A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device

Abstract

The application discloses a reconfigurable double-trailing-arm independent suspension device, and belongs to the technical field of vehicles. The independent suspension device comprises a main shaft, an upper support, a spring damping element, an upper trailing arm, a knuckle, a lower trailing arm, a steering drag link, a steering actuator and a wheel. The upper support is fixedly connected to the main shaft. The upper trailing arm and the lower trailing arm are both hingedly connected to the main shaft. The knuckle is hingedly connected between the upper trailing arm and the lower trailing arm. One end of the spring damping element is hingedly connected to the upper support, and the other end of the spring damping element is hingedly connected to the middle part of the lower trailing arm. Two supporting rods are arranged on the knuckle. One end of the steering drag link is hingedly connected to one supporting rod of the knuckle, and the other end of the steering drag link is hingedly connected to the steering actuator. The other supporting rod of the knuckle is coaxially connected to the wheel hub of the wheel through a wheel hub rotating pair. The independent suspension device can normally support the vehicle body, and can also change the wheel track and the wheelbase under the driving of the main shaft, so that the passing requirement of the vehicle under different working conditions can be met, and the maneuverability of the vehicle is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of vehicle technology, specifically relating to a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device. Background Technology

[0002] The demand for special-purpose vehicles is growing stronger with societal development. Their applications are becoming increasingly widespread in fields such as military, medical, industrial, agricultural, planetary exploration, and service sectors. Simultaneously, there are increasingly higher requirements for their stability, passability, mobility, and reliability in unknown environments. Special-purpose vehicle systems integrate multiple functions such as environmental perception, decision-making and planning, control and execution. The stable and efficient operation of the running gear is its most fundamental function, and the structure of the running gear is the fundamental guarantee for its high passability and high stability.

[0003] In the automotive industry, the suspension is a crucial component of the running gear system. It elastically connects the chassis (or body) to the axles (or wheels). Its primary tasks are to transmit all forces and torques acting between the wheels and the chassis (or body); to mitigate impact loads transmitted from the road surface to the chassis (or body), damping the resulting vibrations in the load-bearing system and ensuring a smooth ride; and to guarantee ideal motion characteristics for the wheels when encountering uneven road surfaces and varying loads, ensuring vehicle handling stability and enabling high-speed driving. However, traditional suspension systems do not allow independent control of each wheel in a wheeled vehicle; the wheelbase, track width, and center of gravity height of each wheel are fixed, which limits the improvement of a wheeled vehicle's passability and obstacle-crossing ability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device, which can normally support the vehicle body and can also change the track width and wheelbase under the drive of the main shaft, so as to adapt to the passability requirements of the vehicle under different working conditions and thus effectively improve the vehicle's maneuverability.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device includes: a main shaft, an upper support, a spring damping element, an upper wishbone, a steering knuckle, a lower wishbone, a steering tie rod, a steering actuator, and a wheel;

[0007] Let the vertical direction be the Z-axis, the length direction of the vehicle be the X-axis, and the width direction of the vehicle be the Y-axis;

[0008] The spindle is axially set along the Z-axis and can rotate around the Z-axis; the upper support is fixed to the spindle.

[0009] The upper control arm is connected to the main shaft via an upper control arm hinge, and the lower control arm is connected to the main shaft via a lower control arm hinge. The steering knuckle is connected between the upper control arm and the lower control arm via an upper steering knuckle ball joint and a lower steering knuckle ball joint, so that the upper control arm and the lower control arm can rotate synchronously along the X-axis and can rotate synchronously with the main shaft around the Z-axis.

[0010] One end of the spring damping element is hinged to the upper support via a ball joint on the upper support, and the other end of the spring damping element is hinged to the middle of the lower cross arm via a central ball joint on the lower cross arm.

[0011] The steering knuckle is equipped with two support rods. One end of the steering tie rod is hinged to one of the support rods of the steering knuckle via a steering ball joint, and the other end of the steering tie rod is hinged to the telescopic end of the steering actuator via a tie rod ball joint. The cylinder end of the steering actuator is mounted on an external support structure via an actuator hinge, and the steering actuator can perform telescopic movements.

[0012] The other support of the steering knuckle is coaxially connected to the wheel hub via a hub swivel joint.

[0013] Furthermore, the plane containing the upper control arm and the plane containing the lower control arm are parallel, and the steering tie rod is parallel to the plane containing either the upper or lower control arm; the steering knuckle is parallel to the Z-axis.

[0014] Furthermore, projecting the suspension linkage from the vehicle's direction of travel, the main shaft, upper control arm, steering knuckle, and lower control arm form a parallelogram ABFE; the main shaft, upper control arm, steering knuckle, and steering tie rod form a parallelogram ABDC; and the main shaft, lower control arm, steering knuckle, and steering tie rod form a parallelogram CDFE. Each hinge point serves as a vertex of each parallelogram.

[0015] Furthermore, projecting the suspension system from directly above the vehicle, the axis of the main shaft, the upper or lower ball joint of the steering knuckle, the steering ball joint, and the tie rod ball joint form a parallelogram abdc. The steering tie rod is side dc, the steering knuckle is side bd, and the shortest distance between the main shaft and the steering knuckle is side ab. The projection of the spring damping element is located on side ab of parallelogram abdc. When the steering tie rod moves under the extension and retraction of the steering actuator, the extension and retraction of the steering actuator causes point c to move. Since the main shaft is locked and does not rotate through the power source and reducer, side ab is relatively fixed, side ac rotates around point a, side bd rotates around point b, and side cd moves along the Y-axis, realizing normal left and right steering of the wheel. When the steering actuator remains stationary, and the main shaft rotates around the Z-axis under the action of the power source and reducer, side ab of parallelogram abdc rotates around point a, and side cd rotates around point c, realizing the front and rear position change of the wheel, and the center plane of the wheel axis is always parallel to the X-axis when the wheel axis translates back and forth.

[0016] Furthermore, the two opposing wheels on the left and right sides can adopt a linkage drive mode, that is, the two cantilever devices corresponding to the two wheels share a single steering actuator.

[0017] Furthermore, the two opposing wheels on the left and right sides can adopt a distributed drive mode, that is, the steering actuators of the two cantilever devices corresponding to the two wheels are independent.

[0018] Furthermore, the main shaft rotates under the drive of a power source, and the specific connection relationship is as follows:

[0019] The power source is coaxially connected to the input shaft of the reducer via a shaft connector, and the output shaft of the reducer is coaxially connected to the main shaft. The main shaft is mounted on an external support structure via a main shaft rotating pair.

[0020] Beneficial effects:

[0021] (1) This invention proposes for the first time a structure in which the upper and lower cross arms are fixedly connected to a rotatable main shaft. By rotating the main shaft, the upper and lower cross arms and the wheels can be rotated to adjust the suspension positioning parameters, thereby realizing the function of changing the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle. This allows the wheeled vehicle to independently control each wheel to change to different wheelbase, track width, and center of gravity height, which greatly improves the vehicle's passability, obstacle crossing ability and maneuverability. It has the characteristics of simple structure, high reliability and wide applicability.

[0022] (2) When the suspension device of the present invention is projected from the direction of vehicle travel, the main shaft, upper control arm, steering knuckle and lower control arm form a parallelogram ABFE, the main shaft, upper control arm, steering knuckle and steering tie rod form a parallelogram ABDC, and the main shaft, lower control arm, steering knuckle and steering tie rod form a parallelogram CDFE, with each hinge point serving as the vertex of each parallelogram; this ensures that the length of each link remains unchanged when the upper control arm hinge, tie rod ball joint and lower control arm hinge of the suspension rotate around each rotating joint along the X-axis, thus ensuring that the suspension positioning parameters are stable and reliable when the wheel bounces up and down.

[0023] (3) When the suspension device of the present invention is projected from directly above the vehicle, the axis of the main shaft, the upper ball joint or the lower ball joint of the steering knuckle, the steering ball joint and the tie rod ball joint form a parallelogram abdc. According to the structural characteristics of the parallelogram, it can ensure that the wheel keeps the center plane of the wheel moving parallel under the simultaneous action of the steering tie rod and the upper and lower cross arms during the process of wheel track and wheelbase changes.

[0024] (4) When the two opposing wheels of the suspension device of the present invention can adopt a distributed drive mode, the vehicle can turn in place and achieve more flexible maneuverability. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system projected in the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system projected directly above the vehicle.

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a right turn using a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system turning left;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the wheel forward movement of a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the wheel rearward movement of a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the linked steering system for a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension.

[0033] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of distributed steering for a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0034] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a stationary turning maneuver for an 8×8 vehicle using a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0035] Figure 11 A schematic diagram illustrating the wheel / wheelbase variation of an 8×8 vehicle using a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension system;

[0036] Among them, 1. Power source; 2. Shaft connector; 3. Reducer; 4. Main shaft; 5. Upper support; 6. Spring damping element; 7. Upper control arm; 8. Steering knuckle; 9. Lower control arm; 10. Steering tie rod; 11. Steering actuator; 12. Wheel; 101. Main shaft rotating pair; 102. Upper control arm hinge; 103. Actuator hinge; 104. Tie rod ball joint; 105. Lower control arm hinge; 106. Upper support ball joint; 107. Steering knuckle upper ball joint; 108. Wheel hub; 109. Steering ball joint; 110. Steering knuckle lower ball joint; 111. Lower control arm central ball joint. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0038] This embodiment provides a reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device; see appendix. Figure 1It includes: power source 1, shaft connector 2, reducer 3, main shaft 4, upper support 5, spring damping element 6, upper control arm 7, steering knuckle 8, lower control arm 9, steering tie rod 10, steering actuator 11 and wheel 12;

[0039] Let the vertical direction be the Z-axis, the length direction of the vehicle (i.e., the direction of travel) be the X-axis, and the width direction of the vehicle be the Y-axis;

[0040] The power source 1 is coaxially connected to the input shaft of the reducer 3 via the shaft connector 2. The output shaft of the reducer 3 is coaxially connected to the main shaft 4. The main shaft 4 is mounted on an external support structure via a main shaft rotating pair 101 (such as a bearing), and the axial direction of the main shaft 4 is set along the Z-axis. The main shaft 4 can rotate around the Z-axis under the drive of the power source 1 and the reducer 3. The upper support 5 is fixed to the main shaft 4 and can rotate around the Z-axis with the main shaft 4.

[0041] The upper horizontal arm 7 is connected to the main shaft 4 via an upper horizontal arm hinge 102. The upper horizontal arm 7 can rotate around the upper horizontal arm hinge 102 along the X-axis but cannot move along the X-axis axial direction. At the same time, the upper horizontal arm 7 can rotate with the main shaft 4 around the Z-axis. The lower horizontal arm 9 is connected to the main shaft 4 via a lower horizontal arm hinge 105. The lower horizontal arm 9 can rotate around the lower horizontal arm hinge 105 along the X-axis but cannot move along the X-axis axial direction. At the same time, the lower horizontal arm 9 can rotate with the main shaft 4 around the Z-axis. The plane containing the upper horizontal arm 7 and the plane containing the lower horizontal arm 9 are parallel. The upper horizontal arm 7 and the lower horizontal arm 9 achieve synchronous rotation when the main shaft 4 rotates through the limiting effect of the upper horizontal arm hinge 102 and the lower horizontal arm hinge 105.

[0042] The steering knuckle 8 is connected between the upper cross arm 7 and the lower cross arm 9 via the upper ball joint 107 and the lower ball joint 110, and can rotate synchronously with the main shaft around the Z-axis; and the steering knuckle 8 is arranged in the vertical direction, that is, parallel to the Z-axis.

[0043] One end of the spring damping element 6 is hinged to the upper support 5 via the upper support ball joint 106, and the other end of the spring damping element 6 is hinged to the middle of the lower cross arm 9 via the lower cross arm central ball joint 111.

[0044] The steering knuckle 8 is provided with two support rods, namely support rod M and support rod N, which are at a set angle. One end of the steering tie rod 10 is hinged to the support rod M of the steering knuckle 8 through a steering ball joint 109, and the other end of the steering tie rod 10 is hinged to the telescopic end of the steering actuator 11 through a tie rod ball joint 104. The steering tie rod 10 is parallel to the plane of the upper control arm 7 (or lower control arm 9). The cylinder end of the steering actuator 11 is mounted on an external support structure through an actuator hinge 103. The steering actuator 11 can rotate around the actuator hinge 103 and can perform telescopic movements.

[0045] The support rod N of the steering knuckle 8 is coaxially connected to the hub 108 of the wheel 12 via a hub rotating pair (such as a bearing). The hub 108 is connected to an external power device (such as a hub motor) to provide driving force to the wheel 12. That is, the power device can drive the wheel 12 and the hub 108 to rotate around the axis of the support rod B of the steering knuckle 8.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, projecting the suspension linkage from the vehicle's driving direction, the main shaft 4, upper control arm 7, steering knuckle 8, and lower control arm 9 form a parallelogram ABFE; the main shaft 4, upper control arm 7, steering knuckle 8, and steering tie rod 10 form a parallelogram ABDC; and the main shaft 4, lower control arm 9, steering knuckle 8, and steering tie rod 10 form a parallelogram CDFE, with each hinge point serving as a vertex of the parallelogram. This ensures that the lengths of each linkage remain constant when the upper control arm hinge 102, tie rod ball joint 104, and lower control arm hinge 105 rotate along the X-axis, guaranteeing stable and reliable suspension positioning parameters during wheel vertical movement. Simultaneously, the length of the spring damping element 6 changes as the lower control arm 9 rotates around the lower control arm hinge 105, thereby achieving energy storage and release. Furthermore, when the spring damping element 6 is a controllable element, it enables active control of the wheel 12's vertical attitude and the suspension output force.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, projecting the suspension system from directly above the vehicle, the main shaft revolute joint 101, the upper ball joint 107 (or the lower ball joint 110), the steering ball joint 109, and the tie rod ball joint 104 form a parallelogram abdc (where point a is the projection of the axis of the main shaft 4). The steering tie rod 10 is side dc, the steering knuckle 8 is side bd, the shortest distance between the main shaft 4 and the steering knuckle 8 is side ab, and the spring damping element 6 is projected onto side ab of the parallelogram abdc; Figure 4 , 5 As shown, when the steering tie rod 10 moves under the extension and retraction of the steering actuator 11, the extension and retraction of the steering actuator 11 causes point c to move. Since the main shaft 4 is locked and does not rotate through the power source 1 and the reducer 3, side ab is relatively fixed, side ac rotates around point a, side bd rotates around point b, and side cd moves along the Y-axis, thus realizing the normal left and right steering of the wheel 12; as Figure 6 , 7 As shown, when the steering actuator 11 remains stationary and the main shaft 4 rotates around the Z-axis under the action of the power source 1 and the reducer 3, the ab side of the parallelogram abdc rotates around point a, and the cd side rotates around point c, realizing the front-to-back position change of the wheel, and ensuring that the center plane (i.e., the radial symmetry center plane) of the wheel 12 axis is always parallel to the X-axis when the wheel 12 axis is translated front-to-back; when the wheel 12 axis is translated, the steering tie rod 10 can still perform the steering function normally under the action of the steering actuator 11.

[0048] like Figure 8 As shown, the two opposing wheels 12 can adopt a linked drive mode, that is, the two steering linkages corresponding to the two wheels 12 share a single steering actuator 11. The steering actuator 11 can drive the linkage to achieve linked steering of the left and right wheels 12 in a trapezoidal steering configuration; as shown Figure 9 As shown, the two opposing wheels can also adopt a distributed drive mode, that is, the steering actuators of the steering tie rods corresponding to the two wheels are independent. Distributed steering can achieve Figure 10 The stationary turning mode shown allows for more flexible maneuverability.

[0049] like Figure 11 As shown, the upper control arm 7 and lower control arm 9 of the reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device can change the wheelbase of the vehicle by rotating the main shaft 4 at different angles, thereby enabling the switching of different vehicle modes. Taking an 8×8 vehicle (four-axle vehicle) as an example, by controlling the angle of the main shaft 4, it is possible to switch between 2-2 wheel positions, 1-1-1-1 wheel positions, 1-2-1 wheel positions, and many other wheelbase modes, which can greatly improve the vehicle's passability.

[0050] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension apparatus, characterized by, The application relates to a suspension linkage device for a vehicle. The vertical direction is Z axis, the length direction of the vehicle is X axis, and the width direction of the vehicle is Y axis. The plane of the upper cross arm and the plane of the lower cross arm are parallel, and the steering drag link is parallel to the plane of the upper cross arm or the plane of the lower cross arm; the steering knuckle is parallel to the Z axis. The axial direction of the main shaft is along the Z axis, and the main shaft can rotate around the Z axis. The upper support is fixedly connected to the main shaft. The upper cross arm is connected to the main shaft through an upper cross arm hinge, and the lower cross arm is connected to the main shaft through a lower cross arm hinge; the steering knuckle is connected between the upper cross arm and the lower cross arm through an upper knuckle ball hinge and a lower knuckle ball hinge, so that the upper cross arm and the lower cross arm can rotate along the X axis synchronously and rotate around the Z axis synchronously with the main shaft. One end of the spring damping element is hinged to the upper support through an upper support ball hinge, and the other end of the spring damping element is hinged to the middle part of the lower cross arm through a lower cross arm central ball hinge. The steering knuckle is provided with two supporting rods, one end of the steering drag link is hinged to one supporting rod of the steering knuckle through a steering ball hinge, and the other end of the steering drag link is hinged to the telescopic end of the steering actuator through a drag link ball hinge; the cylinder end of the steering actuator is installed on an external supporting structure through an actuator hinge, and the steering actuator can perform telescopic movement. The other supporting rod of the steering knuckle is coaxially connected to the wheel hub of the wheel hub through a wheel hub rotating pair. When the steering drag link moves under the telescopic action of the steering actuator, the telescopic movement of the steering actuator drives the movement of the point C; since the main shaft is locked by the power source and the reducer and does not rotate, the ab side is relatively fixed, the ac side rotates around the point A, the bd side rotates around the point B, and the cd side moves along the Y axis, so that the normal left and right steering of the wheel is realized; when the steering actuator remains unchanged and the main shaft rotates around the Z axis under the action of the power source and the reducer, the ab side of the parallelogram abdc rotates around the point A, and the cd side rotates around the point C, so that the front and back position conversion of the wheel is realized, and the center plane of the wheel axis is always parallel to the X axis during the front and back translation. When the suspension linkage device is projected from the driving direction of the vehicle, the main shaft, the upper cross arm, the steering knuckle and the lower cross arm form a parallelogram ABFE, the main shaft, the upper cross arm, the steering knuckle and the steering drag link form a parallelogram ABDC, and the main shaft, the lower cross arm, the steering knuckle and the steering drag link form a parallelogram CDFE, and each hinge point is the vertex of each parallelogram.

2. A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The left and right two opposite wheels can adopt a linkage driving mode, that is, two suspension devices corresponding to the two wheels share one steering actuator.

3. A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The left and right two opposite wheels can adopt a distributed driving mode, that is, the steering actuators of the two suspension devices corresponding to the two wheels are independent.

4. A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The main shaft rotates under the driving of the power source, and the specific connection relationship is as follows:

5. A reconfigurable double wishbone independent suspension device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, ​ The power source is coaxially connected with the input shaft of the speed reducer through the shaft connecting piece, the output shaft of the speed reducer is coaxially connected with the main shaft, and the main shaft is installed on the external support structure through the main shaft rotating pair.

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