APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A STEERING MOMENT FOR A TWO-WHEELER STEERING MECHANISM

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a steering moment for a two-wheeler steering mechanism has a mounting device for mounting the apparatus on a two-wheeler frame, a coupling device for coupling the apparatus with the two-wheeler steering mechanism and an actuator device for causing a steering force, or a restoring force, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, The actuator device includes a control interface for controlling the actuator device by a steering control device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a steering moment, or a restoring moment, for a two-wheeler steering mechanism, comprising: a mounting device for mounting the apparatus on a two-wheeler frame; a coupling device for coupling the apparatus with the two-wheeler steering mechanism; and an actuator device for causing a steering force, or a restoring force, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, wherein the actuator device comprises a control interface for controlling the actuator device by a steering control device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device is configured to transmit energy to the coupling device in a neutral position of the apparatus, wherein a stabilizing force for stabilizing the two-wheeler steering mechanism is caused with the energy in the neutral position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device is configured to transmit energy to the coupling device over a steering angle progression that sets from a neutral position of the apparatus, wherein a variable steering force is caused with the energy over the steering angle progression that sets from the neutral position of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steering control device, wherein the steering control device comprises: a sensor interface for reading in sensorically acquired information on a steering variable, wherein the steering control device is configured to control the actuator device such that the steering force is caused in dependency on the read in information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steering control device, wherein the steering control device comprises: a driving dynamics interface for reading in information on a two-wheeler driving dynamics variable, wherein the steering control device is configured to control the actuator device such that the steering force is caused in dependency on the read in information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steering control device, wherein the steering control device is configured to control the actuator device such that a steering force progression, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, is caused, wherein the steering force progression provides a variable steering moment, or a variable restoring moment, when a steering angle progression sets in a predetermined steering angle range.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steering control device, wherein the steering control device is configured to control the actuator device such that a steering force progression, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, is caused, wherein the steering force progression provides a progressive development of the steering moment, when a steering angle progression sets from a neutral position of the apparatus in a predetermined steering angle range.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steering control device, wherein the steering control device is configured to control the actuator device such that a steering force progression, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, is caused, wherein the steering force progression provides a degressive development of the steering moment, when a steering angle progression sets in a predetermined steering angle range.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a steering angle that sets from the neutral position in the predetermined steering angle range is smaller in the steering angle progression of the progressive development of the restoring moment compared to a steering angle that sets in the predetermined steering angle range in the steering angle progression of the degressive development of the restoring moment.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device comprises two actuator elements for causing the steering force, wherein one of the two actuator elements is configured for causing the steering force at a steering to the right and the other one of the two actuator elements is configured for causing the steering force at a steering to the left.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device is activatable and deactivatable.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein by the actuator device is activatable and deactivatable by the steering control device via the control interface.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device is configurable.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the actuator device is configurable by the steering control device via the control interface .

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steering control device, wherein a steering force characteristic diagram, that is based on the steering angle, is stored in the steering control device, and wherein the steering control device is configured to control the actuator device such that the steering force is caused based on the stored steering force characteristic diagram.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device comprises an energy storage device for storing of energy for causing the steering force.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the energy storage device is operatively connected in an energetic manner with a recuperative two-wheeler system for feeding energy in the energy storage device.

18. A two-wheeler frame, comprising the apparatus of claim 1 mounted on the frame.

19. The two-wheeler frame according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus is arranged in an integrated manner in at least one frame component of the two-wheeler frame.

20. A two-wheeler steering mechanism, comprising the apparatus of claim 1 coupled therewith.

21. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising: a two-wheeler frame having; the two-wheeler frame; and an apparatus for providing a steering moment, or a restoring moment, for a two-wheeler steering mechanism, comprising: a mounting device for mounting the apparatus on the two-wheeler frame; a coupling device for coupling the apparatus with the two-wheeler steering mechanism; and an actuator device for causing a steering force, or a restoring force, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, wherein the actuator device comprises a control interface for controlling the actuator device by a steering control device; or a two-wheeler steering mechanism having the two-wheeler steering mechanism; and an apparatus for providing a steering moment, or a restoring moment, for the two-wheeler steering mechanism, comprising: a mounting device for mounting the apparatus on a two-wheeler frame; a coupling device for coupling the apparatus with the two-wheeler steering mechanism; and an actuator device for causing a steering force, or a restoring force, that is transmittable to the two-wheeler steering mechanism via the coupling device, wherein the actuator device comprises a control interface for controlling the actuator device by a steering control device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows in a schematic manner an apparatus for providing a steering moment, a two-wheeler frame and a two-wheeler steering mechanism according to a respective embodiment of the invention; and

[0033] FIG. 2 shows in a schematic manner a two-wheeled vehicle with the apparatus from FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 100 that is configured to provide a steering moment for a two-wheeler steering mechanism 70. The apparatus 100 is operatively connected with the two-wheeler steering mechanism 70 via a fork shaft 4 of the two-wheeler steering mechanism 70 such that the apparatus 100 transmits the provided steering moment to the two-wheeler steering mechanism 70. According to an embodiment, the two-wheeler steering mechanism 70 comprises the apparatus 100. The apparatus 100 is mounted on a two-wheeler frame 2 of a two-wheeled vehicle 200, that is shown in FIG. 2, via a mounting device 10. According to respective embodiments, the two-wheeler frame 2 and the two-wheeled vehicle 200 may comprise the apparatus 100.

[0035] The apparatus 100 comprises a coupling device 60, with which the apparatus 100 is coupled with the two-wheeler steering mechanism 70. The apparatus 100 is coupled such that a steering force, that is generated by the apparatus 100, may be transmitted to the fork shaft 4 of the two-wheeler steering mechanism 70 to provide the steering moment.

[0036] The apparatus 100 further comprises an actuator device 80, with which the steering force may be caused. The actuator device 80 has a control interface 82, via which the actuator device 80 may be controlled by a steering control device 90. The actuator device 80 is connected with the coupling device 60 via a force transmission element 40 to transmit a force, that is generated by at least one actuator element 80′, to the coupling device 60 for causing the steering force.

[0037] The steering control device 90 comprises a sensor interface 92, via which acquisition data of a steering sensor 93 may be read in the steering control device 90. The steering control device 90 is configured to control the actuator device 80 based on the read in acquisition data. According to an embodiment, the acquisition data comprises information on a current steering angle of the steering mechanism 70, wherein the steering sensor 93 acquires the steering angle at the steering mechanism 70.

[0038] The steering control device 90 may comprise a driving dynamics interface 94, via which acquisition data of a driving dynamics sensor 95 may be read in the steering control device 90. The steering control device 90 is configured to control the actuator device 80 based on the read in acquisition data. According to an embodiment, the acquisition data comprises information on a current driving speed of the two-wheeled vehicle 200, wherein the driving dynamics sensor 95 acquires the speed at a non-shown driving component and/or downthrust component of the two-wheeled vehicle 200.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0039] 2 two-wheeler frame [0040] 4 fork shaft [0041] 10 mounting device [0042] 40 force transmission element [0043] 60 coupling device [0044] 70 two-wheeler steering mechanism [0045] 80 actuator device [0046] 80′ actuator element [0047] 82 control interface [0048] 90 steering control device [0049] 92 sensor interface [0050] 93 steering sensor [0051] 94 driving dynamics interface [0052] 95 driving dynamics sensor [0053] 100 apparatus [0054] 200 two-wheeled vehicle