A motor drive control device for electric power steering includes: a switching element for supplying current to a motor; a smoothing capacitor for reducing ripple current due to the switching element; a control board on which a drive circuit for controlling the switching element and a control circuit capacitor are mounted; a control signal line for supplying a control signal from the control board to the switching element; an electric connection member electrically connecting the switching element and the smoothing capacitor; and a heatsink portion in which the switching element is arranged in an embedded manner, wherein the electric connection member is arranged between the switching element and the control board, and the control circuit capacitor and the smoothing capacitor are arranged in a space between the electric connection member and the control board.

A worm speed reducer includes a worm and a worm wheel meshed with the worm. The worm wheel has teeth with a modulus of elasticity of 6000 Pa or more. The difference obtained by subtracting the pressure angle on the pitch circle of the worm wheel from the pressure angle on the pitch circle of the worm is set in the range of 0.5° to 1°.

A method for determining a neutral position of a MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) system may include: determining, by a controller, whether a vehicle is driving; determining, by the controller, whether a steering torque is smaller than a preset break point on a boost curve, when the vehicle is driving; and determining, by the controller, that the vehicle is in a neutral state, when the steering torque is smaller than the preset break point on the boost curve.

A method for determining a neutral position of a MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) system may include: determining, by a controller, whether a vehicle is driving; determining, by the controller, whether a steering torque is smaller than a preset break point on a boost curve, when the vehicle is driving; and determining, by the controller, that the vehicle is in a neutral state, when the steering torque is smaller than the preset break point on the boost curve.

An embodiment of a method of controlling one or more components of a vehicle includes receiving a reference steering command and one or more measurement signals related to a steering system of a vehicle, and estimating, by a processing device, a state of the steering system based on the one or more measurement signals, the steering system including at least a handwheel and a steering motor. The method also includes determining a maximum state achievable by the steering system at one or more times subsequent to receiving the one or more measurement signals, and controlling, by a control module, the steering system based on the steering reference command and the maximum state.

Provided is a steering apparatus 1 including: a wheel 2; and a steering unit 5 configured to steer the wheel 2, the steering apparatus 1 being fixable to a vehicle body, wherein the steering unit 5 includes: a steering drive source (an electric motor incorporated in an electric motor unit 61) configured to steer the wheel 2 with a steering rotation axis 63a as an axis, the steering rotation axis 63a being a rotation axis when the wheel 2 is steered; and a manual toe angle adjustment mechanism 7 different from the steering drive source, the manual toe angle adjustment mechanism 7 enabling a toe angle of the wheel 2 to be manually adjusted around the steering rotation axis 63a.

A pulley assembly for a steering assembly includes a motor disposed within a motor housing and having a motor shaft extending therefrom. The pulley assembly also includes a motor face plate having a motor pilot component extending therefrom in the same direction as the motor shaft extends away from the motor, the motor shaft extending through a hole in the motor face plate. The pulley assembly further includes an idler pulley post protruding from the motor housing and through the motor face plate in the substantially same axial direction of the motor shaft, the idler pulley post being radially offset from the motor shaft. The pulley assembly yet further includes a housing flange having a pilot bore to accommodate at least a portion of the motor pilot and the idler pulley post.

A motor drive circuit comprises a motor having a plurality of phases, a switching circuit comprising a plurality of electrical switches, a motor current controller that generates voltage demand signals to be passed to a drive circuit for the switches that in turn generate pulse width modulated switching signals for the switching circuit that cause the switches to selectively connect the phases to a power supply so as to cause current to flow through the phases of the motor, and a motor torque controller that produces a demand signal that is fed to an input of the current controller, the motor current controller responding to an error signal that is at least partially dependent on the value of the demand signal. The torque controller in use updates the demand signal at a first sample rate. The motor drive circuit further comprises a downsampling circuit that in use modifies the demand signal under certain operating conditions so that the demand signal is only updated at a second sample rate that is lower than the first rate.

A variable mechanical advantage shaft coupling (1), typically used in an electric power assisted steering system, comprising: an input shaft (2); an output shaft (3); and at least one lever (9), each lever comprising: a lever body; a first connection (5) connecting the lever body to a first shaft (2) of the input shaft and the output shaft at a point offset from an axis of rotation of the first shaft so that the lever body can pivot relative to the first shaft; a second connection (11) connecting the lever body to a second (3), different, shaft of the input shaft and the output shaft at a point offset from its axis of rotation so that the lever body can pivot relative to the second shaft; and a fulcrum point about which the lever body can pivot; in which each first connection (5) is able to slide along an axis substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the first and second shafts (2, 3) along the respective lever body, each lever connecting the input and output shafts (2, 3) with a mechanical advantage that varies dependent upon the position of each sliding connection along the first shaft.

Provided is a vehicle control system capable of securing stability even in the event of a collision with a travel-path defining line such as a guardrail. The invention recognizes the travel-path defining line of a travel path from information about an area in a traveling direction of an ego vehicle, recognizes a traveling-direction virtual line extending from the ego vehicle in the traveling direction, and imparts a yaw moment control amount so that a formed angle between the traveling-direction virtual line and the travel-path defining line decreases after the ego vehicle collides with the travel-path defining line.