Abstract: An electric steering control device is provided which is capable of enabling the driver to perform steering manipulation stably without being substantially affected by the ambient temperature and the heat generation of the control device. The control d vice comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a circuit board mounting a motor drive circuit thereon and a compensation section for compensating an electric current command value based on the board temperature detected by the temperature sensor, so that en electric motor for exerting an assist force on a vehicle steering mechanism is driven by the compensated electric current command value output from a motor drive circuit. Therefore, the steering operation can be done stably without being substantially affected by the ambient temperature and the heat generation of the control device.

Abstract: A transfer ratio varying apparatus includes: a steering shaft configured to transmit a steering angle, an actuator connected to the steering shaft and a damper disposed between the input shaft and the steering shaft and configured to absorb vibration caused by the actuator. The actuator includes: a housing, an input shaft configured to integrally rotate with the housing and connected to the steering shaft, a motor including a rotatable shaft, an output shaft configured to transmit an angle to a wheel assembly, and a gear mechanism between the rotatable shaft and the output shaft at the housing, configured to adjust a rotational angle of the rotatable shaft and to output the adjusted rotational angle to the output shaft.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus is provided with a transmitting ratio variable gear ratio mechanism in a steering force transmitting system, and a lock mechanism which limits relative rotation between an input shaft and an output shaft of the steering force transmitting system. In the lock mechanism is provided a lock holder which rotates together with a rotor of a motor, and in which is formed a plurality of first indented portions in a circumferential direction along the circumference and a second indented portion indented deeper than the first indented portions at one end portion of each of the first indented portions. In the lock mechanism is also provided a lock arm which is provided on a stator side of the motor and which engages with the one of the first indented portions or second indented portions.

Abstract: In a neutral position detection error protecting apparatus, vehicle wheel velocities SFR, SFL of right/left driven wheels FR, FL are detected by vehicle wheel sensors 27a, 27b and a right/left wheel velocity difference VFD is obtained from vehicle wheel velocities VFR, VFL of the driven wheels FR, FL through vehicle wheel velocity signal abnormality determining processing 30b so as to detect steering angle information &thgr;h from the steering wheel 21.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle steering apparatus including a variable gear ratio mechanism which is provided in a steering force transmitting system, and a lock mechanism which restricts relative rotation of an input shaft and an output shaft of the transmitting ratio changing mechanism. The lock mechanism is engaged by inserting a lock arm in a indented portion of a lock holder of the lock mechanism. A play angle when the lock mechanism is engaged by inserting the lock arm in the indented portion is set to be smaller than a rotational angle of a motor which is required for outputting six different signals.

Abstract: A target relative rotational angle &Dgr;&thgr;t which is created by a steering gear ratio change unit and which is formed by a lower steering shaft relative to an upper steering shaft is calculated on the basis of a steering angle &thgr;, and a post-correction target relative rotational angle &Dgr;&thgr;ta to be created by the steering gear ratio change unit is calculated on the basis of the target relative rotational angle &Dgr;&thgr;t and a vehicle speed range that has been determined on the basis of a vehicle speed V. Thus, a target relative rotational angle in one lateral direction is so corrected as to be equal to or smaller than a difference between a permissible rotational angle to be defined by a spiral cable in the other lateral direction and a maximum possible rotational angle of the lower steering shaft in the other lateral direction. An electric motor is controlled on the basis of the post-correction target relative rotational angle &Dgr;&thgr;ta.

Abstract: A vehicular steering control apparatus controls the wheel steering amount of wheels based on a steering angle and an assist angle obtained by multiplying a steering speed by a gain. If the amount of power control differs between the left wheel and the right wheel, the value of gain is increased. The amount of power control includes, for example, the amount of braking control and the amount of drive control. If the assist angle is increased by increasing the gain, the magnitude of the wheel steering amount relative to the steering angle increases, so that a driver can correct the orientation of the vehicle body by performing a small amount of steering operation.