Variable geometry suspension mechanism and wheel corner module for distributed electric-driven commercial vehicle

Abstract

The invention is suitable for the technical field of suspension mechanisms, and provides a variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle and a wheel corner module, the suspension mechanism comprises a support frame, an upper control arm assembly, a first servo electric cylinder, a second servo electric cylinder and a shock absorber; one end of the upper control arm assembly is hinged to the driving and braking integrated structure, and the other end of the upper control arm assembly is hinged to the frame; the first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder serve as a suspension lower control arm and a driving unit for steering and outward inclining movement. One end of the first servo electric cylinder and one end of the second servo electric cylinder are hinged to the driving and braking integrated structure, and the other ends of the first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder are hinged to the frame; one end of the shock absorber is hinged to the third control arm, and the other end of the shock absorber is hinged to the frame. The wheel corner module formed by the suspension mechanism is high in integration level, multi-degree-of-freedom control and multi-mode maneuverability, and an innovative solution is provided for the field of commercial vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of suspension mechanisms, and in particular relates to a variable geometry suspension mechanism and a wheel edge angle module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Modular distributed electric drive commercial vehicles can integrate a variety of transportation needs, providing an effective means to improve the flexibility and efficiency of transportation tasks. The wheel angle module that integrates the drive, braking, steering and suspension systems has made significant changes to the layout of the distributed electric drive chassis compared to the traditional chassis: 1) The electric wheel drive and independent steering system allow the wheels to be free from mechanical constraints, making the multi-degree-of-freedom and high-maneuverability design of the chassis possible. 2) The integration of various chassis subsystems in a limited space strictly limits the layout of the actuators and the envelope space formed by the wheel movement.

[0003] As the core of chassis modular design and system integration, the suspension mechanism plays an important role in expanding the stability boundary and motion mode of commercial vehicles. The existing corner module suspension mechanism design mostly uses the traditional independent suspension form, such as double wishbone suspension, trailing arm suspension, McPherson suspension and candle suspension, which makes it difficult to improve the system integration and performance boundary. In addition, the integration of wheel hub motors and steering actuators has greatly changed the hard point arrangement of the suspension, thereby deteriorating the geometric kinematic performance of the suspension.

[0004] At present, the configuration research of wheel corner modules at home and abroad is mostly focused on passenger cars, and less consideration is given to the impact of large loads and complex driving conditions on the corner modules and suspension configuration design in the commercial vehicle field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a variable geometry suspension mechanism and a wheel angle module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, aiming to solve the problems raised in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0006] The embodiment of the present invention is implemented as follows: a variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, used to connect the wheels and frame of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, comprising: a support frame, an upper control arm assembly, a first servo electric cylinder, a second servo electric cylinder and a shock absorber; The upper control arm assembly includes a first control arm, a second control arm and a third control arm, and is located on one side of the support frame; one end of the upper control arm assembly is hinged to the drive brake integrated structure, and the other end is hinged to the vehicle frame; The first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder serve as the lower control arm of the suspension, as well as the driving unit for steering and camber movement; one end of the first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder are both hinged to the driving and braking integrated structure, and the other ends are respectively hinged to the vehicle frame; One end of the shock absorber is hinged to the third control arm, and the other end is hinged to the vehicle frame.

[0007] A further technical solution includes a first bushing and a second bushing, both of which are elastic elements; One end of the first control arm is hinged to the sixth mounting seat on the support frame through the first mounting hole and the first bushing, and the other end is hinged to the vehicle frame through the second mounting hole and the second bushing; The connection mode of the second control arm is consistent with that of the first control arm.

[0008] According to a further technical solution, the topological configuration of the suspension mechanism is PaU-2UPU, which can realize three degrees of freedom of motion: steering, camber and wheel hop, and has a 2R1T motion characteristic, where R is the rotational degree of freedom and T is the translational degree of freedom; The upper control arm assembly corresponds to the PaU branch in the topological structure; the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 both correspond to the UPU branch.

[0009] Derivative structures of the topological configuration include: PaS-2UPU, PaU-2SPU, PaU-2SPU, PaS-RPU-UPU and PaS-2SS-UPS; Among them, Pa is the parallelogram pair, S is the spherical pair, U is the Hooke pair, R is the rotation pair, and P is the translation pair.

[0010] Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, based on the above-mentioned variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, including a drive structure, a brake structure, a steering structure, a camber structure and a suspension mechanism; The driving structure and the braking structure are integrated to form a driving and braking integrated structure, which is arranged inside the rim and forms a wheel with the tire; The steering structure and the camber structure are designed to be integrated with the suspension mechanism, and the posture of the wheel is controlled by the extension and retraction of the first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder.

[0011] Another object of the embodiment of the present invention is to provide a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, based on the above-mentioned distributed electric drive commercial vehicle wheel corner module, including a vehicle frame, an equipment compartment, a loading platform and at least one wheel corner module; The wheel corner modules are arranged on both sides of the frame and below the loading platform.

[0012] According to a further technical solution, there are multiple wheel corner modules.

[0013] The embodiments of the present invention provide a variable geometry suspension mechanism and wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, and the beneficial effects thereof are as follows: (1) The suspension mechanism has three degrees of freedom: wheel hop, steering and wheel camber. In terms of wheel hop freedom, a compound kinematic pair (parallelogram pair) is used as the upper control arm to effectively improve the geometric kinematic characteristics of the suspension. In terms of steering freedom, a wheel turning angle range of +90°~-35° can be achieved. Introducing active camber control into the angle module will significantly improve the stability and safety of the vehicle, especially for commercial vehicles with a high center of mass. In addition, active camber angle adjustment can also reduce tire wear, improve wheel adhesion and compensate for wheelbase changes.

[0014] (2) The corner module organically integrates the drive, brake, steering and suspension systems into a plug-and-play modular structure, which can be assembled and disassembled according to the transportation requirements and is easy to maintain. Each corner module can be regarded as a parallel robot with all the driving functions of the chassis and multiple motion modes.

[0015] (3) The wheel-side corner module adopts a structural-functional integrated design. The steering and camber branches serve as both the drive unit and the guide rod system of the suspension, avoiding the occupation of wheel-side space by the kingpin steering gear widely used in current corner modules.

[0016] (4) It adopts a face-symmetric topological structure with good isotropy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the assembly of a variable geometry suspension mechanism and wheels for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the assembly of a wheel corner module and a vehicle frame for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structural disassembly of a wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle chassis provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of wheel corner modules of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle chassis provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle traveling laterally provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle turning on the spot provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9A schematic diagram of a vehicle oblique steering of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle with wheel camber to adapt to uneven road surfaces provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle with wheel camber to assist vehicle steering provided by an embodiment of the present invention from an outer side perspective of a curve; Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle with wheel camber to assist vehicle steering from the inside of a curve provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a distributed electric-drive commercial vehicle cooperatively transporting prefabricated box girders provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] In the attached drawings: 100-distributed electric drive commercial vehicle; 10-wheel; 11-tire; 20-loading platform; 21-frame; 22-equipment compartment; 30-wheel corner module; 31-drive brake integrated structure; 311-first mounting seat; 312-second mounting seat; 313-third mounting seat; 32-upper control arm assembly; 321-support frame; 3211-fourth mounting seat; 3212-fifth mounting seat; 3213-sixth mounting seat; 3214-seventh mounting seat; 322-first control arm; 3221-first mounting hole; 32 22-second mounting hole; 3223-first bushing; 3224-second bushing; 323-second control arm; 324-third control arm; 3241-eighth mounting seat; 3242-first assembly hole; 3243-second assembly hole; 33-shock absorber; 331-third assembly hole; 332-fourth assembly hole; 34-first servo electric cylinder; 341-ninth mounting seat; 342-cross shaft; 343-tenth mounting seat; 344-drive motor; 35-second servo electric cylinder; 400-sloped road surface; 500-prefabricated box girder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0020] The specific implementation of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0021] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention is used to connect the wheel 10 and the frame 21 of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle 100; it includes: The support frame 321 is used as the main frame of the suspension. The fourth mounting seat 3211 on the support frame 321 is connected to the first mounting seat 311 on the driving brake integrated structure 31 through a cross shaft. The upper control arm assembly 32 is composed of a first control arm 322, a second control arm 323 and a third control arm 324; wherein the first mounting hole 3221 at the end of the first control arm 322 is hinged to the sixth mounting seat 3213 on the support frame 321, and the other end is connected to the frame 21 through the second mounting hole 3222; one end of the second control arm 323 is hinged to the support frame 321 through the fifth mounting seat 3212, and the other end is connected to the frame 21, and its structure is the same as that of the first control arm 322; one end of the third control arm 324 is connected to the seventh mounting seat 3214 on the support frame 321 through the first assembly hole 3242 by a revolute pair, and the other end is connected to the frame 21 through the second assembly hole 3243 by a revolute pair; The shock absorber 33 has one end connected to the eighth mounting seat 3241 on the third control arm 324 through the third mounting hole 331 and the other end connected to the vehicle frame 21 through the fourth mounting hole 332, and is used to absorb wheel vibration; The first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35, as the lower control arms of the suspension, have both steering and camber driving functions; wherein, a ninth mounting seat 341 is provided at one end of the first servo electric cylinder 34, and the ninth mounting seat 341 is connected to the second mounting seat 312 of the driving brake integrated structure 31 through a cross shaft 342, and the other end of the first servo electric cylinder 34 is rotatably connected to the frame 21 through the tenth mounting seat 343, and the driving motor 344 in the first servo electric cylinder 34 is used for driving control; the structure of the second servo electric cylinder 35 is similar to that of the first servo electric cylinder 34, one end of which is connected to the third mounting seat 313 of the driving brake integrated structure 31, and the other end is connected to the frame 21, to jointly control the steering and camber movements of the wheels.

[0022] In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to meet the mobility requirements of the wheel at a 90° steering angle, the dimensions and hard points of the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 need to be Figure 1 Specifically, the angle between the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the forward direction of the vertical symmetric plane of the vehicle longitudinal direction is 86°; the angle between the second servo electric cylinder 35 and the forward direction of the vertical symmetric plane of the vehicle longitudinal direction is 50°.

[0023] The mechanism follows the design method of structural and functional integration, that is, the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 are both driving units for the steering and camber freedom of the wheel 10, and also serve as the guide rod system of the suspension to constrain the vertical movement of the wheel. Taking the first servo electric cylinder 34 as an example, the second mounting seat 312 of the driving brake integrated structure 31 and the ninth mounting seat 341 of the first servo electric cylinder 34 are connected through the cross shaft 342.

[0024] like Figure 4 As shown, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a first bushing 3223 and a second bushing 3224, both of which are elastic elements; One end of the first control arm 322 is hinged to the sixth mounting seat 3213 of the support frame 321 through the first mounting hole 3221 and the first bushing 3223, and the other end is hinged to the frame 21 through the second mounting hole 3222 and the second bushing 3224; The connection method of the second control arm 323 is the same as that of the first control arm 322 .

[0025] In the embodiment of the present invention, the bushing and the mounting hole can be tightly fitted together by pressing so that the two do not move relative to each other, so that the bushing can be used to absorb vibration impact.

[0026] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorber 33 may be a shock absorber 33 in the prior art. Specifically, the shock absorber 33 may be a single-tube shock absorber or a double-tube shock absorber; the elastic element may be an air spring, a coil spring, an oil-gas spring, etc. The specific structure of the shock absorber will not be described in this application.

[0027] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topological configuration of the suspension mechanism is PaU-2UPU, which can realize three degrees of freedom of movement: steering, camber and wheel hop, and has a 2R1T motion characteristic, where R is the rotational degree of freedom and T is the translational degree of freedom; The upper control arm assembly corresponds to the PaU branch in the topological structure; the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 both correspond to the UPU branch.

[0028] Derivative structures of the topological configuration include: PaS-2UPU, PaU-2SPU, PaU-2SPU, PaS-RPU-UPU and PaS-2SS-UPS; Among them, Pa is the parallelogram pair, S is the spherical pair, U is the Hooke pair, R is the rotation pair, and P is the translation pair.

[0029] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by another embodiment of the present invention includes: a driving structure, a braking structure, a steering structure, a camber structure and the above-mentioned suspension mechanism; The driving structure and the braking structure are integrated to form a driving and braking integrated structure 31, and are arranged inside the rim to form a wheel 10 together with the tire 11; the driving system in the driving and braking integrated structure 31 adopts a hub motor as a power source, and the driving and braking integrated structure 31 also has a steering knuckle function in the wheel corner module 30; specifically, one end of the upper control arm assembly 32, the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 is hinged to the frame 21, and the other end is hinged to the driving and braking integrated structure 31, forming a transmission path from the ground reaction force exerted on the tire to the frame.

[0030] The steering structure and the camber structure are designed to be integrated with the suspension mechanism, and the posture of the wheel 10 is controlled by the extension and retraction of the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 .

[0031] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle provided by another embodiment of the present invention includes: a frame 21, an equipment compartment 22, a loading platform 20 and at least one wheel corner module 30; The wheel corner modules 30 are arranged on both sides of the frame 21 and below the loading platform 20. As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle is a three-axle distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, which includes: six wheel corner modules 30, a frame 21, a cargo loading platform 20 covered on the frame, and an equipment cabin 22 distributed between the wheel corner modules 30.

[0032] The suspension structure is used to connect the wheel 10 and the frame 21, transmit the force exerted on the wheel to the frame, and then to the entire vehicle body; and output a suitable wheel end motion trajectory at the same time.

[0033] like Figure 7 As shown, the lateral driving function enables the vehicle to park conveniently in a narrow space, which is particularly important for commercial vehicles operating in urban scenes. In this embodiment, the wheel edge angle module 30 has an independent steering function and can achieve a steering angle range of +90°~-35°. In order to enable the vehicle to travel laterally, the angle module mechanism corresponding to the front axle and the intermediate axle of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle 100 drives the wheel to rotate 90° toward the front of the vehicle; the angle module mechanism corresponding to the rear axle drives the wheel to rotate 90° toward the rear of the vehicle. When turning, the first servo electric cylinder 34 extends and the second servo electric cylinder 35 contracts, causing the wheel 10 composed of the drive brake integrated structure 31 and the tire 11 to rotate counterclockwise.

[0034] like Figure 8As shown, on-the-spot steering is also called zero-radius steering, which enables the vehicle to achieve rapid changes in direction in a small space. In order to enable the vehicle to achieve the on-the-spot steering function, the angular module mechanisms corresponding to the front and rear axles of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle 100 drive the wheels to rotate inward and make the steering centers of the four wheels fall on the middle shaft. The angular modules corresponding to the middle shaft do not perform steering movements, but only perform differential drive through the drive system.

[0035] like Fig. 9 As shown in Figure 1, the oblique steering maneuver is helpful for avoiding collisions at high speeds. In this motion mode, all corner modules drive the wheels to turn the same angle in the same direction to change the direction of the vehicle without changing the direction of the front of the vehicle.

[0036] like Fig.10 As shown, commercial vehicles often face unstructured terrain during transportation tasks, and the freedom of each wheel needs to be adjusted to keep the vehicle body level and the tires grounded. The active camber adjustment function of the variable geometry suspension mechanism enables the vehicle to adapt to the sloped road surface 400.

[0037] Fig.11 and Fig.12 The motion mode in which the wheels actively camber to assist the steering of the vehicle is shown. In turning conditions, more lateral force can be provided by tilting the wheels to a certain angle toward the inside of the curve, while reducing the need for wheel turning angles. For multi-axle commercial vehicles, a reasonable wheel camber configuration can reduce the roll angle, lateral load transfer rate, and center of mass sideslip angle, thereby effectively reducing the rollover risk of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the corner module corresponding to the front axle of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle is turned, and the lower corner modules corresponding to the middle and rear axles are tilted, and the left and right wheels have the same roll direction, both facing the inside of the curve. In this configuration, the vehicle yaw response does not change much compared to the non-camber configuration, while the center of mass sideslip angle is significantly reduced. The above characteristics help to decouple the yaw rate control and sideslip angle control of multi-axle vehicles.

[0038] Combining multiple distributed electric drive commercial vehicles 100 can effectively expand the size and weight range of the transported goods. The transported goods may include: prefabricated box beam components, large wind turbine blades, large pressure vessels, large power grid transformers, etc. Fig.13 The embodiment of two distributed electric drive commercial vehicles 100 cooperating to transport prefabricated box beams 500 is shown. In addition, by changing the number of axles of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicles and the number of chassis involved in the transportation, the configuration of the vehicles involved in the transportation can be configured according to the size of the transported goods.

[0039] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, used to connect the wheels and frame of the distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, characterized in that: include: A support frame, an upper control arm assembly, a first servo electric cylinder, a second servo electric cylinder and a shock absorber; The upper control arm assembly includes a first control arm, a second control arm and a third control arm, and is located on one side of the support frame; one end of the upper control arm assembly is hinged to the drive brake integrated structure, and the other end is hinged to the vehicle frame; The first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder serve as the lower control arm of the suspension, as well as the driving unit for steering and camber movement; one end of the first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder are both hinged to the driving and braking integrated structure, and the other ends are respectively hinged to the vehicle frame; One end of the shock absorber is hinged to the third control arm, and the other end is hinged to the vehicle frame.

2. The variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a first bushing and a second bushing, both of which are elastic elements; One end of the first control arm is hinged to the sixth mounting seat on the support frame through the first mounting hole and the first bushing, and the other end is hinged to the vehicle frame through the second mounting hole and the second bushing; The connection mode of the second control arm is consistent with that of the first control arm.

3. The variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The topological configuration of the suspension mechanism is PaU-2UPU, wherein Pa is a parallelogram pair, U is a Hooke pair, and P is a translation pair; it can realize three degrees of freedom of motion: steering, camber, and wheel hop, and has a 2R1T motion characteristic, wherein R is a rotational degree of freedom and T is a translational degree of freedom; The upper control arm assembly corresponds to the PaU branch in the topological structure; the first servo electric cylinder 34 and the second servo electric cylinder 35 both correspond to the UPU branch.

4. The variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that: Derivative structures of the topological configuration include: PaS-2UPU, PaU-2SPU, PaU-2SPU, PaS-RPU-UPU and PaS-2SS-UPS; Among them, Pa is the parallelogram pair, S is the spherical pair, U is the Hooke pair, R is the rotation pair, and P is the translation pair.

5. A wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, based on the variable geometry suspension mechanism for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It includes a driving structure, a braking structure, a steering structure, a camber structure and a suspension mechanism; The driving structure and the braking structure are integrated to form a driving and braking integrated structure, which is arranged inside the rim and forms a wheel with the tire; The steering structure and the camber structure are designed to be integrated with the suspension mechanism, and the posture of the wheel is controlled by the extension and retraction of the first servo electric cylinder and the second servo electric cylinder.

6. A distributed electric drive commercial vehicle, based on the wheel corner module for a distributed electric drive commercial vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: It includes a vehicle frame, an equipment compartment, a loading platform and at least one wheel corner module; The wheel corner modules are arranged on both sides of the frame and below the loading platform.

7. The distributed electric drive commercial vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: There are multiple wheel corner modules.

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