Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017151981-A1
Application number	US-201515312870-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Jun 1, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes steering devices configured to change a travel state of the vehicle between a normal travel mode and a special travel mode by steering right and left wheels in right and left opposite directions; a display device; and a processor configured to calculate an angle difference between the angle of each of the right and left wheels in either one of the normal travel mode and the special travel mode, and the current angle of each of the right and left wheels, which have been steered by the steering devices. The processor is further configured to display, on the display device, information necessary for a driver to steer the right and left wheels based on the angle difference.

First claim

1 . A vehicle capable of traveling in a normal travel mode and a special travel mode, and comprising:
steering devices configured to change a travel state of the vehicle between the normal travel mode and the special travel mode by steering right and left wheels in right and left opposite directions; a display device; and a processor configured to calculate an angle difference between an angle of each of the right and left wheels in either one of the normal travel mode and the special travel mode, and a current angle of each of the right and left wheels, which have been steered by the steering devices, the processor being further configured to display, on the display device, information necessary for a driver to steer the right and left wheels based on the angle difference.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a steering wheel, wherein the information includes a figure which is indicative of a direction in which the steering wheel is to be turned by the driver.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the information includes the angle difference.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to display, on the display device, directions of the right and left wheels in the form of figures when the travel state has been changed to an intended travel mode.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured, if abnormality occurs in one of the steering devices while the travel state is being changed, to display the abnormality on the display device.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate warning sounds to a surrounding environment of the vehicle while the travel state is being changed.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the right and left wheels comprises front right and front left wheels and rear right and rear left wheels, and
each of the steering devices includes; tie rods connected to, and configured to steer, the front right and front left wheels, or the rear right and rear left wheels, respectively; a pair of rack bars connected to the respective tie rods; a synchronizing gear in mesh with the rack bars and configured to convert a movement of one rack bar of the pair of rack bars in either one of right and left opposite directions along which rack teeth of the rack bars are arranged to a movement of the other rack bar of the pair of rack bars in the other of the right and left opposite directions; a rack bar moving arrangement capable of moving the pair of rack bars in the respective right and left opposite directions; and a moving amount sensor configured to sense moving amounts of the respective rack bars in the right and/or left opposite direction.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the rack bar moving arrangement includes;
a first pinion gear mounted, directly or indirectly through another member, to a steering shaft, and in mesh with the one rack bar; a second pinion gear coaxial with the first pinion gear, and in mesh with the other rack bar; a coupling mechanism disposed between the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear, and configured to selectively couple together the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear and uncouple the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear from each other; and a coupling state sensor; wherein the coupling mechanism includes:
a fixed part provided on one of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear; and
a moving part provided on the other of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear, and configured to be fitted to the fixed part by axially moving, relative to the fixed part, while being kept coaxial with the fixed part, and
wherein the coupling state sensor includes:
a sensed portion provided on an outer periphery of the moving part; and
a sensor portion arranged such that when the fixed part and the moving part are coupled together and uncoupled from each other, the sensor portion is opposed to the detected portion, and configured to generate a sensor signal when the sensor portion is close to the sensed portion.

9 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the information includes the angle difference.

10 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to display, on the display device, directions of the right and left wheels in the form of figures when the travel state has been changed to an intended travel mode.

11 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to display, on the display device, directions of the right and left wheels in the form of figures when the travel state has been changed to an intended travel mode.

12 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to display, on the display device, directions of the right and left wheels in the form of figures when the travel state has been changed to an intended travel mode.

13 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured, if abnormality occurs in one of the steering devices while the travel state is being changed, to display the abnormality on the display device.

14 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured, if abnormality occurs in one of the steering devices while the travel state is being changed, to display the abnormality on the display device.

15 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured, if abnormality occurs in one of the steering devices while the travel state is being changed, to display the abnormality on the display device.

16 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to generate warning sounds to a surrounding environment of the vehicle while the travel state is being changed.

17 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to generate warning sounds to a surrounding environment of the vehicle while the travel state is being changed.

18 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to generate warning sounds to a surrounding environment of the vehicle while the travel state is being changed.

19 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to generate warning sounds to a surrounding environment of the vehicle while the travel state is being changed.

20 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the right and left wheels comprises front right and front left wheels and rear right and rear left wheels, and
each of the steering devices includes; tie rods connected to, and configured to steer, the front right and front left wheels, or the rear right and rear left wheels, respectively; a pair of rack bars connected to the respective tie rods; a synchronizing gear in mesh with the rack bars and configured to convert a movement of one rack bar of the pair of rack bars in either one of right and left opposite directions along which rack teeth of the rack bars are arranged to a movement of the other rack bar of the pair of rack bars in the other of the right and left opposite directions; a rack bar moving arrangement capable of moving the pair of rack bars in the respective right and left opposite directions; and a moving amount sensor configured to sense moving amounts of the respective rack bars in the right and/or left opposite direction.

Assignees

• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Yosuke
• Inokuchi Kazuyuki

Classifications

• B62D15/029 Primary

  Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system · CPC title

• B62D7/159

  characterised by computing methods or stabilisation processes or systems, e.g. responding to yaw rate, lateral wind, load, road condition · CPC title

• B62D3/126

  characterised by the rack · CPC title

• B62D15/0225

  by measuring on a steering gear element, e.g. on a rack bar · CPC title

• B62D7/1509 Primary

  with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle · CPC title