Steering gear

Abstract

To provide a steering device which enables improvement of workability during assembly.SOLUTION: A direction of a sensor side connector 16 has an angle relative to a pinion shaft. An EPP 15 has a first terminal 19 with which a first harness 17 is connected and a second terminal 21 with which a second harness 18 is connected. The first terminal 19 is provided at a position located closer to the pinion shaft than the second terminal 21. A length of the first harness 17 is set shorter than that of the second harness 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a rack-and-pinion steering device equipped with a power steering device, in which each wiring is made redundant to enhance fault tolerance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-216928 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional steering devices, there is a need to improve the ease of connecting the torque sensor provided on the pinion shaft side and the electric motor controller provided on the rack shaft side using two wiring systems. An object of the present invention is to provide a steering device that can improve the workability during assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A steering device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: the sensor-side connector is disposed at an angle relative to the rotation axis of the pinion shaft, and the angle is defined by an angle between the extension direction of the first harness and the second harness attached to the sensor-side connector and the rotation axis of the pinion shaft; The controller has a first terminal to which the first harness is connected and a second terminal to which the second harness is connected, the first terminal being located closer to the pinion shaft than the second terminal, and the length of the first harness being set shorter than the length of the second harness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] Therefore, the workability during assembly can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a steering device 1 of a first embodiment as viewed from the front side of a vehicle. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a steering device 1 of a first embodiment as viewed from the rear side of a vehicle. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a state before a first harness 17 and a second harness 18 of the first embodiment are assembled. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the steering gear housing 9 showing the state immediately before the sensor-side connector 16 is attached to the steering gear housing 9. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the steering gear housing 9 showing a state in which the sensor-side connector 16 is attached to the steering gear housing 9. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a steering device 1A of a second embodiment as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is an enlarged view of a main part of a steering gear housing 9 showing a sensor-side connector 16 of a second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a steering device 1 of the first embodiment as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. The steering device 1 is a rack and pinion type steering device equipped with an electric motor 3 that applies a steering force to a rack shaft 2. The rack shaft 2 extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and tie rods 4 are connected to both ends thereof via joints 5. The rack shaft 2 is housed in a rack housing 6. The ends of the rack housing 6 are covered by boots 7. The ends of the rack shaft 2 protrude from the boots 7. Movement of the rack shaft 2 moves the tie rods 4, and the front wheels (steered wheels) 8 are steered via the tie rods 4.

[0009] A steering gear housing 9 is provided at one end (left side in FIG. 1) of the rack housing 6. An input shaft 11 connected to a steering wheel 10 is rotatably supported within the steering gear housing 9. The input shaft 11 is connected to a pinion shaft (not shown) via a torsion bar (not shown) so as to be rotatable relative to the pinion shaft. A torque steering angle sensor (sensor unit) 12 is provided on the upper part of the steering gear housing 9. The torque steering angle sensor 12 outputs a steering angle sensor output signal according to the amount of relative rotation between the input shaft 11 and the pinion shaft. The pinion shaft meshes with the rack shaft 2 and transmits the steering torque input to the steering wheel 10 to the rack shaft 2.

[0010] An actuator housing 13 is provided on the other end side (right side in FIG. 1) of the rack housing 6. The electric motor 3 is fixed to the actuator housing 13, and an assist mechanism that transmits the output of the electric motor 3 to the rack shaft 2 is also housed in the actuator housing 13. The assist mechanism transmits the driving force of the electric motor 3 to a nut via an input pulley, belt, and output pulley, and converts it into axial thrust of the rack shaft 2 by a ball screw mechanism. Note that a chain may be used instead of the belt. The electric motor 3 is a so-called EPS power pack integrated with a motor ECU (controller) 14. The motor ECU 14 receives information from other ECUs (e.g., engine ECU) and sensors (e.g., wheel speed sensors) via CAN communication, in addition to the steering angle sensor output signal from the torque steering angle sensor 12. The motor ECU 14 controls the drive of the electric motor 3 based on the various types of information. In the following description, the electric motor 3 and the motor ECU 14 will be collectively referred to as EPP 15.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the main part of the steering device 1 of the first embodiment as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. The torque steering angle sensor 12 is provided with a sensor-side connector 16. A first harness 17 and a second harness 18 are connected to the sensor-side connector 16. The length of the first harness 17 is set shorter than that of the second harness 18. A motor-side first connector 20 connectable to a first terminal 19 of the EPP 15 is provided at an end of the first harness 17 opposite to the sensor-side connector 16. Furthermore, a motor-side second connector 22 connectable to a second terminal 21 of the EPP 15 is provided at an end of the second harness 18 opposite to the sensor-side connector 16. The first terminal 19 is provided at a position closer to the steering gear housing 9 (pinion shaft) than the second terminal 21.

[0012] An adjusting screw 6a is attached to the rack housing 6. The adjusting screw 6a adjusts the set load of a coil spring that biases the rack shaft 2 toward the pinion shaft via a rack retainer (not shown). Furthermore, a clip 6b is attached to the rack housing 6 to fix the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 to the rack housing 6. The clip 6b holds the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 at approximately the center in the length direction.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 of the first embodiment in a state before they are assembled. The first harness 17 and the second harness 18 are corrugated tubes containing multiple electric wires. The sensor-side connector 16 has a protective portion 23 that covers the first harness 17 and the second harness 18. Similarly, the motor-side first connector 20 and the motor-side second connector 22 have a first protective portion 24 and a second protective portion 25 that cover the first harness 17 and the second harness 18. The first harness 17 and the second harness 18 each contain one system of wiring. In other words, the torque steering angle sensor 12 has two systems of wiring. Note that one system of wiring is the signal line and the power supply line of the torque steering angle sensor 12; for example, in the case of a three-wire sensor, it is one signal line and two power supply lines.

[0014] The sensor-side connector 16 has a fixing portion 27 that can be inserted into a connector insertion port 26 provided in the steering gear housing 9. The connector insertion port 26 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape and, as shown in FIG. 4, opens radially in the rotational axis direction of the pinion shaft. The fixing portion 27 is provided on the tip side of the protective portion 23 (opposite the first harness 17 and the second harness 18) and extends in a direction perpendicular to the protective portion 23. When a two-dimensional coordinate system including a plane parallel to the rotational axis direction of the pinion shaft is set, the fixing portion 27 is at an angle with respect to the protective portion 23. Therefore, when the sensor-side connector 16 is assembled to the steering gear housing 9 (see FIG. 5), a straight line L extending in the extension direction of the sensor-side connector 16 (protective portion 23 thereof) is at an angle with respect to the rotational axis O of the pinion shaft.

[0015] In the sensor-side connector 16, the protective part 23 has a rotation stopper 28 for fixing the sensor-side connector 16 to the steering gear housing 9. The rotation stopper 28 protrudes from the tip of the protective part 23, bends 90°, and has a generally L-shaped tip that extends in a direction along the fixing part 27. As shown in FIG. 5, when the sensor-side connector 16 is assembled to the steering gear housing 9, the tip of the rotation stopper 28 is sandwiched between the top surface 9a of the steering gear housing 9 and the cover 29, thereby restricting rotation of the sensor-side connector 16. The cover 29 closes an opening 30 formed in the steering gear housing 9 for inserting the torque steering angle sensor 12.

[0016] Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described. In a rack-and-pinion steering device equipped with a power steering unit, by making the harness connecting the torque sensor and controller redundant (using two systems), it is possible to continue the power steering function even if one of the harnesses is disconnected or fails due to external factors.However, if the torque sensor and controller are connected over the shortest distance, the harness overlaps with the head of the adjusting screw attached to the housing, which can interfere with the harness when attaching a tightening tool during the assembly process, potentially reducing workability.

[0017] In contrast, in the steering device 1 of the first embodiment, the straight line L along the extension direction of the sensor side connector 16 (protector 23 thereof) is angled with respect to the rotation axis O of the pinion shaft. Since the adjusting screw 6a is disposed on the rotation axis O of the pinion shaft, the orientation of the sensor side connector 16 is angled with respect to the pinion shaft, so that the starting points of the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 can be forcibly changed and interference with the adjusting screw 6a can be avoided. Furthermore, in the steering device 1 of the first embodiment, the EPP 15 has a first terminal 19 to which the first harness 17 is connected and a second terminal 21 to which the second harness 18 is connected, the first terminal 19 is provided at a position closer to the pinion shaft than the second terminal 21, and the length of the first harness 17 is set to be shorter than the length of the second harness 18. This makes it possible to prevent the first harness 17 from being connected to the second terminal 21, thereby preventing incorrect assembly. As a result, in the steering device 1 of the first embodiment, the workability during assembly can be improved.

[0018] The first harness 17 of the first embodiment has a motor-side first connector 20 connectable to the first terminal 19, and the second harness 18 has a motor-side second connector 22 connectable to the second terminal 21. In other words, by providing a connector on the EPP 15 side as well, the wiring lengths of the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 can be shortened. The sensor side connector 16 of the first embodiment has a fixing portion 27 that is fixed to the steering gear housing 9 that accommodates the pinion shaft. This prevents the sensor side connector 16 from coming loose after assembly and prevents contamination from entering the steering gear housing 9.

[0019] The sensor-side connector 16 also has a rotation stopper 28 that restricts rotation of the sensor-side connector 16 by being sandwiched between a cover 29 attached to the steering gear housing 9 and the steering gear housing 9. This prevents disconnection of the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 due to rotation of the sensor-side connector 16. Furthermore, the sensor-side connector 16 has a protection portion 23 that covers the ends of the first harness 17 and the second harness 18. This makes it possible to prevent contamination and the like from entering the inside of the sensor-side connector 16.

[0020] The first harness 17 and the second harness 18 in the first embodiment are corrugated tubes that contain multiple electric wires. Corrugated tubes have properties such as excellent flexibility, high compression resistance, and flame retardancy, which can prevent wire breakage and improve assembly. Furthermore, since the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 each contain one system of wiring, even if the harness on one system is broken, the EPP 15 can receive the signal from the torque steering angle sensor 12 via the harness on the other system, so the power steering function can continue.

[0021] [Embodiment 2] The basic configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so only the differences from the first embodiment will be explained. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a steering device 1A of the second embodiment as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. In the steering device 1A of the second embodiment, the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 are assembled in a state where they are twisted 360 degrees relative to each other. 7, in the second embodiment, the fixing portion 27 and the rotation stopper 28 are parallel to a straight line L that extends along the extension direction of (the protective portion 23 of) the sensor-side connector 16. In other words, the fixing portion 27 and the rotation stopper 28 are angled with respect to the rotation axis O of the pinion shaft.

[0022] Next, the effects of the second embodiment will be described. In the steering device 1A of the second embodiment, the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 are assembled in a twisted state, so that the wiring routes of the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 can be formed three-dimensionally. As a result, compared to the first embodiment, the wiring routes of the first harness 17 and the second harness 18 can be positioned farther away from the adjusting screw 6a, making it easier to avoid interference and improving workability during assembly.

[0023] Other Embodiments The above describes an embodiment for carrying out the present invention, but the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment, and design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the invention are also included in the present invention. For example, the number of harnesses may be three or more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1...Steering device, 1A...Steering device, 2...Rack shaft, 3...Electric motor, 12...Torque steering angle sensor (sensor unit), 14...Motor ECU (controller), 16...Sensor side connector, 17...First harness, 18...Second harness, 19...First terminal, 21...Second terminal

Claims

1. A rack and pinion type steering device equipped with an electric motor that applies steering force to a rack shaft, a controller provided integrally with the electric motor; a sensor unit provided on the pinion shaft side for detecting a steering amount; a sensor-side connector attached to the sensor unit; a first harness and a second harness connecting the sensor-side connector and the controller; Equipped with the sensor-side connector is disposed at an angle relative to a rotation axis of the pinion shaft, and the angle is defined by an angle between an extension direction of a first harness and a second harness attached to the sensor-side connector and the rotation axis of the pinion shaft, the controller has a first terminal to which the first harness is connected and a second terminal to which the second harness is connected; the first terminal is provided at a position closer to the pinion shaft than the second terminal, The length of the first harness is set to be shorter than the length of the second harness. Steering gear.

2. 2. The steering device according to claim 1, the first harness has a motor-side first connector connectable to the first terminal, the second harness has a motor-side second connector connectable to the second terminal; Steering gear.

3. 3. The steering device according to claim 2, The sensor-side connector has a fixing portion that is fixed to a housing that accommodates the pinion shaft. Steering gear.

4. 4. The steering device according to claim 3, The sensor-side connector has a rotation stopper that is sandwiched between the housing and a cover attached to the housing to restrict rotation of the sensor-side connector. Steering gear.

5. 5. The steering device according to claim 4, the fixing portion and the rotation stopper portion are arranged on the housing such that the extending direction of the first harness and the second harness is angled with respect to the direction along the rotation axis of the pinion shaft. Steering gear.

6. 6. The steering device according to claim 5, the sensor-side connector has a protection portion that covers the ends of the first harness and the second harness; Steering gear.

7. 2. The steering device according to claim 1, The first harness and the second harness are corrugated tubes containing a plurality of electric wires. Steering gear.

8. 8. The steering device according to claim 7, The first harness and the second harness each include one system of wiring. Steering gear.

9. 9. The steering device according to claim 8, the first harness and the second harness are assembled in a twisted state; Steering gear.

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