Steering apparatus, and kickback determination apparatus

A steering apparatus comprising:

• a steering member that is provided in a vehicle and that is capable of being turned so as to perform steering;
• an adjustment device capable of adjusting vibration of the steering member in a rotation direction;
• and
• a control device capable of executing a control of restraining the vibration by controlling the adjustment device, if an operation point determined based on steering angle of the steering member and steering torque that acts on the steering member is outside a criterion region that is set beforehand, wherein
• a width of the criterion region in terms of the steering torque differs according to magnitude of the steering angle, and when a first region, a second region, and a third region are set in order from a side where the steering angle is small toward a side where the steering angle is large, the steering torque increases in order of the first region, the second region, and the third region, and a width of the second region in terms of the steering torque is wider than widths of the first region and the third region in terms of the steering torque,
• the first region is a small-angle and small torque region in which the steering angle is smaller than a first predetermined value and the steering torque is smaller than a second predetermined value, and is a region in a change amount of the steering torque and vibration of the steering member in a circumferential direction due to an input from a road surface being excessively large is undesirable,
• the third region is a large-angle and large-torque region in which the steering angle is larger than a third predetermined value and the steering torque is larger than a fourth predetermined value, and is a region in which the change amount of the steering torque and the vibration of the steering member in the circumferential direction due to the input from the road surface being excessively large is undesirable, and
• the second region is an intermediate-angle and intermediate-torque region between the first region and the third region, and is a region in which the change amount of the steering torque and the vibration of the steering member in the circumferential direction due to the input from the road surface are desired to be transmitted to a driver as information from the road surface.

A kickback determination apparatus, wherein

• the kickback determination apparatus determines that a kickback state is present, if an operation point determined according to steering angle of a steering member that is provided in a vehicle and that is capable of being turned so as to perform steering and steering torque that acts on the steering member is outside a criterion region that is set beforehand;
• a width of the criterion region in terms of the steering torque differs according to magnitude of the steering angle, and when a first region, a second region, and a third region are set in order from a side where the steering angle is small toward a side where the steering angle is large, the steering torque increases in order of the first region, the second region, and the third region, and a width of the second region in terms of the steering torque is wider than widths of the first region and the third region in terms of the steering torque;
• the first region is a small-angle and small torque region in which the steering angle is smaller than a first predetermined value and the steering torque is smaller than a second predetermined value, and is a region in which a change amount of the steering torque and vibration of the steering member in a circumferential direction due to an input from a road surface being excessively large is undesirable;
• the third region is a large-angle and large-torque region in which the steering angle is larger than a third predetermined value and the steering torque is larger than a fourth predetermined value, and is a region in which the change amount of the steering torque and the vibration of the steering member in the circumferential direction due to the input from the road surface being excessively large is undesirable;
• and
• the second region is an intermediate-angle and intermediate-torque region between the first region and the third region, and is a region in which the change amount of the steering torque and the vibration of the steering member in the circumferential direction due to the input from the road surface are desired to be transmitted to a driver as information from the road surface.