US 6,199,654 B1Granted

Vehicle steering apparatus

AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTakahiro Kojo, Junji Kawamuro, Morihiro Matsuda, Masahiko Shindo

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Abstract

In a vehicle steering apparatus having a variable gear ratio unit arranged midway along a steering transmission system for connecting a steering wheel and tires to change the transmission ratio, and an ECU for variably controlling the variable gear ratio unit in accordance with the state of a vehicle, the variable gear ratio unit includes a motor controlled by the ECU, and a reducing mechanism which has a transmission ratio for allowing to maintain the steering angle of the steering wheel with respect to an RF reverse input and transmits the rotation of the motor to the output side. Even if a reverse input acts from a tire side during traveling, the relationship between the steering amount of the steering wheel and the turning amount of the tire can be kept unchanged.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A vehicle steering apparatus comprising transmission ratio change means, arranged midway along a linear steering transmission system and located between a steering wheel and a steering gear box for connecting the steering wheel and a turned wheel, for changing a transmission ratio, and control means for variably controlling said transmission ratio change means in accordance with a state of a vehicle,

said transmission ratio change means comprising:
a motor whose rotation is controlled by said control means;
and
a reducing mechanism for reducing a rotation speed of said motor,
wherein a housing, which rotates based on the rotation of the steering wheel, for said motor and said reducing mechanism and a reduction output terminal of said reducing mechanism are connected to said steering transmission system, said motor and said reduction output terminal being axially aligned.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.