WO2020240763A1 - Electric power steering device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric power steering device (10) for a vehicle comprises: a hollow support member (70); a first member (80) that is slidably mounted on an inner circumferential surface (73a) of the support member (70); a second member (90) that is swingably coupled to a tip section (82) of the first member (80); a steering wheel (11) that is disposed on the second member (90); a first motor (20) that is included in either the first member (80) or the second member (90); and a second motor (100) that is provided to the support member (70). A motor shaft (24) of the first motor (20) and the steering wheel (11) are positioned concentric to an axis (CL2) of the first member (80). The first motor (20) generates a steering reactive force and applies same to the steering wheel (11). The second motor (100) causes the first member (80) to slide via a first transmission mechanism (110) and causes the second member (90) to swing via a second transmission mechanism (120).

Description

Electric power steering device for vehicles

The present invention relates to an improvement of an electric power steering device for a vehicle.

In recent years, the development of automatic vehicle driving technology has been accelerating. In an autonomous driving vehicle, it is assumed that the driver runs while appropriately switching between automatic driving and manual driving, and it is required to improve the driver's comfort during automatic driving. For example, the following techniques are known as techniques for improving comfort.
(1) Driver's seat technology that integrates functions such as adjustment of the driver's driving position, expansion of reclining operation, and retractable pedals during automatic driving.
(2) Technology for retracting the steering wheel in order to create a large living space in the passenger compartment during autonomous driving.

As an example of driving by automatic driving, it is assumed that the vehicle travels in an area where the steering wheels are frequently steered and the steering angle often changes significantly, such as when driving in an urban area. In that case, the rotation of the steering wheel may change drastically in conjunction with the steering of the steering wheel. The driver may feel uncomfortable with the drastic changes in steering wheel rotation that occur in front of him. In order to deal with such a situation, there is an increasing need for a system that can suppress the behavior of the steering wheel during automatic driving by mechanically separating the steering wheel and the steering section. Conceivable.

Based on these needs, as a steering device to support the advanced automatic driving technology of vehicles, a steer-by-wire type electric power steering capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel is possible. Equipment development is required. The steer-by-wire electric power steering device has a configuration in which the steering wheel and the steering portion are mechanically separated.

Although it is not a steer-by-wire type, in a general electric power steering device for vehicles, a technique for performing a telescopic movement and a tilt movement of a steering wheel by a single motor is known, for example, in Patent Document 1.

The electric power steering device for vehicles known in Patent Document 1 adds an auxiliary torque generated by an assist motor to the steering torque of the steering wheel, and integrates the tilt motion and the telescopic motion of the steering shaft into a single unit. It is performed by a motor (tilt / telescopic motor).

The steering shaft to which the steering wheel can be connected is inserted in the column tube. One end of this column tube (the end opposite to the steering wheel) is coupled to a mounting bracket attached to the vehicle body so that it can be tilted. The column tube is also surrounded by a telescoping tube. The assist motor and the integrated motor are attached to the column tube.

The integrated motor rotates and linearly moves the moving rod. This moving rod is along the axis of the column tube. A tilt mechanism and a telescopic mechanism are connected to the moving rod. The tilt mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are provided with independent clutches.

When the tilt clutch is engaged, the tilt mechanism converts the linear movement of the moving rod into the tilt movement of the column tube via the link arm. When the telescopic clutch is engaged, the telescopic mechanism converts the linear movement of the moving rod into the telescopic movement of the column tube via the telescoping tube. In this way, the tilt operation and the telescopic operation can be individually adjusted by switching the two clutches.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,904,902

As described above, the electric power steering device for vehicles known in Patent Document 1 is not intended to have a steer-by-wire configuration. Therefore, this electric power steering device for vehicles does not include a reaction force motor for generating a steering reaction force applied to the steering wheel.

The steering device mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle is required to be a steer-by-wire electric power steering device capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel. Moreover, this steering device is required to be further miniaturized in order to create a large living space in the vehicle interior during automatic driving.

An object of the present invention is to provide a smaller steer-by-wire electric power steering device having a function capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel.

According to the present invention
Hollow support member that can be attached to the car body,
A first member slidably assembled on the inner peripheral surface of the support member and
A second member swingably connected to the tip of the first member,
A steering shaft that is arranged on the second member and is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member.
The steering wheel provided on the steering shaft and
A steering reaction force that is held in either one of the first member and the second member, and the motor shaft is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member and resists the steering force of the steering wheel. And the first motor that generates and adds to the steering wheel,
A second motor provided on the support member and
A first transmission mechanism that converts the driving force generated by the second motor into a slide driving force that slides the first member and transmits the driving force to the first member.
A second transmission mechanism that converts the driving force generated by the second motor into a swing driving force that drives the second member and transmits the second member to the second member.
An electric power steering device for a vehicle including the above is provided.

In the present invention, the first member is slidably assembled on the inner peripheral surface of the support member attached to the vehicle body. A second member is swingably connected to the tip of the first member. A steering wheel is arranged on the second member. The first member or the second member has a first motor that generates a steering reaction force. Therefore, the first motor, which is indispensable for the steer-by-wire type electric power steering device, can be incorporated into the first member or the second member without protruding outward from the support member. Moreover, both the motor shaft of the first motor and the steering wheel are located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member. Therefore, it is possible to provide a smaller steer-by-wire electric power steering device having a function capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel.

It is a schematic diagram of the electric power steering apparatus for a vehicle of Example 1 by this invention. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the self-driving vehicle equipped with the electric power steering device for a vehicle shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is 5 arrow view of FIG. It is an operation diagram of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the electric power steering apparatus for a vehicle of Example 2 by this invention. It is a perspective view of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is a side view of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the 11-11 line of FIG. It is an operation diagram of the steering wheel adjustment device shown in FIG. It is a control flowchart of the control device of the electric power steering device for a vehicle of Example 3 by this invention.

A mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below based on the attached figure. The form shown in the attached figure is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this form.

<Example 1>
The vehicle electric power steering device 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric power steering device 10 for a vehicle has a steering unit 12 in which a steering input of the steering wheel 11 is generated, and a steering unit that steers the left and right steering wheels 13 and 13 (including tires). 14 and a control device 15. The left and right steering wheels 13 and 13 may be those that are steered by the steering portion 14, and include front wheels, rear wheels, or both. Hereinafter, the electric power steering device 10 for a vehicle is simply abbreviated as "steering device 10".

The steering unit 12 and the steering unit 14 are mechanically separated. Therefore, the steering device 10 steers the left and right steering wheels 13 and 13 by operating the steering actuator 34 according to the steering amount of the steering wheel 11, so-called steer-by. -wire) is adopted.

The steering unit 12 has a steering wheel 11 steered by the driver, a steering shaft 17 having one end connected to the steering wheel 11, and a steering reaction force (reaction torque) with respect to the steering wheel 11 via the steering shaft 17. 20 and the reaction force motor 20 for adding the above.

The reaction force motor 20 generates a steering reaction force that resists the steering force of the steering wheel 11 steered by the driver, and applies this steering reaction force to the steering wheel 11 to give the driver a feeling of steering. .. The reaction force motor 20 is composed of an electric motor. Hereinafter, the reaction force motor 20 will be appropriately referred to as a “first motor 20”. Details of the first motor 20 will be described later.

The steering section 14 includes a steering shaft 31 extending in the vehicle width direction, and left and right steering wheels 13 connected to both ends of the steering shaft 31 via tie rods 32, 32 and knuckles 33, 33. 13 and a steering actuator 34 that applies steering power to the steering shaft 31 are included.

The steering actuator 34 includes a steering motor 35 that generates steering power and a steering power transmission mechanism 36 that transmits steering power to the steering shaft 31. The steering motor 35 is composed of, for example, an electric motor. The steering power transmission mechanism 36 includes, for example, a first transmission mechanism 37 and a second transmission mechanism 38.

The first transmission mechanism 37 is composed of, for example, a worm gear mechanism. The worm gear mechanism 37 (first transmission mechanism 37) includes a worm 37a provided on the motor shaft 35a (output shaft 35a) of the steering motor 35 and a worm wheel 37c provided on the transmission shaft 37b.

The second transmission mechanism 38 is composed of, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The rack and pinion mechanism 38 (second transmission mechanism 38) includes a pinion 38a provided on the transmission shaft 37b and a rack 38b provided on the steering shaft 31. The steering power generated by the steering motor 35 is applied to the steering shaft 31 by the worm gear mechanism 37 and the rack and pinion mechanism 38.

The vehicle steering device 10 includes a steering angle sensor 41, a steering torque sensor 42, and various other sensors 43. The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle of the steering wheel 11. The steering torque sensor 42 detects the steering torque generated on the steering shaft 17.

This steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 10 for a vehicle can be mounted on an automatic driving vehicle 50 (see FIG. 2), and is a steering wheel for performing a telescopic motion and a tilt motion of the steering wheel 11. The adjusting device 60 is provided. The steering wheel adjusting device 60 is controlled by a control device 15 that receives a command from the driving position device 51 mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle 50.

According to the steering wheel adjusting device 60, the telescopic motion and the tilt motion of the steering wheel 11 can be performed by a single motor 100 (second motor 100). The single motor 100 is hereinafter appropriately referred to as a "second motor 100". The second motor 100 is composed of, for example, an electric motor.

The control device 15 includes the first motor 20, the steering motor 35, and the second motor 100 in accordance with the signals of the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque sensor 42, and various other sensors 43, and the command of the driving position device 51. Is in control. The other various sensors 43 include sensors for detecting the rotation angles and drive currents of the motors 20, 35, 100, vehicle speed sensors, yaw rate sensors, and acceleration sensors.

The driving position device 51 determines the driving situation of the self-driving vehicle 50, and drives the various devices manually by the driver Dr shown in FIG. 2A and the first driving position shown in FIG. 2B. It is controlled to the second driving position in which the driver Dr shown in the above automatically operates.

FIG. 2A shows an example of the first driving position in which the driver Dr manually drives. In this first driving position, the steering wheel 11, seat 53 and pedal 54 are automatically controlled to preset positions suitable for manual driving by the driver Dr. The steering wheel 11 is located at the non-retracted position P1 (first position P1). This non-retracted position P1 is a position where the driver Dr can easily steer the steering wheel 11.

FIG. 2B shows an example of the second driving position in which the driver Dr automatically drives. In this second driving position, the steering wheel 11, seat 53 and pedals 54 are automatically controlled to preset positions where the driver Dr can relax. The steering wheel 11 is located at the retracted position P2 (second position P2) in order to create a large living space in the vehicle interior 55 during this automatic driving. The storage position P2 is tilted forward and upward as compared with the non-storage position P1 shown in FIG. 2A.

Hereinafter, the steering wheel adjusting device 60 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the steering wheel adjusting device 60 includes a support member 70, a first member 80, a second member 90, a second motor 100, a first transmission mechanism 110, and a second transmission mechanism 120. ,including.

The support member 70 is a hollow (for example, cylindrical, preferably cylindrical) member that can be positioned so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the autonomous driving vehicle 50, and is formed on the vehicle body 56 of the autonomous driving vehicle 50. It has a bracket 71 that can be attached. Both ends of the support member 70 are open. Further, the support member 70 has a slit 72 (including an elongated hole) parallel to the axis CL1 (center line CL1) of the support member 70. The slit 72 penetrates the peripheral wall 73 of the support member 70 in and out.

The first member 80 is a hollow (for example, cylindrical, preferably cylindrical) member slidably assembled along the axis CL1 of the support member 70 on the inner peripheral surface 73a of the peripheral wall 73 of the support member 70. is there. That is, the first member 80 is slidably fitted to the peripheral wall 73 of the support member 70 along the axis CL1, that is, can be telescopically moved. Both ends of the first member 80 are open. The axis CL2 (center line CL2) of the first member 80 coincides with the axis CL1 of the support member 70. The first member 80 houses the first motor 20. The first motor 20 is restricted from relative displacement to the first member 80 in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction. For example, the motor housing 21 is press-fitted or shrink-fitted into the first member 80 to regulate the relative displacement of the first motor 20 with respect to the first member 80.

The length of the first member 80 is set to a length that can sufficiently secure the slidable range (stroke) of the first member 80 with respect to the support member 70, that is, the telescopic momentum of the steering wheel 11. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the first motor 20 is directly housed in the support member 70, the first motor 20 becomes large in the axial direction in order to secure a sufficient stroke, which is not a good idea. Since the first member 80 is provided, the slide amount of the first motor 20 with respect to the support member 70 can be sufficiently secured without increasing the size of the first motor 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first motor 20 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80. More specifically, the first motor 20 is a bottomed hollow (for example, bottomed tubular shape, preferably bottomed cylindrical shape) motor housing fixed to the inner peripheral surface 81a of the peripheral wall 81 of the first member 80. 21, a lid 22 that closes the open end of the motor housing 21, a motor shaft 24 (output shaft 24) that is rotatably housed inside the motor housing 21 by bearings 23 and 23, and the motor shaft 24. Includes a rotor 25 provided in the motor housing 21 and a stator 26 located inside the motor housing 21 located on the outer periphery of the rotor 25.

The first motor 20 has a motor rotation angle sensor 27 (for example, a resolver) and a control unit 28. The motor rotation angle sensor 27 detects the rotation angle of the first motor 20. The control unit 28 is assembled to the first motor 20 (for example, the lid 22) and housed in the first member 80, and controls the first motor 20 based on the control command of the control device 15 (see FIG. 1). To do. The motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second member 90 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80, and has a bottomed hollow shape (for example, having) that opens toward the first motor 20. It is a member having a bottom tubular shape, preferably a bottomed cylindrical shape). The second member 90 can swing in the vertical direction with respect to the tip end portion 82 of the first member 80, that is, can tilt. More specifically, at least one of the first member 80 and the first motor 20 has an extension portion 91 extending to the second member 90 along the motor shaft 24. The extension portion 91 has a fork-like structure that extends from the motor housing 21 to the side surface 90a (see FIG. 3) of the second member 90 while sandwiching the motor shaft 24, and sandwiches the side surface 90a. That is, the extension portion 91 has a pair of tip portions 91a, 91a.

The second member 90 is sandwiched between a pair of tip portions 91a, 91a of the extension portion 91, and is swingably connected to the pair of tip portions 91a, 91a by a support shaft 92. As a result, the second member 90 is swingably (tiltable) connected to the tip 82 of the first member 80.

With respect to the second member 90, the steering shaft 17 is provided with a bearing 93 that allows relative rotation and restricts relative movement in the axial direction. The steering shaft 17 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80, and inside the second member 90, a universal joint 94 (universal joint 94) is attached to the motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20. It is connected. As a result, the steering wheel 11 is connected to the motor shaft 24 by a universal shaft joint 94. The bending point Q1 (bending point Q1) of the universal shaft joint 94 coincides with the swing base point Q2 (center Q2 of the support shaft 92) of the second member 90 with respect to the first member 80.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the second motor 100 is attached to the gear housing 74 and drives a single shaft 111. The gear housing 74 is attached to a base 75 provided on the peripheral wall 73 of the support member 70.

The first transmission mechanism 110 converts the driving force generated by the second motor 100 into a slide driving force that slides the first member 80 and transmits the driving force to the first member 80. The first transmission mechanism 110 uses a single shaft 111, a driving force transmission unit 112 that transmits the driving force of the second motor 100 to the shaft 111, and a rotational movement of the shaft 111 as a sliding movement of the first member 80. It is composed of a first conversion mechanism 116 for conversion.

The single shaft 111 is located parallel to the axis CL2 of the first member 80 and extends along the outer peripheral surface 73b of the support member 70 (the outer peripheral surface 73b of the peripheral wall 73). The shaft 111 is supported by bearings 76 and 76 in the gear housing 74, and is also supported by a support arm 95 extending from the extension portion 91 toward the shaft 111. As a result, the shaft 111 is provided with respect to the support member 70 so that relative rotation is permitted and relative movement in the axial direction is restricted. Further, the shaft 111 has a first male screw 111a and a second male screw 111b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the driving force transmission unit 112 is configured by, for example, a worm gear mechanism. The worm gear mechanism 112 (driving force transmission unit 112) includes a worm 113 provided on the motor shaft 101 (output shaft 101) of the second motor 100, and a worm wheel 114 provided on the shaft 111. The worm gear mechanism 112 is housed in the gear housing 74.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first conversion mechanism 116 includes a first male screw 111a provided on the shaft 111, a first female screw 117 assembled with the first male screw 111a, and the first female screw 111a. It is composed of an arm 118 having a female screw 117. The arm 118 extends from either the first member 80 or the first motor 20 toward the shaft 111. For example, the arm 118 extends from the first motor 20 through the slit 72 to the shaft 111. The first male screw 111a and the first female screw 117 are preferably formed of trapezoidal screws.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second transmission mechanism 120 converts the driving force generated by the second motor 100 into a swing driving force for swing-driving the second member 90, and converts the driving force into the second member 90. introduce. The second transmission mechanism 120 is composed of a second conversion mechanism 121 that converts the rotational movement of the shaft 111 into the swing movement of the second member 90. The second conversion mechanism 121 has a second male screw 111b on the shaft 111, a second female screw 122 engaged with the second male screw 111b, and a second female screw 122, and also has a shaft. It is composed of a slider 123 that can be displaced along 111, and a link 124 that connects the slider 123 and the second member 90 in a linkable manner.

The slider 123 has a first link connecting bracket 125 that connects one end of the link 124 so as to be swingable. On the other hand, the second member 90 has a second link connecting bracket 126 that swingably connects the other end of the link 124.

The second male screw 111b and the second female screw 122 are preferably formed of trapezoidal screws. Further, it is preferable that at least one of the screw direction and the pitch of the second male screw 111b and the second female screw 122 is different from that of the first male screw 111a and the first female screw 117. For example, the screw direction is opposite.

Next, the operation of the steering wheel adjusting device 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 6.
The steering wheel 11 shown in FIG. 2A is located at the non-retracted position P1 (first position P1). The steering wheel adjusting device 60 at this time is in the state shown in FIG. That is, the position of the steering wheel 11 is on the axis CL2 of the first member 80, and is the position farthest behind the autonomous driving vehicle 50 (see FIG. 2A) with respect to the support member 70 (advance position). Is located in.

After that, the second motor 100 rotates forward (rotates in the first rotation direction) by receiving a storage command signal from the control device 15 (see FIG. 1). The driving force of the forward rotation generated by the second motor 100 is transmitted to the shaft 111 via the worm gear mechanism 112. Due to the rotation of the shaft 111, the arm 118, the first member 80, and the first motor 20 move in the direction in which the steering wheel 11 approaches the support member 70 (backward direction), that is, telescopically. As a result, the steering shaft 17 connected to the motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20 and the second member 90 connected to the pair of tip portions 91a, 91a of the extension portion 91 move in the backward direction.

On the other hand, the screw directions of the second male screw 111b and the second female screw 122 are opposite to those of the first male screw 111a and the first female screw 117. Therefore, the slider 123 moves in the opposite direction (forward direction) with respect to the arm 118, and swings the second member 90 upward via the link 124. As a result, the second member 90 and the steering shaft 17 tilt upward.

That is, the steering wheel 11 tilts upward while telescopically moving backward. The results are shown in FIGS. 6 and 2 (b). 6 and 2 (b) show that the steering wheel 11 is located at the retracted position P2 (second position P2). That is, the position of the steering wheel 11 is located at a position (retracted position) in which the steering wheel 11 is tilted upward by a preset angle from the axis CL2 of the first member 80 and retracted.

After that, the second motor 100 rotates in the reverse direction (rotates in the second rotation direction) by receiving a non-storing command signal from the control device 15 (see FIG. 1). The driving force of the reverse rotation generated by the second motor 100 is transmitted to the shaft 111 via the worm gear mechanism 112. Due to the rotation of the shaft 111, the arm 118, the first member 80, and the first motor 20 move in the direction in which the steering wheel 11 separates from the support member 70 (forward direction), that is, telescopically moves. As a result, the steering shaft 17 connected to the motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20 and the second member 90 connected to the pair of tip portions 91a, 91a of the extension portion 91 move in the forward direction.

On the other hand, the slider 123 moves in the opposite direction (backward direction) with respect to the arm 118, and swings the second member 90 downward via the link 124. As a result, the second member 90 and the steering shaft 17 tilt downward. That is, the steering wheel 11 tilts downward while telescopically moving forward. The results are shown in FIGS. 4 and 2 (a). The steering wheel adjusting device 60 returns to the state shown in FIG. The steering wheel 11 returns to the non-retracted position P1 (first position P1) shown in FIG. 2A.

The description of the first embodiment is summarized as follows.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 6, the electric power steering device 10 for a vehicle is
A hollow support member 70 that can be attached to the vehicle body 56,
A first member 80 slidably assembled to the inner peripheral surface 73a of the support member 70,
A second member 90 that is swingably connected to the tip 82 of the first member 80,
A steering shaft 17 arranged on the second member 90 and located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80.
A steering wheel 11 provided on the steering shaft 17 and
The motor shaft 24 is located on one of the first member 80 and the second member 90 and is concentrically located with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80, and the steering force of the steering wheel 11 is provided. The first motor 20 (reaction motor 20) that generates a steering reaction force that resists the steering wheel 11 and applies it to the steering wheel 11.
The second motor 100 provided on the support member 70 and
A first transmission mechanism 110 that converts the driving force generated by the second motor 100 into a slide driving force that slides the first member 80 and transmits the driving force to the first member 80.
A second transmission mechanism 120 that converts the driving force generated by the second motor 100 into a swing driving force for swing-driving the second member 90 and transmits the driving force to the second member 90 is included.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the first member 80 is slidably assembled to the inner peripheral surface 73a of the hollow support member 70 attached to the vehicle body 56. Therefore, the support member 70 can sufficiently increase the rigidity for slidably supporting the first member 80. A second member 90 is swingably connected to the tip 82 of the first member 80. A steering wheel 11 is arranged on the second member 90. The first member 80 or the second member 90 has a first motor 20 that generates a steering reaction force. Therefore, the first motor 20, which is indispensable for the steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 10, can be incorporated into the first member 80 or the second member 90 without protruding outward from the support member 70. Moreover, both the motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20 and the steering wheel 11 are located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80. Therefore, it is possible to provide a smaller steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 10 having a function capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel 11. As a result, the mountability of the electric power steering device 10 on the autonomous driving vehicle 50 can be improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first motor 20 is housed in the first member 80 among the first member 80 and the second member 90.
The steering wheel 11 (either directly or via the steering shaft 17) is connected to the motor shaft 24 by a universal shaft joint 94.

As described above, the heavy first motor 20 is housed in the first member 80 that supports the second member 90, instead of the second member 90 that performs the tilting motion. The support member 70 to which the first member 80 is assembled can be attached to the vehicle body 56. It is possible to concentrate heavy objects on the support member 70 and the first member 80 on the proximal end side attached to the vehicle body 56, and to reduce the weight of the second member 90 on the distal end side that performs the tilting motion. That is, the rigidity of the support member 70 and the first member 80 and the rigidity of the second member 90 can be reasonably increased. Therefore, the overall rigidity of the device 60 having the function of enabling the telescopic movement and the tilt movement of the steering wheel 11, that is, the steering wheel adjusting device 60 can be increased in a well-balanced manner.

Moreover, the steering wheel 11 is connected to the motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20 by a universal shaft joint 94. That is, the transmission system that applies the steering reaction force from the motor shaft 24 of the first motor 20 to the steering wheel 11 does not have a speed reducer for decelerating the rotation of the first motor 20. Since the speed reducer does not intervene in the transmission system, the size of the first member 80 that houses the first motor 20 can be reduced. Therefore, the steering wheel adjusting device 60 and the electric power steering device 10 can be further miniaturized. Therefore, the mountability of the electric power steering device 10 on the autonomous driving vehicle 50 can be further enhanced. Moreover, when the steering wheel 11 is steered, it is not affected by the reverse efficiency of the speed reducer. Therefore, the steering feeling of the steering wheel 11 can be further enhanced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first transmission mechanism 110 is
The first member 80 is located parallel to the axis CL2 and extends along the outer peripheral surface 73b of the support member 70, so that relative rotation is allowed with respect to the support member 70 and in the axial direction. With a single axis 111, whose relative movement is regulated,
A driving force transmission unit 112 that transmits the driving force of the second motor 100 to the shaft 111,
It is composed of a first conversion mechanism 116 that converts the rotational movement of the shaft 111 into the sliding movement of the first member 80.
The second transmission mechanism 120 is composed of a second conversion mechanism 121 that converts the rotational motion of the shaft 111 into the swing motion of the second member 90.

Therefore, the first transmission mechanism 110 skillfully utilizes a single shaft 111 to make the rotational movement of the shaft 111 into a slide movement of the first member 80 and a swing movement of the second member 90, respectively. It only needs to be converted, and it can be made into a small and simple configuration.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first conversion mechanism 116
The first male screw 111a provided on the shaft 111 and
The first female screw 117 that is assembled to the first male screw 111a,
It is composed of an arm 118 extending from either one of the first member 80 and the first motor 20 toward the shaft 111 and having the first female screw 117.

Therefore, the first conversion mechanism 116 can have an extremely simple configuration by the shaft 111 having the first male screw 111a and the arm 118 having the first female screw 117.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the second conversion mechanism 121
The second male screw 111b on the shaft 111 and
A second female screw 122 that is assembled to the second male screw 111b,
A slider 123 having the second female screw 122 and displaceable along the axis 111,
It is composed of a link 124 that connects the slider 123 and the second member 90 in a linkable manner.

Therefore, the second conversion mechanism 121 is extremely provided by the shaft 111 having the second male screw 111b, the slider 123 having the second female screw 122, and the link 124 connecting the slider 123 to the second member 90. It can be a simple configuration.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support arm 95 extending from at least one of the first member 80 and the first motor 20 toward the shaft 111 is further provided. Ori,
The support arm 95 rotatably supports the shaft 111.
Therefore, the shaft 111 can be reliably supported by the support arm 95 that makes a telescopic movement.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first male screw 111a, the first female screw 117, the second male screw 111b, and the second female screw 122 are composed of a trapezoidal screw. There is.
Therefore, the self-locking function can be enhanced by a simple configuration.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, at least one of the pitch and the screw direction of the second male screw 111b and the second female screw 122 is relative to the first male screw 111a and the first female screw 117. Is different.
Therefore, at least one of the pitch and the screw direction can be set so that both the telescopic movement and the tilt movement of the steering wheel 11 are optimized.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 28 for controlling the first motor 20 is further provided.
The control unit 28 is assembled to the first motor 20 and housed in the first member 80.
Therefore, the first motor 20 and the control unit 28 can be telescopically moved at the same time. The wiring between the first motor 20 and the control unit 28 can be reasonably wired.

Summarizing the first embodiment in more detail, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 6, the electric power steering device 10 for a vehicle is
A hollow support member 70 that can be attached to the vehicle body 56,
A first member 80 slidably assembled to the inner peripheral surface 73a of the support member 70,
A second member 90 swingably connected to the tip 82 of the first member 80,
A steering shaft 17 rotatably supported by the second member 90 and located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80.
A steering wheel 11 provided on the steering shaft 17 and
The motor shaft 24 is housed in the first member 80 while being restricted in relative displacement, is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL2 of the first member 80, and is connected to the steering shaft 17 by a universal shaft joint 94. A first motor 20 that generates a steering reaction force that resists the steering force of the steering wheel 11 and applies the steering reaction force to the steering wheel 11.
The first member 80 is located parallel to the axis CL2 and extends along the outer peripheral surface 73b of the support member 70 so that relative rotation with respect to the support member 70 is allowed and in the axial direction. A single shaft 111, which is provided with restricted relative movement and has a first male thread 111a and a second male thread 111b,
A second motor 100, which is provided on the support member 70 and drives the single shaft 111,
An arm 118 extending from either one of the first member 80 and the first motor 20 toward the shaft 111 and having a first female screw 117 that engages with the first male screw 111a.
A slider 123 that has a second female screw 122 that engages with the second male screw 111b and is displaceable along the axis 111.
A link 124 that connects the slider 123 and the second member 90 in a linkable manner is included.

By having the two male screws 111a and 111b on the single shaft 111, the sliding motion of the first member 80 and the swing motion of the second member 90 are simultaneously performed. Therefore, the telescopic movement and the tilt movement of the steering wheel 11 can be performed in a short time by a single motor 100 (second motor 100). Therefore, the steering wheel 11 can be quickly switched between the non-retracted position P1 and the stored position P2. It is most suitable as the steering device 10 mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle 50.

To further summarize the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 6, the electric power steering device 10 for a vehicle is
The steering wheel 11 provided on the steering shaft 17 and
A first motor 20 (reaction motor 20) that generates a steering reaction force on the steering shaft 17 and
It has a second motor 100 that controls a telescopic operation of moving the steering wheel 11 forward and backward and a tilt operation of raising and lowering the steering wheel 11.
The first motor 20 has a motor shaft 24 concentrically with the steering wheel 11, and moves due to a telescopic operation or a tilt operation when the second motor 100 is driven.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a smaller steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 10 having a function capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel 11. As a result, the mountability of the electric power steering device 10 on the autonomous driving vehicle 50 can be improved.

<Example 2>
The vehicle electric power steering device 200 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12. FIG. 7 is shown corresponding to FIG. FIG. 8 is shown corresponding to FIG. FIG. 10 is shown corresponding to FIG. 4 above.

The vehicle electric power steering device 200 of the second embodiment is the reaction force motor 20 and the steering wheel adjusting device 60 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, and the reaction force motor 220 shown in FIGS. 7 to 12. And the steering wheel adjusting device 260 is changed, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 15 of the second embodiment is a steering motor 35 according to each signal of the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque sensor 42, and various other sensors 43, and a command of the driving position device 51. And the first motor 220 and the second motor 300 are controlled.

As shown in FIG. 7, the steering unit 12 includes a reaction force motor 220 that applies a steering reaction force (reaction torque) to the steering wheel 11. The reaction force motor 220 generates a steering reaction force that resists the steering force of the steering wheel 11 that the driver steers, and applies this steering reaction force to the steering wheel 11 to give the driver a feeling of steering. .. The reaction force motor 220 is composed of an electric motor. Hereinafter, the reaction force motor 220 will be appropriately referred to as a “first motor 220”. Details of the first motor 220 will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the steering wheel adjusting device 260 of the second embodiment has a support member 270, a first member 280, a second member 290, a second motor 300, a first transmission mechanism 310, and a second transmission. Including the mechanism 320.

The support member 270 is a hollow (for example, cylindrical, preferably cylindrical) member capable of being positioned so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the autonomous driving vehicle 50 (see FIG. 2A). It has a bracket 271 that can be attached to the vehicle body 56 of the autonomous driving vehicle 50. Both ends of the support member 270 are open.

The first member 280 is a hollow shape (for example, a cylinder shape, preferably a cylinder shape) slidably attached to the inner peripheral surface 273a of the peripheral wall 273 of the support member 270 along the axis CL11 (center line CL11) of the support member 270. It is a member of the shape). In other words, the first member 280 is slidably fitted to the peripheral wall 273 of the support member 270 along the axis CL11, that is, telescopically. Both ends of the first member 80 are open. The axis CL12 (center line CL12) of the first member 280 coincides with the axis CL1 of the support member 270.

The second member 290 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280 and has a bottomed hollow shape (for example, a bottomed cylinder shape, preferably a bottomed cylindrical shape) that opens toward the first member 280. ) Is a member. The second member 290 can swing in the vertical direction with respect to the tip end portion 282 of the first member 280, that is, can tilt. More specifically, the first member 280 has an extension 281 extending to the second member 290. The extension portion 281 has, for example, a fork-like structure extending from the first member 280 to the side surface 290a of the second member 290 and sandwiching the side surface 290a. That is, the extension portion 281 has a pair of tip portions 281a and 281a.

The second member 290 is sandwiched between a pair of tip portions 281a and 281a of the extension portion 91, and is swingably connected to the pair of tip portions 281a and 281a by a support shaft 292. As a result, the second member 290 is swingably (tiltable) connected to the tip end portion 282 of the first member 280.

The second member 290 integrally includes the first motor 220. The configuration of the first motor 220 integrally with the second member 290 includes the following configurations (1) and (2).
(1) Although not shown, the second member 290 has a configuration in which the first motor 220 is housed while restricting the relative displacement.
(2) As shown in FIG. 10, the second member 290 also serves as the motor housing 221 of the first motor 220. That is, the second member 290 is the first motor 220 itself.
Hereinafter, the configuration of (2) will be illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first motor 220 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280. More specifically, the first motor 220 includes a bottomed hollow (for example, a bottomed tubular shape, preferably a bottomed cylindrical shape) motor housing 221 (composed of a second member 290) and the motor housing. A lid 222 that closes the open end of 221, a motor shaft 224 (output shaft 224) that is rotatably housed inside the motor housing 221 by bearings 223 and 223, and a rotor that the motor shaft 224 has. It includes a 225 and a stator 226 located inside the motor housing 221 located on the outer periphery of the rotor 225. The first motor 220 has a motor rotation angle sensor 227 (for example, a resolver). The motor rotation angle sensor 227 detects the rotation angle of the first motor 220.

The motor shaft 224 of the first motor 220 is located concentrically with the axis CL12 of the first member 280, and also serves as the steering shaft 17. That is, the steering wheel 11 is directly attached to the motor shaft 224.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 10 and 11, the second motor 300 is attached to the gear housing 274 and drives the first member 280. The gear housing 274 is provided on the peripheral wall 273 of the support member 270.

The first transmission mechanism 310 converts the driving force generated by the second motor 300 into a slide driving force for driving the first member 280 and transmits it to the first member 280. The first transmission mechanism 310 is composed of, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The rack and pinion mechanism 310 (first transmission mechanism 310) includes a pinion 311 provided on the motor shaft 301 (output shaft 301) of the second motor 300 and a rack 312 provided on the outer peripheral surface 280a of the first member 280. It consists of. The rack and pinion mechanism 310 is housed in a gear housing 274.

The second transmission mechanism 320 converts the driving force generated by the second motor 300 into a swing driving force for swing driving the second member 290 and transmits the driving force to the second member 290. More specifically, the second transmission mechanism 320 is composed of the first bracket 321 and the second bracket 322 and the link 323.

The first bracket 321 is a member provided on the outer peripheral surface 273b of the peripheral wall 273 of the support member 270, and has an elongated hole 324 parallel to the axis CL12 of the first member 280. The length of the elongated hole 324 is set shorter than the slidable length of the first member 280 with respect to the support member 270.

The second bracket 322 is provided on the second member 290. The link 323 connects the elongated hole 324 and the second bracket 322 in a linkable manner. That is, one end of the link 323 is slidably connected to the elongated hole 324 by the first pin 325. The other end of the link 323 is swingably connected to the second bracket 322 by a second pin 326.

Next, the operation of the steering wheel adjusting device 260 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 10 and 12.
The steering wheel 11 shown in FIG. 2A is located at the non-retracted position P1 (first position P1). At this time, the steering wheel adjusting device 260 is in the state shown in FIG. 12 (a). That is, the position of the steering wheel 11 is on the axis CL12 of the first member 280, and is the position farthest behind the autonomous driving vehicle 50 (see FIG. 2A) with respect to the support member 270 (advance position). Is located in. In this state, the first pin 325 is located at the front end of the elongated hole 324.

After that, as shown in FIG. 10, the second motor 300 rotates in the forward direction (rotates in the first rotation direction) by receiving the storage command signal from the control device 15 (see FIG. 7). The driving force of the forward rotation generated by the second motor 300 is transmitted to the first member 280 by the rack and pinion mechanism 310 (first transmission mechanism 310). As shown in FIG. 12B, the first member 280 retracts with respect to the support member 270. Therefore, the steering wheel 11, the second member 290, and the second motor 300 move in a direction closer to the support member 270 (backward direction), that is, telescopically move. As a result, the first pin 325 is located at the rear end of the elongated hole 324. The movement amount L11 of the first pin 325 corresponds to the length L1 of the elongated hole 324.

After that, when the second motor 300 continues to rotate in the forward direction, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), the first member 280 continues to move backward, but the backward movement of the second member 290 and the second motor 300 is restricted. To. Moreover, the support shaft 292 continues to move backward together with the first member 80. The movement amount L12 of the first pin 325. Therefore, the second member 290 and the second motor 300 retreat while swinging upward about the support shaft 292. As a result, the steering wheel 11 tilts upward while telescopically moving backward.

This result is shown in Fig. 2 (b). 12 (c) and 2 (b) show that the steering wheel 11 is located at the retracted position P2 (second position P2). That is, the position of the steering wheel 11 is located at a position (retracted position) in which the steering wheel 11 is tilted upward by a preset angle from the axis CL12 of the first member 280 and retracted.

After that, the second motor 300 rotates in the reverse direction (rotates in the second rotation direction) by receiving a non-storing command signal from the control device 15 (see FIG. 7). The driving force of the reverse rotation generated by the second motor 300 is transmitted to the first member 280 by the rack and pinion mechanism 310. As shown in FIG. 12 (c), the first member 280 advances with respect to the support member 270. Therefore, the steering wheel 11 tilts downward while telescopically moving forward, and returns to the position of the axis CL11 of the support member 270. This result is shown in FIG. 12 (b).

After that, when the second motor 300 continues to rotate in the reverse direction, the steering wheel 11, the second member 290, and the second motor 300 move in a direction away from the support member 270 (forward direction), that is, telescopically move. As a result, the first pin 325 is located at the front end of the elongated hole 324. The results are shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 2 (a). The steering wheel adjusting device 260 returns to the state shown in FIG. 12 (a). The steering wheel 11 returns to the non-retracted position P1 (first position P1) shown in FIG. 2A.

The description of the second embodiment is summarized as follows.
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, the electric power steering device 200 for a vehicle is
Hollow support member 270 that can be attached to the vehicle body 56,
A first member 280 slidably assembled to the inner peripheral surface 273a of the support member 270, and
A second member 290 swingably connected to the tip 282 of the first member 280,
A steering shaft 17 arranged on the second member 290 and concentrically located with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280.
A steering wheel 11 provided on the steering shaft 17 and
The motor shaft 301 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280 while being provided on either one of the first member 280 and the second member 290, and the steering force of the steering wheel 11 is provided. The first motor 220 (reaction motor 220) that generates a steering reaction force that resists the steering wheel 11 and applies it to the steering wheel 11.
The second motor 300 provided on the support member 270 and
A first transmission mechanism 310 that converts the driving force generated by the second motor 300 into a slide driving force that slides the first member 280 and transmits the driving force to the first member 280.
It includes a second transmission mechanism 320 that converts the driving force generated by the second motor 300 into a swing driving force for swing-driving the second member 290 and transmits the driving force to the second member 290.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the first member 280 is slidably assembled to the inner peripheral surface 273a of the hollow support member 270 attached to the vehicle body 56. Therefore, the support member 270 can sufficiently increase the rigidity for slidably supporting the first member 280. A second member 290 is swingably connected to the tip end portion 282 of the first member 280. A steering wheel 11 is arranged on the second member 290. The first member 280 or the second member 290 has a first motor 220 that generates a steering reaction force. Therefore, the first motor 220, which is indispensable for the steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 200, can be incorporated into the first member 280 or the second member 290 without protruding outward from the support member 270.

Moreover, both the motor shaft 224 of the first motor 220 and the steering wheel 11 are located concentrically with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280. Therefore, it is possible to provide a smaller steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 200 having a function capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel 11. As a result, the mountability of the electric power steering device 200 on the autonomous driving vehicle 50 can be improved.

Moreover, the steering wheel 11 is connected to the motor shaft 224 of the first motor 220. That is, the transmission system that applies the steering reaction force from the motor shaft 224 of the first motor 220 to the steering wheel 11 does not have a speed reducer for decelerating the rotation of the first motor 220. Since the speed reducer does not intervene in the transmission system, the first member 280 provided with the first motor 220 can be miniaturized. Therefore, the steering wheel adjusting device 260 and the electric power steering device 200 can be further miniaturized. Therefore, the mountability of the electric power steering device 200 on the autonomous driving vehicle 50 can be further enhanced. Moreover, when the steering wheel 11 is steered, it is not affected by the reverse efficiency of the speed reducer. Therefore, the steering feeling of the steering wheel 11 can be further enhanced.

Further, the first motor 220 is integrally provided with the second member 290 among the first member 280 and the second member 290 (a configuration that also serves as the second member 290, or , It is a configuration incorporated in the second member 290),
The steering wheel 11 is connected to the motor shaft 224 (either directly or via the steering shaft 17).

Therefore, the first member 280 does not need to have the first motor 220, and only needs to slide. First member 280 It can be made with a simple structure and can be miniaturized. Moreover, the support rigidity of the first member 280 with respect to the support member 270 can be increased.

Further, the first transmission mechanism 310 includes a pinion 311 that is rotated by the driving force of the second motor 300 and a rack 312 that is provided on the outer peripheral surface 280a of the first member 280 so as to be able to mesh with the pinion 311. , Consists of
The second transmission mechanism 320
A first bracket 321 provided on the outer peripheral surface 273b of the support member 270 and having an elongated hole 324 parallel to the axis CL12 of the first member 280.
It is composed of a link 323 that connects the elongated hole 324 and the second bracket 322 provided on the second member 290 so as to be linked.

As described above, the rack 312 is included in the first member 280 itself. Therefore, no separate member is required to provide the rack 312. Further, the first transmission mechanism 310 that performs a sliding motion and the second transmission mechanism 320 that performs a swing motion are linked to each other via only the first member 280. The driving force generated by the second motor 300 is transmitted from the first member 280 to the second member 290 and the first motor 220 by the second transmission mechanism 320. In order to convert the slide motion of the first member 280 into a swing motion, the second transmission mechanism 320 is used as a link mechanism. The first transmission mechanism 310 and the second transmission mechanism 320 can be miniaturized with a simple configuration.

Moreover, the first bracket 321 has an elongated hole 324 in order to ensure smooth swing motion of the second member 290 and the first motor 220 regardless of the size of the slide range of the first member 280. The length of the elongated hole 324 determines the start timing and the completion timing of the swing motion of the second member 290 and the first motor 220. That is, when the slide range is large, the length of the elongated hole 324 may be set large.

By appropriately setting the length of the elongated hole 324 corresponding to the size of the slide range of the first member 280, the swing angles of the second member 290 and the first motor 220 can be optimally set. Further, while the first member 280 is in a sliding motion, the second member 290 and the first motor 220 are in a swing motion. Therefore, the telescopic motion and the tilt motion of the steering wheel 11 can be performed in a short time by a single motor 300 (second motor 300). Therefore, the steering wheel 11 can be quickly switched between the non-retracted position P1 and the stored position P2. It is most suitable as the steering device 200 mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle 50.

Summarizing the second embodiment in more detail, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, the electric power steering device 200 for a vehicle is
Hollow support member 270 that can be attached to the vehicle body 56,
A first member 280 slidably assembled to the inner peripheral surface 273a of the support member 270, and
A second member 290 swingably connected to the tip 282 of the first member 280,
A steering wheel 11 arranged on the second member 290 and concentrically with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280.
It is integrally provided with the second member 290 (including a configuration housed in the second member 290 and a configuration that also serves as a motor housing 221 of the first motor 220).
The motor shaft 224 is located concentrically with respect to the axis CL12 of the first member 280 and is connected to the steering wheel 11 to generate a steering reaction force that resists the steering force of the steering wheel 11. The first motor 220 added to the steering wheel 11 and
The second motor 300 provided on the support member 270 and
A pinion 311 that is rotated by the driving force of the second motor 300,
With the rack 312 provided on the outer peripheral surface 280a of the first member 280 so as to be meshable with the pinion 311.
A first bracket 321 provided on the outer peripheral surface 280a of the first member 280 and having an elongated hole 324 parallel to the axis CL12 of the first member 280.
Includes a link 323 that connects the elongated hole 324 and the second bracket 322 provided on the second member 290 so as to be linked.

Therefore, the first motor 220, which is indispensable for the steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 200, can be incorporated into the first member 280 or the second member 290 without protruding outward from the support member 270.

To further summarize the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, the electric power steering device 200 for a vehicle is
The steering wheel 11 provided on the steering shaft 17 and
A first motor 220 (reaction motor 220) that generates a steering reaction force on the steering shaft 17 and
It has a second motor 300 that controls a telescopic operation of moving the steering wheel 11 forward and backward and a tilt operation of raising and lowering the steering wheel 11.
The first motor 220 has a motor shaft 224 concentrically with the steering wheel 11, and moves due to a telescopic operation or a tilt operation when the second motor 300 is driven.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a smaller steer-by-wire type electric power steering device 200 having a function capable of telescopic movement and tilt movement of the steering wheel 11. As a result, the mountability of the electric power steering device 200 on the autonomous driving vehicle 50 can be improved.

<Example 3>
The vehicle electric power steering device 400 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicle electric power steering device 400 of the third embodiment includes the vehicle electric power steering device 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the vehicle electric power steering device 200 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. The control device 15 included in the above is changed (see FIG. 13), and the other configurations are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the control device 15 of the third embodiment is a steering motor in accordance with a steering angle sensor 41, a steering torque sensor 42, various other sensors 43, and a command from the driving position device 51. It controls 35, the first motors 20, 220, and the second motors 100, 300.

The control device 15 is configured by, for example, a microcomputer. An example of specific control of the control device 15 configured by the microcomputer will be described as follows. The control of the control device 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.

FIG. 13 is a control flowchart of the control device 15, and shows a subroutine that executes an operation mode switching process in a series of controls of the control device 15. This subroutine is executed, for example, by interrupt processing under a predetermined condition or time division processing.

When the control device 15 starts control, first, in step S01, the steering wheel 11 is set to the manual driving position (first driving position) as shown in FIG. 2A. That is, the second motors 100 and 300 are controlled.

Next, in step S02, it is determined from the driving position device 51 whether or not there is a command to switch to the automatic operation mode. Here, if it is determined that there is no command to switch to the automatic operation mode, the process proceeds to step S03. In step S03, it is determined whether or not to terminate this subroutine. Here, if it is determined to end, this subroutine is terminated, and if it is determined to continue, the process returns to step S02. As described above, in step S02, this step S02 is repeated until it is determined that there is a command to switch to the automatic operation mode.

If it is determined in step S02 that there is a command to switch to the automatic operation mode, the process proceeds to step S04. In step S04, it is determined whether or not the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle 50 is normal. If there is a command from the driving position device 51 that it is normal, it is determined that it is normal, and the process proceeds to step S05. In step S05, the steering wheel 11 is set to the automatic driving position (second driving position) as shown in FIG. 2B. That is, the second motors 100 and 300 are controlled.

Next, in step S06, it is determined whether or not there is a command to switch to the manual operation mode from the driving position device 51. Here, if it is determined that there is no command to switch to the manual operation mode, the process proceeds to step S08. In step S08, it is determined whether or not to terminate this subroutine. Here, if it is determined to end, this subroutine is terminated, and if it is determined to continue, the process returns to step S04. In this way, when the steering wheel 11 is set to the automatic driving position, it is always determined whether or not the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle 50 is normal.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S06 that there is a command to switch to the manual operation mode, the process proceeds to step S07. In step S07, it is determined whether or not to terminate this subroutine. Here, if it is determined to end, this subroutine is terminated, and if it is determined to continue, the process returns to step S01 and the steering wheel 11 is set to the manual driving position.

In step S04, if the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle 50 is abnormal, if there is a command from the driving position device 51, it is determined that the automatic driving vehicle 50 is abnormal, and the process proceeds to step S09. In step S09, the steering wheel 11 is set to the manual driving position, and the process proceeds to step S10. That is, the second motors 100 and 300 are controlled. In step S10, it is determined whether or not to terminate this subroutine. Here, if it is determined to end, this subroutine is terminated, and if it is determined to continue, step S10 is repeated.

As is clear from the above description, when the control device 15 determines in step S09 that an abnormality has occurred in the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle 50 equipped with the electric power steering device 400 for the vehicle, the steering wheel 11 Is maintained in the state of the manual operation position (non-retracted state). That is, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred when there is a command to switch from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode, the steering wheel 11 is maintained in the manual operation position as it is. Further, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred when the steering wheel 11 is in the automatic driving position, the steering wheel 11 is switched to the manual driving position.

The description of the third embodiment is summarized as follows.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 13, the electric power steering device 400 for a vehicle is
Further, a control device 15 for controlling the second motors 100 and 300 is provided.
When the control device 15 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle 50 equipped with the electric power steering device 400 for the vehicle, the steering wheel 11 is in a non-retracted state (non-storing position P1). The configuration is such that the second motors 100 and 300 are controlled.

Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle 50, the driver Dr can manually steer the steering wheel 11. The driver Dr can freely drive the self-driving vehicle 50.

The electric power steering devices 10, 200, and 400 for vehicles according to the present invention are not limited to the examples as long as they exhibit the actions and effects of the present invention.
For example, in Example 3, each of Example 1 and Example 2 can be appropriately combined.

The electric power steering devices 10, 200, 400 for vehicles of the present invention are suitable for mounting on the autonomous driving vehicle 50.

10,200,400 Electric power steering device for vehicles 11 Steering wheel 15 Control device 17 Steering shaft 20, 220 First motor (reaction motor)
24, 224 Motor shaft 28 Control unit 50 Autonomous vehicle 56 Body 60, 260 Steering wheel adjustment device 70, 270 Support member 73, 273 Peripheral wall of support member 73a, 273a Inner peripheral surface of peripheral wall 73b, 273b Outer peripheral surface of peripheral wall 80, 280 1st member 81 Peripheral wall of 1st member 81a Inner peripheral surface of peripheral wall 82, 282 Tip of 1st member 90, 290 2nd member 90a, 290a Side of 2nd member 91 Extension 91a Tip of extension 92 Support Shaft 94 Free shaft joint 95 Support arm 100,300 Second motor 101,301 Motor shaft 110,310 First transmission mechanism 111 Single shaft 111a First male screw 111b Second male screw 112 Driving force transmission part 116 First conversion Mechanism 117 1st female screw 118 Arm 120, 320 2nd transmission mechanism 121 2nd conversion mechanism 122 2nd female screw 123 Slider 124 Link 280a Outer surface surface of 1st member 281 Extension part 281a Tip part of extension part 282 1st member Tip 311 Pinion 312 Rack 323 Link CL2, CL12 Axis of 1st member

Claims (9)

1. Hollow support member that can be attached to the car body,
   A first member slidably assembled on the inner peripheral surface of the support member and
   A second member swingably connected to the tip of the first member,
   A steering shaft that is arranged on the second member and is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member.
   The steering wheel provided on the steering shaft and
   A steering reaction force that is held in either one of the first member and the second member, and the motor shaft is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member and resists the steering force of the steering wheel. And the first motor that generates and adds to the steering wheel,
   A second motor provided on the support member and
   A first transmission mechanism that converts the driving force generated by the second motor into a slide driving force that slides the first member and transmits the driving force to the first member.
   A second transmission mechanism that converts the driving force generated by the second motor into a swing driving force that drives the second member and transmits the second member to the second member.
   Electric power steering device for vehicles including.
2. The first motor is housed in the first member of the first member and the second member.
   The steering wheel is connected to the motor shaft by a universal shaft joint.
   The electric power steering device for a vehicle according to claim 1.
3. The first transmission mechanism is
   It is located parallel to the axis of the first member and extends along the outer peripheral surface of the support member, allowing relative rotation of the support member and restricting relative movement in the axial direction. With the axis
   A driving force transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the second motor to the shaft,
   A first conversion mechanism that converts the rotational movement of the shaft into the sliding movement of the first member,
   Consists of
   The second transmission mechanism is configured by a second conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the shaft into the swing motion of the second member.
   The electric power steering device for a vehicle according to claim 2.
4. The first motor is integrally provided with the second member of the first member and the second member.
   The steering wheel is connected to the motor shaft.
   The electric power steering device for a vehicle according to claim 1.
5. The first transmission mechanism is composed of a pinion that is rotated by a driving force of the second motor and a rack that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first member so as to be able to mesh with the pinion.
   The second transmission mechanism is
   A first bracket provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support member and having an elongated hole parallel to the axis of the first member, and
   A link that connects the elongated hole and the second bracket provided on the second member so as to be linkable with each other.
   Consists of,
   The electric power steering device for a vehicle according to claim 4.
6. Hollow support member that can be attached to the car body,
   A first member slidably assembled on the inner peripheral surface of the support member and
   A second member swingably connected to the tip of the first member,
   A steering shaft that is rotatably supported by the second member and is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member.
   The steering wheel provided on the steering shaft and
   It is housed in the first member while its relative displacement is restricted, and has a motor shaft located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member and connected to the steering shaft by a universal shaft joint. A first motor that generates a steering reaction force that resists the steering force of the steering wheel and applies it to the steering wheel.
   It is located parallel to the axis of the first member and extends along the outer peripheral surface of the support member, allowing relative rotation with respect to the support member and restricting relative movement in the axial direction. A single shaft that is provided with a first and second male thread, and
   A second motor provided on the support member and driving the single shaft, and
   An arm extending from either one of the first member and the first motor toward the shaft and having a first female screw to be engaged with the first male screw.
   A slider that has a second female thread that engages with the second male thread and is displaceable along the axis.
   A link that connects the slider and the second member so as to be linked,
   Electric power steering device for vehicles including.
7. Hollow support member that can be attached to the car body,
   A first member slidably assembled on the inner peripheral surface of the support member and
   A second member swingably connected to the tip of the first member,
   A steering wheel that is arranged on the second member and is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member.
   It is integrally provided with the second member, and the motor shaft is located concentrically with respect to the axis of the first member and is connected to the steering wheel, so that the steering reaction resists the steering force of the steering wheel. The first motor that generates force and applies it to the steering wheel,
   The second motor provided on the support member and
   A pinion that is rotated by the driving force of the second motor,
   A rack provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first member so as to be able to mesh with the pinion,
   A first bracket provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first housing and having an elongated hole parallel to the axis of the first member, and
   A link that connects the elongated hole and the second bracket provided on the second member so as to be linkable with each other.
   Electric power steering device for vehicles including.
8. Further having a control device for controlling the second motor,
   The control device does not use the steering wheel when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the automatic driving function of the automatic driving vehicle equipped with the electric power steering device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An electric power steering device for a vehicle that controls the second motor so as to be in a retracted state.
9. The steering wheel provided on the steering shaft and
   A first motor that generates a steering reaction force on the steering shaft,
   A second motor that controls a telescopic operation for moving the steering wheel forward and backward and a tilt operation for raising and lowering the steering wheel.
   Have,
   The first motor has a motor shaft concentrically with the steering wheel, and moves due to a telescopic operation or a tilt operation when the second motor is driven.
   Electric power steering device for vehicles.

Images