Lightweight micro four-wheel off-road vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a lightweight micro four-wheel off-road vehicle, which comprises a main frame and a steering mechanism, the main frame comprises a chassis, a front upright column of the frame, a middle upright column, a front U-shaped beam, a rear U-shaped beam, a rear upright column of the frame; the steering mechanism comprises a steering wheel, a steering column, a steering swing arm, two steering pull rods and two steering joints; an upper swing arm is hinged to the middle upright column, and the other end of the upper swing arm is hinged to the upper joint of the steering joint; a lower swing arm is hinged to the chassis, and the other end of the lower swing arm is hinged to the lower joint of the steering joint; a front shock absorber is arranged between the middle position of the lower swing arm and the upper middle part of the middle upright column, wherein the front shock absorber is located between the steering joint and the middle upright column; the steering pull rod and the upper swing arm are close to the upper part of the main frame, so that a wide leg accommodating space and a foot operating space are formed between the front U-shaped beam and the chassis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of transportation vehicle technology, and in particular to a lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The front structure layout of traditional four-wheel off-road vehicles is often constrained by the mutual constraints of the steering mechanism, suspension mechanism and vehicle design, and it also has at least the following technical defects.

[0003] Spatial layout issues: Steering tie rods, shock absorbers, and other components are usually located on the lower front side of the chassis, requiring the underframe and front bulkhead to reserve space for mechanical movement. This compresses the driver's leg and foot operating area (such as pedals and foot support area), especially when equipped with complex steering and suspension mechanisms, significantly reducing the utilization rate of front longitudinal space and affecting the need for miniaturization of wheel longitudinal dimensions.

[0004] Insufficient chassis rigidity: Existing vehicle frames mostly use a split frame assembly, with U-beams often set independently or arranged in parallel. This type of structure is prone to deformation under torsional loads on rough roads, requiring additional reinforcement members, increasing weight and reducing ground clearance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, this application provides a lightweight micro four-wheel off-road vehicle, which solves at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this application to solve its technical problem is: a lightweight micro four-wheel off-road vehicle, including a main frame and a steering mechanism, wherein the main frame includes a chassis, a front upright, a middle upright, a front U-shaped beam, a rear U-shaped beam, and a rear upright;

[0007] The steering mechanism includes a steering wheel, steering column, steering arm, two steering tie rods, and two steering knuckles;

[0008] The steering wheel is mounted on the steering column, and a reducer is connected to the lower end of the steering column. The output shaft of the reducer is used to drive the steering arm to rotate.

[0009] The first end of each of the two steering tie rods is hinged to the steering control arm, and the second end is hinged to the upper end of each of the two steering knuckles.

[0010] The lower ends of the two steering knuckles are provided with axle sections, which are used to connect the two front wheels and drive the two front wheels to steer;

[0011] An upper rocker arm is hinged to the center column, and the other end of the upper rocker arm is hinged to the upper connector of the steering column.

[0012] A lower rocker arm is hinged to the base frame, and the other end of the lower rocker arm is hinged to the lower joint of the steering column. A front shock absorber is installed between the middle position of the lower rocker arm and the upper center of the center column.

[0013] The front shock absorber is located between the steering knuckle and the center pillar;

[0014] The steering tie rod and upper rocker arm are located close to the upper part of the main frame, creating a wide legroom and foot operating space between the front U-beam and the underframe.

[0015] In some embodiments, the upper rocker arm includes a first U-shaped piece and a second U-shaped piece connected to each other. The first U-shaped piece is hinged to the center column, and the second U-shaped piece is hinged to the upper joint of the steering knuckle. The first U-shaped piece and the second U-shaped piece are fastened together by screws and are provided with a shim with adjustable thickness for adjusting the kingpin inclination angle.

[0016] In some embodiments, the rotation axes of the upper rocker arm and the lower rocker arm remain parallel.

[0017] In some embodiments, the steering knuckle includes a steering knuckle column and an inner steering knuckle shaft passing through the steering knuckle column; a bearing spacer sleeve is also provided between the inner steering knuckle shaft and the steering knuckle column.

[0018] The bearing spacer sleeve has bearings at both ends to keep the inner shaft of the steering knuckle rotatable within the steering knuckle column. The inner shaft of the steering knuckle has threaded sections at both ends, which are used to screw the upper and lower joints of the steering knuckle.

[0019] In some embodiments, the front U-shaped beam and the rear U-shaped beam have their straight middle sections intersecting to form an X-shaped integral structure; the front part of the front U-shaped beam is located at the upper end of the main frame and connected to the front upright of the frame, and the rear part is connected to the rear end of the underframe; the front part of the rear U-shaped beam is connected to the connection between the middle upright and the underframe, and the rear part is inclined upward and connected to the rear end of the underframe through the rear upright of the frame.

[0020] In some embodiments, the front of the front U-shaped beam is provided with a bent portion, and an upper transverse reinforcing bar is provided between the bent portions. The front of the bent portion is used to connect the front column of the frame and form a clearance space when the steering tie rod and the upper rocker arm move.

[0021] In some embodiments, reinforcing connecting pieces are provided between the front part of the rear U-shaped beam and the central column, between the front part of the rear U-shaped beam and the base frame, between the rear part of the front U-shaped beam and the base frame, and at the intersection of the first longitudinal beam and the second longitudinal beam.

[0022] In some embodiments, the reinforcing connecting piece between the rear of the first longitudinal beam and the underframe also provides a connection point for connecting the rear trailing arm, the other end of the rear trailing arm is connected to the rear axle, and a rear shock absorber is provided between the rear axle and the rear U-beam.

[0023] The rear of the underframe is equipped with a vehicle lateral stabilizer bar for connecting the rear axle; the rear U-shaped beam includes a battery mounting bracket.

[0024] In some embodiments, a braking control system is provided above the leg accommodating space. The braking control system includes a front brake master cylinder, a rear brake master cylinder, a connecting rod, a rotary arm, and a brake pedal. By pressing down the brake pedal, the connecting rod and the rotary arm are rotated, thereby driving the pistons in the front brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder to move.

[0025] In some embodiments, the system further includes a power source, which may be a drive motor mounted on the rear axle for driving the rear wheel assembly, or a hub motor independently mounted on the rear wheel and / or front wheel; the steering wheel and reducer may be replaced by a handlebar steering drive system.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0027] 1. Position the steering tie rod and upper rocker arm close to the upper part of the main frame to create a wide legroom and foot operating space between the front U-beam and the underframe, thereby significantly reducing the vehicle's longitudinal dimensions.

[0028] 2. The front / rear U-shaped beams intersect in the middle to form an X-shaped structure, creating a high-strength truss anti-torsional layout. The connection points between the U-shaped beams and the underframe and columns are strengthened by multi-node reinforcing connecting plates, improving the node stiffness. This allows the frame material to use lightweight tubing such as aluminum alloy while fully meeting the strength requirements, thus achieving the goal of lightweighting.

[0029] 3. The chassis structure is compatible with hub motors and rear axle drive motors, and the battery bracket is integrated into the rear U-shaped beam, optimizing the center of gravity distribution. Meanwhile, the vehicle control system can be optionally equipped with either steering wheel steering or handlebar steering to meet the needs of consumers with different usage habits. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of this application.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a side view of the structure of this application.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the hidden left wheel in this application.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a magnified schematic diagram of a partial structure of this application.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a front-view sectional view of this application.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a rear-view sectional view of this application.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of this application.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a magnified schematic diagram of a partial structure of this application.

[0039] Reference numerals: 1. Underframe, 2. Front pillar of frame, 3. Center pillar, 3a. Steerable tube, 3b. Irregular joint, 3ba1. Limit stop, 4. Front U-beam, 41. Bending section, 42. Upper lateral reinforcement bar, 5. Rear U-beam, 6. Rear pillar of frame, 7. Reinforcing connecting plate, 8. Rear trailing arm, 9. Rear axle, 10. Rear shock absorber, 11. Vehicle stabilizer bar, 111. Triangular bracket, 12. Battery mounting bracket, 13. Legroom, 20. Steering wheel, 21. Steering column, 22. Steering control arm, 23. Steering tie rod. 24. Steering knuckle, 241. Steering knuckle column, 242. Steering knuckle inner shaft, 243. Bearing spacer sleeve, 244. Steering knuckle drive arm, 245. Upper connector, 246. Lower connector, 25. Reducer, 26. Wheel axle section, 27. Upper rocker arm, 271. First U-shaped plate, 272. Second U-shaped plate, 273. Shim, 28. Lower rocker arm, 29. Front shock absorber, 30. Front brake master cylinder, 31. Rear brake master cylinder, 32. Connecting rod, 32a. Tie rod, 33. Swing arm, 34. Brake pedal, 35. Accelerator pedal, 40. Drive motor. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those of ordinary skill in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 1-8 As shown, this application proposes a specific embodiment of a lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle structure. Its main technical solution revolves around the main frame and steering mechanism, aiming to reduce the longitudinal dimension of the wheels, achieve vehicle lightweighting, improve the structural strength of the vehicle body, and simultaneously optimize the driver's legroom and foot operating space. The following will provide a detailed description of this technical solution in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0042] Regarding the main frame structure: As the core load-bearing structure of the off-road vehicle, the main frame includes the chassis 1, front upright 2, center upright 3, front U-beam 4, rear U-beam 5, and rear upright 6. The front U-beam 4 and rear U-beam 5 adopt an X-shaped cross structure, which enhances the overall rigidity. The front part of the front U-beam 4 is located at the upper end of the main frame and connects to the front upright 2, while the rear part connects to the rear end of the chassis 1. The front part of the rear U-beam 5 connects to the connection between the center upright 3 and the chassis 1, while the rear part slopes upward and connects to the rear end of the chassis 1 through the rear upright 6.

[0043] The front U-shaped beam 4 has a bend 41 at its front end, and an upper transverse reinforcing bar 42 is provided between the bends 41 to enhance structural stability. The upper transverse reinforcing bar 42 also serves as a mounting bracket for the steering mechanism. The front of the bend 41 is used to connect to the front pillar 2 of the frame and to provide clearance space when the steering tie rod 23 and the upper rocker arm 27 move, thus avoiding movement interference.

[0044] To further enhance structural strength, reinforcing connecting plates 7 are provided between the rear of the front U-beam 4 and the base frame 1, between the front of the rear U-beam 5 and the central column 3, between the front of the rear U-beam 5 and the base frame 1, and at the intersection of the front U-beam 4 and the rear U-beam 5. Furthermore, the reinforcing connecting plate 7 between the rear of the front U-beam 4 and the base frame 1 also provides a connection point for connecting the rear trailing arm 8. The other end of the rear trailing arm 8 is connected to the rear axle 9, and a rear shock absorber 10 is provided between the rear axle 9 and the rear U-beam 5.

[0045] The rear of the chassis 1 is provided with a vehicle lateral stabilizer bar 11 for connecting the rear axle 9. The two ends of the vehicle lateral stabilizer bar 11 are fixed to the rear of the chassis 1 and the rear axle 9 respectively by triangular brackets 111.

[0046] The rear U-shaped beam 5 is also equipped with a battery mounting bracket 12 for mounting the vehicle's power battery system.

[0047] Side support frames 1a are also provided on both sides of the base frame 1, which can be used as footrests for getting on and off the vehicle. In addition, multiple seat mounting and fixing positions are provided on the base frame 1 for connecting and fixing seats.

[0048] Regarding the steering mechanism structure: The steering mechanism includes components such as a steering wheel 20, a steering column 21, a steering arm 22, two steering tie rods 23, and two steering knuckles 24. The steering wheel 20 is mounted on the steering column 21, and a reducer 25 is connected to the lower end of the steering column 21. This reducer has a planetary gear set or other reduction gear set structure inside, which can achieve high-precision steering transmission and effectively reduce the torque required for steering operation.

[0049] The lower end of the steering column 21 drives the steering arm 22 to rotate via the reducer 25. The first ends of the two steering tie rods 23 are hinged to the steering arm 22, and the second ends are respectively hinged to the upper ends of the two steering knuckles 24. The lower end of the steering knuckle 24 is provided with a wheel axle 26 for connecting the front wheels and driving the front wheels to achieve steering.

[0050] To improve the stability and vibration resistance of the steering system, the upper and lower ends of the steering knuckle 24 are connected to the main frame via an upper rocker arm 27 and a lower rocker arm 28, respectively. One end of the upper rocker arm 27 is hinged to the center pillar 3, and the other end is hinged to the upper joint of the steering knuckle 24; one end of the lower rocker arm 28 is hinged to the underframe 1, and the other end is hinged to the lower joint of the steering knuckle 24. A front shock absorber 29 is provided between the middle of the lower rocker arm 28 and the upper center of the center pillar 3. The front shock absorber 29 is located between the steering knuckle and the center pillar 3 and is used to absorb the impact and vibration experienced by the vehicle during driving.

[0051] In addition, the steering tie rod 23 and the upper rocker arm 27 are arranged in the upper part of the main frame, which creates a wide legroom 13 and foot operating space between the front U-beam 4 and the underframe 1, greatly reducing the longitudinal dimensions of the vehicle.

[0052] Specifically, the upper rocker arm 27 consists of a first U-shaped piece 271 and a second U-shaped piece 272 connected to each other. The first U-shaped piece 271 is hinged to the irregular joint 3b of the center pillar 3, and the second U-shaped piece 272 is hinged to the upper joint of the steering knuckle. The first U-shaped piece 271 and the second U-shaped piece 272 are fastened together with screws and are equipped with a shim 273 of adjustable thickness for adjusting the kingpin inclination angle to compensate for welding deformation of the frame and rocker arm.

[0053] Furthermore, the central column 3 includes a riser 3a and a shaped connector 3b disposed on the upper part of the riser 3a. The riser 3a is used to connect to the upper end of the front shock absorber 29 and also serves as a support for the base frame 1 and the front U-shaped beam 4. The shaped connector 3b is provided with a limit stop 3b1 for limiting the maximum range of motion of the upper rocker arm 27. The limit stop 3b1 is a protruding structural structure.

[0054] Meanwhile, the rotation axes of the upper rocker arm 27 and the lower rocker arm 28 remain parallel.

[0055] Regarding the steering knuckle structure: The steering knuckle 24 includes a steering knuckle column 241 and an inner steering knuckle shaft 242 passing through it. A bearing spacer sleeve 243 is provided between the inner steering knuckle shaft 242 and the steering knuckle column 241. Bearings are provided at both ends of the spacer sleeve to ensure that the steering knuckle column 241 can rotate freely relative to the inner steering knuckle shaft 242. Threaded sections are provided at both ends of the inner steering knuckle shaft 242, respectively for screwing the upper connector 245 and the lower connector 246 of the steering knuckle 24, thereby connecting the steering knuckle to the steering tie rod 23 and the wheel axle 26. This structural design utilizes the deformation of the threaded sections to prevent axial movement between the steering knuckle column 241 and the inner steering knuckle shaft 242, while ensuring that the steering knuckle column 241 can rotate freely around the inner steering knuckle shaft 242, and simultaneously maintaining the parallel rotation axes of the upper and lower connectors of the inner steering knuckle shaft 242.

[0056] Specifically, the steering knuckle 24 includes a steering knuckle drive arm 244 disposed at its upper end, which extends rearward of the vehicle and is used for hinged to the steering tie rod 23. In operation, the steering knuckle 24 is rotated by pulling or pushing the steering knuckle drive arm 244 through the steering tie rod 23.

[0057] Regarding the braking control system:

[0058] A braking control system is installed above the legroom 13. This system includes components such as a front master cylinder 30, a rear master cylinder 31, a connecting rod 32, a lever 32a, a rotary arm 33, and a brake pedal 34. When the driver presses the brake pedal 34, it drives the rotary arm 33 to swing, thereby pulling the lever 32a and causing the connecting rod 32 to swing. This causes the end of the connecting rod 32 to push the pistons in the front and rear master cylinders 30 and 31 to displace, thereby controlling the front and rear braking systems and ensuring the vehicle's braking safety.

[0059] Regarding the vehicle's powertrain: The vehicle in this embodiment also includes a power source, which is a drive motor 40 mounted on the rear axle 9 to drive the rear wheel assembly, or a hub motor independently mounted on the two rear wheels and / or the two front wheels; the steering wheel 20, steering column 21, and reducer 25 can be replaced with a handlebar-style steering drive system, and the brake pedal 34 and accelerator pedal 35 in front of the legroom 13 can also be replaced with a handlebar-style handbrake and a hand-twisted accelerator lever to meet the needs of consumers with different usage habits.

[0060] In summary, this application provides a lightweight, compact, rationally laid-out, and highly maneuverable off-road vehicle structure. By optimizing the layout of the main frame and steering system, the rigidity, stability, and ease of operation of the entire vehicle are improved, while also considering space utilization and structural strength, making it suitable for use in various complex terrains. The definition of "miniature" primarily emphasizes its single-seat configuration and its compact structure with high space utilization. Regarding lightweight design, through optimized arrangement of the vehicle body structure, lightweight tubing such as aluminum alloy can be used for the frame material while fully meeting strength requirements, thus achieving the goal of weight reduction.

[0061] The various embodiments of this application have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this application, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. The foregoing embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle, comprising a main frame and a steering mechanism, characterized in that, The main frame includes a chassis, a front upright, a middle upright, a front U-beam, a rear U-beam, and a rear upright. The steering mechanism includes a steering wheel, steering column, steering arm, two steering tie rods, and two steering knuckles; The steering wheel is mounted on the steering column, and a reducer is connected to the lower end of the steering column. The output shaft of the reducer is used to drive the steering arm to rotate. The first end of each of the two steering tie rods is hinged to the steering control arm, and the second end is hinged to the upper end of each of the two steering knuckles. The lower ends of the two steering knuckles are provided with axle sections, which are used to connect the two front wheels and drive the two front wheels to steer; An upper rocker arm is hinged to the center column, and the other end of the upper rocker arm is hinged to the upper joint of the steering knuckle. A lower rocker arm is hinged to the underframe, and the other end of the lower rocker arm is hinged to the lower joint of the steering knuckle. A front shock absorber is installed between the middle position of the lower rocker arm and the upper center of the center column. The front shock absorber is located between the steering knuckle and the center pillar; The steering tie rod and upper rocker arm are located close to the upper part of the main frame, creating a wide legroom and foot operating space between the front U-beam and the underframe.

2. The lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper rocker arm includes a first U-shaped piece and a second U-shaped piece connected to each other. The first U-shaped piece is hinged to the center column, and the second U-shaped piece is hinged to the upper joint of the steering knuckle. The first U-shaped piece and the second U-shaped piece are fastened together by screws and are equipped with shims of adjustable thickness for adjusting the kingpin inclination angle.

3. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation axes of the upper and lower rocker arms remain parallel.

4. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering knuckle includes a steering knuckle column and an inner steering knuckle shaft passing through the steering knuckle column; a bearing spacer sleeve is also provided between the inner steering knuckle shaft and the steering knuckle column, and bearings are provided at both ends of the bearing spacer sleeve to keep the inner steering knuckle shaft rotatable within the steering knuckle column; threaded sections are provided at both ends of the inner steering knuckle shaft, and the threaded sections are respectively used to screw the upper connector and the lower connector of the steering knuckle.

5. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front U-shaped beam and the rear U-shaped beam have their straight middle sections intersecting to form an X-shaped integrated structure. The front part of the front U-shaped beam is located at the upper end of the main frame and connected to the front upright of the frame, while the rear part is connected to the rear end of the underframe. The front part of the rear U-shaped beam is connected to the connection between the middle upright and the underframe, while the rear part is inclined upward and connected to the rear end of the underframe through the rear upright of the frame.

6. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The front of the U-shaped beam has a bend, and an upper transverse reinforcing bar is provided between the bends. The front of the bend is used to connect the front column of the frame and form a clearance space when the steering tie rod and the upper rocker arm move.

7. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, Reinforcing connecting plates are provided between the front part of the rear U-shaped beam and the central column, between the front part of the rear U-shaped beam and the base frame, between the rear part of the front U-shaped beam and the base frame, and at the intersection of the first longitudinal beam and the second longitudinal beam.

8. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that, The reinforcing connecting piece between the rear of the first longitudinal beam and the base frame also provides a connection point for connecting the rear trailing arm. The other end of the rear trailing arm is connected to the rear axle, and a rear shock absorber is provided between the rear axle and the rear U-shaped beam. The rear of the underframe is equipped with a vehicle lateral stabilizer bar for connecting the rear axle; the rear U-shaped beam includes a battery mounting bracket.

9. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, A braking control system is provided above the leg accommodating space. The braking control system includes a front brake master cylinder, a rear brake master cylinder, a connecting rod, a rotary arm, and a brake pedal. By pressing down the brake pedal, the connecting rod and the rotary arm are rotated, thereby driving the pistons in the front brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder to move.

10. A lightweight micro four-wheeled off-road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a power source, which is a drive motor mounted on the rear axle for driving the rear wheel assembly, or a hub motor independently mounted on the two rear wheels and / or the two front wheels; the steering wheel, steering column and reducer can be replaced with a handlebar steering drive system, and the brake pedal and accelerator pedal in front of the legroom can also be replaced with a handlebar-style handbrake and a hand-twisted accelerator lever.

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