Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080272582 | ENERGY ABSORBING STEERING SYSTEM - In an energy absorbing steering system including a steering shaft to which a steering member is coupled, and a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, at least one of the steering shaft and the steering column includes an impact absorbing portion that contracts when a load equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied, and the impact absorbing portion includes a first impact absorbing portion having a first impact absorption load, and a second impact absorbing portion having a second impact absorption load different from the first impact absorption load. | 11-06-2008 |
20080277193 | ELECTRIC POWER STEERING DEVICE - A steering shaft is composed of an upper shaft, a lower shaft, an input shaft, and an output shaft. The upper shaft, the lower shaft, and the input shaft can rotate together, and the input shaft and the output shaft are relatively rotatably coupled to each other via a torsion bar. The rotational position of a rotor coupled to the output shaft is calculated based on the detected rotational position of the lower shaft and a steering torque detected based on the amount of relative rotational displacement of the input shaft and the output shaft. Thus, it is not necessary to include a rotor rotational position detecting unit for detecting the rotational position of the rotor within the electric motor, which reduces the size of the electric motor. | 11-13-2008 |
20080283331 | VEHICLE STEERING APPARATUS - An electric motor provided in a vehicle steering apparatus includes a stator coaxially surrounding a steering shaft, an inner rotor disposed on the inner periphery of the stator, and an outer rotor disposed on the outer periphery of the stator. The facing area between the stator and the rotor can be increased by providing the inner rotor and the outer rotor in the electric motor. Consequently, the electric motor can be miniaturized while a certain output thereof is maintained. The vehicle steering apparatus can be miniaturized by miniaturizing the electric motor. | 11-20-2008 |
20090064815 | VEHICLE STEERING APPARATUS - A vehicle steering apparatus includes a steering member for rotational operation, and a support mechanism that supports the steering member so as to be movable between a housing position where the steering member is housed in a fixed frame of an instrument panel and a projection position where the steering member projects to an outside of the fixed frame. The steering member includes a main body supported by the support mechanism, a pair of grip sections which are movable between the housing position and the projection position together with the main body, and which are supported so as to be movable between a nonoperating position and an operating position by the main body, and a grip section drive actuator which is supported by the main body, and drives the pair of grip sections to the nonoperating position and the operating position. | 03-12-2009 |
20090065285 | VEHICLE STEERING APPARATUS - A vehicle steering apparatus, includes a steering member for rotational operation, a support mechanism that supports the steering member so as to be movable between a housing position where the steering member is housed in a fixed frame of an instrument panel and a projection position where the steering member projects to an outside of the fixed frame, and that regulates an attitude of the steering member located between the housing position and the projection position, and a movable frame that moves together with the steering member, and that constitutes a part of the instrument panel by covering an opening formed in the fixed frame of the instrument panel when the steering member is housed at the housing position. | 03-12-2009 |
20110040448 | Steering apparatus - There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears. | 02-17-2011 |
20110120797 | VEHICLE STEERING APPARATUS - A vehicle steering apparatus includes an actuator that generates a steering force, and a first speed reduction mechanism connected to the actuator. To the first speed reduction mechanism, a second speed reduction mechanism is connected. To the second speed reduction mechanism, a steering mechanism is connected. A sub-assembly including the actuator and the first speed reduction mechanism is configured. | 05-26-2011 |