JPS6234880Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a steering angle limiting device that limits steering angle displacement to a predetermined value by electrical operation.

A conventional steering angle limiting device can be said to have a structure that operates mainly mechanically, and has the structure shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, when the steering wheel 1 is rotated, an electrical output proportional to the amount of rotation is taken out from a command potentiometer 2 mechanically connected to the steering wheel 1 and applied to one arm of a bridge circuit 3. .
A follow-up potentiometer 7 whose slider is moved following the movement of the rudder 6 steered by the steering gear 5 is provided, and an output taken from the slider of the follow-up potentiometer 7 is sent to the bridge circuit. The amplifier 4 and the steering gear 5 operate so that the difference between the respective inputs to the bridge circuit 3 becomes zero, that is, the bridge circuit 3 is balanced and its output becomes zero. Such a steering mechanism is called a power steering device. In this power steering system, when a failure occurs in the circuit including the amplifier 4 and the follow-up potentiometer 7, it is possible for the steering gear 5 to command a steering amount that does not correspond to the rotation angle of the steering wheel 1 and displace the rudder 6. be. In order to protect the steering device from such failures, a steering angle limiting device using limit switches 8-1, 8-2 and a cam mechanism 9 has conventionally been provided. A cam 9 is provided which is mechanically connected to the follow-up potentiometer 7 and rotates in response to the movement of the rudder 6, and a limit switch 8- is provided at the position of the maximum displacement of the rudder that occurs during normal operation.
The shape of the cam 9 is designed in advance so as to operate the cam 1 or 8-2. Further, the circuit is connected so that the input to the steering gear 5 is cut off when the limit switch 8-1 or 8-2 is operated. Therefore, the output of the steering gear 5 is lost and the rudder 6 stops at that position. In this way, when there is a possibility that the output of the steering gear 5 becomes excessive, the displacement angle of the rudder is limited. At this time, the ship moves with the displacement angle of the rudder 6 fixed, so when changing the course direction, the rudder 1 is rotated in the opposite direction to that described above. After a long period of time has passed since power steering equipment was first used, it is necessary to readjust the steering angle limiter when parts of the steering-related equipment are maintained or replaced. Since the restrictor has many mechanically operating parts, it has the disadvantage that readjustment work is complicated and troublesome. In particular, when adjusting the position of the cam plate, the work is done in a narrow space and requires a minute amount of accurate readjustment, but it is extremely difficult in practice to accurately measure and readjust the angle. It turned out to be a complete task.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a steering angle limiting device that improves workability by improving the above-mentioned drawbacks and having an electrical configuration.

Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention in correspondence with FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals indicate similar parts. 1
0 is a device for setting a predetermined steering angle displacement amount, 11 is a comparator that compares the output of the follow-up potentiometer 7 and the output of the steering angle amount setting device 10, and obtains an output when they are the same; 12 is a switch and comparator 1
It becomes open when an output of 1 is obtained. The output of the tracking potentiometer 7 is proportional to the displacement of the rudder 6, as in conventional devices. A displacement steering angle amount corresponding to the angle at which the cam operates in the conventional steering angle limiting device is set in the setting device 10. The switch 12 is used to open and close the input to the steering gear 5, and since there are surface rudder and steering operations for the rudder, there are two
Equipped with assembly equipment. When the displacement steering angle amount generated by the rotation of the steering wheel 1 does not reach the set value of the setting device 10, the comparator 11 does not operate and the switch 12 does not close. When some kind of failure occurs and the amount of displacement of the follow-up potentiometer 7 becomes an abnormal value with respect to the rotation angle of the steering wheel 1, the comparator 11 detects this, and the switch 12 on the side with the maximum displacement, for example, the steering side, Let's open. Therefore, the movement of the rudder 6 is not excessive and is fixed at that position.

FIG. 3 is an example of a circuit configuration diagram specifically showing the steering angle amount setting device 10, comparator 11, and switch 12 in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, the transistor TR1 constituting the amplifier 4 is connected to one transistor TR3 of the switch 12, and the coil RL1 in the steering gear 5 serving as a load to the transistor TR1.
All connected in series. Further, a series circuit TR2-TR4-RL2 of similar transistors and coils is formed in the same manner. The steering angle amount setting device 10 connects the voltage of the power source V2 to a constant voltage diode through a resistor.
A constant voltage is obtained by applying it to ZD, and this voltage is further converted into a voltage corresponding to the amount of steering angle to be operated in the variable resistors VR1 and VR2 as described above. The comparator 11 is a differential amplifier using operational amplifiers OP1 and OP2. The rotation of the steering wheel 1 causes the second
When the output voltage of the command potentiometer shown in FIG.
Since TR3 is conductive, current flows through the solenoid coil RL1 for the electromagnetic valve in the steering gear 5 to move the rudder in a predetermined direction. Therefore, the output voltage of the follow-up potentiometer 7 changes gradually, and the output voltage of the variable resistor 7 changes gradually.
When the voltage matches the voltage determined by VR1, the output of the operational amplifier OR1 constituting the comparator 11 becomes zero, rendering the transistor TR3 non-conductive. The rudder stops rotating at that position. Note that BFA indicates buffer amplifier. Next, when the steering wheel is rotated in the opposite direction to the above case, the transistor of amplifier 4
The TR2 side becomes conductive, causing current to flow through the solenoid coil RL2 and rotating the rudder in the opposite direction to that described above. Even if transistor TR3 becomes conductive again at that time,
Since transistor TR1 is non-conductive, current cannot flow through solenoid coil RL1, and the coil
No rudder rotation occurs due to RL1. In other words, a series circuit consisting of a transistor and a coil can operate only when signals of the same polarity are simultaneously input to the series-connected transistors under conditions of normal steering angle signal magnitude, and when one input signal disappears, the transistor When becomes non-conducting, the series circuit cannot operate. Then, when the voltage determined by the variable resistor VR2 and the output voltage of the follow-up potentiometer 7 match, the transistor TR4 is rendered non-conductive by the operational amplifier OR2, as described above.

In this way, according to the present invention, if the operating voltage of the comparator is set using electric components such as a power supply and a variable resistor, the rudder will be moved as the output of the tracking potentiometer 7 becomes excessive. You can previously limit rudder rotation. Since the comparison operation voltage of the comparator can be adjusted extremely easily by adjusting electrical components such as variable resistors, the initial adjustment work and the work of maintenance personnel who perform readjustment during use are facilitated. Furthermore, since small electrical parts can be used, there are almost no restrictions on where the steering angle setting device, comparator, etc. can be installed, and they can be installed anywhere. Since it is possible to select a location where there is no problem, a simple and inexpensive steering angle limiting device can be obtained. Also, since the component is electrically connected in series with the steering gear element, when the input signal is lost, the operation is stopped and the steering angle limitation is maintained. Even if the input signal becomes large due to abnormal operation, the steering gear continues to steer, so the effect on the ship is small. Furthermore, the reliability of the operation as a steering angle limiting device is improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional steering angle limiting device, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific configuration of the main parts in FIG. 1... Steering wheel, 2... Command potentiometer, 3
... bridge circuit, 4 ... amplifier, 5 ... steering gear, 6 ... rudder, 7 ... tracking potentiometer, 8
-1, 8-2... Limit switch, 9... Cam, 10... Rudder angle displacement amount setting device, 11... Comparator, 12... Switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a power steering system that displaces the rudder by the output of the steering wheel to which the rotation of the steering wheel is transmitted, the steering angle control device turns off the input of the steering wheel when the amount of steering angle displacement exceeds a predetermined value. The amplifier/switch components installed between the output of the circuit and the input of the steering gear are connected in series with the steering gear components serving as their loads, and also have a rudder tracking potentiometer output and a rudder angle amount setting device output. A rudder in a power steering machine, characterized in that the comparator is connected to disconnect the switch when the output of the rudder following potentiometer becomes excessive. Corner restriction device.