JP7268524B2 - steering device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steering device capable of widening a space in front of a driver by moving an operating member such as a steering wheel.

At autonomous driving level 3 or higher, where the system takes responsibility for autonomous driving of the vehicle, the driver does not need to take responsibility for operating the vehicle, so there is no need to hold the steering wheel. Therefore, if the steering wheel moves during automatic driving and a wide space is secured in front of the driver, the comfort of the driver can be enhanced. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a steering column that retracts the steering wheel to a position in front of the instrument panel. In this steering column, in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, the steering wheel can be returned to the normal position to deploy an airbag arranged in the center of the steering wheel.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/028008

In the above conventional steering column, the steering wheel retracts in front of the instrument panel, so the space in front of the driver is relatively narrow. Therefore, it is conceivable that the steering wheel is retracted into the dashboard with the steering wheel rotated around an axis orthogonal to the steering axis, for example. In that case, the steering wheel is rotated about an axis orthogonal to the steering axis with respect to an airbag housing portion in which the airbag is housed, located in the central portion of the steering wheel. As a result, the space ahead of the driver is further expanded. However, in this case, the rim of the steering wheel passes between the driver and the airbag provided in the center of the steering wheel. Therefore, if trouble such as a vehicle collision occurs while the steering wheel is retracting or returning to its normal position, the steering wheel rim prevents the deployment of the airbag. occurs.

The present invention has been made by the inventors of the present invention by focusing on the above problem, and provides a steering device that can expand the space in front of the driver and improve collision safety. intended to

In order to achieve the above object, a steering device according to an aspect of the present invention is a steering device for steering a vehicle, comprising: an airbag housing section that deployably houses an airbag; and an operation member that supports an operating member. a support member that rotates in the width direction of the vehicle, a rotation mechanism that rotates the support member with respect to the airbag housing portion about a rotation axis that extends in the width direction of the vehicle, and a control portion that controls the rotation mechanism. wherein at least part of the operation member is positioned within a first region that prevents deployment of the airbag, and the airbag deploys; When an emergency event indicating that deployment is expected is detected, emergency evacuation control is performed to retreat the operating member to a second area outside the first area by controlling the rotation mechanism.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a steering device that can widen the space in front of the driver and improve collision safety.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a steering device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a steering device according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing normal positions and postures of an operation member according to the embodiment; 4A and 4B are diagrams showing positions and attitudes of the operating member according to the embodiment during rotation; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the position and orientation of the operation member according to the embodiment when the operation member is retracted; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a flow of basic operations relating to emergency evacuation control of the steering device according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a more specific example of the flow of operations shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first example in which a portion of the operating member according to the embodiment exists within the first region; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example in which a portion of the operating member according to the embodiment exists within the first region; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the position and posture of the operation member when the operation member according to the embodiment is stored in the dashboard; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the position and posture of the operation member when the operation member according to the embodiment is returned from the dashboard to the normal position; FIG. 4 is a first diagram showing a characteristic configuration of a steering device according to Modification 1 of the embodiment; FIG. 7 is a second diagram showing a characteristic configuration of the steering device according to Modification 1 of the embodiment; It is a figure which shows the characteristic structure of the steering apparatus which concerns on the modification 2 of embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of a steering device according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. Numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, arrangement positions and connection forms of constituent elements, steps and order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments and modifications are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments and modifications, constituent elements that are not described in independent claims representing the highest concept will be described as optional constituent elements.

In addition, the drawings are schematic diagrams that are appropriately emphasized, omitted, or adjusted in proportion to show the present invention, and may differ from the actual shape, positional relationship, and proportion. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, expressions indicating relative directions or orientations such as parallel and orthogonal may be used, but these expressions strictly include cases where the directions or orientations are not the same. . For example, two directions are parallel means not only that the two directions are completely parallel, but also substantially parallel, i.e., including a difference of about several percent also means

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a steering device 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the steering device 100 according to the embodiment.

A steering device 100 according to the present embodiment is a device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, a bus, a truck, a construction machine, or an agricultural machine capable of switching between manual driving and automatic driving.

The steering device 100 includes an operation member 110, a support member 115 that supports the operation member 110, an airbag housing portion 120, and a rotation mechanism portion 130, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the operating member 110 is, for example, a member corresponding to the rim of the steering wheel, and the support member 115 is a member corresponding to the spokes of the steering wheel.

The operating member 110 rotates around a steering axis Aa (a virtual axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, parallel to the X-axis in this embodiment) by a driver's operation. More tires are steered. Specifically, the steering device 100 is a device incorporated in a so-called steer-by-wire system, and the operating member 110 and the tires are not mechanically connected. A steering motor drives one or more tires based on information indicating the steering angle of the operation member 110 and the like output from the steering device 100 .

Further, the operating member 110 is attached to the support member 115 extending from both sides of the rotation mechanism 130 in the vehicle width direction (the Y-axis direction in this embodiment) in a neutral state in which the steered wheels are in a straight-ahead state, for example. As the operating member 110 rotates about the steering axis Aa, the rotation mechanism 130 also rotates about the steering axis Aa. Further, in the present embodiment, the airbag housing portion 120 is fixed to the driver side (X-axis plus side) of the rotation mechanism portion 130, and when the operation member 110 is viewed from the driver side, the operation member 110 is An airbag housing portion 120 is positioned in the central portion. An airbag 200 is housed in the airbag housing portion 120 so as to be deployed, and the airbag 200 is deployed by pushing through the airbag housing portion 120 when, for example, the vehicle collides.

The rotation mechanism portion 130 is a device that rotates the support member 115 with respect to the airbag housing portion 120 around a rotation axis Ab extending in the width direction of the vehicle. The rotation mechanism section 130 includes a rotation motor 131 and the like for rotating the support member 115 . Note that, in the present embodiment, the description of one support member 115 is applied to both of the pair of support members 115 connected to the rotation mechanism section 130 . For example, "to rotate the support members 115" means to integrally rotate the pair of support members 115 connected to the rotation mechanism section 130. FIG. Also, the operation member 110 does not need to be supported by a pair of support members 115 , and may be supported by at least one support member 115 .

As the support member 115 rotates around the rotation axis Ab by the driving force of the rotation mechanism section 130, the operating member 110 supported by the support member 115 also rotates around the rotation axis Ab. rotates relative to the airbag housing portion 120 fixed to the . Rotation of the operation member 110 is performed in accordance with the movement of the operation member 110 . A detailed description of the rotation of the operating member 110 will be given later with reference to FIGS. 3A to 9. FIG.

The steering device 100 according to the present embodiment further includes a switch holding portion 140 and a reaction force generating device 150 arranged on the front side (X-axis minus side) of the rotating mechanism portion 130, as shown in FIG. The switch holding portion 140 is a member holding a switch or the like for operating the winkers, and is connected to a winker lever (not shown) or the like.

The reaction force generator 150 is a device that applies a torque to the operation member 110 in opposition to the driver's force when the driver operates the operation member 110 to steer the vehicle. have The reaction force generating device 150 is a device that reproduces, as a reaction force, the force generated in the operation member during driving in a conventional vehicle in which the tire and the operation member are mechanically connected. That is, in the present embodiment, one end of the shaft is fixed to the rotation mechanism portion 130 and is inserted through the switch holding portion 140, and the other end of the shaft rotates around the steering axis Aa. It is connected with the force generator 150 . The reaction force generator 150 applies a reaction force to the operation member 110 via this shaft. The reaction force generator 150 also controls the rotational position of the operating member 110 around the steering axis Aa.

The steering device 100 further adjusts the position and posture of the steering mechanism portion 101 including the operation member 110, the support member 115, the airbag housing portion 120, the rotation mechanism portion 130, the switch holding portion 140, and the reaction force generating device 150. It has a mechanism to change. Accordingly, it is possible to change the distance between the operating member 110 and the driver and change the inclination of the operating member 110 with respect to the driver.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the steering device 100 has a slide mechanism portion 170 that moves the position of the steering mechanism portion 101 in the front-rear direction. The slide mechanism section 170 is an example of a first movement mechanism section. In this embodiment, the steering mechanism section 101 is supported by the base guide 161 via the movable body 162, and the movable body 162 is slidably held by the base guide 161. As shown in FIG. The base guide 161 is fixed to the vehicle via, for example, brackets (not shown). A slide drive shaft 173 is fixed to the base guide 161 as shown in FIG. to move. As a result, the movable body 162 connected to the main body of the slide mechanism 170 moves forward and backward along the base guide 161 . As a result, the steering mechanism portion 101 including the airbag housing portion 120, the rotation mechanism portion 130, and the like moves in the front-rear direction.

The steering device 100 also includes a tilt mechanism section 180 that changes the tilt of the steering mechanism section 101, as shown in FIG. The tilt mechanism section 180 is an example of a second movement mechanism section. In addition, in FIG. 1 , the tilt mechanism section 180 is shown separated downward from the steering mechanism section 101 in order to clearly show the tilt mechanism section 180 . The tilt mechanism section 180 can push up the steering mechanism section 101 from below to the upper limit position by the driving force of the tilting motor 181, and can return the pushed-up steering mechanism section 101 to the lower limit position. In this embodiment, the steering mechanism 101 is supported by the movable body 162 so as to be rotatable about the tilt axis Ac. change. As a result, the positions of the operation member 110, the airbag housing portion 120, and the rotation mechanism portion 130 located on the driver's side of the steering mechanism portion 101 in the vertical direction of the vehicle are changed. Note that the position of the tilt axis Ac shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the tilt axis Ac may be positioned further forward (on the negative side of the X axis) than the position shown in FIG.

The rotation mechanism 130, the reaction force generator 150, the slide mechanism 170, and the tilt mechanism 180 described above are controlled by the controller 190 (see FIG. 2) provided in the steering device 100. FIG. As a result, the slide mechanism section 170 and the tilt mechanism section 180 perform operations to change the position and attitude of the steering mechanism section 101 . These operations are performed when adjusting the longitudinal position and height (inclination) of the operation member 110 according to the driver's preference. Further, the rotation mechanism section 130 rotates the support member 115 to rotate the operation member 110 around the rotation axis Ab. The above operations by the reaction force generating device 150, the slide mechanism section 170, the tilt mechanism section 180, and the rotation mechanism section 130 cause the operating member 110 to move in and out of the storage area in the dashboard (protrusion from the storage area and retraction). stored in an area). The movement of the operation member 110 into and out of the storage area will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

In addition, the control unit 190 acquires information indicating the state of the mechanism units from the rotation mechanism unit 130 and the like. For example, the control section 190 acquires information indicating the rotational position of the support member 115 from the rotation mechanism section 130 . Thereby, the control section 190 can detect the relative position of the operation member 110 supported by the support member 115 with respect to the airbag accommodating section 120 at any time. Further, by using information obtained from each of the slide mechanism unit 170 and the tilt mechanism unit 180, the control unit 190 can recognize the position of the operation member 110 in the vehicle at any time.

Note that the control unit 190 that performs the above control is implemented by a computer including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a memory, and an interface for inputting and outputting information. For example, the control unit 190 controls the steering device 100 according to the control signal transmitted from the host control unit 300 and the like, the sensor detection result, and the like, by the CPU executing a predetermined program stored in a storage device. Operation control can be performed. The control unit 190 calculates a target rotation speed from the detection result of the sensor, etc., and controls the rotation speed of the rotation mechanism unit 130 so as to follow the target rotation speed.

Here, the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment has one feature in the control of the rotation mechanism portion 130, that is, the rotation control of the operation member 110 when the operation member 110 is retracted. Therefore, rotation control of the operating member 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 7. FIG.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the operation member 110 according to the present embodiment is rotated with respect to the airbag housing portion 120 by the rotation mechanism portion 130. As shown in FIGS. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the normal position and posture of the operation member 110 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the position and orientation of the operation member 110 during rotation according to the embodiment. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing the retracted position and posture of the operation member 110 according to the embodiment. 3A to 3C, the relative position and attitude of the operation member 110 with respect to the airbag housing portion 120 are simply illustrated, and the illustration of the components in front of the rotation mechanism portion 130 is omitted. ing. These supplementary matters also apply to FIGS. 6, 7, and 10 to 12, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3A , in a normal state in which the driver can grip and operate the operating member 110 , the airbag housing portion 120 is positioned at the central portion of the operating member 110 . In this state, the operating member 110 rotates around the steering shaft Aa, for example, according to the driver's operation.

When the operation member 110 is in the position and orientation shown in FIG. 3A, the control unit 190 controls the rotation mechanism unit 130 according to instructions from the host control unit 300 (see FIG. 2) mounted on the vehicle, for example. As a result, the support member 115 starts rotating around the rotation axis Ab. As a result, the operating member 110 begins to rotate downward, and a portion of the operating member 110 passes through the airbag accommodating portion 120 on the driver's side (X-axis plus side) as shown in FIG. 3B, for example. After that, the rotation mechanism section 130 stops the rotation of the operation member 110 at the position (storage position) shown in FIG.

Further, when the operating member 110 is at the retracted position, the control unit 190 returns the operating member 110 to the normal position by controlling the rotation mechanism unit 130 according to an instruction from the host control unit 300 (see FIG. 2), for example. . That is, the position and orientation of the operating member 110 change in the order of FIGS. 3C, 3B, and 3A.

The airbag 200 accommodated in the airbag accommodation section 120 operates according to instructions from an airbag control section 210 (see FIG. 2) mounted on the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle collides with some object, the airbag control unit 210 instructs the airbag 200 to deploy. The airbag control unit 210 determines whether or not to deploy the airbag 200 based on vehicle acceleration information received from the acceleration sensor 250, for example. For example, when the vehicle collides with some object and there is a rapid change in acceleration exceeding a threshold value, the airbag control unit 210 instructs the airbag 200 to deploy, and the airbag 200 operates as an inflator. deployed by activating That is, the airbag 200 is inflated instantly.

In order to ensure the safety of the driver, the driver's side of the airbag accommodating portion 120 that operates in this manner is provided with a first airbag for normal deployment of the airbag 200, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C. A region 11 is defined. In other words, the first area 11 is an area in which deployment of the airbag 200 for securing the safety of the driver is hindered when an object other than the driver exists in the area. For example, the passage area of the airbag 200 obtained by experiment, simulation, or the like is defined as the first area 11 . Alternatively, an area smaller than the passage area or an area deviated from the passage area, considering the case where the deployment of the airbag 200 is not substantially affected even if the airbag 200 interferes with an object. may be defined as the first region 11. Furthermore, the area other than the first area 11 is defined as the second area 12 .

When the first area 11 and the second area 12 are defined in this way, the operation member 110 is located in the first area 11 when the operation member 110 is in the normal position and the retracted position as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C. is present in the second region 12 .

That is, for example, when a collision accident occurs while the driver is operating the operation member 110 to drive the vehicle, the airbag 200 deploys to protect the driver. be. Further, for example, the airbag 200 is also deployed when a collision accident occurs while the vehicle is traveling by automatic driving, that is, while the operating member 110 is in the position (storage position) shown in FIG. 3C. Thus, the airbag 200 protects the driver.

As described above, in the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment, the operation member 110 projects in the driver's side (in the normal position) or is stored in a predetermined area. However, one airbag 200 can protect the driver in an emergency.

However, while the operation member 110 is rotating for extension and retraction (during the extension and retraction operation), part of the operation member 110 may exist in the first region 11 as shown in FIG. 3B. . Therefore, if an emergency event such as a collision occurs during the movement of moving in and out, the deployment of the airbag 200 may be hindered by part of the operation member 110, and the inherent impact absorbing ability of the airbag 200 may not be exhibited. becomes higher. Therefore, in steering device 100 according to the present embodiment, control unit 190 executes emergency evacuation control for evacuating operation member 110 to second region 12 when a vehicle collision or the like occurs or is likely to occur. do.

The determination as to whether or not at least a part of the operation member 110 exists within the first region 11 is made, for example, by combining information indicating the range of the first region 11 stored by the control unit 190 and The control unit 190 performs this operation using information indicating the detected position of the operating member 110 . Further, for example, the rotational position (rotational angle) of the support member 115 when at least a portion of the operation member 110 exists within the first region 11 is determined in advance from the size, shape, etc. of the operation member 110 and the support member 115. A range (interference range) may be calculated. In this case, the control unit 190 determines whether the rotational position (rotational angle) of the support member 115, which is acquired from the rotation mechanism unit 130, is included in the interference range. judgment can be made.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a flow of basic operations relating to emergency evacuation control of the steering device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing a more specific example of the flow of operations shown in FIG.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 190 detects an emergency event indicating that the airbag 200 will deploy or that the airbag 200 is expected to deploy, and controls at least a portion of the operating member 110. exists within the first area 11 (Yes in S10), emergency evacuation control is executed (S20). For example, the control unit 190 moves the operation member 110 forward and backward by controlling the rotation mechanism unit 130 (sending a control signal to the rotation mechanism unit 130, changing the voltage supplied to the rotation mechanism unit 130, etc.). The operation member 110 is rotated at a speed faster than the normal speed. Thereby, the operating member 110 is retracted to the second area 12 . Other examples of emergency evacuation control will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 and the like.

The emergency event indicating that the deployment of the airbag 200 is expected is, for example, activation of the automatic brakes. In other words, if the vehicle is equipped with a damage mitigation braking system that activates automatic braking based on detection results from a camera or the like, the control unit 190 can detect activation of the automatic braking by communicating with the host control unit 300. can. That is, when the possibility of deployment of the airbag 200 increases and the operating member 110 exists within the first region 11 (Yes in S10), the control unit 190 executes emergency evacuation control (S20). In addition, the control unit 190 detects an emergency event indicating that the airbag 200 is expected to deploy, for example, based on information acquired from a sensor such as the acceleration sensor 250, regardless of the presence or absence of the damage mitigation braking system. may Further, the control unit 190 may detect an emergency event indicating that the airbag 200 is expected to deploy, for example, based on the detection result of a camera or the like, regardless of the presence or absence of the damage mitigation braking system.

Further, for example, when the airbag controller 210 (see FIG. 2) instructs the airbag 200 to deploy due to the vehicle colliding with an object, the instruction is also sent to the controller 190 . Thereby, control unit 190 can detect deployment of airbag 200, that is, an emergency event.

Further, when an emergency event is detected and the operation member 110 does not exist within the first region 11 (No in S10), the control unit 190 controls the rotation mechanism unit 130 to rotate the operation member 110. Stop (S30).

Here, since the control unit 190 can recognize (monitor) the position of the operation member 110 at any time, a more specific operation regarding the emergency evacuation control of the steering device 100 will be described, for example, as shown in FIG.

That is, when the control unit 190 detects that at least a portion of the operation member 110 exists within the first region 11 (Yes in S10) and further detects an emergency event (Yes in S15), emergency evacuation control is performed. (S20). Further, when it is detected that at least part of the operation member 110 exists within the first region 11 (Yes in S10) and no emergency event is detected (No in S15), the control unit 190 causes the rotation mechanism unit 130 is continued (S25).

In addition, the control unit 190 detects that the operating member 110 does not exist within the first region 11 (in other words, that the operating member 110 exists within the second region 12) (No in S10), and further detects that the emergency event is detected (Yes in S25), the rotation of the operation member 110 is stopped by controlling the rotation mechanism 130 (S30). Further, when the control unit 190 detects that the operating member 110 does not exist within the first region 11 (No in S10) and does not detect an emergency event (No in S25), the control unit 190 monitors the position of the operating member 110. (S10) is continued.

As described above, the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment includes the airbag housing portion 120 that deployably houses the airbag 200, the support member 115 that supports the operation member 110, and the steering device 100 that extends in the width direction of the vehicle. A rotation mechanism portion 130 that rotates the support member 115 with respect to the airbag housing portion 120 about the rotation axis Ab, and a control portion 190 that controls the rotation mechanism portion 130 are provided. The control unit 190 determines that at least part of the operation member 110 is positioned within the first region 11, which is a region that prevents deployment of the airbag 200, and that the airbag 200 deploys or is expected to deploy. When an emergency event indicating that the operation member 110 is to be operated is detected, the operation member 110 is retracted to the second area 12 outside the first area 11 by controlling the rotation mechanism section 130 .

According to this configuration, the steering device 100 can rotate the operation member 110 about the rotation axis Ab, thereby greatly expanding the space in front of the driver. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C , the airbag 200 is placed on the driver's side regardless of whether the operation member 110 protrudes toward the driver or is stored in a predetermined area. Can be used for security. Additionally, the controller 190 can detect an emergency event that indicates that the airbag 200 is deployed or that deployment of the airbag 200 is anticipated. As a result, when the operation member 110 is partially in the first region 11 while the operation member 110 is rotating about the rotation axis Ab and an emergency event is detected, the control unit 190 can perform control (emergency retraction control) for retracting the operating member 110 to the second area 12 . That is, when the airbag 200 deploys, interference between the airbag 200 and the operation member 110 is prevented, or the degree of interference between the airbag 200 and the operation member 110 is reduced. Therefore, the possibility that the airbag 200 can exhibit its original impact absorbing ability is improved, thereby improving collision safety.

Further, in the present embodiment, control unit 190 further detects that operating member 110 is positioned within second region 12 and an emergency event is detected while rotation mechanism unit 130 is rotating support member 115. In this case, by controlling the rotation mechanism section 130, the rotation position of the support member 115 is held at the rotation position at the time when the emergency event was detected.

That is, the control unit 190 stops the operation of the rotation mechanism unit 130 when it is confirmed that the operation member 110 exists at a position that does not hinder the deployment of the airbag 200 . For example, when the operation member 110 is in a normal position that does not hinder deployment of the airbag 200 and the operation of the rotation mechanism 130 is stopped, the operation member 110 can be used as a base for the airbag 200. can. As a result, when the airbag 200 deploys, the impact absorbing ability of the airbag 200 can be exhibited more reliably.

Here, the emergency retraction control executed by the control unit 190 is control for retracting the operation member 110 to the second area 12 in a manner different from the manner in which the operation member 110 moves in and out during normal operation. In other words, the content of the emergency evacuation control includes, in addition to increasing the rotational speed of the operating member 110, various control content such as changing the rotational direction and using an external force such as inertial force or gravity. be. Therefore, various examples of emergency evacuation control will be described below.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example in which part of the operation member 110 according to the embodiment exists within the first region 11, and FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example existing within the first region 11;

In FIGS. 6 and 7, in order to distinguish the second regions 12 above and below the first region 11 in side view, the second region 12 above the first region 11 is defined as a second region 12A, and the first A second region 12 below region 11 is designated as second region 12B.

In addition, in FIGS. 6 and 7, a center line La that divides the first region 11 into upper and lower portions is drawn, and the portion of the operating member 110 that passes through the first region 11 is the upper end portion 110a (the hatched region). ).

The upper end portion 110a of the operating member 110 circularly moves around the rotation axis Ab of the supporting member 115. As shown in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the upper end portion 110a is positioned above the center line La, the upper end portion 110a is more likely to move into the second region 12A than into the second region 12B. Travel distance is short. Therefore, if an emergency event is detected while the operation member 110 is moving from the normal position (see FIG. 3A) to the retracted position (see FIG. 3B), the control unit 190 moves the operation member 110 in the opposite direction. Let That is, the control unit 190 rotates the operation member 110 counterclockwise in FIG. 6, whereby the upper end portion 110a is retracted to the second area 12A. That is, by moving (rotating) the operating member 110 in a direction opposite to the moving direction (rotating direction) at the time of detection of the emergency event, the upper end portion 110a of the operating member 110 is more quickly retracted to the second region 12. be able to. This is also the case when an emergency event is detected while the operation member 110 is moving from the retracted position to the normal position. That is, in this case, when the upper end portion 110a is located below the center line La as shown in FIG. The upper end portion 110a is retracted to the nearby second region 12B.

In this manner, the control section 190 may determine the rotation direction of the support member 115 by the rotation mechanism section 130 when the operation member 110 is retracted to the second area 12 based on the position of the operation member 110 . In this case, the rotation mechanism section 130 retracts the operation member 110 to the second area 12 by rotating the support member 115 in the determined rotation direction.

As a result, for example, the rotation direction of the operation member 110 is adaptively determined based on the position of the portion of the operation member 110 existing within the first region 11 at the time when the airbag 200 needs to be deployed. be. As a result, the operating member 110 can be retracted to the second region 12 more quickly, thereby increasing the possibility that the airbag 200 can exhibit its original impact absorbing ability.

Further, the control section 190 may determine the target rotation speed of the support member 115 when the operation member 110 is retracted to the second area 12 based on the position of the operation member 110 . In this case, the rotation mechanism section 130 retracts the operation member 110 to the second area 12 by rotating the support member 115 according to the determined target rotation speed.

As a result, for example, if the position of the operation member 110 is far from the second area 12 at the time of detecting the emergency event, the rotation speed for retraction of the operation member 110 is faster than when the operation member 110 is close to the second area 12. will be spoiled. As a result, the possibility of the airbag 200 interfering with the operation member 110 is reduced, and the possibility of the airbag 200 exhibiting its original impact absorbing ability is improved.

Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, the control unit 190 acquires information indicating the rotational position of the support member 115 about the rotation axis Ab, and uses the acquired information to rotate the operation member 110. Detect location. The rotation mechanism unit 130 has, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount, rotation speed, etc. of the rotation motor 131, and the control unit 190 uses the detection result of the rotary encoder. The position of the operating member 110 can be detected. Thereby, the control unit 190 can detect the position of the operation member 110 at any time and with high accuracy.

The method by which the control unit 190 detects the position of the operation member 110 is not particularly limited. Position may be detected. This image analysis does not need to be performed by the control unit 190. For example, an imaging device that captures an image of the operation member 110 performs image analysis, and the control unit 190 detects the position of the operation member 110 by acquiring the analysis result. You may Further, for example, the rotation mechanism unit 130 may have a processing unit that calculates the position of the operation member 110, and the control unit 190 may detect the position of the operation member 110 by acquiring the calculation result of the processing unit. good.

Further, the state of the vehicle may be taken into consideration when determining the rotation direction of the operation member 110 when the control unit 190 detects an emergency event. For example, the control unit 190 calculates the direction of the inertial force acting on the operation member 110 from the acceleration of the vehicle when the emergency event is detected, and determines the rotation direction of the operation member 110 according to the calculated direction. good too.

For example, if the vehicle is suddenly decelerated by automatic braking, or if another vehicle collides from behind while the vehicle is stopped, the operating member 110 is subjected to forward or rearward inertial force. Therefore, by rotating the operation member 110 in a rotation direction that can utilize this inertial force, the operation member 110 can be retracted to the second area 12 more quickly.

For example, when an emergency event is detected while the vehicle is climbing a slope, the control unit 190 determines the direction of rotation so that the operation member 110 rotates downward (clockwise in FIG. 6). You may As a result, the operation member 110 can be retracted to the second area 12 more quickly by utilizing the gravity applied to the operation member 110 .

Further, it is assumed that the operation member 110 is set to a relatively low position by the operation of the tilt mechanism section 180 according to the driver's instruction, for example. In this case, when an emergency event is detected, the control unit 190 causes the operating member 110 to rotate upward (counterclockwise in FIG. 6) to avoid interference between the operating member 110 and the driver's knees. Alternatively, the direction of rotation may be determined. This reduces the possibility that the operation member 110 interferes with the driver, and increases the possibility of normal deployment of the airbag 200 .

In this manner, the control unit 190 may determine the rotation direction of the support member 115 by the rotation mechanism unit 130 based on the state of the vehicle when it is detected that the operation member 110 is retracted to the second area 12. . In this case, the rotation mechanism section 130 retracts the operation member 110 to the second area 12 by rotating the support member 115 in the determined rotation direction.

That is, depending on the state of the vehicle, including when the vehicle is stopped, the magnitude or direction of an external force such as an inertial force or gravity acting on the operation member 110 and the support member 115 or the force acting on the operation member 110 The degree of influence that the movement of the vehicle has on the driver is different. Therefore, by considering the running state of the vehicle in determining the rotation direction of the operation member 110 when the operation member 110 is retracted to the second area 12, the operation member 110 can be retracted more quickly or safely. can do. As a result, the safety of the driver is ensured more reliably when the airbag 200 deploys.

Further, when the operating member 110 is retracted to the second area 12 when an emergency event is detected, the operating member 110 may be rotated using only an external force acting on the operating member 110 such as inertial force or gravity. That is, when retracting the operation member 110 to the second area 12 , the control unit 190 may control the rotation mechanism unit 130 to make the support member 115 rotatable with respect to the rotation mechanism unit 130 . .

Specifically, the control unit 190 turns off the signal for driving the rotation motor 131 and switches the driving circuit of the rotation motor 131 so that the regenerative current does not flow. As a result, the support member 115 becomes rotatable. Further, for example, the rotation mechanism section 130 has an electric clutch (not shown), and the control section 190 cuts off the connection between the output shaft of the rotation motor 131 and the support member 115 by the electric clutch. As a result, the support member 115 becomes rotatable. As a result, the support member 115 can be rotated by an external force such as inertial force or gravity acting on the support member 115 and the operating member 110 without being restricted by gears, shafts, and the like. As a result, the possibility of normal deployment of the airbag 200 is improved as compared with the case where the operation member 110 is fixed while a part of the operation member 110 exists within the first region 11, and as a result, the collision occurs. Safety is also improved.

Further, in this case, the operating member 110 rotates away from the airbag 200 by an external force applied directly from the airbag 200 or an external force applied via the airbag housing portion 120 pushed by the airbag 200. It is also conceivable to In other words, since the operation member 110 is made rotatable by a relatively small external force, the airbag 200 can deploy while pushing the operation member 110 aside. As a result, the possibility of normal deployment of the airbag 200 is improved as compared with the case where the operation member 110 is fixed while a part of the operation member 110 exists within the first region 11, and as a result, the collision occurs. Safety is also improved.

Focusing on the rotation control of the operation member 110, how to reduce the possibility of interference between the airbag 200 and the operation member 110 when the airbag 200 deploys has been described above. However, in the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment, during the period in which the operating member 110 rotates between the normal position and the retracted position, as described above, the operating member Changes in position and attitude of 110 relative to the vehicle occur. Therefore, when retracting the operating member 110 to the second area 12, the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment controls the slide mechanism portion 170 and the tilt mechanism portion 180 so that the retracted operating member 110 is moved to the second area 12. The operating member 110 can be retracted so as not to interfere with the object. This control will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the position and posture of operation member 110 when operation member 110 is stored in dashboard 400 according to the embodiment. Specifically, (a) to (e) of FIG. 8 are diagrams showing first to fifth states of the operation member 110 when the operation member 110 is stored in the dashboard 400. FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the position and posture of operation member 110 when operation member 110 according to the embodiment is returned from within dashboard 400 to the normal position. Specifically, FIGS. 9A to 9E are diagrams showing first to fifth states of the operating member 110 when the operating member 110 is returned to the normal position.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 , a portion of the driver's presence area on the operation member 110 side is represented as a hatched driver area 500 , and the dashboard 400 shows the storage area 410 . is shown in cross section. Also, in FIGS. 8 and 9, in order to show the positional relationship among the operation member 110, the dashboard 400, and the driver area 500, illustration of elements other than these is omitted. Furthermore, the arrows in FIGS. 8 and 9 represent the approximate direction of movement or rotation of the operating member 110 .

In the following description, movement of the operation member 110 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction in FIG. 1) is driven by the slide mechanism portion 170, and movement of the operation member 110 in the vertical direction is driven by the tilt mechanism portion 180. , the rotation of the operation member 110 is driven by the rotation mechanism section 130 .

In the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment, when the operation member 110 in the normal position is stored in the dashboard 400, first, as shown in FIG. side) while moving forward (minus side of the X-axis). This avoids interference between the driver's knees and the operation member 110 . Next, when the operating member 110 approaches the dashboard 400, as shown in FIG. 8B, the operating member 110 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 8 while slowly moving the operating member 110 forward. Next, considering the possibility of fingers being caught between the operation member 110 and the dashboard 400, as shown in FIG. and move it downwards. After that, when the operation member 110 enters the dashboard 400 and the possibility of finger pinching disappears, the operation member 110 is rapidly moved forward and downward as shown in FIG. Move and rotate the operating member 110 rapidly. As a result, the operation member 110 is stored in the storage area 410 within the dashboard 400, as shown in FIG. 8(e). It should be noted that the entire operation member 110 does not need to be housed in the storage area 410 and a part of it may protrude from the storage area 410 .

In the state shown in (e) of FIG. 8 , the operating member 110 is positioned within the second region 12 and the airbag housing portion 120 (see FIG. 1 ) faces the driver region 500 . Therefore, the airbag 200 can be used to protect the driver in the event of a collision or the like.

Further, in steering device 100 according to the present embodiment, when operating member 110 stored in dashboard 400 is returned to the normal position, first, as shown in FIG. 9A, operating member 110 is moved backward. The rotation of the operation member 110 is started while moving quickly to . Next, after part of the operation member 110 has come out of the opening of the storage area 410, as shown in FIG. 9B, the operation member 110 is slowly moved backward while continuing to rotate, and move upwards. In other words, the operation member 110 is moved upward so as to avoid interference between the operation member 110 and the driver's knees while projecting the operation member 110 toward the driver. Next, as shown in (c) of FIG. 9, the operation member 110 is slowly moved backward while continuing to rotate. Next, the operation member 110 is rotated to the normal position with respect to the airbag accommodating portion 120, and then stopped rotating. As shown in (d) of FIG. 9, the operation member 110 moves backward and Move down. As a result, as shown in (e) of FIG. 9, the operation member 110 is returned to the normal position with respect to the airbag housing portion 120 and the normal position in which the operation by the driver is possible. In this state, the operation member 110 is positioned within the second area 12 and the airbag housing portion 120 (see FIG. 1) is oriented toward the driver area 500 . Therefore, the airbag 200 can be used to protect the driver in the event of a collision or the like.

As described above, in the steering device 100, when the operation member 110 moves in and out, that is, when the operation member 110 is retracted into the storage area 410 and protrudes from the storage area 410, in addition to the rotation of the operation member 110, the operation member 110 can also vary relative to the vehicle. As a result, the operating member 110 can be advanced and retracted while avoiding interference with other objects such as the driver and the dashboard 400 .

In other words, the steering device 100 executes control for avoiding interference between the operation member 110 and other objects even in the emergency evacuation control of the operation member 110 described with reference to FIGS. can be done.

That is, the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a slide mechanism portion 170 that moves the positions of the airbag housing portion 120 and the rotation mechanism portion 130 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. When the operation member 110 is retracted to the second region 12, the control unit 190 further controls the slide mechanism unit 170 to move the operation member 110 along a path that does not interfere with other objects. good too.

Further, the steering device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a tilt mechanism portion 180 that moves the positions of the airbag housing portion 120 and the rotation mechanism portion 130 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. When the operation member 110 is retracted to the second region 12, the control unit 190 further controls the tilt mechanism unit 180 to move the operation member 110 along a path that does not interfere with other objects. good too.

Thus, in the steering device 100, when an emergency event is detected, the control unit 190 can retract the operation member 110 to the second area 12 by rotating the operation member 110 as basic control. Control unit 190 further considers the existence of other objects such as dashboard 400 and the driver located within second region 12, and controls operation member 110 while avoiding interference between other objects and operation member 110. You can also withdraw. As a result, the reliability of the retraction operation of the operation member 110 for normally deploying the airbag 200 or the safety of the driver is improved.

8(a) to (e) and FIG. It may be programmed in advance based on the driver's presence area. Also, the transition of the position and posture of the operation member 110 may change for each driver based on the detection result of the presence area of the driver by a sensor such as a camera. Further, the final stop position of the operating member 110 in the emergency evacuation control of the operating member 110 does not have to be the position shown in FIG. 8(e) or the position shown in FIG. 9(e). In other words, the emergency retraction control is executed with the aim of keeping the entire operation member 110 within the second area 12 . Therefore, as a result of the emergency retraction control, the operation member 110 does not have to reach the retracted position shown in FIG. 8(e), nor does it need to reach the normal position shown in FIG. 9(e).

Control for avoiding interference between the operating member 110 and other members does not have to be included in the emergency evacuation control. For example, when an emergency event is detected, priority is given to normal deployment of the airbag 200, only rotation of the operation member 110 around the rotation axis Ab is executed, and the operation member 110 is rotated by the slide mechanism unit 170 and the tilt mechanism unit 180. You don't have to move In this case, for example, the operating member 110 may interfere with other members and may not be completely retracted into the second region 12. However, at least the existence range of the operating member 110 within the first region 11 is reduced. , the possibility that the operation member 110 hinders the deployment of the airbag 200 is reduced.

Although the steering device 100 according to the embodiment has been described above, the steering device 100 may have a configuration different from that shown in FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. Therefore, a modified example of the steering device 100 will be described below, focusing on differences from the above-described embodiment.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 10 is a first diagram showing a characteristic configuration of a steering device 100a according to Modification 1 of the embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a characteristic configuration of steering device 100a according to Modification 1 of the embodiment. It is a second diagram showing the configuration.

In the steering device 100a according to this modified example, the operating member 110 is provided with a deformable portion 111. As shown in FIG. The deformable portion 111 is a portion of the operating member 110 that is more deformable than other portions, and is realized by, for example, a notch portion (or a thin portion) as shown in FIG. 10 . That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the deformable portion 111 is provided on the operating member 110 as a portion that is deformed by interference between the operating member 110 and the airbag 200 .

Thus, in the steering device 100a according to the present modification, the operation member 110 has the deformation portion 111 that is deformed when the airbag 200 and the operation member 110 interfere with each other when deployed. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, when the upper end portion 110a of the operating member 110 existing within the first region 11 interferes with the deploying airbag 200 during movement to the second region 12, , the deformation portion 111 is deformed. As a result, the airbag 200 can be deployed to a degree useful for protecting the driver. That is, even if the operation member 110 cannot be urgently retracted in time, the airbag 200 is more likely to exhibit its original impact absorbing ability, thereby improving collision safety.

Note that the deformable portion 111 is realized not only in a shape, such as a thin portion, that is different from other portions of the operation member 110, but also, for example, by a member with lower rigidity or higher flexibility than other portions. You can also

(Modification 2)
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a characteristic configuration of a steering device 100b according to Modification 2 of the embodiment.

In a steering device 100b according to this modified example, a support member 115 that supports an operation member 110 is provided with a deformation portion 116. As shown in FIG. The deformable portion 116 is a portion of the support member 115 that is more deformable than other portions, and is realized by, for example, a notch portion (or a thin portion) as shown in FIG. 12 . In other words, the deformation portion 116 is provided on the support member 115 as a portion that is deformed by interference between the operating member 110 and the airbag 200 .

Thus, in the steering device 100b according to this modification, the support member 115 has the deformation portion 116 that deforms due to interference between the airbag 200 and the operating member 110 when deployment is started. As a result, when the upper end portion 110a of the operating member 110 existing within the first region 11 interferes with the airbag 200 being deployed, the deformation portion 116 deforms as shown in FIG. , can be deployed to a degree that helps protect the driver. That is, even if the operation member 110 cannot be urgently retracted in time, the airbag 200 is more likely to exhibit its original impact absorbing ability, thereby improving collision safety.

Note that the deformable portion 116 is not only realized in a shape different from the other portions of the support member 115, such as a thin portion, but also, for example, is a member with lower rigidity or higher flexibility than the other portions. It can also be realized.

(Other embodiments)
The steering device according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment and its modification. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications. As long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention, the above-described embodiments or modifications made by those skilled in the art, or a configuration constructed by combining a plurality of the above-described constituent elements, can also be applied to the present invention. included within the scope of

For example, the operating member 110 need not be annular as shown in FIG. For example, the operation member 110 may have a U-shape or an H-shape in which a part such as the upper end portion and/or the lower end portion in FIG. 1 is omitted. Even in this case, when the operating member 110 rotates downward about the rotation axis Ab, a portion of the operating member 110 passes through the first region 11 . Therefore, the emergency retraction control for retracting the operating member 110 to the second area 12 is useful for improving collision safety.

Further, when the operation member 110 in the normal position is stored in the predetermined area, it is not essential to rotate the operation member 110 downward. For example, at least part of the operating member 110 may be stored above the dashboard 400 by rotating the operating member 110 in the normal position upward. Even in this case, since part of the operating member 110 passes through the first region 11, the emergency evacuation control for retracting the operating member 110 to the second region 12 is useful for improving collision safety. .

Further, the steering device 100 may not be able to change the longitudinal position and the vertical position of the operating member 110 for operation by the driver. Further, the change in the longitudinal position and the vertical position of the operating member 110 does not have to be electric, and may be manual. In either case, since the steering device 100 includes the rotation mechanism 130, the operation member 110 can move forward and backward, and the control unit 190 can perform emergency evacuation control.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful as a steering device capable of widening the space in front of the driver and improving collision safety. Therefore, it can be used for vehicles equipped with wheels or endless tracks, such as automobiles, buses, trucks, agricultural machines, construction machines, etc., which can be operated manually and automatically.

11: first region, 12, 12A, 12B: second region, 100, 100a, 100b: steering device, 101: steering mechanism portion, 110: operation member, 110a: upper end portion, 111, 116: deformation portion, 115: Support member 120: Airbag housing portion 130: Rotation mechanism portion 131: Motor for rotation 140: Switch holding portion 150: Reaction force generator 151: Reaction force motor 161: Base guide 162: Movable body , 170: slide mechanism unit, 172: slide motor, 173: slide drive shaft, 180: tilt mechanism unit, 181: tilt motor, 190: control unit, 200: airbag, 210: airbag control unit, 250: Acceleration sensor, 300: host controller, 400: dashboard, 410: storage area, 500: driver area

Claims (10)

A steering device for steering a vehicle,
an airbag housing unit that deployably houses the airbag;
a support member that supports the operation member;
a rotation mechanism portion that rotates the support member with respect to the airbag housing portion about a rotation axis that extends in the width direction of the vehicle;
A control unit that controls the rotation mechanism unit,
The control unit is configured such that at least part of the operation member is positioned within a first region that prevents the deployment of the airbag, and the airbag deploys, or the deployment of the airbag is prevented. When an emergency event indicating an expected event is detected, emergency evacuation control is performed to retreat the operation member to a second area outside the first area by controlling the rotation mechanism.
steering device. The control unit determines a rotation direction of the support member by the rotation mechanism unit when the operation member is retracted to the second region based on the position of the operation member,
The rotation mechanism retracts the operation member to the second region by rotating the support member in the determined rotation direction.
The steering device according to claim 1. The control unit determines a target rotation speed of the support member when the operation member is retracted to the second region based on the position of the operation member,
The steering device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating mechanism section retracts the operating member to the second region by rotating the supporting member according to the determined target rotation speed. The control unit acquires information indicating a rotational position of the support member about the rotation axis, and uses the acquired information to detect the position of the operation member.
A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The control unit determines a rotation direction of the support member by the rotation mechanism unit based on the running state of the vehicle when it is detected that the operation member is retracted to the second area,
The steering device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation mechanism retracts the operation member to the second area by rotating the support member in the determined rotation direction. When the operation member is retracted to the second area, the control unit controls the rotation mechanism to make the support member rotatable with respect to the rotation mechanism.
A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. At least one of the operation member and the support member has a deformation portion that deforms due to interference between the airbag and the operation member when deployment is started,
A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. When the operation member is positioned within the second region and the emergency event is detected while the rotation mechanism rotates the support member, the control unit further controls the rotation mechanism to rotate the support member. By controlling the rotational position of the support member is held at the rotational position at the time of detecting the emergency event,
A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. further comprising a first movement mechanism portion for moving positions of the airbag housing portion and the rotation mechanism portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,
When retracting the operation member to the second area, the control unit further controls the first moving mechanism unit to move the operation member along a path that does not interfere with other objects. let
A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. further comprising a second moving mechanism portion for moving the positions of the airbag housing portion and the rotating mechanism portion in the vertical direction of the vehicle,
When retracting the operation member to the second region, the control unit further controls the second movement mechanism unit to move the operation member along a path that does not interfere with other objects. let
A steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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