Motor-driven steering lock apparatus

A motor-driven steering lock apparatus locking and unlocking a steering wheel by engaging and disengaging a lock shaft with a movable member working with a steering operation of a vehicle by an electric motor, comprising:

• an unlock detecting unit detecting a fact that the steering wheel is unlocked;
• and
• a power source control unit controlling a drive power source of the electric motor,
• wherein the power source control unit controls the drive power source of the electric motor to a first voltage which is lower than a maximum supply voltage of a vehicle power source at a time of unlocking the steering wheel, and controls the drive power source of the electric motor to a second voltage which is larger than the first voltage, at a time of unlocking the steering wheel again in a case where the unlock detecting unit does not detect the unlock even by controlling the drive power source of the electric motor to the first voltage.

A motor-driven steering lock apparatus locking and unlocking a steering wheel by engaging and disengaging a lock shaft with a movable member working with a steering operation of a vehicle by an electric motor, comprising:

• a torque generation determining unit determining a fact that a torque is generated in the movable member of the steering wheel;
• and
• a power source control unit controlling a drive power source of the electric motor,
• wherein the power source control unit controls the drive power source of the electric motor to a first voltage which is lower than a maximum supply voltage of a vehicle power source if the torque generation determining unit does not determine the generation of the torque at a time of unlocking the steering wheel, and controls the drive power source of the electric motor to a second voltage which is larger than the first voltage if the torque generation determining unit determines the generation of the torque.