Vehicle steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034384-B2
Application number	US-201816118559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A system includes a torque overlay device having an input shaft and an output shaft coupled to the input shaft. The system includes a steering wheel coupled to the input shaft. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to detect a torque applied to the input shaft and to actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft in a direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a torque overlay device having an input shaft and an output shaft coupled to the input shaft;
a steering wheel coupled to the input shaft;
a hydraulic steering assembly coupled to the output shaft, the hydraulic steering assembly including a first pressure regulator, a second pressure regulator that outputs fluid at a lower pressure than the first pressure regulator, and a valve designed to selectively provide fluid to the first pressure regulator or the second pressure regulator;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to detect a torque applied to the input shaft and to actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft in a direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the torque overlay device includes a torsion bar connecting the input shaft to the output shaft.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to detect the torque applied to the input shaft based on a detected strain of the torsion bar.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to actuate the valve to provide fluid to the second pressure regulator in response to detecting a fault.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve is designed to provide fluid to the second pressure regulator when the valve is in an unpowered state.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic steering assembly includes a pump designed to provide fluid to the valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed above a predetermined threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft at a first magnitude and in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed above a predetermined threshold, and to provide torque to the output shaft at a second magnitude that is less than the first magnitude and in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed below the predetermined threshold.

9. A system, comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect a torque applied to an input shaft of a torque overlay device coupled to a steering wheel; and
actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to an output shaft of the torque overlay device at a first magnitude and in a direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed above a predetermined threshold, and to actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft at a second magnitude that is less than the first magnitude and in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed below the predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to detect the torque applied to the input shaft based on a detected strain of a torsion bar connecting the input shaft to the output shaft.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to actuate a valve to provide fluid to a first pressure regulator of a hydraulic steering assembly prior to detecting a fault, and to actuate the valve to provide fluid to a second pressure regulator of the hydraulic steering assembly that outputs fluid at a lower pressure than the first pressure regulator in response to detecting the fault.

12. A method, comprising:
detecting a torque applied to an input shaft of a torque overlay device coupled to a steering wheel;
actuating the torque overlay device to provide torque to an output shaft of the torque overlay device in a direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft; and
providing fluid to a first pressure regulator of a hydraulic steering assembly prior to detecting a fault, and providing fluid to a second pressure regulator of the hydraulic steering assembly that outputs fluid at a lower pressure than the first pressure regulator in response to detecting the fault.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting the torque applied to the input shaft based on a detected strain of a torsion bar connecting the input shaft to the output shaft.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising actuating the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed above a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising actuating the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft at a first magnitude and in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed above a predetermined threshold, and actuating the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft at a second magnitude that is less than the first magnitude and in the direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft in response to detecting a vehicle speed below the predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Wou Soungjin
• Naik Anand Pradip
• Hochrein Bradley G

Classifications

• B62D5/18

  characterised by power transmitting means · CPC title

• B62D5/06

  fluid, i.e. using a pressurised fluid for most or all the force required for steering a vehicle · CPC title

• B62D5/064

  Pump driven independently from vehicle engine, e.g. electric driven pump (B62D5/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D5/14

  Rotary motor · CPC title

• B62D5/30

  Safety devices, e.g. alternate emergency power supply or transmission means to ensure steering upon failure of the primary steering means · CPC title