WO2025013475A1 - Steering operation input device and steer-by-wire type steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

A steering operation input device (1) and a steer-by-wire steering device (SD) according to the present invention include: an operating unit (5) that is steered when a steering operation input member (31) imparts a steering angle to wheels (WL) (WR) of a vehicle; and a fixed unit (6) that is fixedly provided in a position different from that of the operating unit (5) and that comes into contact with an operating hand (H) of a driver during an action of the driver to operate the operating unit (5). As a result, when operating the operating unit (5), a difference in displacement between the operating unit (5) and the fixed unit (6) can be felt in the contacting part by touching the operating unit (5) and the fixed unit (6) simultaneously, and a frictional force between the operating unit (5) and the operating hand (H) can be adjusted, making it easy to perform fine adjustment of the steering angle, such as increasing or decreasing the amount of turn, thereby improving the operability of the steering operation input device (1).

Description

Steering operation input device and steer-by-wire steering device

The present invention relates to a steering operation input device and a steer-by-wire type steering device.

　A conventional steering operation input device is, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 below.

In other words, conventional steering input devices are applied to so-called steer-by-wire steering devices, and are equipped with a dial that the vehicle driver can rotate with one hand, and by rotating the dial, steering can be performed according to the direction of rotation.

JP 2020-172135 A

However, the conventional steering operation input device does not give any consideration to improving operability.

The present invention was devised in consideration of the technical problems with the conventional steering operation input devices, and aims to provide a steering operation input device and a steer-by-wire type steering device that can improve operability.

In one aspect, the present invention is characterized in that the steering operation input member has an operating section that is steered when applying a steering angle to the wheels of the vehicle, and a fixed section that is fixedly provided at a position different from the operating section and that comes into contact with the driver's operating hand when the driver is operating the operating section.

The present invention can improve operability.

1 is a schematic diagram of a steer-by-wire steering device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a steering operation input member according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a perspective view of the steering operation input device, showing an operation mode of the steering operation input member shown in FIG. 2 . 3A is a plan view of the steering operation input member showing the operation mode of the steering operation input member shown in FIG. 2, in which (a) shows a straight-ahead state (including left and right steering states with small steering angles), (b) shows a right steering state with large steering angles, and (c) shows a left steering state with large steering angles. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a steering operation input member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the steering operation input member showing another example of the second embodiment of the present invention and illustrating another form of the mounting portion and the support portion shown in FIG. 5 . 6 is a perspective view of the steering operation input member shown in FIG. 5, illustrating an operation mode of the steering operation input member. 6A and 6B are plan views of the steering operation input member showing the operation modes of the steering operation input member shown in FIG. 5, in which (a) shows a straight-ahead state (including left and right steering states with small steering angles), (b) shows a right steering state with large steering angles, and (c) shows a left steering state with large steering angles. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a steering operation input member according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a perspective view of the steering operation input member shown in FIG. 9, illustrating an operation mode of the steering operation input member. 10A is a plan view of the steering operation input member showing the operation mode of the steering operation input member shown in FIG. 9, in which (a) shows a straight-ahead state (including left and right steering states with small steering angles), (b) shows a right steering state with large steering angles, and (c) shows a left steering state with large steering angles.

Below, an embodiment of the steering operation input device and steer-by-wire steering device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in each of the following embodiments, the steering operation input device and steer-by-wire steering device will be described as being applied to a steer-by-wire steering device for an automobile, as in the conventional case.

(Configuration of steer-by-wire steering device)
Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram showing the system configuration of a steer-by-wire steering device SD according to the present invention. Note that Fig. 1 is an image diagram showing the system configuration of the steer-by-wire steering device SD, and does not show the specific shape of the steer-by-wire steering device SD according to the embodiment of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the steer-by-wire steering device SD according to the present invention comprises a steering operation input device 1 and a steering device 2, and the steering operation input device 1 and the steering device 2 are configured to be mechanically separated. The steering operation input device 1 has a steering operation input member 3 that is used to input a steering operation, and a reaction force section 4 that applies a reaction force to an operation section 5 (described later) of the steering operation input member 3.

The steering operation input member 3 has an operation unit 5 and a fixed unit 6 (not shown in FIG. 1, see FIG. 2), and the operation unit 5 has a dial 51 equivalent to a steering wheel, and a rotating shaft 52 connected to the dial 51 and equivalent to a steering shaft. The steering angle input via the dial 51, i.e., the rotation angle of the dial 51, is detected by a steering angle sensor AS linked to the rotating shaft 52 which rotates synchronously with the dial 51. The steering angle sensor AS is connected to an on-board control device 7, and a steering angle signal detected by the steering angle sensor AS is output to the control device 7.

The reaction force unit 4 is composed of, for example, a reaction force actuator CA. The reaction force actuator CA is connected to the control device 7 and is driven and controlled by the control device 7. Specifically, the reaction force actuator CA generates a reaction force according to driving conditions such as the vehicle speed (vehicle speed) and road surface conditions. Note that in this embodiment, a well-known reaction force actuator CA is exemplified as one aspect of the reaction force unit 4, but the reaction force unit 4 is not limited to a configuration that generates a reaction force electrically like the reaction force actuator CA, and may be a configuration that generates a reaction force mechanically, such as a biasing member (coil spring). In other words, the reaction force unit 4 only needs to be able to generate a reaction force on the operation unit 5 of the steering operation input member 3, and can be arbitrarily changed according to the specifications of the steering device SD, etc.

The control device 7 is electrically connected to the steering angle sensor AS, the external sensor OS mounted on the vehicle, and the steering amount sensor DS, and drives and controls the reaction force actuator CA and the steering actuator DA described below. The external sensor OS includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor as well as various other sensors.

The steering device 2 has a rack bar 21 as a steering shaft connecting the left and right wheels WL, WR, which are the steered wheels of the vehicle, a tie rod 22 connecting the rack bar 21 and the wheels WL, WR, and a steering actuator DA that moves the rack bar 21 in the vehicle width direction. The rack bar 21 and the steering actuator DA are connected by, for example, a transmission mechanism and a speed reduction mechanism, not shown. The transmission mechanism transmits the rotational force of the steering actuator DA to the rack bar 21, and is composed, for example, of an input pulley connected to the rotation shaft of the steering actuator DA, an output pulley connected to the rack bar 21, and a belt wound between the two pulleys. The speed reduction mechanism reduces the speed of the rotational force transmitted via the transmission mechanism and converts it into a moving force in the axial direction of the rack bar 21, and is composed, for example, of a ball screw interposed between the output pulley and the rack bar 21.

The rack bar 21 is also linked to a steering shaft position sensor PS that can detect the axial position of the rack bar 21. The steering shaft position sensor PS is connected to the control device 7 and outputs a detected position signal of the rack bar 21 to the control device 7. That is, based on the position signal of the rack bar 21 detected by the steering shaft position sensor PS, the control device 7 calculates the amount of axial movement of the rack bar 21 from the steering angle signal detected by the steering angle sensor AS, and drives and controls the steering actuator DA. As a result, an appropriate thrust according to the axial position of the rack bar 21 is applied to the rack bar 21.

First Embodiment
(Configuration of steering operation input device)
Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the steering operation input member 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front (rear) side. In the following description, for convenience, the rotation axis of the dial 51 in Fig. 2 is referred to as the rotation axis Z, the direction along the rotation axis Z is referred to as the "axial direction", the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis Z is referred to as the "radial direction", and the direction around the rotation axis Z is referred to as the "circumferential direction". In addition, the traveling direction of the vehicle is referred to as the "front", the side opposite the traveling direction of the vehicle is referred to as the "rear", the upper side in the vertical direction is referred to as the "upper", and the lower side in the vertical direction is referred to as the "lower".

As shown in FIG. 2, the steering operation input member 31 according to this embodiment is provided, as an example, in a center console (not shown) inside the vehicle cabin. Specifically, the steering operation input member 31 has an operation unit 5 that rotates in response to the driver's steering operation and is used to input the driver's steering operation, and a fixed unit 6 that is fixed to the operation unit 5 and does not rotate relative to the operation unit 5 as the operation unit 5 rotates.

The steering operation input member 3 has a dial 51 that rotates in response to the input of a steering operation, and a rotating shaft 52 (not shown in FIG. 2, see FIG. 1) that is connected to the dial 51 so as to be rotatable together with it. In this case, the rotating shaft 52 is connected to the center of the dial 51, and is configured so that the rotation axis Z of the rotating shaft 52 coincides with the center of the dial 51. This allows the operation amount (rotation amount) of the dial 51 to be linearly reflected in the steering angle. In addition, the dial 51 and the rotating shaft 52 are connected so as to be rotatable together with it by a predetermined fixing means such as press fitting or fastening. Note that the dial 51 and the rotating shaft 52 do not necessarily need to be configured as separate entities, and may be formed as one entity.

The dial 51 is made of a resin or metal material and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom. Specifically, the dial 51 has a support surface 511 provided on the upper surface of the dial 51 on which the operating hand H (not shown in FIG. 2, see FIG. 3) is placed, and an operation surface 512 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the dial 51 and used for steering (rotating) the dial 51 by the operating hand H. The support surface 511 is formed of a flat surface parallel to the operation table 30. The operation surface 512 is provided continuously along the circumferential direction of the dial 51. The operation surface 512 has a relatively rough surface roughness compared to the support part 62 of the fixed part 6 described later, and it is desirable to apply an anti-slip treatment such as knurling that increases friction with the operating hand H.

The rotating shaft 52 passes vertically through the operation console 30, which is arranged on the center console (not shown), and the dial 51 is connected to one axial end of the rotating shaft 52 exposed from the operation console 30, while the reaction actuator CA is connected to the other axial end of the rotating shaft 52 facing the inside of the operation console 30 (the inside of the center console, not shown).

The operation console 30 is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape with a certain thickness, and is provided, for example, on a center console (not shown). The operation console 30 may be formed integrally with the center console. The operation console 30 also has a recess 301 at its front end that is recessed toward the center console (the other axial end side of the rotating shaft 52). The recess 301 has a shape that corresponds to the fixed part 6 (the flange part 41 described later), and is formed so that the flange part 61 of the fixed part 6 can be fitted therein.

The fixed part 6 has a flange part 61 fixed to the operation table 30 and a cylindrical support part 62 gripped by some of the fingers of the operating hand H, and the flange part 61 and the support part 62 are integrally formed. The flange part 61 is fitted into the recess 301 of the operation table 30 and fixed to the operation table 30 via any fastening means such as a screw (not shown). The support part 62 is provided so as to rise vertically from the flange part 61 and extend from the flange part 61 along the axial direction toward the dial 51. The support part 62 has approximately the same shape as the dial 51 and has an outer circumferential surface formed to have approximately the same diameter as the outer diameter of the operation surface 512 of the dial 51. The outer circumferential surface of the support part 62 is set to have a surface roughness relatively smaller than that of the operation surface 512.

(Description of Operation Mode of Steering Operation Input Device)
3 is a diagram showing an operation mode in which the steering operation input member 31 shown in FIG. 2 is operated by an operating hand H, and shows a perspective view of the steering operation input member 31 as seen from the front. An example of an operation mode of the steering operation input member 31 will be described below.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, as an example of an operation mode of the steering operation input member 31 by the operating hand H, the basic operating posture of the steering operation input member 31 is such that the palm of the operating hand H is placed on the support surface 511 of the dial 51, and the support part 62 of the fixed part 6 is grasped, for example, by the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H, and the index finger F2 and middle finger F3 of the operating hand H are hooked on the operating surface 512 of the dial 51.

Note that, particularly in this embodiment, during steering operations described below, the support portion 62 of the fixed portion 6 is not for fixing the fingers F1, F4, and F5 of the operating hand H, but is merely for gripping in order to support the operating hand H. In other words, during steering operations, in order to make it easier to operate the dial 51 with the index finger F2 or middle finger F3 of the operating hand H, the fingers F1, F4, and F5 used for supporting the operating hand H may be appropriately slid in the rotational direction while feeling the difference in displacement of the dial 51 in conjunction with the operation of the index finger F2 or middle finger F3 of the operating hand H.

(Explanation of how to operate the steering operation input device)
FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the steering operation input member 31 shown in FIG. 2, showing the operation mode of the steering operation input member 31, in which (a) shows a straight-ahead state (including left and right steering states with small steering angles), (b) shows a right steering state with large steering angles, and (c) shows a left steering state with large steering angles.

When the vehicle is moving straight ahead, for example as shown in FIG. 4(a), the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H grip the support part 62 of the fixed part 6, and the pads of the index finger F2 and middle finger F3 of the operating hand H are hooked on the operating surface 512 in front of the dial 51. This causes the index finger F2 and middle finger F3 of the operating hand H to hold the dial 51 in the neutral position.

In a relatively small right steering operation, i.e., right steering operation with a small steering angle, in the straight-ahead position, the index finger F2 of the operating hand H placed on the operating surface 512 is moved to the right, causing the dial 51 to rotate to the right as if rotating along with the index finger F2, thereby performing right steering with a small steering angle. On the other hand, in a relatively small left steering operation, i.e., left steering operation with a small steering angle, in the straight-ahead position, the middle finger F3 of the operating hand H placed on the operating surface 512 is moved to the left, causing the dial 51 to rotate to the left as if rotating along with the middle finger F3, thereby performing left steering with a small steering angle.

Furthermore, in a comparatively large right steering operation, a right steering operation with a large steering angle, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(b), while the support part 62 of the fixed part 6 is grasped with the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H, the index finger F2 of the operating hand H is opened to the right from the basic posture of the straight-ahead state shown in FIG. 4(a) and the index finger F2 is pulled toward the front (rear). As a result, the dial 51 rotates to the right (clockwise) by being accompanied by the side of the index finger F2 of the operating hand H (the side on the middle finger F3 side), and a large steering angle to the right is performed.

Furthermore, in a comparatively large left steering operation, that is, a left steering operation with a large steering angle, for example, as shown in Fig. 4(c), while the support part 62 of the fixed part 6 is grasped with the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H, the middle finger F3 of the operating hand H is opened to the left from the basic posture of the straight-ahead state shown in Fig. 4(a) and the middle finger F3 is pulled toward the front (rear). As a result, the dial 51 rotates leftward (counterclockwise) in a manner that it is accompanied by the side (side on the index finger F2 side) of the middle finger F3 of the operating hand H, and a left steering operation with a large steering angle is performed.

(Effects of this embodiment)
As described above, the conventional steering operation input device does not take into consideration the improvement of operability. Specifically, the steering operation is performed by gripping only the dial, which is a steering operation input member, during steering. For this reason, there is still room for improvement in that it is difficult to perform appropriate steering operations, for example, in steering operations with relatively small steering angles, fine adjustments of the steering angle such as turning further and turning back, and during steering operation. In addition, when the vehicle vibrates, the vibrations hinder the operation of the operator, making it difficult to perform appropriate steering operations.

In contrast, the steering operation input device 1 according to this embodiment provides the following effects, thereby solving the problems of the conventional steering operation input device.

In other words, the steering operation input device 1 according to this embodiment is a steering operation input device that includes a dial 51 to which the driver's steering operation is input, and a reaction force unit 4 (reaction force actuator CA) that applies a reaction force in a direction to return the dial 51 to the neutral position. The steering operation input device 1 has an operation unit (dial 51 and rotating shaft 52) that is operated to apply a steering angle to the wheels WL, WR of the vehicle, and a fixed unit 6 that is fixedly provided at a position different from the operation unit 5, is a fixed unit that does not move in response to the driver's steering operation, and comes into contact with the driver's operating hand H when the driver operates the operation unit 5.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the steering operation input member 31 has the operation unit 5 which is steered when applying a steering angle to the vehicle wheels WL, WR, and the fixed part 6 which is fixedly provided at a position different from the operation unit 5 and comes into contact with the driver's operating hand H during the operation of the operation unit 5 by the driver. As a result, when operating the operation unit 5, by touching the fixed part 6 at the same time as the operation unit 5, the difference in displacement between the operation unit 5 and the fixed part 6 can be felt at the contact part, and the frictional force between the operation unit 5 and the operating hand H can be adjusted, making it possible to operate the operation unit 5 appropriately and smoothly. As a result, for example, further turning and returning operations performed by fine-tuning the operation unit 5 can be easily performed. More specifically, by facilitating fine-tuning of the operation unit 5, for example, excessive further turning and returning are suppressed during further turning and returning operations, and appropriate further turning and returning operations can be performed.

In addition, by providing the fixed portion 6, it is possible to support a part of the operating hand H at the fixed portion 6. As a result, the operating unit 5 can be easily held with a part of the operating hand H supported at the fixed portion 6, and for example, a steering operation to maintain (hold) the operating unit 5 at a predetermined angle can be easily performed. Furthermore, by supporting a part of the operating hand H at the fixed portion 6, it is possible to easily counteract vibrations of the vehicle and also to suppress erroneous operation of the operating unit 5 due to driving conditions or road surface conditions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the steering operation input member 31 has a rotating shaft 52 that rotates around an axis (rotation axis Z), and is configured so that the operating hand H can contact the operating unit 5 from one end side of the rotating shaft 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52. The operating unit 5 is a dial 51 that is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52 and rotates around the rotating shaft 52, and the fixed portion 6 is provided on the other end side of the rotating shaft 52 relative to the dial 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52.

In this way, in this embodiment, the dial 51 of the operating unit 5 is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft 52, and the fixed part 6 is provided on the other end side of the rotating shaft 52. This makes it easier to perform steering operations, in particular, by adjusting the friction between the dial 51 on one end side and the operating hand H while holding the fixed part 6 on the other end side.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the radial direction is defined as the radial direction relative to the rotating shaft 52, the dial 51 and the fixed part 6 (support part 62) are formed to extend radially outward from the rotating shaft 52, and the fixed part 6 (support part 62) has approximately the same shape as the dial 51.

In this way, in this embodiment, the dial 51 and the support part 62 of the fixed part 6 are substantially the same shape. This allows the operating hand H to come into contact across the dial 51 and the support part 62 of the fixed part 6, making it easier for the operating hand H to come into contact with the dial 51 and the fixed part 6, and also making it easier to feel the friction between the operating hand H and the dial 51. As a result, it is possible to more easily perform steering operations and steering back operations by finely adjusting the dial 51, as well as steering operations to maintain (hold) the dial 51 at a specified angle.

In addition, in this embodiment, the surface roughness of the outer surface of the fixed part 6 (support part 62) that comes into contact with the driver's operating hand H is different from the surface roughness of the outer surface of the operating part 5 (dial 51) that comes into contact with the driver's operating hand H.

In this way, in this embodiment, the surface roughness of the outer surface of the support part 62 of the fixed part 6 is different from the surface roughness of the outer surface of the dial 51. This makes it easier to feel the difference in friction between the dial 51 and the support part 62 of the fixed part 6, further improving operability.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface roughness of the outer surface (particularly the operation surface 512) of the operating part 5 (dial 51) is set to be relatively rough compared to the surface roughness of the outer surface of the support part 62 of the fixed part 6.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the surface roughness of the outer surface of the dial 51, particularly the operating surface 512, is set to be rougher than the surface roughness of the outer surface of the support part 62 of the fixed part 6. This makes it easier for the operating hand H to catch on the operating surface 512 of the dial 51 when operating the dial 51, further improving the operability of the dial 51. In particular, as the operating hand H can easily catch on the operating surface 512 of the dial 51, the friction of the operating hand H against the dial 51 increases, improving the operability of the steering operation.

Second Embodiment
5 to 8 show a second embodiment in which the steering operation input device 1 according to the present invention is applied to a steer-by-wire type steering device SD, and is mainly a modification of the configuration of the fixed portion 6 of the steering operation input member 31 according to the first embodiment. Note that, since the basic configuration other than the modification is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the steering operation input member 32 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front (rear) side. In the following explanation, for convenience, the rotation axis of the dial 51 in Figure 5 is referred to as rotation axis Z, the direction along rotation axis Z is referred to as the "axial direction", the direction perpendicular to rotation axis Z is referred to as the "radial direction", and the direction around rotation axis Z is referred to as the "circumferential direction". In addition, the traveling direction of the vehicle is referred to as the "front", the side opposite the traveling direction of the vehicle is referred to as the "rear", the upper side in the vertical direction is referred to as the "upper", and the lower side in the vertical direction is referred to as the "lower".

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the steering operation input member 32 according to this embodiment has the fixing portion 6 provided on one axial end side and the other axial end side of the dial 51. That is, the steering operation input member 32 includes the flange portion 61 and the support portion 62 according to the first embodiment, as well as a mounting portion 63 provided further axially toward one end side of the dial 51 and above the dial 51.

The mounting portion 63 is formed in a raindrop shape in a plan view. Specifically, the mounting portion 63 has an arc portion 631 formed on the side approaching the dial 51 in the radial direction, and a tapered portion 632 formed integrally with the arc portion 631 and formed on the side moving away from the dial 51 in the radial direction. The arc portion 631 has an arc shape concentric with the dial 51, is set to an outer diameter slightly smaller than that of the dial 51, and is formed so that the operation surface 512 of the dial 51 is located radially outside the arc portion 631 in a plan view. The tapered portion 632 is formed in a tapered shape that becomes thinner as it moves away from the arc portion 631 in the radial direction, and is provided so that the tip portion is located radially outside the operation surface 512 of the dial 51 in a plan view. In addition, the mounting portion 63 is supported on the flange portion 61 by a support portion 64 that extends vertically upward from the flange portion 61 and is connected to the tip portion of the tapered portion 632. In other words, the support portion 64 can support the load of the operating hand H acting on the placement portion 63.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the mounting portion 63 and the support portion 64 shown in FIG. 5, and shows a cross-sectional view of the steering operation input member 32 cut along the rotation axis Z.

The mounting portion 63 and the support portion 64 may be in a form as shown in FIG. 6, for example, in addition to the form shown in FIG. 5. That is, the mounting portion 63 shown in FIG. 6 has a circular portion 633 formed to have approximately the same diameter as the dial 51. The circular portion 633 is set to an outer diameter slightly smaller than the dial 51, and is formed so that the operation surface 512 of the dial 51 is located radially outside the circular portion 633 in a plan view. The support portion 64 is arranged coaxially with the hollowed-out rotating shaft 52 so as to penetrate the inside of the hollowed-out rotating shaft 52. The hollowed-out rotating shaft 52 is rotatably supported by a pair of upper and lower bearings BG provided in the approximately cylindrical housing 40 that covers the reaction portion 4. In addition, the support portion 64 is fixed to the other axial end side of the housing 40 via any fastening means, such as a screw (not shown). By configuring in this way, the support portion 64 can support the load of the operating hand H acting on the mounting portion 63.

(Description of Operation Mode of Steering Operation Input Device)
7 is a diagram showing an operation mode in which the operating hand H operates the steering operation input member 32 shown in FIG. 5, and shows a perspective view of the steering operation input member 32 as seen from the front. An example of an operation mode of the steering operation input member 32 will be described below.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, as an example of an operation mode of the steering operation input member 32 by the operating hand H, the basic operating posture of the steering operation input member 32 is such that the pad of the operating hand H is placed on the support portion 63, the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H are in contact with the support portion 62, and the index finger F2 and middle finger F3 of the operating hand H are hooked on the operating surface 512 of the dial 51.

In particular, in this embodiment, during steering operations described below, the support portion 63 of the fixed portion 6 is not intended to fix the pad of the operating hand H, but is merely intended to support the operating hand H. In other words, during steering operations, in order to make it easier to operate the dial 51 with the index finger F2 or middle finger F3 of the operating hand H, the pad of the operating hand H may be appropriately slid on the support portion 63 while feeling the difference in displacement of the dial 51 in conjunction with the operation of the index finger F2 or middle finger F3 of the operating hand H.

(Explanation of how to operate the steering operation input device)
FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the steering operation input member 32 shown in FIG. 5, illustrating the operation mode of the steering operation input member 32, in which (a) shows a straight-ahead state (including left and right steering states with small steering angles), (b) shows a right steering state with large steering angles, and (c) shows a left steering state with large steering angles.

When the vehicle is moving straight ahead, for example as shown in FIG. 8(a), the pads of the operating hand H are placed on the placement portion 63, while the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H are in contact with the support portion 62, and the pads of the index finger F2 and middle finger F3 of the operating hand H are hooked on the operating surface 512 in front of the dial 51. This causes the dial 51 to be held in the neutral position by the index finger F2 and middle finger F3 of the operating hand H.

In a relatively small right steering operation, i.e., right steering operation with a small steering angle, in the straight-ahead position, the index finger F2 of the operating hand H placed on the operating surface 512 is moved to the right, causing the dial 51 to rotate to the right as if rotating along with the index finger F2, thereby performing right steering with a small steering angle. On the other hand, in a relatively small left steering operation, i.e., left steering operation with a small steering angle, in the straight-ahead position, the middle finger F3 of the operating hand H placed on the operating surface 512 is moved to the left, causing the dial 51 to rotate to the left as if rotating along with the middle finger F3, thereby performing left steering with a small steering angle.

In addition, for a relatively large right steering operation, that is, a right steering operation with a large steering angle, as shown in FIG. 8(b), for example, the pad of the operating hand H is placed on the rest 63, and with the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H touching the support part 62, the operating hand H is slid horizontally to the right on the rest 63 from the basic posture of the straight-ahead state shown in FIG. 8(a). Then, the index finger F2 of the operating hand H is opened to the right and the index finger F2 is pulled forward (rearward). As a result, the dial 51 rotates to the right (clockwise) by being accompanied by the side of the index finger F2 of the operating hand H (the side on the middle finger F3 side), and right steering with a large steering angle is performed.

In addition, for a relatively large left steering operation, that is, a left steering operation with a large steering angle, as shown in FIG. 8(c), for example, the pad of the operating hand H is placed on the support portion 63, and with the thumb F1, ring finger F4, and little finger F5 of the operating hand H touching the support portion 62, the operating hand H is slid horizontally to the left on the support portion 63 from the basic posture of the straight-ahead state shown in FIG. 8(a). Then, the middle finger F3 of the operating hand H is opened to the left and the middle finger F3 is pulled forward (rearward). As a result, the dial 51 rotates leftward (counterclockwise) in a manner that it is accompanied by the side (side on the index finger F2 side) of the middle finger F3 of the operating hand H, and a left steering operation with a large steering angle is performed.

(Effects of this embodiment)
As described above, in this embodiment, the steering operation input member 32 has a rotating shaft 52 that rotates around an axis, and is configured so that the operating hand H can contact the operating unit 5 from one end side of the rotating shaft 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52, the operating unit 5 is a dial 51 that is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52 and rotates around the rotating shaft 52, and the fixed portion 6 (mounting portion 63) is provided further toward one end of the rotating shaft 52 than the dial 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the placement portion 63 constituting a part of the fixed portion 6 is provided further toward one end in the axial direction than the dial 51 constituting the operation portion 5. Therefore, it is possible to operate the dial 51 with the operating hand H while supporting the operating hand H by placing the pad of the hand H on the placement portion 63. This makes it possible to operate the dial 51 without supporting the operating hand H with the support portion 62 as in the first embodiment, thereby reducing fatigue when operating the dial 51 and improving the operability of the steering operation input member 32. In other words, in this embodiment, the support of the operating hand H is ensured by the placement portion 63, and the support portion 62 allows the fingertips of the operating hand H (e.g., the thumb F1, the ring finger F4, and the little finger F5) to feel friction accompanying the rotation of the dial 51 and contribute to fine adjustment of the dial 51, so that it is possible to ensure operability similar to that of the first embodiment while reducing fatigue of the operating hand H.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when performing a so-called large steering angle operation, which is a relatively large steering angle, the movable area of the operating hand H (each of the fingers F1 to F5) can be expanded by sliding the pad of the operating hand H over the mounting portion 63, making it easy to perform the large steering angle operation.

Third Embodiment
9 to 11 show a third embodiment in which the steering operation input device 1 according to the present invention is applied to a steer-by-wire type steering device SD, and is mainly a modification of the configuration of the steering operation input member 31 according to the first embodiment. Note that, since the basic configuration other than the modification is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the steering operation input member 33 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front (rear) side. In the following explanation, for convenience, the rotation axis of the dial 51 in Figure 9 is referred to as rotation axis Z, the direction along rotation axis Z is referred to as the "axial direction", the direction perpendicular to rotation axis Z is referred to as the "radial direction", and the direction around rotation axis Z is referred to as the "circumferential direction". In addition, the traveling direction of the vehicle is referred to as the "front", the side opposite the traveling direction of the vehicle is referred to as the "rear", the upper side in the vertical direction is referred to as the "upper", and the lower side in the vertical direction is referred to as the "lower".

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the steering operation input member 33 according to this embodiment has a dial 51 with an upper portion (one axial end side) formed in a hemispherical shape, and three arms extending radially of the dial 51, a first arm 531, a second arm 532 and a third arm 533, are provided on the radial side of the dial 51 at approximately equal intervals (120° intervals) around the circumference of the dial 51.

When the dial 51 is in the neutral position, the first arm 531 and the second arm 532 are disposed at positions symmetrical on either side of the rotation axis Z of the dial 51. Specifically, since the first arm 531 and the second arm 532 are spaced apart by 120° in the circumferential direction, the first arm 531 is disposed at a position 60° to the right (clockwise) from the neutral position of the dial 51. Similarly, the second arm 532 is disposed at a position 60° to the left (counterclockwise) from the neutral position of the dial 51. In addition, the third arm 533 is disposed at equal intervals (120° intervals) in the circumferential direction from the first arm 531 and the second arm 532, that is, at a position 180° to the left and right (clockwise and counterclockwise) from the neutral position of the dial 51.

Furthermore, a first ball 541, a second ball 542, and a third ball 543 formed in a spherical shape having the same size are provided at the tip end (the end away from the dial 51) of the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533, respectively. The first ball 541, the second ball 542, and the third ball 543 are provided so as to protrude upward from the tip end of the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533. Furthermore, the first ball 541, the second ball 542, and the third ball 543 are set to have an outer diameter larger than the width dimension of the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533, and smaller than the outer diameter of the dial 51.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fixing portion 6 is provided radially outward of the dial 51, more specifically, radially outward of the tips of the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533. That is, the fixing portion 6 in this embodiment is provided radially outward of the tips of the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533, and has a ring portion 65 formed in a roughly annular shape, and a first support portion 661 and a second support portion 662 that extend downward from the ring portion 65, are connected to the operation table 30, and support the ring portion 65.

The ring portion 65 is disposed at a predetermined height position, in this embodiment, at a height position generally the same as the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533 in the axial direction. In other words, the ring portion 65 is disposed so as to face the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533 in the radial direction. The ring portion 65 is provided at a distance from the first arm 531, the second arm 532, and the third arm 533 and the first ball 541, the second ball 542, and the third ball 543, so as not to interfere with each other. The first support portion 661 and the second support portion 662 are disposed at generally equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the ring portion 65, i.e., at intervals of approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the ring portion 65, and are disposed symmetrically on both sides of the rotation axis Z of the dial 51. In addition, the first support portion 661 and the second support portion 662 are formed separately from the ring portion 65, and are connected to the ring portion 65 by fastening them with bolts or nuts, respectively.

(Description of Operation Mode of Steering Operation Input Device)
10 is a diagram showing an operation mode in which the operating hand H operates the steering operation input member 33 shown in FIG. 9, and shows a perspective view of the steering operation input member 33 as seen from the front. An example of an operation mode of the steering operation input member 33 will be described below.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, as an example of an operation mode of the steering operation input member 33 of the steering operation input device 1 by the operating hand H, the basic operating posture of the steering operation input member 33 is a state in which the pad of the operating hand H (ball of the thumb and ball of the little finger) and each of the fingers F1 to F5 are placed on the ring portion 65, and the pad of the operating hand H holds the third ball 543 in a neutral position. Note that at this time, holding the first ball 541 between the thumb F1 and index finger F2 of the operating hand H in a pinched manner makes it easier to hold the dial 51 in the neutral position. Also, at this time, the second ball 542 may be pinched between the ring finger F4 and little finger F5.

(Explanation of how to operate the steering operation input device)
Figure 11 shows a plan view of the steering operation input member 33 shown in Figure 9, showing the operation mode of the steering operation input member 33, (a) showing a straight-ahead state (including left and right steering states with small steering angles), (b) showing a right steering state with large steering angles, and (c) showing a left steering state with large steering angles.

When the vehicle is moving straight, for example as shown in FIG. 11(a), with the pad of the operating hand H and each of the fingers F1 to F5 touching the ring portion 65, the index finger F2 of the operating hand H is hooked on the first ball 541 while the ring finger F4 is hooked on the second ball 542 while holding the third ball 543 with the pad of the operating hand H. As a result, the dial 51 is held in the neutral position by the pad of the operating hand H, the index finger F2, and the ring finger F4.

In a relatively small right steering operation, that is, a right steering operation with a small steering angle, in the straight-ahead posture, the palm of the hand is slid leftward on the ring portion 65, causing the third ball 543 held on the palm to rotate leftward (clockwise) as the operating hand H slides, thereby performing right steering with a small steering angle. As another operation, the first ball 541 may be pinched between the thumb F1 and index finger F2 and rotated rightward (clockwise), thereby performing right steering with a small steering angle.

On the other hand, in a relatively small left steering operation, that is, a left steering operation with a small steering angle, in the straight-ahead posture, the palm of the hand is slid to the right on the ring portion 65, so that the third ball 543 held on the palm rotates to the right (counterclockwise) as the operating hand H slides, and left steering with a small steering angle is performed. As another operation, the first ball 541 may be pinched between the thumb F1 and index finger F2 and rotated to the left (counterclockwise), thereby performing left steering with a small steering angle.

Furthermore, in a comparatively large right steering operation, that is, a right steering operation with a large steering angle, for example, as shown in FIG. 11(b), with the pad of the operating hand H and each of the fingers F1 to F5 touching the ring portion 65, from the basic posture of the straight-ahead state shown in FIG. 11(a), the index finger F2 is hooked on the part of the first arm 531 on the side of the second arm 532, and the index finger F2 is pulled toward the front (rear). This causes the dial 51 together with the first arm 531 to rotate significantly to the right (clockwise), and a large steering angle to the right is performed.

Furthermore, in a comparatively large left steering operation, that is, a left steering operation with a large steering angle, for example, as shown in FIG. 11(c), with the pad of the operating hand H and each of the fingers F1 to F5 touching the ring portion 65, from the basic posture of the straight-ahead state shown in FIG. 11(a), the ring finger F4 is hooked on the part of the second arm 532 on the side of the first arm 531, and the ring finger F4 is pulled toward the front (rear). This causes the dial 51 together with the second arm 532 to rotate significantly to the left (counterclockwise), and a left steering operation with a large steering angle is performed.

(Effects of this embodiment)
As described above, in this embodiment, the steering operation input member 33 has a rotating shaft 52 that rotates around an axis, and is configured so that the operating hand H can contact the operating unit 5 from one end side of the rotating shaft 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52, the operating unit 5 is a dial 51 that is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 52 and rotates around the rotating shaft 52, and the fixing portion 6 (ring portion 65) is provided radially outside the dial 51 when the radial direction relative to the rotating shaft 52 is defined as the radial direction.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the ring portion 65, which mainly constitutes the fixed portion 6, is provided on the radial outside of the dial 51. Therefore, it is possible to operate the dial with the operating hand H while supporting the operating hand H by placing the pad of the hand H on the ring portion 65. This makes it possible to operate the dial 51 without supporting the operating hand H with the support portion 62, as in the first embodiment, thereby reducing fatigue when operating the dial 51 and improving the operability of the steering operation input member 33.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when performing a so-called large steering angle operation, which is a relatively large steering angle, the movable area of the operating hand H (each of the fingers F1 to F5) is expanded by sliding the pad of the hand over the ring portion 65, making it easy to perform the large steering angle operation.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations and aspects exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be freely modified according to the specifications and costs of the steering operation input device 1 (steer-by-wire steering device SD) to which it is applied, as long as the above-mentioned operational effects of the present invention can be achieved. For example, the steering operation input member 3 may have an operation unit 5 formed as a so-called joystick type in which the rotation axis 52 can be tilted in a radial direction, rather than a rotating body such as the dial 51 exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiments. In addition, although not specifically shown, the steering operation input members 31 to 33 may be provided in a center console inside the vehicle cabin, or may be provided on the dashboard inside the vehicle cabin, on the door of the vehicle (for example, the armrest of the driver's door), or on the seat of the vehicle (for example, the armrest of the driver's seat).

As a means for improving the operability of the steering operation input device 1, for example, it is possible to set hysteresis in the operating range of large steering angles, thereby facilitating fine adjustment of the steering angle. However, in this case, there is a technical problem that the operability decreases when operating in operating ranges other than the large steering angles. Therefore, the present invention provides a fixed portion 6, and by utilizing the fixed portion 6, it is possible to fine-tune the steering angle even in operating ranges that cannot be covered by the above-mentioned hysteresis setting.

1...Steering operation input device, 31, 32, 33...Steering operation input member, 4...Reaction force portion, 5...Operation portion, 51...Dial, 52...Rotation shaft, 6...Fixed portion, SD...Steer-by-wire type steering device, Z...Rotation axis,

Claims (8)

a steering operation input member to which a driver's steering operation is input;
a reaction force unit that applies a reaction force in a direction in which the steering operation input member returns to a neutral position;
A steering operation input device comprising:
The steering operation input member is
an operation unit that is operated to apply a steering angle to the wheels of the vehicle;
A fixed portion that is fixedly provided at a position different from the operation portion and does not move in response to a steering operation by the driver,
The fixed portion comes into contact with an operating hand of the driver during operation of the operating unit when the driver operates the operating unit;
having
A steering operation input device comprising: The steering operation input device according to claim 1,
The steering operation input member has a rotation shaft that rotates about an axis line,
The operating hand is configured to be able to contact the operating portion from one end side of the rotating shaft in an axial direction of the rotating shaft,
the operation unit is a dial that is provided on one end side of the rotation shaft in the axial direction of the rotation shaft and rotates around the rotation shaft,
The fixing portion is provided on the other end side of the rotating shaft with respect to the dial in the axial direction of the rotating shaft.
A steering operation input device comprising: The steering operation input device according to claim 1,
When the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis is defined as the radial direction,
The dial and the fixed portion are formed so as to extend radially outward from the rotating shaft,
The fixed portion has substantially the same shape as the dial.
A steering operation input device comprising: The steering operation input device according to claim 1,
The surface roughness of the outer surface of the fixing part that comes into contact with the driver's operating hand is different from the surface roughness of the outer surface of the operating part that comes into contact with the driver's operating hand.
A steering operation input device comprising: The steering operation input device according to claim 1,
The surface roughness of the outer surface of the operation portion is set to be relatively rougher than the surface roughness of the outer surface of the fixing portion.
A steering operation input device comprising: The steering operation input device according to claim 1,
The steering operation input member has a rotation shaft that rotates about an axis line,
The operating hand is configured to be able to contact the operating portion from one end side of the rotating shaft in an axial direction of the rotating shaft,
the operation unit is a dial that is provided on one end side of the rotation shaft in the axial direction of the rotation shaft and rotates around the rotation shaft,
The fixing portion is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft relative to the dial in the axial direction of the rotating shaft.
A steering operation input device comprising: The steering operation input device according to claim 1,
The steering operation input member has a rotation shaft that rotates about an axis line,
The operating hand is configured to be able to contact the operating portion from one end side of the rotating shaft in an axial direction of the rotating shaft,
the operation unit is a dial that is provided on one end side of the rotation shaft in the axial direction of the rotation shaft and rotates around the rotation shaft,
The fixing portion is provided on a radial outer side of the dial when a radial direction with respect to the rotation shaft is defined as a radial direction.
A steering operation input device comprising: A steer-by-wire type steering device equipped with a steering operation input device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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