Patent ID: 6612393
Filing Date: 2003-09-02
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A steering system for motor vehicles, comprising:a normal operating system; an emergency operating system configured to automatically become active in response to a malfunction of the normal operating system; and an auxiliary system at least substantially redundant to the normal operating system; wherein the normal operating system includes a steering-angle setpoint generator actuatable by a steering handle, a steering-angle actual-value sensor actuated by steered vehicle wheels, a motorized control unit configured to control the steered vehicle wheels, and a control system configured to control the control unit in accordance with a setpoint-actual value comparison of the steering angle; wherein, between the steering handle and steered vehicle wheels, the emergency operating system includes at least one of a mechanical and a hydraulic positive coupling which is active at least in response to emergency operation; and wherein the auxiliary system, in response to malfunctions in the normal operating system, is configured to automatically one of become and remain active and, in a transitional phase, is configured to adapt operating characteristics of a steering arrangement to the operating mode of the emergency system, the emergency system configured to become active when the transitional phase comes to an end.