Wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering

Abstract

This invention discloses a wheel angle module integrating a controllable kingpin and kingpin steering. The module integrates a wheel assembly, steering system, suspension system, and variable kingpin inclination system. The wheel angle module deconstructs the traditional chassis steering knuckle, which simultaneously handles suspension damping, wheel steering torque, and wheel parameter positioning, into three parts: the steering knuckle in the suspension system, the kingpin in the steering system, and the wheel bracket in the wheel assembly. These parts are then combined to achieve suspension damping, kingpin steering, and variable kingpin inclination functions, while decoupling their motion. The kingpin steering enables independent steering at large angles. Furthermore, the variable kingpin inclination system simultaneously adjusts the wheel camber angle when adjusting the kingpin inclination, achieving decoupled adjustment of kingpin inclination and wheel camber. This function actively alters vehicle handling characteristics, effectively widens the chassis control boundaries, and fundamentally improves the performance of intelligent drive-by-wire chassis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent drive-by-wire chassis for electric vehicles, and particularly to a wheel angle module that integrates controllable kingpin and kingpin steering. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of electric vehicle technology, the chassis control of modern vehicles is no longer limited to the individual control of traditional transmission, driving, braking and steering systems. Instead, with the development of distributed drive architecture, active suspension system, electronic braking system and steer-by-wire system, joint control in the lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions has gradually emerged. The joint control in the three directions can greatly expand the control boundary of modern vehicles, realize technical actions that traditional vehicles cannot achieve, and effectively improve vehicle power, economy, ride comfort, braking and handling stability. However, modern vehicles are still limited by structural constraints and have great potential to be explored, including variable structure suspension devices that can actively change the kingpin inclination angle and kingpin steering devices with large-angle steering function.

[0003] Traditional steering systems, constrained by structural limitations, struggle to achieve large steering angles, severely restricting vehicle agility. Vehicles with four-wheel kingpin steering, however, can coordinate to achieve steering and translational maneuvers impossible with traditional systems, significantly improving agility. Furthermore, for fixed-structure suspension systems, wheel alignment parameters are predetermined at the initial design stage, meaning the vehicle's handling characteristics are fixed after design. This makes it difficult to meet the diverse driving needs of different drivers on various road surfaces. Variable-structure suspension systems effectively address this issue, significantly expanding the control limits of the vehicle chassis.

[0004] In vehicles with large-angle steering capabilities, the kingpin inclination angle is often reduced or even eliminated for agility reasons, to reduce the tendency for the wheels to sink into the ground during large-angle steering. However, the presence of the kingpin inclination angle can effectively improve the vehicle's straight-line handling stability. Therefore, to reconcile this contradiction, this invention proposes a kingpin steering system with variable kingpin inclination angle functionality. This invention can retain the kingpin inclination angle to increase the self-centering torque and thus improve vehicle handling stability during straight-line driving or small-angle steering. When the vehicle needs to turn at a large angle, it can actively reduce the kingpin inclination angle to increase vehicle agility. It is also worth mentioning that most devices with kingpin inclination angle adjustment functions often cannot avoid changes in wheel camber angle. Therefore, ensuring the stability of the wheel camber angle while changing the kingpin inclination angle is equally important. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention proposes a wheel angle module that integrates a wheel assembly, steering system, suspension system, and variable kingpin inclination system. This module has the functions of kingpin steering and active adjustment of kingpin inclination.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is: a wheel angle module integrating a controllable kingpin and kingpin steering, characterized in that it includes:

[0007] The wheel assembly (100) is used to support the vehicle load and transmit driving torque, determine the wheel toe-in and wheel camber angle, and integrates a drive motor and braking system to control the longitudinal acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle.

[0008] The steering system (200) is a kingpin steering system, which is different from the steering trapezoidal steering system. It can realize the independent steering function of large-angle wheels. It includes a steering motor assembly, a kingpin and a steering arm. The kingpin and the steering arm are connected to the wheel assembly through a pin shaft to drive the wheel assembly to generate deflection and thus control the lateral movement of the vehicle.

[0009] The variable kingpin inclination system (300) is integrally fitted onto the kingpin of the steering system and connected to the wheel assembly and suspension system via a connecting rod. The variable kingpin inclination system drives the lead screw to rotate via a coaxially mounted actuator motor, thereby moving the lead screw nut along the axis of the kingpin. Then, through the connecting rod installed on the nut, the kingpin inclination angle is changed without significant wheel camber angle change, thereby actively changing the vehicle handling characteristics.

[0010] The suspension system (400) is an unequal-length double wishbone suspension, which is connected to the lower end of the kingpin of the steering system and the upper end of the variable kingpin inclination system through ball pins and pin shafts respectively. It is also equipped with steering motor lugs for mounting steering motor mounts, and is equipped with coil springs and shock absorbers to mitigate road impacts, improve vehicle ride comfort, and improve vehicle vertical movement.

[0011] Preferably, the wheel assembly (100) is characterized by comprising:

[0012] The hub (102) is divided into a rim and spokes. The rim is used to install the tire (101). The spokes have a wheel axle through hole in the center and multiple threaded holes for installing the drive motor around them.

[0013] The wheel axle (103) has a threaded head and is connected to the wheel hub by an end nut and a wheel hub bearing. It has a spline and a shoulder in the middle and a flange with a threaded hole for mounting a wheel bracket at the tail.

[0014] The drive motor (104) is an external rotor motor. The stator is installed on the spline in the middle of the wheel axle through a spline, and the rotor is fixed to the threaded hole of the hub drive motor installed on the hub by bolts.

[0015] The braking system (105) includes a brake disc and a brake caliper. The brake disc is bolted to the rotor housing of the drive motor and rotates together with the wheel hub. The brake caliper is clamped at the outer edge of the brake disc and leaves a braking gap. The brake caliper is provided with brake caliper lugs for fixing.

[0016] The wheel bracket (106) is plate-shaped and is bolted to the wheel axle flange in the middle, with an axial clearance between it and the brake disc of the braking system. The top and bottom are respectively provided with upper and lower support arms. The upper, middle and lower parts of the inner side of the wheel bracket are respectively provided with steering arm lugs, kingpin-wheel linkage lugs and kingpin lugs. The front part is also provided with brake caliper lugs for installing and fixing the brake caliper.

[0017] Preferably, the steering system (200) is characterized by comprising:

[0018] The main pin (201) is cylindrical in shape. The bottom is provided with a ball joint threaded hole for installing the ball joint. The middle part is provided with a lug and a shoulder for installing the actuator motor. The top is provided with a steering motor spline.

[0019] Steering arm (202) is used to increase steering arm and improve steering performance. The steering arm has wheel bracket lugs and steering motor lugs at both ends and is connected to the wheel bracket and steering motor assembly by a pin. The wheel bracket lugs and steering motor lugs are disconnected in the middle. A cylindrical guide rod is provided on the outside of the steering motor lug and a corresponding through hole is provided on the inside of the wheel bracket lug. The cylindrical guide rod slides with the through hole to realize the change of the length of the steering arm.

[0020] The steering motor assembly (203) has its output end connected to the top steering motor spline of the kingpin via a spline groove. The output end has steering arm pins on both sides for connecting the steering motor lugs of the steering arm, and a steering motor seat lug on the top.

[0021] The steering motor mount (204) has steering motor lugs and steering knuckle lugs at both ends connected to the steering motor mount lugs on the top of the steering motor assembly and the steering knuckle of the suspension system respectively via pins. The steering motor lugs and steering knuckle lugs are disconnected in the middle. A guide rod is provided on the inner side of the steering motor lug and a corresponding through hole is provided on the outer side of the steering knuckle lug. The guide rod slides with the through hole to achieve its length change.

[0022] Preferably, the steering motor assembly (203) is characterized in that:

[0023] The device includes a steering motor, a steering motor housing, and a steering reduction gear. The stator of the steering motor is fixed to the steering motor housing, and the rotor is connected to the input end of the steering reduction gear. The steering reduction gear is coaxially arranged with the steering motor to increase the output torque of the steering motor. The output end of the steering reduction gear has a splined groove that connects to the top spline of the kingpin to transmit torque to the kingpin. Steering arm pins are provided on both sides for mounting the steering arm, and the top of the steering motor housing has a steering motor seat lug for connecting to the steering motor seat via the pin.

[0024] Preferably, the variable kingpin inclination system (300) is characterized by comprising:

[0025] The actuator motor assembly (301) is loosely fitted onto the main pin and connected to the actuator motor lug of the main pin at the main pin lug via a pin shaft. The output end is provided with a spline.

[0026] The lead screw (302) is hollow inside and assembled to the kingpin through tapered roller bearings. The bottom is provided with a spline groove to connect to the output end of the actuator motor assembly. Its external thread design should ensure that when the lead screw is not rotating, the lead screw nut can still be self-locked on the lead screw under the action of external force, thereby fixing the wheel positioning parameters. The lead screw should be provided with a limit structure at the end of the upper and lower threads to limit the maximum axial displacement of the lead screw nut.

[0027] The main pin-wheel connecting rod (303) is connected to the lead screw nut and the wheel bracket respectively through pins in the lead screw nut pin hole and the wheel bracket pin hole;

[0028] The lead screw nut (304) is threaded onto the lead screw. Nut collars are fitted on the lower ends of its front and rear sides to allow free rotation relative to the nut axis and restrict axial movement relative to the nut. The upper ends of the front and rear sides of the nut and the front and rear sides of the nut collar are respectively provided with a kingpin-suspension link pin and a kingpin-wheel link pin for connecting the kingpin-suspension link and the kingpin-wheel link respectively.

[0029] The kingpin-suspension link (305) is connected to the screw nut kingpin-suspension link pin and the suspension steering knuckle respectively through pins at the screw nut pin hole and the steering knuckle pin hole;

[0030] Preferably, the actuator motor assembly (301) is characterized in that:

[0031] It includes an actuator motor and a speed reduction device. The actuator motor is a hollow internal rotor motor. The stator is connected to the actuator motor lug by bolts on the main pin lug. The rotor is connected to the input end of the speed reduction device by a spline. The speed reduction device can increase the output torque of the actuator motor and transmit it to the lead screw through the spline.

[0032] Preferably, the suspension system (400) is characterized in that it comprises:

[0033] The shock absorber assembly (401) mainly includes a cylindrical shock absorber and a coil spring, which are arranged coaxially and a shock absorber support rod is provided at the bottom; the shock absorber assembly is used to mitigate road impact and reduce vibration amplitude;

[0034] The upper control arm (402) consists of a set of cross arms. Steering knuckle pin holes are provided at the cross points of the arms, and two pin holes are provided at the ends of the two arms to connect the vehicle body or subframe.

[0035] The shock absorber arm (403) is a cylindrical tube. Its top is fixed to the shock absorber assembly support rod through the shock absorber mounting hole, and its bottom is provided with a lower control arm lug.

[0036] The lower control arm (404) is composed of two cross swing arms and a cross arm, and is in the shape of A. A steering knuckle pin hole is provided at the intersection of the two swing arms. Two pin holes are provided at the ends of the two swing arms to connect to the vehicle body or subframe. The upper end face is provided with a shock absorber lug, which is connected to the lower control arm lug of the shock absorber support arm through a pin.

[0037] The steering knuckle (405) is an L-shaped control arm. The bottom is provided with a kingpin ball joint seat, which is connected to the kingpin through a ball joint. The upper and lower sides of the inner side are respectively provided with upper and lower control arm pin lugs, which are connected to the upper and lower control arms through pins. The upper part of the outer side is provided with a kingpin-suspension link pin lug, which is connected to the kingpin-suspension link through a pin. The top is provided with a steering motor mount lug, which is connected to the steering motor mount through a pin.

[0038] Preferably, if the angle between the kingpin and the steering knuckle is a first angle and the angle between the kingpin and the wheel bracket is a second angle, then after the suspension system design is completed, the position of the steering knuckle is determined when the vehicle is stationary. The first angle determines the kingpin inclination angle, and the first angle and the second angle together determine the wheel camber angle.

[0039] To ensure that the design structure meets the requirement that the wheel camber angle does not change significantly when the kingpin inclination angle can be controlled, the kingpin-wheel link lug position and kingpin lug position of the wheel bracket, the kingpin-wheel link length, the kingpin-suspension link length, the kingpin ball joint position and kingpin-suspension link lug position of the steering knuckle, and the screw thread design should satisfy the motion relationship that the first angle changes significantly during the upper and lower limit strokes of the screw nut, but the sum of the first angle and the second angle does not change significantly.

[0040] Preferably, the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering is characterized by proposing a large-angle steering control method, characterized in that:

[0041] The steering control unit detects the steering command issued by the vehicle driver or the autonomous driving decision unit. If the steering angle in the steering command is greater than the design threshold, a large-angle steering control action is executed.

[0042] The steering control unit detects the vehicle speed signal. If the current vehicle speed signal is lower than the threshold vehicle speed, it continues to execute the large-angle steering control action; otherwise, it exits the large-angle steering control action and reports the reason for exiting, in order to ensure driving safety.

[0043] The steering control unit issues a running command to the actuator motor. After receiving the command, the actuator motor actively adjusts the kingpin inclination angle to the minimum value and reports a command to end the kingpin inclination angle adjustment.

[0044] After receiving the kingpin inclination angle adjustment end command reported by the execution motor, the steering control unit issues a running command to the steering motor. After receiving the command, the steering motor turns the wheel angle to the set angle and reports the steering end command.

[0045] After receiving the steering end command reported by the steering motor, the steering control unit terminates the large-angle steering control action and reports an end signal.

[0046] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0047] The kingpin steering function used in this invention can effectively increase the steering angle, thereby improving vehicle agility and providing decision-makers with more steering options. Simultaneously, to resolve the contradiction between reducing the kingpin inclination angle to improve agility during large-angle steering and increasing the kingpin inclination angle to improve handling stability during small-angle steering, this invention also proposes a device for actively adjusting the kingpin inclination angle. This device disassembles the steering knuckle, which in traditional vehicle architecture is responsible for suspension support, wheel steering, and wheel positioning, into three parts: the steering knuckle, kingpin, and wheel bracket of this invention. This achieves decoupling of the three functions, allowing for active adjustment of the kingpin inclination angle without significant changes in wheel camber angle, while maintaining normal suspension movement and kingpin steering operation. Building upon the distributed drive architecture, active suspension system, electronic braking system, and steer-by-wire system already implemented in modern vehicles, this structure proposes an active variable structure system, increasing the controllable degrees of freedom of the integrated chassis. It effectively avoids the unreasonable problem of unadjustable handling characteristics after vehicle design, significantly expanding the control boundaries of modern chassis. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is an axonometric view of the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention.

[0050] Figure 3 This is a front view of the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a partial exploded view of the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention.

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the minimum kingpin inclination angle of the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention.

[0053] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the maximum kingpin inclination angle of the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention.

[0054] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a large-angle steering control method for a wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering as described in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement it based on the description.

[0056] This invention proposes a wheel angle module that integrates controllable kingpin and kingpin steering, such as Figure 1 It mainly includes: wheel assembly (100), steering system (200), variable kingpin inclination system (300) and suspension system (400).

[0057] The wheel assembly (100) is used to support the vehicle load, transmit driving torque, determine wheel toe-in and camber angle, and integrates an external rotor drive motor and braking system to realize distributed drive and electronic braking control of the vehicle. It can effectively control the longitudinal movement of the vehicle. It mainly includes: a wheel hub (102), a wheel axle (103), a drive motor (104), a braking system (105), and a wheel bracket (106). Figure 2 .

[0058] The hub (102) is divided into a rim and spokes. The rim is used to install the tire (101). A wheel axle through hole is provided in the middle of the spokes. The wheel axle through hole should have a good machined surface to ensure the fit characteristics with the first hub bearing. Five drive motor threaded holes are provided around the wheel axle through hole. The threaded holes should be designed as countersunk holes to ensure that the hub has good aerodynamic characteristics when the vehicle is running.

[0059] The wheel axle (103) has a threaded head and a machined surface at the unthreaded head to ensure a good fit with the wheel hub bearing. It is connected to the wheel hub axle through hole via an end nut and the first wheel hub bearing. It has a spline and a shoulder in the middle. The shoulder ensures that the second wheel hub bearing has no axial displacement. The shoulder should have a good machined surface to ensure a good fit with the wheel hub bearing. It has a flange with five threaded holes for wheel brackets at the tail.

[0060] The drive motor (104) is an external rotor motor. The motor should ensure good housing rigidity and be fixed to the external rotor to transmit its torque. The stator is installed on the spline of the wheel axle through a spline and its axial displacement is restricted by the wheel hub and the brake disc. The housing of the external rotor motor is fixed to the threaded hole of the wheel hub drive motor through bolts, and a brake disc threaded hole is provided on the inner side of the housing.

[0061] The braking system (105) includes a brake disc and a brake caliper. The brake disc has an internal flange, and the outer edge of the flange is bolted to the threaded hole of the brake disc in the drive motor housing, rotating together with the wheel hub. The internal flange of the brake disc is assembled to the wheel axle through a second wheel hub bearing and transmits axial load between the wheel axle and the drive motor. The brake caliper should be selected for electromechanical or electrohydraulic braking actuation and clamped at the outer edge of the brake disc with a suitable braking clearance. The brake caliper is provided with brake caliper lugs for installation.

[0062] The wheel bracket (106) is plate-shaped with a wheel axle threaded hole in the middle. It is bolted to the wheel axle wheel bracket threaded hole and has a gap with the brake disc of the braking system. The top and bottom are respectively provided with upper and lower support arms. The upper, middle and lower parts of the inner side of the wheel bracket are respectively provided with steering arm lugs, kingpin-wheel linkage lugs and kingpin lugs. The front of the wheel bracket is also provided with brake caliper lugs for installing the brake caliper of the braking system. The design of the wheel bracket should ensure that when the kingpin is adjusted to the minimum value by the variable kingpin inclination structure, there is still a suitable gap with the upper part of the kingpin. At the same time, motion interference should be avoided during steering. The wheel bracket is an important load-bearing component of the wheel corner module and should be made of metal material with good load-bearing capacity.

[0063] The steering system (200) is a kingpin steering system, which enables large-angle wheel steering. It mainly includes a kingpin (201), a steering arm (202), a steering motor assembly (203), and a steering motor mount (204). The kingpin and steering arm are connected to the wheel assembly via pins, and the steering motor mount is connected to the suspension system via pins to achieve vehicle steering and control the vehicle's lateral movement. Figure 3 ;

[0064] The main pin (201) is cylindrical in shape. The bottom is provided with a steering knuckle ball pin threaded hole for installing the ball pin. The lower middle part is provided with an actuator lug. The middle part is provided with a shoulder and a thread. There should be a good machined surface between the two to ensure the fit characteristics with the tapered roller bearing. The top is provided with a steering motor spline. The main pin is an important load-bearing component of the wheel corner module and should be made of metal material with good load-bearing capacity.

[0065] The steering arm (202) is used to increase the steering arm and improve steering performance. It only transmits steering torque to the wheel bracket during steering. Therefore, it should avoid motion interference with the variable kingpin inclination structure during the variable kingpin inclination process. The steering arm is provided with wheel bracket lugs and steering motor lugs at both ends, and is connected to the wheel bracket and steering motor assembly through pins. The wheel bracket lugs and steering motor lugs are disconnected in the middle. A cylindrical guide rod is provided on the outside of the steering motor lug, and a corresponding through hole is provided on the inside of the wheel bracket lug to realize the change of steering arm length. The cylindrical guide rod and the through hole should have low roughness and be fully lubricated to reduce frictional resistance and ensure normal movement.

[0066] The steering motor assembly (203) includes a steering motor, a steering motor housing, and a steering reduction device. The steering motor is an internal rotor motor with its stator fixed to the steering motor housing and its rotor fixed to the input end of the steering reduction device. The steering reduction device is used to increase the output torque of the steering motor. The output end of the steering reduction device is provided with a spline groove that is connected to the top spline of the kingpin. Steering arm pins are provided on both sides of the output end for mounting the steering arm. The top of the steering motor housing is provided with a steering motor seat lug that is connected to the steering motor seat through a pin.

[0067] The steering motor mount (204) is used to fix the rotational movement of the steering motor housing and provide a base for the movement of the steering motor. At the same time, its design should ensure that there is no movement interference with the variable kingpin inclination process during torque transmission. It has steering motor lugs and steering knuckle lugs at both ends, and is connected to the top lug of the steering motor assembly and the steering knuckle of the suspension system respectively through pins. The steering motor lug and the steering knuckle lug are disconnected in the middle. A guide rod is provided on the inner side of the steering motor lug and a corresponding through hole is provided on the outer side of the steering knuckle lug to realize its length change. The cylindrical guide rod and the through hole should have low roughness and be fully lubricated to reduce frictional resistance and ensure normal movement.

[0068] The variable kingpin inclination system (300) is integrally fitted onto the steering system kingpin and connected to the wheel assembly and suspension system via a connecting rod. The system drives the lead screw to rotate via an actuator motor, thereby moving the lead screw nut along the axis of the kingpin. The connecting rod installed on the nut then changes the kingpin inclination angle without significant wheel camber, thus actively altering the vehicle's handling characteristics.

[0069] The actuator motor assembly (301) includes an actuator motor and a reduction gear. The actuator motor is a hollow internal rotor motor. The stator housing is connected to the actuator motor lug of the main pin by bolts. The output end of the actuator motor is connected to the input end of the reduction gear. The reduction gear can increase the output torque of the actuator motor and transmit it to the lead screw through the spline groove. The input end and output end of the reduction gear should be arranged coaxially.

[0070] The lead screw (302) is hollow inside and assembled to the kingpin through a tapered roller bearing. Therefore, the inside should have a good machined surface to ensure the fit characteristics with the tapered roller bearing. The bottom is provided with an external spline groove to connect to the output end of the actuator motor assembly. Its external thread design should ensure that when the lead screw is not rotating, the lead screw nut can still be self-locked on the lead screw under the action of external force, thereby fixing the wheel positioning parameters. The lead screw should have a limit structure at the end of the upper and lower threads to limit the axial displacement of the lead screw nut.

[0071] The kingpin-wheel link (303) is connected to the lead screw nut and the wheel bracket respectively through pins in the lead screw nut pin hole and the wheel bracket pin hole;

[0072] The lead screw nut (304) is threaded onto the lead screw. Nut collars are fitted on the lower ends of its front and rear sides to allow free rotation relative to the nut axis and restrict axial movement relative to the nut. Kingpin-suspension link pins and kingpin-wheel link pins are respectively provided on the upper ends of the front and rear sides of the nut and the front and rear sides of the nut collar for connecting the kingpin-suspension link and the kingpin-wheel link.

[0073] The kingpin-suspension link (305) is connected to the kingpin-suspension link pin of the screw nut and the kingpin-wheel link pin of the suspension steering knuckle respectively through pins at the screw nut pin hole and the steering knuckle pin hole. The arrangement of the kingpin-wheel link and the kingpin-suspension link on the screw nut should ensure that there is no movement interference between them during the kingpin inclination angle adjustment process and the kingpin steering process.

[0074] The suspension system (400) is an unequal-length double wishbone suspension, which is connected to the kingpin of the steering system and the kingpin-suspension link of the variable kingpin inclination system through ball pins and pin shafts respectively. It is also provided with steering motor lugs for mounting steering motor mounts, and is provided with coil springs and shock absorbers to mitigate road impacts, improve vehicle ride comfort, and improve vehicle vertical movement.

[0075] The shock absorber assembly (401) mainly includes a telescopic shock absorber and a coil spring, which are arranged coaxially. A shock absorber support rod is provided at the bottom to mitigate road impact and reduce vibration amplitude. Similarly, the passive suspension can be changed to an active suspension to improve vehicle ride comfort. The telescopic shock absorber can be changed to a CDC damping adjustable shock absorber or an energy-gathering shock absorber. The coil spring can be replaced with an air spring or a hydropneumatic spring. The actuator can be arranged in parallel with the spring shock absorber to further improve the vehicle's vertical control capability.

[0076] The upper control arm (402) is composed of a set of cross arms, with a steering knuckle pin hole at the cross point of the arms and two pin holes at the ends of the two arms for connecting the vehicle body or subframe.

[0077] The damper arm (403) is fixed at the top to the damper assembly support rod through the damper mounting hole, and has a lower control arm lug at the bottom. The mounting hole and the lower control arm lug are connected by two plate-shaped arms.

[0078] The lower control arm (404) is composed of two cross swing arms and a cross arm, and is in the shape of A. A steering knuckle pin hole is provided at the intersection of the two swing arms. Two pin holes are provided at the ends of the two swing arms to connect to the vehicle body or subframe. A shock absorber lug is provided on the upper end face and connected to the shock absorber support arm through a pin.

[0079] The steering knuckle (405) is an L-shaped control arm. The bottom is provided with a kingpin ball joint seat, which is connected to the kingpin through a ball joint. The inner side is provided with upper and lower control arm pin lugs, which are connected to the upper and lower control arms through pins. The outer upper part is provided with a kingpin-suspension link pin lug, which is connected to the kingpin-suspension link through a pin. The top is provided with a steering motor mount lug, which is connected to the steering motor mount through a pin.

[0080] Let the angle between the kingpin and the steering knuckle be the first angle, and the angle between the kingpin and the wheel bracket be the second angle. Therefore, after the suspension system design is completed, the position of the steering knuckle is determined when the vehicle is stationary. Then, the first angle determines the kingpin inclination angle, and the first angle and the second angle together determine the wheel camber angle.

[0081] To ensure that the design structure meets the requirement that the wheel camber angle does not change significantly when the kingpin inclination angle changes, the kingpin-wheel link lug position and kingpin lug position of the wheel bracket, the kingpin-wheel link length, the kingpin-suspension link length, the kingpin ball joint position and kingpin-suspension link lug position of the steering knuckle, and the screw thread design should meet the requirement that the first angle of the screw nut changes significantly during the upper and lower limit stroke movements, but the sum of the first angle and the second angle does not change significantly.

[0082] This presentation illustrates a design outcome, but does not imply patent protection solely for the following design outcome: when the lead screw nut reaches its upper limit position, as... Figure 5 At this point, the first angle is at its maximum, meaning the kingpin inclination angle is at its minimum, which is 0°. Simultaneously, to further ensure the wheel's large-angle steering flexibility, the sum of the first and second angles is the same as the steering knuckle inclination angle in the stationary state; therefore, the wheel camber angle is also 0° at this point. When the lead screw nut reaches its lower limit position, if... Figure 6 At this point, the first angle is at its minimum, meaning the kingpin inclination angle is at its maximum of 8°. This maximizes the wheel return torque and improves vehicle handling stability. To further improve wheel contact characteristics, the sum of the first and second angles is 1° greater than the steering knuckle angle in the stationary state, meaning the wheel camber angle is 1°. In this state, the wheel alignment parameters are more suitable for high-speed vehicle operation.

[0083] Regarding the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering, the present invention is characterized by proposing a large-angle steering control method, the specific flowchart of which is shown below. Figure 7 The specific process is as follows:

[0084] Step 0: Initialization;

[0085] Step 1: The steering control unit detects the steering command issued by the vehicle driver or decision-making unit and executes a large-angle steering control action.

[0086] Step 2: The steering control unit determines whether the steering angle in the steering command is greater than the design threshold. If yes, it continues to execute the large-angle steering control action; otherwise, it executes step 6 and exits the large-angle steering control action.

[0087] Step 3: The steering control unit detects the vehicle speed signal and determines whether the current vehicle speed signal is lower than the threshold speed. If so, it continues to execute the large-angle steering control action. If not, it executes Step 6, exits the large-angle steering control action, and reports the reason for exiting.

[0088] Step 4: The steering control unit issues a running command to the actuator motor. After receiving the command, the actuator motor actively adjusts the kingpin inclination angle to the minimum value and reports a command to end the kingpin inclination angle adjustment.

[0089] Step 5: After receiving the kingpin inclination angle adjustment end command reported by the execution motor, the steering control unit issues a running command to the steering motor. After receiving the command, the steering motor turns the wheel angle to the set angle and reports the steering end command.

[0090] Step 6: After receiving the steering end command reported by the steering motor, the steering control unit ends the large-angle steering control action and reports the end signal.

[0091] The working principles of each system assembly are as follows:

[0092] Drive system: After receiving the drive signal from the driver or decision unit, the external rotor motor outputs drive torque through the external rotor. This torque is first transmitted to the drive motor housing fixed to the external rotor, then transmitted to the wheel hub through the wheel hub thread hole on the drive motor housing, and finally the wheel hub transmits the drive torque to the ground through the tire, thereby driving the vehicle.

[0093] Braking system: After receiving the drive signal from the driver or decision-making unit, the braking system generates braking force, which pushes the brake caliper to clamp the brake disc, forcing the brake disc to generate braking torque. The brake disc transmits the braking torque to the drive motor housing through the threaded hole in the middle of the drive motor. The drive motor housing transmits the braking torque to the ground through the wheel hub and tire that are fixed to it, thereby forcing the vehicle to brake.

[0094] Steering System: After receiving a steering signal from the driver or decision-making unit, the steering motor generates steering torque, which is transmitted to the steering system reduction device through the motor output. After the steering system reduction device amplifies the steering torque, it is transmitted to the kingpin and steering arm through the spline and pin at the output end. The steering arm and kingpin transmit the steering torque to the wheel bracket through the pin at the lug of their respective wheel brackets. The wheel bracket transmits the steering torque to the wheel axle through the threaded hole of the wheel axle in the middle through bolts. The wheel axle transmits the steering torque to the wheel hub and brake disc through the first and second hub bearings on it, respectively. The brake disc transmits the steering torque to the wheel hub through the same transmission path as the braking process. The wheel hub transmits the steering torque to the tire, thereby causing the wheel to generate a steering motion around the kingpin, thus controlling the lateral movement of the vehicle. It is worth mentioning that if the actuator motor does not output torque at this time, although the actuator motor assembly housing rotates with the kingpin, the internal torque of the motor cannot drive the lead screw to rotate. Therefore, the wheel alignment parameters remain unchanged at this time.

[0095] Variable kingpin inclination system: After receiving a variable kingpin inclination signal from the driver or decision unit, the actuator motor generates an output torque. This torque is transmitted to the actuator motor reduction gear through its output terminal. The reduction gear amplifies the output torque and outputs it to the lead screw via a spline, thereby driving the lead screw to rotate. Since the kingpin-suspension link connects the lead screw nut to the steering knuckle, it restricts the rotation of the lead screw nut. Therefore, after the lead screw rotates, the lead screw nut produces a linear motion relative to the kingpin axis. The lead screw nut, through the kingpin-wheel bracket link and the kingpin-suspension link... The connecting rod transmits the actuating force to the wheel bracket and steering knuckle. Due to the constraints between the kingpin and the wheel bracket, and between the kingpin and the steering knuckle pin and ball joint, the wheel bracket and steering knuckle respectively generate oscillating motion relative to the kingpin pin and ball joint, thereby causing changes in the first angle and the second angle, thus realizing changes in the kingpin inclination angle and the wheel camber angle. It is worth mentioning that due to the presence of the lead screw nut collar, it can be ensured that during the process of the wheel generating kingpin steering, the kingpin-wheel connecting rod will not drive the lead screw nut to rotate, thereby avoiding interference between the steering motion and the variable kingpin inclination angle motion.

[0096] Suspension System: When a wheel is subjected to a vertical load, the presence of the upper and lower control arms causes relative movement in the shock absorber assembly, generating damping or elastic force. This resistance is transmitted to the lower control arm through the shock absorber support arm, thus limiting further swing of the lower control arm. The lower control arm transmits this resistance to the steering knuckle via the steering knuckle pin hole and pin shaft. The steering knuckle then transmits the resistance to the kingpin and lead screw nut via ball joint and kingpin-suspension linkage. Furthermore, the kingpin and lead screw nut transmit the resistance to the wheel bracket via wheel bracket pin and kingpin-wheel bracket linkage. After receiving the resistance, the wheel bracket transmits the damping force to the suspension system. The wheel axle transmits resistance to the wheel hub and brake disc via the first and second hub bearings. The brake disc transmits resistance to the wheel hub via the same transmission path as during braking, and the wheel hub transmits the resistance to the tire, thus causing the wheel's vertical movement and mitigating impact and vibration. Similarly, if the suspension system is equipped with actuators, the actuator's actuation force can be transmitted to the wheel via a similar transmission path, thereby generating vertical movement. It is worth mentioning that because the angles of the kingpin-suspension link and the kingpin-wheel bracket are different, a portion of the force transmitted to the lead screw nut will be transmitted to the kingpin via the lead screw and tapered roller bearings.

[0097] Since this invention adds a kingpin structure between the wheel and suspension in the traditional architecture, a stress analysis of the kingpin structure is performed to consider the various loads that the tire may bear:

[0098] When a wheel is subjected to a longitudinal force, the tire transmits the force to the drive motor housing via the wheel hub. Simultaneously, the force is transmitted to the wheel axle via the brake disc connected to the drive motor housing, the wheel hub, and the brake disc, respectively, through the first and second wheel hub bearings. The wheel axle then transmits the force to the wheel bracket via bolts through the rear flange. Furthermore, the wheel bracket transmits the force to the lead screw nut and the kingpin via the kingpin-wheel bracket linkage. The lead screw nut and the kingpin, respectively, transmit the force to the steering knuckle via the kingpin-suspension linkage and the ball joint. It is worth mentioning that because the angles of the kingpin-suspension linkage and the kingpin-wheel bracket are different, a portion of the force transmitted to the lead screw nut is transmitted to the kingpin via the lead screw and tapered roller bearings. The force received by the steering knuckle is transmitted to the upper and lower control arms via the pins, and the upper and lower control arms then transmit the force to the vehicle body or subframe, thus realizing the force transmission from the wheel to the vehicle body.

[0099] When the wheel is subjected to longitudinal torque, the direction of force transmission is different from that of longitudinal force. The force on the wheel hub is no longer transmitted to the wheel axle through the first and second bearings. Instead, it is transmitted to the wheel axle through the internal torque of the drive motor via the spline, or to the wheel bracket through the brake torque generated by the brake disc and brake caliper.

[0100] When the wheel is subjected to an external steering torque, the direction of force transmission is different from that of the longitudinal force. The wheel bracket no longer transmits the torque through the kingpin-wheel bracket linkage, but transmits the torque to the kingpin and steering motor through the kingpin shaft and steering arm. If there is a kingpin inclination angle at this time, the return torque generated during the wheel steering process can resist the external steering torque on the wheel.

[0101] Similarly, when a wheel is subjected to lateral forces, vertical forces, and yaw moments, the force transmission path is similar to that of longitudinal forces, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0102] Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A wheel angle module integrating a controllable kingpin and kingpin steering, characterized in that, include: The wheel assembly (100) is used to support the vehicle load and transmit driving torque, determine the wheel toe-in and wheel camber angle, and integrates a drive motor and braking system to control the longitudinal acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, including the wheel hub, wheel axle, drive motor, braking system and wheel bracket. The steering system (200) is a kingpin steering system, which is different from the steering trapezoidal steering system. It can realize the independent steering function of large-angle wheels. It includes a steering motor assembly, a kingpin and a steering arm. The kingpin and the steering arm are connected to the wheel assembly through a pin shaft to drive the wheel assembly to generate deflection and thus control the lateral movement of the vehicle. The variable kingpin inclination system (300) is integrally fitted onto the kingpin of the steering system and connected to the wheel assembly and suspension system via a connecting rod. The variable kingpin inclination system drives the lead screw to rotate via a coaxially mounted actuator motor, thereby moving the lead screw nut along the axis of the kingpin. Then, through the connecting rod installed on the nut, the kingpin inclination angle is changed without significant wheel camber angle change, thereby actively changing the vehicle handling characteristics. The suspension system (400) is an unequal length double wishbone suspension, which is connected to the lower end of the kingpin of the steering system and the upper end of the variable kingpin inclination system through ball pins and pin shafts respectively. It is also provided with steering motor lugs for mounting steering motor mounts, and is provided with coil springs and shock absorbers to mitigate road impacts, improve vehicle ride comfort, and improve vehicle vertical movement. It includes a shock absorber assembly, upper control arm, shock absorber support arm, lower control arm, and steering knuckle. The variable kingpin inclination system (300) includes an actuator motor assembly (301), a lead screw (302), a kingpin-wheel link (303), a lead screw nut (304), and a kingpin-suspension link (305). The actuator motor assembly (301) is loosely fitted onto the main pin and connected to the main pin via a pin shaft, and the output end is provided with a spline; The lead screw (302) is hollow inside and assembled to the kingpin through a tapered roller bearing. The bottom is provided with a spline groove to connect to the output end of the actuator motor assembly. Its external thread design should ensure that when the lead screw is not rotating, the lead screw nut can still self-lock on the lead screw under the action of external force, thereby fixing the wheel positioning parameters. The lead screw should be provided with a limit structure at the end of the upper and lower threads to limit the maximum axial displacement of the lead screw nut. The main pin-wheel connecting rod (303) is connected to the lead screw nut and the wheel bracket respectively through pins in the lead screw nut pin hole and the wheel bracket pin hole; The lead screw nut (304) is threaded onto the lead screw. Nut collars are fitted on the lower ends of its front and rear sides to allow free rotation relative to the nut axis and restrict axial movement relative to the nut. Kingpin-suspension link pins and kingpin-wheel link pins are respectively provided on the upper ends of the front and rear sides of the nut and on the front and rear sides of the nut collar for connecting the kingpin-suspension link and the kingpin-wheel link respectively. The kingpin-suspension link (305) is connected to the kingpin-suspension link pin and the steering knuckle of the suspension system respectively through pins at the screw nut pin hole and the steering knuckle pin hole; Let the angle between the kingpin and the steering knuckle be the first angle, and the angle between the kingpin and the wheel bracket be the second angle. After the suspension system design is completed, the position of the steering knuckle is determined when the vehicle is stationary. The first angle determines the kingpin inclination angle, and the first angle and the second angle together determine the wheel camber angle. To ensure that the design structure meets the requirement that the wheel camber angle does not change significantly when the kingpin inclination angle can be controlled, the design of the kingpin-wheel link lug position and kingpin lug position of the wheel bracket, the kingpin-wheel link length, the kingpin-suspension link length, the kingpin ball joint position and kingpin-suspension link pin lug position of the steering knuckle, and the screw thread position should satisfy the motion relationship that the first angle changes significantly during the upper and lower limit stroke movement of the screw nut, but the sum of the first angle and the second angle does not change significantly.

2. The wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wheel assembly (100) is characterized in that it comprises: The hub (102) is divided into a rim and spokes. The rim is used to install the tire (101). The spokes have a wheel axle through hole in the center and multiple threaded holes for installing the drive motor around them. The wheel axle (103) has a threaded head and is connected to the wheel hub by an end nut and a wheel hub bearing. It has a spline and a shoulder in the middle and a flange with a threaded hole for mounting a wheel bracket at the tail. The drive motor (104) is an external rotor motor. The stator is installed on the spline in the middle of the wheel axle through a spline, and the rotor is fixed to the threaded hole of the hub drive motor installed on the hub by bolts. The braking system (105) includes a brake disc and a brake caliper. The brake disc is bolted to the rotor housing of the drive motor and rotates together with the wheel hub. The brake caliper is clamped at the outer edge of the brake disc and leaves a braking gap. The brake caliper is provided with brake caliper lugs for fixing. The wheel bracket (106) is plate-shaped and is bolted to the wheel axle flange in the middle, with an axial clearance between it and the brake disc of the braking system. The top and bottom are respectively provided with upper and lower support arms. The upper, middle and lower parts of the inner side of the wheel bracket are respectively provided with steering arm lugs, kingpin-wheel linkage lugs and kingpin lugs. The front part is also provided with brake caliper lugs for installing and fixing the brake caliper.

3. The wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering system (200) is characterized in that it includes: The main pin (201) is cylindrical in shape. The bottom is provided with a ball joint threaded hole for installing the ball joint. The middle part is provided with a lug and a shoulder for installing the actuator motor. The top is provided with a steering motor spline. Steering arm (202) is used to increase steering arm and improve steering performance. The steering arm has wheel bracket lugs and steering motor lugs at both ends and is connected to the wheel bracket and steering motor assembly by a pin. The wheel bracket lugs and steering motor lugs are disconnected in the middle. A cylindrical guide rod is provided on the outside of the steering motor lug and a corresponding through hole is provided on the inside of the wheel bracket lug. The cylindrical guide rod slides with the through hole to realize the change of the length of the steering arm. The steering motor assembly (203) has its output end connected to the top steering motor spline of the kingpin via a spline groove. The output end has steering arm pins on both sides for connecting the steering motor lugs of the steering arm, and a steering motor seat lug on the top. The steering motor mount (204) has steering motor lugs and steering knuckle lugs at both ends connected to the steering motor mount lugs on the top of the steering motor assembly and the steering knuckle of the suspension system respectively via pins. The steering motor lugs and steering knuckle lugs are disconnected in the middle. A guide rod is provided on the inner side of the steering motor lug and a corresponding through hole is provided on the outer side of the steering knuckle lug. The guide rod slides with the through hole to achieve its length change.

4. The steering system (200) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steering motor assembly (203) is characterized in that: The device includes a steering motor, a steering motor housing, and a steering reduction gear. The stator of the steering motor is fixed to the steering motor housing, and the rotor is connected to the input end of the steering reduction gear. The steering reduction gear is coaxially arranged with the steering motor to increase the output torque of the steering motor. The output end of the steering reduction gear has a splined groove that connects to the top spline of the kingpin to transmit torque to the kingpin. Steering arm pins are provided on both sides for mounting the steering arm, and the top of the steering motor housing has a steering motor seat lug for connecting to the steering motor seat via the pin.

5. The variable kingpin inclination system (300) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The actuator assembly (301) is characterized in that: It includes an actuator motor and a speed reduction device. The actuator motor is a hollow internal rotor motor. The stator is connected to the actuator motor lug by bolts on the main pin lug. The rotor is connected to the input end of the speed reduction device by splines. The speed reduction device can increase the output torque of the actuator motor and transmit it to the lead screw through the splines.

6. The wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suspension system (400) is characterized in that it includes: The shock absorber assembly (401) mainly includes a cylindrical shock absorber and a coil spring, which are arranged coaxially and a shock absorber support rod is provided at the bottom; the shock absorber assembly is used to mitigate road impact and reduce vibration amplitude; The upper control arm (402) consists of a set of cross arms. Steering knuckle pin holes are provided at the cross points of the arms, and two pin holes are provided at the ends of the two arms to connect the vehicle body or subframe. The shock absorber arm (403) is a cylindrical tube. Its top is fixed to the shock absorber assembly support rod through the shock absorber mounting hole, and its bottom is provided with a lower control arm lug. The lower control arm (404) is composed of two cross swing arms and a cross arm, and is in the shape of A. A steering knuckle pin hole is provided at the intersection of the two swing arms. Two pin holes are provided at the ends of the two swing arms to connect to the vehicle body or subframe. The upper end face is provided with a shock absorber lug, which is connected to the lower control arm lug of the shock absorber support arm through a pin. The steering knuckle (405) is an L-shaped control arm. The bottom is provided with a kingpin ball joint seat, which is connected to the kingpin through a ball joint. The upper and lower sides of the inner side are respectively provided with upper and lower control arm pin lugs, which are connected to the upper and lower control arms through pins. The upper part of the outer side is provided with a kingpin-suspension link pin lug, which is connected to the kingpin-suspension link through a pin. The top is provided with a steering motor mount lug, which is connected to the steering motor mount through a pin.

7. According to claim 1, the wheel angle module integrating controllable kingpin and kingpin steering provides a large-angle steering control method, characterized in that: The steering control unit detects the steering command issued by the vehicle driver or the autonomous driving decision unit. If the steering angle in the steering command is greater than the design threshold, a large-angle steering control action is executed. The steering control unit detects the vehicle speed signal. If the current vehicle speed signal is lower than the threshold vehicle speed, it continues to execute the large-angle steering control action; otherwise, it exits the large-angle steering control action and reports the reason for exiting, in order to ensure driving safety. The steering control unit issues a running command to the actuator motor. After receiving the command, the actuator motor actively adjusts the kingpin inclination angle to the minimum value and reports a command to end the kingpin inclination angle adjustment. After receiving the kingpin inclination angle adjustment end command reported by the execution motor, the steering control unit issues a running command to the steering motor. After receiving the command, the steering motor turns the wheel angle to the set angle and reports the steering end command. After receiving the steering end command reported by the steering motor, the steering control unit terminates the large-angle steering control action and reports an end signal.

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