Electric steering locker, and method of controlling electric steering locker
AssigneeAlpha Corporation
InventorKazuhisa Yabumoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric steering locker, includes: a lock member moved by means of a drive source between: a locking position preventing a rotation of a steering shaft, and an unlocking position allowing the rotation of the steering shaft; a position sensor sensing that: the lock member moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, and the lock member moves from the unlocking position to the locking position, the position sensor, including: a plurality of pressers moving with the lock member, and a single switch having a contact point turned on and off by the pressers; and a controller sensing the locking position and the unlocking position of the lock member based on the number of ons-offs of the single switch.
Claims11
An electric steering locker, comprising:
- 1) a lock member configured to move by means of a drive source between:
- i) a locking position for preventing a rotation of a steering shaft, and
- ii) an unlocking position for allowing the rotation of the steering shaft;
- 2) a position sensor configured to sense that:
- i) the lock member moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, and
- ii) the lock member moves from the unlocking position to the locking position,
- the position sensor, including:
- a) a plurality of pressers configured to move in combination with the lock member, and
- b) a single switch having a contact point which is turned on and off by the pressers;
- and
- 3) a controller configured to sense the locking position and the unlocking position of the lock member based on the number of ons-offs of the single switch.
A method of controlling an electric steering locker, comprising:
- 1) moving a lock member by means of a drive source between:
- i) a locking position for preventing a rotation of a steering shaft, and
- ii) an unlocking position for allowing the rotation of the steering shaft;
- 2) sensing a position of the lock member to sense that:
- i) the lock member moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, and
- ii) the lock member moves from the unlocking position to the locking position,
- the sensing, including:
- a) pressing a contact member of a single switch, and
- b) turning on and off the contact point of the single switch by the pressing;
- and
- 3) sensing the locking position and the unlocking position of the lock member based on the number of ons-offs of the single switch.
An electric steering locker, comprising:
- 1) locking means for moving by means of a drive source between:
- i) a locking position for preventing a rotation of a steering shaft, and
- ii) an unlocking position for allowing the rotation of the steering shaft;
- 2) sensing means for sensing that:
- i) the locking means moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, and
- ii) the locking means moves from the unlocking position to the locking position,
- the sensing means, including:
- a) a plurality of pressing means for moving in combination with the locking means, and
- b) single switching means having a contact point which is turned on and off by the plurality of the pressing means;
- and
- 3) controlling means for sensing the locking position and the unlocking position of the locking means based on the number of ons-offs of the single switching means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.