A double wishbone based active camber adjustment suspension system and vehicle

Abstract

This invention relates to an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension and a vehicle, comprising: a mounting bracket; at least one wheel unit including a wheel and a steering component, the steering component being mounted on the wheel and having a first mounting position and a second mounting position; at least one wishbone unit including a first wishbone and a second wishbone, one end of the second wishbone being movably connected to the second mounting position and the other end of the second wishbone being movably connected to the mounting bracket; and at least one adjustment unit including an adjustment drive component and an adjustment control component, the adjustment control component controlling the movement of the adjustment drive component, one end of the first wishbone being movably connected to the first mounting position. This invention can actively adjust the wheel camber angle in real time according to the vehicle's driving state, thereby reducing tire wear during straight-line driving, increasing the tire contact area during cornering, significantly improving the vehicle's cornering limit handling performance, reducing tire wear, and extending tire life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle suspension system technology, and in particular to an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system and vehicle based on double wishbone suspension. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the automotive industry, people's requirements for vehicle handling stability, driving safety, and economy are increasing. As a key component connecting the vehicle body and wheels, the performance of the vehicle suspension system directly affects these indicators. Among them, wheel alignment parameters (such as toe-in, camber, caster, and inclination) are key factors determining vehicle handling and tire wear. Camber angle refers to the angle formed by the wheel's center plane and the vertical line when viewed from the front of the vehicle. In traditional designs, the camber angle is usually set to a fixed negative value (i.e., the top of the tire tilts inward) to ensure a stable contact area with the ground during straight driving and regular cornering. Currently, most mainstream passenger cars use MacPherson strut or double wishbone independent suspensions for the front. However, whether it's a MacPherson strut or double wishbone suspension, its camber characteristics are basically determined by the hard points (i.e., the spatial position of each connection point). Therefore, once set during the vehicle design phase, it usually changes passively during driving (i.e., changes with suspension bounce) and cannot be actively and precisely adjusted according to real-time driving conditions (such as high-speed cornering).

[0003] Existing technologies still have limitations in cornering performance. When a vehicle corners at high speed, the body rolls, causing the camber angle of the outer wheel to change in the positive direction (the tire top tilts outward). This reduces the effective contact area of ​​the tire, weakens lateral grip, and limits the vehicle's cornering limits and handling response. Furthermore, while negative camber can improve cornering performance, the vehicle spends most of its time in straight-line driving, leading to greater pressure on the inner tire tread, exacerbating uneven wear and reducing tire lifespan. Chinese invention patent CN105235480A, a suspension assembly with adjustable camber, provides a method for manually and statically adjusting the camber angle by adding or removing shims or replacing different sized adjusting arms. However, this method can only be adjusted when the vehicle is stationary, cannot be dynamically changed while driving, and the adjustment process is cumbersome and cannot respond to real-time driving needs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an active wheel camber angle adjustment suspension system and vehicle based on double wishbone suspension. This system overcomes the defect that the wheel camber angle of the double wishbone suspension cannot be actively adjusted in the prior art. The system can adjust the wheel camber angle in real time and actively according to the vehicle's driving state (especially under steering and lateral acceleration conditions), thereby reducing tire wear when driving in a straight line and increasing the tire contact area when driving in a curve, significantly improving the vehicle's cornering limit handling performance, reducing tire wear, and extending tire life.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on a double wishbone suspension, characterized in that: it is installed in a vehicle and includes, Mounting rack; At least one wheel unit includes a wheel and a steering element, the steering element being assembled to the wheel, the steering element having a first mounting position and a second mounting position; At least one fork arm unit, comprising a first fork arm and a second fork arm, wherein one end of the second fork arm is movably connected to the second mounting position, and the other end of the second fork arm is movably connected to the mounting bracket; At least one adjustment unit includes an adjustment drive and an adjustment control, the adjustment control controlling the movement of the adjustment drive, one end of the first fork arm being movably connected to the first mounting position, and the other end of the first fork arm being connected to the mounting bracket via the adjustment drive; the adjustment drive outputs power in the horizontal direction to move the first fork arm and adjust the tilt angle of the wheel relative to the ground; The control unit is connected to the vehicle's onboard network. The control unit receives steering signals from the vehicle and outputs control signals to the adjustment unit.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, one end of the first fork arm is movably connected to the first mounting position, the other end of the first fork arm is movably connected to the adjustment drive member, and the output end of the adjustment drive member is connected to the mounting bracket.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first fork arm is hinged to the steering component, and the second fork arm is hinged to the steering component.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting drive includes a sliding cylinder.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a shock-absorbing unit is further included, the shock-absorbing unit including at least one shock-absorbing component, one end of the shock-absorbing component being connected to the second fork arm, and the other end of the shock-absorbing component being connected to the vehicle.

[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the damping assembly includes a spring damper.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a steering unit is further included, which is connected to the wheel unit via the steering component. The input end of the steering unit is connected to the vehicle's direction control component to control the steering of the wheel unit.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the steering component is further provided with a mounting hole, and the steering unit is connected to the steering component through the mounting hole; the first mounting position and the second mounting position are located at both ends of the steering component, and the mounting hole and the line connecting the first mounting position and the second mounting position form an isosceles triangle.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first wheel unit, a second wheel unit, a first fork arm unit, a second fork arm unit, a first adjustment unit, and a second adjustment unit are included. The first wheel unit, the first fork arm unit, and the first adjustment unit cooperate with each other, and the second wheel unit, the second fork arm unit, and the second adjustment unit cooperate with each other. The first wheel unit and the second wheel unit are arranged opposite each other along a first direction.

[0014] The present invention also provides a vehicle including an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on a double wishbone as described above.

[0015] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages over the prior art: This invention discloses an active camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension, comprising a wheel unit, a wishbone unit, an adjustment unit, and a control unit. Through the coordinated operation of these components, firstly, it effectively improves the vehicle's cornering performance. When the vehicle enters a curve, the control unit outputs a control signal to the adjustment unit based on steering signals such as the steering wheel angle and lateral acceleration, thereby controlling the adjustment drive components to operate. This causes the outer wheel to generate a larger negative camber angle, effectively counteracting the tilt changes caused by body roll. This ensures the wheel maintains a large contact area during cornering, providing stronger lateral grip and improving stability and speed during cornering. Furthermore, this invention effectively reduces wheel wear. During straight-line driving or gentle driving, the control unit can adjust the wheel to a smaller, optimized camber angle or even zero camber angle, resulting in a more uniform tire tread pressure distribution, reducing uneven tire wear caused by a fixed camber angle, and extending tire life. Moreover, this invention features a compact structure and rapid response; the control unit can preset different camber control strategies according to different driving modes (such as Sport mode, Comfort mode, and Eco mode). In addition, the system can work in conjunction with other vehicle electronic systems such as ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to further enhance the active safety performance of the entire vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first fork arm in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second fork arm according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the steering component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment drive component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a top view of the overall structure of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the cylinder in a preferred embodiment of the present invention when it is at the middle length.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cylinder extension in a preferred embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to the outward tilt angle increasing in the negative direction).

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cylinder during shortening according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to the change of the outward tilt angle in the positive direction).

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the instruction manual: 1. Mounting bracket; 10. Main body; 11. First mounting block; 2. Wheel unit; 20. Wheel; 21. Steering component; 211. First mounting position; 212. Second mounting position; 213. Mounting hole; 201. First wheel unit; 202. Second wheel unit; 31. First fork arm; 32. Second fork arm; 301. First fork arm unit; 302. Second fork arm unit; 41. Adjustment drive component; 401. First adjustment unit; 402. Second adjustment unit; 51. Vibration damping assembly; 501. First vibration damping assembly; 502. Second vibration damping assembly; 6. Steering unit. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention. Example 1

[0028] Reference Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the present invention discloses an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension, which is installed in a vehicle.

[0029] Specifically, the active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone includes a mounting bracket 1; The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone also includes at least one wheel unit, the wheel unit including a wheel 20 and a steering component 21, the steering component 21 being mounted on the wheel 20, the steering component 21 having a first mounting position 211 and a second mounting position 212; the first mounting position 211 is configured as a first mounting slot, and the second mounting position 212 is configured as a second mounting slot.

[0030] The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone also includes at least one wishbone unit, which includes a first wishbone 31 and a second wishbone 32. One end of the second wishbone 32 is movably connected to the second mounting position 212, and the other end of the second wishbone 32 is movably connected to the mounting bracket 1. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone also includes at least one adjustment unit. The adjustment unit includes an adjustment drive component 41 and an adjustment control component. The adjustment control component is used to control the movement of the adjustment drive component 41. One end of the first wishbone 31 is movably connected to the first mounting position 211, and the other end of the first wishbone 31 is connected to the mounting bracket 1 through the adjustment drive component 41. The adjustment drive component 41 can output power in the horizontal direction to drive the first wishbone 31 to move, thereby adjusting the tilt angle between the wheel 20 and the ground. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone also includes a control unit, which has a communication connection with the vehicle's on-board network, so that the control unit can receive steering signals from the vehicle and output control signals to the adjustment unit. The control unit can receive steering information from the vehicle, specifically including vehicle status information such as the vehicle's steering angle sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and vehicle speed sensor. At the same time, the built-in control logic of the control unit can calculate the target camber angle based on these real-time signals and send commands to the adjustment drive component accordingly, thereby controlling the extension and retraction of the adjustment drive component to achieve the purpose of adjusting the wheel tilt angle.

[0031] Therefore, it can be understood that the active camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension that this invention protects includes a wheel unit, a wishbone unit, an adjustment unit, and a control unit. Through the cooperation of these structures, firstly, it can effectively improve the vehicle's cornering performance. When the vehicle enters a curve, the control unit can output control signals to the adjustment unit based on steering signals such as the steering wheel angle and lateral acceleration, thereby controlling the adjustment drive to operate, causing the outer wheel to generate a larger negative camber angle, effectively counteracting the tilt changes caused by body roll, and ensuring that the wheel maintains a large contact area during cornering. This invention provides stronger lateral grip, improving stability and speed during cornering. Furthermore, it effectively reduces wheel wear. During straight-line driving or gentle driving, the control unit can adjust the wheels to a smaller, optimized camber angle or even zero camber angle, thereby making the tire tread pressure distribution more uniform, reducing uneven wear on the inner side of the tire caused by a fixed camber angle, and extending tire life. In addition, the invention has a compact structure and fast response. The control unit can preset different camber angle control strategies according to different driving modes (such as sport mode, comfort mode, and energy-saving mode). Moreover, the system can work in conjunction with other vehicle electronic systems such as ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to further enhance the active safety performance of the entire vehicle.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, one end of the first fork arm 31 is movably connected to the first mounting position 211, and the other end of the first fork arm 31 is movably connected to the adjustment drive member 41, and the output end of the adjustment drive member 41 is connected to the mounting bracket 1; It should be noted that the mounting bracket 1 is used to cooperate with the vehicle and is fixedly installed on the vehicle frame; the mounting bracket 1 has a body 10 and a first mounting block 11, and the output end of the adjustment drive component 41 is connected to the first mounting block 11.

[0033] In detail, the first fork arm 31 is hinged to the steering component 21 via a first ball joint, and the second fork arm 32 is hinged to the steering component 21 via a second ball joint.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment drive 41 includes a sliding cylinder. Using the sliding cylinder as a power actuator results in a relatively simple structure and facilitates direct integration into existing double wishbone suspension layouts, thereby reducing structural modifications. Furthermore, since pneumatic systems have the advantages of fast response speed and high power density, they can meet the real-time requirements of vehicle dynamic adjustment.

[0035] Preferably, the cylinder body end of the sliding cylinder is connected to the first mounting block 11 of the mounting bracket 1 via a first hinge point, and the extended end of the piston rod of the sliding cylinder is hinged to the connecting end of the upper wishbone 31 away from the wheel 20. With this configuration, the sliding cylinder replaces the connecting rod (or the inner support arm of the upper wishbone) that connects the first wishbone (upper wishbone) to the vehicle body at a fixed length in a traditional double wishbone suspension. Correspondingly, the adjustment control element is configured as an air source control unit, which is connected to the rod-side and rodless-side chambers of the sliding cylinder via air pipes. This allows the air source control unit to inject or discharge compressed gas into the sliding cylinder according to control commands, thereby precisely controlling the extension or retraction length of the piston rod.

[0036] The end of the first fork arm 31 away from the wheel 20 (point A) is connected to the first mounting block 11 (point B) on the mounting bracket 1 via a sliding cylinder. Thus, the extension and retraction of the sliding cylinder will directly change the distance between point A and point B, thereby pushing the first fork arm 31 to rotate around its hinge point with the steering component 21, and finally driving the steering component 21 and the wheel 20 to rotate around an axis that is approximately perpendicular to the ground, thereby realizing the change of the camber angle of the wheel 20.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone also includes a damping unit, which includes at least one damping component 51. One end of the damping component 51 is connected to the second wishbone 32, and the other end of the damping component 51 is connected to the vehicle body.

[0038] Specifically, the damping component 51 includes a damper and an elastic element. The elastic element is sleeved on the damper, and the elastic deformation direction of the elastic element is consistent with the damping direction of the damper.

[0039] Preferably, the shock absorption component 51 can be a spring damper.

[0040] The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone also includes a steering unit 6, which is connected to the wheel unit 2 via the steering component 21. The input end of the steering unit is connected to the vehicle's direction control component to control the steering of the wheel unit, and the output end of the steering unit is connected to the steering component 21.

[0041] Preferably, the steering unit 6 is a rack and pinion steering gear, and the input end of the rack and pinion steering gear is connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the steering component 21 is further provided with mounting holes 213, and the steering unit 6 is assembled into the mounting holes 213. The first mounting position 211 and the second mounting position 212 are located at both ends of the steering component 21, and the mounting hole 213, the line connecting the first mounting position 211 and the second mounting position 212 forms an isosceles triangle. This arrangement can effectively resist torsional, bending and vibration loads generated during steering, improve the structural stiffness and deformation resistance of the steering system. In addition, the symmetry of the isosceles triangle makes the two mounting positions more evenly stressed, avoids stress concentration, reduces the risk of fatigue damage to the steering component 21, and extends its service life.

[0043] As a preferred implementation method, combined with Figure 6 As shown, the active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone includes a first wheel unit 201, a second wheel unit 202, a first wishbone unit 301, a second wishbone unit 302, a first adjustment unit 401, and a second adjustment unit 402. The first wheel unit 201 and the second wheel unit 202 are symmetrically arranged, the first wishbone unit 301 and the second wishbone unit 302 are symmetrically arranged, and the first adjustment unit 401 and the second adjustment unit 402 are symmetrically arranged. Specifically, the first wheel unit 201, the first wishbone unit 301, and the first adjustment unit 401 cooperate with each other, and the second wheel unit 202, the second wishbone unit 302, and the second adjustment unit 402 cooperate with each other to form a double wishbone wheel camber adjustment suspension system; the first wheel unit 201 and the second wheel unit 202 are arranged opposite each other along a first direction.

[0044] The damping unit also includes a first damping component 501 and a second damping component 502 arranged symmetrically. The first damping component 501 is disposed on the first fork arm unit 301, and the second damping component 502 is disposed on the second fork arm unit 302.

[0045] (1) The first specific embodiment of the present invention is described below: The sliding cylinder is a double-acting cylinder with a built-in displacement sensor for real-time feedback of the piston rod position. It has a 20mm bore and a stroke of ±15mm. Both ends are universal joints to accommodate angular changes during suspension movement.

[0046] The air source control unit consists of a small electric air compressor, an air tank, a precision pressure reducing valve, and a set of high-speed switching solenoid valves; the solenoid valves are three-position five-way valves, which can realize the three states of cylinder charging, pressure holding, and exhaust; a pressure sensor is installed in the air circuit to monitor the pressure inside the cylinder.

[0047] The electronic control unit (ECU) uses a 32-bit microprocessor.

[0048] The input signals include steering wheel angle (resolution 0.1°), lateral acceleration (range ±1.5g), vehicle speed, and signals from each cylinder displacement sensor. The control logic is as follows: In straight-line driving mode, when the absolute value of the steering wheel angle is consistently below 5° and the absolute value of the lateral acceleration is less than 0.05g, it is determined to be straight-line driving. The ECU sets the target camber angle to -0.5° and adjusts the cylinder length through the PID control algorithm to stabilize the actual camber angle near this value.

[0049] In cornering mode, when the steering wheel angle or lateral acceleration exceeds the threshold, the ECU calculates the target camber angle based on a pre-calibrated two-dimensional MAP (input is vehicle speed and lateral acceleration, output is the target camber angle increment).

[0050] For example, when cornering at high speed (lateral acceleration > 0.6g), the cylinder of the outer wheel is extended to make the camber angle of the outer wheel reach -2.5° or even greater; at the same time, the inner wheel is slightly adjusted to optimize its steering characteristics. In situations such as when returning to center or transitioning, such as exiting a corner, the system smoothly restores the camber angle to the straight-line driving setting.

[0051] (2) The following describes a second specific embodiment of the present invention: The main difference from the first specific implementation method lies in the air source control part. Instead of a separate electric air compressor and air tank, it uses the brake fluid pressure generated by the hydraulic pump of the ESP / ESC module of the vehicle's existing braking system to provide power to the sliding cylinder through a hydraulic-pneumatic conversion device (such as a pneumatic booster cylinder). The electronic control unit communicates directly with the ESP controller to coordinate the distribution of braking force and the adjustment of camber angle, thereby reducing system complexity and cost and realizing deep integration and coordinated control of the chassis system. Example 2

[0052] The present invention also discloses a vehicle, combined with Figures 1 to 9 As shown, it includes an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone as described in Embodiment 1; the active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone is mounted on the vehicle frame (body).

[0053] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0054] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension, characterized in that: Installed in vehicles, including, Mounting rack; At least one wheel unit includes a wheel and a steering component, the steering component being assembled to the wheel, the steering component having a first mounting position and a second mounting position; At least one fork arm unit, comprising a first fork arm and a second fork arm, wherein one end of the second fork arm is movably connected to the second mounting position, and the other end of the second fork arm is movably connected to the mounting bracket; At least one adjustment unit includes an adjustment drive and an adjustment control, the adjustment control controlling the adjustment drive to move, one end of the first fork arm being movably connected to the first mounting position, and the other end of the first fork arm being connected to the mounting bracket via the adjustment drive; The adjusting drive unit outputs power in the horizontal direction to drive the first fork arm to move and adjust the tilt angle of the wheel relative to the ground. The control unit is connected to the vehicle's onboard network. The control unit receives steering signals from the vehicle and outputs control signals to the adjustment unit.

2. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the first fork arm is movably connected to the first mounting position, and the other end of the first fork arm is movably connected to the adjustment drive component. The output end of the adjustment drive component is connected to the mounting bracket.

3. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first fork arm is hinged to the steering component, and the second fork arm is hinged to the steering component.

4. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment drive component includes a sliding cylinder.

5. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a shock absorption unit, which includes at least one shock absorption component, one end of which is connected to the second fork arm and the other end of which is connected to the vehicle.

6. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 5, characterized in that: The damping assembly includes a spring damper.

7. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a steering unit, which is connected to the wheel unit via the steering component. The input end of the steering unit is connected to the vehicle's direction control component to control the steering of the wheel unit.

8. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 7, characterized in that: The steering component is also provided with mounting holes, and the steering unit is connected to the steering component through the mounting holes; the first mounting position and the second mounting position are located at both ends of the steering component, and the mounting hole and the line connecting the first mounting position and the second mounting position form an isosceles triangle.

9. The active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that: It includes a first wheel unit, a second wheel unit, a first fork arm unit, a second fork arm unit, a first adjustment unit, and a second adjustment unit. The first wheel unit, the first fork arm unit, and the first adjustment unit cooperate with each other, and the second wheel unit, the second fork arm unit, and the second adjustment unit cooperate with each other. The first wheel unit and the second wheel unit are arranged opposite each other along a first direction.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: Including an active wheel camber adjustment suspension system based on double wishbone as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images