Box-type structure electric steering axle for four-wheel counterbalance forklift truck

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of vehicle parts, and discloses a box type structure electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalance forklift. The electric steering axle comprises a steering axle housing connected with a hub of a vehicle; the box cover is connected with the steering axle housing; the supporting shaft movably penetrates through the top of the box cover; the transition block is movably arranged on the outer wall of the supporting shaft in a sleeving manner; the steering rod movably penetrates through the middle of the box cover, is parallel to the supporting shaft and is fixedly connected with the transition block, and the two ends of the steering rod are connected with the hubs; and the output end of the driving assembly is connected with the side wall of the transition block, and the driving assembly is used for driving the transition block to move along the supporting shaft so as to synchronously drive the steering rod to control the wheel hub to steer. A combined structure of the transition block and the supporting shaft is adopted, the supporting shaft can provide additional support for the ball screw, and the tipping moment borne by the ball screw in the steering process is effectively shared.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of vehicle parts, and in particular to a box-type electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalanced forklift. Background Art

[0002] Four-wheel counterbalanced forklifts are a common type of logistics handling equipment, widely used in warehousing, manufacturing and other industries. Traditional four-wheel counterbalanced forklifts usually use a mechanical steering system. Although this system is stable and reliable, it has problems such as inflexible steering and laborious operation. With the development of electric technology, electric steering systems have gradually become a new trend in the forklift industry. The electric steering system is driven by an electric motor, which can achieve more precise and flexible steering control and improve the operating efficiency and safety of the forklift. During the steering process of the existing electric steering axle, the ball screw is subjected to a large tipping torque, which causes the ball screw to wear more severely and even affects its service life and steering accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a box-type electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalanced forklift, which solves the problem that the ball screw in the electric steering axle is easily damaged due to being subjected to a strong radial force.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a box-type electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalanced forklift, the electric steering axle comprising:

[0005] Steering axle housing, connected to the vehicle's wheel hub;

[0006] A box cover, which is connected to the steering axle housing;

[0007] A support shaft movably extending through the top of the box cover;

[0008] A transition block, movably sleeved on the outer wall of the support shaft;

[0009] A steering rod, movably passing through the middle of the box cover, arranged parallel to the support shaft, and fixedly connected to the transition block, and both ends of the steering rod are connected to the wheel hub;

[0010] A driving assembly, wherein the output end of the driving assembly is connected to the side wall of the transition block, and the driving assembly is used to drive the transition block to move along the support shaft to synchronously drive the steering rod to control the steering of the wheel hub.

[0011] Optionally, the driving assembly comprises:

[0012] Steering motor;

[0013] A driving gear connected to the output shaft of the steering motor;

[0014] A driven gear, the gear of the driven gear meshes with the gear of the driving gear, and is used to rotate under the drive of the driving gear;

[0015] A ball screw is arranged parallel to the support shaft and fixedly connected to the driven gear, and positioning steps are arranged at both ends of the ball screw;

[0016] The nut is sleeved on the ball screw and connected to the transition block, and is used for reciprocating along the ball screw under the drive of the driven gear. A first slot is provided at the bottom of the nut.

[0017] Optionally, the transition block comprises:

[0018] A first transition portion, wherein a first mounting hole is provided on the first transition portion for the support shaft to pass through, and a first arc portion is provided at the bottom of the first transition portion;

[0019] The second transition part is arc-shaped and cooperates with the first arc part to form a second mounting hole, and the steering rod is fixed through the second mounting hole. Optionally, a wedge groove is opened in the middle of the steering rod, and the wedge groove is clamped with the second mounting hole.

[0020] Optionally, a first protrusion is provided on the top of the first transition portion, and the first protrusion is engaged with the first slot.

[0021] Optionally, the electric steering axle further includes a connecting rod mechanism, and the connecting rod mechanism includes:

[0022] A connecting arm is provided at both ends of the steering rod, and one end of the connecting arm close to the transition block is rotatably connected to the end of the steering rod;

[0023] A steering arm, wherein one end of the steering arm away from the wheel hub is rotatably connected to the end of the connecting arm;

[0024] A king pin, one end of which is connected to the steering arm, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the wheel hub.

[0025] Optionally, a first through hole coaxial with the ball screw is provided on the top of the steering axle housing for the ball screw to pass through;

[0026] The driving assembly further includes bearings disposed at both ends of the ball screw, the inner ring of the bearing being engaged with the positioning step, and the outer ring of the bearing being in contact with the inner wall of the end of the first through hole.

[0027] Optionally, oil seals are provided at both ends of the first through hole to prevent grease leakage.

[0028] Optionally, the electric steering bridge includes a fixing assembly, and the fixing assembly includes:

[0029] A mounting plate, wherein a third mounting hole and a fourth mounting hole are provided on the mounting plate, wherein the third mounting hole is sleeved on the output end of the steering motor, and the fourth mounting hole is sleeved on one end of the steering axle housing close to the driven gear, and the third mounting hole and the fourth mounting hole cooperate to fix the relative position of the steering motor and the steering axle housing;

[0030] The cover shell is arranged outside the mounting plate and is used to prevent dust from contaminating the steering motor, the steering axle housing, the driven gear and the driving gear.

[0031] Optionally, the box cover is provided with a second mounting hole coaxial with the steering rod for the steering rod to pass through;

[0032] Both ends of the steering rod are sleeved with self-lubricating steel back bearings;

[0033] An end cover is disposed in the second through hole, and the end cover abuts against two ends of the steering rod to limit the axial movement of the steering rod;

[0034] Dustproof rings are arranged at the gaps between the box cover and the outer walls at both ends of the support rod.

[0035] Through the above technical solution, the present invention provides a box-type electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalanced forklift, which adopts a combined structure of a transition block and a support shaft, wherein the transition block is movably sleeved on the outer wall of the support shaft, and the support shaft movably runs through the top of the box cover. This design enables the transition block to move along the support shaft during the steering process, thereby driving the steering rod fixedly connected thereto to control the steering of the wheel hub. At the same time, the presence of the support shaft provides additional support for the ball screw, effectively sharing the tipping torque it bears during the steering process, and significantly improving the service life of the ball screw and the reliability of the electric steering axle.

[0036] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in the subsequent detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific implementations, they are used to explain the embodiments of the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electric steering bridge according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of an electric steering bridge according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of an electric steering bridge according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a transition block according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a steering rod according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a steering axle housing according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a mounting plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a box cover according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Description of Reference Numerals

[0047] 1. Steering axle housing 2. Box cover

[0048] 3. Support shaft 4. Transition block

[0049] 5. Steering rod 6. Driving assembly

[0050] 61. Steering motor 62. Driving gear

[0051] 63. Driven gear 64. Ball screw

[0052] 65, nut 41, first transition part

[0053] 42. Second transition portion 51. Wedge groove

[0054] 7. Linkage mechanism 71. Connecting arm

[0055] 72. Steering arm 73. King pin

[0056] 11. First through hole 66, bearing

[0057] 8. Fixing assembly 81. Mounting plate

[0058] 82, cover 21, second through hole

[0059] 22. End cover 23. Dust ring DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described here is only used to illustrate and explain the embodiment of the present invention, and is not used to limit the embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, directional words such as "up, down, top, bottom" are usually used with reference to the directions shown in the drawings or are used to describe the relative positional relationships of components in the vertical, perpendicular or gravity direction.

[0062] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electric steering bridge according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a partial structure of an electric steering bridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the electric steering bridge includes a steering bridge housing 1, a box cover 2, a support shaft 3, a transition block 4, a steering rod 5 and a drive assembly 6. Among them, the steering bridge housing 1 is connected to the wheel hub of the vehicle. The box cover 2 is connected to the steering bridge housing 1, the support shaft 3 is movably inserted into the top of the box cover 2, and the transition block 4 is movably sleeved on the outer wall of the support shaft 3. The steering rod 5 is movably inserted into the middle of the box cover 2, arranged parallel to the support shaft 3, and fixedly connected to the transition block 4, and the two ends of the steering rod 5 are connected to the wheel hub. The output end of the drive assembly 6 is connected to the side wall of the transition block 4, which is used to drive the transition block 4 to move along the support shaft 3, so as to synchronously drive the steering rod 5 to control the steering of the wheel hub. The pure mechanical structure is driven by the drive assembly 6, and the steering accuracy and steering efficiency are high, and the energy saving effect of the electric steering bridge is greatly reduced compared with the hydraulic steering energy consumption. The present invention adopts a combined structure of the transition block 4 and the support shaft 3, the transition block 4 is movably sleeved on the outer wall of the support shaft 3, and the support shaft 3 is movably inserted into the top of the box cover 2. This design enables the transition block 4 to move along the support shaft 3 during the steering process, thereby driving the steering rod 5 fixedly connected thereto to control the steering of the wheel hub. At the same time, the existence of the support shaft 3 provides additional support for the drive assembly 6, effectively sharing the tipping moment it bears during the steering process, and significantly improving the service life of the drive assembly 6.

[0064] In this embodiment, the composition of the driving assembly 6 can be a variety of structures known in the art, provided that the transition block 4 is provided with a steering force. In one example of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the driving assembly 6 includes a steering motor 61, a driving gear 62, a driven gear 63, a ball screw 64 and a nut 65. The driving gear 62 is connected to the output shaft of the steering motor 61, and the gear of the driven gear 63 is meshed with the gear of the driving gear 62, and is used to rotate under the drive of the driving gear 62. The ball screw 64 is arranged parallel to the support shaft 3 and is fixedly connected to the driven gear 63. Positioning steps are provided at both ends of the ball screw 64. The nut 65 is sleeved on the ball screw 64 and connected to the transition block 4. It is used to reciprocate along the ball screw 64 under the drive of the driven gear 63. The bottom of the nut 65 is provided with a first slot. The ball screw 64 is a split structure and is easy to install. During the steering operation, the steering motor 61 rotates, driving the driving gear 62 connected thereto to rotate, the driving gear 62 drives the driven gear 63 meshing therewith to rotate, the driven gear 63 transmits power to the ball screw 64 fixedly connected thereto, driving the ball screw 64 to rotate, the ball screw 64 then transmits power to the nut 65, converting it into reciprocating motion of the nut 65, the nut 65 then drives the transition block 4 fixedly connected thereto to move back and forth, the steering rod 5 is fixedly connected to the transition block, so the steering rod 5 also moves back and forth to control the steering of the wheel hub. The existence of the support shaft 3 provides additional support for the ball screw 64, effectively sharing the tipping torque it bears during the steering process, and significantly improving the service life of the ball screw 64 and the reliability of the electric steering axle.

[0065] In this embodiment, considering that the transition block 4 is connected to the support rod and the steering rod 5, Figure 4 As shown, the transition block 4 may include a first transition portion 41 and a second transition portion 42. The first transition portion 41 is provided with a first mounting hole for the support shaft 3 to pass through, and a first arc portion is provided at the bottom of the first transition portion 41. The second transition portion 42 is arc-shaped and cooperates with the first arc portion to form a second mounting hole, and the steering rod 5 is fixedly passed through the second mounting hole.

[0066] Furthermore, considering the need to ensure that the steering rod 5 and the transition block 4 are fully fixed, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, a wedge groove 51 is provided in the middle of the steering rod 5, and the wedge groove 51 is engaged with the second mounting hole. In addition, the connection method of the first transition portion 41 and the second transition block can be various known to those skilled in the art. In one example of the present invention, the first transition portion 41 and the second transition block can be connected by screws, which is simple and convenient to install.

[0067] In this embodiment, the connection method between the transition block 4 and the ball screw 64 can be various known to those skilled in the art. In one example of the present invention, a first protrusion is provided on the top of the first transition portion 41, and the first protrusion is engaged with the first slot of the ball screw 64.

[0068] In order to convert the rotary motion generated by the motor into the left and right swing of the wheel hub, in this embodiment, the electric steering axle also includes a connecting rod mechanism 7. The composition of the connecting rod mechanism 7 can be a variety of known to those skilled in the art, provided that the power is transmitted to the wheel hub. In a preferred example of the present invention, the connecting rod mechanism 7 includes a connecting arm 71, a steering arm 72 and a kingpin 73. The connecting arm 71 is arranged at both ends of the steering rod 5, and the end of the connecting arm 71 close to the transition block 4 is rotatably connected to the end of the steering rod 5. The end of the steering arm 72 away from the wheel hub is rotatably connected to the end of the connecting arm 71. One end of the kingpin 73 is connected to the steering arm 72, and the other end is rotatably connected to the wheel hub. The reciprocating steering rod 5 drives the connecting rod mechanism 7 to move, and the wheel hub and the connecting rod mechanism 7 move as a whole, thereby realizing the steering of the wheel hub.

[0069] In this embodiment, in order to fix the relative position of the ball screw 64 in the steering axle housing 1, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the top of the steering axle housing 1 is provided with a first through hole 11 coaxial with the ball screw 64 for the ball screw 64 to pass through. Further, the driving assembly 6 also includes a bearing 66, which is provided at both ends of the ball screw 64, the inner ring of the bearing 66 is engaged with the positioning step, and the outer ring of the bearing 66 is in contact with the inner wall of the end of the first through hole 11.

[0070] Furthermore, in order to ensure the sealing of the electric steering axle, oil seals are provided at both ends of the first through hole 11 to prevent grease leakage. The mechanical structure in the steering axle is all grease lubricated, reducing the risk of leakage in traditional hydraulic steering.

[0071] In this embodiment, in order to connect the steering motor 61 and the steering axle housing 1 into one body, the steering axle further includes a fixing assembly 8. The fixing assembly 8 may be composed of various components known to those skilled in the art. In one example of the present invention, the fixing assembly 8 may include a mounting plate 81 and a cover 82. Figure 7 As shown, the mounting plate 81 is provided with a third mounting hole and a fourth mounting hole, the third mounting hole is sleeved on the output end of the steering motor 61, and the fourth mounting hole is sleeved on one end of the steering axle housing 1 close to the driven gear 63, and the third mounting hole and the fourth mounting hole cooperate to fix the relative position of the steering motor 61 and the steering axle housing 1. The cover 82 is arranged outside the mounting plate 81 and connected to the mounting plate 81 by screws, and is used to prevent dust from contaminating the steering motor 61, the steering axle housing 1, the driven gear 63 and the driving gear 62.

[0072] In this embodiment, in order to fix the relative position of the steering rod 5 in the box cover 2, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, the box cover 2 is provided with a second through hole 21 coaxial with the steering rod 5 for the steering rod 5 to pass through. Furthermore, the two ends of the steering rod 5 are sleeved with self-lubricating steel back bearings 66, which are used to support the steering rod 5, which not only provides radial support for the steering rod 5, but also reduces the sliding resistance between the steering rod 5 and the second through hole 21, and grease is added before installation, which is maintenance-free. And the second through hole 21 is provided with an end cover 22, which abuts against the two ends of the steering rod 5 to limit the axial movement of the steering rod 5. In addition, a dust ring 23 is provided at the gap between the box cover 2 and the outer wall of the two ends of the support rod to prevent the dust exposed on the outside of the steering rod 5 from entering the interior of the steering axle and causing damage to the parts.

[0073] Through the above technical solution, the present invention provides a box-type electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalanced forklift, which adopts a combined structure of a transition block and a support shaft, wherein the transition block is movably sleeved on the outer wall of the support shaft, and the support shaft movably runs through the top of the box cover. This design enables the transition block to move along the support shaft during the steering process, thereby driving the steering rod fixedly connected thereto to control the steering of the wheel hub. At the same time, the presence of the support shaft provides additional support for the ball screw, effectively sharing the tipping torque it bears during the steering process, and significantly improving the service life of the ball screw and the reliability of the electric steering axle.

[0074] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention can be subjected to a variety of simple modifications, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not further describe various possible combinations.

[0075] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A box-type electric steering axle for a four-wheel counterbalanced forklift, characterized in that: The electric steering bridge comprises: Steering axle housing, connected to the vehicle's wheel hub; A box cover, which is connected to the steering axle housing; A support shaft movably extending through the top of the box cover; A transition block, movably sleeved on the outer wall of the support shaft; A steering rod, movably passing through the middle of the box cover, arranged parallel to the support shaft, and fixedly connected to the transition block, and both ends of the steering rod are connected to the wheel hub; A driving assembly, wherein the output end of the driving assembly is connected to the side wall of the transition block, and the driving assembly is used to drive the transition block to move along the support shaft to synchronously drive the steering rod to control the steering of the wheel hub.

2. The electric steering axle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly comprises: Steering motor; A driving gear connected to the output shaft of the steering motor; A driven gear, the gear of the driven gear meshes with the gear of the driving gear, and is used to rotate under the drive of the driving gear; A ball screw is arranged parallel to the support shaft and fixedly connected to the driven gear, and positioning steps are arranged at both ends of the ball screw; The nut is sleeved on the ball screw and connected to the transition block, and is used for reciprocating along the ball screw under the drive of the driven gear. A first slot is provided at the bottom of the nut.

3. The electric steering axle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transition block includes: A first transition portion, wherein a first mounting hole is provided on the first transition portion for the support shaft to pass through, and a first arc portion is provided at the bottom of the first transition portion; The second transition portion is arc-shaped and cooperates with the first arc portion to form a second mounting hole, and the steering rod is fixed through the second mounting hole.

4. The electric steering axle according to claim 3, characterized in that: A wedge groove is provided in the middle of the steering rod, and the wedge groove is engaged with the second mounting hole.

5. The electric steering axle according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first protrusion is disposed on the top of the first transition portion, and the first protrusion is engaged with the first locking groove.

6. The electric steering axle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electric steering axle further comprises a connecting rod mechanism, and the connecting rod mechanism comprises: A connecting arm is provided at both ends of the steering rod, and one end of the connecting arm close to the transition block is rotatably connected to the end of the steering rod; A steering arm, wherein one end of the steering arm away from the wheel hub is rotatably connected to the end of the connecting arm; A king pin, one end of which is connected to the steering arm, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the wheel hub.

7. The electric steering axle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the steering axle housing is provided with a first through hole coaxial with the ball screw for the ball screw to pass through; The driving assembly further includes bearings disposed at both ends of the ball screw, the inner ring of the bearing being engaged with the positioning step, and the outer ring of the bearing being in contact with the inner wall of the end of the first through hole.

8. The electric steering axle according to claim 7, characterized in that: Oil seals are provided at both ends of the first through hole to prevent grease leakage.

9. The electric steering axle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electric steering bridge comprises a fixing assembly, and the fixing assembly comprises: A mounting plate, wherein a third mounting hole and a fourth mounting hole are provided on the mounting plate, wherein the third mounting hole is sleeved on the output end of the steering motor, and the fourth mounting hole is sleeved on one end of the steering axle housing close to the driven gear, and the third mounting hole and the fourth mounting hole cooperate to fix the relative position of the steering motor and the steering axle housing; The cover shell is arranged outside the mounting plate and is used to prevent dust from contaminating the steering motor, the steering axle housing, the driven gear and the driving gear.

10. The electric steering axle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box cover is provided with a second mounting hole coaxial with the steering rod for the steering rod to pass through; Both ends of the steering rod are sleeved with self-lubricating steel back bearings; An end cover is disposed in the second through hole, and the end cover abuts against two ends of the steering rod to limit the axial movement of the steering rod; Dustproof rings are arranged at the gaps between the box cover and the outer walls at both ends of the support rod.

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