Device for stabilizing vehicle attitude in terminal portion of countersteering state by reducing vehicle yaw moment produced by yaw moment control mechanism

Claim 1

A vehicle attitude control device comprising a steering wheel angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of a steering wheel which is operated by an operator of the vehicle to steer front wheels of the vehicle, a yaw rate sensor for detecting an actual value of a yaw rate of the vehicle, a yaw moment control mechanism for giving a yaw moment to the vehicle and controlling said yaw moment, and a controller for controlling said yaw moment control mechanism in a normal target follow-up control mode so that the actual value of the yaw rate detected by said yaw rate sensor coincides with a target value of the yaw rate which is determined on the basis of the rotation angle of the steering wheel detected by said steering wheel angle sensor, wherein an improvement comprises yaw moment reducing means for reducing the yaw moment to be given to the vehicle by said yaw moment control mechanism, to a reduced value smaller than a normal value to which the yaw moment is controlled in said normal target follow-up control mode under the control of said controller, said yaw moment reducing means being operated in at least a second phase of a countersteering period following a first phase of said countersteering period, said countersteering period being initiated by countersteering manipulation of said steering wheel by said operator upon slipping of rear wheels of the vehicle during turning of the vehicle outwardly of a direction of said turning so as to countersteer the vehicle, said countersteering manipulation including a rotation of said steering wheel in said first phase so that said front wheels are oriented outwards with respect to said turning direction of the vehicle, and a rotation of said steering wheel toward a neutral position thereof in said second phase.