Vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10384663-B2
Application number	US-201514839229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus, including: a steering operating device, a steering actuator; and a displacement transmitting system configured to transmit a displacement of the steering operating device to the steering actuator. At least one of the steering operating device, the steering actuator, or the displacement transmitting system includes two members that are engaged with each other through intermediation of a viscous lubricant agent so as to move relatively when the steering operating device is operated. A self-discharge type charge eliminator is fixed to a surface of a specific member forming the displacement transmitting system and the like, and the self-discharge type charge eliminator diselectrifies the specific member through self-discharge so as to decrease a charge amount of the specific member, to thereby decrease a difference in charge amount between the two members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising:
an operating device to be operated by a driver;
an actuator configured to change a running state of the vehicle; and
a displacement transmitting system configured to transmit a displacement of the operating device to the actuator to drive the actuator,
at least one of the operating device, the actuator, or the displacement transmitting system comprising two members that are engaged with each other through intermediation of a viscous lubricant agent so as to move relatively when the operating device is operated, wherein
the vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus comprises a self-discharge charge eliminator fixed to a surface of a specific member forming at least one of the operating device, the actuator, or the displacement transmitting system,
the self-discharge charge eliminator is configured to diselectrify the specific member by changing air on a periphery of the self-discharge charge eliminator to a negative air ion in accordance with a charge amount of positive electric charge that is charged to the specific member, and to attract the negative air ion to the positive electric charge of the specific member to neutralize the specific member, so as to decrease the charge amount of the specific member, thereby decreasing a difference in charge amount between the two members.

2. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the specific member having the self-discharge charge eliminator fixed thereto comprises at least one of the two members.

3. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the specific member having the self-discharge charge eliminator fixed thereto is another member that is conductively connected to at least one of the two members.

4. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the another member includes a portion formed of a conductive material and a portion formed of a resin; and
a part of the boundary between the conductive material and the resin portion, closest to the eliminator, is positioned in a range to perform neutralization.

5. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the operating device comprises a steering wheel device;
the actuator comprises an actuator configured to steer a steered wheel;
the displacement transmitting system includes an intermediate shaft that is coupled to an upper steering shaft through intermediation of a cross joint at an upper end thereof and is coupled to the actuator through intermediation of a cross joint at a lower end thereof;
the two members include an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion, which are spline-connected to each other, of the intermediate shaft;
the viscous lubricant agent is interposed between the upper shaft portion and the lower shaft portion; and
the self-discharge charge eliminator is fixed to a surface of a region other than a part operated by the driver of the steering wheel device as the specific member.

6. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the operating device comprises a steering wheel device;
the actuator comprises an actuator configured to steer a steered wheel;
the displacement transmitting system includes a steering column and an intermediate shaft;
the steering column includes an upper steering shaft, and a casing made of a conductive material for rotatably supporting the upper steering shaft;
the intermediate shaft is coupled to the upper steering shaft through intermediation of a cross joint at an upper end thereof and is coupled to the actuator through intermediation of a cross joint at a lower end thereof;
the two members include an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion, which are spline-connected to each other, of the intermediate shaft;
the viscous lubricant agent is interposed between the upper shaft portion and the lower shaft portion;
the specific member comprises a cover made of a resin for accommodating an upper end portion of the steering column, the cover being fixed to the casing; and
the self-discharge charge eliminator is fixed to a surface of the cover.

7. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the operating device comprises a steering wheel device;
the actuator comprises an actuator configured to steer a steering wheel;
the displacement transmitting system includes a steering column including an upper steering shaft;
the steering column includes the upper steering shaft, and a casing made of a conductive material for rotatably supporting the upper steering shaft;
the steering column has an electric power steering device fixed thereto;
the electric power steering device includes a first gear wheel member to be driven by an electric motor, a second gear wheel member that is engaged with the first gear wheel member to rotate integrally with the upper steering shaft, and a housing for accommodating the first gear wheel member and the second gear wheel member;
the viscous lubricant agent is interposed between the first gear wheel member and the housing and between the second gear wheel member and the housing;
the two members include the housing and the second gear wheel member;
the specific member comprises a cover made of a resin for accommodating an upper end portion of the steering column, the cover being fixed to the casing; and
the self-discharge charge eliminator is fixed to a surface of the cover.

8. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the specific member is one of the two members that is more easily charged compared to the other one of the two members.

9. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the operating device comprises a steering wheel device;
the actuator comprises an actuator configured to steer a steering wheel;
the displacement transmitting system includes an intermediate shaft that is coupled to an upper steering shaft through intermediation of a cross joint at an upper end thereof and is coupled to the actuator through intermediation of a cross joint at a lower end thereof;
the two members include an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion, which are spline-connected to each other, of the intermediate shaft; and
the self-discharge charge eliminator is fixed to a surface of the upper shaft portion.

10. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the operating device comprises a steering wheel device;
the actuator comprises an actuator configured to steer a steering wheel;
the displacement transmitting system includes a steering column including an upper steering shaft;
the steering column has an electric power steering device fixed thereto;
the electric power steering device includes a first gear wheel member to be driven by an electric motor, a second gear wheel member that is engaged with the first gear wheel member to rotate integrally with the upper steering shaft, and a housing for accommodating the first gear wheel member and the second gear wheel member;
the viscous lubricant agent is interposed between the first gear wheel member and the housing and between the second gear wheel member and the housing;
the two members include the housing and the second gear wheel member; and
the self-discharge charge eliminator is fixed to a surface of the housing.

11. A vehicle electrification charge reducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the operating device includes a brake pedal that

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamada Koshi
• Tanahashi Toshio
• Yabuki Hisashi
• Omasa Kazuhiko
• Kanehara Yoji
• Sassa Nagataka

Classifications

• H01T19/00

  Devices providing for corona discharge (for charging electrographic elements G03G15/02) · CPC title

• H05F3/04

  by means of spark gaps or other discharge devices (devices providing for corona discharge per se H01T19/00) · CPC title

• B60R16/06 Primary

  for removing electrostatic charges (carrying-off electrostatic charges in general H05F3/00) · CPC title

• B62D1/04

  Hand wheels · CPC title

• B60T17/18 Primary

  Safety devices; Monitoring · CPC title