JP7426804B2 - steering gear - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering device and a control device for a steering device.

2. Description of the Related Art In order to reduce the impact on a driver when a vehicle is involved in a collision, it is common to install an airbag device on the steering wheel. For example, an airbag device detects that a collision has occurred in a vehicle using an acceleration sensor, and is controlled to deploy an airbag when a predetermined deployment condition is met.

Patent Document 1 discloses an airbag device that includes an inflator that is attached to a steering wheel and generates gas, an airbag that deploys gas generated from the inflator, and a plate that fixes the airbag. It is disclosed that the airbag and the plate are attached to the inflator so that they can rotate relative to each other.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-196744

When a vehicle is involved in a collision, the driver's body may come into contact with the steering wheel due to the impact of the collision. Additionally, this impact may cause the driver to perform unintended steering operations, which may cause further collisions.
An object of the present invention is to provide a steering device, etc. that can reduce the possibility that the driver's body will come into contact with the steering wheel even if a collision occurs in the vehicle, and that makes it difficult for the driver to perform unintended steering operations. shall be.

Based on such an object, the present invention provides a steering wheel for steering a vehicle, an acquisition means for acquiring collision information that is information that a collision has occurred with the vehicle or information that predicts that a collision will occur, and an acquisition means that The present invention is a steering device including a limiting means for limiting the position of a steering wheel when collision information is acquired.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can reduce the possibility of contact between the driver's body and the steering wheel even if a collision occurs in the vehicle, and can also provide a steering device, etc. that makes it difficult for the driver to perform unintended steering operations. can.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steering device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control unit in the first embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining operation of a control part in a 1st embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit in the case where the warning control in step 103 of FIG. 4 is provided after step 101 of acquiring collision information, and a preliminary warning is issued. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steering device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control unit in a second embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining operation of a control part in a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the steering device concerning a 3rd embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control device. It is a flowchart explaining operation of a control part in a 3rd embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First embodiment]
Here, first, a first embodiment of the steering device will be described.
In the steering device of the first embodiment, when collision information is acquired from the airbag device, control is performed to limit the position of the steering wheel.

<Description of the entire steering system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steering device 100 according to a first embodiment.
The steering device 100 is a device that steers a vehicle using so-called electric power steering. That is, the steering device 100 is a steering device for arbitrarily changing the traveling direction of a vehicle, and in this embodiment, a configuration applied to a vehicle is illustrated.

The steering device 100 includes a wheel-shaped steering wheel (handle) 101 for a driver to steer the vehicle, and a steering shaft 102 that is integrally provided with the steering wheel 101.
An airbag device 120 is disposed on the steering wheel 101, and when a collision occurs in the vehicle, the airbag is deployed to alleviate the impact on the driver. The airbag device 120 has a built-in collision detection sensor 121, and the airbag deploys based on a collision detection signal detected by the collision detection sensor 121. As the collision detection sensor 121, an acceleration sensor or the like is used. Note that the collision detection sensor 121 does not necessarily have to be built into the airbag device 120.

The steering shaft 102 is connected to an upper connecting shaft 103 via a universal joint 103a, and the upper connecting shaft 103 and a lower connecting shaft 108 are connected via a universal joint 103b.
A steering lock mechanism 180 that locks the steering wheel 101 is disposed on the steering shaft 102. The steering lock mechanism 180 is a mechanism that prevents the steering shaft 102 from rotating when the key is in the locked state, for example, to prevent unauthorized use or theft of the vehicle. Further, as will be described in detail later, it is activated when a collision occurs in the vehicle, and prevents the steering shaft 102 from rotating. As a result, the steering wheel 101 does not rotate, and the position of the steering wheel 101 is restricted.

Further, the steering device 100 includes a tie rod 104 connected to each of left and right wheels 150 as rolling wheels, and a rack shaft 105 connected to the tie rod 104. Further, the steering device 100 includes a pinion 106a that constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism together with rack teeth 105a formed on the rack shaft 105. The pinion 106a is formed at the lower end of the pinion shaft 106.

Further, the steering device 100 includes a steering gear box 107 that accommodates a pinion shaft 106. The pinion shaft 106 is connected to a lower connecting shaft 108 via a torsion bar in a steering gear box 107. A torque sensor 109 is provided inside the steering gear box 107 to detect the steering torque T of the steering wheel 101 based on the relative angle between the lower connecting shaft 108 and the pinion shaft 106.

Further, the steering device 100 includes an electric motor 110 supported by a steering gear box 107 and a deceleration mechanism 111 that decelerates the driving force of the electric motor 110 and transmits it to the pinion shaft 106. Electric motor 110 according to the present embodiment is an example of a steering device, and is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor. Other actuators may be used instead of electric motor 110.
The steering device 100 includes a control device 10 that controls the operation of the electric motor 110. A torque signal Td, which is the output value of the torque sensor 109 described above, and a vehicle speed signal v, which is the output value of the vehicle speed sensor 170, which detects the vehicle speed Vc, which is the moving speed of the vehicle, are input to the control device 10. That is, the vehicle speed signal v is a signal representing the vehicle speed. Additionally, information detected by the collision detection sensor 121 is input as collision information C to the control device 10. Further, the control device 10 issues an audio warning using the speaker 190, which is an example of a warning means for warning the driver. The control device 10 includes, for example, an electronic control unit. In this embodiment, the control device 10 functions as a control device for a steering device.

The steering device 100 configured as described above detects the steering torque T applied to the steering wheel 101 with the torque sensor 109, drives the electric motor 110 according to the detected torque, and generates a torque of the electric motor 110. is transmitted to the pinion shaft 106. Thereby, the torque generated by the electric motor 110 assists the user's steering force applied to the steering wheel 101. In other words, the electric motor 110 provides an assist force for steering the wheels 150 in response to the driver's operation of the steering wheel 101.

<Description of control device 10>
Next, the control device 10 of this embodiment will be explained.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the control device 10.
The control device 10 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, backup RAM, and the like.
The control device 10 includes a torque signal Td obtained by converting the steering torque T detected by the torque sensor 109 described above into an output signal, and a vehicle speed Vc detected according to the speed of the vehicle by the vehicle speed sensor 170 as an output signal. The vehicle speed signal v converted into is input. Furthermore, information detected by the collision detection sensor 121 described above is input as collision information C.
The control device 10 includes a target current calculation unit 20 that calculates a target torque based on the torque signal Td, and calculates a target current ITF necessary for the electric motor 110 to supply this target torque. The control section 30 performs feedback control based on the target current ITF calculated by the section 20. Further, as will be described in detail later, the control unit 30 outputs a control signal Hf that operates the steering lock mechanism 180 in order to limit the position of the steering wheel 101 based on the collision information C. Furthermore, when the control unit 30 acquires the collision information, it outputs an audio signal for issuing a warning to the speaker 190.

<Description of control unit 30>
Next, the functional configuration of the control section 30 will be described in detail.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 30 in the first embodiment.
The illustrated control unit 30 includes a signal acquisition unit 31 that acquires collision information C, a restriction unit 32 that operates the steering lock mechanism 180, and a warning control unit 33 that issues a warning.
The signal acquisition unit 31 is an example of an acquisition unit or a signal acquisition unit, and acquires collision information C that is information that a collision has occurred with respect to a vehicle or information that a collision is predicted to occur. Collision information C is output from the airbag device 120, and is acquired by the signal acquisition unit 31. Note that the collision information C may be output using a sensor provided in the vehicle that can detect a collision. Further, the vehicle may be provided with a sensor (for example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), 360-degree camera, millimeter wave radar, etc.) that can predict a collision, and in that case, a collision can be predicted.

The restriction unit 32 is an example of a restriction unit or a restriction unit, and restricts the position of the steering wheel 101 when the signal acquisition unit 31 acquires the collision information C. To this end, in this embodiment, a control signal Hf is output that activates the steering lock mechanism 180 to prevent the steering shaft 102 from rotating. This limits the position of the steering wheel 101. Note that here, "limiting the position of the steering wheel 101" includes fixing the position of the steering wheel 101 and preventing it from rotating, as well as allowing it to move within a predetermined range. . Note that the position of the steering wheel 101 may be limited by an actuator such as an electric motor 110 provided as a steering device.

The warning control unit 33 performs control to issue a warning to the driver when the restriction unit 32 restricts the position of the steering wheel 101. Specifically, the speaker 190 issues an audio warning. The audio is, for example, content that informs the driver that the steering wheel 101 is locked or that a collision has occurred. It should be noted that the warning is not necessarily limited to voice, and may be given by a warning sound or by a combination of a sound and a warning sound.

The control unit 30 described above operates, for example, as follows.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the control unit 30 in the first embodiment.
First, the signal acquisition unit 31 determines whether collision information C has been acquired (step 101).
As a result, if it has not been acquired (No in step 101), the process ends.
On the other hand, if it has been acquired (Yes in step 101), the restriction unit 32 activates the steering lock mechanism 180 to restrict the position of the steering wheel 101 (step 102).
Then, the warning control unit 33 issues a warning to the driver through the speaker 190 (step 103).
Actually, the processes of steps 101 to 103 are repeated at predetermined time intervals.
Note that the warning control in step 103 may be provided after step 101 in which collision information is acquired. In this case, since a warning can be given to the driver immediately when the collision information C is detected, the driver can take a defensive posture more quickly.
Furthermore, the position restriction control of the steering wheel 101 in step 102 and the warning control in step 103 may be performed simultaneously.
Further, in the case where a sensor for predicting a collision is provided, a function for acquiring information capable of predicting a collision and issuing a preliminary warning may be provided before step 101. In that case, the driver can take a defensive stance even more quickly.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit 30 in the case where the warning control in step 103 of FIG. 4 is provided after step 101 of acquiring collision information and a preliminary warning is issued.
In this case, first, the signal acquisition unit 31 determines whether or not information predicting that a collision will occur has been acquired as collision information C (step 201). Note that information predicting that a collision will occur is shown here as collision prediction information.
As a result, if the information is obtained (Yes in step 201), the warning control unit 33 issues a preliminary warning to the driver through the speaker 190 to warn that a collision may occur (step 202).

On the other hand, if it has not been acquired (No in step 201), and after step 202, the signal acquisition unit 31 determines whether or not information indicating that a collision has occurred with respect to the vehicle has been acquired as collision information C. A judgment is made (step 203).
As a result, if it has not been acquired (No in step 203), the process ends.
On the other hand, if the information is acquired (Yes in step 203), the warning control unit 33 issues a warning to the driver through the speaker 190 (step 204).
The restriction unit 32 then operates the steering lock mechanism 180 to restrict the position of the steering wheel 101 (step 205).

In the first embodiment, the control unit 30 controls the drive of the electric motor 110 that steers the wheels 150 in response to the operation of the steering wheel 101 before acquiring the collision information C, and after acquiring the collision information C. performs control to limit the position of the steering wheel 101. In this case, the control unit 30 limits the position of the steering wheel 101 based on the collision information C detected by the airbag device 120. As a result, the steering wheel 101 either stops rotating or rotates only within a predetermined range. Therefore, the driver can hold onto the steering wheel 101 while holding onto it, and can take a so-called defensive posture. Thereby, even if a collision occurs in the vehicle, the possibility of contact between the driver and the steering wheel 101 can be reduced, and it becomes easier for the driver to take actions to avoid danger. Further, it is possible to prevent the driver from performing an unintended steering operation, and further collisions can be suppressed.
Although the airbag device 120 is illustrated as a frontal collision airbag device in FIG. 1, the airbag device 120 is not limited to this. For example, it may be used as a side collision airbag device.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the steering device 100 will be described.
The steering device 100 of the second embodiment performs control to limit the position of the steering wheel 101 when a collision is detected and the conditions for deploying the airbag are not met. Further, in the first embodiment, the airbag device is not limited to a frontal collision airbag device, but in the second embodiment, a frontal collision airbag device is used as the airbag device.

<Description of the entire steering system>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steering device 100 according to the second embodiment.
The illustrated steering device 100 is different from the steering device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that a side or rear collision detection sensor 175 is added, and the other points are the same.
The collision detection sensor 175 is provided at a different location from the frontal collision airbag device 120F. This location is, for example, the rear or side of the vehicle, and is used to detect collisions other than the front of the vehicle. The collision detection sensor 175 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect a collision, but it can be an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration. When the collision detection sensor 175 detects a collision, it outputs collision information similarly to the frontal collision airbag device 120F. Here, in order to distinguish between the two, the collision information output from the frontal collision airbag device 120F will be referred to as collision information CA, and the collision information output from the collision detection sensor 175 will be referred to as collision information CB, and these will be combined. This is sometimes referred to as collision information C.

<Description of control unit 30>
Next, the functional configuration of the control section 30 will be described in detail. Note that the overall configuration of the control device 10 is the same as that in FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 30 in the second embodiment.
The illustrated control unit 30 extracts a HIC (Head Injury Criterion) value in addition to the signal acquisition unit 31, restriction unit 32, and warning control unit 33 shown in the control unit 30 illustrated in FIG. The image forming apparatus further includes an extracting section 34 for comparing the HIC value with a threshold value prepared in advance, a comparing section 35 for comparing the HIC value with a threshold value prepared in advance, and a storage section 36 for storing the threshold value.
In FIG. 7, the signal acquisition unit 31 acquires collision information CA obtained from the frontal collision airbag device 120F and collision information CB obtained from the collision detection sensor 175.

The extraction unit 34 extracts the HIC value from the collision information CA. The HIC value is a numerical value representing the degree of damage to the brain and skull due to impacts such as collisions and falls. The frontal collision airbag device 120F determines the HIC value. Then, collision information CA including the HIC value is sent to the control unit 30. Therefore, the extraction unit 34 can acquire the HIC value included in the collision information CA from the collision information CA. Note that information regarding acceleration may be obtained as the collision information CA, and the extraction unit 34 may calculate the HIC value from this information.

The comparison unit 35 determines whether the airbag deployment conditions are satisfied by comparing the HIC value extracted by the extraction unit 34 with a threshold value prepared in advance. The threshold value can be acquired by referring to the storage unit 36.

The control unit 30 described above operates, for example, as follows.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit 30 in the second embodiment.
First, the signal acquisition unit 31 determines whether collision information C has been acquired (step 301).
As a result, if it has not been acquired (No in step 301), the process ends.
On the other hand, if the collision information C is acquired (Yes in step 301), the restriction unit 32 determines the type of collision information C (step 302). That is, it is determined whether the collision information C is the collision information CA output from the collision detection sensor 121 or the collision information CB output from the collision detection sensor 175.

If the type of collision information C is only collision information CB (only CB in step 302), the restriction unit 32 activates the steering lock mechanism 180 to restrict the position of the steering wheel 101 (step 303). . Further, the warning control unit 33 issues a warning to the driver through the speaker 190 (step 304).
On the other hand, if the types of collision information C are both collision information CA and collision information CB (CA+CB in step 302), the extraction unit 34 extracts the HIC value from collision information CA (step 305). .

Furthermore, the comparison unit 35 compares the extracted HIC value with a threshold value prepared in advance, and determines whether or not it falls within the threshold value of the airbag deployment requirements (step 306). This threshold is the HIC value at which the airbag deploys. Specifically, the threshold value is set to 1000, for example. That is, when the HIC value is 1000 or more, the airbag deploys, and when the HIC value is less than 1000, the airbag does not deploy.
If the extracted HIC value is less than 1000 within the threshold and does not satisfy the condition for the airbag to deploy (Yes in step 306), the restriction unit 32 determines that it is within the threshold of the airbag deployment requirements. , activates the steering lock mechanism 180 to limit the position of the steering wheel 101 (step 303).
On the other hand, if the extracted HIC value is 1000 or more, which is not within the threshold, and satisfies the conditions for the airbag to deploy (No in step 306), it is determined that the HIC value is not within the threshold of the airbag deployment requirements, and the process ends. That is, in this case, the restriction section 32 does not operate the steering lock mechanism 180.
In reality, the processes from step 301 to step 306 are repeated at predetermined time intervals.
Note that the warning control in step 304 may be provided after step 301 in which collision information is acquired. In this case, since a warning can be given to the driver immediately when the collision information C is detected, the driver can take a defensive posture more quickly.
Further, the warning control in step 304 may be performed independently of the flowchart described here, or the control in step 302 and subsequent steps and the warning control may be performed simultaneously when collision information is acquired.
Further, in the case where a sensor for predicting a collision is provided, a function for acquiring information capable of predicting a collision and issuing a preliminary warning may be provided before step 301. In that case, the driver can take a defensive stance even more quickly.

In the second embodiment, the control unit 30 includes collision information CA detected by the frontal collision airbag device 120F, as well as collision information CB detected by a sensor disposed outside the frontal collision airbag device 120F. Based on this, the position of the steering wheel 101 is limited.
The control unit 30 then limits the position of the steering wheel 101 when the collision information CB from the collision detection sensor 175 is acquired even if the collision information CA from the front collision airbag device 120F is not acquired (in step 302 above). CB only).
In addition, when both the collision information CA and the collision information CB are acquired, the control unit 30 determines the conditions under which the frontal collision airbag device 120F does not operate, as the collision information CA detected by the frontal collision airbag device 120F. The position of the steering wheel 101 is restricted when the value is less than 1 (if Yes in step 306).
On the other hand, as the collision information CA detected by the frontal collision airbag device 120F, the position of the steering wheel 101 is not restricted when the frontal collision airbag device 120F is activated (if No in step 306).

This limits the position of the steering wheel 101 when the airbag does not deploy. Even if the airbag does not deploy, there is a possibility that the driver will come into contact with the steering wheel 101 due to the impact of the collision. However, if the position of the steering wheel 101 is restricted, the driver can press on the steering wheel 101 while holding it. Thereby, even if a collision occurs in the vehicle, the possibility of contact between the driver and the steering wheel 101 can be reduced. Further, even when the airbag does not deploy, it is possible to prevent the driver from making unintended steering operations, and further collisions can be suppressed. Furthermore, a further advantageous effect can be obtained in that the influence of the seat belt on the abdomen, which occurs when the driver's posture changes due to the impact of the collision, can be suppressed. In addition, by not performing position restriction control under conditions in which the airbag is deployed, there is no risk of interfering with other controls performed when the airbag is deployed. For example, it is known that when deploying the frontal collision airbag device 120F, move the steering wheel 101 to the neutral position before deploying to better absorb the impact transmitted to the driver due to the impact of the collision. It is being In this case, it is better not to perform position restriction control during the airbag deployment condition.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the steering device 100 will be described.
The steering device 100 of the third embodiment is a steer-by-wire electric power steering device in which a steering wheel 101 and wheels 150 are mechanically separated.

<Description of the entire steering system>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steering device 100 according to a third embodiment.
The illustrated steering device 100 differs from the steering device 100 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 in that it is a steer-by-wire electric power steering device.
Hereinafter, a description will be given focusing on the differences from the steering device 100 shown in FIG. 6.
The steering device 100 of this embodiment includes a steering wheel 101, a steering angle sensor 131 that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel 101, and a reaction force device 132 that applies a steering reaction force to the driver via the steering wheel 101. , and a frontal collision airbag device 120F incorporating a collision detection sensor 121.

In contrast, the steering device 100 of this embodiment is not provided with the steering shaft 102, the upper connecting shaft 103, and the lower connecting shaft 108 shown in FIG.
On the other hand, the steering device 100 of this embodiment, like the steering device 100 shown in FIG. , and a steering gear box 107. Furthermore, like the steering device 100 shown in FIG. 6, it includes an electric motor 110, a speed reduction mechanism 111, and a control device 10.

A steering angle signal Sd indicating the steering angle S of the steering wheel 101 detected by the steering angle sensor 131 and an output value of the vehicle speed sensor 170 detecting the vehicle speed Vc, which is the moving speed of the automobile, are input to the control device 10.

The steering device 100 configured as described above controls the electric motor 110 and steers the wheels 150 in accordance with the operation of the steering wheel 101 by the driver. More specifically, the steering angle S of the steering wheel 101 is detected by the steering angle sensor 131, the electric motor 110 is controlled according to the detected steering angle S, and the wheels 150 are steered. This allows the direction of the vehicle to be changed.

When the steering device 100 is of a steer-by-wire type, so-called steering wheel steering, which occurs when the steering wheel 101 is affected by disturbances from the wheels 150, does not occur, and the steering burden on the driver can be reduced.

<Description of control device 10>
Next, the control device 10 will be explained.
FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of the control device 10.
In contrast to the control device 10 shown in FIG. 2, the illustrated control device 10 has a steering angle signal Sd in which a steering angle S detected by a steering angle sensor 131 is converted into an output signal instead of a torque signal Td. It differs in that it is input.
Then, the target current calculation unit 20 calculates a target torque based on the steering angle signal Sd, and calculates a target current ITF necessary for the electric motor 110 to supply this target torque. Then, the control section 30 performs feedback control etc. based on the target current ITF calculated by the target current calculation section 20.

<Description of control unit 30>
The functional configuration of the control unit 30 in the third embodiment is similar to the block diagram shown in FIG. 7.
This control unit 30 operates as follows, for example.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit 30 in the third embodiment.
First, the signal acquisition unit 31 determines whether collision information C has been acquired (step 401).
As a result, if it has not been acquired (No in step 401), the process ends.
On the other hand, if it has been acquired (Yes in step 401), the restriction unit 32 switches to independently control the electric motor 110 and the reaction force device 132 (step 402). That is, the restriction unit 32 separately controls the electric motor 110 and the reaction force device 132 when the signal acquisition unit 31 acquires the collision information C. More specifically, when the following conditions are met, the restriction unit 32 controls the reaction force device 132 to restrict the position of the steering wheel 101. In this case, the control unit 30 outputs a signal for controlling the reaction force device 132 as the control signal Hf. The restriction unit 32 then controls the electric motor 110 to take action to avoid a collision. This avoidance action is, for example, an action of steering the wheels 150 so as to direct the vehicle toward the opposite side of the object of collision.

Next, the restriction unit 32 determines the type of collision information C (step 403). That is, it is determined whether the collision information C is the collision information CA output from the collision detection sensor 121 or the collision information CB output from the collision detection sensor 175.

If the type of collision information C is only collision information CB (only CB in step 403), the restriction unit 32 restricts the position of the steering wheel 101 using the reaction force device 132 (step 404). Furthermore, the warning control unit 33 issues a warning to the driver through the speaker 190 (step 405).
On the other hand, when the types of collision information C are both collision information CA and collision information CB (CA+CB in step 403), the processing in steps 406 to 407 is the same as the processing in steps 305 to 306 in FIG. It is similar to
In reality, the processes from step 401 to step 407 are repeated at predetermined time intervals.
Note that the warning control in step 405 may be provided after step 401 in which collision information is acquired. In this case, since a warning can be given to the driver immediately when the collision information C is detected, the driver can take a defensive posture more quickly.
Further, the warning control in step 405 may be performed independently of the flowchart described here, or the control in step 402 and subsequent steps and the warning control may be performed simultaneously when collision information is acquired.
Further, in the case where a sensor for predicting a collision is provided, a function for acquiring information capable of predicting a collision and issuing a preliminary warning may be provided before step 401. In that case, the driver can take a defensive stance even more quickly.

In the third embodiment, by utilizing the fact that the steering wheel 101 and the wheels 150 are mechanically separated, the control unit 30 limits the position of the steering wheel 101 when a collision occurs. Along with this, it also takes action to avoid collisions. By taking action to avoid a collision, driver safety can be more easily ensured.

In the first and second embodiments described in detail above, the steering device 100 is an electric power steering device. It can also be applied to a steering device 100 that does not. Although the steering device 100 restricts the position of the steering wheel 101 by the steering lock mechanism 180, the position of the steering wheel 101 may be restricted by restricting the rotation of the electric motor 110. In this case, for example, the electric motor 110 is prevented from rotating.
Further, in the third embodiment, the position of the steering wheel 101 is limited by the reaction force device 132, but it may be limited by the steering lock mechanism 180 as in the first and second embodiments.
Furthermore, in addition to the above embodiment, a record of the collision may be saved. Recording of the collision is performed using, for example, a drive recorder.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Control device, 20... Target current calculation part, 30... Control part, 31... Signal acquisition part, 32... Restriction part, 33... Warning control part, 34... Extraction part, 35... Comparison part, 36... Storage part, 100 ...Steering device, 101... Steering wheel (steering wheel), 110... Electric motor, 120... Air bag device, 120F... Front collision air bag device, 132... Reaction force device, 150... Wheel, 175... Collision detection sensor, 180... Steering lock mechanism, 190...speaker

Claims (7)

a steering device that steers wheels mechanically separated from the steering wheel in response to a driver's operation of the steering wheel;
a reaction force device that applies a steering reaction force to the driver via the steering wheel;
an acquisition means for acquiring collision information that is information that a collision has occurred with a vehicle;
limiting means for limiting the position of the steering wheel by the reaction force device based on the collision information acquired by the acquiring means;
A steering device comprising: The steering system according to claim 1, wherein the limiting means limits the position of the steering wheel based on the collision information detected by a frontal collision airbag device provided in the steering device. Device. Even when the collision information is not acquired by the frontal collision airbag device provided in the steering device , the restriction means may be arranged such that even if the collision information is not acquired by the frontal collision airbag device provided in the steering device, the restriction device may be configured to obtain the collision information by a sensor provided at a location other than the frontal collision airbag device for detecting a collision. The steering device according to claim 2, wherein the position of the steering wheel is limited when collision information is acquired. a steering device that steers wheels mechanically separated from the steering wheel in response to a driver's operation of the steering wheel;
a steering lock mechanism that locks rotation of the steering wheel;
an acquisition means for acquiring collision information that is information that a collision has occurred with a vehicle;
A steering device comprising: a limiting device that limits the position of the steering wheel by the steering lock mechanism based on the collision information acquired by the acquiring device. Steering according to claim 4 , wherein the limiting means limits the position of the steering wheel based on the collision information detected by a frontal collision airbag device provided in the steering device. Device. Even when the collision information is not acquired by the frontal collision airbag device provided in the steering device , the restriction means may be arranged such that even if the collision information is not acquired by the frontal collision airbag device provided in the steering device, the restriction device may be configured to obtain the collision information by a sensor provided at a location other than the frontal collision airbag device for detecting a collision. The steering device according to claim 5 , wherein the position of the steering wheel is limited when collision information is acquired. The steering system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising warning means for warning a driver when the acquisition means acquires the collision information.