The present invention relates to a vehicle steering system having a steering handle for steering at least one wheel, the steering system having an arrangement for applying a torque to the steering handle and a sensor for detecting the steering torque Tdriver applied to the steering handle by the person steering the vehicle, the arrangement generating a return torque Treturn which is a function F(φsteer) of the steering angle φsteer, and the return torque Treturn driving the steering handle to a central position (φsteer=0°).
The return of the vehicle steering system restores a vehicle that has been turned to straight-line travel. Exact automatic centering by the vehicle steering system itself is also desirable when, inter alia, the person steering the vehicle is not touching the steering wheel or is only applying a very small force to it.
When a vehicle steering system performing an active return is being produced, there are, as things stand at the moment with regard to production, always two conflicting aims which arise relating to the generation of the return torque. On the one hand the vehicle steering system must have good centering with the residual angle being only minimal and on the other hand it must transmit a harmonized feel from the steering, particularly when steering takes place through the central position.
To obtain very good centering with the residual angle being only minimal, a prerequisite is a function curve for the restoring force such as is shown by the dashed curve in
However, a harmonized feel from the steering when steering through the zero position (central position) can only be obtained with a torque curve f1(φsteer) for the return torque Treturn of the kind which is indicated by the solid curve in
The object underlying the invention is therefore to provide a vehicle steering system in which there is a harmonized feel from the steering with, at the same time, exact centering even at low vehicle speeds.
This object is achieved by a steering system where during a first driving state in which an applied steering torque Tdriver is above a threshold value Tthreshold, a function curve f1 (φsteer) of said return torque Treturn increases constantly or monotonically and no return torque Treturn=0° is generated at a steering angle of zero degrees φsteer=0°, and where during a second driving state in which an applied steering torque Tdriver is below the threshold value Tthreshold, the arrangement generates a return torque Treturn that is greater than that given by the function curve f1 (φsteer) of the return torque in the first driving state, at least at small steering angles.
The objects and advantages of the present invention will furthermore appear more clearly from the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
What is advantageously achieved by means of the invention is excellent centering with, at the same time, a harmonized feeling from the steering when steering through the central position. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that, when the vehicle is in different driving states or operating states, return torques Treturn of different sizes are preset or adjusted to by the vehicle steering system. In this way, a torque curve f1(φsteer) of the kind shown by the solid line in
Depending on the speed of the vehicle, forces of different sizes are required to move the wheels which have been steered away from the central position to be moved back to it. In this way, the forces required for the purpose are greater at low vehicle speeds than at higher vehicle speeds. It is therefore likewise within the scope of the invention for the return torque which is preset or generated to be dependent, at equal steering angles, on the speed of the vehicle in the second driving or operating state.
In all the possible embodiments, it is possible in this case for the threshold value for the torque to be a constant value. It is however equally possible for the threshold for the torque, by which the two driving states which are essential to the invention are distinguished from one another, to vary with the speed of the vehicle.
In an embodiment of the simplest kind, as has already been described and as is shown in
In a second possible embodiment, the first driving state is likewise assigned a return torque curve f1(φsteer) of the kind shown by the solid line in
The return torque that is obtained for the two driving states is thus as follows:
Treturn=f1(φsteer) Driving state I
Treturn=f2(φsteer)=f1(φsteer)+Tint, or
Treturn=f1(φsteer)+Tint(φsteer) or
Treturn=f1(φsteer)+Tint(φsteer, vvehicle). Driving state II
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the additional torque Tint is calculated by integrating the steering angle over time.
In theory, there are thus a plurality of possible ways of calculating Tint.
In the simplest case, the steering angle is integrated over time:
Tint=m∫φsteerdt.
If the steering angle remains the same, the additional torque Tint thus becomes greater with time. So that it does not become too great, it is sensible for Tint to be limited to a maximum value Tint,max. Tint,max may depend in this case on speed and/or on the steering angle. In this integration, the rate of integration is dependent only on the constant m.
It has been found that more comfortable steering can be obtained if the rate of integration also depends on the speed of the vehicle. In this way, a drive of excellent comfort can be obtained by using integration as follows:
Tint=∫k(vvehicle)φsteerdt
In principle, the function k(vvehicle) can be selected to be as desired in this case. However, it has been found useful for the rate of integration to increase as the speed of the vehicle increases. By selecting the rate of integration in this way, it is ensured that no additional return torque Tint, or one which is only negligibly small, is generated when the zero position is steered through quickly. An additional return torque Tint is only ever generated when the steering wheel is in the region of the zero position and the driver does not have his hands on it.
With all the embodiments which are described in the present patent application, it is possible for the two driving states to be distinguished, on the basis of the manual torque applied to the steering handle or steering wheel, only at small steering angles, and for only one return torque curve f1(φsteer) to exist for all manual torques when the steering angle φsteer is above a threshold value φthreshold. Advantageously, any integration is stopped in this way at small steering angles (which are wanted by the driver). The integrator therefore responds only if the torque Tdriver applied by the driver is below a certain value Tthreshold and the steering angle φsteer is below a threshold value φthreshold.
With all the embodiments described above, it is also possible for the residual angle φthreshold too to depend on the speed of the vehicle vvehicle. It is therefore important for good driving comfort for the residual angle φthreshold to become smaller as the speed of the vehicle increases.
The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German priority document 102 08 673.7 filed Feb. 28, 2002 and PCT/EP02/13722 filed Dec. 4, 2002.
The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102 08 673 | Feb 2002 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP02/13722 | 12/4/2002 | WO | 00 | 8/25/2004 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO03/072417 | 9/4/2003 | WO | A |
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