on the signals S1 and S2 related to the steering torque acquired from the torque sensor 30 and the signals such as the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle communication networks 195 and 295 (see FIG. 2). An assist torque for assisting the steering is output from the motor 80. The torque output from the motor 80 is transmitted to the rack shaft 97 via the power transmission unit 910. The motor 80 of this embodiment is an EPS motor.

The power transmission unit 910 is composed of a belt drive mechanism, and has an output shaft 911, a belt 912, a bearing 913, and a ball screw 914. The output shaft 911 rotates integrally with the shaft 870 (see FIG. 3) of the motor 80. The rotation of the output shaft 911 is transmitted to the ball screw 914 via the belt 912 and the bearing 913, and is converted into a linear motion by the ball screw 914. This assists the linear movement of the rack shaft 97. That is, the electric power steering device 901 of the present embodiment is a so-called rack assist type, specifically, a rack parallel assist type, which transmits the torque generated by the motor 80 to the rack shaft 97. In the present embodiment, the rack shaft 97 corresponds to the “drive target”.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the drive device 40 includes a motor 80 and an ECU 45 as a controller unit. The motor 80 outputs an auxiliary torque that assists the steering of the steering wheel 91 by the driver, and is driven by being supplied with power from the batteries 101 and 201 that are power sources to rotate the output shaft 911 in forward and reverse directions. Let The motor 80 is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor, and has a stator 840 and a rotor 860.

The system configuration of the drive device 40 will be described based on FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the motor 80 has a first motor winding 180 and a second motor winding 280. Here, the first motor winding 180, and a combination of the first inverter circuit 120 and the first controller 150, etc., which are provided corresponding to the first motor winding 180 and are associated with energization control of the first motor winding 180. Is the first line L1. The second motor winding 280 and the second combination of the second inverter circuit 220 and the second controller 250, etc., which are provided corresponding to the second motor winding 280 and are associated with the energization control of the second motor winding 280, are second The line is L2.

Hereinafter, configurations related to the first system L1 are numbered in the 100s, and configurations related to the second system L2 are numbered in the 200s. Further, in the first system L1 and the second system L2, the same configurations are numbered so that the last two digits are the same, and description thereof will be appropriately omitted. In FIG. 2, the first motor winding 180 is referred to as "motor winding 1" and the second motor winding 280 is referred to as "motor winding 2". Also in other configurations described later, “first” indicating a system is described as a subscript “1” and “second” is described as a subscript “2” in the drawings.

The ECU 45 includes inverter circuits 120 and 220, power supply relays 122 and 222, control units 150 and 250, and the like. The ECU 45 is provided with a connector unit 50, power supply connectors 111 and 211, and vehicle communication connectors 112 and 212. The connectors 111, 112, 211, 212 are integrally provided as a collective connector 462 (see FIG. 5), but may be divided into a plurality of parts.

The first power supply connector 111 is connected to the first battery 101. The power of the first battery 101 is supplied to the first motor winding 180 via the first power connector 111, the first power relay 122, the first inverter circuit 120, and the first motor relay 123. The power of the first battery 101 is also supplied to the first controller 150 and the sensors of the first system L1.

The second power connector 211 is connected to the second battery 201. The power of the second battery 201 is supplied to the second motor winding 280 via the power supply connector 211, the second power supply relay 222, the second inverter circuit 220, and the second motor relay 223. The power of the second battery 201 is also supplied to the second controller 250 and the sensors of the second system L2.

The batteries 101 and 201 may be the same or different in performance such as output voltage. A DCDC converter or the like may be provided between the batteries 101, 201 and the connectors 111, 211 depending on the output voltage or the like. Further, the power supply connectors 111 and 211 may be connected to the same battery and share the battery in the systems L1 and L2.

The first vehicle communication connector 112 is connected to the first vehicle communication network 195, and the second vehicle communication connector 212 is connected to the vehicle communication network 295. The vehicle communication connectors 112, 212 may be connected to the same vehicle communication network. Although CAN (Controller Area Network) is illustrated as the vehicle communication networks 195 and 295 in FIG. 2, any standard such as CAN-FD (CAN with Flexible Data rate) and FlexRay may be used. The connector unit 50 is connected to the torque sensor 30.

The torque sensor 30 has a magnetic signal converter 31, encoders 132, 232, and detects the steering torque input to the steering shaft 92. The magnetic signal converter 31 converts the torsional displacement of the torsion bar according to the torque input to the steering shaft 92 into a magnetic signal.

The encoders 132 and 232 convert the detection signal of the magnetic signal converter 31 into an electric signal. The signal S1 of the first encoder 132 is input to the first controller 150 via the connector unit 50 and the first interface circuit 133. The signal S2 of the second encoder 232 is input to the second controller 250 via the connector unit 50 and the second interface circuit 233. The interface circuits 133 and 233 include noise filters.

It can be said that the signals S1 and S2 are signals related to the steering torque and are redundant signals. In the present embodiment, signals S1 and S2, which are two-system redundant signals, are input to the control units 150 and 250, respectively. The signals S1 and S2 do not have to be completely the same, and if they include a value that can be converted into the steering torque on the side of the control units 150 and 250, they are regarded as “redundant signals” related to the steering torque.

The first inverter circuit 120 is a three-phase inverter having six switching elements 121 (see FIG. 4) and converts electric power supplied to the first motor winding 180. The on/off operation of the switching element 121 of the first inverter circuit 120 is controlled based on the control signal output from the first controller 150. The second inverter circuit 220 is a three-phase inverter having six switching elements 221 (see FIG. 4) and converts the electric power supplied to the second motor winding 280. The on/off operation of the switching element 221 of the second inverter circuit 220 is controlled based on the control signal output from the second controller 250.

The first power supply relay 122 is provided between the first power supply connector 111 and the first inverter circuit 120. The first power supply relay 122 is controlled by the first control unit 150, allows energization between the first battery 101 side and the first inverter circuit 120 side when turned on, and the first battery 101 side when turned off. And the energization of the first inverter circuit 120 side is prohibited. The second power supply relay 222 is provided between the second power supply connector 211 and the second inverter circuit 220. The second power supply relay 222 is controlled by the second control unit 250, and when it is on, energization between the second battery 201 side and the second inverter circuit 220 side is permitted, and when it is off, the second battery 201 side. And the energization of the second inverter circuit 220 side is prohibited.

The first motor relay 123 is provided in each phase between the first inverter circuit 120 and the first motor winding 180. The first motor relay 123 is controlled by the first controller 150. When the first motor relay 123 is turned on, energization between the first inverter circuit 120 side and the first motor winding 180 is permitted, and when the first motor relay 123 is turned off, the first inverter circuit is turned on. Energization between the 120 side and the first motor winding 180 is prohibited. The second motor relay 223 is provided in each phase between the second inverter circuit 220 and the second motor winding 280. The second motor relay 223 is controlled by the second controller 250, and when it is on, energization between the second inverter circuit 220 side and the second motor winding 280 is allowed, and when it is off, the second inverter circuit 223. Energization between the 220 side and the second motor winding 280 is prohibited.

The first current sensor 125 detects a current supplied to each phase of the first motor winding 180 and outputs a detected value to the first controller 150. The second current sensor 225 detects the current supplied to each phase of the second motor winding 280 and outputs the detected value to the second controller 250. The first rotation angle sensor 126 detects the rotation angle of the motor 80 and outputs it to the first controller 150. The second rotation angle sensor 226 detects the rotation angle of the motor 80 and outputs it to the second controller 250.

The first driver circuit 140 sends a drive signal for driving the switching element of the first inverter circuit 120, the first power supply relay 122, and the first motor relay 123 to each element based on the control signal from the first control unit 150. Output. The second driver circuit 240 sends a drive signal for driving the switching element of the second inverter circuit 220, the second power supply relay 222, and the second motor relay 223 to each element based on the control signal from the second control unit 250. Output.

The first control unit 150 includes a decoder 151, a feedback control unit 155 and the like. The second controller 250 has a decoder 251, a feedback controller 255, and the like.

The control units 150 and 250 are mainly composed of a microcomputer and the like, and internally include a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I/O (not shown), a bus line connecting these configurations, and the like. Each processing in the ECU 45 may be software processing by executing a program previously stored in a substantial memory device such as a ROM (that is, a readable non-transitory tangible recording medium) by the CPU, or a dedicated processing. It may be hardware processing by an electronic circuit. The same applies to the control units 160 and 260 described later.

The decoder 151 decodes the signal S1 that is an electric signal input from the encoder 132 into a steering torque signal that is a signal corresponding to the steering torque and that can be used for various calculations. The decoder 251 decodes the signal S2, which is an electric signal input from the encoder 232, into a steering torque signal that is a signal corresponding to the steering torque and that can be used for various calculations.

The feedback control unit 155 detects the detected values of the current sensor 125 and the rotation angle sensor 126, the vehicle signal such as the vehicle speed signal acquired from the vehicle communication network 195 via the vehicle communication circuit 117, and the steering acquired from the decoder 151. Feedback calculation based on a torque signal or the like is performed to generate a control signal for controlling the driving of the switching element 121. The feedback control unit 255 detects the detection values of the current sensor 225 and the rotation angle sensor 226, the vehicle signal such as the vehicle speed signal acquired from the vehicle communication network 295 via the vehicle communication circuit 217, and the steering acquired from the decoder 251. Feedback control based on a torque signal or the like is performed to generate a control signal for controlling driving of the switching element 221.

The configuration of the drive device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. The drive device 40 of the present embodiment is a so-called "mechanical integrated type" in which the ECU 45 is integrally provided on one side of the motor 80 in the axial direction. The ECU 45 is arranged coaxially with the axis Ax of the shaft 870 on the side opposite to the output shaft 911 (see FIG. 1) of the motor 80. The ECU 45 may be provided on the output shaft 911 side of the motor 80. By adopting the electromechanical integrated type, the ECU 45 and the motor 80 can be efficiently arranged in a vehicle having a limited mounting space.

The motor 80 includes a stator 840, a rotor 860, a housing 830 that houses these, and the like. The stator 840 is fixed to the housing 830, and the motor windings 180 and 280 are wound around it. The rotor 860 is provided inside the stator 840 in the radial direction, and is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the stator 840.

The shaft 870 is fitted into the rotor 860 and rotates integrally with the rotor 860. The shaft 870 is rotatably supported by the housing 830 by bearings 835 and 836. An end of the shaft 870 on the ECU 45 side projects from the housing 830 to the ECU 45 side. A magnet 875 is provided at the end of the shaft 870 on the ECU 45 side.

The housing 830 has a bottomed cylindrical case 834 including a rear frame end 837, and a front frame end 838 provided on the opening side of the case 834. The case 834 and the front frame end 838 are fastened to each other by bolts or the like. A lead wire insertion hole 839 is formed in the rear frame end 837. Lead wires 181 and 281 connected to the respective phases of the motor windings 180 and 280 are inserted into the lead wire insertion holes 839. The lead wires 181 and 281 are taken out from the lead wire insertion hole 839 to the ECU 45 side and connected to the substrate 470.

The ECU 45 includes a cover 460, a heat sink 465 fixed to the cover 460, a substrate 470 fixed to the heat sink 465, and various electronic components mounted on the substrate 470.

The cover 460 protects electronic components from an external impact and prevents dust, water, and the like from entering the inside of the ECU 45. The cover 460 is integrally formed with a cover body 461, a collective connector 462, and a first connector portion 51 described later. At least one of the collective connector 462 and the first connector portion 51 may be separate from the cover body 461. The terminal 463 of the collective connector 462 is connected to the substrate 470 via a wire or the like (not shown). The number of terminals can be appropriately changed according to the number of signals and the like. The collective connector 462 and the first connector portion 51 are provided at the end portion of the drive device 40 in the axial direction and open on the side opposite to the motor 80.

The board 470 is, for example, a printed board, and is provided so as to face the rear frame end 837. Electronic components for two systems are independently mounted on the substrate 470 for each system, thus forming a complete redundant configuration. In this embodiment, the electronic component is mounted on one board 470, but the electronic component may be mounted on a plurality of boards.

Of the two main surfaces of the substrate 470, the surface on the motor 80 side is the motor surface 471, and the surface on the side opposite to the motor 80 is the cover surface 472. As shown in FIG. 4, a switching element 121 forming the inverter circuit 120, a switching element 221 forming the inverter circuit 220, rotation angle sensors 126, 226, custom ICs 159, 259, etc. are mounted on the motor surface 471. The rotation angle sensors 126 and 226 are mounted at locations facing the magnet 875 so that changes in the magnetic field due to the rotation of the magnet 875 can be detected. The custom ICs 159 and 259 include interface circuits 133 and 233 and driver circuits 140 and 240, respectively.

On the cover surface 472, capacitors 128 and 228, inductors 129 and 229, and microcomputers and the like that configure the control units 150 and 250 are mounted. In FIG. 4, “150” and “250” are numbered for the microcomputers configuring the control units 150 and 250, respectively. The capacitors 128 and 228 smooth the electric power input from the batteries 101 and 201. Further, the capacitors 128 and 228 assist the power supply to the motor 80 by storing electric charges. Capacitors 128 and 228 and inductors 129 and 229 form a filter circuit to reduce noise transmitted from other devices that share batteries 101 and 201, and drive device 40 to share other batteries 101 and 201. Reduces noise transmitted to the device. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the power supply relays 122 and 222, the motor relays 123 and 223, the current sensors 125 and 225, and the like are also mounted on the motor surface 471 or the cover surface 472.

As shown in FIG. 6, the connector unit 50 has a first connector portion 51, a second connector portion 61, and a seal member 70 (see FIG. 10 and the like). In this embodiment, the first connector portion 51 is a male connector and the second connector portion 61 is a female connector. In FIG. 6, the drive device 40 is illustrated in a simplified manner, and the collective connector 462 and the like are omitted. The same applies to FIGS. 16 to 19 and 21.

The first connector portion 51 is provided integrally with the cover body 461 of the ECU 45. The second connector portion 61 is provided at the tip of the harness 39. An end portion of the harness 39 opposite to the second connector portion 61 is provided integrally with the torque sensor 30. By connecting the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61, it becomes possible to transmit a signal between the torque sensor 30 and the ECU 45, and it becomes possible to transmit the signals S1 and S2 from the torque sensor 30 to the ECU 45. .. In the present embodiment, the signal lines for transmitting the signals S1 and S2 for the two systems are provided inside one harness 39.

7 to 9 show the first connector portion 51, and FIGS. 10 to 12 show the second connector portion 61. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the first connector portion 51 has a housing 52, a male terminal 56, and the like. In the present embodiment, the housing 52 corresponds to the “male connector housing”. The housing 52 is formed integrally with the cover body 461. The housing 52 is made of resin or the like, and a lock portion 53 is provided upright on the outer wall surface 521.

The housing 52 is formed with two terminal accommodating chambers 55 that are open to the tip side. A partition 54 is formed between the terminal accommodating chambers 55. The front end surface of the peripheral wall portion 525 of the housing 52 and the front end surface of the partition portion 54 are formed so as to be on the same plane. It should be noted that "on the same plane" is tolerable for manufacturing error.

In the present embodiment, the signals S1 and S2 from the torque sensor 30 have two systems, and the two terminal accommodating chambers 55 are formed so as to correspond to each system. That is, the signal S1 is input via the male terminal 56 formed in one terminal accommodation chamber 55, and the signal S2 is input via the male terminal 56 formed in the other terminal accommodation chamber.

The male terminal 56 has a base end side embedded in the housing 52 and a front end side protruding into the terminal accommodating chamber 55. In this embodiment, one male terminal 56 is provided with four male terminals 56. That is, in this embodiment, four male terminals 56 are provided for each system. The number of terminals may be any number depending on the number of signals. The same applies to a female terminal 66 described later.

The core wire 57 is connected to the proximal end side of the male terminal 56. The core wire 57 is covered with the covering portion 571 except for the connection portion with the male terminal 56. The end of the core wire 57 opposite to the side connected to the male terminal 56 is taken out from the housing 52 and connected to the substrate 470. A water blocking member 58 made of an elastic material is provided between the core wire 57 and the housing 52.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the second connector portion 61 has a housing 62, a female terminal 66, and the like. In the present embodiment, the housing 62 corresponds to the “female connector housing”. The housing 62 has a housing body 621 and a lock portion forming portion 628. The housing body 621 is made of resin or the like and has a bottomed tubular shape. The lock portion forming portion 628 is made of resin or the like, and is fixed to the housing body 621 so as to cover one wide surface of the housing body 621 and the side connected to the harness 39. The lock portion 63 is formed in the lock portion forming portion 628.

The terminal forming portion 65 is formed integrally with the housing body 621. The two terminal forming portions 65 are formed in two forks inside the peripheral wall portion 625 of the housing body 621. The end surface of the terminal forming portion 65 is formed so as to be flush with the tip surface of the peripheral wall portion 625. A fitting groove 626 into which the distal end side of the housing 52 of the first connector portion 51 is inserted is formed between the two terminal forming portions 65 and between the terminal forming portion 65 and the peripheral wall portion 625. The partition portion 54 is inserted into the groove portion 627 between the two terminal forming portions 65.

The female terminal 66 is embedded in the terminal forming portion 65. In the present embodiment, four female terminals 66 are provided in one terminal forming portion 65. In the terminal forming portion 65, an opening 651 is formed on the tip side of the female terminal 66. When the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61 are connected, the tip of the male terminal 56 is inserted into the opening 651 and comes into contact with the female terminal 66. As a result, the male terminal 56 and the female terminal 66 are electrically connected.

The core wire 67 is connected to the proximal end side of the female terminal 66. The core wire 67 is covered with a covering portion 671 except for the connection portion with the female terminal 66. An end portion of the core wire 67 opposite to the side connected to the female terminal 66 is taken out from the housing 62 and provided inside the harness 39. A water blocking member 68 made of an elastic material is provided between the core wire 67 and the housing 62.

The seal member 70 is provided for each terminal forming portion 65. As shown by the arrow As, the seal member 70 is fitted on the outer peripheral side of the terminal forming portion 65.

The connection between the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61 will be described based on FIGS. 13 and 14. 13 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIGS. 9 and 11, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIGS. 10 and 12.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the first connector portion 51 is inserted into the fitting groove 626 of the second connector portion 61. At this time, the terminal forming portions 65 are inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers 55 of the corresponding systems, respectively. As a result, the male terminal 56 and the female terminal 66 are electrically connected in the space partitioned by the partition section 54 for each system.

The seal member 70 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber and is provided between the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61. FIG. 15 is an enlarged schematic view of the seal portion. As shown in FIG. 15, the seal member 70 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the terminal forming portion 65 of the second connector portion 61 in a state where the first connector portion 51 is not inserted. When the first connector portion 51 is inserted into the fitting groove 626 of the second connector portion 61, the sealing member 70 causes the inner wall surface 522 of the housing 52 or the side wall surface 542 of the partition portion 54 and the peripheral wall surface 652 of the terminal forming portion 65. In the surface contact between and, the crushing margin Ag is crushed by the stress F at the time of fitting. As a result, the gap between the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61 is filled, and the connecting portion between the male terminal 56 and the female terminal 66 becomes airtight. Therefore, as shown by the arrow Aw, the connection portions of the terminals 56 and 66 are protected from the ingress of water from the outside.

Further, the lock portion 53 of the first connector portion 51 has an inclined surface 531 on the lower side of the opening, and a locking surface 532 formed substantially perpendicular to the outer wall surface 521 of the housing 52 on the side opposite to the opening. Is formed into a substantially trapezoidal shape in side view (see FIG. 8 ). When the first connector portion 51 is inserted into the second connector portion 61, the inclined surface 531 slides on the lock portion 63 of the second connector portion 61. Then, the locking surface 532 is locked by the lock portion 63, so that the first connector portion 51 is inserted into the second connector portion 61 and is snap-fit fixed. In this embodiment, since the holding angle is approximately 90° and the lock state is achieved, the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61 cannot be attached and detached. As a result, the elastic force of the seal member 70 prevents the first connector portion 51 from being pushed back and disengaged, and the airtight state of the connection portion between the male terminal 56 and the female terminal 66 is semipermanently maintained. .. In other words, the state in which the wiring is sealed for each system is maintained.

In the present embodiment, the terminal accommodating chamber 55 and the terminal forming portion 65 are provided for each system, and the sealing member 70 is provided for each. That is, it can be said that waterproofness is independently ensured for each of the routes of the signals S1 and S2. Therefore, even if the terminal accommodating chamber 55 of one system is inundated and an abnormality such as a pin-to-pin short circuit occurs, it is possible to prevent the infiltration of water to the terminal accommodating chamber 55 of the other system. The probability of flooding together can be reduced. In the present embodiment, the drive of the motor 80 is controlled using the signals S1 and S2 related to the steering torque. Therefore, when neither of the signals S1 and S2 from the torque sensor 30 can be used, the assist control cannot be performed properly, so that the driving of the motor 80 is stopped and the manual steering is performed. In the present embodiment, even if one system is flooded, if the other system is not flooded, either one of the signals S1 and S2 from the torque sensor 30 can be used. Therefore, the motor based on the steering torque is used. The steering assist can be continued by driving 80.

In the present embodiment, by providing the partition portion 54 in the first connector portion 51, two independent terminal accommodating chambers are formed in the same housing 52. In addition, in the second connector portion 61, the terminal forming portion 65 is bifurcated within the same housing 62. Then, by inserting the first connector portion 51 into the second connector portion 61, the male terminal 56 and the female terminal 66 are connected in an independent space for each system. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the size of the device as compared with the case where a connector unit is separately provided for each system. Further, it is possible to secure the independence of the connection for each system, and to secure the vehicle mountability equivalent to the case where the signal of the torque sensor 30 is one system.

As described above, the control unit 46 of the present embodiment includes the ECU 45, the first connector section 51, the second connector section 61, the plurality of seal members 70, and the lock sections 53 and 63. The ECU 45 controls the on/off operations of the inverter circuits 120 and 220 that convert the electric power of the motor 80 having the motor windings 180 and 280, and the switching elements 121 and 221 that form the inverter circuits 120 and 220. Have.

The first connector portion 51 is provided in the ECU 45. The second connector portion 61 is connected to the torque sensor 30 via the harness 39 and fits with the first connector portion 51. The seal member 70 is provided between the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61. The lock portions 53 and 63 that form the lock mechanism are fixed in a state where the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61 are fitted to each other.

One of the first connector portion 51 and the second connector portion 61 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. In this embodiment, the first connector portion 51 is a male connector and the second connector portion 61 is a female connector. Here, the "first" and "second" attached to the connector parts 51 and 61 are for distinguishing two members constituting the connector unit 50, and are different from those for distinguishing the systems. I will supplement. The same applies to the sensor connector unit 300 of the fifth embodiment.

In the first connector portion 51, a terminal accommodating chamber 55 in which a male terminal 56 is provided is divided into a plurality of parts by a partition portion 54 inside the housing 52. The second connector portion 61 has a female terminal 66 embedded therein, and a terminal forming portion 65 inserted into each of the terminal accommodating chambers 55 is divided inside the housing 62. The seal member 70 is provided for each terminal accommodating chamber 55.

In this embodiment, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 55 and terminal forming portions 65 are independent inside the housings 52 and 62, and a seal member 70 is provided in each terminal accommodating chamber 55. Thereby, even if some of the terminal accommodating chambers 55 are inundated due to damage of some of the seal members 70, for example, it is possible to prevent the infiltration of water into the other terminal accommodating chambers 55 and ensure the waterproofness of the connector unit 50. can do. Further, as compared with the case where a plurality of connector housings are provided, it is possible to minimize the increase in the size of the drive device 40 and the increase in the number of parts.

The seal member 70 is provided between the inner wall surface 522 of the housing 52 or the side wall surface 542 of the partition portion 54 and the peripheral wall surface 652 of the terminal forming portion 65. Since the seal member 70 is crushed by surface contact, the airtight state of the connection portion of the terminals 56, 56 can be appropriately maintained.

The torque sensor 30 can output redundant signals S1 and S2 of a plurality of systems. The terminal accommodating chamber 55 and the terminal forming portion 65 are provided for each system of the signals S1 and S2 from the torque sensor 30. As a result, it is possible to prevent the signals of all systems from becoming unusable due to flooding while suppressing the increase in size of the body due to the multi-system of signals.

The motor 80 has a plurality of sets of motor windings 180, 280. The inverter circuits 120 and 220 and the control units 150 and 250 are provided for each of the motor windings 180 and 280. The signal output from the torque sensor 30 is input to the control units 150 and 250 corresponding to each system. As a result, even if an abnormality occurs in one system, it is possible to continue driving the motor 80 using the other system.

The harness 39 that connects the torque sensor 30 and the second connector portion 61 is provided integrally with the torque sensor 30. Thereby, the signal from the torque sensor 30 is appropriately transmitted to the ECU 45 via the harness 39.

The torque sensor 30 is a torque sensor that detects steering torque. As a result, the signals S1 and S2 relating to the steering torque can be appropriately input to the ECU 45.

The electric power steering device 901 includes a control unit 46 and a motor 80 that is provided integrally with the ECU 45 and that outputs an assist torque that assists steering by a driver. As a result, even if some of the systems are flooded, the other system can continue the steering assist. Further, by integrally providing the ECU 45 and the motor 80, it is possible to reduce the size of the drive device 40.

The steering system 90 includes an electric power steering device 901, a power transmission unit 910, a steering wheel 91 steered by a driver, a steering shaft 92, a pinion gear 96, and a rack shaft 97. The power transmission unit 910 transmits the torque output from the motor 80 to the rack shaft 97 which is a drive target. The steering shaft 92 rotates integrally with the steering wheel 91. The pinion gear 96 is provided at the tip of the steering shaft 92. The rack shaft 97 meshes with the pinion gear 96 and converts the rotational movement of the pinion gear 96 into a linear movement.

The motor 80 is provided along the rack shaft 97. Here, the state in which the axis of the motor 80 is arranged parallel to the axis of the rack shaft 97 is referred to as "the motor is provided along the rack shaft". The term “parallel” means that a deviation of about an installation error is allowed. The same applies to the following embodiments.

The power transmission unit 910 has a belt drive mechanism. By assisting the linear movement of the rack shaft 97 by the torque of the motor 80, steering by the driver can be appropriately assisted. In addition, the drive device 40 is arranged in a place relatively close to the ground in the engine room, for example, and even when the drive device 40 is splashed with water or the like, waterproofness is ensured, so that the assist control is appropriately performed. You can continue.

(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment will be described based on FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, the connector unit 500 of this embodiment has a first connector section 501, a second connector section 502, and a seal member 70. 16 to 19 and 21, the illustration of the seal member 70 is omitted. In this embodiment, the first connector section 501 is a female connector similar to the second connector section 61 of the first embodiment, and the second connector section 502 is a male connector similar to the first connector section 51 of the first embodiment. It is a connector. The details of the connection relationship between the first connector portion 501 and the second connector portion 502 and the like are the same as in the above embodiment. Even with this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

(Third Embodiment, Fourth Embodiment)
The third embodiment is shown in FIG. 17, and the fourth embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, the drive device 41 of the third embodiment is a “machine-electric separate type” in which the ECU 45 and the motor 80 are separately provided and are connected by the machine-electric connection harness 49. That is, the electric power steering apparatus 901 (not shown in FIGS. 17 and 18) of the present embodiment is connected to the control unit 46, the ECU 45, and the electromechanical connection harness 49, and outputs an assist torque for assisting the steering by the driver. And a motor 80. By adopting a separate electromechanical type, the degree of freedom in arranging the ECU 45 increases.

The connector unit 50 of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, in which the first connector portion 51 is a male connector and the second connector portion 61 is a female connector. The connector unit 500 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 18 is the same as that of the second embodiment, with the first connector portion 501 being a female connector and the second connector portion 502 being a male connector. Even with this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

(Fifth Embodiment)
The fifth embodiment is shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. FIG. 20 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the sensor connector unit 300. In the torque sensor 30 of the above embodiment, the harness 39 is integrally provided, while the torque sensor 30 and the harness 39 of the fifth embodiment are connected via the sensor connector unit 300. It should be noted that although the configuration on the ECU 45 side is omitted in FIG. 19 and FIG. 21 described later, the ECU side connector unit and the drive device may be those of any of the above embodiments.

The sensor connector unit 300 has a first sensor connector section 310, a second sensor connector section 320, and a seal member 330. By connecting the first sensor connector section 310 and the second sensor connector section 320, it becomes possible to transmit a signal between the torque sensor 30 and the harness 39, and a signal from the torque sensor 30 via the harness 39. It becomes possible to transmit S1 and S2 to the ECU 45.

The first sensor connector unit 310 includes a housing 312, a sensor-side male terminal 316, and the like. The housing 312 is formed integrally with the torque sensor 30, and a lock portion 313 is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. In the housing 312, two sensor-side terminal accommodating chambers 315 that open to the tip side are formed.

The sensor-side male terminal 316 projects into the sensor-side terminal accommodating chamber 315. The core wire 317 is connected to the base end side of the sensor side male terminal 316. An end of the core wire 317 opposite to the side connected to the sensor-side male terminal 316 is taken out from the housing 312 and connected to the encoders 132 and 232.

The second sensor connector portion 320 has a housing 322, a sensor-side female terminal 326, and the like. A lock portion 323 is formed on the housing 322. The two sensor-side terminal forming portions 325 are formed integrally with the housing 322. In other words, the sensor-side terminal forming portion 325 is formed inside the peripheral wall portion of the housing 322 in a bifurcated manner.

The sensor side female terminal 326 is embedded in the sensor side terminal forming portion 325. A core wire 327 is connected to the base end side of the sensor-side female terminal 326. The end of the core wire 327 opposite to the side connected to the sensor-side female terminal 326 is taken out from the housing 322 and provided inside the harness 39. The seal member 330 is provided for each sensor-side terminal accommodating chamber 315.

The first sensor connector portion 310 is a male connector and is substantially the same as the first connector portion 51 of the first embodiment, and the second sensor connector portion 320 is a female connector, which is the same as that of the first embodiment. It is substantially the same as the 2 connector section 61. Further, the connection form of the sensor connector unit 300 is the same as that of the connector unit 50 of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The control unit 46 further includes a first sensor connector unit 310 and a second sensor connector unit 320. The first sensor connector unit 310 is provided on the torque sensor 30. The second sensor connector section 320 is connected to the second connector section 61 by the harness 39 and fits with the first sensor connector section 310.

Even if the torque sensor 30 and the harness 39 are connected by the sensor connector unit 300 as in the present embodiment, the signal of the torque sensor 30 can be appropriately output to the ECU 45 side.

The control unit 46 further includes a plurality of seal members 330 and sensor connector lock portions 313 and 323. The seal member 330 is provided between the first sensor connector unit 310 and the second sensor connector unit 320. The lock parts 313 and 323 are fixed in a state where the first sensor connector part 310 and the second sensor connector part 320 are fitted to each other.

One of the first sensor connector unit 310 and the second sensor connector unit 320 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. In the present embodiment, the first sensor connector portion 310 is a male connector, and the second sensor connector portion 320 is a female connector having a sensor side female terminal 326.

In the first sensor connector section 310, inside the housing 312, a sensor side terminal accommodating chamber 315 in which a sensor side male terminal 316 is provided is divided into a plurality of sections by a sensor side partition section 314. In the second sensor connector portion 320, a sensor side female terminal 326 connected to the sensor side male terminal 316 is embedded, and a sensor side terminal forming portion 325 inserted into each of the sensor side terminal accommodating chambers 315 is provided inside the housing 322. Have been divided.
The seal member 330 is provided for each sensor-side terminal accommodating chamber 315.

In this embodiment, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 315 and terminal forming portions 325 are independent inside the housings 312 and 322, and sealing members 330 are provided respectively. Accordingly, even if some of the sensor-side terminal accommodating chambers 315 are inundated due to some of the seal members 330 being damaged or the like, it is possible to prevent the infiltration of water into the other sensor-side terminal accommodating chambers 315, and the sensor connector unit 300. The waterproofness can be secured. Further, as compared with the case where a plurality of connector housings are provided, it is possible to minimize the increase in the size of the torque sensor 30 and the increase in the number of parts.

In the present embodiment, the housing 312 corresponds to the “sensor side male housing” and the housing 322 corresponds to the “sensor side female housing”. The lock portions 313 and 323 correspond to the “sensor connector lock portion”, and the seal member 330 corresponds to the “sensor connector seal member”. It should be noted that the wording “sensor side” attached to the name of the configuration related to the sensor connector unit 300 such as “sensor side terminal accommodating chamber” does not mean a positional relationship and is distinguished from the configuration of the connector unit 50. I will add that it is attached as much as possible.

(Sixth Embodiment)
In the sensor connector unit 350 of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the first sensor-side connector unit portion 351 provided integrally with the torque sensor 30 is the same female connector as the second connector portion 61 of the first embodiment. The second sensor connector portion 352 provided on the harness 39 side is a male connector similar to the first connector portion 51 of the second embodiment. Even with this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

(7th Embodiment-10th Embodiment)
The seventh to tenth embodiments are shown in FIGS. The seventh to tenth embodiments are variations of the steering system 90, and are examples of the electromechanical integrated type, but the electromechanical separate type may be used. Further, the connector unit 50 may be replaced with the connector unit 550, and the sensor connector unit 300 may be replaced with the sensor connector unit 350. Furthermore, the torque sensor 30 and the harness 39 may be integrated as in the first embodiment. The same applies to an embodiment relating to a steer-by-wire system described later.

As shown in FIG. 22, in the seventh embodiment, the power transmission unit 920 has a ball screw 921 that transmits the torque of the motor 80 to the rack shaft 97. In the present embodiment, the drive device 40 is provided coaxially with the rack shaft 97, and the rotation of the motor 80 is converted into linear motion by the ball screw 921. This assists the linear movement of the rack shaft 97. That is, the electric power steering device 901 of the present embodiment is a so-called rack assist type that transmits the torque generated by the motor 80 to the rack shaft 97, specifically, a rack coaxial assist type. In the present embodiment, the rack shaft 97 corresponds to the “drive target”.

In the present embodiment, the connector unit 50 is provided facing outward in the radial direction of the ECU 45. Also in the first embodiment and the like, instead of providing the connector unit 50 at the axial end portion of the drive device 40, the connector unit 50 may be provided facing the radial outside of the drive device 40. Further, as shown in FIG. 23, instead of disposing the ECU 45 coaxially with the motor 80, the ECU 45 may be provided on the side of the motor 80.

As shown in FIG. 24, in the eighth embodiment, the power transmission unit 930 has a worm gear 931 that transmits the torque of the motor 80 to the pinion gear 96. The worm of the worm gear 931 is driven by the motor 80, and the worm wheel rotates integrally with the pinion gear 96. That is, the electric power steering device 901 of the present embodiment is a so-called pinion assist type that transmits the torque generated by the motor 80 to the pinion gear 96. In the present embodiment, the pinion gear 96 corresponds to the “drive target”.

As shown in FIG. 25, in the ninth embodiment, the power transmission unit 940 has a worm gear 941 and a pinion 942. The worm of the worm gear 941 is driven by the motor 80, and the worm wheel rotates integrally with the pinion 942. As a result, the torque of the motor 80 is transmitted to the pinion 942. The pinion 942 is provided separately from the pinion gear 96, and meshes with the rack shaft 97. That is, the electric power steering device 901 of the present embodiment is a so-called dual pinion assist type that transmits the torque generated by the motor 80 to the pinion 942 provided separately from the pinion gear 96. In the present embodiment, the rack shaft 97 corresponds to the “drive target”.

As shown in FIG. 26, in the tenth embodiment, the drive device 40 is arranged such that the axis of the motor 80 is parallel to the axis of the steering shaft 92. The power transmission unit 950 has a speed reducer 951 that transmits the torque of the motor 80 to the steering shaft 92. The rotation of the motor 80 is transmitted to the steering shaft 92 via the speed reducer 951. That is, the electric power steering device 901 of the present embodiment is a so-called column assist type that transmits the torque generated by the motor 80 to the steering shaft 92. In the present embodiment, the steering shaft 92 corresponds to the “drive target”. Even if it is configured as in the seventh to tenth embodiments, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiments can be obtained.

(Eleventh Embodiment)
The eleventh embodiment is shown in FIGS. In the above embodiment, the control unit 46 is applied to the steering system 90. In the eleventh embodiment, the control unit 46 is applied to the steer-by-wire system 970.

As shown in FIG. 27, the steer-by-wire system 970 includes a steering wheel 91, a steering shaft 971, a pinion gear 96, a rack shaft 97, wheels 98, a steering device 975, and the like. The steering device 975 includes a reaction force motor 85, a steering motor 86, the control unit 46, and the like. The control unit 46 of the present embodiment is provided with an ECU 450 as a controller section instead of the ECU 45 of the above embodiment. The ECU 450 and the reaction force motor 85 are connected via the connector 451, the harness 491 and the connector 851. The ECU 450 and the steered motor 86 are connected via a connector 452, a harness 492, and a connector 861.

The steering wheel 91 is connected to one end of the steering shaft 971. The steering shaft 971 is provided with a torque sensor 30 that detects the torque input to the steering shaft 971. A reaction force motor 85 is provided at the tip of the steering shaft 971, and the steering shaft 971 is separated from the rack shaft 97.

The reaction force motor 85 gives a suitable steering feeling to the driver by applying a reaction force corresponding to the steering of the driver to the steering wheel 91. The reaction force motor 85 is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor, and has a first motor winding 185 and a second motor winding 285 (see FIG. 28).

The turning motor 86 controls the turning angle of the wheels 98 by the rotation thereof. The steered motor 86 is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor, and has a first motor winding 186 and a second motor winding 286 (see FIG. 28 ). In the present embodiment, the rotation of the steering motor 86 causes the pinion gear 96 to rotate. The rotational movement of the pinion gear is converted into a linear movement of the rack shaft 97 by the rack and pinion, and the pair of wheels 98 are steered at an angle corresponding to the displacement amount of the rack shaft 97. That is, the steer-by-wire system 970 of this embodiment is a pinion drive type.

As shown in FIG. 28, the reaction force motor rotation angle sensor 891 detects the rotation angle of the reaction force motor 85. The steering motor rotation angle sensor 892 detects the rotation angle of the steering motor 86. The rack stroke sensor 893 detects the rack stroke amount. The vehicle speed sensor 894 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle.

The detection values of the reaction force motor rotation angle sensor 891, the steered motor rotation angle sensor 892, the rack stroke sensor 893, and the vehicle speed sensor 894 are acquired via a connector, wiring, and the like (not shown). The detection values of the sensors 891 to 894 may be acquired internally if the sensor is inside the ECU 450, or may be acquired by communication from the vehicle communication networks 195 and 295 (not shown in FIG. 28). ..

The ECU 450 includes a board (not shown), various electronic components mounted on the board, a housing that houses these, and the like. The electronic components mounted on the board include the control units 160 and 260, and switching elements that form the inverter circuits 167, 168, 267, and 268. A connector unit 50 is provided in the housing. The details of the connector unit 50 are the same as those in the above embodiment.

The first control unit 160 includes a decoder 151, a first basic reaction force control unit 161, a first reaction force correction unit 162, a first final reaction force control unit 163, and a first steering control unit 165. The second control unit 260 includes a decoder 251, a second basic reaction force control unit 261, a second reaction force correction unit 262, a second final reaction force control unit 263, and a second steering control unit 265. In FIG. 28, the control units 160 and 260 are respectively configured by separate microcomputers, but as shown in FIG. 29, the control units 160 and 260 may be configured by one microcomputer 455. The same applies to the control units 150 and 250 described above. 28 and 29, the illustration of the decoders 151 and 251 is omitted.

The first basic reaction force control unit 161 instructs the reaction force motor 85 based on the signal S1 from the torque sensor 30, the detection value of the reaction force motor rotation angle sensor 891, the detection value of the rack stroke sensor 893, and the like. The reaction force Hb1 is calculated. The second basic reaction force control unit 261 instructs the reaction force motor 85 based on the signal S2 from the torque sensor 30, the detection value of the reaction force motor rotation angle sensor 891, the detection value of the rack stroke sensor 893, and the like. The reaction force Hb2 is calculated. The basic reaction force is a reaction force based on a basic state quantity.

The reaction force correction units 162 and 262 calculate the corrected reaction forces Hc1 and Hc2 according to the state of the vehicle behavior based on the detection value of the steering motor rotation angle sensor 892, the detection value of the rack stroke sensor 893, and the like.

The first final reaction force control unit 163 reacts based on the basic reaction force Hb1 calculated by the first basic reaction force control unit 161 and the corrected reaction force Hc1 calculated by the first reaction force correction unit 162. The final reaction force Hf1 applied by the force motor 85 to the steering wheel 91 is calculated. The second final reaction force control unit 263 reacts based on the basic reaction force Hb2 calculated by the second basic reaction force control unit 261 and the corrected reaction force Hc2 calculated by the second reaction force correction unit 262. The final reaction force Hf2 applied to the steering wheel 91 by the force motor 85 is calculated.

The first steering control unit 165 calculates the steering torque Tb1 based on the signal S1 from the torque sensor 30, the detection value of the rack stroke sensor 893, the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 894, and the like. The second steering control unit 265 calculates the steering torque Tb2 based on the signal S2 from the torque sensor 30, the detection value of the rack stroke sensor 893, the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 894, and the like.

The first reaction force inverter circuit 167 has a switching element (not shown) whose ON/OFF operation is controlled based on the final reaction force Hf1, and converts the power of the first motor winding 185 of the reaction force motor 85. The first turning inverter circuit 168 has a switching element (not shown) whose ON/OFF operation is controlled based on the turning torque Tb1, and converts the electric power of the first motor winding 186 of the turning motor 86.

The second reaction force inverter circuit 267 has a switching element (not shown) whose ON/OFF operation is controlled based on the final reaction force Hf2, and converts the power of the second motor winding 285 of the reaction force motor 85. The second turning inverter circuit 268 has a switching element (not shown) whose ON/OFF operation is controlled based on the turning torque Tb2, and converts the electric power of the second motor winding 286 of the turning motor 86. In the figure, the reaction force inverter circuit is described as "INV_R", and the steering inverter circuit is described as "INV_T".

In the present embodiment, the first motor winding 185 of the reaction force motor 85 and the first motor winding 186 of the steering motor 86, and the inverter circuits 167 and 168 and control provided corresponding to the motor windings 185 and 186. The combination of the parts 160 and the like is the first system. Further, the second motor winding 285 of the reaction force motor 85, the second motor winding 286 of the steering motor 86, and the inverter circuits 267 and 268 and the control unit 260 provided corresponding to the motor windings 285 and 286. The combination of is the second system.

In the steer-by-wire system 970 of this embodiment, the torque sensor 30, the ECU 450, the reaction force motor 85, and the steering motor 86 have a redundant configuration. Further, the connector unit 50 and the sensor connector unit 300 similar to those in the above embodiment are used for connecting the torque sensor 30 and the ECU 450. Therefore, even if one system is flooded, if the other system is not flooded, either one of the signals S1 and S2 can be used. Therefore, the motors 85 and 86 should be driven based on the steering torque. Thus, the steering operation of the vehicle can be continued.

In the steer-by-wire system 970 of the present embodiment, a steering shaft that rotates integrally with a steering wheel 91 that is a steering member and a rack shaft 97 can be mechanically separated, and a reaction force of the ECU 450 and the steering wheel 91 is applied. A reaction force motor 85 and a steering motor 86 that changes a steering amount of a wheel 98 that is steered according to the driving of the rack shaft 97 in accordance with the steering of the steering wheel 91.

The ECU 450 is provided separately from the reaction force motor 85 and the steering motor 86. The ECU 450 and the reaction force motor 85 are connected by a reaction force motor connection harness 491. The ECU 450 and the steering motor 86 are connected by a steering motor connection harness 492. The steered motor 86 drives a pinion gear 96 that meshes with the rack shaft 97.

The connector unit 50 is also applicable to the steer-by-wire system 970 as in the present embodiment, and in the redundant steer-by-wire system 970, even if a part of the system is submerged, another system is used. Since the waterproof property is ensured, the steering control of the wheels 98 can be appropriately continued. Further, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment is obtained.

(Twelfth Embodiment)
The twelfth embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a pinion gear 981 that meshes with the rack shaft 97 is provided separately from the pinion gear 96. The pinion gear 981 is driven by the steering motor 87. That is, the steer-by-wire system 970 of this embodiment is a dual pinion drive type.

The ECU 450 and the steering motor 87 are connected via the connector 453, the harness 493, and the connector 871. The steering motor 87 has two sets of motor windings (not shown) like the steering motor 86, and the energization of one motor winding is controlled by the first controller 160 and the other motor winding is controlled. The energization of the wire is controlled by the second controller 260. Even with this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

(13th Embodiment, 14th Embodiment)
The thirteenth embodiment is shown in FIG. 31, and the fourteenth embodiment is shown in FIG. The steering motor 86 of the thirteenth embodiment is provided coaxially with the rack shaft 97 and drives the rack shaft 97 via a ball screw 983. That is, the steer-by-wire system 970 of this embodiment is a rack coaxial type.

In the steered system motor 86 of the fourteenth embodiment, the motor shafts are provided substantially parallel to the rack shaft 97 and drive the rack shaft 97 via a belt drive 984. That is, the steer-by-wire system 970 of this embodiment is a rack parallel type.

In the thirteenth and fourteenth embodiments, the steered motor 86 drives the rack shaft 97 via the ball screw 983 or the belt drive 984. Even with this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

(Modification of steer-by-wire system)
In the eleventh embodiment to the fourteenth embodiment, the example of the machine-electric separate type steer-by-wire in which the steering motors 86 and 87 and the ECU 450 are separate bodies has been described. As shown in FIGS. 33 to 36, the steer-by-wire system 970 may be an electromechanical integrated type in which the steering motor 88 and the ECU 450 are integrally provided.

33 is a pinion drive type, FIG. 35 is a rack coaxial type, and FIG. 36 is a rack parallel type, in which a steering motor 86 and an ECU 450 are provided in a mechano-electrically integrated manner. Further, as shown in FIG. 34, in the case of the dual pinion drive type, the ECU 450 may be provided for each of the two steering motors 86 and 87. In FIG. 34, the torque sensor 30 is illustrated as being provided with two connector units 300, but for example, one connector unit has four terminal accommodating chambers 55 and four terminal forming portions 65 (not shown in FIG. 34 ). They may be integrally formed by forming them one by one.

In the modification, the ECU 450 is provided integrally with the steering motors 86 and 87. Even with this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the sensor unit is a torque sensor. In other embodiments, the sensor unit may be a sensor other than the torque sensor provided outside the controller unit. Further, a vehicle communication network such as CAN may be regarded as a "sensor section", and the connector unit may be similarly formed.

In the above embodiment, signals of two systems are input from the sensor unit. In another embodiment, the number of systems of signals input from the sensor unit may be three or more. In this case, it is desirable that the number of terminal accommodating chambers and the number of terminal forming portions are provided according to the number of systems, but the number of terminal accommodating chambers and terminal forming portions and the number of systems do not necessarily match.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the components forming the drive device is provided in twos, which is a complete two system. In other embodiments, each component forming the drive device may be one system or three or more systems. Also, some components may be shared between the systems, for example, the battery is shared by multiple systems.

In the above-described embodiment, the lock mechanism is a snap-fit fixation by the lock portions provided on the first connector portion and the second connector portion engaging with each other. In another embodiment, the lock portion constituting the lock mechanism may be a member separate from the first connector portion and the second connector portion, and the lock mechanism may be constituted by, for example, clamp fixing or bolt fixing. Good.

In the above embodiment, both the terminal accommodating chamber and the terminal forming portion are formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In other embodiments, the terminal accommodating chamber and the terminal forming portion may have any shape.

In the third embodiment and the like, the connector unit provided in the controller unit and the sensor connector unit provided in the sensor unit have the same shape. In another embodiment, the connector unit provided on the controller unit side and the connector unit provided on the sensor unit side may have different shapes.

In the above embodiment, the motor is a three-phase brushless motor. In other embodiments, it may be any motor, such as a brushed motor.

In the steer-by-wire system of the above embodiment, the column shaft and the rack shaft are separated. In another embodiment, in the steer-by-wire system, a member such as a clutch that can switch connection and disconnection may be provided between the column shaft and the rack shaft. Then, for example, when the steer-by-wire system is abnormal, the steer-by-wire system may be made to function as an electric power steering device by connecting the column shaft and the rack shaft. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

30... Torque sensor (sensor part) 39... Harness 45, 450... ECU (controller part) 46... Control unit 51, 501... First connector part 52... Housing (male connector) housing)
54... Partition part 55... Terminal accommodating chamber 56... Male terminal 61, 502... Second connector part 62... Housing (female connector housing)
65... Terminal formation part 66... Female terminal 53, 63... Lock part 70... Seal member 80, 85, 86... Motor 120, 167, 168, 220, 267, 268... Inverter circuit 150, 160, 250, 260... Control unit 180, 185, 186, 280, 285, 286... Motor winding

Claims (21)

An inverter circuit (120, 167, 168, 220, 267, 268) for converting electric power of a motor (80, 85, 86) having motor windings (180, 185, 186, 280, 285, 286), and A controller section (45, 450) having a control section (150, 160, 250, 260) for controlling the on/off operation of the switching elements (121, 221) forming the inverter circuit;
A first connector part (51, 501) provided in the controller part;
Harness (39) via the connected sensor unit (30), a second connector portion which mate with the first connector portion (61,502),
A plurality of seal members (70) provided between the first connector portion and the second connector portion,
Lock parts (53, 63) for fixing the first connector part and the second connector part in a fitted state;
Equipped with
One of the first connector portion and the second connector portion is a male connector, and the terminal accommodating chamber (55) in which the male terminal (56) is provided is a partition portion (in the male connector housing (52). 54) is divided into a plurality of
The other of the first connector portion and the second connector portion is a female connector, in which a female terminal (66) connected to the male terminal is embedded, and is inserted into each of the terminal accommodating chambers. (65) is divided inside the female connector housing (62),
The seal member is provided for each terminal accommodating chamber ,
The sensor unit is capable of outputting redundant signals of a plurality of systems,
The terminal accommodating chamber and the terminal forming portion are provided for each system of signals from the sensor unit,
The motor has a plurality of sets of the motor windings,
The inverter circuit and the control unit are provided for each motor winding,
A control unit in which a signal output from the sensor unit is input to the control unit corresponding to each system . The control according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is provided between an inner wall surface (522) of the male connector housing or a side wall surface (542) of the partition portion and a peripheral wall surface (652) of the terminal forming portion. unit. The first connector portion is a male connector,
Said second connector portion, the control unit according to claim 1 or 2 is a female connector. The first connector portion is a female connector,
Said second connector portion, the control unit according to claim 1 or 2 is a male connector. The harness, control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 provided integrally with the sensor unit (30). The sensor unit,
A first sensor connector part (310, 351) provided in the sensor part;
A second sensor connector part (320, 352) connected to the second connector part by the harness and fitted with the first sensor connector part;
Control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a. A plurality of sensor connector seal members (330) provided between the first sensor connector part and the second sensor connector part;
A sensor connector lock part (313, 323) for fixing the first sensor connector part and the second sensor connector part in a fitted state;
Further equipped with,
One of the first sensor connector portion and the second sensor connector portion is a male connector, and the sensor side terminal accommodating chamber in which the sensor side male terminal (316) is provided inside the sensor side male housing (312). (315) is divided into a plurality by the sensor side partitioning part (314),
The other of the first sensor connector section and the second sensor connector section is a female connector, and a sensor-side female terminal (326) connected to the sensor-side male terminal is embedded in the sensor-side terminal accommodating chamber. The sensor-side terminal forming portion (325) inserted into each is divided inside the sensor-side female housing (322),
The control unit according to claim 6 , wherein the sensor connector seal member is provided for each of the sensor-side terminal accommodating chambers. The sensor unit, a control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is a torque sensor for detecting steering torque. A control unit (46) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The motor that is provided integrally with the controller unit and that outputs an assist torque that assists steering by a driver,
An electric power steering device comprising: A control unit (46) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The motor, which is connected to the controller unit via a mechanical electrical connection harness (49) and outputs an assist torque for assisting the steering by the driver,
An electric power steering device comprising: An electric power steering device (901) according to claim 9 or 10 ,
A power transmission unit (910, 920, 930, 940, 950) for transmitting the torque output from the motor to the drive target (92, 96, 97);
A steering member (91) steered by the driver,
A steering shaft (92) that rotates integrally with the steering member;
A pinion gear (96) provided at the tip of the steering shaft,
A rack shaft (97) that meshes with the pinion gear and converts the rotational movement of the pinion gear into a linear movement;
Steering system with. The motor is provided along the rack axis,
The steering system according to claim 11 , wherein the power transmission unit (910) has a belt drive mechanism. The motor is provided coaxially with the rack shaft,
The steering system according to claim 11 , wherein the power transmission unit (920) includes a ball screw (921) that transmits torque of the motor to the rack shaft. The steering system according to claim 11 , wherein the power transmission unit (930) includes a worm gear (931) that transmits torque of the motor to the pinion gear. The power transmission unit (940), said pinion gear separately mesh with the rack shaft and the pinion (942), and, according to claim 11 having a worm gear (941) for transmitting the torque of the motor to the pinion Steering system. The steering system according to claim 11 , wherein the power transmission unit (950) includes a speed reducer (951) that transmits torque of the motor to the steering shaft. A steer-by-wire system in which a steering shaft (971) rotating integrally with a steering member (91) and a rack shaft (976) can be mechanically separated from each other,
A control unit (46) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
A reaction force motor (85) that applies a reaction force to the steering member, and a steering that changes a steering amount of a wheel (98) that is steered in accordance with the steering of the steering member and is driven by the rack shaft. The motor being a motor (86, 87),
Steer-by-wire system with. The controller unit is provided separately from the reaction force motor and the steering motor,
The controller unit and the reaction force motor are connected by a reaction force motor connection harness (491),
The steer-by-wire system according to claim 17 , wherein the controller unit and the steering motor are connected by a steering motor connection harness (492, 493). The controller unit is provided integrally with the steering motor,
The steer-by-wire system according to claim 17 , wherein the controller unit and the reaction force motor are connected by a reaction force motor connection harness (491). The steer-by-wire system according to any one of claims 18 to 20 , wherein the steering motor drives a pinion gear (96) that meshes with the rack shaft. The steer-by-wire system according to any one of claims 18 to 20 , wherein the steering motor drives the rack shaft via a ball screw (983) or a belt drive (984).

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