JP7601700B2 - Simulated steering device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a simulated steering device that receives steering input from a driver in a driving simulator or game machine.

In a driving simulator or game machine, a simulated steering device is used to accept driving operations by the user. In the simulated steering device, a stopper is used to restrict the rotation range of the steering wheel.

Conventional simulated steering devices use complex stopper mechanisms to allow multiple rotations of the steering wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-118234 A

Conventional stopper mechanisms have the problem that the device configuration becomes large in order to ensure the strength of the stopper mechanism, which increases manufacturing costs.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems.

One aspect of the disclosure below is a simulated steering device that includes a steering wheel, a steering shaft extending from the steering wheel, and a stopper mechanism that regulates the rotation range of the steering wheel, the stopper mechanism having a small diameter portion occupying a part of the circumference, a large diameter portion occupying another part of the circumference, and a step portion provided between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion, the cam that rotates integrally with the steering shaft, a fixed stopper that is arranged outside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion of the cam, a stopper arm that is arranged so as to be able to protrude inside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion and is engaged between the step portion protruding inside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion and the fixed stopper to regulate the rotation of the steering wheel, and a drive mechanism that causes the stopper arm to protrude inside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion near the end of the rotation range of the steering wheel.

The simulated steering device described above can realize a stopper mechanism that is small and inexpensive and has sufficient strength.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a simulated steering device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the main body frame of the steering simulator of FIG. 1 . 3 is a perspective view of the main body frame of FIG. 2 with a third plate member and a second gear removed. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a stopper mechanism of the steering simulator of FIG. 1.

The simulated steering device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a driving simulator (not shown) and is used to input driving operations by the user. The simulated steering device 10 is equipped with a steering wheel 12 to receive the operating force of the user. The outer periphery of the steering wheel 12 is formed in an annular shape. The user holds the steering wheel 12 and inputs driving operations by rotating the steering wheel 12 left and right around the central axis of the steering wheel 12.

A steering shaft 14 extends from the center of the steering wheel 12. The steering shaft 14 extends toward the rear side as seen by the operator. The steering shaft 14 is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the steering wheel 12. The steering shaft 14 rotates integrally with the steering wheel 12. A main body frame 16 that supports the steering shaft 14 is provided on the rear side of the steering shaft 14.

The main frame 16 includes three plate members 16a, 16b, and 16c, a pair of side walls 16d, and a plurality of support members 16e. The three plate members 16a, 16b, and 16c are substantially rectangular plates arranged perpendicular to the steering shaft 14. The plate members 16a, 16b, and 16c are made of, for example, metal. The plate members 16a, 16b, and 16c are arranged in the order of the first plate member 16a, the second plate member 16b, and the third plate member 16c from the steering wheel 12 side. These plate members 16a, 16b, and 16c are arranged at a predetermined distance in the axial direction of the steering shaft 14. A pair of side walls 16d are arranged between the first plate member 16a and the second plate member 16b. The pair of side walls 16d are made of, for example, metal plates, etc., and are formed to have the same dimensions. One side wall 16d is provided between one side edge of plate member 16a and one side edge of plate member 16b. The other side wall 16d is provided between the other side edge of plate member 16a and the other side edge of plate member 16b. Plate members 16a, 16b and the pair of side walls 16d are fixed to each other by a method such as screw fastening.

A number of support members 16e are provided between the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c. The second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c are fixed together by a method such as screwing via the number of support members 16e. Each of the support members 16e is formed to the same length, and the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c are fixed parallel to each other.

A frame member 22 for mounting the simulated steering device 10 to the instrument panel of the driving simulator is joined to a pair of side walls 16d of the main frame 16 by a method such as screwing.

The plate members 16a, 16b, and 16c each have a through-hole 16f through which the steering shaft 14 passes. Of these, the through-hole 16f of the first plate member 16a and the through-hole 16f of the third plate member 16c each have a bearing 20. The steering shaft 14 is rotatably held relative to the plate members 16a and 16c via these bearings 20. The bearings 20 position the steering shaft 14 and the main frame 16 in the axial direction.

Between the first plate member 16a and the second plate member 16b, an encoder 24 that detects the rotation angle of the steering wheel 12 and a drive motor 26 that applies torque to the steering wheel 12 are provided. In addition, a mechanical component that transmits rotational motion between the steering shaft 14 and the drive motor 26 is provided between the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c. A part of a stopper mechanism 50 that restricts the rotation range of the steering shaft 14 is provided between the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c. Furthermore, another part of the stopper mechanism 50 (drive mechanism 52) is provided on the rear side of the third plate member 16c.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rear end 14a of the steering shaft 14 protrudes from the rear side of the third plate member 16c. A first gear 28 that rotates integrally with the steering shaft 14 is attached to the end 14a. A pair of second gears 30 that mesh with the first gear 28 are provided on the rear side of the third plate member 16c. The pair of second gears 30 are provided at positions equidistant to the left and right of the center line of the main body frame 16 that passes through the steering shaft 14. The left and right second gears 30 are formed to be mutually identical in size. Each second gear 30 has a larger circumferential length than the first gear 28, and transmits the rotation of the steering shaft 14 at a reduced speed.

Each second gear 30 is supported by a gear shaft 32 that passes through the center. The gear shaft 32 rotates integrally with the second gear 30. The gear shaft 32 extends parallel to the steering shaft 14. The gear shaft 32 is rotatably supported by the plate members 16b and 16c via the bearings 21.

As shown in FIG. 3, a connecting member 34 and a stopper arm 36 that rotate together with the gear shaft 32 are provided on the gear shaft 32 between the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c. The connecting member 34 is provided on a portion of the gear shaft 32 adjacent to the second plate member 16b. The connecting member 34 is joined to the gear shaft 32 and rotates integrally with the gear shaft 32. The connecting member 34 is formed in a disk shape and has a recess 34a in a portion of its outer periphery. In addition, the connecting member 34 is provided with a spring fixing hole 34b for fixing one end of a coil spring 38 described later.

The stopper arm 36 is disposed on the rear side of the connecting member 34. That is, the stopper arm 36 is disposed between the connecting member 34 and the third plate member 16c. The stopper arm 36 is attached to the gear shaft 32 through an axial hole 36b that is rotatable relative to the gear shaft 32. A protrusion 36a is provided on the connecting member 34 side of the stopper arm 36, which is inserted into a recess 34a of the connecting member 34. The circumferential dimension of the protrusion 36a is smaller than the circumferential dimension of the recess 34a. A gap is formed between the protrusion 36a and the recess 34a. The stopper arm 36 has a play that allows it to rotate relative to the gear shaft 32 within an angle range corresponding to the gap. This play of the stopper arm 36 makes it possible to absorb a small angle deviation between the cam 40 described later and the stopper arm 36 near the end of the rotation range of the steering wheel 12.

A coil spring 38 (torsion coil spring) is disposed between the stopper arm 36 and the connecting member 34. One end of the coil spring 38 is inserted into the spring fixing hole 34b of the connecting member 34, and the other end of the coil spring 38 is hooked onto the stopper arm 36. The coil spring 38 biases the stopper arm 36 in the circumferential direction toward the steering shaft 14.

The stopper arm 36 extends radially outward from the gear shaft 32. The stopper arm 36 has a length that allows it to reach the inside of a first radius of the large diameter portion 40a of the cam 40, which will be described later. The tip of the stopper arm 36 is provided with an abutment portion 36c that abuts against the step portion 40c of the cam 40. The abutment portion 36c is made of an elastic material, such as rubber. The abutment portion 36c is fixed to the tip of the stopper arm 36, for example, by screwing.

The illustrated state is the neutral state of the steering wheel 12. In the neutral state, the opening angle between the left stopper arm 36 and the center line of the main body frame 16 when viewed from the rear is equal to the opening angle between the right stopper arm 36 and the center line of the main body frame 16. In other words, the left and right stopper arms 36 are arranged symmetrically about the center line of the main body frame 16 when viewed from the rear. Each stopper arm 36 is formed to have equal dimensions.

A pair of fixed stoppers 42 are further provided between the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c. The pair of fixed stoppers 42 are provided along a line segment connecting the pair of gear shafts 32. Each fixed stopper 42 is disposed outside the first radius of the large diameter portion 40a of the cam 40 so as not to restrict the rotation of the cam 40. Each fixed stopper 42 extends in a direction perpendicular to the plate members 16b and 16c. One end and the other end of each fixed stopper 42 are fixed to the plate members 16b and 16c, respectively, by, for example, screws.

A third gear 44 and a cam 40 are provided between the second plate member 16b and the third plate member 16c of the steering shaft 14, in that order from the second plate member 16b side. The third gear 44 and the cam 40 are fixed to the steering shaft 14. The third gear 44 and the cam 40 rotate integrally with the steering shaft 14. The third gear 44 is a gear having a first radius, and meshes with the encoder gear 46 and the drive gear 48.

The encoder gear 46 and the drive gear 48 are gears provided near the second plate member 16b. The encoder gear 46 transmits the rotational displacement of the steering shaft 14 to the encoder 24 on the opposite side of the second plate member 16b. The drive gear 48 meshes with the third gear 44 in the portion between the pair of fixed stoppers 42. The drive gear 48 is a gear that transmits the driving force of the drive motor 26 provided on the opposite side of the second plate member 16b to the steering shaft 14.

The drive motor 26 generates a sense of resistance from the road surface simulated by the driving simulator and a restoring force that returns the steering wheel 12 to the neutral position. The drive gear 48 transmits the drive force (torque) of the drive motor 26 to the steering shaft 14.

The cam 40 is disposed adjacent to the rear side (third plate member 16c) of the third gear 44. The cam 40 has a large diameter portion 40a, a small diameter portion 40b, and a step portion 40c formed between the large diameter portion 40a and the small diameter portion 40b. The large diameter portion 40a is formed over a range of 180° in the circumferential direction. When viewed from the rear side, the large diameter portion 40a is formed in a semicircular shape having a first radius from the center of the steering shaft 14. The small diameter portion 40b is formed over the remaining range of 180° in the circumferential direction. The small diameter portion 40b is formed in a semicircular shape having a first radius smaller than the second radius of the large diameter portion 40a. The step portion 40c is formed between the large diameter portion 40a and the small diameter portion 40b. The step portion 40c has a surface extending in the radial direction. The step portion 40c comes into surface contact with the abutment portion 36c of the stopper arm 36 at the end of the rotation range of the steering wheel 12.

In the above-described simulated steering device 10, the first gear 28, the second gear 30, the gear shaft 32, the connecting member 34, the stopper arm 36, the cam 40, and the fixed stopper 42 constitute the stopper mechanism 50 of this embodiment. When the stopper mechanism 50 reaches the end of the rotation range of the steering wheel 12, the stopper arm 36 protrudes inside the first radius of the cam 40. The stopper mechanism 50 restricts the rotation of the steering shaft 14 by engaging the stopper arm 36 between the step portion 40c of the cam 40 and the fixed stopper 42. In the stopper mechanism 50, the first gear 28, the second gear 30, the gear shaft 32, and the connecting member 34 constitute a drive mechanism 52 that protrudes the stopper arm 36.

The operation of the simulated steering device 10 is explained below.

When the user operates and rotates the steering wheel 12 as shown in FIG. 1, the steering shaft 14 and the first gear 28 rotate as shown in FIG. 2. The rotational displacement of the steering shaft 14 is transmitted to the second gear 30 via the first gear 28. As the second gear 30 rotates, the stopper arm 36 undergoes a rotational displacement. For example, when the steering wheel 12 in FIG. 1 is rotated to the right, the stopper arm 36 on the left side in FIG. 2 undergoes a rotational displacement in a direction approaching the cam 40, and the stopper arm 36 on the right side in FIG. 2 undergoes a rotational displacement in a direction away from the cam 40. Also, when the steering wheel 12 in FIG. 1 is rotated to the left, the stopper arm 36 on the right side in FIG. 2 undergoes a displacement in a direction approaching the cam 40, and the stopper arm 36 on the left side in FIG. 2 undergoes a rotational displacement in a direction away from the cam 40.

Since the circumference (number of teeth) of the second gear 30 is larger than the circumference (number of teeth) of the first gear 28, the rotation of the steering shaft 14 is transmitted at a reduced speed to the gear shaft 32. Therefore, the steering shaft 14 can rotate multiple times before the stopper arm 36 is sent to a position where it restricts the rotation of the cam 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the steering wheel 12 is rotated to the right by a predetermined angle, the left stopper arm 36 protrudes inside the first radius of the large diameter portion 40a of the cam 40. The left stopper arm 36 then comes into contact with the fixed stopper 42 and stops. The step portion 40c of the cam 40 then hits the fixed stopper 42 via the stopper arm 36. As a result, the stopper arm 36 is caught between the cam 40 and the fixed stopper 42, restricting the rotation of the steering shaft 14. At this time, the torque of the steering shaft 14 is transmitted to the fixed stopper 42 through the cam 40 and the stopper arm 36. The step portion 40c of the cam 40, the load acting portion of the left stopper arm 36, and the fixed stopper 42 are aligned in a straight line, providing high rigidity.

In addition, a circumferential play is provided between the left stopper arm 36 and the connecting member 34. Therefore, the angular misalignment between the cam 40 and the stopper arm 36 at the end of the rotation range of the steering shaft 14 is absorbed by the play of the stopper arm 36. This makes it possible to prevent a large load from acting between the first gear 28 and the second gear 30. In addition, an abutment portion 36c made of an elastic member is provided at the portion of the stopper arm 36 that abuts against the step portion 40c of the cam 40. The abutment portion 36c reduces the occurrence of impact when the steering wheel 12 is turned to the end of the rotation range.

When the steering wheel 12 in FIG. 1 is rotated to the left, the right stopper arm 36 in FIG. 4 abuts against the step 40c of the cam 40, restricting the rotation of the steering shaft 14. In this case, the right stopper arm 36 is engaged between the right fixed stopper 42 and the step 40c, restricting the rotation of the steering shaft 14.

As described above, the simulated steering device 10 of this embodiment can restrict the rotation of the steering wheel 12 without applying a large load to the gears.

The simulated steering device 10 of this embodiment has the following effects:

The simulated steering device 10 of this embodiment includes a steering wheel 12, a steering shaft 14 extending from the steering wheel 12, and a stopper mechanism 50 that restricts the rotation range of the steering wheel 12. The stopper mechanism 50 has a small diameter portion 40b that occupies a part of the circumference, a large diameter portion 40a that occupies another part of the circumference, and a step portion 40c provided between the small diameter portion 40b and the large diameter portion 40a. The cam 40 rotates integrally with the steering shaft 14. The steering wheel 12 includes a fixed stopper 42 arranged outside the rotation radius (first radius) of the large diameter portion 40a of the steering wheel 40, a stopper arm 36 arranged to be able to protrude inside the rotation radius (first radius) of the large diameter portion 40a and that restricts the rotation of the steering wheel 12 by being caught between the fixed stopper 42 and a step portion 40c that protrudes inside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion 40a, and a drive mechanism 52 that causes the stopper arm 36 to protrude inside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion 40a near the end of the rotation range of the steering wheel 12.

The above configuration provides a stopper mechanism 50 that limits the rotation range of the steering wheel 12 without applying a large load to the gear mechanism. This allows the simulated steering device 10 to be made smaller.

In the above-mentioned simulated steering device 10, the drive mechanism 52 includes a first gear 28 that rotates integrally with the steering shaft 14, a second gear 30 that rotates in mesh with the first gear 28, a gear shaft 32 that supports the second gear 30, and a connecting member 34 that fixes the stopper arm 36 to the gear shaft 32. The drive mechanism 52 rotates the stopper arm 36 together with the second gear 30 to protrude it inside the rotation radius (first radius) of the large diameter portion 40a. With this configuration, the stopper mechanism 50 can be realized using only an inexpensive rotation mechanism, so the manufacturing costs of the simulated steering device 10 can be reduced.

In the above-described simulated steering device 10, the circumference of the second gear 30 may be longer than the circumference of the first gear 28, and the drive mechanism 52 may be configured to decelerate the rotation of the steering wheel 12 (steering shaft 14) to rotate the stopper arm 36. With this configuration, the steering wheel 12 can be rotated one or more times before the stopper arm 36 protrudes.

In the above-mentioned simulated steering device 10, the stopper arm 36 has a protrusion 36a protruding toward the connecting member 34, and the connecting member 34 has a recess 34a that accommodates the protrusion 36a and restricts the rotation of the stopper arm 36 relative to the gear shaft 32, and the recess 34a is formed wider in the circumferential direction than the protrusion 36a, and the connecting member 34 may be configured to connect the stopper arm 36 to the gear shaft 32 so that the stopper arm 36 can rotate within a predetermined angle range in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, the angle deviation between the cam 40 and the stopper arm 36 can be absorbed by the play of the stopper arm 36. As a result, even if an angle deviation occurs between the cam 40 and the stopper arm 36, it is possible to prevent excessive load from acting on the first gear 28 and the second gear 30.

The above-mentioned simulated steering device 10 may have a coil spring 38, one end of which is connected to the connecting member 34 and the other end of which is connected to the stopper arm 36, and which biases the stopper arm 36 in the circumferential direction of the gear shaft 32 relative to the connecting member 34. With this configuration, the coil spring 38 can position the stopper arm 36 in a fixed position by its biasing force.

In the above-mentioned simulated steering device 10, the fixed stopper 42, the stopper arm 36, and the drive mechanism 52 may be provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the steering shaft 14. In such a simulated steering device 10, the drive mechanism 52, the fixed stopper 42, and the stopper arm 36 are responsible for regulating the rotational direction of one side and the other side of the steering wheel 12.

In the above-described simulated steering device 10, an elastic member (e.g., abutment portion 36c) may be provided on at least one of the step portion 40c and the tip end of the stopper arm 36. Such an elastic member reduces the impact at the end of the rotation range of the steering wheel 12.

The above-mentioned simulated steering device 10 may further include a third gear 44 that rotates integrally with the steering shaft 14, a drive gear 48 that meshes with the third gear 44, and a drive motor 26 that applies a driving force to the steering shaft 14 through the drive gear 48, and the drive motor 26 may be configured to generate a force that returns the steering wheel 12 to the neutral position when the steering wheel 12 rotates. Such a third gear 44 and drive motor 26 are suitable for reproducing the operating feel of the steering wheel 12 of an actual vehicle.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations may be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10...Simulated steering device 12...Steering wheel 14...Steering shaft 14a...End portion 26...Drive motor 28...First gear 30...Second gear 32...Gear shaft 34...Connecting member 34a...Recess 36...Stopper arm 36a...Protrusion 38...Coil spring 40...Cam 40a...Large diameter portion 40b...Small diameter portion 40c...Step portion 42...Fixed stopper 44...Third gear 48...Drive gear 50...Stopper mechanism 52...Drive mechanism

Claims (10)

A steering wheel;
a steering shaft extending from the steering wheel;
a stopper mechanism that restricts the rotation range of the steering wheel,
The stopper mechanism includes:
a cam having a small diameter portion occupying a portion of the circumference in the circumferential direction, a large diameter portion occupying another portion of the circumference in the circumferential direction, and a step portion provided between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion, the cam rotating integrally with the steering shaft;
a fixed stopper disposed outside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion of the cam;
a stopper arm that is disposed so as to be able to protrude inside a rotation radius of the large diameter portion, and that protrudes inside the rotation radius of the large diameter portion to thereby be caught between the step portion and the fixed stopper and regulate the rotation of the steering wheel;
a drive mechanism that causes the stopper arm to protrude toward an inner side of a rotation radius of the large diameter portion near an end of the rotation range of the steering wheel;
A simulated steering device comprising: 2. The steering simulator according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises:
a first gear that rotates integrally with the steering shaft;
a second gear that rotates in mesh with the first gear;
a gear shaft supporting the second gear;
a connecting member that fixes the stopper arm to the gear shaft;
Equipped with
the drive mechanism rotates the stopper arm together with the second gear to cause the stopper arm to protrude to the inside of a rotation radius of the large diameter portion,
Simulated steering device. 3. The steering simulator according to claim 2, wherein a circumferential length of the second gear is longer than a circumferential length of the first gear, and the drive mechanism rotates the stopper arm by reducing the speed of rotation of the steering wheel.
Simulated steering device. 4. The steering simulator according to claim 2,
The stopper arm has a protrusion protruding toward the connecting member,
the connecting member has a recess that receives the protrusion and restricts rotation of the stopper arm relative to the gear shaft,
The recess is formed wider in the circumferential direction than the protrusion, and the connecting member connects the stopper arm to the gear shaft so as to be rotatable within a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction.
Simulated steering device. 5. The steering simulator according to claim 4,
a coil spring having one end connected to the connecting member and the other end connected to the stopper arm, the coil spring biasing the stopper arm in the circumferential direction of the gear shaft relative to the connecting member;
Simulated steering device. A steering simulator according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The fixed stopper, the stopper arm, and the drive mechanism are provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the steering shaft.
Simulated steering device. A steering simulator according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An elastic member is provided on at least one of the step portion and the tip end portion of the stopper arm.
Simulated steering device. The steering simulator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:
a third gear that rotates integrally with the steering shaft;
a drive gear that meshes with the third gear;
a drive motor that applies a driving force to the steering shaft through the drive gear,
The drive motor generates a force that returns the steering wheel to a neutral position when the steering wheel is rotated.
Simulated steering device. 9. The steering simulator according to claim 8, further comprising:
an encoder gear that meshes with the third gear;
an encoder connected to the encoder gear and configured to detect a rotational displacement of the steering shaft;
Simulated steering device. A steering simulator according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
the second gear and the gear shaft are provided as a pair at positions equidistant to the left and right of a center line of a main body frame passing through the steering shaft,
The fixed stopper is provided in pair along a line segment connecting the pair of gear shafts,
at a terminal end of the rotation range of the steering wheel in a first direction, the stopper arm connected to one of the second gears is engaged between the cam and one of the fixed stoppers to restrict the rotation of the steering wheel in the first direction,
At a terminal end of the rotation range of the steering wheel in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the stopper arm connected to the other second gear is engaged between the cam and the other fixed stopper to restrict the rotation of the steering wheel in the second direction.
Simulated steering device.

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