An intelligent car corner module

Abstract

The present invention relates to an intelligent vehicle corner module, belonging to the field of intelligent vehicle technology. The module comprises a vehicle frame, wheels, a steering drive unit, and a wheel drive unit; the module comprises a vehicle frame, wheels, a steering drive unit, a steering knuckle outer bushing, a steering knuckle inner bushing, a steering knuckle housing, a vibration damping device, a wheel drive unit, a drive shaft inner bushing, and a drive shaft outer bushing; the vehicle frame is provided with a steering drive unit, and the vehicle frame is provided with a wheel drive unit. By moving the steering drive unit and the wheel drive unit upward onto the vehicle frame and transmitting driving and steering power through components such as the steering knuckle inner bushing, the steering knuckle outer bushing, the drive shaft inner bushing, and the drive shaft outer bushing, the module effectively reduces the vehicle's wheel mass, improves vehicle maneuverability, and reduces wheel impact. Furthermore, the steering drive unit and the wheel drive unit are positioned high, making water less likely to enter the vehicle when traveling on flooded roads, thereby improving the vehicle's wading capability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of intelligent automobiles, and in particular to an intelligent automobile corner module. Background Art

[0002] With the widespread application of intelligent and electrified technologies in the automotive industry, the performance and functionality of modern vehicles are rapidly improving. This is especially true for corner modules in automotive chassis systems. As core components for steering, vibration damping, and drive, they have a crucial impact on vehicle safety, comfort, and handling.

[0003] For example, patent publication number CN118024797A specifically discloses a steering angle module. The module design uses a hub motor and integrates the steering gear and shock absorber into the wheel. This results in a large unsprung mass of the module, making the wheel easily damaged when the vehicle is traveling on bumpy roads. At the same time, due to the low placement of the hub motor, the hub motor is easily submerged when the vehicle is traveling on a flooded road, making it almost impossible for the vehicle to travel through water and difficult to adapt to various driving modes and different road conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve or partially solve the problems existing in the related art, the present invention provides an intelligent automobile corner module, which aims to solve the technical problems that the unsprung mass of the existing corner module is too large and the installation position of the related drive device is too low.

[0005] The above-mentioned intelligent automobile corner module includes a vehicle frame, wheels, a steering drive device, a steering knuckle outer sleeve, a steering knuckle inner sleeve, a steering knuckle housing, a vibration damping device, a wheel drive device, a transmission shaft inner sleeve, and a transmission shaft outer sleeve;

[0006] The frame is provided with a steering drive device, a hollow steering knuckle outer sleeve is rotatably mounted on the frame, the steering knuckle outer sleeve is vertically extended downward, the upper end of the steering knuckle outer sleeve is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the steering drive device, and the lower end of the steering knuckle outer sleeve is splined to the steering knuckle inner sleeve; a steering knuckle housing is rotatably mounted on one side of the wheel, the steering knuckle housing is fixedly connected to the lower end of the steering knuckle inner sleeve; a vibration damping device is provided between the steering knuckle inner sleeve and the frame;

[0007] A wheel drive device is provided on the vehicle frame, a transmission shaft inner sleeve is provided in the steering knuckle outer sleeve, the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve is transmission-connected to the output shaft of the wheel drive device, the lower end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve is spline-connected to the transmission shaft outer sleeve, and the lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve is transmission-connected to the wheel.

[0008] In some embodiments, a steering bearing is provided between the steering knuckle outer bushing and the vehicle frame.

[0009] In some embodiments, a first transmission gear is provided at the lower end of the outer sleeve of the transmission shaft.

[0010] A transmission shaft is rotatably mounted in the steering knuckle housing. One end of the transmission shaft is fixedly connected to the wheel, and the other end is provided with a second transmission gear, which is meshed with the first transmission gear.

[0011] In some embodiments, a first transmission bearing is provided between the upper end of the inner sleeve of the transmission shaft and the vehicle frame, and a second transmission bearing is provided between the lower end of the outer sleeve of the transmission shaft and the steering knuckle housing.

[0012] In some embodiments, the vibration damping device includes a vibration damping spring, an upper spring seat, and a lower spring seat;

[0013] The upper spring seat is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle outer sleeve, and a thrust bearing is provided between the upper spring seat and the vehicle frame. The lower spring seat is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle inner sleeve, and the damping spring is provided between the upper spring seat and the lower spring seat.

[0014] In some embodiments, the vibration damping device further includes a shock absorber, wherein the upper end of the shock absorber is fixedly connected to the upper spring seat, and the lower end of the shock absorber is fixedly connected to the lower spring seat.

[0015] In some embodiments, a braking device is further provided at the upper end of the inner sleeve of the transmission shaft.

[0016] In some solutions, a steering knuckle pin is provided on the steering knuckle housing, one end of the lower arm is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame, and the other end of the lower arm is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle pin.

[0017] A smart car, wherein the four wheels of the car respectively adopt the corner modules described in any of the above solutions.

[0018] The technical solution provided by the present invention can have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. This application effectively reduces the wheel mass of the vehicle, improves the vehicle's maneuverability, and reduces the impact of the wheels by moving the steering drive device and the wheel drive device up to the frame, and transmitting the driving power and steering power through components such as the steering knuckle inner sleeve, the steering knuckle outer sleeve, the drive shaft inner sleeve, and the drive shaft outer sleeve. Moreover, the steering drive device and the wheel drive device are located at a high position, so the vehicle is not easily flooded when traveling on a flooded road, thereby improving the vehicle's wading ability.

[0020] 2. By moving the braking device upward onto the vehicle frame, the size of the brake disc can be larger under permitted conditions, and the heat capacity of the brake disc is correspondingly increased, making it less likely to overheat, thereby improving the braking performance and safety of the vehicle.

[0021] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally represent like components throughout the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 1 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an intelligent automobile corner module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Reference numerals:

[0025] 1. Vehicle frame; 2. Wheel; 3. Steering drive unit; 4. Steering knuckle outer bushing; 5. Steering knuckle inner bushing; 6. Steering knuckle housing; 7. Vibration damping device; 701. Vibration damping spring; 702. Upper spring seat; 703. Lower spring seat; 704. Shock absorber; 8. Wheel drive unit; 9. Drive shaft inner bushing; 10. Drive shaft outer bushing; 11. Steering bearing; 12. First transmission gear; 13. Drive shaft; 14. Second transmission gear; 15. First transmission bearing; 16. Second transmission bearing; 17. Braking device; 18. Steering knuckle pin; 19. Lower arm; 20. Thrust bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents described above.

[0027] See also Figure 1 The present application provides an intelligent automobile corner module, including a frame 1, a wheel 2, a steering drive device 3, a steering knuckle outer sleeve 4, a steering knuckle inner sleeve 5, a steering knuckle housing 6, a vibration damping device 7, a wheel drive device 8, a drive shaft inner sleeve 9, and a drive shaft outer sleeve 10.

[0028] The frame 1 is provided with a steering drive device 3, which adopts a stepping motor, a servo motor or other steering power-assisting system. A hollow steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 is rotatably mounted on the frame 1, and the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 extends vertically downward. The upper end of the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the steering drive device 3, and the lower end of the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 is splined to the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5; a steering knuckle housing 6 is rotatably mounted on one side of the wheel 2, and the steering knuckle housing 6 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5;

[0029] In this way, through the rotational connection between the frame 1 and the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4, the spline connection between the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 and the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5, the fixed connection between the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5 and the steering housing, and the rotational connection between the steering housing and the wheel 2, the connection between the frame 1 and the frame 1 is achieved, so that the frame 1 and the wheel 2 can only move relative to each other, that is, move up and down, so that the wheel 2 can provide stable support for the frame 1; when turning is required, the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 is driven to rotate by the steering drive device 3, the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 drives the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5 to rotate, and the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5 drives the steering The housing rotates, and the steering housing drives the wheel 2 to deflect, thereby realizing the steering of the wheel 2. Compared with the traditional four-motor electric vehicle (steering is achieved by controlling the differential rotation of different wheels 2), the present application effectively reduces the mass of the wheel 2, that is, the unsprung mass of the vehicle is lower, which reduces the impact of the wheel 2 when the vehicle is driving, improves the adhesion performance of the wheel 2, and is conducive to improving the stability of the vehicle when it is moving; the steering angle of the wheel 2 is larger, which improves the flexibility and controllability of the vehicle steering; furthermore, the steering drive device 3 is arranged at a high position, and the problem of water ingress is not easy to occur when the vehicle passes through water.

[0030] The frame 1 is provided with a wheel drive device 8, which can be a common motor, a stepping motor, a servo motor, a gas engine, etc. A transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 is provided in the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4, and the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the wheel drive device 8, and the lower end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 is connected to the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10 through a spline, and the lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10 is drivingly connected to the wheel 2;

[0031] In this way, the output power of the wheel drive device is transmitted to the wheel 2 after passing through the inner sleeve 9 of the transmission shaft and the outer sleeve 10 of the transmission shaft in sequence to drive the wheel 2 to rotate. Compared with the electric vehicle with four transmission motors (driven by the hub motors on the wheels 2 respectively), the present application effectively reduces the mass of the wheel 2, that is, the unsprung mass of the vehicle is lower, which reduces the impact of the wheel 2 when the vehicle is traveling, improves the adhesion performance of the wheel 2, and is conducive to improving the stability of the vehicle when traveling; the main electric device is fixed on the frame 1, which is convenient for arranging various lines and pipelines; furthermore, the steering drive device 3 is arranged at a high position, and it is not easy for water to enter the vehicle when passing through water.

[0032] A vibration damping device 7 is provided between the steering knuckle inner bushing 5 and the vehicle frame 1 . The vibration damping device 7 is mainly used to provide the bearing capacity of the vehicle frame 1 and reduce the vibration of the vehicle frame 1 to improve the driving stability of the vehicle.

[0033] In this embodiment, a steering bearing 11 is provided between the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 and the frame 1 to reduce the friction between the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 and the frame 1, so that the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 rotates more smoothly. Preferably, two steering bearings 11 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction to improve the connection stiffness between the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 and the frame 1.

[0034] In this embodiment, a first transmission gear 12 is provided at the lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10, and a transmission shaft 13 is rotatably installed in the steering knuckle housing 6. One end of the transmission shaft 13 is fixedly connected to the wheel 2, and the other end is provided with a second transmission gear 14, and the second transmission gear 14 is meshed with the first transmission gear 12; in this way, power transmission from the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10 to the wheel 2 is achieved, and the power transmission is smooth.

[0035] Preferably, a first transmission bearing 15 is provided between the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 and the vehicle frame 1, and a second transmission bearing 16 is provided between the lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10 and the steering knuckle housing 6. In this way, the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 is radially limited by the first transmission bearing 15, and the lower end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 and the upper end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10 are radially positioned by a spline connection. The lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10 is radially positioned by the second transmission bearing 16, which effectively improves the coaxiality between the transmission shaft inner sleeve 9 and the transmission shaft outer sleeve 10, is beneficial to improving the smoothness of power transmission between the two, and effectively reduces the rotational noise of the two.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vibration damping device 7 includes a vibration damping spring 701, an upper spring seat 702, and a lower spring seat 703; the upper spring seat 702 is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4, and a thrust bearing 20 is provided between the upper spring seat 702 and the frame 1 to reduce the friction between the upper spring seat 702 and the frame 1, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the upper spring seat 702 and thus improving the service life of the vibration damping device 7; the lower spring seat 703 is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5, and the vibration damping spring 701 is provided between the upper spring seat 702 and the lower spring seat 703; in this way, the gravity of the frame 1 is sequentially The wheel 2 is supported by the thrust bearing 20, the upper spring seat 702, the shock-absorbing spring 701, the lower spring seat 703, the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5, and the steering housing. During this process, the shock-absorbing spring 701 effectively reduces the vibration of the frame 1. At the same time, compared with the traditional shock-absorbing system, the shock-absorbing spring 701 of the present application is installed between the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 and the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5, and the steering knuckle outer sleeve 4 and the steering knuckle inner sleeve 5 are used as the guide structure of the shock-absorbing spring 701, and the structure is simpler. Moreover, the present application reasonably utilizes the space in the middle of the spring, so that the corner module structure described in the present application is more compact, which is conducive to reducing the volume of the corner module.

[0037] In this embodiment, the vibration damping device 7 also includes a shock absorber 704, which is a tubular shock absorber. The upper end of the shock absorber 704 is fixedly connected to the upper spring seat 702, and the lower end of the shock absorber 704 is fixedly connected to the lower spring seat 703, forming a dynamic damping adjustment system to adapt to complex road conditions in real time.

[0038] In this embodiment, a braking device 17 is further provided at the upper end of the inner sleeve 9 of the transmission shaft. The braking device 17 can adopt a traditional brake disc braking device 17. The brake disc is fixed to the upper end of the inner sleeve 9 of the transmission shaft, and the air pump, brake pads, etc. used in conjunction with the brake disc are installed on the frame 1. The braking device 17 of the present application directly acts on the transmission system, avoids being limited by the wheel hub size, and improves the braking efficiency of the vehicle.

[0039] In this embodiment, a steering knuckle pin 18 is provided on the steering knuckle housing 6, one end of the lower arm 19 is fixedly connected to the frame 1, and the other end of the lower arm 19 is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle pin 18 to form a steering support structure, which is beneficial to improving the connection stiffness between the frame 1 and the wheel 2, thereby making the wheel 2 more securely installed.

[0040] The present application also provides a smart car, wherein the four wheels 2 of the car respectively adopt the corner module described in any of the above embodiments.

[0041] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, non-exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, their practical applications, or improvements to existing technologies, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An intelligent car corner module, characterized by: It comprises a vehicle frame (1), a wheel (2), a steering drive device (3), a steering knuckle outer sleeve (4), a steering knuckle inner sleeve (5), a steering knuckle housing (6), a vibration damping device (7), a wheel drive device (8), a transmission shaft inner sleeve (9), and a transmission shaft outer sleeve (10); The vehicle frame (1) is provided with a steering drive device (3), a hollow steering knuckle outer sleeve (4) is rotatably mounted on the vehicle frame (1), the steering knuckle outer sleeve (4) is vertically extended downward, the upper end of the steering knuckle outer sleeve (4) is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the steering drive device (3), and the lower end of the steering knuckle outer sleeve (4) is spline-connected to the steering knuckle inner sleeve (5); a steering knuckle housing (6) is rotatably mounted on one side of the wheel (2), the steering knuckle housing (6) is fixedly connected to the lower end of the steering knuckle inner sleeve (5); a vibration damping device (7) is provided between the steering knuckle inner sleeve (5) and the vehicle frame (1); The vehicle frame (1) is provided with a wheel drive device (8), a transmission shaft inner sleeve (9) is provided in the steering knuckle outer sleeve (4), the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve (9) is connected to the output shaft of the wheel drive device (8), the lower end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve (9) is connected to the transmission shaft outer sleeve (10) through a spline, and the lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve (10) is connected to the wheel (2).

2. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A steering bearing (11) is provided between the steering knuckle outer sleeve (4) and the vehicle frame (1).

3. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve (10) is provided with a first transmission gear (12). A transmission shaft (13) is rotatably mounted in the steering knuckle housing (6); one end of the transmission shaft (13) is fixedly connected to the wheel (2); and the other end is provided with a second transmission gear (14); the second transmission gear (14) is meshed with the first transmission gear (12).

4. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first transmission bearing (15) is provided between the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve (9) and the vehicle frame (1), and a second transmission bearing (16) is provided between the lower end of the transmission shaft outer sleeve (10) and the steering knuckle housing (6).

5. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vibration damping device (7) comprises a vibration damping spring (701), an upper spring seat (702), and a lower spring seat (703); The upper spring seat (702) is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle outer sleeve (4), and a thrust bearing (20) is provided between the upper spring seat (702) and the vehicle frame (1); the lower spring seat (703) is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle inner sleeve (5), and the damping spring (701) is provided between the upper spring seat (702) and the lower spring seat (703).

6. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vibration damping device (7) further comprises a vibration damper (704), wherein the upper end of the vibration damper (704) is fixedly connected to the upper spring seat (702), and the lower end of the vibration damper (704) is fixedly connected to the lower spring seat (703).

7. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A braking device (17) is also provided at the upper end of the transmission shaft inner sleeve (9).

8. The intelligent automobile corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A steering knuckle pin (18) is provided on the steering knuckle housing (6), one end of a lower arm (19) is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame (1), and the other end of the lower arm (19) is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle pin (18).

9. A smart car, characterized by: The four wheels (2) of the automobile respectively adopt the corner module according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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