§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
← Back to Patent Explorer
EP0460406A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Power steering apparatus

Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1991-05-03
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2011-05-03
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The power steering apparatus for assisting the return of a steering wheel by the rotating force of a motor (8) for assisting steering force wherein noting the fact that the steering torque when the steering wheel is being returned is within the dead zone, whether the steering wheel is being returned is judged on the basis of the steering torque (T) detected by a torque sensor (6) and the terminal voltage (Vm) of the motor, and the direction and magnitude of a driving current for the motor when the steering wheel is being returned are determined corresponding to the vehicle speed (V). Accordingly, the steering wheel is returned to the neutral position without using a steering angle sensor. A power steering apparatus to drive a motor for assisting steering force without any time delay by adjusting a temporary control value obtained corresponding to the detected signal of a torque sensor with a differentiated value of the detected signal wherein the effective detection width of the steering torque to obtain the differentiated value is wider than the effective detection width of the steering torque to obtain the temporary control value.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mitsuhiko Nishimoto

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 22:41
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62D; B62D5/00; B62D5/04; B62D5/0457; B62D5/046; B62D5/0466

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 179 words
A power steering apparatus which comprises: a detecting means for detecting the speed of a vehicle; a torque sensor for detecting a steering torque exerted onto a steering wheel; a motor for assisting steering force, driven by the driving current corresponding to the steering torque detected by said torque sensor; a means for detecting the terminal voltage of said motor; a steering wheel return detecting means for detecting whether the steering wheel is being returned to the neutral position on the basis of the detected result of said terminal voltage detecting means and of said torque sensor; a returning current calculating means for calculating a current to drive said motor to assist the return of the steering wheel on the basis of the detected result of said vehicle speed detecting means when said steering wheel return detecting means detects that the steering wheel is being returned; and a means for driving said motor by the driving current calculated by said returning current calculating means when said steering wheel return detecting means detects that the steering wheel is being returned.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 63 words
A power steering apparatus as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said steering wheel return detecting means detects that the steering wheel is being returned when the steering torque detected by said torque sensor is in the dead zone of a predetermined range during said steering wheel being turned, and the terminal voltage of said motor is not smaller than a predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
A power steering apparatus as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said returning current calculating means calculates such a returning current that the returning force of the motor for the steering wheel increases as the vehicle speed becomes closer to a predetermined value of the low speed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 118 words
A power steering apparatus which comprises: a torque sensor which detects a steering torque exerted onto a steering wheel; a motor for assisting steering force of said steering wheel; and a control unit for obtaining a current to drive said motor by means of adjusting a first signal corresponding to a detected signal of the steering torque by said torque sensor with a second signal obtained by differentiating said detected signal, characterized in that said second signal has a wider range than said first signal in an effective detection width which is the range between the upper and lower limits of the steering torque where a voltage signal corresponding to the magnitude of the steering torque is outputted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 44 words
A power steering apparatus as set forth in Claim 4, wherein said effective detection width of said second signal is made wider than that of said first signal by changing the gain to the detected signal of the steering torque by said torque sensor.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag