Abstract
A steering gear for a steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle may include an electric motor having a motor shaft. The motor shaft drives a spindle of a worm gear, and the worm gear comprises a spindle nut in such a manner that a rotational movement originating from the motor shaft is converted into a linear movement of the spindle nut along an axis. The spindle nut, for purposes of steering wheels of the motor vehicle, is connected to at least one tie rod. The worm gear may be a ball screw drive, a trapezoidal drive, or a roller screw drive.
Claims
1.-11. (canceled)
12. A steering gear for a steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle, comprising an electric motor having a motor shaft that drives a spindle of a worm gear, wherein the worm gear comprises a spindle nut configured such that rotational movement originating from the motor shaft is converted to linear movement of the spindle nut along an axis, wherein the spindle nut is connected to a tie rod for steering wheels of the motor vehicle.
13. The steering gear of claim 12 wherein the worm gear is a ball screw drive.
14. The steering gear of claim 12 wherein the worm gear is a trapezoidal drive.
15. The steering gear of claim 12 wherein the worm gear is a roller screw drive.
16. The steering gear of claim 12 wherein the worm gear is disposed in a housing in which the spindle is rotatably supported, wherein the spindle nut is supported with an axial guide.
17. The steering gear of claim 12 wherein the spindle nut is directly connected to the tie rod via a lever that is rigid in an axial direction such that the linear movement of the spindle nut is transmitted to the tie rod.
18. The steering gear of claim 17 wherein the tie rod is the only tie rod to which the spindle nut is directly connected.
19. The steering gear of claim 17 wherein the lever is configured such that the axis of the linear movement extends parallel to a movement direction of the tie rod.
20. The steering gear of claim 17 wherein the lever is connected to an inner thread of the tie rod.
21. A steer-by-wire steering system for a motor vehicle, the steer-by-wire steering system comprising: the steering gear of claim 12, the steering gear comprising an electronically controllable steering actuator configured to act on steered wheels of the motor vehicle; a control unit; a feedback actuator configured to be acted upon by a driver with a driver-desired steering angle via a steering input means, wherein the feedback actuator is configured to transmit a feedback signal to the steering input means in response to the driver-desired steering angle and a travel state of the motor vehicle; and a signal transmission device configured to transmit the driver-desired steering angle to the control unit, wherein the control unit controls the electronically controllable steering actuator to transform the driver-desired steering angle into a redirection of the steered wheels.
22. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 21 wherein the worm gear is a ball screw drive.
23. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 21 wherein the worm gear is a trapezoidal drive.
24. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 21 wherein the worm gear is a roller screw drive.
25. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 21 wherein the worm gear is disposed in a housing in which the spindle is rotatably supported, wherein the spindle nut is supported with an axial guide.
26. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 21 wherein the spindle nut is directly connected to the tie rod via a lever that is rigid in an axial direction such that the linear movement of the spindle nut is transmitted to the tie rod.
27. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 26 wherein the tie rod is the only tie rod to which the spindle nut is directly connected.
28. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 26 wherein the lever is configured such that the axis of the linear movement extends parallel to a movement direction of the tie rod.
29. The steer-by-wire steering system of claim 26 wherein the lever is connected to an inner thread of the tie rod.
Description
[0023] A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings. Components which are identical or which have the same function are given the same reference numerals in the Figures, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1: is a schematic illustration of a steer-by-wire steering system,
[0025] FIG. 2: is a block diagram of a control of the steer-by-wire steering system, and
[0026] FIG. 3: is a schematic illustration of a steering gear.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a steer-by-wire steering system 1. There is fitted to a steering shaft 2 a rotary angle sensor which is not illustrated and which detects the driver steering angle which is applied by turning a steering input means 3 which is constructed in the example as a steering wheel. However, a steering torque can also be detected in addition. A joystick may be used as the steering input means. There is further fitted to the steering shaft 2 a feedback actuator 4 which serves to simulate the reactions from the road 70 to the steering wheel 3 and consequently to provide the driver with feedback relating to the steering and travel behavior of the vehicle. The driver's steering request is transmitted via the rotation angle α of the steering shaft 2 measured by the rotary angle sensor via signal lines to a feedback actuator monitor unit 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The feedback actuator monitor unit 10 transmits the driver's steering request to the control unit 60. The feedback actuator monitor unit 10 preferably also takes over the control of the feedback actuator 4. The feedback actuator monitor unit 10 may also be constructed integrally with the control unit 60. The control unit 60 controls in accordance with the signal of the rotary angle sensor and other input variables an electrical steering actuator 6 which controls the position of the steered wheels 7. The steering actuator 6 acts via a steering rod steering gear 8, such as, for example, a toothed rack steering gear, and via tie rods 9 and other components directly on the steered wheels 7. The detailed description of the steering gear 61 according to the invention is set out under FIG. 3.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a control system of a steering actuator 6. The steering actuator 6 receives the steering angle α from the control unit 60. The toothed rack position 120 measured on a toothed rack 12 and other road information items 13 are transmitted to the control unit 60. The control unit 60 determines the toothed rack force by means of known measurement or estimation methods and calculates from this a steering torque T.sub.,fb. The feedback actuator 4 is controlled accordingly, whereby a steering sensation is produced. The control unit 60 further receives driver steering commands 51, such as the steering angle status. The feedback actuator 4 receives signals via the signal line 50 inter alia from the rotary angle sensor which measures and stores the steering angle α, the steering angle acceleration and the steering angle speed. The feedback actuator 4 communicates with a feedback actuator monitor unit 10 which controls the feedback actuator 4. The feedback actuator monitor unit 10 receives from the control unit 60 of the steering actuator 6 the actual steering angle β of the steered wheels 7, and other variables which the control unit 60 has established.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the steering gear 61 according to the invention. An electric motor 14 having a control unit (power pack) has a motor shaft 15 which is connected in a rotationally secure manner to a threaded spindle 16 (drive spindle) of a ball screw drive 17. The connection can be carried out directly or via a coupling. It is preferably constructed in an aligned manner. There may also be provision for the motor to drive the threaded spindle via a step-down gear transmission. The threaded spindle 16 is rotatably supported about a longitudinal axis 160 at the two ends thereof in ball bearings 18, in particular spindle bearings, in a housing 19. There is preferably provision for the ball bearings 18 to be constructed at one side as a fixed bearing and at the other side as a movable bearing. The ball screw drive 17 has a ball nut 20 which is located on the threaded spindle 16 and which concentrically surrounds it. The ball nut 20 is retained at the outer side thereof in a linear guide 21. The linear guide 21 is secured to the inner side of the housing 19 or constructed integrally with the housing 19. The linear guide 21 determines a translational movement of the ball nut 20 along the longitudinal axis 160. As a result of this support, there is produced a conversion of a rotational movement of the threaded spindle 16 into a linear movement of the ball nut 20 along the longitudinal axis 160. The linear guide 21 may absorb radial and/or tilting loads. The ball nut 20 is connected to the tie rods 9 directly or by means of additional components. As a result of movement of the ball nut 20 along the longitudinal axis 160, a steering movement is consequently produced. A non-central arrangement of the actuator 6 with respect to the wheels can be compensated for by the geometry of the connection elements.
[0030] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the nut 20 of the spindle drive 17 is connected via a lever 22 to an articulation 23 of a first tie rod 9 and moves it in an axial direction. The articulation 23 is preferably an internal articulation which is arranged at the end of the tie rod 9 remote from the wheel. The movement of this tie rod is transmitted via a coupling rod 24 by means of which the inner articulations 23 of both tie rods 9 are connected, to the other side, to the second tie rod 9. The coupling rod 24 is guided in a linear manner in a simple second housing 25 and absorbs the radial portions of the tie rod forces. The spindle drive 17 and the electric motor 14 or the power pack are located in the region of the coupling rod 24 and are orientated parallel therewith. The lever 22 is constructed in such a manner that the spindle drive 17 and the power pack are located in the direct vicinity of the coupling rod 24, which makes the arrangement particularly compact. The lever 22 is preferably rigid in the longitudinal direction. In the simplest embodiment thereof, it is linear and does not have an angle. The lever 22 is preferably configured in such a manner that it connects the coupling rods 24 which are parallel with each other and the threaded spindle 16 over the shortest spacing. The spindle drive 17 or the housing 19 can be sealed externally with a bellows 26 which is, for example, secured to the motor housing. There is illustrated a seal with a bellows 26 which extends from the housing 19 in the direction toward the lever 22. The housing 25 in which the coupling rod 24 is arranged is also preferably sealed externally at both ends with a bellows 27. The two bellows 27 extend in this instance from the housing 25 toward the inner thread 23 of the corresponding tie rod 9.
[0031] Since radial and tilting loads are absorbed by the linear guide 21, the ball screw drive 17 is loaded almost exclusively axially and may be constructed to be significantly smaller, lighter and more cost-effective than in conventional constructions. With the same load-bearing capacity, there is produced a substantially improved friction behavior. The spindle length corresponds to the travel of the transmission 17, plus additions for thread run-out and bearing. The bearing of the nut 20 is omitted, which affords an advantage with respect to structural space requirement in the radial direction which in many cases is significantly limited. As a result of the more favorable sizing of the ball screw drive 17, the transmission ratio of upstream transmission stages (such as, for example, a belt drive) can be reduced, or it can even be dispensed with completely, which affords advantages with regard to costs and—decisively for the steer-by-wire system—provides operational reliability. Another advantage involves the lower rotational imbalance compared with solutions in which the nut rotates.
[0032] The invention is not limited to ball screw drives; worm gears, that is to say, roller screw drives or trapezoidal screw drives, can also generally be used.
