Kingpin-like steering mechanism with translation and rotation compound motion and modular chassis composed thereof

Abstract

The present invention proposes a kingpin-like steering mechanism with a combined translation and rotation motion and a modular chassis composed thereof. The kingpin-like steering mechanism is a steering system of an independent driving module in a combined steering mode. The steering system includes a main steering motor and a steering tie rod connected to steering arms on both sides at both ends; mounting platforms with holes are provided at both ends of the steering tie rod, and the motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are rigidly connected to the mounting platforms with holes. After the motor shafts of the two motors pass through the holes of the mounting platforms with holes, they are rigidly connected to the steering arms on both sides respectively, and their motor shafts drive the steering arms to rotate relative to each other around the steering tie rod to drive the wheels to steer; the steering tie rod is connected to the steering arm to form a steering rod system; the main steering motor is connected to the steering tie rod via a transmission mechanism to transmit the steering rod system to steer the modular chassis. The present invention has high reliability, can realize large-angle steering of a multi-axle chassis and crab-like motion of a multi-axle chassis, and can adapt to complex and changeable driving environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobiles, in particular to a kingpin-like steering mechanism with translation and rotation compound motion and a modular chassis constructed thereof. Background Art

[0002] The development of autonomous driving technology has placed higher demands on chassis performance. Chassis systems must exhibit faster response speeds, higher control precision, and greater redundancy to ensure safe, stable, and reliable vehicle operation in complex driving environments. Against this backdrop, chassis-by-wire technology has gradually become a core technology for intelligent driving. The core of chassis-by-wire technology lies in controlling key vehicle components through electronic signals, including brake-by-wire technology, drive-by-wire technology, suspension-by-wire technology, and steering-by-wire technology. Steering-by-wire technology achieves a high degree of decoupling between the steering wheel and steering mechanism, freeing it from the constraints of mechanical structure. While retaining all the advantages of traditional mechanical systems, it can also optimize angular transfer characteristics, theoretically enabling arbitrary steering intentions.

[0003] In existing technical solutions, in order to achieve more flexible steering and enhance the maneuverability of the chassis, it is proposed to replace the mechanical connection between the wheels with electrical interaction, and integrate the steering system into the corner modules of the chassis. The steering systems of each wheel are independent of each other and highly decoupled, which can realize independent steering of all wheels of the chassis.

[0004] However, such technical solutions still have drawbacks.

[0005] Some technical solutions (such as publication number CN 116279806 A, publication number CN 108995711A, publication number CN118004283 A, publication number CN 116750075 A, publication number CN116409376 A) propose to dismantle the traditional steering tie rod, and use the left and right electric cylinders to control the push rod to push the steering knuckle, thereby realizing independent steering of each wheel while retaining the connecting rod steering mechanism; some technical solutions (such as publication number CN 117341807 A, publication number CN118928526 A, publication number CN109229235A) integrate the entire suspension system under the steering motor, and use the steering motor to drive the entire suspension to rotate, thereby realizing large-angle independent steering of each wheel; and some technical solutions (such as publication number CN118306475 A, publication number CN118769778A, publication number CN 118254865 A, publication number CN 117901945 A, Publication No. CN 105313953A) securely connects the motor shaft to the kingpin or steering arm, and uses the motor shaft to drive the kingpin or steering arm to rotate, enabling large-angle independent steering of each wheel. Although this type of technical solution gives each wheel greater freedom and can achieve large-angle independent steering of each wheel, it eliminates the constraints of the mechanical structure and relies solely on a single steering motor or electric cylinder to perform steering actions. This system has poor redundancy and low reliability. Large-angle steering causes severe vibration and consumes a large amount of power. The high-power actuator takes up a large amount of chassis space, increases chassis mass, and reduces chassis performance.

[0006] Other technical solutions (such as Publication No. CN 119037534 A, Publication No. CN118683621A, and Publication No. CN118529129A) retain the steering rod structure of traditional automobiles, only eliminating the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering motor, replacing it with electrical signals. Although these technical solutions are highly reliable, the strong mechanical constraints prevent the wheels from completing large-angle steering, and the chassis steering mode is limited, which does not fully utilize the advantages of the high flexibility and strong maneuverability of the wire-controlled chassis. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention proposes a kingpin-like steering mechanism with a combined translational and rotational motion and a modular chassis constructed thereby. The steering mechanism realizes a large-angle steering function while overcoming the defects of severe steering vibration and high power consumption of the steering motor in the existing independent steering technical solutions, while retaining the mechanical connection of the steering rod system and having a high degree of reliability. The modular chassis constructed thereby can switch between a large number of different steering modes according to actual working conditions, can realize large-angle steering and crab-like motion of a multi-axle chassis, and can adapt to complex and changeable driving environments.

[0008] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

[0009] A kingpin-like steering mechanism with a translation-rotation compound motion and a modular chassis composed thereof, wherein the kingpin-like steering mechanism is a steering system of an independent driving module in a compound steering mode, the steering system comprising a main steering motor (15) in the middle and a steering tie rod (14) connected to steering arms at both sides of the wheels (10); both ends of the steering tie rod are provided with mounting platforms with holes for mounting auxiliary steering motors on both sides of the driving module, the motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor (12) and the right auxiliary steering motor (1) are rigidly connected to the mounting platforms with holes, the motor shafts of the two motors pass through the holes of the mounting platforms with holes and are rigidly connected to the steering arms on the left and right sides of the steering tie rod respectively, and when the auxiliary steering motor is working, its motor shaft drives the steering arm to rotate relative to the steering tie rod to drive the wheel to steer;

[0010] The modular chassis includes more than one independent driving module;

[0011] The steering tie rod and the steering arms at both ends are connected to form a steering linkage system for steering the modular chassis; the main steering motor is connected to the steering tie rod via a transmission mechanism to steer the modular chassis through the steering linkage system.

[0012] The main steering motor has a built-in angle sensor. The motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are fixedly connected to the outer ring of their respective corresponding angle sensors, and the motor shafts are connected to the inner ring of their respective corresponding angle sensors via key slots. The angle sensor is used to monitor the output angle of its corresponding motor and provide real-time feedback to the controller of the module chassis.

[0013] The controller processes the angle signal data fed back by the angle sensors at the three steering motors, controls the left and right auxiliary steering motors to cooperate with the main steering motor to drive the steering rod system movement, and realizes closed-loop control of the steering system.

[0014] Both the main steering motor and the auxiliary steering motor use a high-power-density transmission mechanism. The corresponding configuration is adopted or changed according to the chassis space limitations of the motor installation position. A steering motor with a worm gear transmission mechanism is used in a space with a larger lateral dimension, and a steering motor with a planetary gear transmission mechanism is used in a space with a larger vertical dimension. The transmission direction is changed by connecting a bevel gear transmission mechanism, and the steering mechanism configuration is transformed to adapt to the chassis space.

[0015] The compound steering mode independent driving module includes a frame formed with a profile, the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are installed in spaces with larger vertical dimensions on both sides of the frame, and the main steering motor is installed in a space with larger horizontal dimensions inside the frame.

[0016] The modular chassis includes a combination of multiple independent driving modules with compound steering modes. Adjacent driving modules are connected through inter-axle connection modules using a mechanical quick-connect structure. The configuration of the chassis is changed by changing the number of independent driving modules constituting the chassis and the longitudinal dimensions of the inter-axle connection modules. The modular chassis is a wire-controlled chassis. When the number of independent driving modules is two and they are connected front to back, the wire-controlled chassis is a two-axle chassis with a two-axle configuration. By starting or stopping the left and right auxiliary steering motors, the driving module can be switched between normal steering mode and large-angle steering mode.

[0017] The suspension system of the compound steering mode independent travel module includes a swing arm and a shock absorbing spring connected to the corner module frame; the swing arm includes an upper swing arm (6) connected to the frame of the compound steering mode independent travel module and a lower swing arm (19) connected to the shock absorbing spring (2);

[0018] The drive system of the compound steering mode independent driving module includes tires, wheel hubs, wheel hub motors (9), and wheel speed sensors (20) respectively arranged at the wheels (10) on both sides, and also includes a first wheel hub motor controller and a second wheel hub motor controller (16) for respectively controlling the wheel hub motors on both sides;

[0019] The braking system of the compound steering mode independent driving module comprises a brake disc (11) provided at a wheel, a brake caliper (7) adjacent to the brake disc, and a brake caliper controller;

[0020] A battery is provided on the frame of the independent driving module of the compound steering mode;

[0021] The mounting platforms with holes at both ends of the steering tie rod are respectively mounted on the first tie rod (18) and the second tie rod (13) on both sides of the steering tie rod.

[0022] A kingpin-like steering mechanism with combined translation and rotation motion and a steering method for a modular chassis comprising the same. The modular chassis is a drive-by-wire chassis comprising a plurality of independent driving modules with combined steering modes, wherein the steering modes employed by the independent driving modules with combined steering modes include a large-angle steering mode, a normal steering mode, and a locked steering mode.

[0023] When the steering system of the independent driving module of compound steering mode is working, its working condition can be switched among large-angle steering mode, normal steering mode and locked steering mode;

[0024] The drive-by-wire chassis is based on a two-axis configuration. When it is expanded to a multi-axis configuration on this basis, different steering modes are set between each independent driving module to switch between multiple steering modes according to actual working conditions, so as to realize large-angle steering and crab-like movement of the multi-axis chassis, so that the chassis can adapt to complex and changeable driving environments. The normal driving mode and the independent driving mode are used in combination. By selecting any multi-axis to enable the above-mentioned large-angle steering mode, and coordinating with other axes to adopt the normal steering mode, it can flexibly switch between multiple modes of straight-line driving, crab-like movement, and large-angle steering, and ensure the reliability and flexibility of the chassis operation in each mode.

[0025] In a two-axle chassis configuration, if the steering system of the front axle driving module is set to high-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the rear axle driving module is set to locked steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis will now be in front-wheel steering mode. If the steering system of the rear axle driving module is set to high-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the front axle driving module is set to locked steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis will now be in rear-wheel steering mode. If the steering systems of both the front and rear axle driving modules are set to high-angle steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis can be set to high-angle steering mode, and the vehicle control system will match the corresponding control mode to control the chassis to perform high-angle steering. The drive-by-wire chassis can also be set to crab steering mode, and the vehicle control system will match the corresponding control mode to control the chassis to perform crab steering.

[0026] When the steering system is in the large-angle steering mode, the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are started, and according to the control instructions of the steering system, they cooperate with the main steering motor to complete the large-angle steering instructions. The three motors simultaneously drive the steering rod system to achieve large-angle steering of the independent driving module in the compound steering mode.

[0027] When the steering system is in normal steering mode, the power steering function of the left and right auxiliary motors is disabled and they can only move following the relative movement of the rod system. The steering rod system is completely driven by the main steering motor.

[0028] When the steering system is in locked steering mode, the three steering motors are locked separately, the shape of the steering mechanism is fixed, and the wheel angles of the driving modules are fixed at different angles.

[0029] In the steering system of this invention, the steering arm rotates relative to the steering tie rod, which, in conjunction with the main steering motor, overcomes the inherent dead zone caused by the mechanical constraints of the steering linkage, enabling wide-angle steering. This steering mechanism achieves wide-angle steering while overcoming the drawbacks of existing independent steering solutions, such as severe steering buffeting and high steering motor power consumption, while retaining the mechanical connection of the steering linkage, resulting in high reliability.

[0030] In the present invention, the wire-controlled chassis can be expanded to a multi-axis configuration based on a two-axis configuration. By setting different steering modes between each independent driving module, the wire-controlled chassis can switch a large number of different steering modes according to actual working conditions, and can realize large-angle steering of the multi-axis chassis and crab-like motion of the multi-axis chassis, and can adapt to complex and changeable driving environments.

[0031] In the present invention, by switching between different steering modes, the wheel turning angle range can be expanded, giving the vehicle greater flexibility. Since each wheel of the multi-axle chassis composed of the steering module proposed in the present invention has the ability to steer at a large angle, it can adapt to a large number of steering modes.

[0032] The structural innovation of the present invention and its corresponding advantages are:

[0033] (1) The present invention improves the large-angle steering mechanism of the steering tie rod. The outer ball joint structure of the traditional steering tie rod is modified by removing the ball joint and pin and replacing it with a ring structure. A fixed platform is added to the upper side. The motor is rigidly connected to the fixed platforms at both ends of the steering tie rod by bolts, and the output shaft of the steering motor passes through the center of the above-mentioned ring and is fixed to the steering arm. When the main steering motor drives the steering tie rod mechanism to reach the extreme position, the left and right auxiliary steering motors fixed to the steering tie rod drive the steering arm to rotate relative to the steering tie rod, cooperating with the main steering motor to drive the entire steering link system to move, thereby overcoming the inherent dead zone defect of the connecting rod structure and achieving large-angle steering.

[0034] (2) The present invention has a multi-mode composite steering system. By starting the auxiliary steering motor, the steering system has the ability to steer at a large angle, and the steering system is in a large-angle steering mode. By disabling the power-assist function of the auxiliary steering motor, the steering system becomes a traditional tie-rod steering system, and the steering system is in a normal steering mode. By enabling the locking function of the main steering motor and the left and right auxiliary steering motors, the steering rod system is locked in a fixed form, and the steering system is in a locked steering mode. The three steering modes are combined in the same steering system and can be switched freely. Different steering modes can be used between multiple steering systems to change the dynamic performance of the chassis and adapt to more diverse application scenarios.

[0035] (3) The present invention has an independent driving module with main and auxiliary steering. The independent driving module includes two wheels and a connecting bridge in the middle, and has independent drive, braking, steering and suspension systems. It has the ability to travel independently. Its steering mechanism adopts the above-mentioned improved steering tie rod steering mechanism. On the basis of the main steering motor driving the steering tie rod, left and right auxiliary steering motors are added at the connection between the steering tie rod and the left and right steering arms to assist the main steering motor in executing steering commands. Compared with the driving module using the traditional steering rod system, the steering mechanism has enhanced movement capability and overcomes the defect of high power consumption of the steering motor of the driving module using the independent steering mechanism.

[0036] (4) The present invention has a multi-mode steering variable configuration wire-controlled chassis architecture. The chassis architecture is composed of two or more independent driving modules with main and auxiliary steering, and the driving modules are connected by an inter-axle connection module to form a complete chassis. By starting and stopping the left and right auxiliary steering motors, the driving module can be switched between the normal steering mode and the large-angle steering mode. The chassis architecture uses the normal driving mode and the independent driving mode in combination. By enabling the above-mentioned large-angle steering mode by any multiple axes and using the normal steering mode with other axes, it can flexibly switch between multiple modes such as straight-line driving, crab driving, and large-angle steering, and ensure the reliability and flexibility of the chassis operation in each mode; that is, by switching different steering modes, the wheel turning angle range can be expanded, giving the vehicle higher flexibility. Each wheel of the multi-axle chassis composed of the steering module proposed in this patent has the ability to steer at a large angle, so it can adapt to a large number of steering modes. Two special steering modes are listed in the embodiment.

[0037] (5) The present invention has a steering control system with an integrated angle sensor. In this steering system, both the main steering motor and the auxiliary steering motor are equipped with angle sensors to feedback the output angle. The outer ring of the angle sensor is fixedly connected to the steering motor housing, and the inner ring cooperates with the motor output shaft. The connection is via a keyway, which can provide real-time feedback on the output angle of the motor. The controller realizes closed-loop control of the steering system by processing the feedback angle signals from the three steering motors.

[0038] (6) The present invention has a high-power density interchangeable steering motor. Both the main steering motor and the auxiliary steering motor use a high-power density transmission mechanism, and the configuration can be changed according to the space limitations in different modules. By using a steering motor with a worm gear transmission mechanism in a space with a larger lateral dimension, and using a steering motor with a planetary gear transmission mechanism in a space with a larger vertical dimension, or connecting a bevel gear transmission mechanism to change the transmission direction, the steering mechanism configuration can be changed to better adapt to the chassis space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0040] Attachment Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the independent driving module of the compound steering mode in the present invention;

[0041] Attachment Figure 2This is another three-dimensional schematic diagram of the independent driving module in the compound steering mode (the auxiliary steering motor shown in the figure is only one implementation form of the auxiliary steering motor. Depending on the chassis configuration, the steering motor of the planetary gear transmission mechanism can be replaced with a steering motor of other transmission types. The fixing method of the motor housing and the connection method of the motor output shaft remain unchanged.);

[0042] Attachment Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a configuration in which multiple independent driving modules with compound steering modes are connected to form a multi-axle chassis;

[0043] Attachment Figure 4 1. It is a top view schematic diagram of the independent driving module of the compound steering mode;

[0044] Attachment Figure 5 1. It is a front view schematic diagram of the independent driving module of the compound steering mode;

[0045] Attachment Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the configuration of two independent driving modules with compound steering modes connected to form a two-axle chassis;

[0046] Attachment Figure 7 This is another schematic diagram of a configuration in which two independent driving modules with compound steering modes are connected to form a two-axle chassis;

[0047] In the figure: 1-right auxiliary steering motor; 2-shock absorber spring; 3-brake pump; 4-first hub motor controller; 5-profile (profile used to form the frame); 6-upper control arm; 7-brake caliper; 8-steering arm; 9-hub motor; 10-wheel; 11-brake disc; 12-left auxiliary steering motor; 13-second tie rod; 14-steering tie rod; 15-main steering motor; 16-second hub motor controller; 17-battery; 18-first tie rod; 19-lower control arm; 20-wheel speed sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] As shown in the figure, a kingpin-like steering mechanism with a combined translation and rotation motion and a modular chassis formed thereof, the kingpin-like steering mechanism is a steering system of an independent travel module in a combined steering mode, the steering system comprising a main steering motor 15 in the middle and a steering tie rod 14 connected at both ends to the steering arms at the wheels 10 on both sides; both ends of the steering tie rod are provided with mounting platforms with holes for mounting auxiliary steering motors on both sides of the travel module, the motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor 12 and the right auxiliary steering motor 1 are rigidly connected to the mounting platforms with holes, the motor shafts of the two motors pass through the holes of the mounting platforms with holes and are rigidly connected to the steering arms on the left and right sides of the steering tie rod respectively, when the auxiliary steering motor is working, its motor shaft drives the steering arm to rotate relative to the steering tie rod to drive the wheel to steer;

[0049] The modular chassis includes more than one independent driving module;

[0050] The steering tie rod and the steering arms at both ends are connected to form a steering linkage system for steering the modular chassis; the main steering motor is connected to the steering tie rod via a transmission mechanism to steer the modular chassis through the steering linkage system.

[0051] The main steering motor has a built-in angle sensor. The motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are fixedly connected to the outer ring of their respective corresponding angle sensors, and the motor shafts are connected to the inner ring of their respective corresponding angle sensors via key slots. The angle sensor is used to monitor the output angle of its corresponding motor and provide real-time feedback to the controller of the module chassis.

[0052] The controller processes the angle signal data fed back by the angle sensors at the three steering motors, controls the left and right auxiliary steering motors to cooperate with the main steering motor to drive the steering rod system movement, and realizes closed-loop control of the steering system.

[0053] Both the main steering motor and the auxiliary steering motor use a high-power-density transmission mechanism. The corresponding configuration is adopted or changed according to the chassis space limitations of the motor installation position. A steering motor with a worm gear transmission mechanism is used in a space with a larger lateral dimension, and a steering motor with a planetary gear transmission mechanism is used in a space with a larger vertical dimension. The transmission direction is changed by connecting a bevel gear transmission mechanism, and the steering mechanism configuration is transformed to adapt to the chassis space.

[0054] The compound steering mode independent driving module includes a frame formed with a profile 5, the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are installed in spaces with larger vertical dimensions on both sides of the frame, and the main steering motor is installed in a space with larger horizontal dimensions inside the frame.

[0055] The modular chassis includes a combination of multiple independent driving modules with compound steering modes. Adjacent driving modules are connected through inter-axle connection modules using a mechanical quick-connect structure. The configuration of the chassis is changed by changing the number of independent driving modules constituting the chassis and the longitudinal dimensions of the inter-axle connection modules. The modular chassis is a wire-controlled chassis. When the number of independent driving modules is two and they are connected front to back, the wire-controlled chassis is a two-axle chassis with a two-axle configuration. By starting or stopping the left and right auxiliary steering motors, the driving module can be switched between normal steering mode and large-angle steering mode.

[0056] The suspension system of the compound steering mode independent driving module includes a swing arm and a shock-absorbing spring connected to the corner module frame; the swing arm includes an upper swing arm 6 connected to the frame of the compound steering mode independent driving module and a lower swing arm 19 connected to the shock-absorbing spring 2;

[0057] The drive system of the compound steering mode independent driving module includes tires, wheel hubs, wheel hub motors 9, and wheel speed sensors 20 respectively arranged at the wheels 10 on both sides, and also includes a first wheel hub motor controller 4 and a second wheel hub motor controller 16 for controlling the wheel hub motors on both sides respectively;

[0058] The braking system of the compound steering mode independent driving module includes a brake disc 11 provided at the wheel, a brake caliper 7 adjacent to the brake disc, and a brake caliper controller;

[0059] A battery 17 is provided on the frame of the compound steering mode independent driving module;

[0060] The mounting platforms with holes at both ends of the steering tie rod are respectively mounted on the first tie rod 18 and the second tie rod 13 on both sides of the steering tie rod.

[0061] A kingpin-like steering mechanism with combined translation and rotation motion and a steering method for a modular chassis comprising the same. The modular chassis is a drive-by-wire chassis comprising a plurality of independent driving modules with combined steering modes, wherein the steering modes employed by the independent driving modules with combined steering modes include a large-angle steering mode, a normal steering mode, and a locked steering mode.

[0062] When the steering system of the independent driving module of compound steering mode is working, its working condition can be switched among large-angle steering mode, normal steering mode and locked steering mode;

[0063] The drive-by-wire chassis is based on a two-axis configuration. When it is expanded to a multi-axis configuration on this basis, different steering modes are set between each independent driving module to switch between multiple steering modes according to actual working conditions, so as to realize large-angle steering and crab-like movement of the multi-axis chassis, so that the chassis can adapt to complex and changeable driving environments. The normal driving mode and the independent driving mode are used in combination. By selecting any multi-axis to enable the above-mentioned large-angle steering mode, and coordinating with other axes to adopt the normal steering mode, it can flexibly switch between multiple modes of straight-line driving, crab-like movement, and large-angle steering, and ensure the reliability and flexibility of the chassis operation in each mode.

[0064] In a two-axle chassis configuration, if the steering system of the front axle driving module is set to high-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the rear axle driving module is set to locked steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis will now be in front-wheel steering mode. If the steering system of the rear axle driving module is set to high-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the front axle driving module is set to locked steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis will now be in rear-wheel steering mode. If the steering systems of both the front and rear axle driving modules are set to high-angle steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis can be set to high-angle steering mode, and the vehicle control system will match the corresponding control mode to control the chassis to perform high-angle steering. The drive-by-wire chassis can also be set to crab steering mode, and the vehicle control system will match the corresponding control mode to control the chassis to perform crab steering.

[0065] When the steering system is in the large-angle steering mode, the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are started, and according to the control instructions of the steering system, they cooperate with the main steering motor to complete the large-angle steering instructions. The three motors simultaneously drive the steering rod system to achieve large-angle steering of the independent driving module in the compound steering mode.

[0066] When the steering system is in normal steering mode, the power steering function of the left and right auxiliary motors is disabled and they can only move following the relative movement of the rod system. The steering rod system is completely driven by the main steering motor.

[0067] When the steering system is in locked steering mode, the three steering motors are locked separately, the shape of the steering mechanism is fixed, and the wheel angles of the driving modules are fixed at different angles.

[0068] Example:

[0069] This example proposes a two-wheeled, independent driving module with a compound steering mode and improved tie rod design. It features a complete drive, braking, suspension, and steering system, enabling independent driving. The drive system includes wheels, in-wheel motors, and in-wheel motor controllers; the braking system includes brake discs, brake calipers, a brake pump, and a hydraulic distributor; the suspension system includes upper and lower control arms, shock absorber springs, and a steering arm; and the steering system includes a main steering motor, left and right auxiliary steering motors, a tie rod, and a steering arm.

[0070] This example also proposes an improved mechanism for high-angle steering with a tie rod. This improvement involves removing the outer ball joint structure of the tie rod from the conventional steering mechanism and replacing it with a mounting platform with holes. The motor shafts of the left and right auxiliary steering motors pass through the central holes of their respective mounting platforms, replacing the pins of the outer ball joints to securely connect to the left and right steering arms. When the auxiliary steering motor is operating, the motor shaft rotates relative to the motor housing. The motor housing is rigidly connected to the mounting platform on the tie rod, and the motor shaft is rigidly connected to the steering arm. This allows the steering arm to rotate relative to the tie rod. In conjunction with the main steering motor, this mechanism overcomes the inherent dead zone caused by the mechanical constraints of the steering linkage, achieving high-angle steering. This steering mechanism achieves high-angle steering while overcoming the severe steering buffeting and high power consumption of the steering motors found in existing independent steering solutions. It also maintains the mechanical connection of the steering linkage, resulting in high reliability.

[0071] The steering system of the above-mentioned independent travel module uses the large-angle steering mechanism of the improved steering tie rod. The steering system has three steering modes: large-angle steering mode, normal steering mode and locked steering mode. When the system switches to large-angle steering mode, the left and right auxiliary steering motors are started, and will cooperate with the main steering motor to complete the large-angle steering command according to the control command. The three motors simultaneously drive the steering rod system to achieve large-angle steering of the independent travel module. When the system switches to normal steering mode, the power steering function of the left and right auxiliary motors is disabled, and they can only move following the relative movement of the rod system. The steering rod system is completely driven by the main steering motor. When the system switches to locked steering mode, the three steering motors are locked separately, the shape of the steering mechanism is fixed, and the wheel angles of the travel module are fixed differently. The steering system can switch between the two steering modes at will.

[0072] Through master-slave steering using the main steering motor and left and right auxiliary steering motors, along with three selectable steering modes, the independent travel module equipped with this steering system not only boasts high steering performance for wide steering angles, but also functions as a travel module using standard or fixed tie rods. The travel module integrates an angle sensor for closed-loop control of its steering system. The outer ring of the angle sensor is fixedly attached to the steering motor housing, while the inner ring mates with the motor output shaft via a keyway connection, providing real-time feedback on the motor's output angle. A controller processes the angle signals fed back from the three steering motors to control the left and right auxiliary steering motors in conjunction with the main steering motor to drive the steering linkage, achieving closed-loop control of the steering system. Both the main and auxiliary steering motors utilize high-power transmission mechanisms, allowing for flexible configurations to accommodate space constraints within different modules. By utilizing a worm gear transmission for larger lateral dimensions and a planetary gear transmission for larger vertical dimensions, and by connecting a bevel gear transmission to change the transmission direction, the steering mechanism configuration can be modified to better fit within the chassis.

[0073] This example also proposes a multi-mode steering variable configuration drive-by-wire chassis architecture. Based on the above-mentioned independent driving modules with primary and secondary steering, the chassis is composed of multiple independent driving modules. Adjacent driving modules are connected by inter-axle connection modules. Each module is connected using a mechanical quick-connect structure. By changing the number of independent driving modules that constitute the chassis and the longitudinal dimensions of the inter-axle connection modules, the chassis configuration can be changed. In the two-axle chassis configuration, the steering system of the front axle driving module can be set to a large-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the rear axle driving module can be set to a locked steering mode. In this case, the drive-by-wire chassis is in front-wheel steering mode; the steering system of the rear axle driving module can be set to a large-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the front axle driving module can be set to a locked steering mode. In this case, the drive-by-wire chassis is in rear-wheel steering mode. By setting the steering systems of both the front and rear axle driving modules to high-angle steering mode, the drive-by-wire chassis can be set to high-angle steering mode, and the vehicle control system will adapt to the corresponding control mode to control the chassis to perform high-angle steering. Alternatively, the drive-by-wire chassis can be set to crab mode, and the vehicle control system will adapt to the corresponding control mode to control the chassis to perform crab maneuvers. Through a mechanical quick-connect structure, the drive-by-wire chassis can be expanded from a two-axle configuration to a multi-axle configuration. By setting different steering modes between the independent driving modules, the drive-by-wire chassis can switch between a large number of different steering modes based on actual working conditions, enabling high-angle steering and crab maneuvers for the multi-axle chassis, and adapting to complex and changing driving environments.

Claims

1. A kingpin-like steering mechanism with a combined translation and rotation motion and a modular chassis composed thereof, characterized by: The kingpin-like steering mechanism is a steering system of an independent travel module in a compound steering mode, and the steering system includes a main steering motor (15) in the middle, and a steering tie rod (14) connected to the steering arms at both ends of the wheels (10) on both sides; the two ends of the steering tie rod are provided with mounting platforms with holes for mounting auxiliary steering motors on both sides of the travel module, and the motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor (12) and the right auxiliary steering motor (1) are rigidly connected to the mounting platforms with holes. After the motor shafts of the two motors pass through the holes of the mounting platforms with holes, they are rigidly connected to the steering arms on the left and right sides of the steering tie rod respectively. When the auxiliary steering motor is working, its motor shaft drives the steering arm to rotate relative to the steering tie rod to drive the wheel to steer; The modular chassis includes more than one independent driving module; The steering tie rod and the steering arms at both ends are connected to form a steering linkage system for steering the modular chassis; the main steering motor is connected to the steering tie rod via a transmission mechanism to steer the modular chassis through the steering linkage system; Both the main steering motor and the auxiliary steering motor use a high-power-density transmission mechanism. The corresponding configuration is adopted or modified based on the chassis space limitations of the motor installation location. A steering motor with a worm gear transmission mechanism is used where the lateral dimensions are sufficient, and a steering motor with a planetary gear transmission mechanism is used where the vertical dimensions are sufficient. By connecting a bevel gear transmission mechanism to change the transmission direction, the steering mechanism configuration is modified to adapt to the chassis space. The compound steering mode independent driving module includes a frame formed of a profile, a left auxiliary steering motor and a right auxiliary steering motor are installed in spaces with sufficient vertical dimensions on both sides of the frame, and a main steering motor is installed in a space with sufficient horizontal dimensions inside the frame; The suspension system of the compound steering mode independent travel module includes a swing arm and a shock absorbing spring connected to the corner module frame; the swing arm includes an upper swing arm (6) connected to the frame of the compound steering mode independent travel module and a lower swing arm (19) connected to the shock absorbing spring (2); The drive system of the compound steering mode independent driving module includes tires, wheel hubs, wheel hub motors (9), and wheel speed sensors (20) respectively arranged at the wheels (10) on both sides, and also includes a first wheel hub motor controller and a second wheel hub motor controller (16) for respectively controlling the wheel hub motors on both sides; The braking system of the compound steering mode independent driving module comprises a brake disc (11) provided at a wheel, a brake caliper (7) adjacent to the brake disc, and a brake caliper controller; A battery is provided on the frame of the independent driving module of the compound steering mode; The mounting platforms with holes at both ends of the steering tie rod are respectively mounted on the first tie rod (18) and the second tie rod (13) on both sides of the steering tie rod; A kingpin-like steering mechanism with combined translation and rotation motion and a steering method for a modular chassis comprising the same. The modular chassis is a drive-by-wire chassis comprising a plurality of independent driving modules with combined steering modes, wherein the steering modes employed by the independent driving modules with combined steering modes include a large-angle steering mode, a normal steering mode, and a locked steering mode. When the steering system of the independent driving module of compound steering mode is working, its working condition can be switched among large-angle steering mode, normal steering mode and locked steering mode; The drive-by-wire chassis is based on a two-axis configuration. When it is expanded to a multi-axis configuration on this basis, different steering modes are set between each independent driving module to switch between multiple steering modes according to actual working conditions, so as to realize large-angle steering and crab-like movement of the multi-axis chassis, so that the chassis can adapt to complex and changeable driving environments. The normal driving mode and the large-angle steering mode are used in combination. By selecting any multi-axis to enable the above-mentioned large-angle steering mode, and using the normal steering mode with other axes, it can flexibly switch between multiple modes of straight-line driving, crab-like movement, and large-angle steering, and ensure the reliability and flexibility of the chassis operation in each mode.

2. The kingpin-like steering mechanism with translational and rotational combined motion and the modular chassis constructed therefrom according to claim 1 are characterized in that: The main steering motor has a built-in angle sensor. The motor housings of the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are fixedly connected to the outer ring of their respective corresponding angle sensors, and the motor shafts are connected to the inner ring of their respective corresponding angle sensors via key slots. The angle sensor is used to monitor the output angle of its corresponding motor and provide real-time feedback to the controller of the module chassis.

3. The kingpin-like steering mechanism with translational and rotational combined motion and the modular chassis constructed therefrom according to claim 2 are characterized in that: The controller processes the angle signal data fed back by the angle sensors at the three steering motors, controls the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor to cooperate with the main steering motor to drive the steering rod system movement, thereby realizing closed-loop control of the steering system.

4. The kingpin-like steering mechanism with translational and rotational combined motion and the modular chassis constructed therefrom according to claim 1 are characterized in that: The modular chassis includes a combination of multiple independent driving modules with compound steering modes. Adjacent driving modules are connected through an inter-axle connection module using a mechanical quick-connect structure. The configuration of the chassis is changed by changing the number of independent driving modules constituting the chassis and the longitudinal dimensions of the inter-axle connection modules. The modular chassis is a wire-controlled chassis. When the number of independent driving modules is two and they are connected front to back, the wire-controlled chassis is a two-axle chassis with a two-axle configuration. By starting or disabling the operation of the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor, the driving module can be switched between the normal steering mode and the large-angle steering mode.

5. The kingpin-like steering mechanism with translational and rotational combined motion and the modular chassis constructed therefrom according to claim 1 are characterized in that: In a two-axle chassis configuration, the steering system of the front axle driving module is set to the large-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the rear axle front axle driving module is set to the locked steering mode. At this time, the by-wire chassis is in the front-wheel steering mode. The steering system of the rear axle driving module is set to the large-angle steering or normal steering mode, and the steering system of the front axle driving module is set to the locked steering mode. At this time, the by-wire chassis is in the rear-wheel steering mode. Set the steering systems of the front and rear axle driving modules to the large-angle steering mode. At this time, set the wire-controlled chassis to the large-angle steering mode. The vehicle control system will match the corresponding control mode and control the chassis to perform large-angle steering. If the wire-controlled chassis is set to crab mode, the vehicle control system will match the corresponding control mode and control the chassis to crab-drive.

6. The kingpin-like steering mechanism with translational and rotational combined motion and the modular chassis constructed therefrom according to claim 1 are characterized in that: When the steering system is in the large-angle steering mode, the left auxiliary steering motor and the right auxiliary steering motor are started, and according to the control instructions of the steering system, they cooperate with the main steering motor to complete the large-angle steering instructions. The three motors simultaneously drive the steering rod system to achieve large-angle steering of the independent driving module in the compound steering mode. When the steering system is in normal steering mode, the power steering functions of the left and right auxiliary steering motors are disabled and they can only move following the relative movement of the linkage. The steering linkage is completely driven by the main steering motor. When the steering system is in locked steering mode, the three steering motors are locked separately, the shape of the steering mechanism is fixed, and the wheel angles of the driving modules are fixed at different angles.

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