Steering rotation range restriction mechanism and reaction force application device

Abstract

To regulate the rotation of a steering with an easy configuration.SOLUTION: A rotation range regulation mechanism 100 includes: a case 40; and multiple discs 50 which are connected to a steering shaft 10 and stored in a stacking manner. The multiple discs 50 include: a boss part 52 which is formed in a body part 51 and protrudes in one axial direction from the body part 51; a boss receiving part 53 which is formed on a surface on the opposite side to the boss part 52 of the body part 51 and rotatably supports the boss parts 52 of the discs 50 stacked adjacently; and a locking part 54 which is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body part 51 and can slide along the outer peripheral surface of the disc 50. The multiple discs 50 rotate integrally when the locking parts 54 of the discs 50 stacked adjacently come into contact with each other. The case 40 includes a regulation part 44 that regulates the rotation of the entire disc 50 with contact of the locking part 54 of the disc 50 stacked on a bottom surface 41a of a storage hole 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering rotation range restriction mechanism and a reaction force application device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle steering device in which the mechanical connection between the steering member and the steered wheels is released, the steering device comprising a housing, a shaft that rotates in response to the rotation of the steering member, and a rotation restriction mechanism that restricts the amount of rotation of the steering member to a predetermined angle or less.

[0003] The rotation restricting mechanism is provided at the end of the shaft. The rotation restricting mechanism has a rotatable element that is provided coaxially with the rotation axis of the shaft and rotates integrally with the shaft, and a non-rotatable element that is disposed opposite the rotatable element and is provided in the housing and is non-rotatable relative to the rotatable element. A plurality of intermediate elements that are fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and aligned in the axial direction of the shaft are provided between the non-rotatable element and the rotatable element. A friction imparting element that does not fit to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft is provided between each of the plurality of intermediate elements. The amount of rotation of the steering member is restricted by friction force generated between the friction imparting element and a member adjacent to the friction imparting element. A bearing that supports the non-rotatable element on the shaft is provided between the shaft and the non-rotatable element. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-1183 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the rotation restricting mechanism described in Patent Document 1, a shaft is disposed so as to pass through multiple intermediate elements and multiple friction-imparting elements, and a bearing is disposed within the non-rotational element to receive the rotation of the shaft. Furthermore, the multiple intermediate elements that rotate with the shaft, the multiple friction-imparting elements that restrict the rotation of the shaft, and the non-rotational element are disposed separately. Therefore, the rotation restricting mechanism has a large number of parts, and is time-consuming to manufacture.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a rotation range restriction mechanism with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a steering rotation range restriction mechanism for a steering device in which a steering wheel to which steering torque is input and wheels that are steered in response to the steering torque are mechanically separated, the mechanism comprising: a case having an accommodation hole; and a plurality of rotating members that are connected to a steering shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the steering wheel and are stacked and accommodated in the accommodation hole, each of the plurality of rotating members having a disk-shaped main body portion, a boss portion that is formed on the main body portion and protrudes in one axial direction from the main body portion, a boss receiving portion that is formed on the surface of the main body portion opposite the boss portion and rotatably supports the boss portion of an adjacently stacked rotating member, and a locking portion that is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion and is slidable along the outer circumferential surface of the adjacently stacked rotating member, the plurality of rotating members rotate integrally as the locking portions of adjacently stacked rotating members abut against each other, and the case has a restricting portion that restricts the rotation of all of the rotating members as the locking portions of the stacked rotating members abut against the bottom surface of the accommodation hole. Of the multiple stacked rotating members, only the rotating member closest to the steering shaft is directly connected to the steering shaft. It is characterized by:

[0008] In this invention, the multiple rotating members are stacked rotatably via boss portions and boss receiving portions. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a shaft penetrating the multiple rotating members or a bearing supporting the shaft in order to support the multiple rotating members. Furthermore, a locking portion for transmitting the rotation of the steering wheel is formed integrally with the rotating members, and the locking portion of the rotating members stacked on the bottom surface of the housing hole of the case abuts against the restricting portion of the case, thereby restricting the rotation of the entire rotating members. Therefore, the number of parts in the rotation range restricting mechanism is reduced, and the rotation of the steering wheel can be restricted with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the rotation range restriction mechanism can be easily assembled.

[0009] The present invention also provides The plurality of rotary members are characterized by being formed in the same shape.

[0010] In this invention, Since the rotational members can be of the same shape, the rotation range restriction mechanism can be easily manufactured and assembled.

[0011] The present invention also provides A groove is formed in the circumferential direction on the bottom surface of the housing hole of the case to guide the locking portion of the rotating member stacked on the bottom surface, and the restricting portion is formed at the end of the groove.

[0012] In this invention, Since grooves and restricting portions are formed in the case that houses the multiple rotating members, the number of parts in the rotation range restricting mechanism is reduced.

[0013] The present invention also provides A reaction force applying device having a reaction force motor that applies a steering reaction force to a steering wheel and a steering rotation range restriction mechanism, wherein the steering rotation range restriction mechanism has a case attached to the housing of the reaction force motor.

[0014] In this invention, The rotation range restriction mechanism can be applied to the reaction force application device simply by attaching the case of the rotation range restriction mechanism to the housing of the reaction force motor.

[0015] The present invention also provides The reaction force applying device has a steering rotation range restriction mechanism of a steering device in which a steering wheel to which a steering torque is input and a wheel that is steered in response to the steering torque are mechanically separated, and a reaction force motor that applies a steering reaction force to the steering wheel, the rotation range restriction mechanism having a case with a housing hole, and a plurality of rotating members that are connected to a steering shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the steering wheel and are stacked and housed in the housing hole, the plurality of rotating members having a disk-shaped main body, a boss portion formed on the main body and protruding from the main body in one axial direction, and a boss portion on the main body opposite to the boss portion. The case has a boss receiving portion formed on the side surface of the reaction motor that rotatably supports the boss portion of the adjacent stacked rotating member, and a locking portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body that is slidable along the outer peripheral surface of the adjacent stacked rotating member, and the multiple rotating members rotate together as a unit when the locking portions of the adjacent stacked rotating members abut against each other, the case has a regulating portion that restricts the rotation of the entire rotating members when the locking portions of the stacked rotating members abut against the bottom surface of the accommodating hole, and the steering rotation range regulating mechanism is characterized in that the case is attached to the opposite side of the reaction motor housing from the reaction motor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, the rotation range restriction mechanism has a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a steering device. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a reaction force application device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a rotation range restriction mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a rotation range restriction mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the case omitted. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the top surface side of the disk. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the disk. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view (part 1) showing the operation of rotating a plurality of disks, corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view (part 2) showing the operation of rotating a plurality of disks, corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 11] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view (part 3) showing the operation of rotating a plurality of disks, corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view (part 4) showing the operation of rotating a plurality of disks, corresponding to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] A rotation range restriction mechanism 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is provided in a steering device 1 serving as a steering device.

[0020] 1 to 3 is a steering device 1 that performs steer-by-wire control, in which the steering of wheels 3 is controlled in response to the operation of a steering wheel 2 by a driver. In the steering device 1, the steering wheel 2 to which a steering torque is input by the driver and the wheels 3 that are steered in response to the steering torque are mechanically separated.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the steering device 1 includes a steering shaft 10 connected to a steering wheel 2 and rotating in response to the rotation of the steering wheel 2, a torque sensor 5 that detects the torque acting on a torsion bar 13 of the steering shaft 10, a rack shaft 20 that steers the wheels 3 in response to the rotation of the steering shaft 10, an electric motor 8 that displaces the rack shaft 20, and a controller 6 that controls the drive of the electric motor 8 in response to the detection value of the torque sensor 5.

[0022] The steering shaft 10 is composed of an input shaft 11 that rotates in response to the driver's steering operation of the steering wheel 2, a reaction shaft 12 to which a reaction force is input from the reaction motor 4 as described below, and a torsion bar 13 that connects the input shaft 11 and the reaction shaft 12.

[0023] The rack shaft 20 is an axial member extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and is connected to one wheel 3 via a first tie rod 21a and a first knuckle arm 22a, and to the other wheel 3 via a second tie rod 21b and a second knuckle arm 22b.

[0024] The first and second tie rods 21a, 21b are connected to the rack shaft 20 so as to be able to swing freely via first and second ball joints 23a, 23b, which serve as connecting parts provided at both ends of the rack shaft 20. Note that the connecting parts connecting the rack shaft 20 to the first and second tie rods 21a, 21b are not limited to the first and second ball joints 23a, 23b, and other types of universal joints may also be used.

[0025] The controller 6 is configured by a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) that stores control programs executed by the CPU, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores the results of CPU calculations, etc. The controller 6 may be configured by a single microcomputer or may be configured by multiple microcomputers.

[0026] Torque sensor 5 detects steering torque applied to input shaft 11 in accordance with steering operation by the driver, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected steering torque to controller 6. Controller 6 calculates the torque to be output by electric motor 8 based on the signal from torque sensor 5, and controls the drive of electric motor 8 so that this torque is generated. The torque of electric motor 8 is transmitted to output shaft 15 via reducer 9.

[0027] The output shaft 15 and the rack shaft 20 are connected to each other via a rack-and-pinion mechanism consisting of a pinion gear 15a provided at the end of the output shaft 15 and a rack gear 20a provided on the rack shaft 20. The pinion gear 15a and the rack gear 20a mesh with each other, and the torque of the output shaft 15 is converted into an axial load of the rack shaft 20 via the pinion gear 15a and the rack gear 20a and transmitted to the rack shaft 20. As a result, the rack shaft 20 is displaced in the axial direction by the transmitted torque, and the wheels 3 are steered via the first and second tie rods 21a and 21b.

[0028] In this way, in the steering device 1 configured as described above, the steering torque applied to the input shaft 11 is detected by the torque sensor 5, and the drive of the electric motor 8 is controlled by the controller 6 based on the detection result, thereby steering the wheels 3.

[0029] In a steering device in which the steering wheel and the wheels are mechanically coupled, a rack shaft coupled to the steering wheel for steering the wheels moves to a stroke end, and the movement of the rack shaft is restricted, thereby restricting the rotation of the steering wheel at the maximum steering angle. However, in the steering device 1 of this embodiment in which steer-by-wire control is performed, the steering wheel 2 to which the steering torque is input by the driver and the wheels 3 that are steered in response to the steering torque are mechanically separated, and therefore the rotation of the steering wheel 2 cannot be restricted via the rack shaft 20. For this reason, in the steering device 1, a rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is provided on the steering shaft 10 (specifically, the reaction shaft 12) to restrict the rotation of the steering wheel 2 at the maximum steering angle. In other words, the rotation of the steering shaft 10 is restricted by the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, thereby restricting the rotation of the steering wheel 2 at the maximum steering angle.

[0030] The steering device 1 also has a reaction force motor 4 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) that applies to the steering wheel 2 a steering reaction force transmitted from the road surface or the like to the wheels 3. The reaction force motor 4 is controlled by a controller 6. The torque of the reaction force motor 4 is transmitted to the steering wheel 2 via a reducer 7 and a steering shaft 10. In this way, a steering reaction force is applied to the steering wheel 2. The reaction force motor 4 and a rotation range restriction mechanism 100 constitute a reaction force application device 30 that applies a reaction force to the steering shaft 10. The rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is attached to a housing 31 of the reaction force motor 4. Note that FIGS. 2 and 3 only show the reaction force application device 30 of the steering device 1.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 comprises a case 40 having an accommodating hole 41, and a plurality of rotating members, namely discs 50, which are connected to the steering shaft 10 and stacked and accommodated in the accommodating hole 41.

[0032] First, the configuration of the disks 50 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 includes five disks 50. Note that the number of disks 50 is not limited to five, as long as there is more than one. The disks 50 are formed to have the same shape. The disks 50 are formed of, for example, metal. Note that the disks 50 may also be formed of resin or the like. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the top side of one disk 50, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of one disk 50. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the disc 50 has a disk-shaped main body 51, a boss 52 (see Figure 6) formed on the main body 51 and protruding from the main body 51 in one axial direction, a boss receiving portion 53 (see Figure 5) formed on the surface of the main body 51 opposite the boss 52 and rotatably supporting the boss 52 of an adjacently stacked disc 50, a locking portion 54 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 51 and slidable along the outer peripheral surface of the adjacently stacked disc 50, and a connecting portion 55 that can be connected to the steering shaft 10.

[0033] The boss portion 52 and the boss receiving portion 53 are formed to have shapes corresponding to each other. Specifically, the boss portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape concentric with the main body portion 51, and the boss receiving portion 53 is formed as a receiving hole concentric with the main body portion 51. The outer diameter of the boss portion 52 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the boss receiving portion 53, and the axial height of the boss portion 52 and the axial depth of the boss receiving portion 53 are approximately the same. In the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, the boss receiving portion 53 of one disk 50 receives and supports the boss portion 52 of another disk 50, thereby aligning the disks 50 with each other, and the boss portions 52 and the boss receiving portions 53 slidingly contact each other, allowing the disks 50 to be stacked on top of each other so that they can rotate freely (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In this embodiment, multiple disks 50 are stacked with the boss portions 52 facing downward. Note that a lubricant such as grease may be provided between the boss portion 52 and the boss receiving portion 53.

[0034] The locking portion 54 protrudes radially from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 51 and is formed to protrude axially from one axial surface of the main body portion 51. In this embodiment, the locking portion 54 is formed to protrude axially from the surface of the main body portion 51 on which the boss portion 52 is formed (see FIG. 6), and is formed flush with the surface of the main body portion 51 on which the boss receiving portion 53 is formed (see FIG. 5). Therefore, when the disc 50 rotates, the locking portion 54 can come into contact with the locking portion 54 of an adjacent disc 50 stacked thereon. The locking portion 54 is formed to extend circumferentially concentrically with the main body portion 51. The locking portion 54 is formed so as not to come into sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 51 of an adjacent disc 50 stacked thereon when the disc 50 rotates.

[0035] The connecting portion 55 is formed in the center of the disc 50 and penetrates the disc 50 in the axial direction. The connecting portion 55 is concentric with the main body portion 51 and is formed in a shape that fits onto the steering shaft 10. The steering shaft 10 and the disc 50 are connected by a spline connection. In this embodiment, of the stacked discs 50, only the disc 50a (the topmost disc) that is closest to the steering shaft 10 is connected to the steering shaft 10 by the connecting portion 55, and the disc 50a rotates as the steering shaft 10 rotates. The multiple discs 50 rotate together as the locking portions 54 of adjacent stacked discs 50 abut against each other. The rotational movement of the multiple discs 50 will be described later. Hereinafter, the second disc 50 from the top will also be referred to as disc 50b, the third disc 50 from the top as disc 50c, the fourth disc 50 from the top as disc 50d, and the bottom disc 50 as disc 50e. The locking portions 54 of the disks 50a to 50e are also referred to as locking portions 54a to 54e, respectively.

[0036] Next, the configuration of the case 40 will be described in detail. Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of the case 40, and Fig. 8 is a top view of the case 40. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the case 40 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a bottom. The case 40 has a housing hole 41 in which a plurality of discs 50 are housed, and flanges 45 as a pair of mounting portions for mounting the case 40 to the housing 31 of the reaction motor 4.

[0037] The accommodating hole 41 is formed to a size such that the outer peripheral surface of the disk 50 does not come into contact with the inner peripheral surface even when the disk 50 rotates. A concave case-side boss receiving portion 42 that rotatably supports the boss portion 52 of the disk 50e stacked on the bottom surface 41a of the accommodating hole 41, and a groove 43 that guides the locking portion 54e of the disk 50e are formed on the bottom surface 41a of the accommodating hole 41. The case-side boss receiving portion 42, like the boss receiving portion 53 of the disk 50, is formed in a shape corresponding to the boss portion 52 of the disk 50e. The groove 43 extends in the circumferential direction, and a portion of the locking portion 54e of the disk 50e is received in the groove 43. As the disk 50e rotates, the locking portion 54e is guided along the groove 43, allowing the disk 50e to rotate stably. A restricting portion 44 against which the locking portion 54e abuts is formed at the end of the groove 43. Two restricting portions 44 are formed at both circumferential ends of the groove 43. The rotation of the disc 50e is restricted by the engagement portion 54e coming into contact with the restriction portion 44. When multiple discs 50 are accommodated in the accommodation hole 41, the boss portion 52 of the disc 50e is accommodated in the case-side boss receiving portion 42, and a part of the engagement portion 54e of the disc 50e is accommodated in the groove 43.

[0038] The pair of flanges 45 are formed to protrude radially from the outer peripheral surface of the case 40. A through hole 46 is formed in each of the pair of flanges 45. A bolt 60 serving as a fastening member is inserted into the through hole 46. Furthermore, two screw holes 31a (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the through holes 46 are formed in the housing 31 that accommodates the reaction motor 4. The rotation range limit mechanism 100 is attached to the housing 31 by assembling a plurality of stacked discs 50 into the accommodation hole 41 of the case 40, aligning the pair of flanges 45 of the case 40 against the housing 31, and inserting the bolt 60 into the through hole 46 of the case 40 and the screw hole 31a of the housing 31. When the rotation range limit mechanism 100 is attached to the housing 31, only the disc 50a (the uppermost one) of the stacked discs 50 is connected to the steering shaft 10 by the connecting portion 55.

[0039] Next, the operation of rotating the multiple disks 50 will be described in detail.

[0040] In the state shown in FIG. 4, the locking portion 54e of the disk 50e stacked on the bottom surface 41a of the case 40 abuts against the restricting portion 44, restricting clockwise rotation. The locking portion 54d of the disk 50d stacked on the disk 50e abuts against the locking portion 54e of the disk 50e. Since the clockwise rotation of the disk 50e is restricted by the restricting portion 44, the clockwise rotation of the disk 50d is also restricted. Similarly, the locking portion 54c of the disk 50c stacked on the disk 50d abuts against the locking portion 54d of the disk 50d, restricting clockwise rotation. The locking portion 54b of the disk 50b stacked on the disk 50c abuts against the locking portion 54c of the disk 50c, restricting clockwise rotation. The locking portion 54a of the disk 50a stacked on the disk 50b does not abut against the locking portion 54b of the disk 50b. Therefore, the disc 50a can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, and therefore the steering shaft 10 and the steering wheel 2 to which the disc 50a is connected can also rotate clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0041] When the steering wheel 2 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 4, causing the steering shaft 10 and the disc 50a to rotate clockwise, the locking portion 54a comes into contact with the locking portion 54b of the disc 50b. When the locking portion 54a comes into contact with the locking portion 54b of the disc 50b, the clockwise rotation of the disc 50a is restricted. This restricts the clockwise rotation of all of the discs 50a to 50e. Therefore, the clockwise rotation of the steering wheel 2 and the steering wheel is restricted at the maximum steering angle.

[0042] When the steering wheel 2 is rotated counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 4, causing the steering shaft 10 and the disc 50a to rotate counterclockwise, the locking portion 54a comes into contact with the locking portion 54b, as shown in FIG. 9. The disc 50b is not restricted from rotating counterclockwise. Therefore, when the disc 50a rotates counterclockwise and the locking portion 54a comes into contact with the locking portion 54b, the rotational torque of the locking portion 54a is transmitted to the locking portion 54b, and the disc 50b rotates integrally with the disc 50a, as shown in FIG. 10. When the steering wheel 2 is further rotated counterclockwise and the locking portion 54b comes into contact with the locking portion 54c, the rotational torque of the locking portion 54b is similarly transmitted to the locking portion 54c, and the disc 50c rotates integrally with the discs 50a and 50b (not shown). Additionally, when the steering wheel 2 is rotated counterclockwise and the locking portion 54c comes into contact with the locking portion 54d, the disc 50d rotates integrally with the discs 50a to 50c as shown in FIG.

[0043] When the steering wheel 2 is rotated counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 11 and the locking portion 54d abuts against the locking portion 54e, the disc 50e similarly rotates integrally with the discs 50a to 50d (not shown). When the steering wheel 2 is further rotated counterclockwise, the locking portion 54e abuts against the restricting portion 44, as shown in FIG. 12. This restricts the counterclockwise rotation of the disc 50e, and restricts the counterclockwise rotation of all the discs 50a to 50e. Therefore, the counterclockwise rotation of the steering shaft 10 and the steering wheel 2 is restricted at the maximum steering angle. In this way, the restricting portion 44 restricts the rotation of all the discs 50a to 50e when the locking portion 54e abuts against it.

[0044] As described above, in the rotation range limiting mechanism 100, the multiple discs 50 are stacked rotatably via the boss portion 52 and the boss receiving portion 53. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a shaft penetrating the multiple discs 50 or a bearing supporting the shaft within the rotation range limiting mechanism 100 in order to support the multiple discs 50. Furthermore, in the rotation range limiting mechanism 100, the locking portion 54 for transmitting the rotation of the steering wheel 2 is formed integrally with the disc 50, and the locking portion 54e of the disc 50e stacked on the bottom surface 41a of the receiving hole 41 of the case 40 abuts against the restricting portion 44 of the case 40, thereby restricting the rotation of the entire disc 50. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate member for transmitting the rotation of the steering wheel 2 or a separate member for restricting the rotation of the disc 50. This reduces the number of parts in the rotation range limiting mechanism 100, making it possible to restrict the rotation of the steering wheel 2 with a simple configuration.

[0045] Furthermore, in the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, only the disk 50a (the topmost disk) of the stacked disks 50 that is closest to the steering shaft 10 is connected to the steering shaft 10 by the connecting portion 55. Therefore, when assembling the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, it is not necessary to connect the steering shaft 10 to all of the disks 50. This makes it easier to assemble the rotation range restriction mechanism 100.

[0046] Furthermore, in the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, the multiple disks 50 are formed to have the same shape. This allows disks 50 of the same shape to be used, making it easier to manufacture and assemble the rotation range restriction mechanism 100.

[0047] Furthermore, in the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, the grooves 43 and restriction portions 44 are formed in the case 40 that houses the plurality of discs 50, so the number of parts in the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is reduced.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 can be applied to the reaction force application device 30 simply by attaching the case 40 to the housing 31 of the reaction force motor 4 .

[0049] The rotation range of the steering wheel 2 is adjusted by the circumferential length of the locking portion 54 and the number of discs 50. Adjusting the circumferential length of the locking portion 54 adjusts the rotation range of one disc 50, rotating clockwise and counterclockwise until it abuts against the locking portion 54 of an adjacent stacked disc 50. In this embodiment, the circumferential length of the locking portion 54 is adjusted so that the rotation range of one disc 50 is 288 degrees (in other words, 144 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise from the neutral position). Specifically, the locking portion 54 is formed so that its circumferential angle is 72 degrees. Furthermore, with each stacked disc 50, the total rotation range of the multiple discs 50 increases by 288 degrees. In this embodiment, as described above, the rotation range limiting mechanism 100 includes five discs 50. Therefore, the total rotation range of the multiple discs 50, until the locking portion 54e of disc 50e abuts against the limiting portion 44, is 1440 degrees. In other words, with the rotation range limiting mechanism 100 of this embodiment, the rotation range of the steering wheel 2 is 720 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise from the neutral position, and the steering wheel 2 can be rotated two times clockwise and two times counterclockwise from the neutral position. In this way, with the rotation range limiting mechanism 100, the rotation range of the steering wheel 2 can be easily adjusted.

[0050] According to the above embodiment, the following advantageous effects are achieved.

[0051] In the rotation range limiting mechanism 100, the multiple discs 50 are rotatably stacked via boss portions 52 and boss receiving portions 53. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a shaft penetrating the multiple discs 50 or a bearing supporting the shaft within the rotation range limiting mechanism 100 in order to support the multiple discs 50. Furthermore, in the rotation range limiting mechanism 100, locking portions 54 for transmitting the rotation of the steering wheel 2 are formed integrally with the discs 50, and the locking portions 54e of the discs 50e stacked on the bottom surface 41a of the accommodation hole 41 of the case 40 come into contact with the restricting portions 44 of the case 40, thereby restricting the rotation of the entire discs 50. Therefore, the number of parts in the rotation range limiting mechanism 100 is reduced, and the rotation of the steering wheel 2 can be restricted with a simple configuration.

[0052] In the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, only the disk 50a, which is closest to the steering shaft 10 among the plurality of stacked disks 50, is connected to the steering shaft 10 by the connecting portion 55. This makes it easy to assemble the rotation range restriction mechanism 100.

[0053] In the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, the plurality of discs 50 are formed to have the same shape. This allows discs 50 of the same shape to be used, making it easier to manufacture and assemble the rotation range restriction mechanism 100.

[0054] In the rotation range restriction mechanism 100, the grooves 43 and restriction portions 44 are formed in the case 40 that houses the plurality of discs 50, so the number of parts of the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is reduced.

[0055] In the steering device 1, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 can be attached to the housing 31 of the reaction force motor 4, and the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 can be applied to the reaction force application device 30.

[0056] The following modified examples are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is possible to combine the configuration shown in the modified example with the configuration described in the above embodiment, or to combine the configurations described in the different modified examples below.

[0057] <Variation 1> In the above embodiment, the multiple disks 50 are formed to have the same shape. However, this is not limiting, and the multiple disks 50 may be formed to have different shapes. Each of the multiple disks 50 has at least a main body portion 51, a boss portion 52, a boss receiving portion 53, and a locking portion 54, and the connecting portion 55 is formed on at least the uppermost disk 50a.

[0058] <Variation 2> In the above embodiment, the boss portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape concentric with the main body portion 51. However, the shape of the boss portion 52 is not limited to the above, and it may be formed in a polygonal shape, for example, as long as it is configured to be housed in the boss receiving portion 53 and stacked rotatably.

[0059] <Variation 3> In the above embodiment, the restricting portion 44 is formed at the end of the groove 43 of the case 40. In other words, the restricting portion 44 is formed integrally with the case 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the restricting portion 44 may be formed separately from the case 40 and attached to the case 40.

[0060] <Variation 4> In the above embodiment, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is attached to the housing 31 of the reaction motor 4 and connected to the steering shaft 10. However, the location where the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 is attached is not limited to the above, as long as it is configured to be connected to the steering shaft 10 and to restrict the rotation of the steering wheel 2.

[0061] <Variation 5> In the above embodiment, in the steering device 1, a steering torque is input to the steering wheel 2 by the driver, and the steering shaft 10 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the steering wheel 2. However, in an autonomous vehicle, a steering torque may be input to the steering wheel 2 or the steering shaft 10 by a motor or the like. In other words, the rotation range limiting mechanism 100 can also be applied to an autonomous vehicle.

[0062] The configuration, operation, and effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0063] The steering device 1 has a steering wheel 2 to which a steering torque is input and a wheel 3 that is steered in response to the steering torque, and the steering wheel 2 rotation range restriction mechanism 100 of the steering wheel 2 mechanically separated from the steering wheel 2 includes a case 40 having a receiving hole 41, and a plurality of discs 50 as rotating members that are connected to a steering shaft 10 that rotates in response to the rotation of the steering wheel 2 and are stacked and received in the receiving hole 41. The plurality of discs 50 each include a disk-shaped main body 51, a boss 52 formed on the main body 51 and protruding from the main body 51 in one axial direction, and a boss 52 attached to the main body 51. The case 40 has a boss receiving portion 53 formed on the surface opposite to the boss portion 52 of the disk 50, which rotatably supports the boss portion 52 of the adjacent stacked disk 50, and a locking portion 54 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 51, which can slide along the outer peripheral surface of the adjacent stacked disk 50, and the multiple disks 50 rotate together as the locking portions 54 of the adjacent stacked disks 50 abut against each other, and the case 40 has a regulating portion 44 against which the locking portions 54 of the stacked disks 50 abut against the bottom surface 41a of the storage hole 41, which regulates the rotation of the entire disk 50.

[0064] In this configuration, the multiple discs 50 are stacked rotatably via the boss portions 52 and the boss receiving portions 53. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a shaft that passes through the multiple discs 50 or a bearing that supports the shaft in order to support the multiple discs 50. Also, locking portions 54 for transmitting the rotation of the steering wheel 2 are formed integrally with the discs 50, and the locking portions 54 of the discs 50 stacked on the bottom surface 41a of the accommodation hole 41 of the case 40 abut against the restricting portions 44 of the case 40, thereby restricting the rotation of the entire discs 50. Therefore, the number of parts of the rotation range restricting mechanism 100 is reduced, and the rotation of the steering wheel 2 can be restricted with a simple configuration.

[0065] Furthermore, the disk 50 a of the stacked disks 50 that is closest to the steering shaft 10 has a connecting portion 55 that can be connected to the steering shaft 10 .

[0066] This configuration makes it easier to assemble the rotation range restriction mechanism 100.

[0067] Furthermore, the plurality of disks 50 are formed to have the same shape.

[0068] In this configuration, the disks 50 can be of the same shape, which makes it easier to manufacture and assemble the rotation range restriction mechanism 100.

[0069] In addition, a groove 43 is formed in the circumferential direction on the bottom surface 41a of the storage hole 41 of the case 40 to guide the locking portion 54e of the disk 50e stacked on the bottom surface 41a, and a regulating portion 44 is formed at the end of the groove 43.

[0070] In this configuration, the grooves 43 and the restricting portions 44 are formed in the case 40 that houses the plurality of discs 50, so the number of parts of the rotation range restricting mechanism 100 is reduced.

[0071] In addition, in the reaction force applying device 30 having a reaction force motor 4 that applies a steering reaction force to the steering wheel 2 and a rotation range restriction mechanism 100, the case 40 of the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 of the steering wheel 2 is attached to the housing 31 of the reaction force motor 4.

[0072] In this configuration, the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 can be applied to the reaction force application device 30 simply by attaching the case 40 of the rotation range restriction mechanism 100 to the housing 31 of the reaction force motor 4 .

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...Steering device (steering device), 2...Steering shaft, 4...Reaction motor, 30...Reaction force applying device, 31...Housing, 40...Case, 41...Accommodating hole, 41a...Bottom surface, 43...Groove, 44...Regulating portion, 50, 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e...Disc (rotating member), 51...Main body portion, 52...Boss portion, 53...Boss receiving portion, 54, 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 54e...Engaging portion, 55...Connecting portion, 100...Rotation range restricting mechanism

Claims

1. A steering rotation range restriction mechanism for a steering device in which a steering wheel to which a steering torque is input and a wheel to be steered in response to the steering torque are mechanically separated, a case having a receiving hole; a plurality of rotating members connected to a steering shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the steering wheel and stacked and accommodated in the accommodation hole; The plurality of rotating members include: A disk-shaped main body, a boss portion formed on the main body portion and protruding from the main body portion in one axial direction; a boss receiving portion formed on a surface of the main body opposite to the boss portion, the boss receiving portion rotatably supporting the boss portion of an adjacently stacked rotating member; a locking portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion and slidable along the outer circumferential surface of the adjacent stacked rotary member, The plurality of rotating members rotate integrally when the locking portions of adjacent stacked rotating members abut against each other, The case has a regulating portion that abuts against the engaging portion of the rotating member stacked on the bottom surface of the accommodating hole to regulate the rotation of the entire rotating member, and of the multiple stacked rotating members, only the rotating member closest to the steering shaft is directly connected to the steering shaft.

2. 2. The steering rotation range restriction mechanism according to claim 1, A steering rotation range restriction mechanism, wherein the plurality of rotating members are formed to have the same shape.

3. 2. The steering rotation range restriction mechanism according to claim 1, a groove for guiding the locking portion of the rotating member stacked on the bottom surface is formed in the circumferential direction on the bottom surface of the accommodating hole of the case; A steering rotation range restriction mechanism, wherein the restriction portion is formed at an end of the groove.

4. 4. A reaction force applying device comprising: a reaction force motor that applies a steering reaction force to the steering; and the steering rotation range restriction mechanism according to claim 1, The reaction force applying device is characterized in that the steering rotation range restriction mechanism has the case attached to the housing of the reaction force motor.

5. A reaction force applying device, a steering rotation range restriction mechanism for a steering device in which a steering wheel to which a steering torque is input and a wheel to be steered in response to the steering torque are mechanically separated from each other; a reaction motor that applies a steering reaction force to the steering wheel, The rotation range restriction mechanism is a case having a receiving hole; a plurality of rotating members connected to a steering shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the steering wheel and stacked and accommodated in the accommodation hole; The plurality of rotating members include: A disk-shaped main body, a boss portion formed on the main body portion and protruding from the main body portion in one axial direction; a boss receiving portion formed on a surface of the main body opposite to the boss portion, the boss receiving portion rotatably supporting the boss portion of an adjacently stacked rotating member; a locking portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion and slidable along the outer circumferential surface of the adjacent stacked rotary member, The plurality of rotating members rotate integrally when the locking portions of adjacent stacked rotating members abut against each other, the case has a restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the entire rotating member by contacting the locking portion of the rotating member stacked on the bottom surface of the accommodation hole, The reaction force applying device is characterized in that the steering rotation range restriction mechanism is attached to the housing of the reaction force motor on the opposite side to the reaction force motor.

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