Abstract: There is provided a vehicle seat passenger protection structure, including: rail members that are fixed to a floor of a vehicle, and have, in lower surfaces thereof, slit portions that extend in the seat longitudinal direction; sliding members that are connected to a lower portion of a seat cushion, and are disposed at interiors of the rail members, and are supported so as to be slidable in the seat longitudinal direction by the rail members; and upward movement suppressing members that include main body portions, which are disposed so as to face lower surfaces of the rail members, and fixing portions, which project out toward a seat upper side from the main body portions and pass through the slit portions and are fixed to lower surfaces of the sliding members, and that can move in the seat longitudinal direction following the sliding members.

Abstract: A seat sliding structure for a vehicle includes: a pair of left and right slide rails that include upper rails, which are attached to a lower portion of a vehicle seat, and lower rails, which support the upper rails such that the upper rails can slide in a vehicle longitudinal direction; rail guiding members that are fixed to a floor panel, and that support the lower rails such that the lower rails can slide in the vehicle longitudinal direction between a driving position at a vehicle front side and a relaxation position at a vehicle rear side; and a locking mechanism that locks movement of the slide rails at the relaxation position, and that releases a locked state when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected or predicted.

Abstract: There is provided a vehicle seat passenger protection structure, including: rail members that are fixed to a floor of a vehicle, and have, in lower surfaces thereof, slit portions that extend in the seat longitudinal direction; sliding members that are connected to a lower portion of a seat cushion, and are disposed at interiors of the rail members, and are supported so as to be slidable in the seat longitudinal direction by the rail members; and upward movement suppressing members that include main body portions, which are disposed so as to face lower surfaces of the rail members, and fixing portions, which project out toward a seat upper side from the main body portions and pass through the slit portions and are fixed to lower surfaces of the sliding members, and that can move in the seat longitudinal direction following the sliding members.

Abstract: A seat sliding structure for a vehicle includes: a pair of left and right slide rails that include upper rails, which are attached to a lower portion of a vehicle seat, and lower rails, which support the upper rails such that the upper rails can slide in a vehicle longitudinal direction; rail guiding members that are fixed to a floor panel, and that support the lower rails such that the lower rails can slide in the vehicle longitudinal direction between a driving position at a vehicle front side and a relaxation position at a vehicle rear side; and a locking mechanism that locks movement of the slide rails at the relaxation position, and that releases a locked state when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected or predicted.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus includes an actuator that generates a steering force, and a first speed reduction mechanism connected to the actuator. To the first speed reduction mechanism, a second speed reduction mechanism is connected. To the second speed reduction mechanism, a steering mechanism is connected. A sub-assembly including the actuator and the first speed reduction mechanism is configured.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus (1) comprises a control device (12), which controls driving of an electric motor (18) based on the detection signals from a rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A), which detects the rotational position of the rotor (64) of the electric motor (18), and a steering status detecting sensor (11; 11A). The control device (12) is housed in a housing (100) that is partitioned by a first housing (23), which is at least a portion of the motor housing (25) for the electric motor (18), and a second housing (24; 24A; 24B) that touches the first housing (23). At least one of the rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A) and steering state detecting sensor (11; 11A) is connected to the control device (12) by means of only a signal wire (81; 134) inside the first housing (23) or the second housing (24; 24A; 24B).

Abstract: A motor vehicle steering system steers vehicle wheels in response to the operation of an operation member for steering a vehicle. The system includes a rutted road judging unit which judges whether the vehicle is driving on a rutted road or not, and a steering enhancement control unit which enhances steering of vehicle wheels in response to operation of the operation member when the rutted road judging unit judges that the vehicle is driving on a rutted road than when the rutted road judging unit judges that the vehicle is not driving on a rutted road.

Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.

Abstract: A motor vehicle steering apparatus is provided with: a steering-angle feedforward-control-value setting unit arranged to set a steering angle value that corresponds to a steering state; a vehicle-behavior-stabilization controlling unit including a steering-angle feedback-control-value setting unit arranged to set a steering-angle correction value that corresponds to vehicle behavior; and a feedback-gain changing unit arranged to decrease a gain of the steering-angle feedback-control-value setting unit to a value less than at a normal time, when the steering-angle correction value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, during vehicle-behavior stabilizing control by the vehicle-behavior-stabilization controlling unit.

Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus to ease an uncomfortable feeling given to an operator when a steering wheel is connected to a steering mechanism, on a fail. The apparatus includes a unit that varies an angular ratio of a steering angle of front wheels with respect to an operational angle of a steering wheel. The apparatus also includes a connection unit such as a electromagnetic clutch for connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism in order to fix the angular ratio, on a fail such as a failure of a steering motor. The apparatus also includes a rotational body which relatively rotates with respect to the steering wheel by an angular deviation upon this connection. Accordingly, since a real neutral position of the steering mechanism coincides with a neutral position recognized by a pattern on the rotational body being seen, it eases the uncomfortable feeling onto the operator.

Abstract: A steering shaft is composed of an upper shaft, a lower shaft, an input shaft, and an output shaft. The upper shaft, the lower shaft, and the input shaft can rotate together, and the input shaft and the output shaft are relatively rotatably coupled to each other via a torsion bar. The rotational position of a rotor coupled to the output shaft is calculated based on the detected rotational position of the lower shaft and a steering torque detected based on the amount of relative rotational displacement of the input shaft and the output shaft. Thus, it is not necessary to include a rotor rotational position detecting unit for detecting the rotational position of the rotor within the electric motor, which reduces the size of the electric motor.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus includes an actuator that generates a steering force, and a first speed reduction mechanism connected to the actuator. To the first speed reduction mechanism, a second speed reduction mechanism is connected. To the second speed reduction mechanism, a steering mechanism is connected. A sub-assembly including the actuator and the first speed reduction mechanism is configured.

Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus, includes a steering member for rotational operation, a support mechanism that supports the steering member so as to be movable between a housing position where the steering member is housed in a fixed frame of an instrument panel and a projection position where the steering member projects to an outside of the fixed frame, and that regulates an attitude of the steering member located between the housing position and the projection position, and a movable frame that moves together with the steering member, and that constitutes a part of the instrument panel by covering an opening formed in the fixed frame of the instrument panel when the steering member is housed at the housing position.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus (1) comprises a control device (12), which controls driving of an electric motor (18) based on the detection signals from a rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A), which detects the rotational position of the rotor (64) of the electric motor (18), and a steering status detecting sensor (11; 11A). The control device (12) is housed in a housing (100) that is partitioned by a first housing (23), which is at least a portion of the motor housing (25) for the electric motor (18), and a second housing (24; 24A; 24B) that touches the first housing (23). At least one of the rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A) and steering state detecting sensor (11; 11A) is connected to the control device (12) by means of only a signal wire (81; 134) inside the first housing (23) or the second housing (24; 24A; 24B).

Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus includes a steering member for rotational operation, and a support mechanism that supports the steering member so as to be movable between a housing position where the steering member is housed in a fixed frame of an instrument panel and a projection position where the steering member projects to an outside of the fixed frame. The steering member includes a main body supported by the support mechanism, a pair of grip sections which are movable between the housing position and the projection position together with the main body, and which are supported so as to be movable between a nonoperating position and an operating position by the main body, and a grip section drive actuator which is supported by the main body, and drives the pair of grip sections to the nonoperating position and the operating position.

Abstract: In an energy absorbing steering system including a steering shaft to which a steering member is coupled, and a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, at least one of the steering shaft and the steering column includes an impact absorbing portion that contracts when a load equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied, and the impact absorbing portion includes a first impact absorbing portion having a first impact absorption load, and a second impact absorbing portion having a second impact absorption load different from the first impact absorption load.

Abstract: A steering device for a vehicle includes a first sun gear connected to a steering member, a second sun gear which is operated according to operation of the steering member and connected to a steering mechanism for turning vehicle wheels, a first planet gear which is meshed with the first sun gear, and a second planet gear which is rotated integrally with the first planet gear and meshed with the second sun gear. The steering device is constructed in such a manner that at least one of the first and second sun gears is a profile shifted gear, and the first and second planet gears are formed as a cylindrical body which has internal teeth of the same number at both end parts thereof.

Abstract: A planetary gear mechanism as a transfer ratio varying mechanism includes primary and secondary sun gears, three primary planetary gears and three secondary planetary gears. The numbers of teeth of the primary sun gear, the primary planetary gears, the secondary planetary gears, and the secondary sun gear are set in such a manner as to satisfy a predetermined particular relationship. By this, three primary planetary gears are disposed at equal intervals in a rotational direction of the primary sun gear, and three secondary planetary gears 22 are disposed at equal intervals in a rotational direction of the secondary sun gear.