A vehicle steering assembly comprising an input shaft to be connected to a steering device, a first electric motor connected to the input shaft and arranged to provide a steering device torque and/or a steering device angle, an output shaft connected via a steering linkage to a number of ground engaging members, a rod placed between the input shaft and the output shaft, a first arm rotatably connected to the input shaft and rotatably connected to the rod, and a second arm rotatably connected to the rod and rotatably connected to the output shaft, a second electric motor connected to the output shaft and arranged to provide a steering control torque and/or a steering control angle, wherein the rod comprises a flexible drag link, which in combination with the first and second arm provide for forces in longitudinal direction to be absorbed.

A steering system includes: a variable mechanism that reversibly changes a configuration of an operating member between a configuration for automated driving and a configuration for manual driving, the configuration including at least one of a position, an orientation, and a shape; a variable drive source; a receiver that receives an operation of a driver; and a controller that controls the variable drive source to cause the variable mechanism to return the configuration of the operating member to the configuration for manual driving, when the receiver receives the operation of the driver in a period when the configuration of the operating member is being changed.

A handwheel actuator assembly includes a handwheel shaft configured to receive a handwheel; a feedback device operable to provide a variable level of resistance to rotation of the handwheel shaft; and a handwheel shaft position sensor operable to sense an angular position of the handwheel shaft. The handwheel shaft position sensor may be mounted on a circuit board. The circuit may comprise a controller that is configured to receive signals from the handwheel shaft position sensor.

A steering apparatus includes: a steering mechanism including a turning shaft; a motor configured to give a drive force to the steering mechanism; and a controller configured to control the motor based on a command value. The controller includes a first computation circuit, a second computation circuit and a third computation circuit. The first computation circuit is configured to compute a shaft force that acts on the turning shaft. The second computation circuit is configured to compute a value indicating the degree of intervention in a steering control by a host controller, such that the value gradually changes with respect to time. The third computation circuit is configured to compute a final shaft force, by reflecting the value indicating the degree of the intervention, in the shaft force.

In a reaction torque calculation process, an electronic control unit included in a steer-by-wire steering device is configured to calculate a distributed axial force obtained by distributing an angle axial force and an electric current axial force based on a final distribution ratio. The reaction torque calculation process includes at least one of a first abnormal-time process and a second abnormal-time process. The first abnormal-time process is executed to hold, for calculation of the angle axial force, a vehicle speed signal value immediately before the vehicle speed signal becomes abnormal. The second abnormal-time process is executed to hold, for calculation of a normal-time distribution ratio, a vehicle speed signal value immediately before the vehicle speed signal becomes abnormal or hold a value of the normal-time distribution ratio immediately before the vehicle speed signal becomes abnormal, and then gradually change the final distribution ratio to an abnormal-time distribution ratio.

A motor control system shorts motor windings of a motor by using junction gate field-effect transistors (JFETs) controlled bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), solid state relays (SSRs) controlled BJTs, and depletion mode metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) so that the motor generates braking torque when all or some electric control units of the motor are disabled or failed. The motor control system comprises: a motor comprising a plurality of motor phase terminals; a plurality of electric control units electrically connected with the motor and configured to control the motor, wherein the electric control units are configured to output control signals, respectively; and a shorting circuit connected to between the motor and the electric control units, the shorting circuit configured to short the motor phase terminals in response to receiving none of the control signals from the electric control units. The shorting circuit is configured not to short the motor phase terminals when receiving at least one of the control signals from at least one of the electric control units.

The present disclosure related to a travel stop assembly for preventing rotation, and undesired locking, of a shaft. The travel stop assembly may comprise a shaft that extends along an axis and is rotatable about the axis. A lead screw may extend along the axis and be operatively engaged, and rotatable, with the shaft about the axis. A nut may be in threaded engagement with the lead screw and axially movable along a length of the lead screw upon rotation of the lead screw. At least one stop pin may operatively engaged the lead screw and the at least one stop pin may extend from the lead screw perpendicularly relative to the axis. The stop pin may be positioned on the lead screw to stop rotation of the lead screw and the stop pin may prevent locking of the nut to the lead screw.

A vehicle steering system for use in turning steerable vehicle wheels includes a steering column and a steering gear operably connected with the steering column. The steering gear turns the steerable vehicle wheels upon rotation of the steering column. A first control assembly is connected to the steering column. The first control assembly has a first motor operably connected to the steering column for applying a torque to the steering column. A second control assembly is connected to the steering column. The second control assembly has a second motor operably connected to the steering column for applying a torque to the steering column. he second control assembly directly communicates with the first control assembly. A vehicle controller is configured to communicate with the first and second control assemblies to autonomously steer the vehicle.

A steer by wire type steering apparatus according to the present embodiments comprises a rotating shaft that rotates in conjunction with a steering shaft, a housing provided with a ball seating portion at one end and a ball is coupled and supported between the ball seating portion and an inner circumferential surface of the rotating shaft, a support member disposed inside the housing and provided with a protruding support portion for supporting the ball to one side in a circumferential direction while protruding in an axial direction, a ball support elastic member coupled to the housing and elastically supporting the ball to another side in the circumferential direction, and an actuator for moving the support member in the axial direction.

A method for operating an electromechanically assisted steering system of a motor vehicle is described. The steering system has a steering arrangement and at least one electromechanical actuator. The at least one electromechanical actuator is coupled to the steering arrangement in a torque-transmitting manner. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a steering rack force signal that comprises information about a steering rack force acting on a steering rack of the steering system; acquiring a driver torque signal that comprises information about a driver torque exerted on the steering arrangement by the driver; ascertaining a filtered scaled steering rack force signal; and ascertaining a steering feedback torque for the at least one electromechanical actuator, based on the scaled steering rack force signal.

A control device for an electromechanically assisted steering system of a motor vehicle, an electromechanically assisted steering system, and a computer program are also described.