US 2004/0070189 A1Published application

Vehicle steering apparatus

AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsMasatoshi Nakatsu, Junji Kawamuro, Takahiro Kojo

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Abstract

A vehicle steering apparatus is provided with a transmitting ratio variable gear ratio mechanism in a steering force transmitting system, and a lock mechanism which limits relative rotation between an input shaft and an output shaft of the steering force transmitting system. In the lock mechanism is provided a lock holder which rotates together with a rotor of a motor, and in which is formed a plurality of first indented portions in a circumferential direction along the circumference and a second indented portion indented deeper than the first indented portions at one end portion of each of the first indented portions. In the lock mechanism is also provided a lock arm which is provided on a stator side of the motor and which engages with the one of the first indented portions or second indented portions.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A vehicle steering apparatus comprising:

a variable gear ratio device having an input shaft coupled to a steering wheel side and an output shaft coupled to a steered wheel side, which changes a ratio of an angle input to the input shaft and an angle output to the output shaft by rotation of a motor, and
a lock mechanism which restricts relative rotation of the input shaft and the output shaft, the lock mechanism including i) a lock holder which is provided on a rotor side of the motor and rotates together with the rotor, and which has a plurality of first indented portions formed in a circumferential direction along a circumference thereof, and a second indented portion, which is indented even deeper than the first indented portion and is formed at one end portion of each of the first indented portions;
and ii) an engaging member which is provided on a stator side of the motor and is able to move close to and away from the lock holder, and which engages with one of the first indented portions or one of the second indented portions of the lock holder when the engaging member is operated so as to move close to the lock holder.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.