Electronic control power steering device
AssigneeToyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsSusumu Honaga, Yoshiharu Inaguma, Tsune Kobayashi, Nobuyuki Kawabata, Fumio Ukai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric power steering apparatus (11) includes a reduction mechanism (G) for transmitting the rotation of a rotating shaft (28a) of a motor (28) to a ball screw nut (20) while reducing the speed of the rotation. The reduction mechanism includes a drive gear (29), which is coaxially connected to the rotating shaft of the motor, and a driven gear (16a), which is arranged on the outer surface of the ball screw nut. Due to the reduction mechanism, the motor may be inclined relative to a rack shaft (18).
Claims15
An electric power steering apparatus (11;
- 100;
- 200) for transmitting a driving force of a motor (28;
- 103;
- 203) to a rack shaft (18;
- 106;
- 206) via a reduction mechanism (G;
- 101;
- 201 and 261) and a ball screw mechanism (21) to assist movement of the rack shaft in a longitudinal axis (O) thereof, the electric power steering apparatus being characterized in that:
- the reduction mechanism includes a drive gear (29;
- 111;
- 201) connected to a rotating shaft (28a;
- 231) of the motor, and a driven gear (16a;
- 161;
- 261) meshed with the drive gear and connected to the ball screw mechanism, with the rotating shaft of the motor intersecting the longitudinal axis of the rack shaft at an arbitrary angle (θ2).
An electric power steering apparatus (11;
- 100;
- 200) characterized by:
- a rack shaft (18;
- 106;
- 206) having a longitudinal axis (O);
- a rack housing (16) for accommodating the rack shaft and having a first end and a second end;
- a pinion shaft (25) arranged in the vicinity of the first end of the rack housing and connected to the rack shaft;
- a motor (28;
- 103;
- 203) arranged in the vicinity of the second end of the rack housing;
- a ball nut (20;
- 162;
- 262) arranged coaxially to the rack shaft in a manner covering the rack shaft, wherein the ball nut is rotated relative to the rack shaft to move the rack shaft along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a reduction mechanism (G;
- 101;
- 201 and 261) arranged between the motor and the ball nut to transmit rotation of a rotating shaft (28a) of the motor to the ball screw nut while reducing the speed of the rotation, wherein the reduction mechanism includes a drive gear (29;
- 101;
- 201) coaxially connected to the rotating shaft of the motor and a driven gear (16a;
- 161;
- 261) arranged on the outer surface of the ball screw nut and meshed with the drive gear, with the axis of the drive gear inclined with respect to the axis of the driven gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.