Hub motor large-stroke suspension and vehicle body connecting structure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of independent suspensions of cross-country vehicles, and particularly discloses a hub motor large-stroke suspension and vehicle body connecting structure which comprises an upper limiting device, an elastic damping element, a lower limiting device, an upper cross arm assembly and a lower cross arm assembly. One end of the upper cross arm assembly and one end of the lower cross arm assembly are hinged to a steering knuckle of the hub motor through a spherical hinge assembly, and the other end of the upper cross arm assembly and the other end of the lower cross arm assembly are connected with a vehicle body through knuckle bearings; the upper limiting device is installed on the outer side of the vehicle body and above the upper cross arm assembly, the lower limiting device is installed on the outer side of the vehicle body and below the upper cross arm assembly, the top of the elastic damping element is installed on the vehicle body, and the bottom of the elastic damping element is installed on the lower cross arm assembly; the suspension stroke is greatly increased and the riding comfort is improved by optimizing suspension hard point coordinates and matching a proper guide mechanism and a vehicle body structure, the structures of the front suspension and the rear suspension are the same, the generalization rate of the suspension system is increased, the development period is shortened, and the cost is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of off-road vehicle independent suspension, and in particular to a hub motor large-stroke suspension and vehicle body connection structure. Background Art

[0002] The in-wheel motor technology places the motor assembly with integrated reducer directly in the wheel hub, which takes up more wheel side layout space, resulting in tight layout space for control arms and springs, easy interference, and difficulty in matching the suspension adaptability, which can easily reduce the vehicle's smoothness and handling performance.

[0003] Invention patent CN111746211B "A wheel hub motor suspension and its body connection structure" discloses a wheel hub motor suspension and its body connection structure, including an upper control arm, a lower control arm and a spring shock absorber, providing a wheel hub motor suspension and its body connection structure with high structural strength and good lightness; by optimizing the control arm structure of the suspension, the control arm cross-section adopts a hollow rectangular structure to improve the bearing capacity.

[0004] In the invention, the lower part of the spring shock absorber is hingedly connected to the lower bracket of the shock absorber, and the upper part is hingedly connected to the body bracket. From the structural arrangement of the suspension and the length of the spring, it can be seen that the travel of the suspension system is not large, which is not conducive to improving the off-road maneuvering speed of the vehicle. In the invention, the connection structure between the lower control arm and the steering knuckle adopts that the lower control arm is below the steering knuckle, and the lower end of the spring is connected to the lower control arm through the bracket. During the driving process of the vehicle, the spring load is transmitted to the lower cross arm through the spring. The lower control arm tends to move in the loose direction relative to the steering knuckle, which increases the risk of loosening between the two, which is not conducive to the reliability of the connection between the lower control arm and the steering knuckle.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design a large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor to solve the problem that after an off-road vehicle uses a hub motor, structures such as the motor housing, control unit, and wiring harness occupy more space, resulting in tight suspension layout space. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a hub motor long-stroke suspension and vehicle body connection structure. By optimizing the suspension hard point coordinates and matching appropriate guide mechanisms and elastic and damping elements, the problem of the motor housing, control unit, wiring harness and other structures occupying more space after the hub motor is used, resulting in tight suspension layout space, and the suspension stroke is increased to no less than 420mm. At the same time, according to the layout of the whole vehicle, the suspension and vehicle body connection structure is improved, so that the suspension system can meet the requirements of ultra-long stroke while optimizing the spatial layout. The lower cross arm assembly is installed above the steering knuckle to improve the connection reliability.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: a wheel hub motor long-stroke suspension and vehicle body connection structure, including an upper limit device, an elastic damping element, a lower limit device, an upper cross arm assembly and a lower cross arm assembly, one end of the upper cross arm assembly and the lower cross arm assembly are both hinged to the steering knuckle of the wheel hub motor through a ball hinge assembly, and the other ends of the upper cross arm assembly and the lower cross arm assembly are connected to the vehicle body through a joint bearing;

[0008] The upper limit device is installed on the outer side of the vehicle body and above the upper cross arm assembly, the lower limit device is installed on the outer side of the vehicle body and below the upper cross arm assembly, the top of the elastic damping element is installed on the vehicle body, and the bottom of the elastic damping element is installed on the lower cross arm assembly.

[0009] Preferably, the upper cross arm assembly includes an upper cross arm, a ball hinge assembly and a spherical bearing, the main body of the upper cross arm adopts a transverse "I" structure, and a bracket hole is provided in the middle of the upper cross arm for fixing the bracket through the bracket hole.

[0010] Preferably, the lower cross arm assembly includes a lower cross arm, a ball hinge assembly and a spherical bearing, and an elastic damping element mounting hole is provided in the middle of the lower cross arm for mounting the elastic damping element through the elastic damping element mounting hole.

[0011] Preferably, the elastic damping element is an oil-gas spring, the oil-gas springs are connected to hydraulic pipelines, and the upper chamber of the oil-gas spring on the left side of the vehicle body is connected to the lower chamber of the oil-gas spring on the right side of the vehicle body through the hydraulic pipeline.

[0012] Preferably, the elastic damping element includes an oil-gas spring connector, a fixed steel pipe, and an oil-gas spring joint bearing. The upper oil-gas spring joint bearing is installed on the vehicle body, and the lower oil-gas spring joint bearing is installed in the elastic damping element mounting hole of the lower cross arm assembly.

[0013] Preferably, the upper limit device includes an upper limit bracket and an upper buffer block, the upper limit bracket is fixed to the outside of the vehicle body, the upper buffer block is fixed to the upper limit bracket, and the upper buffer block limits the movement of the upper cross arm assembly to control the suspension stroke.

[0014] Preferably, the lower limit device includes a lower limit bracket and a lower buffer block, the lower limit bracket is fixed to the outer side of the vehicle body, the lower buffer block is fixed to the lower limit bracket, and the lower buffer block limits the movement of the upper cross arm assembly to control the suspension stroke.

[0015] Preferably, the suspension structures on the left and right sides of the vehicle body are symmetrical, and the front and rear suspension structures of the vehicle body are the same.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The wheel hub motor long-stroke suspension and vehicle body connection structure designed in the present invention solve the problem of tight suspension layout space after installing the wheel hub motor. By optimizing the suspension structure, the suspension stroke is greatly increased to meet the driving requirements of various off-road conditions and improve ride comfort.

[0018] 2. The front and rear suspension structures of the present invention are the same and can be used for both steering axles and non-steering axles. The main structure remains unchanged while the coil spring and oil-gas spring can be replaced, which improves the commonality of the suspension system, shortens the development cycle, and effectively reduces costs.

[0019] 3. By integrating the upper and lower cross arm assembly connection bracket with the vehicle body and optimizing the upper and lower cross arm structure of the suspension, the system can be lightweight while ensuring that the load-bearing capacity of the suspension system meets the requirements.

[0020] 4. The ball hinge assembly and the spherical bearing involved in the present invention are designed to be maintenance-free, thereby achieving maintenance-free of the entire suspension system and effectively improving the maintenance performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a hub motor long-travel suspension and a vehicle body connection structure.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the upper cross arm assembly.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the lower cross arm assembly.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the elastic damping element.

[0025] In the figure: 11-upper limit bracket, 12-upper buffer block;

[0026] 2-elastic damping element, 21-oil and gas spring connector, 22-fixed steel pipe, 23-oil and gas spring joint bearing;

[0027] 31-lower limit bracket, 32-lower buffer block;

[0028] 4-upper cross arm assembly, 41-upper cross arm, 42-bracket hole position;

[0029] 5-lower cross arm assembly, 51-lower cross arm, 52-elastic damping element installation hole;

[0030] 6-steering knuckle; 7-ball hinge assembly; 8-spherical bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely further describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Embodiment 1:

[0033] A wheel hub motor long-travel suspension and vehicle body connection structure includes an upper limit device, an elastic damping element 2, a lower limit device, an upper cross arm assembly 4 and a lower cross arm assembly 5. One end of the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 are hinged to the steering knuckle 6 of the wheel hub motor through a ball hinge assembly 7, and the other end of the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 are directly connected to the vehicle body through a joint bearing 8, eliminating the cross arm mounting bracket, simplifying the suspension structure, and facilitating lightweight design. One end of the elastic damping element 2 is fixed to the vehicle body, and the other end of the elastic damping element 2 is fixed to the middle of the lower cross arm assembly 5.

[0034] The upper cross arm assembly 4 includes an upper cross arm 41, a ball hinge assembly 7 and a joint bearing 8. The main part of the upper cross arm 41 adopts a horizontal "I" structure, which ensures that its bearing capacity meets the requirements while being lightweight. A bracket hole 42 is provided in the middle of the upper cross arm 41 for fixing the bracket.

[0035] The lower cross arm assembly 5 comprises a lower cross arm 51 , a ball hinge assembly 7 and a spherical bearing 8 . An elastic damping element mounting hole 52 is provided in the middle of the lower cross arm 51 . The elastic damping element mounting hole 52 is used for mounting the elastic damping element 2 .

[0036] The elastic damping element 2 is a hydro-pneumatic spring, which improves the off-road ride comfort of the vehicle by controlling the inflation pressure and inflation volume of the air chamber in the hydro-pneumatic spring.

[0037] The oil and gas springs are connected through hydraulic pipelines. The upper chamber of the oil and gas spring on the left side of the vehicle body is connected to the lower chamber of the oil and gas spring on the right side of the vehicle body. The cross-connection of the left and right oil and gas springs enables the vehicle body to automatically return to the center when it tilts within a certain range, thereby improving the vehicle's handling stability. By rationally optimizing the connection structure of the oil port of the lower chamber of the oil and gas spring, the pipeline is prevented from interfering with the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 during the suspension jumping process.

[0038] The upper limit device includes an upper limit bracket 11 and an upper buffer block 12. The upper limit bracket 11 is fixed to the outside of the vehicle body, and the upper buffer block 12 is fixed to the upper limit bracket 11. The upper buffer block 12 limits the movement of the upper cross arm assembly 4 to control the suspension stroke.

[0039] The lower limit device includes a lower limit bracket 31 and a lower buffer block 32. The lower limit bracket 31 is fixed to the outside of the vehicle body, and the lower buffer block 32 is fixed to the lower limit bracket 31. The lower buffer block 32 limits the movement of the upper cross arm assembly 4 to control the suspension stroke.

[0040] The suspension and body connection structure suitable for wheel hub motors can increase the suspension travel to no less than 420mm by optimizing the suspension hard point coordinates and matching the appropriate guide mechanism and elastic and damping elements. At the same time, according to the layout of the whole vehicle, the suspension and body connection structure is improved so that the suspension system can meet the requirements of ultra-long travel while optimizing the space layout.

[0041] It is suitable for the long-travel suspension and vehicle body connection structure of the wheel hub motor. The suspension structures on the left and right sides of the vehicle body are symmetrical, and the front and rear suspension structures of the vehicle body are the same. It can be used for both steering axles and non-steering axles, which improves the commonality of the suspension system.

[0042] Embodiment 2: The specific connection structure is explained in combination with embodiment 1.

[0043] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown in the figure, since the front and rear suspension parts of the vehicle body have the same structure, the present invention is described in detail by taking the rear axle as an example. Based on the prior art, the present invention provides a hub motor large-stroke suspension and vehicle body connection structure, as shown in the figure. Figure 1 As shown, it includes an upper cross arm assembly 4, a lower cross arm assembly 5, an elastic damping element 2, an upper limit device and a lower limit device. The upper cross arm assembly 4 includes an upper cross arm 41, one end of which is hinged to the steering knuckle 6 through a ball hinge assembly 7, and the other end of the upper cross arm 41 is fixed to the vehicle body through a mounting hole on a joint bearing 8, and a bracket hole 42 is provided in the middle of the upper cross arm 41 for fixing the bracket. Similarly, the lower cross arm assembly 5 includes a lower cross arm 51, one end of which is hinged to the steering knuckle 6 through a ball hinge assembly 7, and the other end of the lower cross arm 51 is fixed to the vehicle body through a mounting hole on a joint bearing 8, and an elastic damping element mounting hole 52 is provided in the middle of the lower cross arm 51. The ball hinge assembly 7 and the joint bearing 8 used in the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 are exactly the same, which reduces the number of parts, facilitates management and helps to shorten assembly time. By optimizing the suspension hard point coordinates and the upper and lower cross arm configurations, matching a suitable vehicle body structure and a ball pin 7 with a large swing angle, a large vehicle travel can be achieved, which is beneficial to improving the vehicle's driving smoothness and obstacle crossing ability, and increasing ride comfort.

[0044] The upper limit device includes an upper limit bracket 11 and an upper buffer block 12, and the lower limit device includes a lower limit bracket 31 and a lower buffer block 32. The left upper limit bracket is exactly the same as the right upper limit bracket, and the left lower limit bracket is exactly the same as the right lower limit bracket, which effectively reduces the number of parts. When the vehicle encounters a ground bump during driving, the wheels jump upward, driving the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 to move upward until the upper cross arm 41 compresses the upper buffer block 12 to the limit and stops, realizing the upper limit function; when the vehicle encounters a ground depression during driving, the wheels move downward under the action of gravity, driving the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 to move downward until the upper cross arm 41 compresses the lower buffer block 32 to the limit and stops, realizing the lower limit function.

[0045] The elastic damping element 2 is an oil-gas spring, and the two ends of the oil-gas spring are fixed to the elastic damping element installation hole 52 reserved in the middle of the vehicle body and the lower cross arm 51 through the oil-gas spring joint bearing 23, which plays the role of buffering and vibration reduction. At the same time, in order to reduce the number of molds for left and right symmetrical parts and reduce costs, the connector 21 of the left and right oil-gas springs is designed as a common blank during design, and the left and right parts are processed according to the hole positions and related dimensions marked on the drawings during production. The oil-gas spring used in the present invention is divided into two upper and lower chambers, which are connected respectively through the upper chamber oil port of the left cylinder and the lower chamber oil port of the right cylinder, and the lower chamber oil port of the left cylinder and the upper chamber oil port of the right cylinder through the hydraulic pipeline. The cross-connection of the left and right oil-gas springs of the vehicle body can replace the lateral stabilizer bar of the vehicle, effectively improving the handling stability of the vehicle. By reasonably optimizing the oil-gas spring structure and adding a fixed steel pipe 22 connecting the lower chamber oil port, it is avoided that the pipeline interferes with the upper cross arm assembly 4 and the lower cross arm assembly 5 during the suspension jumping process.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation modes, and anyone should be aware of the structural changes made under the enlightenment of the present invention, and all those having the same or similar technical solutions as the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0047] The techniques, shapes, and structural parts not described in detail in the present invention are all well-known techniques.

Claims

1. A large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor, characterized in that, it includes an upper limit device, an elastic damping element (2), a lower limit device, an upper cross-arm assembly (4) and a lower cross-arm assembly (5). One end of the upper cross-arm assembly (4) and the lower cross-arm assembly (5) is hinged to the steering knuckle (6) of the hub motor through a ball joint assembly (7), and the other end of the upper cross-arm assembly (4) and the lower cross-arm assembly (5) is connected to the body through a spherical plain bearing (8); The upper limit device is installed outside the body and above the upper cross-arm assembly (4), the lower limit device is installed outside the body and below the upper cross-arm assembly (4), the top of the elastic damping element (2) is installed on the body, and the bottom of the elastic damping element (2) is installed on the lower cross-arm assembly (5).

2. The large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor according to claim 1, characterized in that, the upper cross-arm assembly (4) includes an upper cross-arm (41), a ball joint assembly (7) and a spherical plain bearing (8). The main part of the upper cross-arm (41) adopts a horizontal "I" shape structure. There is a bracket hole position (42) in the middle of the upper cross-arm (41) for fixing the bracket through the bracket hole position (42).

3. The large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor according to claim 1, characterized in that, the lower cross-arm assembly (5) includes a lower cross-arm (51), a ball joint assembly (7) and a spherical plain bearing (8). There is an elastic damping element installation hole position (52) in the middle of the lower cross-arm (51) for installing the elastic damping element (2) through the elastic damping element installation hole position (52).

4. The large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor according to claim 1, characterized in that, the elastic damping element (2) is an oil-gas spring. The oil-gas springs are all connected with hydraulic pipelines. The upper chamber of the oil-gas spring on the left side of the body is communicated with the lower chamber of the oil-gas spring on the right side of the body through a hydraulic pipeline.

5. The large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor according to claim 4, characterized in that, the elastic damping element (2) includes an oil-gas spring connecting body (21), a fixed steel pipe (22), and an oil-gas spring spherical plain bearing (23). The upper oil-gas spring spherical plain bearing (23) is installed on the body, and the lower oil-gas spring spherical plain bearing (23) is installed in the elastic damping element installation hole position (52) of the lower cross-arm assembly (5).

6. The large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor according to claim 1, characterized in that, the upper limit device includes an upper limit bracket (11) and an upper buffer block (12). The upper limit bracket (11) is fixed outside the body, and the upper buffer block (12) is fixed on the upper limit bracket (11). The upper buffer block (12) restricts the movement of the upper cross-arm assembly (4) to control the suspension stroke.

7. The large-stroke suspension and body connection structure for a hub motor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower limit device includes a lower limit bracket (31) and a lower buffer block (32). The lower limit bracket (31) is fixed on the outer side of the vehicle body, and the lower buffer block (32) is fixed on the lower limit bracket (31). The lower buffer block (32) restricts the movement of the upper cross arm assembly (4) to control the suspension stroke.

8. The hub motor large-stroke suspension and vehicle body connection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the suspension structures on the left and right sides of the vehicle body are symmetrical, and the front and rear suspension structures of the vehicle body are the same.

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