Four-wheel high-speed star ball car and working method thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of star car, and discloses a four-wheel high-speed star car and a working method thereof. The four-wheel high-speed star car comprises a car body, a car body differential mechanism located at the front part of the car body and fixed between the car body, a front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism located at the front end of the car body and connected to a rotating shaft one of the car body differential mechanism, a rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism located at the rear part of the car body and connected to a rotating shaft two of the car body differential mechanism, and a wheel set comprising a front wheel set and a rear wheel set, wherein the front wheel set is installed on the front rocker arm, the rear wheel set is installed on the rear rocker arm, and the rear rocker arm is extended out of the car body through a car body through hole three formed at the rear end of the car body. The application has good terrain adaptability and buffering and damping performance, can adapt to high-speed driving on a planetary surface, and can actively control the car body posture and switch various working modes through the combination of regulation and control modes, so that new or special detection tasks can be better completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of planetary vehicle technology, and more specifically, to a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] As planetary exploration deepens, the demands for exploration range and efficiency continue to increase, making higher exploration speed a potential performance requirement for new planetary rovers. As the primary platform and important vehicle for deep space exploration, innovative breakthroughs in the configuration and theory of wheeled planetary rovers' mobility systems are crucial. Currently, most conventional planetary rover suspension configurations are six-wheel rocker arm-bogie structures connected by differentials, which can passively adapt to terrain undulations and are suitable for low-speed travel. However, as travel speeds increase, the redundancy of their drive system, lack of shock absorption structures, and inability to control vehicle attitude become increasingly prominent. In contrast, four-wheeled planetary rovers offer simpler coordinated motion control and are more suitable for high-speed travel on complex planetary terrain.

[0003] Therefore, how to design the suspension structure of a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle to enable it to have good terrain adaptability, shock absorption performance, and the ability to actively control the vehicle's posture or switch between multiple working modes has become a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention proposes a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle and its working method. This configuration is suitable for high-speed driving under complex terrain distribution on the planetary surface, and has good terrain adaptability and shock absorption performance. At the same time, the suspension can realize active control of vehicle attitude and switching of multiple working modes, and can complete exploration tasks under complex driving scenarios or extreme terrain conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle, comprising:

[0007] Vehicle body;

[0008] The vehicle differential mechanism is located at the front of the vehicle body and is fixed to the vehicle body; the vehicle differential mechanism controls the switching between the vehicle body's locking mode and rotation mode through a clutch.

[0009] The front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism is located at the front of the vehicle body and is connected to the rotating shaft that extends forward through the vehicle body through the differential mechanism. The front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism controls the switching between the locking mode and the rotation mode of the front rocker arm through the clutch. The front rocker arm steering motor in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism controls the switching between the lateral mode and the longitudinal mode of the front rocker arm.

[0010] The rear swing arm terrain adaptation mechanism is located at the rear of the vehicle body and is connected to the second pivot shaft that extends rearward through the second through-hole in the vehicle body differential mechanism;

[0011] The wheel assembly includes a front wheel assembly and a rear wheel assembly. The front wheel assembly is mounted on the front rocker arm in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism, and the rear wheel assembly is mounted on the rear rocker arm in the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism. The rear rocker arm extends three-way backward from the vehicle body through a through hole at the rear end of the vehicle body. The differential adjustment motor in the vehicle body differential mechanism drives the front rocker arm and the rear rocker arm to rotate.

[0012] Preferably, the vehicle differential mechanism includes a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, a fourth shaft, a bearing with a mounting seat, a differential adjustment motor, and a first clutch. The first shaft and the second shaft are arranged opposite each other, and the third shaft and the fourth shaft are arranged opposite each other. The first shaft and the second shaft are arranged perpendicularly to the third shaft and the fourth shaft, forming a cross shape. The proximal ends of the four shafts are each connected to a bevel gear, and adjacent bevel gears mesh with each other. The distal ends of the third shaft and the fourth shaft each pass through the bearing hole of a bearing with a mounting seat and are connected to one end of a first clutch at the distal end. The output shaft of the differential adjustment motor is installed at the other end of the corresponding first clutch. The bottom bearing seats below the two bearings and the bottom of the differential adjustment motor are both installed on the vehicle body.

[0013] Preferably, the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism includes a front rocker arm, a rocker arm slot, a second clutch, a first series flexible coupling, and a front rocker arm steering motor. Each side of the front rocker arm has a rocker arm shaft, and the two rocker arm shafts are connected in the middle by a rocker arm connecting shaft perpendicular to them. The rocker arm connecting shaft is placed inside the rocker arm slot, and circular through holes are provided on both sides of the rocker arm slot for the ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft to extend out. The two ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft are respectively connected to the output ends of the second clutch and the first series flexible coupling, and the second clutch and the first series flexible coupling are respectively fixed to the corresponding sides of the rocker arm slot. The front rocker arm steering motor is vertically mounted above the rocker arm slot, and its output shaft is connected to the top surface of the rocker arm slot. The side of the front rocker arm steering motor is mounted on a rotating shaft extending from the vehicle body of the vehicle differential mechanism.

[0014] Preferably, the rocker arm groove has an inverted "U" shaped structure, with circular through holes on both sides for the ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft to extend out, and a hole on the top for connecting the output shaft of the front rocker arm steering motor; the rocker arm connecting shaft is stuck in the rocker arm groove and can rotate around the axis of the circular through holes.

[0015] Preferably, the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism includes a rear rocker arm, a rear rocker arm shaft, a rocker arm gear, a middle gear, a gearbox, and a second series flexible coupling. The middle gear is mounted on the second shaft of the vehicle differential mechanism, which extends to the rear of the vehicle body. There are two rocker arm gears, located on the left and right sides of the middle gear and meshing with it. The middle gear and the rocker arm gear are mounted and confined within the gearbox. The ends of the two rocker arm gears on the same side are each connected to one end of the second series flexible coupling via a rear rocker arm shaft. The rear rocker arm is connected to the other end of the second series flexible coupling, and the rear rocker arm extends rearward through a vehicle body through-hole three at the rear of the vehicle body.

[0016] Preferably, the middle gear is a half gear with its upper and lower ends cut off; the gear box restricts the position of the middle gear and the rocker arm gear so that they mesh with each other; the three through holes in the car body are crescent-shaped holes.

[0017] Preferably, both the first and second series flexible couplings each include a coupling housing and an elastic element disposed inside the coupling housing, with the end of the elastic element connected to a corresponding external rotating shaft; or, the first and second series flexible couplings can be either an electromagnetic damper or a hydraulic damper.

[0018] Preferably, the front wheel assembly includes a front wheel, a front wheel drive motor, a front wheel steering motor, and a front wheel steering arm. The front wheel steering arm is a "C"-shaped arm. The front wheel steering motor is vertically mounted directly above the front wheel, and its output shaft is connected to one end of the front wheel steering arm. The side of the front wheel steering motor is connected to the front rocker arm, and the other end of the front wheel steering arm is connected to the outer side of the front wheel drive motor. The front wheel drive motor is mounted at the center of the front wheel. The rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel and a rear wheel drive motor. The rear wheel drive motor is mounted at the center of the rear wheel, and the outer side of the rear wheel drive motor is connected to the rear rocker arm.

[0019] Preferably, the diameter of the rear wheel is larger than the diameter of the front wheel.

[0020] A method for operating a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle, applied to the aforementioned four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle, includes the following control methods:

[0021] Method 1: By controlling the connection or disconnection of clutch 2 in the front rocker arm mode switching mechanism, the locking mode and rotation mode of the front rocker arm can be switched, thereby controlling whether the front wheel assembly connected to the front rocker arm can passively adapt to the terrain.

[0022] Method 2: By controlling the rotation angle of the front swingarm steering motor in the front swingarm mode switching mechanism, the switching between the lateral and longitudinal modes of the front swingarm can be achieved, thereby realizing the active control of the attitude of the front swingarm and the connected front wheel assembly.

[0023] Method 3: By controlling the connection or disconnection of clutch one in the vehicle differential mechanism, the vehicle locking mode and rotation mode can be switched, thereby controlling the vehicle attitude and the relationship between the front and rear rocker arm attitude angles.

[0024] Method 4: By controlling the rotation angle of the differential adjustment motor in the vehicle body differential mechanism, the front and rear rocker arms are rotated, thereby controlling the vehicle body attitude and the attitude angle of the front and rear rocker arms.

[0025] By combining the above four control methods, multiple driving modes and terrain-adaptive working modes of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle can be achieved.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle and its working method of the present invention are:

[0027] This invention enables control over the vehicle's attitude and the angle relationship between the front and rear rocker arms by incorporating a differential mechanism within the vehicle body. This prevents excessive changes in vehicle attitude when driving on complex and rugged terrain, even when the vehicle's attitude changes between the front and rear rocker arms. Furthermore, a front rocker arm mode switching mechanism at the front of the vehicle body allows for switching between lateral and longitudinal modes. A series flexible coupling at the front and rear rocker arms enhances the wheel's shock absorption performance. Finally, a clutch at the front rocker arm and differential adjustment motor controls the locking and rotation of the front rocker arm and the vehicle body.

[0028] Compared with existing technologies, this invention enables the four-wheeled planetary vehicle to have good terrain adaptability and shock absorption performance by cooperating with the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism, the vehicle body differential mechanism, and the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism, so as to adapt to high-speed driving on the planetary surface; and by combining control methods, the vehicle body attitude can be actively controlled and multiple working modes can be switched, so as to better complete new or special exploration missions. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a top view of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3This is an exploded view of the front wheel assembly and the front swingarm mode conversion mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the rear wheel assembly and the terrain adaptation mechanism of the rear swing arm in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second series flexible coupling in this embodiment of the invention;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal terrain adaptation mode of the front rocker arm of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Attached image annotations:

[0037] 1-Car body, 11-Car body through hole one, 12-Car body through hole two, 13-Car body through hole three, 2-Wheel assembly, 21-Front wheel assembly, 211-Front wheel, 212-Front wheel drive motor, 213-Front wheel steering motor, 214-Front wheel steering arm, 22-Rear wheel assembly, 221-Rear wheel, 222-Rear wheel drive motor, 3-Front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism, 31-Front rocker arm, 32-Rocker arm groove, 321-Circular through hole, 33-Front rocker arm steering motor, 34-Off-center 2. Connector 2; 35. Series Flexible Coupling 1; 4. Vehicle Body Differential Mechanism; 41. Shaft 1; 42. Shaft 2; 43. Shaft 3; 44. Shaft 4; 45. Bevel Gear; 46. Bearing with Seat; 47. Differential Adjustment Motor; 48. Clutch 1; 5. Rear Rocker Arm Terrain Adaptation Mechanism; 51. Rear Rocker Arm; 52. Rear Rocker Arm Shaft; 53. Rocker Arm Gear; 54. Middle Gear; 55. Gear Box; 56. Series Flexible Coupling 2; 561. Coupling Housing; 562. Flexible Element. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0040] Furthermore, 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 technical features indicated. Thus, 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.

[0041] Example:

[0042] This invention discloses a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle, such as... Figure 1 , 2 As shown, it includes a vehicle body 1, wheel assembly 2, front swing arm mode conversion mechanism 3, vehicle differential mechanism 4, and rear swing arm terrain adaptation mechanism 5.

[0043] The body differential mechanism 4 is located at the front of the vehicle body and is fixed to the vehicle body; the body differential mechanism 4 controls the switching between the locking mode and the rotation mode of the vehicle body through clutch 48; the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is located at the front end of the vehicle body 1 and is connected to the rotating shaft 41 that extends forward through the body through hole 11 of the body differential mechanism 4; the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 controls the switching between the locking mode and the rotation mode of the front rocker arm 31 through clutch 34; the front rocker arm steering motor 33 in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 controls the switching between the lateral mode and the longitudinal mode of the front rocker arm 31; The rear swingarm terrain adaptation mechanism 5 is located at the rear of the vehicle body and is connected to the rotating shaft 42 of the vehicle body differential mechanism 4, which extends rearward through the vehicle body through hole 12. The wheel set 2 includes a front wheel set 21 and a rear wheel set 22. The front wheel set 21 is mounted on the front swingarm 31 in the front swingarm mode conversion mechanism 3, and the rear wheel set 22 is mounted on the rear swingarm 51 in the rear swingarm terrain adaptation mechanism 5. The rear swingarm 51 extends rearward through the vehicle body through hole 13 at the rear end of the vehicle body 1. The differential adjustment motor 47 in the vehicle body differential mechanism 4 drives the front swingarm 31 and the rear swingarm 51 to rotate.

[0044] In a further specific embodiment, the vehicle body differential mechanism 4 includes a first rotating shaft 41, a second rotating shaft 42, a third rotating shaft 43, a fourth rotating shaft 44, a bearing 46 with a mounting seat, a differential adjustment motor 47, and a first clutch 48; the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 are arranged opposite each other, and the third rotating shaft 43 and the fourth rotating shaft 44 are arranged opposite each other. The first rotating shaft 41, the second rotating shaft 42, the third rotating shaft 43, and the fourth rotating shaft 44 are arranged perpendicularly in a cross shape, and a bevel gear 45 is connected to the near end of each of the four rotating shafts (i.e., at the intersection of the arrangement of each rotating shaft). Adjacent bevel gears 45 mesh with each other; the front shaft 41 passes through the vehicle body through hole 11, and the rear shaft 42 connects to the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism 5; the far ends of the shafts 43 and 44 each pass through the bearing hole of a seated bearing 46 and are then connected to one end of a clutch 48 at the far end, and the output shaft of the differential adjustment motor 47 is installed on the other end of the corresponding clutch 48; the bottom bearing seats below the two seated bearings 46 and the bottom of the differential adjustment motor 47 are all installed on the vehicle body 1.

[0045] In this embodiment, the vehicle body through-hole 11 and the vehicle body through-hole 11 through which the first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 pass are both circular through holes.

[0046] In this embodiment, the front of the inner bottom of the vehicle body 1 has holes for mounting the bottom bearing seat in the bearing 46.

[0047] In a further specific embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 includes a front rocker arm 31, a rocker arm groove 32, a second clutch 34, a series flexible coupling 35, and a front rocker arm steering motor 33. The front rocker arm 31 has a rocker arm shaft on each side, extending from both sides of the vehicle body. A rocker arm connecting shaft perpendicular to the two rocker arm shafts is connected in the middle. The rocker arm connecting shaft is placed inside the rocker arm groove 32, and the rocker arm groove 32 has circular through holes 321 on both sides for the ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft to extend out. The two ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft are respectively connected to the output ends of the second clutch 34 and the series flexible coupling 35. The second clutch 34 and the series flexible coupling 35 are respectively fixed to the corresponding sides of the rocker arm groove 32. The front rocker arm steering motor 33 is vertically mounted above the rocker arm groove 32. The output shaft of the front rocker arm steering motor 33 is connected to the top surface of the rocker arm groove 32, and the side of the front rocker arm steering motor 33 is mounted on the rotating shaft 41 extending from the vehicle body 1 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4.

[0048] In this embodiment, the rocker arm groove 32 has an inverted "U" shaped structure with circular through holes 321 on both sides for the ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft to extend out, and a hole for connecting the output shaft of the front rocker arm steering motor on the top; the rocker arm connecting shaft is stuck in the rocker arm groove 32 and can rotate around the axis of the circular through hole 321.

[0049] In this embodiment, the front rocker arm 31 connecting the left front wheel and the right front wheel is an integral structure.

[0050] In a further specific embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism 5 includes a rear rocker arm 51, a rear rocker arm shaft 52, a rocker arm gear 53, a central gear 54, a gearbox 55, and a second series flexible coupling 56. The central gear 54 is mounted on the shaft 42 of the differential mechanism 4, which extends to the rear of the vehicle body. There are two rocker arm gears 53, located on the left and right sides of the central gear 54 and meshing with it. The central gear 54 and the rocker arm gears 53 are mounted and confined within the gearbox 55. The ends of the two rocker arm gears 53 on the same side are each connected to one end of the second series flexible coupling 56 through a rear rocker arm shaft 52. The rear rocker arm 51 is connected to the other end of the second series flexible coupling 56, and the rear rocker arm 51 extends rearward from the vehicle body 1 through a vehicle body through hole 13 at the rear end of the vehicle body 1. The vehicle body through hole 13 is a crescent-shaped hole, which is used to allow the rear rocker arm 51 of the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism 5 to extend and rotate.

[0051] In this embodiment, the middle gear 54 is a half gear with the upper and lower ends cut off, which can reduce the space occupied by the vehicle body; in some embodiments, chain drive or other transmission methods can also be used to drive the rocker arm gear 53 to rotate.

[0052] In this embodiment, the gearbox 55 restricts the position of the central gear 54 and the rocker gear 53 so that they mesh with each other, and its shape is not specifically restricted.

[0053] In a further specific embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, both the first series flexible coupling 35 and the second series flexible coupling 56 each include a coupling housing 561 and an elastic element 562 (such as a torsion spring) disposed inside the coupling housing 561. The end of the elastic element 562 is connected to the corresponding external shaft. Taking the second series flexible coupling 56 as an example, when one side shaft rotates, it can compress the elastic element 562 and transmit the power to the other side shaft, thus playing a buffering and shock-absorbing role.

[0054] In some embodiments, the series flexible coupling 35 and the series flexible coupling 56 can also be electromagnetic dampers, hydraulic dampers, or other types of dampers. In this embodiment, the stiffness of the series flexible couplings is not limited; the goal is to meet the buffering and shock absorption requirements of the rover during travel, ensure sufficient ground clearance, and prevent the front rocker arm 31 from colliding with the maximum rotation angle or the front wheels from colliding with the bottom of the vehicle body when rotating within the rocker arm groove 32.

[0055] In a further specific embodiment, the front wheel assembly 21 includes a front wheel 211, a front wheel drive motor 212, a front wheel steering motor 213, and a front wheel steering arm 214. The front wheel steering arm 214 is a "C"-shaped arm. The front wheel steering motor 213 is vertically mounted directly above the front wheel 211, and its output shaft is connected to one end of the front wheel steering arm 214. The side of the front wheel steering motor 213 is connected to the front rocker arm 31, and the other end of the front wheel steering arm 214 is connected to the outer side of the front wheel drive motor 212. The front wheel drive motor 212 is mounted at the center of the front wheel. The rear wheel assembly 22 includes a rear wheel 221 and a rear wheel drive motor 222. The rear wheel drive motor 222 is mounted at the center of the rear wheel, and the outer side of the rear wheel drive motor 222 is connected to the rear rocker arm 51.

[0056] In this embodiment, the diameter of the rear wheel 221 is larger than that of the front wheel 211, which ensures the reasonable size of the front rocker arm 31 when it rotates, allowing the front wheel 211 to rotate to the underside of the vehicle body 1. In some embodiments, the planetary rover's wheels are metal elastic wheels with structures such as wheel spikes to enhance the wheels' shock absorption and traction capabilities.

[0057] In this embodiment, the front wheel steering arm 214 is a "C" shaped arm, which allows the front wheel steering motor 213 to be vertically mounted directly above the center of the front wheel 211, enabling the wheel to be turned in place.

[0058] A method for operating a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle includes the following control methods:

[0059] Method 1: By controlling the connection or disconnection of clutch 2 34 in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3, the locking mode and rotation mode of the front rocker arm 31 can be switched, thereby controlling whether the front wheel assembly 21 connected to the front rocker arm 31 can passively adapt to the terrain.

[0060] Method 2: By controlling the rotation angle of the front rocker arm steering motor 33 in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3, the switching between the lateral and longitudinal modes of the front rocker arm 31 can be achieved, thereby realizing the active control of the attitude of the front rocker arm 31 and the connected front wheel assembly 21.

[0061] Method 3: By controlling the connection or disconnection of clutch 48 in the vehicle differential mechanism 4, the switching between vehicle locking mode and rotation mode can be achieved, thereby controlling the vehicle attitude and the relationship between the front and rear rocker arm attitude angles.

[0062] Method 4: By controlling the rotation angle of the differential adjustment motor 47 in the vehicle differential mechanism 4, the rotation of the bevel gear 45 is actively controlled, which in turn drives the front and rear rocker arms to rotate, thereby controlling the vehicle attitude and the attitude angle of the front and rear rocker arms.

[0063] By combining the above four control methods, multiple driving modes and terrain-adaptive working modes of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle can be achieved.

[0064] The main working modes and implementation methods of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle disclosed in this embodiment are as follows:

[0065] Normal driving mode: The clutch 48 of the body differential mechanism 4 is engaged, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the body differential mechanism 4 is enabled and locked, the clutch 34 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is engaged, and the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is enabled and locked. At this time, the front rocker arm 31 is in a lateral and locked state, and the body is locked. The four-wheel high-speed planetary car is in normal driving mode. There is no buffer and shock absorption mechanism at the front wheel 211. The rear wheel 221 can reduce the impact of driving with the rugged terrain of the planetary surface by relying on the series elastic coupling 56 at the rear rocker arm 51. When turning, the front wheel steering motor 213 drives the front wheel 211 to turn in place and cooperates with the rear wheel 221 for differential steering.

[0066] The front rocker arm 31 is in a lateral terrain adaptation mode (vehicle body locked): Clutch 48 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is engaged, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is locked, clutch 34 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is disengaged, and the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is locked. At this time, the front rocker arm 31 is in a lateral and rotatable state, and the vehicle body is locked. The four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle uses the front rocker arm 31 in a lateral terrain adaptation mode. In this configuration, the front wheel 211 relies on the series elastic coupling 35 at the front rocker arm 31, and the rear wheel 221 relies on the series elastic coupling 56 at the rear rocker arm 51 to reduce the impact of driving on the rugged terrain of the planetary surface; when driving on undulating terrain, the front rocker arm 31 can be passively rotated, and the rear rocker arm 51 can compress the elastic element 562 of the series elastic coupling 56 to achieve terrain adaptation; when turning, the front wheel steering motor 213 drives the front wheel 211 to turn in place and cooperates with the rear wheel 221 for differential steering.

[0067] The front rocker arm 31 is in a lateral terrain adaptation mode (vehicle differential): the clutch 48 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is disengaged, the clutch 34 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is disengaged, and the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is locked. At this time, the front rocker arm 31 is in a lateral and rotatable state, and the vehicle body is rotatable. The four-wheel high-speed planetary vehicle is in the lateral terrain adaptation mode of the front rocker arm 31. The front wheel 211 is connected to the series elastic coupling 35 at the front rocker arm 31, and the rear wheel... The series elastic coupling 56 at the rear rocker arm 51 at point 221 can reduce the impact of driving on the rugged terrain of the planetary surface; when driving on undulating terrain, the front rocker arm 31 can be passively rotated, and the body angle can be differentially changed through the bevel gear 45, the middle gear 54, and the rocker arm gear 53 of the body differential mechanism 4; the rear rocker arm 51 can compress the elastic element 562 of the series elastic coupling 56 to achieve terrain adaptation; when turning, the front wheel steering motor 213 drives the front wheel 211 to turn in place and cooperates with the rear wheel 221 for differential steering.

[0068] Front swingarm 31 longitudinal terrain adaptation mode: The state of the four-wheel high-speed planetary vehicle in this mode is as follows Figure 6 As shown; the clutch 48 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is engaged, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is enabled and locked, the clutch 34 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is disengaged, the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 drives the front rocker arm 31 to rotate 90°, and at the same time the two front wheels 211 are driven to move along the rotation direction of the front rocker arm 31. After the front rocker arm 31 completes its rotation, the front wheel steering motor 213 drives the front wheels 211 to rotate 90° in place to return to the longitudinal state, and the front rocker arm steering motor 33 switches to the enabled and locked state; at this time, the front rocker arm 31 is in the longitudinal state. Furthermore, it is in a locked state, and the vehicle body is in a locked state; the four-wheel high-speed planetary vehicle adopts a longitudinal terrain adaptation mode with the front rocker arm 31. The front wheel 211 relies on the series elastic coupling 35 at the front rocker arm 31, and the rear wheel 221 relies on the series elastic coupling 56 at the rear rocker arm 51 to reduce the impact of driving on the rugged terrain of the planetary surface; when driving on undulating terrain, the front rocker arm 31 can be passively rotated, and the rear rocker arm 51 can compress the elastic element 562 of the series elastic coupling 56 to achieve terrain adaptation; when turning, the front wheel steering motor 213 drives the front wheel 211 to turn in place and cooperates with the rear wheel 221 for differential steering.

[0069] In stationary turning mode: the clutch 48 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is engaged, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 is enabled and locked, the clutch 34 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is disengaged, the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 drives the front rocker arm 31 to rotate 90°, and at the same time the two front wheels 211 are driven along the rotation direction of the front rocker arm 31. After the front rocker arm 31 completes rotation, the front wheels 211 remain in a lateral state, and the front rocker arm steering motor 33 switches to the enabled and locked state. When turning, the instantaneous rotation center of the planetary vehicle is the midpoint of the line connecting the two rear wheels 221, which can realize the stationary turning of the planetary vehicle. The driving speed of each wheel can be proportionally distributed according to the distance from the instantaneous rotation center.

[0070] Wheel Lifting Mode: The clutch 48 of the body differential mechanism 4 is engaged, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the body differential mechanism 4 is enabled, the clutch 34 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is engaged, and the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 is enabled; the differential adjustment motor 47 of the body differential mechanism 4 drives the bevel gear 45 to rotate, and after transmission through the shaft, drives the front rocker arm 31 and the rear rocker arm 51 to rotate in opposite directions; when the elastic element 562 of the series elastic coupling 56 is compressed to a certain extent at the rear rocker arm 51, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the body differential mechanism 4 continues to rotate, causing one of the front wheels 211 of the front rocker arm 31 to continue to rotate upward and lift up.

[0071] Active crawling mode: After the four-wheeled planetary vehicle completes the lifting mode and one front wheel 211 is lifted, the front rocker arm steering motor 33 of the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism 3 drives the front rocker arm 31 to rotate, causing the lifted front wheel 211 to rotate forward. At the same time, the two rear wheels 221 are driven forward a certain distance. After the front rocker arm 31 rotates a certain angle, the differential adjustment motor 47 of the vehicle differential mechanism 4 rotates in the opposite direction, causing the lifted vehicle body to fall down and the other front wheel 211 to be lifted. This process is repeated to realize the bionic crawling working mode of the four-wheeled planetary vehicle.

[0072] The working mode selection of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary rover provided by this invention needs to be combined with the specific driving scenario and exploration mission, and the planetary rover status needs to be specifically adjusted according to the specific requirements of driving performance, terrain adaptability, shock absorption, and vehicle stability. In some scenarios, multiple working modes can be switched or combined.

[0073] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0074] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle, characterized in that, include: Vehicle body; The vehicle differential mechanism is located at the front of the vehicle body and is fixed to the vehicle body; the vehicle differential mechanism controls the switching between the vehicle body's locking mode and rotation mode through a clutch. The front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism is located at the front of the vehicle body and is connected to the rotating shaft that extends forward through the vehicle body through the differential mechanism. The front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism controls the switching between the locking mode and the rotation mode of the front rocker arm through the clutch. The front rocker arm steering motor in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism controls the switching between the lateral mode and the longitudinal mode of the front rocker arm. The front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism includes a front rocker arm, a rocker arm slot, a second clutch, a first series flexible coupling, and a front rocker arm steering motor. Each side of the front rocker arm has a rocker arm shaft, and the two rocker arm shafts are connected in the middle by a rocker arm connecting shaft perpendicular to them. The rocker arm connecting shaft is placed inside the rocker arm slot, and the rocker arm slot has circular through holes on both sides for the ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft to extend out. The two ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft are respectively connected to the output ends of the second clutch and the first series flexible coupling. The second clutch and the first series flexible coupling are respectively fixed to the corresponding sides of the rocker arm slot. The front rocker arm steering motor is vertically mounted above the rocker arm slot, and its output shaft is connected to the top surface of the rocker arm slot. The side of the front rocker arm steering motor is mounted on the first rotating shaft extending from the vehicle body of the differential mechanism. The rear swing arm terrain adaptation mechanism is located at the rear of the vehicle body and is connected to the second pivot shaft that extends rearward through the second through-hole in the vehicle body differential mechanism; The rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism includes a rear rocker arm, a rear rocker arm shaft, a rocker arm gear, a middle gear, a gearbox, and a second series flexible coupling. The middle gear is mounted on the shaft two, which extends into the rear of the vehicle body through the differential mechanism. There are two rocker arm gears, located on the left and right sides of the middle gear and meshing with it. The middle gear and the rocker arm gear are mounted and confined within the gearbox. The ends of the two rocker arm gears on the same side are each connected to one end of the second series flexible coupling through a rear rocker arm shaft. The rear rocker arm is connected to the other end of the second series flexible coupling, and extends rearward through a vehicle body through-hole three at the rear of the vehicle body. The wheel assembly includes a front wheel assembly and a rear wheel assembly. The front wheel assembly is mounted on the front rocker arm in the front rocker arm mode conversion mechanism, and the rear wheel assembly is mounted on the rear rocker arm in the rear rocker arm terrain adaptation mechanism. The rear rocker arm extends three-way backward from the vehicle body through a through hole at the rear end of the vehicle body. The differential adjustment motor in the vehicle body differential mechanism drives the front rocker arm and the rear rocker arm to rotate.

2. The four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle differential mechanism includes shaft 1, shaft 2, shaft 3, shaft 4, mounted bearings, a differential adjustment motor, and clutch 1. Shaft 1 and shaft 2 are arranged opposite each other, and shaft 3 and shaft 4 are arranged opposite each other. Shaft 1 and shaft 2 are arranged perpendicularly to shaft 3 and shaft 4 in a cross shape, and the proximal ends of the four shafts are each connected to a bevel gear, with adjacent bevel gears meshing with each other. The distal ends of shaft 3 and shaft 4 each pass through the bearing hole of a mounted bearing and are then connected to one end of clutch 1 at their distal ends. The output shaft of the differential adjustment motor is installed on the other end of the corresponding clutch 1. The bottom bearing housings below the two mounted bearings and the bottom of the differential adjustment motor are all mounted on the vehicle body.

3. A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rocker arm slot has an inverted "U" shaped structure with circular through holes on both sides for the ends of the rocker arm connecting shaft to extend out, and a hole at the top for connecting the output shaft of the front rocker arm steering motor; the rocker arm connecting shaft is stuck in the rocker arm slot and can rotate around the axis of the circular through holes.

4. A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The middle gear is a half gear with its upper and lower ends cut off; the gear box restricts the position of the middle gear and the rocker arm gear so that they mesh with each other; the three through holes in the car body are crescent-shaped holes.

5. A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first and second series flexible couplings each include a coupling housing and an elastic element disposed inside the coupling housing, with the end of the elastic element connected to a corresponding external rotating shaft; or, the first and second series flexible couplings can be either an electromagnetic damper or a hydraulic damper.

6. A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front wheel assembly includes a front wheel, a front wheel drive motor, a front wheel steering motor, and a front wheel steering arm. The front wheel steering arm is a "C"-shaped arm. The front wheel steering motor is vertically mounted directly above the front wheel, and its output shaft is connected to one end of the front wheel steering arm. The side of the front wheel steering motor is connected to the front rocker arm, and the other end of the front wheel steering arm is connected to the outer side of the front wheel drive motor. The front wheel drive motor is mounted at the center of the front wheel. The rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel and a rear wheel drive motor. The rear wheel drive motor is mounted at the center of the rear wheel, and the outer side of the rear wheel drive motor is connected to the rear rocker arm.

7. A four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that, The diameter of the rear wheel is larger than the diameter of the front wheel.

8. A method for operating a four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle, characterized in that, The four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle according to any one of claims 1-7 includes the following control methods: Method 1: By controlling the connection or disconnection of clutch 2 in the front rocker arm mode switching mechanism, the locking mode and rotation mode of the front rocker arm can be switched, thereby controlling whether the front wheel assembly connected to the front rocker arm can passively adapt to the terrain. Method 2: By controlling the rotation angle of the front swingarm steering motor in the front swingarm mode switching mechanism, the switching between the lateral and longitudinal modes of the front swingarm can be achieved, thereby realizing the active control of the attitude of the front swingarm and the connected front wheel assembly. Method 3: By controlling the connection or disconnection of clutch one in the vehicle differential mechanism, the vehicle locking mode and rotation mode can be switched, thereby controlling the vehicle attitude and the relationship between the front and rear rocker arm attitude angles. Method 4: By controlling the rotation angle of the differential adjustment motor in the vehicle body differential mechanism, the front and rear rocker arms are rotated, thereby controlling the vehicle body attitude and the attitude angle of the front and rear rocker arms. By combining the four control methods mentioned above (Method 1, Method 2, Method 3, and Method 4), multiple driving modes and terrain-adaptive working modes of the four-wheeled high-speed planetary vehicle can be achieved.

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