Vehicles and vehicle systems for restricting rotation of a vehicle steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932063-B2
Application number	US-201514721225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

Vehicles and vehicle systems including locking devices are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a front wheel, a steering rack assembly that includes a rack coupled to the front wheel, where the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a unibody of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction, and a locking device coupled to the steering rack assembly, where the locking device includes a deactivated configuration that allows translation of the rack and an activated configuration that restricts translation of the rack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a front wheel; a steering rack assembly that comprises a rack coupled to the front wheel, wherein the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a unibody of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction;
a locking device coupled to the steering rack assembly, wherein the locking device comprises a deactivated configuration that allows translation of the rack and an activated configuration that restricts translation of the rack; and
an electronic controller communicatively coupled to a rotational sensor and the locking device, wherein the electronic controller commands the locking device to change from the deactivated configuration to the activated configuration based on output from the rotational sensor that is indicative of rotational speed of at least one of a steering column assembly and a steering wheel;
wherein the electronic controller is configured to command the locking device to change from the deactivated configuration to the activated configuration when a predetermined rotational speed of no less than 300 RPM is detected using the rotational sensor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises a plurality of teeth and the locking device interlocks with at least one of the plurality of teeth in the activated configuration.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the locking device comprises at least one blocking element comprising a projection that is spaced apart from the rack in the deactivated configuration.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the projection of the at least one blocking element extends in a direction that is transverse to the plurality of teeth of the rack.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the locking device comprises a pad that engages a lateral face of the rack in the activated configuration.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the locking device comprises a stationary portion that is coupled to the pad.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the locking device comprises at least one arm that is coupled to the pad and is pivotally coupled to the stationary portion.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises an engagement feature having an engagement face, and wherein the locking device comprises a pad that engages the engagement face in the activated configuration.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the locking device comprises a stationary portion and a wedge portion, wherein the wedge portion contacts and engages a lateral face of the rack in the activated configuration.

10. A vehicle system of a vehicle, the vehicle system comprising:
a front wheel;
a steering system comprising:
a steering rack assembly that comprises a rack coupled to the front wheel, wherein the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a unibody of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction;
a steering column assembly coupled to the steering rack assembly, the steering column assembly comprising a pinion gear that is engaged with the rack of the steering rack assembly; and
a steering wheel coupled to the steering column assembly;

a rotational sensor coupled to at least one of the steering column assembly and the steering wheel;
a locking device coupled to the steering system, wherein the locking device comprises a deactivated configuration that allows operation of the steering system and an activated configuration that restricts operation of the steering system; and
an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the rotational sensor and the locking device, the electronic controller comprising a processor and a memory storing a computer readable and executable instruction set, wherein, when the computer readable and executable instruction set is executed by the processor, the electronic controller:
detects a rotational speed of at least one of the of the steering column assembly and the steering wheel with the rotational sensor; and
commands the locking device to change into the activated configuration based on the detected rotational speed of at least one of the steering column assembly and the steering wheel;

wherein the electronic controller commands the locking device to change into the activated configuration when the detected rotational speed is no less than 300 RPM.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein a motor is coupled to the steering column assembly and the motor comprises the rotational sensor.

12. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the locking device is coupled to the steering rack assembly.

13. The vehicle system of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the locking device is detached from the rack in the deactivated configuration and is engaged with the rack in the activated configuration.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the locking device interlocks with at least one of a plurality of teeth of the rack in the activated configuration.

15. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the locking device is coupled to the steering column assembly.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the locking device is detached from the steering column assembly in the deactivated configuration and is engaged with the steering column assembly in the activated configuration.

17. A method for operating a steering system comprising:
detecting at least one of rotational speed of a steering column assembly and a deceleration of a unibody of a vehicle;
changing a locking device from a deactivated configuration to an activated configuration based on at least one of the detected rotational speed and the detected deceleration of the unibody; and
engaging a rack of the steering system with the locking device in the activated configuration;
wherein the step of changing the locking device from the deactivated configuration to the activated configuration occurs if the detected rotational speed is greater than a predetermined rotational speed of no less than 300 RPM.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein engaging the rack comprises interlocking with at least one of a plurality of teeth of the rack.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein engaging the rack comprises engaging a lateral face of the rack.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein engaging the rack comprises engaging an engagement face of the rack.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Schnug Tyler E
• Meyers Gerritt B

Classifications

• B62D3/12 Primary

  of rack-and-pinion type · CPC title