| US 7,448,464 B2 | ||
| Steer-by-wire system | ||
| Tatsuya Yamasaki, Iwata (Japan); and Takehito Sakurai, Iwata (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to NTN Corporation, Osaka (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 11, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/77,357. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-076615 (JP), filed on Mar. 17, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0205336 A1, Sep. 22, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. B62D 5/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 180—402 [180/407; 180/444; 180/443; 180/403] | 8 Claims |
| 1. A steer-by-wire system comprising:
a first shaft connected to a steering wheel,
a first motor imparting a steer reaction to the first shaft,
a second shaft connected to a steering gear,
a second motor imparting a steer force to the second shaft, wherein the second motor is separate and distinct from the first
motor, and
a clutch mounted between the first and second shafts for connecting or disconnecting the first and second shafts, said clutch
being normally in the disengaged state, with the steer reaction being imparted from the first motor to the first shaft and
the steer force being imparted from the second motor to the second shaft,
wherein said clutch is composed of a mechanical clutch section, an armature encompassing an outer circumference of the first
shaft, and a solenoid coil for controlling said mechanical clutch section, wherein the armature is disposed between an axial
end face of the second shaft and the solenoid coil, and wherein the clutch is a reverse actuation type clutch such that when
the solenoid coil is in the energized state, the armature moves away from the solenoid coil and toward the axial end face
of the second shaft and the mechanical clutch section is in the disengaged state, while when the solenoid coil is in the de-energized
state, the armature moves away from the axial end face of the second shaft and toward the solenoid coil, and the mechanical
clutch section is in the engaged state.
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