| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric power steering apparatus which restricts continuous conduction time for heavy current flowing into a motor relay to reduce the heavy current, thereby eliminates the need of a large-capacity relay as the motor relay and enables configuration of an inexpensive system by using a small-capacity electromagnetic relay as the motor relay.SOLUTION: An electric power steering apparatus includes a steering state detection portion detecting a steering state of a steering handle, outputs long-time steering wheel holding signals when a long-time steering wheel holding state is detected and outputting normal steering signals when a normal steering state is detected and a motor current control portion decreasing or increasing the motor current flowing through a motor relay according to the long-time steering wheel holding signals or the normal steering signals. When the long-time steering signals are inputted from the steering state detection portion to the motor current control portion, the motor current is decreased gradually, through the motor current control portion, from a motor current control value according to the long-time steering signals to the maximum limited target value at a specified reduction rate within a motor current reduction time. |
