Steering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099717-B2
Application number	US-201715415390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Feb 2, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A steering system includes a two-way clutch, a worm wheel that is rotatable together with an input shaft, and a coil that generates a drive force for the two-way clutch to couple/decouple the input shaft and an output shaft to/from each other. The worm wheel has a center circular plate portion fixed to the input shaft, a radial ring portion that projects forward from a peripheral edge of the center circular plate portion, and a toothed portion that projects outward in the radial direction from the radial ring portion. The two-way clutch is disposed in a space surrounded by the center circular plate portion and the radial ring portion and formed on the front side with respect to the center circular plate portion. The coil surrounds an outer peripheral surface of the radial ring portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering system comprising:
an input shaft to which a steering force from a steering member is input;
an output shaft provided so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the input shaft and coupled to a steering operation mechanism;
a worm wheel coupled to the input shaft;
a clutch configured to couple/decouple the input shaft and the output shaft to/from each other; and
a coil that generates a drive force for the clutch to couple/decouple the input shaft and the output shaft to/from each other, wherein
the worm wheel has a center circular plate portion coupled to the input shaft and a radial ring portion that projects from a peripheral edge of the center circular plate portion toward an opposite side from the steering member,
the clutch is disposed in a space surrounded by the center circular plate portion and the radial ring portion and formed on the opposite side of the center circular plate portion from the steering member, and
the coil is disposed so as to surround an outer peripheral surface of the radial ring portion.

2. The steering system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a magnetism collecting ring that covers the coil from at least an outer side in a radial direction.

3. The steering system according to claim 1 , wherein
the worm wheel has an insertion hole that penetrates the center circular plate portion, and includes:
a movable member that is movable along an axial direction of the input shaft on a side of the steering member with respect to the center circular plate portion in accordance with the drive force;
an actuation member disposed in the space and movable in the axial direction to actuate the clutch; and
a transfer member inserted through the insertion hole to transfer operation of the movable member to the actuation member.

4. The steering system according to claim 2 , wherein
the worm wheel has an insertion hole that penetrates the center circular plate portion, and includes:
a movable member that is movable along an axial direction of the input shaft on a side of the steering member with respect to the center circular plate portion in accordance with the drive force;
an actuation member disposed in the space and movable in the axial direction to actuate the clutch; and
a transfer member inserted through the insertion hole to transfer operation of the movable member to the actuation member.

5. The steering system according to claim 1 , wherein
the clutch includes:
an inner ring provided to the input shaft;
an outer ring provided to the radial ring portion of the worm wheel so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the inner ring;
a roller pair having rollers disposed side by side in a circumferential direction of the inner ring in a wedged space formed by an outer periphery of the inner ring and an inner periphery of the outer ring;
an elastic member provided between the rollers of the roller pair to elastically urge the rollers away from each other; and
a pair of pressing members, the pressing members being relatively rotatable with respect to the input shaft and turned in predetermined directions opposite to each other to press the rollers of the roller pair such that the rollers approach each other against the urging by the elastic members.

6. The steering system according to claim 2 , wherein
the clutch includes:
an inner ring provided to the input shaft;
an outer ring provided to the radial ring portion of the worm wheel so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the inner ring;
a roller pair having rollers disposed side by side in a circumferential direction of the inner ring in a wedged space formed by an outer periphery of the inner ring and an inner periphery of the outer ring;
an elastic member provided between the rollers of the roller pair to elastically urge the rollers away from each other; and
a pair of pressing members, the pressing members being relatively rotatable with respect to the input shaft and turned in predetermined directions opposite to each other to press the rollers of the roller pair such that the rollers approach each other against the urging by the elastic members.

7. The steering system according to claim 3 , wherein
the clutch includes:
an inner ring provided to the input shaft;
an outer ring provided to the radial ring portion of the worm wheel so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the inner ring;
a roller pair having rollers disposed side by side in a circumferential direction of the inner ring in a wedged space formed by an outer periphery of the inner ring and an inner periphery of the outer ring;
an elastic member provided between the rollers of the roller pair to elastically urge the rollers away from each other; and
a pair of pressing members, the pressing members being relatively rotatable with respect to the input shaft and turned in predetermined directions opposite to each other to press the rollers of the roller pair such that the rollers approach each other against the urging by the elastic members.

8. The steering system according to claim 4 , wherein
the clutch includes:
an inner ring provided to the input shaft;
an outer ring provided to the radial ring portion of the worm wheel so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the inner ring;
a roller pair having rollers disposed side by side in a circumferential direction of the inner ring in a wedged space formed by an outer periphery of the inner ring and an inner periphery of the outer ring;
an elastic member provided between the rollers of the roller pair to elastically urge the rollers away from each other; and
a pair of pressing members, the pressing members being relatively rotatable with respect to the input shaft and turned in predetermined directions opposite to each other to press the rollers of the roller pair such that the rollers approach each other against the urging by the elastic members.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Shiina Akihiko

Classifications

• F16D15/00

  Clutches with wedging balls or rollers or with other wedgeable separate clutching members (freewheels, freewheel clutches F16D41/00) · CPC title

• B62D5/0409

  Electric motor acting on the steering column · CPC title

• F16D2027/008

  Details relating to the magnetic circuit, or to the shape of the clutch parts to achieve a certain magnetic path · CPC title

• B62D5/043

  characterised by clutch means between driving element, e.g. motor, and driven element, e.g. steering column or steering gear · CPC title

• B62D3/04

  of worm type · CPC title