Steering angle module and steering system with same

Abstract

The steering angle module comprises a wheel mechanism, the wheel mechanism comprises a hub motor and a wheel assembly in transmission connection with the hub motor, the hub motor comprises a stator and a rotor arranged on the periphery of the stator, and the wheel assembly is fixedly connected with the rotor; the brake mechanism comprises an annular brake disc fixedly connected with the rotor and a brake caliper fixedly connected with the stator; the steering mechanism comprises a steering knuckle and a steering assembly, the lower portion of the steering knuckle is fixed to the stator, the upper end of the steering knuckle extends to the axial outer side of the wheel assembly and is in transmission connection with the steering assembly, and an included angle is formed between the steering axis of the steering assembly and the vertical direction; the suspension mechanism comprises an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm, one end of the upper swing arm is rotationally connected with the frame, the other end of the upper swing arm is spherically hinged to the upper end of the steering assembly, and one end of the lower swing arm is rotationally connected with the frame, and the other end of the lower swing arm is spherically hinged to the steering knuckle. According to the steering angle module and the steering system with the steering angle module, the flexibility of the vehicle can be improved, and the high-speed steering running stability and safety of the vehicle are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of steering systems, and in particular to a steering angle module and a steering system having the same. Background Art

[0002] Corner module system integration technology is developing rapidly in the field of automobile chassis. Corner module refers to an integrated module assembly that integrates driving function, braking function, suspension function, and steering function. Since this module assembly is located at the four corners of the vehicle, it is called a corner module. The application of corner module technology can enable the vehicle to obtain the functions of lateral movement, oblique movement, and in-situ steering, which can greatly improve the vehicle's maneuverability and flexibility.

[0003] Early technical solutions represented by Protean and Schaeffler had the following problems: First, the suspension turned together with the wheels, resulting in a large motion envelope and inconvenient layout; second, the corner module was installed on the body at only one mounting point on the top, resulting in insufficient longitudinal and lateral rigidity.

[0004] The steering angle module disclosed in Chinese patent CN1 18024797A and the angle module and vehicle disclosed in Chinese patent CN1 17446011A are installed on the vehicle body with double wishbone suspension, and the steering mechanism is arranged and installed between the upper and lower swing arms. The suspension system does not generate motion envelope when turning, and the problem of longitudinal and lateral rigidity is solved. However, the following problems may also exist:

[0005] (1) The wheel turning angle is insufficient and cannot reach 90 degrees, so the vehicle cannot be extended to travel laterally or turn in-situ;

[0006] (2) The structure is complex and has great differences with the body mounting structure and the traditional vehicle suspension system. The body structure needs to be re-matched according to the stress conditions of the corner module system, which is not conducive to the body structure design;

[0007] (3) Since the steering mechanism is arranged in the middle of the upper and lower swing arms, the arrangement space of the elastic elements of the suspension system is occupied, and the lever ratio of the suspension system is too large. The elastic elements of the suspension system need to be re-matched according to the force conditions of the large lever ratio, which is not conducive to the design of the elastic elements of the suspension system;

[0008] (4) When the vehicle is driving in a straight line, since the four corner module steering systems are not self-locking, the four corner module steering drive motors need to maintain a certain torque at all times to ensure the steering angle of each wheel, which consumes a lot of energy and has a great impact on the life of the corner module steering system;

[0009] (5) To ensure driving safety, the steering systems in the four corner modules need to be redundant in terms of motors, electronic controls, and control software, and there is no redundancy for mechanical and manual driving, which poses a safety risk;

[0010] (6) Since there is no mechanical connection between the driver's steering wheel and the wheels, the driver cannot feel the driving road feel through the steering wheel. It is necessary to add a road feel simulator to the steering wheel. However, it is difficult for the road feel simulator to fully reflect the real driving road feel. Summary of the invention

[0011] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering angle module which can improve the driving flexibility of a vehicle.

[0012] Based on the above problems, one of the technical solutions provided by the present invention is:

[0013] Steering angle module, including:

[0014] A wheel mechanism, comprising a hub motor and a wheel assembly drivingly connected to the hub motor, wherein the hub motor comprises a stator and a rotor arranged at the periphery of the stator, and the wheel assembly is fixedly connected to the rotor;

[0015] a brake mechanism comprising an annular brake disc fixedly connected to the rotor and a brake caliper fixedly connected to the stator;

[0016] A steering mechanism, comprising a steering knuckle and a steering assembly, wherein the lower portion of the steering knuckle is fixed to the stator, the upper end of the steering knuckle extends to the axial outer side of the wheel assembly and is drivingly connected to the steering assembly, and the steering axis of the steering assembly has an angle with the vertical direction;

[0017] The suspension mechanism comprises an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm, wherein one end of the upper swing arm is rotatably connected to the frame and the other end is rotatably connected to the upper end of the steering assembly, and one end of the lower swing arm is rotatably connected to the frame and the other end is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle.

[0018] In one embodiment, the steering assembly includes a housing, a worm gear assembly installed in the housing, a drive motor installed outside the housing, and a steering output shaft. The worm gear assembly includes a worm wheel and a worm rotatably supported in the housing. The axis of the steering output shaft is arranged in a vertical direction. The worm wheel is coaxially arranged and fixedly connected to the steering output shaft. The worm is meshed with the worm wheel and is transmission-connected to the drive motor.

[0019] In one embodiment, the steering assembly also includes an angle monitoring assembly for monitoring the rotation angle of the drive motor, and the angle monitoring assembly includes a mounting seat fixed on the shell, a connecting shaft passing through the mounting seat and connected to the rotating shaft of the worm gear, and an angle sensor installed on the mounting seat.

[0020] In one embodiment, the shell includes a lower shell and an upper shell detachably connected to the lower shell, the steering output shaft extends to the bottom of the lower shell and is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle, and the upper swing arm is ball-jointed to the upper shell.

[0021] In one of the embodiments, the lower shell is further provided with an extension arm for connecting with a steering gear of the vehicle.

[0022] In one of the embodiments, it further comprises an adapter plate, wherein the adapter plate is fixedly connected to the stator, and the brake caliper and the steering knuckle are fixedly connected to the adapter plate.

[0023] In one embodiment, the steering knuckle includes a first connection portion fixedly connected to the adapter plate, a steering arm obliquely extending upward from the first connection portion, a second connection portion arranged at the upper end of the steering arm, and a third connection portion arranged on the side of the first connection portion away from the adapter plate, the second connection portion is bent from the upper end of the steering arm to a side close to the adapter plate, and the lower swing arm is ball-jointed to the third connection portion.

[0024] In one embodiment, the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are both Y-shaped, the lower swing arm is longer than the upper swing arm and one end of the lower swing arm close to the frame is bent toward the upper swing arm.

[0025] In one embodiment, the cantilever mechanism further includes a shock absorbing assembly, the upper end of which is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame and the lower end of which is rotatably connected to the lower swing arm.

[0026] Based on the above problems, the second technical solution provided by the present invention is:

[0027] A steering system comprising a steering angle module as described in any one of the above.

[0028] In one embodiment, the invention comprises four steering angle modules installed at the front and rear parts of the vehicle body, wherein two steering angle modules corresponding to the left and right parts are symmetrically arranged, and the two steering angle modules located at the front part of the vehicle body are connected to the steering unit of the vehicle;

[0029] The steering unit includes a steering column, a steering wheel connected to the upper end of the steering shaft of the steering column, a transmission shaft connected to the lower end of the steering shaft, and a steering gear connected to the lower end of the transmission shaft. The output end of the steering gear is ball-jointed to the steering assembly via a connecting arm.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0031] (1) The low-speed steering assembly is arranged below the upper swing arm and is directly mechanically connected to the steering knuckle. The structural shape of the lower swing arm is reasonably designed to reasonably avoid the large wheel turning angle envelope and meet the wheel's 90° turning angle requirement on one side, so as to obtain the vehicle's lateral driving and on-site center steering driving functions, thereby maximizing the vehicle's driving flexibility;

[0032] (2) The suspension mechanism adopts a double wishbone structure. When turning, the suspension mechanism does not produce a motion envelope, and the motion envelope is small, which facilitates the layout of the structure. The longitudinal, lateral and vertical structural strength of the vehicle is guaranteed, and the vehicle has good motion characteristics;

[0033] (3) The steering assembly is arranged below the upper swing arm to avoid the layout space of the shock absorber mechanism. The suspension mechanism leverage ratio is within the reasonable range of traditional vehicles, and there is no need to change the shock absorber mechanism;

[0034] (4) The braking mechanism uses an annular brake disc with the maximum size limit, and the brake caliper is arranged on the inner side of the brake disc, which will not occupy the axial space of the hub motor and will not affect the axial size of the overall angle module, facilitating the structural layout;

[0035] (5) When the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the low-speed steering assembly can be self-locked, so the low-speed steering assembly can be stopped, which saves energy and increases the life of the low-speed steering system;

[0036] (6) When the vehicle turns at high speed, a high-speed steering unit is used for steering. The high-speed steering unit is an existing technology and does not require excessive software and hardware redundancy. It is mechanically connected to the wheels, so safety can be guaranteed.

[0037] (7) The driver's steering wheel is directly mechanically connected to the wheels, so the driver can directly obtain the real road feel when the vehicle is driving, without the need for a road feel simulator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. The accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a steering angle module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a second structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the installation structure of the brake disc and the brake caliper in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a steering knuckle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of a steering assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the steering assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 is one of the cross-sectional schematic diagrams of the steering assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Fig. 9 The second cross-sectional schematic diagram of the steering assembly in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a steering system of the present invention;

[0049] in:

[0050] 100, steering angle module; 101, wheel assembly; 102, hub motor; 103, annular brake disc; 103a, connecting block; 104, brake caliper; 105, adapter plate; 106, steering knuckle; 106a, first connecting part; 106b, steering arm; 106c, second connecting part; 106d, third connecting part; 107, steering assembly; 107a, upper housing; 107a1, third mounting bolt; 107b, lower housing; 107b1, extension arm; 107c, worm; 107d, worm wheel; 107e, steering output shaft; 107e 1. Connecting flange; 107f, driving motor; 107f1, first mounting bolt; 107g, first bearing; 107h, second bearing; 107i, mounting seat; 107i1, second mounting bolt; 1071, connecting shaft; 107k, locking nut; 108, upper swing arm; 109, lower swing arm; 109a, articulated seat; 110, shock absorbing assembly;

[0051] 200, steering unit; 201, steering wheel; 202, steering column; 203, transmission shaft; 204, steering gear; 205, connecting arm;

[0052] A. Steering axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The above scheme is further described below in conjunction with specific examples. It should be understood that these examples are used to illustrate the present invention and are not limited to the scope of the present invention. The implementation conditions adopted in the examples can be further adjusted according to the conditions of the specific manufacturer, and the unspecified implementation conditions are usually the conditions in the conventional test.

[0054] See also Figures 1 to 3 , which is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, provides a steering angle module, including a wheel mechanism, a braking mechanism, a steering mechanism and a suspension mechanism.

[0055] The wheel mechanism includes a hub motor 102 and a wheel assembly 101 that is transmission-connected to the hub motor 102. The hub motor 102 includes a stator and a rotor arranged on the periphery of the stator, and the wheel assembly 102 is fixedly connected to the rotor. The hub motor 102 is an outer rotor structure, and the wheel assembly 101 is fixedly connected to the rotor via a wheel nut. The hub motor 102 drives the wheel assembly 101 to rotate. The wheel assembly 101 is a prior art and will not be described in detail in the present invention.

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown, the brake mechanism includes an annular brake disc 103 fixedly connected to the rotor and a brake caliper 104 fixedly connected to the stator. A plurality of connection blocks 103a arranged at intervals are provided on the circumference of the annular brake disc 103, and each connection block 103a is fixed to the rotor by bolts. The brake caliper 104 is installed on the inner circumference of the annular brake disc 103, which can reduce the axial space occupied by the hub motor 102 and optimize the structural layout of the corner module.

[0057] The steering mechanism includes a steering knuckle 106 and a steering assembly 107. The lower part of the steering knuckle 106 is fixed on the stator, and the upper end of the steering knuckle 106 extends to the axial outer side of the wheel assembly 101 and is transmission-connected to the steering assembly 107. The steering axis A of the steering assembly 107 has an angle with the vertical direction. The upper end of the steering knuckle 106 extends to the axial outer side of the wheel assembly 101 and is connected to the steering assembly 107, and then is connected to the suspension mechanism via the steering assembly 107. This can prevent the suspension mechanism from generating a motion envelope when turning, so that the angle module can achieve a 90-degree turn, realize the vehicle's lateral travel and in-situ center steering functions, and improve the flexibility of vehicle steering.

[0058] like Figures 6 to 9As shown, the steering assembly includes a housing, a worm gear assembly installed in the housing, a driving motor 107f installed outside the housing and a steering output shaft 107e. The worm gear assembly includes a worm wheel 107d and a worm 107c rotatably supported in the housing. The axis of the steering output shaft 107e is arranged in the vertical direction. The worm wheel 107d is coaxially arranged and fixedly connected with the steering output shaft 107e. The worm 107c is meshed with the worm wheel 107d and is transmission-connected with the driving motor 107f. The worm 107c is driven to rotate by the driving motor 107f, and then the worm 107c drives the worm wheel 107d to rotate, thereby realizing the rotation of the steering output shaft 107e, and the steering output shaft 107e drives the steering knuckle 106 to rotate, thereby realizing the steering of the wheel.

[0059] Among them, the steering output shaft 107e is supported in the housing through two upper and lower first bearings 107g, and is locked on the steering output shaft 107e through a locking nut 107k. The worm 107c is supported in the housing through two front and rear second bearings 107h. The rotating shaft of the worm 107c is keyed to the power output shaft of the drive motor 107f, and the drive motor 107f is fixed to the outside of the housing through two first mounting bolts 107f1.

[0060] In order to facilitate the control of the rotation angle of the steering assembly 107, the steering assembly 107 also includes an angle monitoring assembly for monitoring the rotation angle of the driving motor 107f, and the angle monitoring assembly includes a mounting seat 107i fixed on the housing, a connecting shaft 107j passing through the mounting seat 107i and connected to the rotating shaft of the worm 107c, and an angle sensor installed on the mounting seat 107i. The angle sensor is connected to the vehicle control system signal to transmit the steering angle signal of the steering assembly 107 to the control system to realize the control of the steering angle of the steering assembly 107. Among them, the mounting seat 107i is fixed to the outer side of the housing by three second mounting bolts 107i 1.

[0061] In order to facilitate the installation of the internal components of the housing, the housing includes a lower housing 107b and an upper housing 107a detachably connected to the lower housing 107b, a steering output shaft 107e extends to the bottom of the lower housing 107b and is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle 106, and a suspension mechanism is ball-jointed with the upper housing 107a. Specifically, the upper housing 107a and the lower housing 107b are fixedly connected via four third mounting bolts 107a1.

[0062] In order to facilitate the connection between the steering assembly 107 and the steering gear 204 of the vehicle and realize the coupling of high-speed steering and low-speed steering, an extension arm 107b1 is provided on the side of the lower housing 107b to connect with the steering gear 204 of the vehicle.

[0063] The suspension mechanism includes an upper swing arm 108 and a lower swing arm 109 , wherein one end of the upper swing arm 108 is rotatably connected to the frame and the other end is ball-jointed to the upper end of the steering assembly 107 , and one end of the lower swing arm 109 is rotatably connected to the frame and the other end is ball-jointed to the steering knuckle 106 .

[0064] In order to facilitate the installation of the brake caliper 104 and the steering knuckle 106 , an adapter plate 105 is also included. The adapter plate 105 is fixedly connected to the stator via a plurality of bolts. The brake caliper 104 and the steering knuckle 106 are fixedly connected to the adapter plate 105 via a plurality of bolts.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, the steering knuckle 106 includes a first connection portion 106a fixedly connected to the adapter plate 105, a steering arm 106b extending obliquely upward from the first connection portion 106a, a second connection portion 106c arranged at the upper end of the steering arm 106b, and a third connection portion 106d arranged at the side of the first connection portion 106a away from the adapter plate 105, the second connection portion 106c is bent from the upper end of the steering arm 106b to the side close to the adapter plate 105, and the lower swing arm 109 is rotatably connected to the third connection portion 106d via a ball head. Among them, the first connection portion 106a and the second connection portion 106c are flange structures, and accordingly, the lower end of the steering output shaft 107e is provided with a connecting flange 107e1 that matches the second connection portion 106c.

[0066] In this example, the upper swing arm 108 and the lower swing arm 109 are both Y-shaped structures, wherein the lower swing arm 109 is longer than the upper swing arm 108 and is bent toward the upper swing arm 108 at one end close to the frame. The structure of the suspension mechanism can further meet the requirement of a 90-degree turning angle of the wheel and improve the stability of the structure.

[0067] In order to improve the shock absorption effect, the suspension mechanism also includes a shock absorption assembly 110, which is a prior art, including a spring and a shock absorber. The upper end of the shock absorption assembly 110 is fixedly connected to the frame and the lower end is rotatably connected to the lower swing arm 109. Specifically, a hinge seat 109a is provided in the middle of the lower swing arm 109 to facilitate the rotatable connection of the shock absorption assembly 110.

[0068] like Fig.10 As shown, the present invention also relates to a steering system, comprising four steering angle modules 100 installed at the front and rear parts of a vehicle body, wherein two steering angle modules 100 corresponding to the left and right are symmetrically arranged, and the two steering angle modules 100 located at the front part of the vehicle body are connected to the steering unit 200 of the vehicle. The steering unit 200 here is the prior art, comprising a steering column 202, a steering wheel 201 connected to the upper end of the steering shaft of the steering column 202, a transmission shaft 203 connected to the lower end of the steering shaft, and a REPS steering gear 204 connected to the lower end of the transmission shaft 203, wherein the output end of the REPS steering gear 204 is ball-jointed with the extension arm 107b1 on the lower shell 107b via a connecting arm 205.

[0069] In summary, the steering angle module can meet the requirement of a 90-degree wheel turning angle, realize the vehicle's lateral driving and on-the-spot center steering functions, and the supporting system can realize low-speed steering and high-speed steering, and realize the mutual decoupling of low-speed steering and high-speed steering, that is, it can meet the large wheel turning angle when the vehicle is driving at low speeds, improve the vehicle's flexibility, and also meet the high-speed driving stability and high-speed driving safety. The driver can directly obtain a driving road feel through the direct connection between the steering wheel and the wheels.

[0070] The above examples are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformation or modification made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Steering angle module, characterized in that: include: A wheel mechanism, comprising a hub motor and a wheel assembly drivingly connected to the hub motor, wherein the hub motor comprises a stator and a rotor arranged at the periphery of the stator, and the wheel assembly is fixedly connected to the rotor; a brake mechanism comprising an annular brake disc fixedly connected to the rotor and a brake caliper fixedly connected to the stator; A steering mechanism, comprising a steering knuckle and a steering assembly, wherein the lower portion of the steering knuckle is fixed to the stator, the upper end of the steering knuckle extends to the axially outer side of the wheel assembly and is drivingly connected to the steering assembly, and the steering axis of the steering assembly has an angle with the vertical direction; The suspension mechanism comprises an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm, wherein one end of the upper swing arm is rotatably connected to the frame and the other end is articulated with the upper end ball of the steering assembly, and one end of the lower swing arm is rotatably connected to the frame and the other end is articulated with the steering knuckle ball.

2. The steering angle module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steering assembly includes a housing, a worm gear assembly installed in the housing, a drive motor installed outside the housing, and a steering output shaft. The worm gear assembly includes a worm wheel and a worm rotatably supported in the housing. The axis of the steering output shaft is arranged in a vertical direction. The worm wheel is coaxially arranged and fixedly connected with the steering output shaft. The worm is meshed with the worm wheel and is transmission-connected to the drive motor.

3. The steering angle module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The steering assembly also includes an angle monitoring assembly for monitoring the rotation angle of the drive motor, and the angle monitoring assembly includes a mounting seat fixed on the shell, a connecting shaft passing through the mounting seat and connected to the rotating shaft of the worm, and an angle sensor installed on the mounting seat.

4. The steering angle module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The housing comprises a lower housing and an upper housing detachably connected to the lower housing, the steering output shaft extends to the bottom of the lower housing and is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle, and the upper swing arm is ball-jointed to the upper housing.

5. The steering angle module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower shell is also provided with an extension arm for connecting with the steering gear of the vehicle.

6. The steering angle module according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an adapter plate, which is fixedly connected to the stator, and the brake caliper and the steering knuckle are fixedly connected to the adapter plate.

7. The steering angle module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The steering knuckle includes a first connection portion fixedly connected to the adapter plate, a steering arm obliquely extending upward from the first connection portion, a second connection portion arranged at the upper end of the steering arm, and a third connection portion arranged on the side of the first connection portion away from the adapter plate, the second connection portion is bent from the upper end of the steering arm to a side close to the adapter plate, and the lower swing arm is ball-jointed with the third connection portion.

8. The steering angle module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are both Y-shaped, the lower swing arm is longer than the upper swing arm and one end of the lower swing arm close to the frame is bent toward the upper swing arm.

9. The steering angle module according to claim 8, characterized in that: The suspension mechanism also includes a shock absorbing assembly, the upper end of which is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame and the lower end of which is rotatably connected to the lower swing arm.

10. Steering system, characterized in that: Comprising the steering angle module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The steering system according to claim 10, characterized in that: It comprises four steering angle modules installed at the front and rear parts of the vehicle body, wherein two steering angle modules corresponding to the left and right parts are symmetrically arranged, and the two steering angle modules located at the front part of the vehicle body are connected to the steering unit of the vehicle; The steering unit includes a steering column, a steering wheel connected to the upper end of the steering shaft of the steering column, a transmission shaft connected to the lower end of the steering shaft, and a steering gear connected to the lower end of the transmission shaft. The output end of the steering gear is ball-jointed to the steering assembly via a connecting arm.

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