Electric power steering apparatus
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasuo Shimizu, Katsuji Watanabe, Atsuhiko Yoneda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improvement to an electric power steering apparatus which applies an assisting torque produced by an electric motor in correspondence with a steering torque to a rack shaft by way of a belt type transmission mechanism. A driving pulley of the belt type transmission mechanism is mounted to an output shaft part of the motor shaft of the electric motor. This output shaft part is rotatably supported at locations on both sides of the driving pulley.
Claims4
An electric power steering apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a steering wheel;
- an electric motor for producing an assisting torque corresponding to a steering torque produced with the steering wheel;
- a belt type transmission mechanism for transmitting the assisting torque to a steering mechanism;
- and
- a driving pulley of the belt type transmission mechanism, fixed to the motor shaft of the electric motor,
- wherein the motor shaft is rotatably supported at positions on both sides of the driving pulley.
An electric power steering apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a steering wheel;
- a rack and pinion mechanism to the pinion shaft of which is transmitted a steering torque produced by operating the steering wheel to steer steering road wheels;
- a torque detection device for detecting the steering torque;
- an electric motor for producing an assisting torque corresponding to the steering torque;
- and
- a belt type transmission mechanism interposed between the electric motor and the rack and pinion mechanism for applying the assisting torque to the rack shaft of the rack and pinion mechanism,
- wherein the torque detection device detects and converts into a steering torque an amount of twist of the pinion shaft which changes in correspondence with the steering torque.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.